Rurichiyo spoke with a smile, but then her tone turned melancholic.
"Ichigo… do you remember Sayuri, whom we met in Soul Society? She got married… to someone she had never even met."
"I don't want to end up like her. If I'm ever forced to marry someone I don't love… would you come and take me away?"
She looked at Ichigo with pleading eyes.
Ichigo gently patted her head and grinned.
"Don't worry. I'll never let that happen."
"Then it's a promise! Pinky swear! For a hundred years, you can't break it!"
She beamed as she hooked her pinky around Ichigo's.
Ichigo chuckled, smiling at her joy.
(Fun fact: Rurichiyo's official height is 145 cm—technically taller than Rukia. But thanks to the animation team, she always looks like a tiny child compared to her...)
Just then, Ichigo suddenly sensed a spiritual pressure—completely different from anything before.
Though it resembled that of Hanzo Nukui, something about it felt off. Frowning, he said,
"Rurichiyo, go back inside. An enemy is coming."
Rurichiyo nodded obediently and went downstairs. Kenryuu and Enryuu immediately surrounded her protectively.
Rukia, Senna, Tatsuki, and Orihime rushed out at the same time.
"What's wrong, Ichigo?" asked Rukia.
"An enemy is coming," he replied, tense.
Tatsuki and Orihime exchanged a look.
"We'll lure two of them away!" Tatsuki offered.
"No, let me go instead. Orihime's powers are more suited to stay and protect Rurichiyo," said Yoruichi, stepping in.
Ichigo agreed.
"Yeah, Orihime, you're crucial to our defense."
"Okay," Orihime conceded. She knew her combat strength wasn't on par with the others.
Yoruichi and Tatsuki exchanged glances and immediately moved out.
Elsewhere, Hanzo Nukui sensed the spiritual pressure of the two women and dispatched two of his subordinates to pursue them, while he headed directly toward Ichigo's home.
The last time he came to the World of the Living, there had been buildings near Ichigo's place. Now, that whole area had become empty land—clearly suspicious. Without hesitation, Nukui descended from above and struck the barrier.
Crack!
The barrier shattered, revealing the hidden structure.
Ichigo calmly stepped out to confront him, though his expression changed upon seeing Nukui's appearance.
He was now clad entirely in heavy armor—sacrificing all mobility despite being an assassin!
Nukui's face lit up.
"Kurosaki Ichigo! At last! I've finally found you!"
Concerned for Ichigo's safety, Rurichiyo rushed out and shouted,
"Your target is me, isn't it?!"
Kenryuu and Enryuu were startled and quickly dragged her back inside.
But Nukui paid her no mind. His eyes stayed locked on Ichigo.
"Shut up! Whether that brat dies or not has nothing to do with me! I'm here to defeat Kurosaki Ichigo, even if it costs me my spiritual pressure!"
Exactly what Ichigo wanted.
"Then follow me!"
With that, Ichigo vanished with Shunpo.
"Don't run!" Nukui shouted, using Shunpo to chase him.
Rurichiyo worriedly stared out the window.
"He'll be okay… right?"
Orihime reassured her.
"Don't worry. Ichigo will be fine."
But Rukia noticed something odd. In all of Ichigo's past fights, Rurichiyo had never seemed this concerned. Why now?
Before she could dwell on it further, another assassin emerged from Nukui's shadow.
"Hehehe, Hanzo-sama really is generous, leaving such a great prize for me. I'll gladly accept!"
A short man leapt from behind a nearby house, wielding a strange scythe-like weapon.
Rukia narrowed her eyes and drew her zanpakutō.
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."
Her pure white blade reappeared in her hand.
She didn't hesitate. Leaping high, she landed behind the assassin and gently swept her blade.
"First Dance: White Moon!"
Crack!
The assassin was instantly encased in ice.
"Wow! Lady Rukia is amazing!" Rurichiyo exclaimed.
But Rukia only frowned. Something was wrong.
This girl—she only ever showed concern for Ichigo. Toward the rest of them, she had a tone of admiration, but not fear. And yet, Ichigo was the strongest among them...
Turning to Kenryuu and Enryuu, Rukia ordered,
"I didn't kill this one. Keep him alive—we need to interrogate him, and later he can serve as a witness."
"As expected of the Kuchiki heir. So thorough!" Kenryuu quickly praised.
But to everyone's shock, the frozen assassin began to release spiritual pressure!
Crack!
Red spiritual pressure surged as the ice shattered.
