Hope in the Rain

On a street corner in Karakura Town, Sawada Tsunayoshi smiled and waved goodbye to the soul before him. More than a year had passed since he arrived in Karakura Town.

Over the past year, Tsunayoshi had completely mastered his Fullbring. He attended classes and slept during the day, hunted Hollows in the evening, and spent his free time becoming good friends with Tatsuki and Ichigo. The group often visited one another's homes.

Through this, Tsunayoshi came to know the Kurosaki Family: Kurosaki Isshin, who had lost his Bleach powers; the Quincy Masaki Kurosaki; and Ichigo's two younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin.

Tsuna had once considered asking Masaki to teach him how to train as a Quincy, but his Fullbring had been at a critical stage at the time, so he put it aside for the moment.

There was not much to say about Tatsuki's home. Her family Dojo was simply a battlefield for three brats, but because Tsuna possessed Fullbring powers, he always emerged victorious in hand-to-hand combat. Gradually, Tsuna noticed an inexplicable look in Tatsuki's eyes whenever she looked at him.

When he had first begun training his Fullbring, Sawada Tsunayoshi had suggested moving away from Karakura Town to Mom. It was the first time Tsuna had seen an expression on her face other than gentleness.

Mom, Sawada Nana, sternly rejected Tsuna's suggestion. What they should do was support Dad, Iemitsu, while he worked away from home, not hold him back.

After mom talked him through it, Tsuna understood that their family would not be leaving Karakura Town anytime soon. Since that was the case, he had to reduce the possibility of his family being threatened as much as possible.

It was from then on that Tsuna began hunting Hollows. His Fullbring was quite miraculous, coming with experience in how to use it, and Tsuna could use Hollows to train his Fullbring.

Karakura Town truly deserved its reputation as a Seireitei. Hollows often attacked humans there. Tsuna did not know which Bleach was stationed to protect Karakura Town at this time, but those Hollows never seemed to be completely cleared out, giving him plenty of opportunities to fight.

While hunting Hollows, Tsuna often encountered souls still attached to the World of the Living. Although he was not yet a Bleach and could not perform Konso on them directly, whenever they could communicate normally, he did his best to persuade them to ascend to the Soul Society on their own.

Though not a Bleach himself, he did a Bleach's work. Tsuna carried on tirelessly.

Over the past year, Tsuna had thoroughly familiarized himself with every part of Karakura Town and even explored some of its surrounding areas. He had already found the riverside from the anime, the riverside where Ichigo's mother, Masaki Kurosaki, would be attacked.

During his time with the Kurosaki Family, every member of the family had earned much of Tsuna's goodwill. As for Aunt Masaki, who was lively and always smiling, Tsuna wanted to save her if he could.

So Tsuna found that riverside in advance, hoping to locate and destroy the Hollow known as Grand Fisher beforehand. But things did not go as he wished. This Hollow was an old hand; even the Soul Society had failed to capture it, so it was impossible for it to remain in one place for long.

With no other choice, Tsuna could only rely on repeated attempts. He remembered that the day Yhwach used The Auswählen was called Everything But the Rain, because Aunt Masaki died that day. For Ichigo and his father, nothing remained in their hearts but rain-like sorrow.

Based on the little information he had, Tsuna made an excuse to join the school's Weather Club, where he was specifically responsible for recording rainy days. Whenever there was heavy rain, Tsuna would go out.

More than once, Mom Nana told Tsuna to quit that dangerous Weather Club. After repeated attempts to persuade him failed, she could only prepare the best reflective raincoat for him and repeatedly remind him to stay safe before letting him leave.

Sawada Tsunayoshi pushed open the door and returned home. It was summer vacation, and during the break, Tsuna could devote all day to hunting Hollows. Having just helped two souls ascend, he planned to return home and rest for a while.

"Back already? Is club activity over?" Mom Nana asked. Club activities and invitations to friends' homes were excuses Tsuna often used.

"Yeah. There hasn't been any rain lately, so there's nothing for me to do..."

Before Tsuna could finish speaking, an alert sounded from the television. "A sudden heavy rainstorm has struck Karakura Town. Residents, please take precautions..."

Tsuna's expression changed. A bad feeling rose in his heart, and after calling out to mom, he grabbed the raincoat hanging by the door and rushed outside.

"Mom, I've got work. Save me dinner!"

"Be careful, and come home early!"

As mom's final words trailed after him, Tsuna rushed outside. The television forecast was indeed accurate. The moment he left home, droplets of rain began to fall from the sky, gradually growing heavier.

Tsuna skillfully turned into an alley near his home. He had performed this maneuver countless times. No one in the alley could notice what he was doing. Green light flashed beneath his feet, and propelled by that light, he leaped high into the air, using the curtain of rain as cover as he jumped above Karakura Town.

The ability Sawada Tsunayoshi used was called Fullbring Light. It manipulated Reishi to form a foothold beneath his feet, allowing the user to step on that Reishi and gain powerful launching force. It was a movement ability that relied mainly on jumping.

