The contest

After that night, life returned to normal.

Rukia still lived in the closet at Ichigo Kurosaki's house, wearing the Gigai she had obtained from the Urahara Shop and accompanying Ichigo to school every day.

She had plenty of questions she wanted to ask Yoriichi Tsugikuni.

About that dark gray sword, for instance.

Or why Yoriichi could see through her Kidō.

And that Reiatsu.

But whenever Rukia looked at Yoriichi, he was sitting quietly at his desk, his head lowered over a textbook, showing no intention of offering an explanation.

Rukia had also tried asking indirect questions.

In the end, Yoriichi had given her only two words.

"Born so."

And that had been that.

Rukia was deeply dissatisfied with this.

But when she recalled the sight of Yoriichi killing a Hollow with a single slash that day, she swallowed the rest of her questions.

This person probably had even more secrets than Ichigo.

The last class of the morning ended, and the teacher had barely left the classroom when Keigo Asano lunged at Ichigo Kurosaki and threw an arm around his neck.

"Ichigo, what are we eating for lunch today?"

"Let go."

"Don't be so cold. We're best friends."

A vein throbbed on Ichigo's forehead. He pressed a hand against Keigo Asano's face and shoved him away.

"Who said we're best friends?"

"That's so cruel!"

Keigo Asano clutched his chest and staggered back two steps, as though he had suffered some fatal blow.

Sitting nearby, Mizuiro Kojima added with a smile, "Keigo, you said the same thing to a girl from the next class yesterday."

"That's different!"

"How is it different?"

"The gender is different."

Ichigo Kurosaki fell silent for a moment, then punched Keigo Asano on the head.

The world was finally quiet.

Yoriichi closed his textbook, glanced at Keigo Asano sprawled on the floor, then took his lunch out of his desk.

Just then, a figure stopped in front of Ichigo.

Uryū Ishida.

He adjusted his glasses, his gaze passing over Keigo Asano and settling on Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, I have something to say to you."

The classroom fell quiet for a few seconds.

Keigo Asano abruptly lifted his head.

"Ichigo, has your relationship already reached that stage?"

"Shut up!"

Ichigo kicked him aside and looked irritably at Uryū Ishida.

"What is it?"

"This isn't a suitable place."

Uryū Ishida glanced around. Although their classmates were all busy with their own things, quite a few were already pricking up their ears.

Ichigo frowned.

"Then let's go to the roof."

Uryū Ishida did not refuse. He turned and left the classroom.

Ichigo scratched his head and followed.

Watching the two leave, Rukia's expression grew serious.

She could sense that the spiritual power within Uryū Ishida did not belong to a Soul Reaper.

And ever since their first meeting, he seemed to have been deliberately concealing his presence.

"Yoriichi."

Rukia came over to his desk and lowered her voice. "There's something off about that guy with the glasses."

"Mm."

Yoriichi nodded.

"You know who he is?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me."

"A Quincy."

At that word, Rukia's pupils contracted slightly.

She instinctively looked toward the classroom door, but Uryū Ishida was long gone.

"There are still Quincies in the World of the Living?"

There was a note of disbelief in Rukia's voice.

According to the records in the Soul Society, the Quincies had been wiped out by the Soul Reapers two hundred years ago. Even if there were occasional survivors, they should not have possessed such conspicuous spiritual power.

Yoriichi opened his lunch again and said calmly, "He's been in this class all along."

Rukia looked at Yoriichi, then at Uryū Ishida's empty seat, suddenly at a loss for words.

Such an obvious Quincy had been right under her nose for so long.

How had she not noticed before?

At that thought, Rukia's expression stiffened.

It had to be Ichigo's fault.

Ever since she met that guy, even her ability to handle things had declined.

It had nothing to do with her.

Before long, Ichigo returned to the classroom.

He looked displeased, and as he reached his seat, he turned to glare at Uryū Ishida.

Uryū Ishida remained calm, as though nothing had happened.

"Ichigo, what did he say to you?"

Rukia leaned closer to ask.

"He said he's a Quincy."

Ichigo pulled out his chair and plopped down.

"He also said Soul Reapers aren't worthy of purifying Hollows, and he wants to settle which of us is better."

"You agreed?"

"Of course not."

Ichigo folded his arms across his chest, his face full of impatience.

"I don't even know what a Quincy is. Why should I compete with him?"

Rukia breathed a sigh of relief.

Good. Impulsive as this guy was, at least he wasn't stupid enough to agree to anything anyone said.

"But I arranged to meet him on the roof after school."

The expression on Rukia's face froze.

"So you did agree!"

"I'm just going to hear how he wants to compete."

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course there is."

Ichigo sounded entirely justified.

Rukia pressed a hand to her forehead, no longer wanting to argue with him.

Yoriichi sat beside them, quietly eating his lunch without intervening in their argument.

Uryū Ishida challenging Ichigo probably did not count as anything serious.

Although there was bad blood between Quincies and Soul Reapers, Uryū Ishida was not truly cold-blooded. He only wanted to prove that Quincies were better than Soul Reapers.

As for the contest itself...

Yoriichi paused.

He seemed to have forgotten something.

That memory was very hazy. He could only remember that Uryū Ishida had indeed approached Ichigo around this time, but not what had happened afterward.

Yoriichi frowned slightly.

