Inside the hospital.
Ichigo grabbed Kanonji and sprinted, dragging him into a run-down corridor.
Kanonji looked utterly baffled. He still had no idea who this boy who'd suddenly appeared was, or why he was dragging him along at a full run.
And that strange monster was still outside. How could he just run away?
"Boy, why are we running? That monster's still out there, and the audience could be in danger. Let go of me!"
Kurosaki Ichigo came to an abrupt stop and tossed Kanonji aside, then warily scanned their surroundings.
"If you don't want to die, get out of the way."
You want me to run?
Kanonji froze. Then his expression turned solemn. "Anyone else can run, but I absolutely cannot."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm... a hero!"
Kanonji spoke solemnly. "My show gets a twenty-five percent ratings share. That means one out of every four people watches it, and most of those viewers are children. They cheer when they see me in action, and when they watch me face evil spirits, they learn what courage means!"
When Ichigo first heard him call himself a hero, he'd been speechless. But after hearing Kanonji out, his expression turned serious. He thought of his younger sister, Yuzu Kurosaki.
Just as Kanonji had said, his actions could teach those young, impressionable children what courage was.
"So, boy, I absolutely cannot run away while they're watching."
Ichigo didn't reply. He suddenly felt that he might have been wrong to dismiss Kanonji's show as a comedy.
"Well said!" Wu Biao strode out from behind them with a loud shout and excitedly clapped Kanonji on the shoulder. "As expected of the Master Kanonji I admire! You're a hero! Please let me accompany you so we can make that evil monster face the judgment of justice! Wahahaha!"
After that, Brother Biao even remembered to strike Kanonji's signature pose.
"..." Ichigo's mouth twitched. Now he understood. Brother Biao's intelligence was on the same level as those little kids'.
"That's right, boy!" Seeing the admiration in Wu Biao's eyes, Kanonji's solemn expression vanished. He grinned smugly. "I am a hero, your hero. But spirit exorcism is dangerous. Have you truly made up your mind?"
"I fear no danger!" Wu Biao declared solemnly.
"Then can you see him?" Kanonji nodded and pointed at Ichigo.
Wu Biao nodded and looked at Ichigo. "Reporting in, sir. I see him. A yellow-haired evil spirit. Should I exorcise it?" He looked eager to get started, clearly already lost in the role.
"..." Ichigo's mouth twitched. I'm an evil spirit, am I? How about you lower your chuunibyou level a little?
"Just as I thought, our meeting wasn't a coincidence. Since you can see him, you must have spiritual power too. This is a meeting written in fate!" Kanonji was ecstatic. He gave Wu Biao a thumbs-up and flashed his gleaming teeth.
"That's right, a meeting written in fate!" Wu Biao gave him a thumbs-up too, grinning from ear to ear.
"Boy, I salute your courage. Please, help me!" Kanonji held out his hand to Wu Biao.
Smack—
Wu Biao clasped it. "Of course, Mr. Kanonji!"
"Thank you. Starting today... you're my senior disciple!"
"Teacher!"
"Boy!"
They had met as if they'd known each other their whole lives. Tears sprang to their eyes, and in an instant, they were embracing, shedding tears of youthful passion. Even the dim hospital corridor seemed to have turned into a stage lit by spotlights.
How blinding...
Ichigo covered his face, suddenly feeling that ever since Brother Biao had watched Kanonji's show, his chuunibyou level had broken through to an entirely new level.
Besides...
"Shouldn't we be focused on something more urgent than exchanging heartfelt words as master and disciple? There's still a Hollow out there!" The tense atmosphere had vanished the instant those two had become master and disciple.
"Oh, right!" Kanonji finally remembered the monster waiting outside. He solemnly turned to Wu Biao. "My disciple, come with your master and exorcise the demon!"
"Yes, Master Kanonji!"
"..."
Ichigo grabbed a fistful of his hair. I'm the demon, am I?
Was this hospital actually a contagious psychiatric ward?
Those two had definitely caught something!
And they were already in the terminal stage...
But just as the two idiots, busy setting off flashes of light, turned around, Ichigo grabbed them and pulled them back. "Can you two stop getting in the way? That Hollow seeks out people with high spiritual power. Even if we don't go looking for it, it'll come looking for us!"
"Oh, right!" Wu Biao stroked his chin and nodded. "It's right below us, one floor down. It's probably getting ready to charge up!"
"Brother Biao, can you tell me when you sensed it?"
"From the very beginning!"
Ichigo nearly exploded. With black lines all over his face, he glared at Wu Biao. "Then why didn't you say so earlier? Or you could've gone and taken it out yourself! Why come over here?!"
Wu Biao blinked. "I saw you two running this way, so I followed."
"..."
Boom—
The floor bulged into a small mound, then burst apart. The toad-like Hollow leaped out and lunged straight at the three of them. "Let me eat you!"
