The world around Shinichi was gone.
He floated in an endless, pitch-black void, the darkness pressing against his skin like a living, breathing thing. There was no ground beneath him, no sky above him—only swirling shadows that moved like ink dropped into water, creeping, writhing, devouring every speck of imagined light. The silence was deafening, so absolute that even the sound of his own heartbeat felt stolen away.
The atmosphere was suffocating. The very air seemed heavy, thick with something unseen but undeniably there, something ancient, something predatory. Each breath Shinichi took felt like inhaling dread itself.
He knew this place. The same place he had dreamt of back at the Kurosaki Clinic.
Then—
A voice, sweet, seductive, and chilling, cut through the oppressive dark like a whisper into his soul.
"You're one step closer to meeting me... Shinichi..."
Unlike last time, Shinichi didn't panic. He was calm now, more focused.
"I'm guessing you're my zanpakuto, huh?" he said, voice steady. "How was I able to hear you that time when I wasn't even a Shinigami?"
A light, almost teasing chuckle echoed around him—both comforting and terrifying.
"Oh, Shinichi... my dear..." she purred. "I'm not just a zanpakuto."
Her voice caressed his mind, her tone like velvet wrapping around a blade.
"You are the chosen one... The only one who can hear me... and perhaps one day... meet me."
Shinichi's brows furrowed in confusion.
"H-How can I meet you?" he finally asked, the question burning inside him.
The laughter that came next still had that flirtatious edge, but when she spoke again, her tone was different—serious, dark, foreboding.
"You'll have to touch the gates of death to meet me..."
The darkness around him seemed to tighten, as if recoiling in fear at her words.
"You'll have to gamble with your life..."
Her final words struck like a dagger.
"You'll have to... die."
Shinichi's eyes widened, heart hammering.
"T-That's ridiculous!" he shouted into the void. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
The voice chuckled again, almost tenderly.
"Figure it out, Shinichi... your body... is the perfect vessel..."
Before he could say another word, the darkness imploded into blinding white.
Shinichi's eyes snapped open.
Sunlight poured through the window, harsh and unwelcoming after the void's oppressive dark. He groaned, raising a hand to block the rays stabbing into his face.
Turning his head, he glanced toward the bed where Rukia usually slept. It was empty. She had already left for school.
Shinichi sighed, sitting up slowly.
So... she's already distancing herself from me, huh...
He rubbed his eyes, exhaustion still weighing on him, and made his way toward the bathroom, already knowing deep down why she was doing this.
---
As Shinichi reached school, he immediately caught the attention of nearly everyone around him. Whispers floated through the air, especially from the girls who watched him with newfound fascination. His unexpected heroics on the basketball court the previous day had clearly left a mark. No one had anticipated that the quiet, aloof Shinichi Kisaragi could be so skilled—and so effortlessly cool.
As he walked through the hallway, a soft beep echoed in his mind. A familiar blue screen appeared in front of him:
[Damn it! If the girls start fawning over you, I'll lose the biggest weapon in my arsenal to insult you!]
Shinichi chuckled quietly. "Haha... too bad for you, huh?" He paused, realization striking him. "Wait... that means..."
"Hey, system! Open item shop!"
Another blue interface flashed before him, revealing the item shop list:
[Basic HP Potion: 10 RP]
[Advanced HP Potion: 20 RP]
[Full Heal: 50 RP]
[Divine Potion: 500 RP]
[Current RP: 520]
Shinichi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Holy shit! 520?! I was at minus five just a few days ago..."
The system chimed in cheerfully:
[Guess the basketball game really helped you, huh?]
Shinichi nodded thoughtfully. "I guess it did... hey, what does the Divine Potion do for it to cost so much?"
A new description popped up on the screen:
[Divine Potion: A legendary potion created from condensed spiritual energy and rare otherworldly herbs. Upon death, the potion activates automatically (or can be consumed manually if preemptively used), restoring the user's body to peak condition. However, it can only be used once—after activation, the potion is consumed completely. Another potion can be bought after a week from the activation of the previous one.]
Shinichi stared at the screen, mesmerized.
"T-That's... too overpowered... and knowing my dumbass, I'm probably going to need it..."
The system chirped:
[It is overpowered indeed, but... it's 500 RP. That's a lot.]
Shinichi exhaled slowly. "I know... I know... but... I need this."
Without further hesitation, he commanded, "Buy Divine Potion!"
The system flared brightly:
[Congratulations! You have bought the Divine Potion!]
