Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto watched Ichigo Kurosaki stand in front of Rukia, a glint of icy severity flashing through his aged eyes.
It seemed Rukia's influence on this human ran deeper than he had imagined.
"Boy, do you know what you're saying?"
His voice was calm.
"I do."
Ichigo Kurosaki held his chest and straightened up.
"Rukia gave me her Shinigami powers to save me and my family. If that deserves a death sentence, then I'm the one who deserves to die most."
"Ichigo... don't say that."
Rukia stood behind him, her voice trembling.
Ichigo Kurosaki did not turn around. "No. Your safety is at stake. I'll never agree to this."
Mordred rolled her eyes beside them. "Hah, you're pretty good at acting cool. Too bad neither of us understands a beautiful woman's heart."
"You're a woman too."
The corner of Ichigo Kurosaki's mouth twitched.
"I am not!" Mordred bristled instantly.
Nel tilted her head as she watched them, blinking her green eyes.
"Ichigo, is Rukia going to die?"
For Hollows, death might come tomorrow or the day after, so her emotions barely stirred.
In danger-ridden Hueco Mundo, anyone who had yet to reach the Vasto Lorde level would always face life-threatening danger. A companion who had been laughing and chatting yesterday might be devoured by another Hollow today.
They devoured one another until only the last remained. This was a world where the strong preyed on the weak.
"No. I'll never let her die." Ichigo Kurosaki's voice was firm.
Old Man Yamamoto shook his head.
You're too young, boy.
The look in this human boy's eyes felt familiar to him.
It was the will to fight the entire world to protect what mattered. In his youth, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had possessed that same sharp edge, even going so far as