*Whoosh—!*
The Reishi longbow in the man's hands was drawn to the fullest in an instant. The Heilig Pfeil transformed into several streaks of light, accurately piercing the distant targets.
His movements remained elegant and efficient, like a precise killing machine.
He was the young master of the pure-blooded Quincy Ishida Family, Ryuken Ishida.
Today was supposed to be just like any other day, completing a mundane set of daily Quincy training after school.
However, Masaki Kurosaki, who stood beside him, was clearly not in her usual state.
The Reishi that should have condensed into an arrow continuously trembled at her fingertips.
Masaki's face was pale, and the cold sweat seeping from her forehead slid down her temples.
"Masaki, what's wrong?" Ryuken lowered his longbow and looked at her shoulder with concern. "The frequency of your Spiritual Pressure has been in a constant state of disorder. Is it because of your injury?"
That night, he had also sensed the battle between the Soul Reaper and White, and he had advised Masaki not to interfere.
Faced with such firm resolve, he had no way to stop her.
He stared at Masaki's wound, which was emitting an ominous aura, his gaze heavy.
"I'm sorry, Ryuken. I'm just a little tired." Masaki forced a smile, trying to conceal the throbbing deep within her body.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of the training ground, Kanae Katagiri, dressed in a maid outfit, quietly observed everything.
A complex emotion flashed through her downcast eyes. As a servant of the Ishida Family, she had also witnessed the entire process of Masaki's injury alongside Young Master Ryuken.
Kanae knew very well that the matriarch of the Ishida Family, a woman who valued bloodline purity above her own life, would never tolerate such contamination.
Ultimately, weighing her guilt against her loyalty to the Ishida Family, Kanae pushed open the door to the matriarch's room after the training ended.
"Madam, regarding Lady Masaki... there is something I must report to you."
On the other side, deep underground at the Urahara Shop.
Asuka felt as if his consciousness was soaked in thick glue; every second of thought required an immense amount of energy.
He could hear someone speaking near his ear, but the voice carried a distant, hollow echo.
At the same time, he sensed a strange change.
Blood was pumping, bones were pressing against each other, and his skin itched...
It was an extremely heavy, almost bizarre sensation...
But eventually, his mind began to clear bit by bit.
"Cough... cough, cough!"
He snapped his eyes open. After a moment of blurriness, his vision focused on the glaring spotlight above.
"Kisuke, look."
"Oh my, you're awake. How does it feel? This *heavy* world."
A figure wearing a green-and-white striped bucket hat appeared in his line of sight.
Behind him, a mountain of a man pushed up his glasses, holding a tray with several steaming, unidentified vials.
"Where... am I?"
Asuka tried to sit up, only to feel a sharp, swelling pain in his chest.
He looked down, staring at his hands in astonishment.
His agile and weightless spiritual body was gone.
What appeared before his eyes was a physical body with real skin tone, pores, and even visible blue veins.
"Nice to meet you. I am Kisuke Urahara, and this is the private clinic of the Urahara Shop."
Kisuke stood up and explained in a brisk tone, "Simply put, to save your life, I prepared a premium outfit for you—a high-concentration compressed Reishi Gigai."
A Gigai? Asuka didn't know what that was, but when he tried to sense the Spiritual Pressure within his body, his expression slightly changed.
It was completely empty.
His original Spiritual Power now felt as if it had been locked inside a sealed lead box.
He felt sluggish and clumsy; even breathing had become a strenuous effort.
This feeling was far worse than residing in that meticulously crafted body.
"Because whatever you unleashed during that battle completely scrambled your Spirit Ribbon, causing it to continuously collapse..."
Kisuke's tone suddenly turned somewhat serious as he pointed to the gleaming Asauchi resting at the head of Asuka's bed.
At some unknown point, the blade had been restored to its original state, perhaps even sharper than before.
"If you continued to be exposed in the World of the Living in your spiritual form, that aura would act like a beacon, attracting every Hollow within a hundred miles. So, you'll have to settle for being a *human* for now."
'Human? It's not like I haven't been one before, but why does this feel completely different...'
Asuka stood up unsteadily. As he stepped onto the freezing floor, a genuine chill shot straight from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull.
He clenched his fists, feeling the faint sting of his nails digging into his palms.
"My Spiritual Power..."
