"Mom...?"
Kurosaki Ichigo stared at his mother, who shone brightly amidst the heavy rain. Although he no longer had the strength to even rub his eyes, he still doubted whether his eyes and ears were playing tricks on him.
"Ichigo, you've grown up. Mom is very proud of you."
Kurosaki Masaki's smile dispelled all of Kurosaki Ichigo's doubts. He understood clearly that the person before him was his mother; there was no mistake.
"If it's the current Ichigo, I can let you walk on the side closer to the road."
Kurosaki Ichigo, who hadn't shed a single tear even when heavily injured, felt tears surge at that one sentence.
When he was a child, his mother always walked on the side closer to the road. That way, she could keep him further from the threat of accidents and prevent him from being splashed by rain and mud from passing vehicles on rainy days.
Back then, he was determined to protect his mother, so he always demanded to walk on the outside, but he was always refused.
Unlike the howling Grand Fisher, Asakura Yoh, who was entirely enveloped in orange-red flames, seemed unable to feel the heat of the fire at all. However, this didn't mean the flames were just an illusion.
On the periphery of the flaming cloak, the heat distorted the air, and the rain turned into steam, evaporating instantly.
Asakura Yoh walked slowly to the side of the severely injured Kurosaki Ichigo. After crouching down, he slowly placed his hand on Kurosaki Ichigo's back.
The flames instantly spread across Kurosaki Ichigo's body as if they had found new fuel, but the latter didn't show the slightest sign of pain either.
Not only was there no pain, but the bleeding wounds on Kurosaki Ichigo's body were healing at a visible rate. Even the color in his face improved significantly.
"Flames of Law—if they touch an existence the user deems an enemy, they become the fires of judgment that can never be extinguished until the target is completely destroyed.
Conversely, if someone the user considers a companion touches the flames, they have the effect of healing and recovery."
Grand Fisher and Kurosaki Ichigo were the ones who felt Asakura Yoh's explanation most deeply, though their experiences were diametrically opposite.
Simply put, an Oversoul is when a Shaman integrates a spirit into a physical object (a medium) and pours in their own Furyoku, allowing the formless spirit to gain a concrete shape and function.
This is a more advanced application of Furyoku than direct possession.
The form of the Oversoul largely depends on the medium. If someone uses a sword as a medium, the Oversoul's form will mostly look like a sword.
The special abilities and effects of an Oversoul derive more from the spirit. The spirit's personality, traits, and memories, strengthened by Furyoku, give rise to even more unique and powerful effects.
The medium Asakura Yoh chose for Kurosaki Masaki's Oversoul was the weapon she used during her life: the Quincy Cross.
Just as a cross that absorbs Reishi can transform into a spirit bow, the cross that had absorbed Asakura Yoh's Furyoku now transformed into a bow of Furyoku.
Seeing his body about to be completely engulfed by flames, Grand Fisher let out a groan of pain. Then, as if molting, his huge, hairy outer skin fell away.
From his forehead, where the lure-like appendage grew, a rat-like creature quickly burrowed out and dove directly into the girl doll he had mimicked.
"Hahaha! Didn't expect that, did you?! That wasn't my real body at all! Farewell, Shinigami brat and you crazy brat over there! Next time I will definitely... Argh?! What! How is this possible?!"
Grand Fisher, who thought he could escape this way, was shocked to find his entire body already covered in flames. Agony several times greater than before instantly eroded his soul.
"I've known about your little tricks for a long time. Did you think I would give you time to run?"
Asakura Yoh's gaze was cold, as if he were looking at a piece of dead matter.
"Before launching the attack on you, I had already shot a small clump of flames about the size of a fingernail onto that doll."
"It's just that it was a lifeless object then, so I didn't categorize it as an enemy, and thus the flames didn't spread."
"Aaaaaagh! Damn brat! I curse you! I curse... I..."
Unlike Shinigami, a Quincy's attack can completely eradicate a soul. Kurosaki Masaki, who was once a Quincy, inherited this trait even as an Oversoul.
Grand Fisher vanished completely from this world.
The flames on Asakura Yoh's body and the bow in his hand gradually dissipated, and Kurosaki Masaki behind him returned to her normal appearance.
The rain gradually stopped. A long sigh escaped from Asakura Yoh's mouth as he closed his eyes.
Six years... was that long or short?
Perhaps there were some pains that even time could not diminish.
"What on earth... is going on? Yoh! What is this... why is Mom..."
Kurosaki Ichigo, whose injuries had completely healed, scrambled up from the ground. He called out to Asakura Yoh with a trembling voice.
He deliberately avoided looking at his mother, as if afraid she would disappear if he looked at her too much.
Asakura Yoh looked at his childhood friend, who still appeared somewhat disheveled despite his healed wounds. He said nothing, just watching quietly.
That hollow gaze reminded Kurosaki Ichigo of this day six years ago.
"Let me explain, Ichigo."
The one who spoke wasn't Asakura Yoh, nor was it Kurosaki Masaki, but Kurosaki Isshin, who had appeared at some unknown moment.
He held a cigarette between his fingers. It wasn't that he liked it that much; it was mainly because Kurosaki Masaki had once complimented him on how cool he looked while smoking, so he had developed this way of acting tough in front of her.
"Dad...?"
Kurosaki Isshin's appearance made Kurosaki Ichigo's mind even more confused.
"What's going on? You're not supposed to be able to see..."
"Ah, it's true I can't see."
Kurosaki Isshin wasn't lying. At this moment, he indeed could not see spiritual bodies.
"Then...?"
"But I know perfectly well that your mother is right here, isn't she? Don't underestimate a husband's intuition!"
Kurosaki Isshin suddenly pointed to the left behind Asakura Yoh, but unfortunately, Kurosaki Masaki was actually standing to Yoh's right.
"..."
Silence spread through the air. Kurosaki Isshin wasn't stupid; he knew he had guessed wrong. However, his greatest strength was being thick-skinned enough.
Immediately returning to a serious state, he continued to Kurosaki Ichigo:
"Even though I can't see, Yoh told me everything. Since six years ago."
Kurosaki Ichigo's brain finally began to function again. He thought of Inoue Orihime's brother.
Since Asakura Yoh could help the Hollowfied Inoue Sora regain his reason, he could naturally help his mother remain in this world as a soul.
But... why keep it from him, from Yuzu, and from Karin?