The urgent call from his mother behind him never reached little Ichigo's ears. His mind held only one thought: to have more, to protect more. Not just his own mother and sister, but more people still.

This desire to protect had been carved deep into his heart and soul from as far back as little Ichigo could remember. From his mother at the start, to his sisters later on. As the eldest son of the family, he had to protect his family, and he had always kept that thought firmly in mind. That was why he had persisted in going to the karate dojo, to make himself stronger, to better protect his family.

He was fast. Or rather, the distance had never been far to begin with. Little Ichigo was only a few steps away from that small figure, and now he could see it clearly. It was a little girl, facing the surging river, her tiny body utterly still.

"What are you doing?!" Little Ichigo shouted, his hand almost touching the girl's clothes.

Swhish —

A sound like a whip slashing through the air rang out. At the same moment, for some unknown reason, a sheet of white light flooded Little Ichigo's vision. The next instant, he lost consciousness.

"Ichigo!"

In the instant before Little Ichigo fell unconscious, his mother, who had still been across the road, suddenly appeared at his side. It was exactly then that a thick whip abruptly materialized, with no warning at all, and shot straight toward Ichigo.

And in the instant before the whip struck Ichigo, his mother pulled Little Ichigo in front of her and used her own back to block the fatal blow.

Riiip —

Blood sprayed in all directions. The whip mercilessly raked across her completely undefended back, as if a massive blade had hacked through it, leaving a wound so deep the bone was visible. Blood poured out without stopping.

How can this be...? Why didn't Blut Vene defend against it... No, it's not that Blut Vene failed to defend. It's that Blut Vene couldn't be used. Could it be... is that legend actually true?!

THUD!

His mother crashed heavily to the ground, pinning Little Ichigo beneath her. Why now, of all times... Is this also why Ichigo lost consciousness... Damn it! What terrible timing!

"Oh?"

A voice tinged with surprise rang out. Then a monster suddenly appeared, its body covered in gray fur, its face dominated by a huge white mask.

"Both of you can see me?" the monster muttered to itself. "What incredible luck! Today I get to feast until I'm full!"

Its tone grew excited. A whip extended from one of the small holes in its mask, while another white whip sprouted from the top of its head, its end connected to the top of the little girl's head.

"Ugh..."

No... Ichigo still isn't out of danger...

The wound on her back would not kill her in a single blow, but it was too large and too deep. The blood would not stop flowing. The massive blood loss had turned her vision completely black, yet her consciousness remained clear. She knew exactly what kind of existence that monster was. She also knew very well that it would never stop until it had devoured both her and her child.

What do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do about Ichigo?!

That was the only thought in her mind. His mother was thinking, searching for any way to get Little Ichigo out of danger...

That's it!

The chaotic thoughts were swept away in an instant. A clear idea surfaced in her mind, and with that thought, his mother's will grew firm.

After I die, I'll become a spirit. I won't have any power, but it should be enough to buy time. As long as I can hold out until someone notices something is wrong and comes.

As her will to survive faded, her already gravely wounded body gradually lost its vitality. Her heartbeat slowed. Before long, this mother would die, and her soul, after death, would continue to protect her child.

...

"Tch!"

That was how it should have been. According to the predetermined fate, this mother, one who could only be called great, would lose her life forever for the sake of her child. But in exchange, years later, the child she protected would grow into a savior who would save this world.

"I didn't expect something would actually go wrong."

An inexplicable tone echoed through this strange city. Unlike last time, the azure sky had vanished, replaced by endless layers of dark clouds. Rain connected heaven and earth as if it would never stop. The surrounding buildings had all become dilapidated and ruined. Whether it was the moisture or something else, even the air itself seemed heavier.

"Shouldn't we head out?" The man in white couldn't stop the smile tugging at his lips. "Any later, and she'll be dead, you know."

"..." The man in black remained silent as ever, but the clouds in the sky kept growing thicker and thicker.

The next instant, as if reaching a critical point, the clouds vanished. But what appeared was not the usual azure sky. It was a sheet of white, a white as if of pure nothingness.

"There's... no turning back now."

His voice was calm, but his tone carried something inexplicable. The man in black gazed at that whiteness and smiled, as if lamenting, as if unwilling, and yet also as if relieved.

"Perhaps... this is for the best?" The man in black's figure gradually faded away like dust. "Who knows..."

"Who knows, my ass!" The man in white's figure also began to fade. "But seriously, if we hadn't prepared, that would be one thing. But we've already reached the critical point ahead of time, and if we just stand by and watch her die, then the two of us are complete failures, aren't we?!"

"Perhaps so."

"Come to think of it, after all these years of standing opposed, locked in balance against each other... to think we'd suddenly merge into one. I really never expected it."

"If it's for Ichigo's sake, I can endure all of it."

"You bastard! As if I'm happy about it! If it weren't for Ichigo, I'd definitely have killed you and taken everything for myself!"

"Heh... if you actually had that ability, things wouldn't be the way they are now."

"You bastard!"

Their voices gradually weakened. Their bodies had already completely dissipated. As the two vanished, the strange city fell silent. The towering buildings remained broken and ruined, but with their dispersal, the city seemed to be infused with some kind of vitality, radiating boundless life.

[Wake up! Wake up now!]

...Ah...

[Wake up! Ichigo!]

Wake? Wake from what?

[Stand up, Ichigo!]

Stand up? Wait, your voice sounds so strange. Why does it have an echo?

[That's not the point! Stand up! Stand up and fight! Ichigo!]

Ah? Why? Why do I have to fight?

[Because it is the wish carved into the deepest depths of your heart, into your very soul.]

Another person? What is it? What is my wish?

[[It's to protect! To protect everything you hold dear! And for that! You must stand up! Fight! Fight! Take up your sword and fight!]]

Swhish —

Beneath his mother's gradually fading body, those eyes, little Ichigo's eyes, which should have remained tightly shut, suddenly snapped open, and from them erupted a blinding white light.

➤ Next: Instinct