[Current RP: 20]
Feeling a little bolder, Shinichi tapped his chin and muttered, "Buy Advanced HP Potion!"
The screen responded instantly:
[Congratulations! You have bought Advanced HP Potion x1!]
[Current RP: 0]
[Fucking Brokey]
Shinichi's face twisted in annoyance. "Hey! That was an unnecessary remark!"
---
During lunch period, Rukia sat alone atop the trunk of an old tree, her gaze lost somewhere beyond the school grounds. The gentle breeze ruffled her uniform, but she barely noticed. She was deep in thought, her mind spinning with quiet dread.
Suddenly, a cheerful voice snapped her out of her trance.
"Kuchiki-san! Let's have lunch together!" Orihime waved at her enthusiastically, her group of friends gathered around.
Rukia hesitated, startled. "N-No, Inoue-san... I'm fine right here..."
But Orihime wasn't taking no for an answer—and neither were the others. Their persistence eventually wore her down, and with a resigned sigh, Rukia hopped down and joined them.
The girls spread out their lunches, chatting excitedly about trivial things. It was a welcome noise, but Rukia's heart wasn't fully in it.
Then, out of nowhere, Chizuru—always the gossip and lover of dating rumors—leaned in with a mischievous grin.
"So, Kuchiki-san..." she said slyly. "Do you really like Shinichi?"
Rukia, caught completely off-guard, spat out her juice in a perfect, comical spray.
"W-W-What?! No! He's just... a friend!" she stammered, face turning slightly pink.
The girls burst out laughing at her reaction.
Tatsuki, smirking, nudged her playfully. "I mean... half the girls at school like him now. After that basketball show-off yesterday... You've got competition, Kuchiki. Better make your move quick."
"I-It's really nothing like that..." Rukia repeated, her voice carrying a faint but undeniable shyness.
They kept teasing, laughing together under the soft sunlight. Yet inside, Rukia's thoughts were darker, heavier.
These feelings that humans get...
They're useless to me, she thought, staring at the grass swaying gently in the wind.
These feelings of friendship, camaraderie, attachment, care... even love... they're utterly useless. Nothing matters in the end.
Her hand tightened slightly around her juice box.
It's tonight, she realized with a heavy heart. I can feel it. Tonight... I leave every single one of you behind. Even Ichigo. And even you... Shinichi.
---
School was finally over.
The afternoon sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the school grounds. Students slowly trickled out, chatting, laughing, lost in their usual routines. But amidst the crowd, Shinichi and Ichigo were scanning left and right, looking for someone.
"Where the hell is she?" Ichigo grumbled, irritation growing.
Shinichi remained silent, his heart heavy. He already knew deep down—this wasn't going to be an ordinary walk home.
Finally, as they exited the school premises, they spotted her.
Rukia stood quietly outside, waiting under the shade of a tree. The breeze played with the ends of her hair, but she remained motionless, almost detached from everything around her.
"Oh! There you are!" Ichigo called out, waving. "We were freaking tired of looking for you!"
Shinichi stayed quiet, observing her carefully.
"Let's go!" Ichigo said, gesturing casually.
Rukia fell in step behind them, her steps light but slow. She seemed unusually quiet. After a few minutes, when the distance between her and Ichigo grew slightly, she called out to Shinichi, her voice soft.
"Hey..."
Shinichi turned his head slightly, wearing his usual bored expression. "Yeah?"
Rukia hesitated, her eyes meeting his. For a fleeting moment, Shinichi caught it—the sorrow swimming within them.
"I-... no... nevermind..."
She quickly looked away, her gaze dropping to the ground.
Shinichi paused for a second, staring at her small, retreating figure.
He turned forward again, muttering just loud enough for her to hear, "Man... you are as weird as ever..."
He continued walking toward Ichigo, hands shoved in his pockets, pretending he hadn't seen anything.
Rukia followed, a few steps behind, her heart heavy with everything she couldn't say.
---
Night fell over Karakura Town, cloaking everything under a thick blanket of darkness. The quiet hum of streetlights buzzed faintly in the distance, and the soft chirping of insects filled the still air.
Inside Shinichi's room, he lay on his makeshift bed on the floor, seemingly asleep. His breathing was slow, steady, convincing.
But he wasn't sleeping.
His sharp eyes, barely cracked open, caught the faint rustling from the bed above. Rukia. She was quietly packing her things, moving slowly to avoid waking him.
