"Roar!"
A lithe minotaur, wielding a jet-black blade, tore through the sky. Crimson light continuously erupted from between his pale, menacing horns, relentlessly destroying the ground and blasting out massive craters. Cities were razed to the ground, and concrete and steel structures were rendered powerless before the minotaur, like bubbles...
The people roared and prayed, powerless before the invincible minotaur...
"Elder brother?!"
Beyond the countless people who had given up resistance... two adorable little girls, one with gentle, watery eyes and short, light-yellow hair, the other with resolute eyes and short, jet-black hair, nestled together in the ruins, gazing at the minotaur who seemed like a god of destruction reincarnated, softly calling out to him. Their eyes were fearless, for they knew that the one who created this Hell was not an enemy, but their brother, their own brother.
"..."
Hearing the shouts, the minotaur turned to look in the direction of the two girls, lost in thought...
The next second, a crimson light ripped through the sky, destroying everything in the minotaur's sight...
It also destroyed everything the minotaurs owned...
" My Yuzu! Karin!"
Suddenly, Ichigo Kurosaki, who had been lying on the bed, opened his eyes. His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and his expression was terrified.
While the event at Bount night, Sōgo Shihoin was playing around with Hōshō Ryo, Ichigo Kurosaki, an ordinary high school student, was preparing to sleep well and look forward to the joy of going to school the next day. However, he clearly had a nightmare that night.
"Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~"
Ichigo Kurosaki sat on his soft bed, panting heavily. His forehead was covered with bulging veins, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Is it a dream?!"
Ichigo Kurosaki sat on the bed, talking to himself as he recalled everything he had seen in his dream. His brows were furrowed, because everything he had seen in his dream was just too real, as real as... as reality itself.
"But..."
Ichigo Kurosaki recalled his out-of-control state when he faced Mabashi, the way he seemed to want to destroy everything, the desire to wantonly destroy everything to vent his inner desires, and the whispers that kept coming into his ears, all of which drove Ichigo Kurosaki crazy.
"Damn it..."
As Ichigo Kurosaki recalled his earlier posture, he broke out in a cold sweat. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and realized it was just five o'clock, still a long time before school, but he simply couldn't fall back asleep...
So, Ichigo Kurosaki simply got out of bed, quickly washed up, put on his workout clothes, and went out for his long-awaited morning exercise.
"Regarding the Bount incident, that guy from yesterday, Sōgo Shihoin said I don't need to worry about him anymore, so it seems to be over... But my own problems haven't been resolved yet... The future is truly unpredictable... Sigh..."
Running swiftly through the deserted streets, Ichigo Kurosaki's thoughts shifted constantly, carried by the cold wind blowing across the Ichigo Kurosaki to calm down, because he currently lacked the ability to control the future.
"Hey, long time no see."
Just as Ichigo Kurosaki was enjoying the sensation of walking through the streets and feeling the cool breeze, a clear, melodious female voice reached his Ichigo Kurosaki.
"What?! It's Tatsuki?!"
Ichigo Kurosaki was slightly taken aback at first. He hadn't expected anyone to be able to keep up with his speed. But after turning to the side and seeing who could keep up with him, he realized that if it were Tatsuki Arisawa, they could indeed easily keep up with him.
"Ha?"
"Your tone makes it sound like you're disappointed to see me. I'm truly sorry~ Orihime Inoue doesn't have such excellent athletic ability."
Tatsuki Arisawa's eyes twitched slightly as he angrily retorted, "Don't let her appearance fool you, she's still a girl, and she'd be angry too if she were treated like this."
"No, that's not true. I'm just curious how someone could keep up with my speed..."
After hearing the Tatsuki Arisawa's words, Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes twitched slightly, and he explained the meaning behind his previous words.
"No need to explain to me, I was just joking. I noticed you looked really serious earlier... To be honest, this is the first time I've seen you look like that in all the time I've known you." Tatsuki Arisawa, standing beside Ichigo Kurosaki, said, "What's wrong? Did something happen? Is there anything I can help you with? Just tell me..."
"Yes?!"
What exactly happened?
"Me?! I don't know either!!"
Ichigo Kurosaki laughed, and he accelerated as he laughed.
"Hey! Ichigo Kurosaki! You bastard..."
