"Ahhh—"
Ichigo opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the face of a middle-aged man wearing square glasses. Before he could even figure out what had happened, he got up and kicked the man out of the room.
"You're awake, Mr. Kurosaki."
Ichigo looked toward the voice and saw Urahara Kisuke sitting nearby. Memories of what had happened before he passed out surged into his mind, and his expression changed at once. "Where are Brother Biao and Ishida?"
"As for Mr. Ishida, he lost a lot of blood, but his injuries weren't too serious. He woke up on the spot and left! As for..." Urahara Kisuke's expression darkened.
What about Brother Biao?
Seeing Urahara's expression, Ichigo couldn't help recalling the sight of Brother Biao covered in blood before he passed out. His face changed dramatically. Ignoring the pain throughout his body, he sat up and grabbed Urahara Kisuke tightly by the shoulders.
"Where's Brother Biao? Where is he?"
The sliding door opened, and Wu Biao poked his head inside, his mouth stuffed full. "What're you calling me for?" When he saw that Ichigo was awake, Wu Biao walked in carrying a rice cooker. "Hey, Ichigo, you're awake!"
"Mr. Wu Biao woke up as soon as he got back. He made a phone call, then started clamoring for food!" Urahara Kisuke said grimly. Then he looked at Ichigo with a pleading expression. "Mr. Kurosaki, could you ask Mr. Isshin to chip in for food? I really can't afford to feed him with an appetite like that..."
"..." Kurosaki Ichigo was speechless for a moment, but then he let out a sigh of relief.
Brother Biao was wrapped in bandages from head to toe, and some places were already soaked with blood. But at least he was alive...
"If you don't need anything, I'm going back to my food!"
Wu Biao grinned and turned to leave the room, but the instant he turned around, the goofy smile vanished from his face, replaced by self-reproach and... bitterness!
He'd lost...
For the first time in his life, he'd lost.
He'd been utterly defeated, unable to fight back at all. Even after giving everything he had... he'd still lost!
The person he wanted to protect had been left lying in a pool of blood, and all he could do was watch the one responsible walk away.
So weak!
So... I'm this weak!!!
Ever since he was old enough to understand things, Wu Biao had never lost a fight. Especially after reaching adulthood, he'd never even used all his strength.
It had left him feeling restless and bored. Every day, he'd longed to fight someone stronger than himself. But now that he'd truly lost to someone else, this unfamiliar feeling of defeat...
It really was hard to bear!
This sense of weakness... it was truly disgusting!
Wu Biao casually put the rice cooker he'd picked up from the table back where it belonged, then walked out of the Urahara Shop under the strange looks of the two kids.
Jinta stared blankly at Wu Biao's back, then rubbed his eyes hard. After confirming it wasn't an illusion, his expression turned alarmed. "Ururu, Ururu, am I hallucinating? That glutton didn't eat?"
Ururu nodded hesitantly.
After leaving the Urahara Shop, Wu Biao looked up at the night sky and quietly savored this unfamiliar feeling of defeat.
It made him angry, sorrowful, and ashamed, but deep down, he also felt... joy and excitement.
Joy at being defeated!
Excitement at the thought of a powerful opponent!
But after seeing Ichigo's battered body, all that remained in him was anger.
Losing to someone else had hurt Wu Biao.
But what hurt even more was that his family had been harmed and he couldn't do anything about it. That was... what had given rise to Wu Biao's unbearable sense of defeat!!!
Wu Biao plopped down on the steps, reached into his jacket, and pulled out a cigarette. More than a dozen cigarette butts already littered the ground in front of him.
He'd been sitting here smoking for a while. He'd only gone inside when he heard Ichigo's voice.
But Wu Biao, lost in thought, didn't notice Ichigo standing behind him, quietly watching his back for a long time. A resolute look had appeared in Ichigo's eyes.
"Brother Biao!"
Wu Biao froze, then hurriedly crushed the cigarette in his hand. He didn't want Ichigo to see him in such a pathetic, dejected state.
After hiding his dejection, Wu Biao turned toward Ichigo as he approached and flashed him a grin. "Hey, looks like you've recovered!"
A bitter smile appeared on Ichigo's face. "Brother Biao, if you can't smile, don't force it!"
"Hm?" Wu Biao's smile stiffened, but he quickly recovered. "What's wrong, did you hit your head? You're talking nonsense!"
"Brother Biao, you've never been good at hiding things. Normally, you have this goofy smile that somehow makes people happy without them realizing it. This one's so stiff anyone can see through it. And you never say 'hey' before you speak. You've always been direct, saying whatever's on your mind!"
"Cut it out!"
Wu Biao's goofy smile gradually faded, and he sighed. "You're right. This feeling of defeat really is damn hard to bear!" He pulled out another cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, then lay down and stared up at the empty sky.
"But it also made me realize how weak I am!"
Ichigo nodded.
What difference was there between him, who'd watched Rukia get taken back to the Soul Society without being able to do anything, and... Wu Biao, who'd watched Ichigo fall into a pool of blood, helpless to do anything?
Especially after Urahara had relayed Ishida's words earlier, Ichigo felt even more bitter.
