Chapter 67
An explosion of pure reiatsu blasted the area, destroying the entire ground. It shook the land and a strong gust of wind followed, throwing everyone away.
Dust and rocks were sent flying everywhere, carving a giant crater in the ground.
Everyone was blown away by the sheer power of the arrow. The meteor-like arrow was filled with pure energy that could have killed a Captain of Gotei 13 easily. Even a small portion of its energy was dangerous, as evidenced from how it destroyed everything in the vicinity.
Fortunately it only affected a small portion of Sokyoku hill, saving everyone who was in the blast range. Only the Captains who were near Aizen were injured.
Everyone else was safe.
Renji and Ichigo were far away enough to not get injured.
Aizen and Gin were the most affected, as the center of explosion was where they were.
Dust settled and the air cleared up showing a clear view of the destruction. Everyone expected Aizen to come out with injuries after taking on that explosion. They expected him to die from the sheer amount of power in the attack.
After all, it wasn't a simple arrow. It was an arrow filled with reiryoku that could cut Heaven and Earth, that could even kill a Heroic Spirit.
However, the traitorous Captain only had a hole on his right shoulder. Aizen's condition was better than they had imagined, mostly uninjured except for the part where he was pierced.
This explosion was just a start.
All Captains and Lieutenant who had been away from the hill due to various circumstances gathered.
Yoruichi sealed Aizen's zanpakutou with a cloth while Soi Fon's wakizashi was put near his neck.
"Don't move." The former warned in a chilling voice.
Komamura, injured after fighting Zaraki, restrained Tosen's hands from the back. Hisagi, who had come to stop Tosen, was standing beside his Captain, his sword pressed against his neck.
After putting Rukia next to injured Ichigo and Renji, Byakuya pressed his sword against Gin's back.
Even Kurotsuchi Mayuri appeared on the hill with his assistant. His smile looked unsettling and creepy.
Not only that, but Shirou had managed to reach the Sokyoku Hill by using hirenkyaku right after firing his arrow. He stood in front of his injured friends and held Kanshou and Bakuya, glaring straight at the traitorous Captain.
"It's over, Aizen." Yoruichi declared. "We have you outnumbered and surrounded. Surrender and accept your fate, or die by the hands as the one who massacred Central 46."
Shirou didn't move or say a word. He just kept standing and observing the traitors with his two blades on each of his hands. He kept his stance ready, just in case the enemy decided to do anything funny to his friends.
Soul Society's internal problem wasn't his worry. He only followed Yoruichi's plan because he judged it was the best move to save Rukia while reducing the number of casualties.
Yamamoto Genryuusai looked calm but Shirou could feel a hidden danger behind him. It was like watching a volcano ready to explode any moment.
It wasn't a surprise though. This Captain had heard the fall of Central 46 by the hands of his subordinate and had been fooled by the illusion created by Kyouka Suigetsu. And even his other subordinates betrayed him.
Aizen's face remained calm, but a small smile could be seen.
The way Aizen acted ticked something in his brain. He had this ominous feeling about his behavior.
Similar to arrogance but not the same. It was a behavior of someone who had full control over the situation despite being in a dire strait.
He was like an actor in a play.
"Yoruichi-san, get away from him!" Shirou shouted as he noticed the traitorous Captain was preparing to do something. He recognized the sign, the way Aizen's lips curled up.
The dark-skinned woman didn't need any explanation as she immediately jumped back from him. But the thing that happened after that shocked everyone who was present on the hill.
Swooosh!
"Impossible..."
A voice of disbelief rang out from Yoruichi's mouth, causing a ripple to spread through the group.
Light covered Aizen and the world shook. A distorted cry unique to Hollows rang loudly in everyone's ears.
The air became heavier and the temperature dropped drastically.
Reiatsu that was thick like fog could be felt, and everyone had to brace themselves against the pressure. A strong gale blew away everything that was around him and it threw away anyone near him.
Even Captains who gathered felt shocked as the sky split open by dozens of pale white hands reaching for something above it. The air became heavy as a massive eye-like crack appeared in the sky.
From inside, a dozen menos grande came out, roaring.
A horde of gigantic hollows with the white mask appeared. Their size was comparable with the size of the Menos that Shirou faced in the Living World.
"Impossible!"
"Are those Gillian?"