Tatsuki Arisawa stared in surprise at Ichigo Kurosaki's sudden acceleration, not understanding what Ichigo Kurosaki was up to.
" Tatsuki! It's been a long time since we had a match, hasn't it?"
How about we have a little competition today?
"By the way, I always let you win when you beat me before."
Ichigo Kurosaki back to look at Tatsuki and smiled slightly. The next second, he accelerated instantly and shot out like a rocket.
"Huh?!"
"Wait... Kurosaki..."
"Suddenly, he started talking about wanting to have a competition..."
Tatsuki Arisawa was taken aback when she saw Ichigo Kurosaki suddenly accelerate, but she still sped off to catch up.
However, as Ichigo Kurosaki got faster and faster, Tatsuki Arisawa gradually fell behind.
"Wait... Ichigo Kurosaki!"
"Don't just talk about your own game; I just want to help you..."
Tatsuki Arisawa roared at Ichigo Kurosaki was running wildly ahead.
"Stop!?"
"I just can't stop!"
Ichigo Kurosaki continued to accelerate, accelerating relentlessly, with absolutely no intention of stopping! He wanted to move forward, forward, ever forward... No one could stop him; only by constantly moving forward and growing stronger could he protect those around him...
"Thud..."
Unable to catch up with Ichigo Kurosaki in the end, Tatsuki Arisawa's knees buckled and he collapsed to his knees, watching helplessly as Ichigo Kurosaki ran further and further away.
"Seriously... whatever you want, Ichigo Kurosaki! You idiot!"
Tatsuki Arisawa watched Ichigo Kurosaki drift further and further away from her path in life, she roared and cursed Ichigo Kurosaki.
"Ha ha ha ha..."
Ichigo Kurosaki ran a very, very long way, and after shaking off Tatsuki Arisawa, he burst into laughter. The feeling of victory was truly exhilarating... He had no idea how long it had been since he had felt this way.
It seems that ever since the gap between him and Tatsuki Arisawa, he has never had a proper match with Tatsuki Arisawa again.
"Go back!"
After having his fun, Ichigo Kurosaki looked at the slowly brightening sun high in the sky, took out a tissue from his pocket, gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, and decided to go back and take a shower before going to school. Although he was indeed somewhat extraordinary, he was still a high school student at heart, the kind of ordinary high school student who needed to take exams and study.
"Yo~ You must be Ichigo Kurosaki?"
Just as Ichigo Kurosaki was about to head back, a slightly frivolous voice interrupted his Ichigo Kurosaki of thought and stopped him from doing Ichigo Kurosaki.
"Who are you?!"
Ichigo Kurosaki turned around and looked at the man with short blond hair wearing their school uniform. He frowned, Ichigo Kurosaki man who had called out to him was no good person.
" Bount?!"
Ichigo Kurosaki asked tentatively, remembering that Sōgo Shihoin had told him that the person who came to him yesterday, and the person who had recently committed several murders, were all people called the Bount, the Soul Hunters.
" Bount?"
"What is that?"
"We're not the same... completely different..."
The blond man's eyes flashed with disdain after hearing Ichigo Kurosaki's words. The Bount, that trash organization, could hardly be compared to them? They used to be influential figures in Soul Society, nothing like the Bount, who were treated like rats in the World of the Living...
"Not Bount?"
After hearing the blond man's words, Ichigo Kurosaki frowned. He felt things were even more troublesome. If it was the Bount, it would be fine, but if it wasn't the Bount, then he anticipated that a brand new organization was targeting him. Moreover, judging from the situation, this organization was clearly stronger than the previous Bount organization. In short, it was all troublesome.
"Of course not, we are not the Bount. We are much stronger, and unlike those Bount, we are not here to exploit you, we are here to help you."
The blond, crew-cut high school student smiled as he spoke to Ichigo Kurosaki.
Okay~ Okay~
Ichigo Kurosaki listened to the blond man's words, picked at his ear, and looked perfunctory.
"Hey! What kind of attitude is that?!"
The blond, crew-cut man looked at Ichigo Kurosaki, who was ignoring him, and angrily questioned him.
"It's not a problem with my attitude; it's that everyone who takes advantage of me claims they're there to help me before they do so."
