The final preparations

One day later.

On the streets of Karakura Town, most of the usual bustle had vanished.

Several Soul Reapers in Shihakushō swept across the rooftops, carrying sleeping civilians in their arms to the safe zone prepared in advance in the Soul Society.

The evacuation was not actually complicated.

First, they used Kidō to put the civilians to sleep, then took them away.

Once everything was over, they would not even know what this city had faced.

Yoriichi stood at a street corner and handed the last sleeping child to a Fourth Division member.

"There's no one left in this area."

"Yes, Mr. Tsugikuni."

The division member took the child and quickly caught up with the group ahead.

Yoriichi raised his head and looked into the distance.

An invisible force enveloped all of Karakura Town. Kisuke Urahara and the Soul Society were making their final preparations.

The decisive battle was not far off.

"Yoriichi!"

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind him.

Yoriichi turned and saw Tatsuki Arisawa walking briskly toward him. Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima followed behind her.

All three wore different expressions.

Tatsuki looked completely serious, Keigo kept glancing around, and Mizuiro still wore his gentle smile, though his eyes remained fixed on the Soul Reapers flying overhead.

"Those guys really are Soul Reapers, right?"

Keigo pointed at the sky and asked quietly.

"That's the fifth time you've asked," Mizuiro said.

"But this is just too crazy!"

Keigo's eyes widened as he lowered his voice. "We couldn't see anything before, and now the streets are full of people in black! A few of them even flew right past!"

Yoriichi looked at the three of them, unsurprised.

It had only been a matter of time before they could see spirits.

The Hōgyoku was hidden inside Rukia, and they had all spent long periods around her. On top of that, Yoriichi constantly maintained Sun Breathing, so his body naturally attracted the surrounding reishi.

Simply being near him meant the concentration of reishi around them would far exceed that of other areas.

After spending so long in that environment, their spiritual bodies had already changed.

"What brings you here?" Yoriichi asked.

"Those Soul Reapers said that since we know you, they didn't have to knock us out right away."

Tatsuki walked up to Yoriichi, her brows tightly furrowed.

She did not ask about those Soul Reapers, nor did she ask why she could suddenly see strange things.

There was only one thing she wanted to know.

"Where did Ichigo and Orihime go?"

Yoriichi fell silent for a moment.

"They have something very important to do."

"What?"

"I can't tell you yet."

Tatsuki stared into Yoriichi's eyes, as though trying to find the answer in his face.

But Yoriichi was the same as always.

Calm and gentle, with no emotion showing.

But Tatsuki had known Ichigo for far too long.

That guy usually seemed bad-tempered, but whenever something happened, he always preferred to shoulder it alone. Orihime was the same. Even when she was scared to death, she would still smile and tell everyone not to worry.

They all treated her like an idiot who knew nothing.

"Will they be in danger?" Tatsuki asked.

Yoriichi remained silent. He was not quite sure how to answer.

But that silence had already given Tatsuki her answer.

But she already understood.

"So they really are in danger."

Tatsuki lowered her head and slowly clenched her hands.

She desperately wanted to go with them.

But she also knew she could not even keep up with the Soul Reapers flying over the rooftops. If she really followed them, she would only become a burden to Ichigo and the others.

That feeling was hard to bear.

They were friends who had grown up together, yet when real danger came, all she could do was be sent to some so-called safe zone.

For once, Keigo Asano did not shout or make a fuss.

He scratched his head and looked at Yoriichi.

"Kurosaki's involved too, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"I knew it."

Keigo sighed, a somewhat complicated expression on his face.

"He's been disappearing out of nowhere lately, and whenever I ask, he won't tell me anything. All this time, I thought of him as my best friend, and it turns out he's been saving the world behind my back."

"How do you know he's saving the world?" Mizuiro asked.

"Isn't that how it always goes in manga?"

Yet after saying that, Keigo could not bring himself to laugh.

He looked at the flame-shaped Demon Slayer Mark on Yoriichi's forehead, then at the sword at his waist.

Only now did he realize he did not understand these friends around him at all.

But not understanding did not mean he did not care.

"Yoriichi, Ichigo gets carried away pretty easily."

Keigo said earnestly, "If he gets hotheaded and charges ahead, remember to pull him back."

"I will." Yoriichi nodded.

Mizuiro stood to one side, gazing at the empty streets.

"Everyone's been sent away, so I guess we won't have classes either?"

"You're still thinking about that right now?" Keigo could not help asking.

"I just think it's a bit of a shame."

Mizuiro smiled, then looked at Yoriichi.

"When we come back, will Karakura Town still be the same as before?"

Yoriichi followed his gaze.

The shops along the street were closed, and the traffic lights still changed at their usual intervals. Wind blew along the roadside, sending a few flyers tumbling across the ground.

This was where they lived.

"Yes."

Yoriichi's answer was calm.

"That's good, then."

The smile on Mizuiro's face grew a little more earnest.

Not far away, a Soul Reaper was waiting for the three of them. They did not have much time left.

Tatsuki took a deep breath and raised her head again.

"I don't know what you're planning to do, but it obviously isn't anything simple."

She looked at Yoriichi and asked, stressing each word, "You're about to fight some enemy in a huge battle, aren't you?"

Yoriichi remained silent and did not answer.

That reaction said everything.

Tatsuki did not press him any further.

She raised her hand and gave Yoriichi a firm slap on the shoulder.

"Give it your best."

Keigo clenched his fists too and said loudly, "You'd better win!"

"Don't lose to anyone," Mizuiro said softly.

With that, the three turned and walked toward the safe zone together.

Keigo was still complaining that Tatsuki had only cheered Yoriichi on and completely ignored him. Tatsuki raised her fist, and Keigo immediately shut his mouth and hid behind Mizuiro.

Mizuiro spread his hands helplessly.

Yoriichi stood where he was, watching them quietly.

The three figures grew more and more distant.

He treasured these ordinary days.

And that was precisely why he could not let anyone destroy this place.

Just as the three were about to disappear from sight, Yoriichi suddenly took a step forward.

"We'll win."

All three stopped at once.

Standing straight, Yoriichi called loudly to their retreating backs:

"I'll bring them back safe and sound."

"I promise!"