"Look, there is something behind them!"
What seemed like closed eyes or creepy smiles loomed in the background. And they were moving slowly behind the Gillian, looking down at them as if they were ants.
And following their appearance, two more lights similar to the ones covering Aizen shot out, engulfing Gin and Tosen. They were lifted up to the sky, toward the giant black holes.
"I'll be taking my leave." The traitorous Captain announced as he rose to the sky.
Shirou rushed forward, but Yoruichi stopped him.
"It's no use." Yamamoto said in a grave tone. "That light is called Negacion, and it's used by Menos Grande to rescue their kind. Once used on a target, no one could interfere. They're in another world now and nothing could reach them."
"Tsk!"
A trail of blood appeared from the corner of Shirou's mouth. He looked at the three Captains who escaped, focusing on their swords on their waists.
"Trace... on." He muttered softly behind Yoruichi's shadow.
Shirou trace Tosen's and Gin's swords. He didn't want to let their power to be used against him. So he took it by tracing and copying them inside his mind.
Pain immediately attacked him. His head throbbed painfully as he read the swords' history. He ignored the pain and continued until he finished copying all of them. He winched slightly but not to the point he would lose consciousness.
One of the swords had a pretty sad history. Something that he guessed to be his real feelings.
Noticing his pained look, Yoruichi asked worriedly, "Shirou! Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I am fine." He answered, looking at the traitor that interested him as the other Captains tried to ask for reasons from the traitors.
That person just grinned as they entered the crack.
At the last moment, Aizen's gaze landed on both Shirou and Ichigo.
"Goodbye, Soul Society."
And so they disappeared.
***
After the three traitors ran away, medic team arrived at the scene. The 4th Division under Unohana Retsu arrived with the 12th Division to recover and heal everyone who had been involved in the battle. They were tasked with cleaning up the aftermath of the fight. They would also gather evidence for Central 46.
A pink-haired girl also brought Orihime to the scene. The healer herself immediately rushed to the side of her injured friends.
And Shirou stood at the edge of the hill, watching as the men moved around. The crack in the sky was closed and the only thing that reminded everyone about the event was a hole in the ground.
The battle had ended and Shirou felt tired, mentally and physically. He wasn't able to completely protect his friends but they were at least not dead.
One thing that made him a bit worried was the Captain with 12th Division haori. Kurotsuchi Mayuri had looked at him and whispered something that sounded like, "interesting."
He didn't want to know what it meant. But his instinct told him that he shouldn't get close to that strange man ever. Somehow he felt eerily similar to a mad scientist.
Rukia and Byakuya talked privately on the side. Judging from her expression that turned soft mixed with confusion, Shirou judged that the Captain might have told her something pretty important.
Shirou smiled softly as he witnessed the sight.
Just when he thought everything was done and over with...
"Kurosaki Shirou."
A Captain with long hair approached him from behind. He turned his body to face her and saw someone he wasn't familiar with.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself." The Captain smiled in a friendly manner, "My name is Ukitake Juushirou, Rukia's Captain. Thank you for helping Rukia. I owe you my gratitude for that."
Ukitake bowed and Shirou shook his head, waving his hands. He felt uncomfortable receiving such praise when it wasn't his doing that saved Rukia. He was merely doing his part.
"No, don't bow to me, please. I didn't do it alone and honestly, all I did was being a bait." Shirou explained as he stared straight at the kind Captain.
"You don't have to put yourself down. You beat Kenpachi Zaraki, Kuchiki Byakuya, and even helped Captain Unohana to stop Captain Aizen." Ukitake said in an assuring tone. "You've done a lot. I can even say that you saved Soul Society by forcing Aizen to show up early."
Saving Soul Society?
Was it really something that big? Did he really save Soul Society by cancelling Captain Unohana's hypnosis?
"I am not so sure." Shirou replied with a sigh. He turned his head away and stared at the sky.
In his book, saving someone meant to take their hand away from the grip of death. Not only that, it also included saving their hearts.
It wasn't an easy task.
While he told Archer he would scale down his ideal, he still wanted to help everyone around him. His self-worth depended on it, his reason to exist depended on his ability to save everyone. So if he didn't try his best to do so, his life would have no value at all.
He was just an imitation of Emiya Kiritsugu, a man who lived his life for others.