Ichigo Kurosaki looked at the blond, crew-cut man, waved his hand slightly, and said with an unhappy expression.
"Oh, this..."
The blond, crew-cut man's eyelids twitched slightly after hearing Ichigo Kurosaki's words. Ichigo Kurosaki was right. When people use others, they never say, "I'm here to help you." Then, as they help, you realize you've been used. Some are even more ruthless. For example, when he was the Fifth Division Captain in Soul Society, his dear vice-captain was a ruthless person—a ruthless person who used others and then had them count the money for them.
"Hey! Hey! Ichigo Kurosaki!"
Don't take my good intentions for granted.
"I really want to help you!"
The blond man shook his head, dispelling the random thoughts in his mind, and spoke to Ichigo Kurosaki.
"Forget it! If you really want to help me, then ignore me. That's the best help you can give me."
Ichigo Kurosaki gave a cold laugh after hearing the blond man's words.
"Yeah?!"
"If after reading this you still feel I can't help you, then I'll leave immediately, okay?"
The blond man smiled slightly and gently placed his fingers in front of his cheek. The next second, a mask made of white bones, resembling that of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, appeared in front of his cheek, covering half of his face.
"That is..."
Ichigo Kurosaki stared at the bone mask, his pupils dilating in shock. He looked at the mask, which looked so familiar to him, and a tremor ran through his heart.
" Ichigo Kurosaki-kun ~ You don't actually think you're special, do you?"
The blond man gave Ichigo Kurosaki an incredibly cunning smile. He was extremely pleased with Ichigo Kurosaki's astonished expression, which was far more interesting than he had anticipated.
Who exactly are you?
As the blond man revealed his skeletal mask, the situation completely reversed. For the first time, Ichigo Kurosaki became curious about the blond man's identity. He wanted to know... he wanted to know the blond man's identity, and at the same time, he wanted to know how the man managed to control his violent instincts...
Want to know?
Want to know how I tamed that guy?
The blond man smiled as he looked at Ichigo Kurosaki's expression. He spoke Ichigo Kurosaki's innermost thoughts in a tone that was extremely unpleasant to hear, as if... the blond man had seen right through Ichigo Kurosaki's heart.
"Do you... know?"
Ichigo Kurosaki's expression froze upon hearing the blond man's words, and he asked.
"Hehehe~"
I'm not telling you~
"It's almost time. Let's chat more later."
The blond man grinned, stuck his tongue out at Ichigo Kurosaki, and with a leap, soared into the sky, disappearing without a trace the next second.
"Hello..."
Ichigo Kurosaki watched the blond man's retreating figure, his expression tightening. He hadn't intended to let go of this opportunity that might help him fight his instincts, but damn it, he had absolutely no way to catch up with the man and could only watch him leave.
" Ichigo, we'll meet again soon."
The blond man, his feet dangling in the air, looked at the helpless Ichigo Kurosaki beneath him with a wicked smile.
Who exactly is that man?
Ichigo Kurosaki returned home and took a shower. Under the Ichigo Kurosaki, he quickly calmed down. He recalled the man seeing his clothes, and a thought suddenly came to his mind.
"Since that guy is wearing our school uniform, it means he must be one of our students."
"In other words, as long as I go to school, I can always find the other person..."
Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes lit up. He was moved by his own intelligence; he really was a little genius.
Having figured it out, Ichigo Kurosaki quickly grabbed a towel to dry himself, put on his clothes, picked up his schoolbag, and rushed out of the house.
" Ichigo! You haven't had breakfast yet?!"
Masaki Kurosaki chased after Ichigo Kurosaki Ichigo Kurosaki to the front door and called out to him as he ran ahead.
"I took the bread!"
Upon hearing his mother's voice, Ichigo Kurosaki turned around, waved, and strode off into the distance.
"This child is really..."
Watching Ichigo Kurosaki hurriedly run away with bread in his mouth, Masaki Kurosaki frowned and muttered to himself.
"That guy has some unique characteristics; someone will eventually find out where he is."
Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes shone brightly, as if he could already see the hope of capturing that blond man.
Time passed by, minute by minute...
As a new day dawns, a new class begins...
Good morning Ichigo!
