"Ha..." Wu Biao sleepily opened the clinic door and stretched lazily in the bright morning sun.
"Two trucks crashed into the house, and everyone was somehow unharmed!"
Wu Biao turned toward the voice. The four members of the Kurosaki Family stood at the entrance, looking at the huge hole the invisible monster had made the night before.
"Hey, Boss, you're back!" Wu Biao, still wearing his torn white lab coat, waved as he walked over, excitement written all over his face. "Boss, you have no idea. Yesterday, I fought a monster that was three meters tall... Mmff!"
Before he could finish, Kurosaki Ichigo rushed over and clamped a hand over Brother Biao's mouth. He didn't know how that Shinigami had altered Yuzu and Shyarly's memories, but since they thought a truck had crashed into the house, it was best not to remind them.
"Brother Biao, we can't talk about what happened last night!" Kurosaki Ichigo whispered in Wu Biao's ear.
Wu Biao blinked at that, then nodded. Only then did Kurosaki Ichigo let go.
"Ichigo said we can't talk about last night, so I didn't fight any invisible monsters yesterday!"
"..." Kurosaki Ichigo's mouth twitched. He wanted to kick Brother Biao. Who the hell tried to cover things up like that? But after weighing their respective fighting abilities, he could only sigh helplessly.
Kurosaki Isshin, standing off to the side, furrowed his brows slightly but said nothing.
After they spent a while discussing the nonexistent culprit who had supposedly driven a truck into the Kurosaki Family home, Yuzu finished making breakfast. Once they'd eaten, everyone went about their own business.
Ichigo headed to high school, while Yuzu and Shyarly went to elementary school.
As for Wu Biao, he returned to the clinic and sat behind the counter, bored out of his mind.
Creak—
The door at the back of the clinic opened. Wu Biao looked up and waved. "Boss, aren't you going out on house calls today?"
"Not today." Kurosaki Isshin shook his head, then came over and asked, "What was that monster you mentioned this morning?"
Monster?
Wu Biao paused, then realized Kurosaki Isshin was asking about last night. As a trustworthy, upstanding young man, he'd promised Ichigo not to say anything. Even the boss couldn't make him break that promise.
After all, there was a proper order to these things.
"I can't. Ichigo said I shouldn't talk about last night!"
Kurosaki Isshin's mouth twitched. You idiot. Saying that only makes it obvious you're hiding something from me...
But then a sly smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Actually, I know those monsters too. If you tell me exactly what happened last night, I can tell you where to find them!"
You battle-obsessed idiot. Let's see if I can't get you to talk.
"Really?" Sure enough, Wu Biao perked up at once. "Boss, you really know where I can find those monsters?"
"Mm. Just tell me what happened last night."
At that, Wu Biao immediately tossed his precious honesty out the window. Nothing mattered more than a good fight. Finding a worthy opponent was Wu Biao's lifelong dream.
Without the slightest hesitation, he told Kurosaki Isshin everything that had happened the night before.
When Kurosaki Isshin heard that Wu Biao had slammed the Hollow until it burst, his mouth twitched. This guy definitely wasn't an ordinary human. It was the first time he'd heard of someone beating a Hollow to death by slamming it around. And that kind of strength... Was it really something a human could possess?
But when he heard the rest, his brows drew together. "You're saying there were two Ichigos there? One in black, carrying a huge sword, and another in casual clothes, standing perfectly still?"
"Yeah!"
"Was anyone else nearby?" Kurosaki Isshin asked.
Wu Biao thought back, then nodded. "There was a woman in white leaning against the wall. She was probably drunk, but I didn't pay much attention. After the fight, I ate a whole pot of rice and went home to sleep!"
Kurosaki Isshin ignored Wu Biao's ridiculous guess about the woman, as well as his late-night meal after the fight. Putting the other clues together, he'd already figured out most of what had happened.
But why was this kid able to see spirits after slamming... killing a Hollow?