But his ideal was so vague that he didn't even understand it himself.
That's why Archer warned him. That man that appeared in his dream surely knew.
Even though he said he would change, he would still walk into this path. He would meet people he wanted to save as long as he lived his life. The problem would always appear before his eyes. And he couldn't do anything about it. He wasn't a person who could pretend he didn't see it.
The only way was...
Shirou sighed again, looking straight at Ukitake's face.
"Captain Ukitake, I have a request." He said.
"Hmm? Sure, if I can fulfill it I'll do anything." The Captain nodded, smiling kindly.
"Can you lower Rukia's punishment? About giving her power to Ichigo and turning him into Shinigami..."
Chapter 68
Shirou didn't understand Soul Society's law, so he had to trust the higher up to deal with Rukia. But the fact that she was going to be punished for helping someone was ridiculous. It was as if she committed a sin.
He had to trust that they would judge her fairly. After all, Ichigo saved their ass, didn't he?
"Hm? Ahaha, that's a silly worry. She won't be punished or even judged by anyone for that. Not anymore." Ukitake answered, laughing softly.
"Huh?" Shirou tilted his head in confusion.
"Also, I'd like for you and your friends to stay here and recover first. We will welcome you to my Division barracks. You can think of it as my token of appreciation for helping Rukia." Ukitake said with a smile.
***
Fuyuki City had always been burning in Shirou's dream.
Fire, destruction, and debris. Everything related to that incident in his childhood that wiped the city and claimed dozens of innocent lives. It was something he could never forget for as long as he lived.
In his dream, the burning Fuyuki City always appeared before his eyes.
Every time he tried to move away from his past it would return to haunt him without fail.
Whether it was due to his recent war to save Rukia or his realization upon his slowly changing ideal, the Fuyuki in front of him had always burned. The world was always red and orange, burning as if to mock him.
But this time was different. Something was off. He could feel that his usual nightmare had changed.
There was no fire. The sky above was bright blue. The buildings that should have fallen disappeared and the city that had crumbled down to ruin was nowhere to be found. The air that should have smelled like burnt and ash was fresh instead. The road beneath his feet wasn't covered in dust but a green grass.
The scenery looked exactly like the real one.
A hill stood before him, overlooking the entire plateau. He lay at the lowest point, gazing at the moving clouds. It was beautiful.
Calming, even.
An utopia.
Shirou stared at the sky and enjoyed the comfortable atmosphere. He had never felt such tranquility in his dream. Even the ones with the endless blade and swords didn't make him as comfortable as the current one.
So he spent hours looking at the beautiful sky. The gentle wind caressing his cheek and rustling his hair. The chirps from birds were heard as they flew, the rustling leaves and bushes were the background music to his ears.
And then, a soft voice whispered to him.
"Shirou."
Like a distant dream.
It was a girl's voice.
It wasn't Archer's voice.
"Shirou...."
Someone called out his name from a distance. It wasn't just his imagination.
He sat up straight and looked around, trying to locate where the sound was coming from. The grass moved in response and his clothes rustled softly as his eyes widened slightly in recognition of the familiar voice that reached him.
That was right.
He could hear her.
"Shirou."
It was definitely Saber.
Saber, Arturia, Arturia Pendragon, the King of Knight, and his beloved partner.
He could feel her presence. She was here. Somewhere close.
"Saber?! Where are you?!" Shirou shouted.
"Shirou!"
There, on the hill that stood above the grassland stood a girl in a white summer dress.
A long golden hair fluttered with the gentle wind. She was looking down at him with a sad smile. Her green eyes that were usually bright with life were dimmed.
Shirou stared at her in disbelief.
At that moment, everything turned to white and he saw a ceiling. The beautiful scene in his dream had turned to a white ceiling with a small light.
Tears were streaming down his cheek as he woke up.
"Was I dreaming?"
Shirou felt his heart clench painfully.
The dream of Fuyuki was always about his past. About the fire that destroyed the city. He always dreamt of fire and smoke. About the incident that took the life of innocent people.
And it had changed now that he was moving forward to change.
No longer was he bound to that dream.
He wasn't trapped in his cage, the place that had bound him.
Now he moved toward that utopia, the everdistant dream where he would never dream of fire again.