After inquiring about the blond man from all the departments that had morning exercise sessions, Ichigo Kurosaki, still without success, walked into the classroom with a gloomy expression. He ignored Keigo Asano, who greeted him, and sat down in his seat.
Am I being ignored again?
Keigo Asano knelt on the ground, falling into a daily state of self-isolation.
"Cheer up, Ichigo!"
"Nobody takes you seriously."
As if it were a daily quest, Mizuiro Kojima came to Keigo Asano's side to finish him off.
"Puff..."
Keigo Asano, whose defenses were broken by a single sentence from Mizuiro Kojima, vomited up the ketchup he had eaten that morning and collapsed to the ground.
This drew disgusted looks from countless classmates around them... who were afraid the ketchup would splatter on them and make them feel nauseous...
" Ichigo! You had quite the nerve this morning~"
Tatsuki Arisawa grabbed Ichigo Kurosaki by the throat from behind and roared.
" Tatsuki?!"
What are you doing?
Ichigo Kurosaki caught off guard and had his throat gripped by Tatsuki, struggling incessantly.
"Yo yo yo~"
" Ichigo Kurosaki, how old are you? How can you have such a bad memory?!"
What did you do to me this morning? Have you forgotten everything?
"But that doesn't matter, because I still remember exactly what you did to me this morning!"
"Absolutely unforgivable!"
Tatsuki gritted his teeth and roared.
Damn it!
Ichigo Kurosaki then realized what had happened and regretted his recklessness that morning.
" Tatsuki, let me explain. I have my reasons for doing this."
Ichigo Kurosaki pulled on Tatsuki's arm and explained.
"If explanations were effective, what would be the point of having police?"
"Go to Hell and explain yourself to Yama, the King of Hell!"
Seeing that Tatsuki Ichigo Kurosaki refused to admit his mistake and still wanted to explain, Tatsuki became even angrier.
"As soon as I came in, I saw Tatsuki beating Ichigo."
"No matter how good your relationship is, you need to be mindful of the occasion. If you want to be intimate, go home and do it in bed!"
"Damn bastards!"
Just as Tatsuki and Ichigo Kurosaki were locked in a tug-of-war, Ichigo Kurosaki teacher, a lively Ochi Miyu whose age was unknown, walked in and stopped Ichigo Kurosaki and Tatsuki with a shout.
"Who's being intimate with him?!"
"Who's being intimate with her?!"
After hearing their homeroom teacher's words, Tatsuki and Ichigo Kurosaki said in unison.
"Alright, alright, I know you two are childhood sweethearts and have a deep bond, I understand, but please be mindful of the occasion, this is the classroom, OK?!"
Ochi Miyu sighed and said helplessly.
"I already said that's not what happened!"
"I already said that's not what happened!"
The two answered Ochi Miyu in perfect unison.
Ah~
Ochi Miyu made a meaningful sound.
" Orihime, let me explain."
Tatsuki turned to look at Orihime Inoue, his face filled with panic, as if he had been caught red-handed by his best friend for trying to seduce her boyfriend.
I'm listening~
Orihime Inoue just smiled and looked at Tatsuki, without saying a word.
"Ah!?"
Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Tatsuki, who was constantly trying to explain things to Orihime Inoue, with a puzzled expression. He didn't understand what was there to explain. Wasn't their relationship just that kind of thing? A pure, innocent relationship!
"In short, all of you, keep quiet!"
There are two things to do today.
"The first thing is that the principal ( Sōgo ) is absent from class today due to other commitments. When classes will resume depends on the principal's mood."
"The second thing is, relatively speaking, we have another transfer student in our class..."
"Please come in, Hirako -kun~"
Ochi Miyu quickly announced the more important things for the day and looked towards the classroom door.
"Okay, teacher~"
The next second, the classroom door was slowly opened, and a man with short blond hair and a noticeably nonchalant expression walked into the classroom.
"Hello everyone, this is my Shinji Hirako ~"
"And... we meet again, Ichigo Kurosaki-kun."
A man named Shinji Hirako, with a cunning smile, spoke to Ichigo Kurosaki in a nonchalant tone.
"That voice..."
Upon hearing the voice beside him, Ichigo Kurosaki's expression changed, and he turned his head to look at Shinji Hirako.
This chapter continues with another 5,000 words~
(End of this chapter)