I'm the only one who can save Rukia?
You really think that highly of me...
"Brother Biao, you... shouldn't come along on this rescue mission to the Soul Society." Ichigo looked at Wu Biao lying beside him, his tone low.
This had nothing to do with Brother Biao in the first place. If he hadn't known Ichigo, he wouldn't even have known that Shinigami and Hollows existed.
No matter how strong Brother Biao was, he was still a human. Ichigo didn't want Wu Biao getting involved any further.
I shouldn't go?
Wu Biao froze, then sat up and stared at Ichigo, his voice low. "Why?"
"They're different from you, Brother Biao. They're not human; they're Shinigami. You're human, so don't get involved in this." Kurosaki Ichigo felt guilty under Wu Biao's gaze, but his tone remained firm. "So, Brother Biao, you can't go!"
"No way!"
Wu Biao took a hard drag on his cigarette, his expression turning fierce. He snarled, "I'm going to beat the crap out of him! I'm absolutely going to pin that sissy down and give him a thorough beating!"
"But they're different from you. They're Shinigami. A place like the Soul Society can only be entered by the dead."
"Bullshit! You think I'm an idiot? Why can they come here, but I can't go there?"
"..." Kurosaki Ichigo.
"Then go!"
Urahara Kisuke's voice suddenly rang out. Wu Biao and Ichigo turned around and saw that Urahara Kisuke had somehow made his way to the shop entrance. He leaned against the door with a faint smile.
"However, Mr. Wu Biao, your situation is different from Mr. Kurosaki's. I know how to train Mr. Kurosaki, but your circumstances are unusual. You rely entirely on physical strength and don't have the slightest trace of spiritual power. I don't know how I'd train you."
He paused, his smile fading as he looked solemnly at Wu Biao. "Forgive my bluntness, but though you're strong now, there are many people in a place like the Soul Society who could kill you. Far more than you can imagine."
"The man who defeated you was strong, right? But as far as I know, four-fifths of his power was sealed. In other words, he used only one-fifth of his strength when he fought you. And there are at least twelve people in the Soul Society just as powerful as him!"
Ichigo's face darkened at once, but a hint of delight appeared between Wu Biao's brows.
"Really?"
Wu Biao murmured, then grinned. His smile was a mix of excitement and exhilaration. "The Soul Society really sounds like a great place!"
"Brother Biao..."
Ichigo was about to try to talk him out of it again, but the sound of helicopter rotors interrupted him. He looked up and saw a helicopter hovering over the Urahara Shop. "What's that?"
"Spirit are always with you! My disciple, your master has come to pick you up!"
The familiar voice, the familiar line, and those unbearably chuunibyou words made Ichigo realize at once who had arrived!
The Spirit Detective, Don Kanonji!
"Teacher Kanonji!" Brother Biao sprang to his feet and waved excitedly at the sky!
Urahara Kisuke's expression darkened. He stared at Wu Biao in disbelief. "I asked you to train with Yoruichi, so she could tailor your training to your physique. You refused, saying you wanted to train with your teacher. That so-called teacher wouldn't happen to be... this guy, would it?"
Urahara Kisuke suddenly felt an urge to take off his hat and yank out a couple of hairs. The head of the Shihoin family, former commander of the Omnitsukido Corps, and former Second Division Commander had lost to a human with only a little spiritual power?
If word of this reached Yoruichi, would she revert to her true form and beat these two master and disciple up?
"Come, my disciple! Your master will take you to rid the world of all injustice!" As Kanonji continued his chuunibyou speech, a rope ladder dropped down.
Wu Biao nodded emphatically. "That's right! Together, we'll sweep all the evil from this world, Teacher Kanonji!"
"My disciple!!!"
"Teacher Kanonji!!!"
"..." Kurosaki Ichigo.
"..." Urahara Kisuke.
So painful to watch...
Knowing these two master and disciple was damn embarrassing...
"That's the plan. I'm going to train with Teacher Kanonji for half a month. When I return, it'll be time to take on the Soul Society!"
"..."
Ichigo's mouth twitched. Sure enough, the moment Brother Biao got together with Kanonji, his chuunibyou levels went through the roof. But...
"Brother Biao, are you sure you don't want to think it over?"
Going off to train with Kanonji seemed far too unreliable!
"My mind is made up. There's no need to say more!" Wu Biao tilted his head toward the sky, his hair fluttering in the gale from the rotors. "The wind here is a little boisterous!"
Boisterous your ass...
Urahara Kisuke suppressed the urge to curse and snapped, "If you're leaving, hurry up and go. We're setting out in seventeen days. Don't be late!"
Wu Biao grabbed the rope ladder in front of him and waved at the two men, who looked thoroughly exasperated. "Don't worry. People in our line of work are always punctual. I'm off!"
Ichigo couldn't help covering his face. Since when had the guy who did odd jobs at his family's clinic changed professions?
Wu Biao climbed up the rope ladder at an incredible speed. In the distance, the two idiots could be seen shielding their eyes with their hands, letting the boisterous wind blow through their hair as wild laughter rang out across the night sky.
"Wahahahahaha!"
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