Sitting up from the futon, he looked at the window in his room. A clear blue sky greeted him, and the chirp from a bird was heard from the distance. And then he looked around. A japanese-style room with tatami mat, and wooden wall greeted him.
"Ah, I see."
He remembered now. He was in Soul Society, a place where Shinigami lived and worked.
13th Division Captain, Ukitake Juushirou invited him and his friends to stay at his barrack after Rukia's execution was stopped and the traitors, Aizen and his group ran away. So he stayed with them for a few days to recover and rest from the exhausting battles.
And today was the third day. The last day before he returned home to Fuyuki.
"Shirou-kun, are you awake?"
The shoji slid open, and Orihime peeked from the gap.
"Morning, Inoue." He greeted her with a smile, "Do you need something from me?"
She opened the door completely, entering his room. Her bright orange hair swayed behind her back. She wore a cute white dress that looked pretty good on her.
Shirou couldn't help but notice how bright she looked.
"Do you know where Rukia-chan is? I can't find her anywhere in the whole Seireitei."
"Ah, I don't know. Did she leave a note?"
"Not at all."
"Then you don't need to worry too much."
When Rukia tried to get herself caught in the Living World, she left a note to ease their worry. Shirou found the note after visiting the Urahara shop, so he wasn't sure about what he should have done at the time.
However, there wasn't a single trace of Rukia's note or message this time. So she might have been called by her Captain or brother to talk. That or she had something important to attend.
"I see." Orihime muttered, nodding to herself. "Then I'm going to find her. Thank you, Shirou-kun!"
The girl left while waving her hand excitedly. She was like a storm that came and left without a moment to rest.
"Man, Inoue sure has a lot of energy." Shirou mumbled as he went out to prepare for a new day.
The barrack wasn't that far from the hill they fought on before.
In fact, the hill was visible from the window. Shirou stared at the sight and smiled. The hill was no longer in ruins thanks to 4th and 12th Divisions that worked tirelessly to clean it.
And he also explained about Aizen's hypnosis as well as how to dispel it. At first some people didn't agree with his method, which involved stabbing themselves with a dagger to break the hypnosis.
No sane person would want to get hurt just because they didn't believe someone was capable of controlling everyone's mind.
Well, it was a good idea, at least. In the end, he couldn't do anything if he couldn't convince anyone.
Fortunately for him, Captain Unohana gave her testimony as the proof for his statement.
After that, Kyouraku Shunsui, the Captain of 8th Division became the guinea pig, followed by Kurotsuchi Mayuri. The 12th Division Captain looked pretty excited to analyze the weapon that Shirou projected, but he had to refuse.
Nothing good would come if someone like Mayuri got a hold of that weapon. He had that kind of feeling.
However, it was pretty limited to who would want to test the theory. Not many people believed that they were hypnotized, and it wouldn't be weird considering how prideful some people could be.
Only Captains, Lieutenants, and some of the seat officers volunteered to be freed.
The rest of the Gotei 13 refused to do so. And it wouldn't be a problem as long as the leaders were freed from Aizen's control. They were the ones who made decisions anyway.
After tidying up his futon and changing his clothes to hakama, he walked out to the yard.
Chapter 69
There, he found a familiar face.
Sado, the giant teenager who joined him on the mission to save Rukia, was training with a log. He punched the wood a few times, causing a small crack to appear on the surface.
"Morning, Sado." Shirou greeted his friend, "What are you doing?"
Upon hearing him, the giant stopped his fist mid-air. He turned his body to look at Shirou.
"Morning." Sado nodded, acknowledging the greeting. "I am training."
"Is there a particular reason?" Shirou asked curiously. "I thought we're just resting today and will go home this afternoon. You should take a rest and not worry too much."
"I can't sit still." He answered before returning to punching the log, "In this situation, I can't do much at all. I even lost against that Captain in one hit."
He sounded calm, but the fact that he had to be carried to 4th Division barrack for treatment after losing to Kenpachi Zaraki must have affected his morale.
Sado had always been the strongest guy in school before, after all. It was hard for him to accept his loss.
"Even Ichigo and you managed to beat a captain." He stopped and turned his head to Shirou. "I need to work hard and become stronger."
"Well, you can start with a solid foundation. Don't force yourself too hard and hurt your hand."
"No worry."