She thought she was being careful.
Shinichi knew this was coming. He had known all along that tonight was the night she would leave—that Renji and Byakuya would come for her.
He stayed perfectly still, letting her believe he was still lost in sleep.
After a few minutes, Rukia glanced back one last time. Then, with a light leap, she jumped out of the window and disappeared into the darkness of Karakura.
Shinichi finally sat up, his eyes following the direction she had vanished into.
On the table, something caught his eye. A letter.
He picked it up and unfolded it carefully. It was written in neat, slightly hurried handwriting. Rukia's handwriting.
"Dear Shinichi,
It's time I go back to where I came from. By the time you read this letter, I'll already be gone. I just wanted to let you know that the time we spent together was a great experience for me. You are a great person, even if you act like an asshole sometimes. You've got a great heart that genuinely cares about the people around you.
Stay away from all this Hollow crap. Study and become successful. Don't try to come after me, and don't put yourself in unnecessary danger. You've got a great future ahead of you, and I wish you the best.
You gave me a reason to laugh after a long, long time. A reason to smile again.
Bye... idiot."
Shinichi stared at the letter for a long moment.
He couldn't help but smile—a soft, bittersweet smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Frankly, it was the first letter he had ever gotten from a girl. He had no idea how he was supposed to react.
So he carefully folded it and tucked it away.
"Well... sorry, Rukia," he muttered to himself, a slight smirk forming. "But we've got a whole arc that revolves around you to cover."
With that, he grabbed his running clothes, slipped them on swiftly, and bolted out into the night, heading toward the place where Rukia would meet Renji and Byakuya.
And where Ichigo and Ishida were about to get their asses kicked.
Shinichi sprinted through the darkened streets of Karakura, his mind racing faster than his legs.
He reached the alleyway just in time to witness Ichigo clashing violently against Renji. Ichigo's reiatsu had surged massively, pushing Renji back with sheer force. For a moment, it looked like Ichigo might actually win.
But then—
A flash.
Byakuya moved.
In a single, impossibly fast motion, Byakuya's zanpakutō sliced Ichigo down, fatally wounding him before anyone could even register what had happened.
Shinichi watched from the shadows, frozen. He hadn't even seen the attack. One moment Ichigo was standing—fighting—and the next, he was collapsing to the ground, blood pouring from his body.
Seeing Byakuya in action was something else entirely. Knowing he was strong was one thing. Witnessing it firsthand was terrifying on a level Shinichi wasn't prepared for.
As Byakuya and Renji prepared to leave with Rukia, Shinichi stepped out into the open.
"Hey!"
The three turned to see him, standing casually under a streetlight, waving like a complete idiot.
Terror flashed in Rukia's eyes. She screamed, "SHINICHI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? GET OUT OF HERE, PLEASE! NII-SAMA, PLEASE LET HIM GO!"
Renji, gripping his bloodied zanpakutō, pointed it at Shinichi. "You know her? Are you here to save her too?"
Everyone—including the barely-conscious Ichigo—focused on Shinichi.
But Shinichi's reply was anything but expected.
"Huh? Save her? Hell no!" Shinichi said, scoffing and jabbing a thumb toward Ichigo. "I'm not an idiot like that man right there. I know my limits."
He crossed his arms dramatically. "In fact... I have complaints about your sister, sir!"
Byakuya, his face as cold and impassive as ever, said with a low, rumbling voice, "What are you talking about?"
Shinichi, fully embracing his role as a drama queen, said with a voice cracking as if on the verge of tears, "S-She... she bullied me all the time...! Teach her some manners! You're her big brother, aren't you? What kind of lame-ass brother are you when your sister bullies the powerless like me?!"
Renji growled in outrage. "Hey! Don't disrespect the Captain like that! I'll kill you!"
Shinichi immediately threw up his hands in surrender. "Oh! Oops, sorry, sorry, my bad!"
Byakuya turned slightly to Rukia, fixing her with a sharp gaze. "How do you know this person?"
Rukia, with a small mischievous smile on her lips, said calmly:
"I lived at his house... and I just slept with him.. Every day."
A thick silence slammed over the alleyway like a hammer.
Everyone stood frozen, mouths hanging open.
Even Byakuya's usually expressionless face twitched ever so slightly.
Then, like a series of explosions, the reactions came:
Byakuya: "What!?"
Renji: "WHATT??!??!"
Shinichi: "WHATTTTTT???!?!?!?"