Since coming to this world, his memories of the original plot had been incomplete. Many important things only suddenly came back to him when he saw them with his own eyes.

It was not a pleasant feeling.

Still, Uryū Ishida was right here at school. He probably would not cause too much of a commotion.

With that thought, Yoriichi continued eating.

The afternoon classes soon ended.

The dismissal bell had barely rung when Uryū Ishida packed his bag and left the classroom alone.

Ichigo glanced at Rukia.

"Don't follow me."

"Why?"

"This is between him and me."

"You don't even know what a Quincy is."

"That's why I'm going to ask."

Rukia wanted to say more, but Ichigo had already picked up his bag and hurried after him.

"That idiot."

She gritted her teeth and prepared to follow as well.

But their homeroom teacher suddenly appeared at the door and placed a stack of materials on the lectern.

"Kuchiki, you're on cleaning duty today, aren't you?"

Rukia stopped short.

She glanced out the window, then at the dusty blackboard, her expression gradually darkening.

As a Soul Reaper, she had actually been held up by cleaning duty.

"Yoriichi."

Rukia immediately turned to Yoriichi and said solemnly, "I'm leaving Ichigo to you."

"All right."

Yoriichi rose and left the classroom.

Rukia froze for a moment.

She had thought she would need to say more, but she had not expected Yoriichi to agree so readily.

Meanwhile.

On the school rooftop.

When Ichigo pushed open the iron door, Uryū Ishida was already waiting for him beside the railing.

The setting sun shone on his lenses, obscuring his eyes.

"You really can't stand me, right?"

Ichigo tossed his bag onto the ground and rolled his shoulders.

"Whatever you've got, bring it on."

"In that case, let's settle this, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Uryū Ishida turned and regarded him calmly.

"Let's determine which is truly superior: Soul Reapers or Quincies."

"Sure."

Ichigo was unconcerned.

"You decide how we compete, so you won't say I bullied you after you lose."

Uryū Ishida adjusted his glasses.

"I'll say those exact words right back to you."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

The atmosphere between them instantly grew tense.

After a moment of silence, Uryū Ishida took a coin-sized pill from his pocket and held it between two fingers.

"We'll use this to decide the winner."

Ichigo stared at the pill.

"What's that?"

"Hollow Bait."

Uryū Ishida's tone remained calm, as though he were merely introducing an ordinary object.

"Once it's crushed, the scent inside the pill will spread. When nearby Hollows sense it, they'll be drawn to Karakura Town."

The casual look on Ichigo's face vanished in an instant.

"What did you say?"

"The rules are simple."

Uryū Ishida ignored his question and continued, "Whoever destroys more Hollows within twenty-four hours wins."

"Are you kidding me?!"

Ichigo stepped forward and reached for the pill.

Uryū Ishida quickly stepped back, leaving his hand grasping empty air.

"This is between the two of us. What gives you the right to drag the ordinary people in town into it?"

Ichigo stared him down, anger already creeping into his voice.

He could accept Uryū Ishida's dissatisfaction with him, and he could accept his challenge to a Soul Reaper.

But he could not accept someone staking innocent lives on a wager.

Uryū Ishida held the pill, his expression unchanged.

"I'll personally deal with every Hollow it attracts. I won't leave any threats behind."

"How can you guarantee that?"

"With the power of a Quincy."

"Stop making such big claims!"

Ichigo charged at him.

Uryū Ishida stepped back again, his thumb and forefinger already beginning to squeeze.

"If you truly have the confidence to protect others, accept this contest."

"Stop!"

Crack.

A faint sound came from between his fingers.

The pill's surface cracked, crumbling into fine powder that the rooftop wind scattered in every direction.

An aura imperceptible to ordinary people rapidly spread.

Uryū Ishida opened his hand.

"The game starts now."

The next moment, a low roar came from the distance.

Then a second, a third...

Ichigo's expression changed abruptly.

He could already sense the Reiatsu of Hollows—and more than one.

"Bastard!"

With no time to argue with Uryū Ishida any longer, Ichigo turned and rushed toward the rooftop exit.

Uryū Ishida raised his hand and summoned his Spirit Bow, leaping off the other side of the school building.

Their Reiatsu soon receded in different directions.

In the stairwell.

Yoriichi was walking up the steps.

When the first Hollow roar reached his ears, he stopped short.

Hollow Bait.

His forgotten memories finally became clear.

To compete with Ichigo, Uryū Ishida had crushed Hollow Bait in front of everyone, drawing over a large number of Hollows from around Karakura Town.

And what this contest ultimately attracted was far more than ordinary Hollows.

Yoriichi raised his head, his expression visibly changing for the first time.

So it was this.

Why had he forgotten?

Yoriichi took a step, his figure passing the remaining stairs in an instant.

Bang!

He pushed open the iron rooftop door.

The howling wind blew into his face. Only a discarded schoolbag remained on the ground.

Ichigo and Uryū Ishida were already gone.

Yoriichi walked to the railing and looked down over all of Karakura Town.

Within the Transparent World, cold, chaotic Reiatsu was appearing throughout the city.

A dozen or so.

Dozens.

Their numbers were still increasing.

In the distant sky, a rift slowly opened, and more malice seeped into the World of the Living from beyond it.

All around the city, Hollow roars rose one after another.

Yoriichi sensed the savage Reiatsu around him.

"This is trouble."