Seeing Sado wasn't going to stop anytime soon, Shirou left the yard. There was nothing much he could do, but he would just make sure that his friend didn't overdo it. So he walked away, planning to make a quick trip around the 13th Division compound.
One thing he was surprised about when he stayed here was the relationship between Shinigami and Quincy. He saw some Shinigami that openly glared at him upon learning he was a Quincy. But he didn't really pay too much attention to it.
Upon asking Captain Ukitake, he learned the grim reality about the conflict. Apparently Shinigami considered them enemies due to their act in killing Hollows hundreds of years ago.
And it was a fact that Soul Society eradicated all Quincies.
The war between the two was intense and bloody, ending with a massacre. Uryuu, the only Quincy left, had a reason to hate Shinigami for killing all his clansmen.
But in Shirou's eyes, it wasn't really their fault. After all, he understood why Soul Society did what they did. Yet he also felt it was wrong at the same time.
Saving the world by sacrificing lives...
It wasn't something a hero of justice should have done.
And the reason why he thought of that was simple. The conflict reminded him of his father's past.
Kiritsugu's path had ended with a sacrifice of his family to save the whole world. The result of the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki was similar to the Shinigami and Quincies' war.
There was no winner, only sacrifices.
"Maybe that's the real answer." He sighed.
No matter what, a Hero of Justice couldn't exist. There would always be sacrifices to pay.
Heroes didn't exist in this world.
Not a true one.
He had accepted it. No longer was he bound by the ideal to be the next Kiritsugu. He knew he wasn't the same as his old father.
And now he moved forward.
"Yahoo!"
An energetic voice echoed in the compound, capturing his attention. He looked at the source and saw a woman who wore her shihakusho in rather raunchy manners, showing off her cleavage, waving at him from the window while drinking alcohol.
It was Lieutenant of 10th Division, Matsumoto Rangiku.
A very voluptuous and charismatic woman, a type that he couldn't handle very well.
"Walking in the morning, Shirou?" She acted in a pretty friendly manner despite meeting each other only for the second time, "Why don't you drink with me?"
"I am still underage, Matsuomo-san." He smiled wryly as he replied, "But thank you for the offer. I will think about it once I'm old enough to drink."
"You're no fun! But you have a point." Rangiku said, chuckling at herself.
"Hahaha..." He laughed awkwardly and decided to ask something else to get away from this conversation.
There was one thing he was curious about because he knew his father's past.
That gorilla mentioned he was the former 10th Division Captain. Coincidentally, Rangiku was also 10th Division and a Lieutenant on top. Maybe she could provide some information.
"Matsumoto-san, do you know the name Shiba Isshin?"
"Haah?!"
Rangiku's soured expression wasn't something Shirou expected. He wondered what kind of history the man had to get that kind of reaction.
"That perverted lazy leech who always abandoned his paperwork for sake! I know him!" She answered, raising her tone in anger, "That man was my former Captain! He was the worst! Always leaving me to do all his work while he's flirting around! He's lucky I haven't found him in the living world, or I will beat his ass up!"
The worst?
The one he remembered was a silly and lazy man who had a large influence in his new life.
He listened to drunk Rangiku ranting for the whole 30 minutes, and Shirou was pretty sure that his opinion on Isshin had changed for the better or worse.
This was the first time Shirou pitied and knew further about his father outside him being a family man. His father's reputation wasn't a great one.
"He's such a jerk, leaving all of his paperwork to me while he ran away to the Living World." Matsumoto Rangiku finished, taking another swig from her jug. "Not even taking me or Captain Hitsugaya and then disappearing... How dare he?!"
Slamming her jug on the window sill, the content shook and spilled to the floor.
"I am sorry about that." Shirou bowed down in respect.
He didn't know what he should feel or what to say about this, so he just apologized as a courtesy.
"How did you know that name anyway?" She narrowed her eyes.
"He's my father."
Silence came after that.
The air became awkward between them.
It was as if Shirou said something that he wasn't supposed to say, like confessing his undying love to the most beautiful girl in school, only to be rejected in public.
"What?"
"Shiba Isshin is my father."
"..."
"..."
The silence was broken after a while when the Lieutenant started laughing loudly. Her loud voice shook the entire area.
"Shiba Isshin... Your dad... Ha ha ha!" She wiped a tear from her eye, chuckling in disbelief. "Oh my... You are really good at joking. That was funny, Shirou-kun!"
