Rukia's choice

It was already late at night.

The lights in the Kurosaki Family's clinic were out, and only the sound of steady breathing remained in the room upstairs.

Ichigo Kurosaki lay in bed, fast asleep.

The constant Hollow slaying over the past few days had long since pushed his body to its limits. Even asleep, his brow remained slightly furrowed, and his right hand rested beside the bed, as though ready to seize his Zanpakuto at any moment.

Rukia stood by the window, watching him quietly.

Ever since the battle against the Hollow tide ended, she had known this day would come sooner or later.

Too many Hollows had appeared that night.

Ichigo's reiatsu, Yoriichi's outrageously scorching power, and the Soul Reaper reiatsu she had once left behind had all been exposed to Soul Society's surveillance.

A disturbance on that scale could not possibly escape the Gotei 13's notice.

With even a little investigation, Soul Society would discover that she had transferred her Soul Reaper powers to a human.

That was a grave crime.

Rukia lowered her head and placed a folded sheet of paper on the desk.

There were only a few words on it.

She had originally wanted to explain everything clearly, but once she picked up the pen, her mind went blank. In the end, she could only tell Ichigo that she had something she had to deal with and ask him not to look for her.

As for whether he would listen...

Rukia glanced at the orange-haired boy on the bed.

Probably not.

This guy usually seemed ill-tempered, and once he set his mind on something, he would never turn back, even if he battered himself bloody.

At that thought, Rukia sighed softly.

"Idiot."

She pushed the window open. The night breeze blew into the room, lifting a corner of the paper on the desk.

Rukia climbed onto the windowsill and glanced back once more.

"Take care, Ichigo."

With those words, she leaped out the window and soon vanished into the night.

The room fell quiet again.

A residential street in Karakura Town.

The shops along the road had already closed, and there were few people in sight. Rukia walked forward alone, her pace unhurried.

She had not returned to the Urahara Shop or gone to find anyone else.

Since Soul Society was after her, she would bear the consequences alone.

Ichigo was just an ordinary person who had been dragged into this.

At least in Soul Society's eyes, he should have been nothing more than an ordinary person.

As for Yoriichi Tsugikuni...

Rukia recalled that Zanpakuto blazing with crimson light, a complicated expression crossing her face.

That man could not possibly stay hidden.

But if she voluntarily confessed, perhaps she could get Soul Society to temporarily stop investigating the World of the Living and keep anyone else from being implicated.

Just then, the space ahead suddenly twisted.

A streak of white light split open in midair, and then an ancient wooden gate slowly materialized.

A Senkaimon.

Rukia stopped, her expression changing.

The doors opened, and a tall figure stepped out. His long red hair was tied back, tattoos covered his forehead, and a Zanpakuto hung at his waist.

The man raised his head, his gaze settling on Rukia.

"Rukia Kuchiki."

His lips spread into a grin, but there was not a trace of amusement in his eyes.

"Finally found you."

Rukia's fingers tightened slightly.

"Renji..."

Renji Abarai stepped out of the Senkaimon. The wooden doors closed behind him and soon disappeared.

"Why did you come to the World of the Living?"

"Don't play dumb."

Renji stared at her, his voice growing lower. "Your Soul Reaper spiritual power has almost completely vanished. The Gotei 13 found out long ago."

Rukia did not answer.

"Did you give your Soul Reaper powers to some human without permission?"

"No."

Rukia forced herself to calm down and said evenly, "I merely exhausted too much of my power on a mission. I haven't transferred it to anyone."

Renji was silent for a moment.

Then he gripped Zabimaru's hilt.

"Still trying to lie?"

Rukia took half a step back.

"We came out of Rukongai together. You should know better than anyone how strict Soul Society's rules are."

Renji took a step forward, no longer able to suppress the anger on his face.

"How much effort did it take you to get into Shin'ō Academy? And how many people spend their whole lives unable to leave Rukongai? Then the Kuchiki Clan adopted you. You should have had a secure future."

"But what have you done now?"

Rukia kept her head lowered, still offering no explanation.

"You gave your Soul Reaper powers to a human without permission, and even lost your own Soul Reaper privileges. Once you're taken back to Seireitei, the only thing waiting for you will be execution."

"I know."

At those words, a vein throbbed at Renji's temple.

"You know?"

"This was my mistake alone. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

Rukia raised her head and looked him straight in the eye. "If you want to arrest me or punish me, I'll go back to Soul Society with you."

Renji froze for an instant, then sneered.

"Nothing to do with anyone else?"

He drew Zabimaru, its blade flashing coldly in the moonlight.

"Where's the human who took your powers?"

"There is no such person."

"Even now, you're still protecting him?"

Renji tightened his grip on the hilt, his voice filled with anger he could not contain. "You know perfectly well that you'll die, yet you still insist on taking all the blame for a human from the World of the Living."

"Is it worth it?"

Rukia did not hesitate.

"This is my choice."

She knew full well that if she had not given Ichigo her powers back then, his family would have been killed by the Hollow.

If she had to do it again, she would still make the same choice.

Renji looked at her, the anger on his face gradually turning to disappointment.

The two of them had grown up together in Rukongai. He knew Rukia well.

She seemed calm, but she was more stubborn than anyone.

"Since you won't tell me willingly..."

Renji held Zabimaru across his body. Reiatsu surged from beneath his feet, stirring up the dust around him.

"Then I'll force that person to show himself."

Rukia's face went pale.

She had almost no Soul Reaper powers left now. Never mind fighting Renji, who was at lieutenant level-she could barely even cast the most basic Kidō in full.

Renji stamped down and shot forward in an instant.

But just as he reached Rukia, a blue arrow formed from reishi suddenly tore through the air toward him.

Renji twisted aside. The arrow grazed past his cheek and embedded itself in the wall behind him.

Bang!

The reishi exploded, blasting a hole in the wall.

Renji stopped and turned to look toward the other end of the street.

A boy wearing glasses stood beneath a streetlight, holding a blue-white Spirit Bow in his left hand as he slowly adjusted his glasses with his right.

"Soul Reapers really are a loathsome bunch."

Uryū Ishida raised his Spirit Bow and aimed the arrowhead at Renji.

"Attacking someone who can't fight back in the World of the Living? That's rather disgraceful."