"Where is this?"
When Ichigo Kurosaki woke up, he found himself lying in an unfamiliar room.
There were bandages wrapped around his body, and the sensations coming from within told him that his injuries had basically healed.
Slide—
The somewhat scruffy-looking Kisuke Urahara slid open the door to the room, followed by Ryūken Ishida.
"Ryūken!" Ichigo stood up. "Did you bring me here?"
"This is Mr. Urahara's shop. When I arrived, I saw you were badly injured, so I brought you to the Urahara Shop for treatment." Ryūken Ishida nodded gently and asked, "Why did you fight with the Shinigami? Was your Shinigami power discovered by them?"
"Yeah... By the way, Rukia was taken away by the Shinigami!" Ichigo remembered what happened before he passed out and looked worried. "The Shinigami said Rukia would be punished... I implicated her!"
"It really is amazing. I heard from Mr. Ishida that the Shinigami named Rukia actually transferred Shinigami powers to a Quincy..." Kisuke Urahara clicked his tongue in wonder. "In the past, there were cases of Shinigami giving power to humans, but giving Shinigami power to a Quincy... there isn't a second example of this in the history of the Seireitei!"
Over ten years ago, the relationship between Shinigami and Quincies was like fire and water; it was impossible for a case where a Quincy obtained Shinigami powers to occur.
"There were cases of humans obtaining Shinigami powers before?" Ichigo pressed. "Were the Shinigami who transferred the power punished?"
"Shinigami who transfer power to humans without permission will naturally be punished. Moreover..." Kisuke Urahara's voice suddenly became much lower, "This is a grave crime in the Soul Society. They were all sentenced to death. Your Shinigami friend probably won't escape the death penalty either."
"That serious?!" Ichigo was shocked. "I have to go get Rukia out. Ryūken, do you have a way to go to the Soul Society?"
Although Ichigo knew Shinigami were in the Soul Society, he didn't know how to get there, so he had to ask his close friend for help.
"Mr. Urahara might have a way, but the Soul Society is full of strong people. You won't be able to save Rukia even if you go there!" Ryūken Ishida frowned; he wasn't optimistic about Ichigo's rescue operation.
"Mr. Urahara, do you have any way for me to go to the Soul Society?" Ichigo looked at the somewhat mysterious man.
"There is a way to go to the Soul Society, but as Mr. Ishida said, even if Mr. Kurosaki goes to the Soul Society, you can't do anything." Kisuke Urahara gazed into Ichigo's eyes, seeming to want to see through his thoughts. "The prison where Rukia is held is heavily guarded. Once discovered, I'm afraid even you will perish in the Soul Society."
"Rukia is in danger now; I have to go!" There was no option of abandoning his partner in Ichigo's mind. Their time together these past days made him recognize Rukia as a partner. Now that Rukia was in trouble, he couldn't sit idly by.
"Mr. Kurosaki's courage is commendable!" Kisuke Urahara covered half his face with his fan and smiled. "Since you insist, I'll help you this once... According to the custom of the Seireitei, judging a Shinigami requires layers of review. Your Shinigami friend is safe for the time being. Before going to the Soul Society, I can help you familiarize yourself with Shinigami abilities."
"Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Urahara!" Ichigo didn't refuse. He possessed Shinigami powers himself; if he could utilize them better, the probability of saving Rukia would also be higher.
"Mr. Urahara is very familiar with Shinigami?" Ryūken Ishida pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, a trace of inquiry revealed in his eyes.
Although Ryūken had known Kisuke Urahara for a relatively long time, it had always been a customer-shopkeeper relationship, and he didn't know Urahara's background.
"Of course, after all, I used to be a Shinigami." Kisuke Urahara shrugged. "I couldn't be more familiar with Shinigami abilities!"
"Used to be..." Ryūken Ishida frowned. It was the first time he had met a non-active Shinigami. He had a vague premonition that Kisuke Urahara had probably caused quite a bit of trouble in the Soul Society in the past.
"That's all in the past. Although I haven't been a Shinigami for a long time, helping Mr. Kurosaki get familiar with Shinigami abilities is no problem!" Kisuke Urahara didn't intend to reveal his past. "Let's hurry up. Follow me to the training ground."
...
A few days later, a fully equipped Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryūken Ishida stood in front of Kisuke Urahara.
"Mr. Ishida, are you going to the Soul Society too?"
Kisuke Urahara was somewhat surprised that Ryūken Ishida was going to the Soul Society with Ichigo.
"If I let him go to the Soul Society alone, I'm afraid he'll be caught before he even finds Rukia," Ryūken Ishida said calmly.
"Please open the passage to the Dangai, Mr. Urahara!" Ichigo's eyes were determined.
He had stayed in the training ground under the Urahara Shop for several days.
During these few days, Kisuke Urahara had been feeding him moves using Zanpakutō and Kidō. This deepened his understanding of Shinigami significantly, and his confidence in saving Rukia also grew a lot.
"Then I wish you good luck." Kisuke Urahara pointed his cane forward, opening the passage to the Dangai. "I will send you to the Rukongai, but for what comes next, you'll have to rely on yourselves."
The three entered the Dangai passage. They didn't encounter any accidents along the way and arrived in the Soul Society smoothly.
The place where they landed was a mountain forest. The vegetation was dense, and a rocky stream flowed nearby; the murmuring sound of the water was refreshing.
However, none of them were in the mood to appreciate the scenery before them.
"Is this the Soul Society? The Reishi concentration is so high." Ryūken Ishida observed the unfamiliar surroundings cautiously.
"Yeah, I feel like my spirit body has become much lighter." Ichigo moved his body, feeling it deeply.
The Reishi concentration here was much higher than in Karakura Town, which was a Heavy Spirit Ground in the World of the Living.
"In the Soul Society, the closer the area is to the Seireitei, the higher the Reishi concentration. This is the outskirts of the West Rukongai, very close to the Seireitei." Kisuke Urahara explained briefly and continued, "For the sake of the many spiritual tools you've bought in the shop, I'll tell you another piece of valuable news."
Ichigo asked hurriedly, "What news?"
Kisuke Urahara said, "Over the past few days, I asked a familiar Shinigami to inquire about Rukia's case. Rukia's trial is in two days. On the day of the verdict, many Shinigami Captains will be present, so you'd best take Rukia away before that."
Ichigo and Ryūken nodded: "Understood!"
"Oh my!" Kisuke Urahara scratched his face. "Luck doesn't seem to be on your side. You seem to have been discovered already!"
"Discovered so quickly?!" Ichigo was instantly shocked.
"Look over there, your trouble has arrived." One of Kisuke Urahara's feet had already stepped into the Dangai. "If you can bring Rukia out, wait for me at this location. I will take you back to the World of the Living."