"Sorry to burst your bubble but I'm serious. He married my mother after he lost his Shinigami power and changed his name to Kurosaki Isshin." Shirou replied in a deadpan tone.
"You're actually serious?" She stopped and looked at the red haired Shinigami, her expression turned serious, "That pervert is actually your dad?"
"Yeah."
"Oh... I mean... my condolence?" She said, unsure how to react to the new information. "He's your dad, huh?"
She was at a loss for words. Her former Captain had a child in the Living World. It sounded unbelievable. The image of that gorilla with his son was too different to believe.
"I see..." Rangiku mused as she rubbed her chin, looking thoughtful.
Shirou could only watch from the side as she contemplated this revelation.
"If you meet that idiotic gorilla again, give him my punch, will you?"
"Ha...ha haha..."
***
After talking with the drunk Lieutenant of 10th Division, Shirou went out for a walk.
There were a few more hours until he would return home with everyone else.
While walking around Seireitei and enjoying the sight of a medieval Japan era, he found Ichigo alone sitting on the edge of a bridge. He seemed to be deep in thought. His eyes were closed as he breathed slowly.
He was in his Shinigami's form.
"Yo." Shirou walked up and sat beside his best friend.
"Oh hey." Ichigo nodded and greeted back. He looked like a person who just woke up, but he wasn't sleepy or tired.
"What are you doing?"
"Just enjoying the sight. Nothing else."
"I see." He said.
Both of them enjoyed the silent atmosphere for a while, just relaxing by themselves. Something they rarely could do nowadays with how busy everything was.
"Hey, I never really get a chance to ask you this. But how's Rukia?" Shirou asked in curiosity.
"She's going to stay here." Ichigo said with a tone that showed how complicated his mind was. He didn't know what to do, it was clear. "She's not coming back with us to the Living World. I just met her earlier in Kuukaku's home."
"Oh... That's..." He didn't know what to say in this kind of situation. "Well, we should respect her wishes."
"Yeah, I know." Ichigo sighed, a sad smile on his lips. "And you will visit England after we return?"
"That's the plan." Shirou nodded, "We have summer vacation after this, so I thought I'd use this chance to go. I just need to get a passport, apply for trips and things like that."
"What about the money?"
Hearing that question, Shirou grinned and crossed his eyes, "I have saved a lot from my part-time jobs. Urahara-san paid me properly and so did the restaurant owner. The old lady that runs that shop also gave me more than I was supposed to receive, and she said she was grateful for the extra work I put in the shop. So money won't be a problem for the trip."
"I see."
They talked about various things, mainly about stuff in the Living World.
Such as what they should do after the summer holiday, the upcoming event in their school, or their friends in general. Ichigo was surprisingly easy to talk to when they weren't with the rest of the family. They didn't talk about anything deep and only discussed casual things.
And so afternoon arrived. The time for them to return had come. Everyone was ready and waiting for their time to depart. Kurotsuchi Mayuri prepared the senkaimon, a large wooden gate that connected Soul Society with the world of living.
"I have put the device that converts Reishi to physical matter inside." Mayuri explained in a rather condescending way, as if looking down on them, "And the only thing that will happen is your body will return to normal once you pass through this. Tsk, why should I do this for trash like you all?"
"Kurotsuchi-dono, please." Ukitake coughed slightly and scolded the eccentric Captain.
"Hmph." The mad Captain snorted, turning away from the sickly man. He looked like a child who just got scolded by his mother. "Now get out of my sight. It's open already and you just waste time here by standing still. If you're still here after 5 seconds, I'll close the gate."
Everyone immediately turned and went through the Senkaimon following Yoruichi.
Shirou and Ichigo were at the end.
Before entering, Ichigo looked at Rukia for the last time. He waved his hand, "Bye."
"..."
Rukia was still for a moment and she waved her hand as well, "Bye!"
With that, Ichigo stepped inside the Senkaimon.
Once again, they were greeted by Dangai and the dark space in front of them. This time it felt a bit easier to pass through the path and everyone was more relaxed.
No Kototsu chased them this time, so they could run normally to reach the Living World without worry.
And after a few minutes, they arrived.
The Living World, Karakura Town.
The town was the same as ever, and the night was silent. Not a soul was awake, and only the street lights provided light in the darkness. The stars above them were twinkling brightly.