Whenever Fullbring Light was used, green light appeared where the Reishi gathered, making it fairly easy to identify.

As Tsuna launched himself forward at high speed, he prayed that today was not the day of The Auswählen. If it was, then at the very least, hold on until I get there.

At the riverside Tsuna was rushing toward, Masaki had already confronted the Hollow known as Grand Fisher.

This Hollow had four limbs and was covered in brown fur. A whip-like mimetic organ extended from its vicious mask. It could use that whip to conceal its form and disguise itself as a human, specifically luring in and attacking people with high spiritual density.

Just like its name suggested, this Hollow only used its mimicry ability to fish for prey. Its actual combat ability was quite ordinary, with all its talent invested in fishing and running away.

Just moments ago, the Hollow had disguised itself as a girl standing beside the river, making kindhearted Ichigo think it intended to jump in. Only after Ichigo ran over to it did it reveal its true form and prepare to attack him.

As a Quincy, Masaki naturally stepped in front of her son. Having once been a pure-blooded Quincy, Masaki's Blut Vene and Blut Vene were both far stronger than those of ordinary Quincy.

Naturally, Masaki was not afraid of such a Hollow. Or rather, whether this Hollow, which could only deceive others, could last even one exchange against her was questionable.

Blue light flickered across Masaki's arm, spreading over her forearm like veins. This was Blut Vene, which granted Quincy formidable defensive power.

The Hollow in front of Masaki clearly knew nothing of this. Facing Masaki, who had already activated her ability, it waved its claws and leaped high into the air, plainly treating the mother and son with their high spiritual density as a meal laid out before it.

Masaki raised her forearm before her. As long as the Hollow dared approach, she could use her Spirit Bow and Arrows to blast it apart at close range. This battle strategy had never failed her, and it was also how she had become connected to Ichigo's father, Kurosaki Isshin.

When she encountered Kurosaki Isshin, Masaki's bait plan had failed. That Hollow had been far too powerful, actually breaking through her Blut Vene and injuring her, allowing Hollow Poison to enter her body and preventing her from remaining a pure-blooded Quincy.

But this time, Masaki Kurosaki was confident. The spiritual pressure emitted by the Hollow before her was simply no match for her. Her battle plan would surely succeed.

Just as Masaki Kurosaki thought this, she suddenly discovered in shock that she seemed unable to exert any strength. The power within her was vanishing rapidly, and the Reishi would not obey her commands at all.

Masaki panicked. For a Quincy, being unable to control Reishi meant having no combat ability whatsoever. The Hollow had already leaped in front of them. What could she do?

In her panic, Masaki could only turn around and embrace Ichigo, using her own body to shield him from the Hollow's attack. It was her final instinct as a mother.

As for Ichigo, when had he ever seen such a scene? Both the Hollow's terrifying appearance and the dreadful spiritual pressure erupting from it frightened him stiff. He stood frozen in place, unable to move.

The only thing Masaki could do was block Ichigo's view, so he would not witness the horrifying sight of her being killed.

Yes, Masaki had already given up. The instant she turned around, the Reishi in her body began disappearing faster and faster. She did not know what was happening. She only knew that she and her son would likely die at this Hollow's hands.

Masaki closed her eyes and prayed, praying that the Hollow would spare Ichigo, praying for a miracle to arrive.

A whistling sound swept past Masaki's ear. The death that should have come seemed to have been delayed. Masaki turned her head and discovered that a massive arrow glowing red had pierced the claws of the Hollow attacking them. The Hollow clutched its injured hand in pain, turning as if to flee.

Grand Fisher could not understand what kind of attack had pierced through its defenses so easily, as though it were tofu.

True to a Hollow that had put all its talent into fishing and escaping, it did not dwell on the arrow. From that single shot alone, it knew it could not defeat its opponent. It did not even consider seeing who its enemy was and immediately turned to run.

Three more whistling sounds rang out beside Masaki. Three more arrows struck the Hollow's limbs in succession, firmly pinning the fleeing creature to the ground.

Glint Arrow.

It could rapidly fire a continuous barrage of anchoring arrows. Spiral red flames coiled around the arrowheads, granting them immense piercing power. It was usually used to pin enemies down.

Seeing that she was no longer in danger, Masaki turned to look behind her. On the bridge stood a not particularly tall figure. That figure seemed familiar, but what drew Masaki's attention most was the longbow in his hand, as tall as he was.

The longbow's body resembled white bone, while its string was made of red energy. It also had a handguard, and Masaki could faintly make out a little red decoration.

A Quincy?

The thought had only just arisen in Masaki's mind when she heard the person opposite her shout.

"Get down!"

Without thinking, Masaki hugged Ichigo and threw herself to the ground. Immediately afterward, a millstone-sized mass of red flame flew overhead. From the sharp shape at the head of the flame, she could vaguely tell it was an arrow.

The red arrow swept through everything in its path and flew straight toward the pinned Grand Fisher. Meeting no resistance, the enormous arrow pierced straight through it. Red flames completely incinerated its remaining body, breaking it down into Reishi once more.

Crimson Dragon Vortex Arrow!