Ichigo's expression darkened. His Zanpakuto flashed out of its sheath, only to get stuck in the wall.
Damn... It's too narrow in here. I can't swing my Zanpakuto!
"My disciple, let your master teach you your first lesson!" Kanonji stepped in front of Ichigo. He clenched his fist, and a faint blue glow appeared in his palm as the spiritual pressure in the air gathered around him.
"What's that...?" Ichigo couldn't help but look surprised.
"Ah—oh—!" Kanonji dropped into a wide horse stance, his face straining like he was trying to take a dump as he let out a pig-slaughtering howl.
"Oh, man... Could this be...?" Wu Biao's eyes went wide, and a bead of cold sweat ran down his temple.
Brother Biao knew what it was?
Ichigo couldn't help glancing at Wu Biao.
"Could it be... that he's burning his Cosmo?!" Wu Biao said, his eyes shining.
"..." Ichigo's mouth twitched. "Don't go stealing the setting from some other anime, you idiot. You were right there when I watched Saint Seiya!"
"Behold! Kannon-style's ultimate technique—the Kannonji Bullet!" Kanonji took a big step forward and thrust out his palm. A flash of light burst forth, and then... a spiritual energy bullet the size of an egg floated away at a speed of one meter per hour.
Not just Ichigo—even the Hollow was dumbfounded. Frozen in mid-lunge, it stared blankly as the egg... no, the spiritual energy bullet drifted toward it.
Boom—
With a loud bang, the toad Hollow scratched its face. Then...
"Roar—I'll eat you all!"
Maybe even it had no idea how to describe that utterly harmless attack, so it simply decided to carry on with what it had been trying to do.
"..." Wu Biao blinked, then thoughtfully rubbed his chin. "I see. Teacher, you were demonstrating an attack for me."
Kanonji blushed, but so he wouldn't lose face in front of his disciple, he nodded firmly. "That's right. I only used one ten-millionth of my power just now."
No, that was definitely all you had!
Ichigo grumbled to himself, hefted his Zanpakuto, and started forward.
But Wu Biao stepped in front of him. "Ichigo, stand back. This is a battle between the two of us, master and disciple. The journey west is long. If we need your help even against a little monster like this, how can we ever make it to the West to obtain the scriptures?"
Forget what the West was supposed to mean. What scriptures could you two possibly be going to get? You should go back to the hospital and get another nerve installed.
Ichigo still stepped back, though. He felt that if he kept talking to those two, his nerves might snap.
If that Hollow had been any smarter, it probably would've been so irritated by the pair that it died without a fight.
You could say its low intelligence had saved it. It still charged at Wu Biao without hesitation.
Like Kanonji, Wu Biao clenched his fist, then roared with his face beet red, as if he were constipated. "Ah—oh—!"
Of course, no spiritual power gathered in his hand.
By then, the Hollow had charged over with its maw wide open. It was about to bite Wu Biao.
Kanonji was genuinely alarmed this time. "No! Run!" He started forward.
"Don't worry!" Ichigo grabbed Kanonji by the shoulder. "Brother Biao may have a few screws loose, but a little Hollow like this can't hurt him."
Just then, the situation changed. Brother Biao's tiger eyes widened, and he shouted, "Kannon-style's ultimate technique—the Kannonji Bullet!" Then he slapped his palm into the Hollow right in front of him.
With a pop, the instant the Hollow's head touched Brother Biao's palm, it exploded into a cloud of blood mist. Its body immediately vanished in a spray of starlight.
"Holy crap, I'm that strong?" Wu Biao stared at his right palm. A wild grin spread across his face. "Wahahaha! With this ultimate skill, I'll be invincible under heaven in no time!"
Ichigo couldn't even be bothered to comment. That was obviously just brute strength. Still, Brother Biao's strength really was getting terrifying.
"Teacher, did you see that? I did it!"
Kanonji watched Wu Biao rush over, ready to clap him on the shoulder, and instinctively backed away two steps. He didn't want his shoulder to explode like that monster's...
"Mm, not bad. You truly are my senior disciple."
"Teacher, where are we headed next? Let's go—hey, Ichigo, why are you dragging me...?"
Ichigo ignored Brother Biao and turned to Kanonji, who was still stunned by Wu Biao's attack. "It's your turn to wrap things up. Be a hero who gives those children courage!"
With that, he dragged Wu Biao away. Even at a distance, he could still hear Wu Biao's excited, passionate shouting:
"Teacher, you have to bring me along next time you exorcise a spirit!"
Um, thanks for all your support. I didn't expect so many people to support me.
You don't have to send so many tips. I feel kind of embarrassed. Just give me some recommendation votes instead...
By the way, how long does it take for a mute to be lifted? I've been muted for five days and they still haven't lifted it. I can't reply to comments or book reviews. Sob!
Before you continue