Sights of a normal town greeted them as they passed through. A familiar sight they missed in their stay in Seireitei.
A familiar looking street, familiar looking house, and a familiar looking roof. Everything was visible from where they were.
"Roof?" Ichigo muttered as he looked around.
They were in the sky.
"Noo!"
And he fell down.
"Stupid." Yoruichi smirked.
Chapter 70
Due to Kototsu, time shifted slightly and it was already night in the Living World.
Shirou and Ichigo returned to their house after the latter returned to his body. The night was silent and dark, with only a small amount of stars shining above them.
There wasn't much conversation between the two, only about what kind of excuses they had to give their parents once morning arrived.
Shirou didn't even bother thinking about what to do because Isshin and Masaki already knew what they did.
Ichigo, however, was oblivious of his parents' true identity and kept mumbling to himself.
"I guess I will say I went to meet my girlfriend in Tokyo."
"You have a girlfriend, Ichigo? Why didn't you tell me about her?" He teased the orange-haired teen, "Do you think I would hate you or something?"
"Of course not! It's just an excuse!" Ichigo retorted back.
Shirou chuckled, amused at his brother's reaction. It was always funny to tease Ichigo and it never got old.
The two continued their bantering until they arrived at home.
While the clinic's light was completely dark, the main house was lit.
"Let's enter through the window." Ichigo suggested and pointed at his room's window.
"You do that. I will go through the door like a normal person. And good luck."
"Hell no. What's the use of entering through the window secretly if you're just going to enter from the front door?!" Ichigo hissed quietly.
In the end, Ichigo could only follow Shirou.
What was he? The person who came back injured every night through the front door of his house.
If Shirou was asked by someone as to why he got injured, he would always tell them honestly. He was that kind of person.
Not to mention, both his father and mother knew about his little adventure to Soul Society this time. He felt that it wasn't fair if Ichigo was kept in the dark while everyone else was in the know that their parents were part of the world they had been fighting in.
And if Ichigo knew his secret, he wouldn't have to worry anymore. It was a good thing for both of them.
So there was no reason to hide anymore.
"Welcome back, you two." Masaki greeted them from the living room, smiling gently. Her face brightened upon seeing her sons' faces.
Ichigo looked surprised when her mother didn't ask them anything, or worse, get angry at their sudden disappearance. She was smiling warmly.
"Huh?" He was confused at this turn of events. "Mom?"
"We're back." Shirou greeted her, ignoring his twin's dumbfounded look.
"You should take a bath before sleeping." Masaki suggested kindly. "There is also some food in the fridge. Eat after you take a bath. You both must be exhausted from all that fighting in Soul Society."
"Ah."
It seemed that Ichigo had finally noticed something. Shirou could see it in his eyes that he had come to some realizations.
Ichigo's face changed to one of realization.
"You... Know?" Ichigo asked hesitatingly. "I thought..."
"Fufufu, there is no parent that doesn't know their own children's secret." She said, smiling.
Shirou could only agree.
Kiritsugu was a great father in his own ways, despite the lack of bonding. Taiga also knew his secret and accepted his weirdness although she stayed silent.
It was just his fate that he was lucky to be born in a family with a good heart and soul. Or else he would have become a different person.
Maybe a villain like the one from the comic book.
"...Did you forget that I am Quincy? How do you think I got my power?" Shirou stated a fact that was supposed to be known to Ichigo.
"Because of that bow and arrow. You know, the Quincy weapon."
"Yeah, you're right." He admitted. His hand was on the back of his head, looking away. "But Quincy's power is inherited from their parents, not from anyone else. And if my power is inherited, it would be Shinigami, not Quincy."
Ichigo opened his mouth to reply but then he stopped. His mind processed what he heard just now.
"So you mean... Mom is..."
"Yes, your mom was Quincy." She nodded, confirming the truth.
Blinking once and then twice, Ichigo didn't say a word.
"And I am your dad."
Slam!
The shoji door slid open, revealing Isshin in a doctor outfit. The gorilla laughed loudly before Shirou punched him in the guts and knocked him out.
"That's from your former subordinate, dad."
Masaki giggled, smiling in amusement.
Kurosaki's family routine had returned to normal.