"Ahaha, sorry about that, kid." Kisuke snapped open his folding fan, offering an apology entirely devoid of remorse. "This Gigai of mine is a bit special. While your soul resides inside it, let alone your Soul Reaper powers, I'm afraid you won't be able to muster a single drop of Spiritual Power."
Asuka glared at Kisuke, a mix of shock and anger bubbling within him.
'Just who is this guy? What is he talking about?'
'He stripped away my power just to save me?'
'Then how am I supposed to get my revenge? How am I going to find Shinobu Kocho?!'
"So, my very special young friend." Kisuke tipped his hat, letting out a merchant's shrewd chuckle. "The rental fee for this Gigai, plus my medical expenses... it's not a small sum. Until your body fully recovers, please work hard as a chore boy around here to pay off your debt."
"You've got to be kidding me..."
Meanwhile, the veil of night had already descended upon the Ishida household.
Masaki curled up on her bed in agony.
On the once-pristine skin of her chest, a purplish-black void was slowly taking shape—a symbol of her soul devouring itself.
She was stepping into a forbidden realm.
She was turning into a Hollow.
Hollows were monsters born from deceased wandering souls who, due to their lingering attachments to the World of the Living or other hindering factors, were unable to ascend to heaven. After enduring years of sorrow and torment while wandering aimlessly, they fell into corruption.
Not only did they pose a threat to the humans in the World of the Living, but they also disrupted the order of the Soul Society.
When Ryuken pushed open the door and rushed into Masaki's room, he was met with his mother's gaze, which was brimming with disgust and murderous intent.
"Mother, this isn't Masaki's fault! She just..."
"Shut up, Ryuken." Mrs. Ishida pointed at the faintly visible shadow on Masaki's chest. "Look at that! That is the shape of a Hollow hole! She is no longer a pure Quincy; she is an abomination!"
Ryuken stared at the void, his mind flashing back to the scene he had witnessed from the shadows that night.
He had watched Masaki rush out that night, and he had watched that Soul Reaper fight.
Out of rationality, he hadn't intervened, knowing that getting involved in a Soul Reaper's battle would bring endless trouble. But he never expected the consequences to be this tragic.
His deep concern had thrown his usual composure into chaos.
For the first time, this young man, always known for his calm demeanor, shoved aside the mother standing in his way.
He scooped up Masaki, who was writhing in the unbearable agony of Hollowfication, smashed through the window, and fled frantically into the night, leaving that cold house behind.
A sinister wind howled.
As Ryuken dashed through the air using Hirenkyaku, he anxiously checked on Masaki's condition.
The Hollow hole was radiating an incredibly ominous power, continuously stripping away her consciousness and causing her breathing to become rapid, accompanied by beast-like pants.
"What the hell is this thing... Why didn't I forcefully stop her back then... Why didn't I forcefully intervene in the battle when she did something so foolish!"
The more Ryuken thought about it, the more he blamed himself.
Furthermore, Masaki's scent had become exceptionally potent due to the Hollowfication.
To the Hollows wandering the World of the Living, this scent was practically the highest-grade bait.
"Roar—!"
A Hollow lunged out from the shadows, blocking Ryuken's path.
"Damn it, of all times..."
Ryuken's longbow materialized once more, but with him having to protect Masaki, his movements were severely restricted.
Just as the Hollow's sharp claws were about to reach Masaki, a slashing strike descended from the sky!
A scorching Spiritual Pressure instantly reduced the attacker to ash.
"Whoa there, that was close. I almost didn't make it."
"Glasses kid, what are you doing out so late at night..."
Isshin Shiba slowly walked out of the dust, resting his Zanpakuto on his shoulder.
Unable to stop worrying about Masaki's condition, he had secretly traveled to the World of the Living through an unauthorized Boundary Gate while recovering from his injuries. He hadn't expected to stumble upon this scene the moment he arrived.
"Stay back! Soul Reaper!"
The instant Ryuken saw Isshin, his fury boiled over. "Look at her! This is all the disaster you people caused!"
Isshin's gaze shifted to Masaki.
When he saw the clearly visible Hollow hole on her chest, his pupils shrank abruptly.
"Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here!"
"Do you even have to ask?! It's all your fault! If it weren't for saving you, Masaki would..."
"This is really bad."
Isshin gritted his teeth, having absolutely no mood to bicker with Ryuken.
His mind raced, recalling the address Yoruichi Shihoin had whispered in his ear before he left.
"Come with me, glasses kid! If you want her to live, I know a place!"