"Hehehe, name's Jinnai Kotora, underling of Hanzo-sama!" he said, hoisting his scythe.
"No doubt the most beautiful zanpakutō in the Soul Society… you're strong! If I hadn't gotten this Mokugara Blade, I wouldn't stand a chance!"
Rukia's eyes narrowed.
"Mokugara Blade…?"
"Exactly!" Kotora grinned and brought the weapon to his mouth.
"Watch this—my power!"
To everyone's horror, he bit off the metal shard on the blade's spine—and ate it.
Instantly, his spiritual pressure skyrocketed—nearly to Lieutenant level!
"This is the power of the Mokugara Blade?" Rukia was stunned. Could the Dairenji family really create something this powerful?
She had no time to wonder. Blades sprouted from Kotora's back like wings.
"Scared yet?" he taunted.
Rukia didn't reply. She raised a hand.
"Hado #31: Shakkahō!"
A ball of red flame shot toward Kotora.
"Hmph! Useless!"
He dodged and threw a blade to counter it.
Shing!
The flame melted the blade on contact.
But as soon as his back blades were used up, Kotora bit down again—more power, more blades!
Rukia, now worried about the battle endangering Rurichiyo, shouted,
"Orihime! Take her inside!"
"Got it!" Orihime scooped Rurichiyo and ran inside, with Kenryuu and Enryuu guarding them closely.
Kotora charged at Rukia with Shunpo—his speed had now truly reached Lieutenant-level.
"So fast!" Rukia thought. But it was still manageable.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Blades flew like homing missiles, but Rukia dodged them while firing Byakurai one-handed to interrupt his movements.
This "kiting" strategy frustrated Kotora.
"Damn, you fight so annoyingly!"
He grew more enraged, but couldn't catch her.
Once more, when his blades ran out, he bit down again. This time, an uncountable number of blades sprouted!
And Rukia saw her chance.
He can only replenish blades by biting the Mokugara Blade after running out! She lit up inside.
"Hado #33: Sōkatsui!"
Blue flames roared like machine-gun fire, forcing Kotora to react.
"Damn it, take this!"
He jumped into the air, launching all his blades down at her.
Rukia smiled.
"This is what I was waiting for. First Dance: White Moon!"
Crack!
The white pillar of ice froze every incoming blade—but left Kotora untouched.
"Tch!"
As Kotora prepared to bite again, Rukia struck!
"Bakudō #4: Hainawa!"
A golden rope lashed out, binding his hand that held the Mokugara Blade.
"And that's not all! Bakudō #30: Shitotsu Sansen!"
Three golden triangle blasts pinned him to the wall.
"Next: Second Dance—White Ripple!"
A freezing blast shot from her zanpakutō and sealed Kotora in ice!
"Let's see you get out of that!"
But… sometimes, pride comes before the fall.
Kotora roared—and his spiritual pressure surged again.
This time, it truly reached full Lieutenant level.
"No way… is this blade's power infinite?" Rukia was stunned.
But then something strange happened.
Instead of attacking, Kotora screamed in pain. His spiritual pressure turned unstable—chaotic.
Like something unnatural was happening to him.
"Aaaargh!"
Kotora's body dissolved into pure spirit energy and was devoured by the Mokugara Blade!
Rukia's eyes widened.
The blade had eaten him.
"That weapon… it's alive, isn't it?" she whispered in shock.
She cautiously approached the blade, unwilling to touch it.
——————————————————————————————
Just then, the Kasedani family's assassins appeared again. They didn't care if Rurichiyo lived or died—what they really wanted was the Mokugara Blade.
Dozens of them died trying to retrieve it, but in the end, they succeeded.
Rukia frowned deeply.
Clearly, the weapon was more important than lives.
The thought of a weapon that devoured its own wielder left a chill in her heart.
After all, such power… always comes with a cost.
Especially when that power was never yours to begin with.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, both Tatsuki and Senna had successfully lured their opponents away.
Senna's opponent was called Kyūtōryū—a thin man with short purple hair just like hers.
He chased her onto the rooftop of a building.
"You've run far enough, little lady. Now let's fight, shall we?"
Kyūtōryū smirked, clearly enjoying himself.
Senna glanced at the distance—far enough from Ichigo's home.
She stopped.
"You use one of those special weapons too, don't you? Come on. Show me what you've got."
"Oh? So forward? You're so beautiful, I almost don't want to kill you."
A flash of cruelty appeared in his eyes.
(End of Chapter)
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