***
That night after taking a bath, Shirou sat next to the window in his room and drank tea. He wasn't sleepy at all and wanted to have a quiet time for himself. The night breeze caressed his hair, making his night a bit enjoyable.
The moon shone brightly, and stars twinkled in the sky.
He enjoyed the view and listened to the night sound, the summer crickets chirping.
Sipping his green tea from the cup, he relaxed and let his thoughts wander freely. It was August and his summer vacation was starting.
"Vacation huh..." He muttered.
Shirou already had a plan for the whole holiday.
It was to travel to Glastonbury, England.
How to bring it up to his parents was his first concern. His father was definitely fine with that. It was his mother he worried about. He had to make sure to get permission from them first before he could go.
But then, there were other concerns. The problem was with the method of traveling and his budget.
The problem was, Shirou was too young to travel alone. Someone might have had to come with him if he decided to go abroad to a foreign country.
"Hmm..."
Humming to himself, Shirou continued drinking his tea. He decided to research more to ensure he didn't do anything illegal.
At first it started with a selfish wish, but now he seriously wanted to meet with Arturia, or maybe Saber. That dream just fueled his longing to meet his partner once more.
The thought of meeting her again was too good to pass up. Even though it was just a grave without her being actually there, he wanted to pay her a visit and show her his gratitude.
He didn't want to waste any opportunity, especially if she was involved. She deserved more than that, and Shirou was ready to do anything if it meant meeting her again. He owed her that much after she changed his life.
"Hey, why aren't you asleep?"
The sliding door to his room slid open, revealing Isshin who still wore his white doctor coat. The man was still working despite the late night hour, and Shirou could smell a whiff of cigarette and sake from his clothes.
"Just thinking about something." He replied vaguely. "It's nothing serious. How about you, dad?"
"Ah, I'm done with my job. No patients in the emergency ward tonight so I have a lot of free time."
He flopped on the bed and sat there.
"I was just doing some paperwork and now I'm here, you know? While that Rangiku isn't here, there is my one and only love Masaki taking the reins of me."
His words caused Shirou to chuckle.
Just this morning in Soul Society, he heard the story from Rangiku regarding his dad. And from her perspective, Isshin sounded like a different person.
"Matsumoto-san said hi, dad." Shirou mentioned the blonde Lieutenant.
"Ah, she's doing well. Good to hear." He said with a smile. "She's still the same, I presume. She never changed ever since we first met. Who's the new Captain, by the way?"
"Hitsugaya Toshiro. He's shorter than me, but his Reiatsu is no joke."
"Toshiro? That Toshiro?! Wow, time flies fast!" Isshin looked like he couldn't believe the news. His eyes widened like saucers and his jaw dropped.
"That brat became the new Captain?! I can imagine the mountain of paperwork that she has to do. She would be very busy, heh."
The man scratched his chin in amusement.
"Ah well, it's not like it matters." Isshin sighed as he continued. "It has nothing to do with me now."
"Yeah." Shirou agreed, smiling.
Silence filled the room. It was peaceful.
After finishing his tea, Shirou decided to tell his dad.
"I plan to go to England after this, to visit a grave."
"A grave? Whose?"
"King Arthur." He answered without thinking too hard.
"Why did... Nevermind. Just be safe and take care. Tell your mom to help you with the procedure. I think you need parents' consent or something similar for this." Isshin said. He stood up and stretched a little bit, looking ready to sleep. "I'm going to sleep, son. See ya."
"Thanks dad."
"Don't mention it. Ah, I almost forgot. If you go to England, then be careful with dragons."
"...?"
Dragon?
Did his father just try to joke with him because he said he was going to visit King Arthur's grave?
After all, England was a country famous for their mythical creatures and dragons had always been a staple in European mythology. Even King Arthur had a dragon in his name.
But the problem was...
Shirou had seen many things and had met with a lot of powerful people. His father, who had a lot of secrets that were only revealed after he had his adventure, was definitely not a person he should doubt easily.
After all, the man had been the Captain of Gotei 13 and lived his whole life as a Shinigami. He should have been an experienced man.
But a dragon? That sounded like something that came out of a fairytale.
'There is nothing wrong with being careful though.'
He decided to just take his father's word and not think about it too deeply.
So after his father went to his room, Shirou went to sleep.
The next morning he would ask his mother for advice.
And he would also tell his mother about his wish.