The story of a future still unfolding had already shifted, silent and unseen. Whether it was the Soul Reapers lurking behind the scenes or the Quincy progenitor upon the throne, fate's trajectory defied understanding. Perhaps only the supreme king upon the divine throne had glimpsed a corner of it.

Let time flow backward, to the beginning of everything, the starting point of all destinies.

"Soul... Reaper?"

She looked the orange-haired youth up and down. He was indeed wearing a Shihakusho, but the long blade on his back and the short blade at his waist were both glaringly conspicuous. It wasn't that the Soul Society had no examples of dual blades, but those two were captain-class figures, not someone this inexplicable boy could be compared to.

"Well... I guess...?" Fifteen years old, a high schooler with a head of orange hair, Ichigo Kurosaki scratched his head. Even he sounded uncertain. "Strictly speaking, I'm a human who possesses the power of a Soul Reaper?"

"Just what... are you?!"

She stepped back, right hand dropping to the hilt at her waist. The black-clad girl lowered her body, shifting into an attack stance.

"Ah, right... I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. A human." Ichigo smiled, entirely unconcerned by her hostility. "And you are?"

...

"Rukia... Kuchiki...?"

"Yes."

At the Kurosaki Clinic, the hour was already past midnight, yet the lights blazed. All five members of the Kurosaki family had gathered in the first-floor living room, seated in a neat row.

Clutching her head, where a large, visibly red lump had formed, the black-clad girl, Rukia, sat across from the Kurosaki family, tears nearly spilling from the pain.

God only knew what this monster actually was. A teenage human, and yet he could transform into a Soul Reaper. That alone would have been one thing, but his Shunpo was so fast that even she, a genuine Soul Reaper who had mastered her Zanpakuto's Shikai, couldn't react.

No real battle had taken place. The moment Rukia had moved to draw her blade, a terrifying, suffocating pressure surged through her, freezing her in place. Then Ichigo had circled behind her and landed a critical blow.

"What are you doing, Ichigo!" Masaki Kurosaki scolded, her long orange waves swaying. "She's a girl! How could you hit her that hard!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

One black-haired head and one brown bobbed head nodded along. Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki joined their mother in protesting Ichigo's brutality.

"Hey, hey!" The corner of Ichigo's mouth twitched. "If I hadn't hit her, she would've slashed me with her sword!"

"It wouldn't have hurt you anyway. What's wrong with letting her take one swing?" Masaki Kurosaki, head of the household, pulled Rukia into her arms and gently stroked the bright red lump. "I'm sorry. My foolish son was a bit rough."

"I-it's... fine..."

A pleasant scent reached Rukia's nose, and she sank into it despite herself. It wasn't a fragrance, exactly. Something richer, more intense. The scent that belonged only to a mother.

"Hey, hey! Why does it feel like I'm the outsider here?!"

...

"Kuchiki, then..." Isshin Kurosaki, the lowest-ranking member of the household, finally spoke. "You're Byakuya Kuchiki's sister — the adopted daughter of the Kuchiki family, correct?"

"Yes!" Sitting up straight and proper, Rukia said, "Sir... Uncle, are you acquainted with my brother?"

"Oh, well... who in the entire Soul Society doesn't know the head of the great noble Kuchiki family?" Isshin smiled. "Back then, that was huge news. It shook all of Soul Society."

"May I ask which squad you served in previously?"

"Me... I was just an ordinary Soul Reaper."

As if, I'd believe that when hell freezes over!

Never mind his identity as the father of this monster of a boy. The Soul Reaper organization of the Soul Society, the Gotei 13, was not so easygoing. Without proper cause, even the lofty captains couldn't leave the Soul Society.

Let alone live alone in the World of the Living like this. An ordinary Soul Reaper would have been wanted, captured, and dragged back for judgment long ago.

"Now, now, don't worry about the details." Isshin waved a hand. "Speaking of which, how did you manage to barge into our house on your own?"

"I was guided by a Hell Butterfly."

"A Hell Butterfly, huh..." Isshin pondered for a moment. "What I mean is, why did you come to this area?"

"...Huh?"

"Ah, right." Ichigo picked up the thread at the right moment. "Here's the thing. On one hand, we were worried Soul Reapers would discover our existence. On the other, the adults didn't want me having too much contact with Soul Reapers. So, centered on our house, there's a cognitive-blocking barrier covering a radius of five hundred meters."

"Cognitive... blocking... barrier...?"

"It's a type of composite high-level Kido. Its function is to make Soul Reapers or Hollows unconsciously avoid these areas, while also preventing them from sensing the spiritual pressure within."

"Normally, I can conceal my spiritual pressure well enough to avoid detection, but sometimes at night I train — just like when you first entered my room." Ichigo explained, "During training, I can't control my spiritual pressure very well, so the barrier prevents it from leaking out."

"I see..."

"But when I came out of the Senkaimon, it was right around here." Rukia frowned. "No wonder it felt strange. So it was because of your spiritual pressure?"

"You just came out of the Senkaimon...?" Isshin frowned as well. "Are you newly appointed?"

"Yes."

"..." Isshin fell silent, gazing at Rukia with deep, searching eyes.

Smack,

"Old man!" True to his status as the lowest-ranking member of the Kurosaki household, Ichigo slapped his own father on the head. "Stop putting on an act! If you have something to say, say it!"

"Wah — dear!" Having taken a heavy blow, Isshin buried his head in his wife's chest. "Look at this kid Ichigo! He's getting more and more violent! Nothing like the cute child he used to be!"

(>_<)!

A vein bulged on Ichigo's forehead in the shape of a #. He clenched his fist. If not for the head of the household being present, he would have transformed into a Soul Reaper and slashed him right then and there.

"Now, now." Masaki rubbed Isshin's head. "You too, if you have something to say, just say it. Stop fooling around."

"All right."

His expression shifted with astonishing speed. Isshin Kurosaki returned to a serious demeanor, and no one else found it strange. Their husband, their father, was always like this.

"By all logic, a Senkaimon's landing point is set in advance, and the normal landing point is more than three thousand meters from our house." Isshin's expression turned grave. "This is absolutely abnormal."

"In other words..." Ichigo narrowed his eyes and gazed out the window. "We've... already been targeted by someone?"

➤ Next: I Want to Ask You to Help Me Carry Out the Duties of a Soul Reaper