Kurosaki Isshin stared at Wu Biao in bewilderment for a long while, but still couldn't figure out what was going on with his constitution. As for asking Wu Biao himself, Kurosaki Isshin was certain the guy would just think he was so smart he could see ghosts.
"Right, keep an eye on things here."
"Huh?" Wu Biao suddenly straightened up and tilted his head toward something. "What's that feeling?"
"What is it?" Kurosaki Isshin asked, startled.
"I don't know. I can't describe it!" Wu Biao answered without a second thought. Then excitement filled his face. "But I can feel it. My hands are telling me, my heart is burning. At last, the time has come to break my seal! If this world truly needs someone to save it, then I... am willing to be that person!!!"
"..." Kurosaki Isshin slapped a hand to his forehead. Wu Biao's chuunibyou was acting up again. He'd said things like that before. At first, Kurosaki Isshin hadn't understood, but eventually he'd figured it out.
In plain terms, it meant: I sense a strong opponent and want to go fight. Give me some time off...
Could he be sensing a Hollow?
Kurosaki Isshin looked at Wu Biao in amazement. Now that he had spiritual vision, could his absurd instincts even sense Hollows?
Kurosaki Isshin shook his head. He couldn't be bothered to waste brainpower on a nonhuman like Wu Biao. He waved him off. "Go on. If you run into Ichigo, tell him to come home early. And pick up two packs of cigarettes while you're at it!"
Wu Biao took the money Kurosaki Isshin handed him and asked, puzzled, "Why would I run into Ichigo?" Then he thought for a moment and slapped his palm. "Could those monsters go to the same school as Ichigo?"
"Get lost!"
Wu Biao didn't seem to mind. He pushed open the clinic door and charged outside. "Monsters, I'm going to defeat you in the name of the moon!"
Passersby immediately cast strange looks his way. Kurosaki Isshin slammed the door shut with a bang. I don't know this guy!
Wu Biao raced toward the place he'd sensed, leaping over rivers and rooftops as he went. After sprinting all the way there, he finally reached what looked like a park.
But what he saw was Kurosaki Ichigo driving his sword into the monster's mask, then watching it vanish in a shower of starlight. Wu Biao's whole body slumped.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, you stole my monster!!!"
His anguished scream startled both Ichigo and Rukia. They turned to look toward the park entrance.
Wu Biao strode over, heartbroken as he stared at the spot where the Hollow had vanished. "No, you were my opponent. Only I could kill you! Why did you leave me first?"
"..." Kurosaki Ichigo's mouth twitched. He suddenly thought that the ridiculous task Rukia had just given him would make Brother Biao ecstatic.
Rukia gave Wu Biao a strange look. Had this human come to steal their work as Shinigami? Could he be any more over the top?
"Brother Biao, what are you doing here?"
Wu Biao glared at Ichigo, extremely annoyed. "I sensed a monster sending me a signal, so I raced all the way here!"
A sensation?
Rukia frowned. Had he somehow visualized the Reiraku?
Impossible. Even among Shinigami, only those of high rank could see it. How could this human possibly do so?
"What do you mean, you sensed it? Did you see some kind of ribbon?"
Only then did Wu Biao notice Rukia. "Who are you?" Then he glanced at Kurosaki Ichigo and nodded knowingly. "Are you his mating partner?"
"..." Kurosaki Ichigo.
Rukia's mouth twitched.
You jerk! One Shakkaho and you're toast!
"What do you mean, demented? Brother Biao's so smart, he sent me a signal the moment he showed up!" Wu Biao said to himself. Then he straightened the collar of his lab coat. "At least that thing had good taste. It knew to check in with me when it entered Brother Biao's territory."
Forget it. He's just a battle-obsessed idiot.
Rukia sighed to herself. "Ichigo, let's go. Back into your body."
"Okay!"
"Wait!"
"What is it, Brother Biao? I have to get back to class."
"Um, I ran here too fast and didn't pay attention to the way. Take me home first."
"..."
Before you continue