Chapter 10: Ch-10: An Unexpected Welcome
I couldn't help but feel a bit tense as we entered Ichigo's house. And then it hit me like a truck: are those two Karin and Yuzu? They kinda looked like those filler characters you'd find in the anime, but hey, they're pretty cute. Maybe not Rukia or Orihime level, but definitely a notch above the folks I hang out with at school.
Oh, and what's even more surprising? Ichigo's old man isn't here. I mean, I was lowkey scared that someone would drop on me with a velocity of 9.8 m/s and make me history on my very first visit.
Ichigo broke the silence, "Let's head to our room, we can continue our chat there." So, into his room, we went. And what do you know, it's as clean as it is in the anime. That small cupboard thingy in the corner? I bet that's Rukia's version of Doraemon's house. These moments might not seem all that important to the average Joe, but for a manga geek like me, it's like my dreams are coming true. Heck, I'd even kill for a live-action movie of this stuff. But here I am, watching it unfold right before my eyes.
Once we all settled down, Rukia decided to get straight to the point. "Hey, Ridhiro, how did you get these powers?"
I couldn't help but push back a bit. "Hold up, shouldn't you introduce yourselves first? I'd like to know the crime I'm being accused of, you know? I did save your lives, after all. At least throw me a bone here."
They exchanged glances, and then they turned their big, puppy-dog eyes on me. Why the looks? I mean, I know you two could handle those Hollows without breaking a sweat, but this newbie tried. I don't even have plot armor, and I have to fight foes to unlock more Kido. Come on, cut me some slack.
But then, maybe I shouldn't have expected any different. After all, I'm just a regular guy who happened to stumble into this crazy world.
Well, it seemed like my little stunt had an effect on Rukia. She wasted no time in introducing herself, all official and proper. "My name is Rukia Kuchiki, and I hail from Soul Society," she began, like she was about to recite a classified document. "It's a place where all souls go when they die. The thing you used was a—"
But before she could finish her sentence, I cut in with my own brand of curiosity. "Whoa there, slow down. You're giving me way too little to work with. What's this 'Soul Society' you're talking about? Sounds like a bunch of old dudes still playing around with katanas, just like you. And trust me, I've read a lot about Shinigami, but I've never heard of this place."
I could see I'd hit a nerve because she hissed, and I couldn't help but feel a smug sense of victory. She shot back, "You don't know about us because we don't let ourselves be known to people. And you have no idea how powerful the captains leading their teams are."
But then, in classic anime style, she pulled out a whiteboard and marker from who knows where. I couldn't help but chuckle internally at these illogical moments, even if they were a favorite of mine in the anime.
She started to draw something on that board of hers, and I tried my best to decipher it. Seriously, what the heck was it? Her drawing skills seemed to be on par with Sakura's usefulness (ouch). Just as she was about to dive into the explanation, her Shinigami phone chimed. Talk about bad timing. I mean, things were just getting exciting.
With a grim expression, she answered the call, "Ichigo, a hollow has appeared nearby." My ears perked up at that. Was this the moment when Orihime's brother shows up? Wait, if he was coming, he should've been here first. Something felt off, like this really might be an alternate universe.
But there was no time to dwell on that because Rukia was already on her feet, looking ready for action. Ichigo, on the other hand, was probably used to this by now, considering he'd been doing it for a while.
As they prepared to leave, I couldn't help but mutter under my breath, "Here we go again." It was like the plot had a knack for dragging me into all this madness, whether I liked it or not.
Rukia, ever the responsible one, turned back to me. "Ridhiro, stay here. We'll handle the hollow. Don't do anything reckless, got it?"
My face broke into a wide, villainous smile. Heck, I was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. I guess she caught a trace of what I was planning, because she said, "No, Ridhiro, please don't."
But who was going to stop me? I quickly jumped out of the window, yelling, "Woohoo!"
As I soared through the air, reality hit me like a ton of bricks. Why the heck did I jump? I couldn't fly, and I definitely didn't have a zanpakuto. So, my jubilant "woohoo" quickly transformed into a painful "ahhhhh."
I couldn't help but let out a few choice words that I'm sure Karin and Yuzu would never forget. To them, I probably looked like a complete weirdo, or they were getting some strange vibes that I might be the illegitimate son of their father. Either way, their gazes bore into me, making me feel like the odd one out.
But, you know what? Having superpowers had its perks. Even if my newfound abilities couldn't do squat for the pain shooting through my body, the adrenaline coursing through my veins, thanks to the sheer excitement of the moment, did a pretty decent job of suppressing the agony. So, I did what any wannabe superhero would do – I clenched my teeth and tried to run towards the direction of the hollow.
With newfound resolve, I pushed myself up from the ground, wearing a grimace that was part pain and part determination. Ignoring the baffled stares of Ichigo's sisters, I took off running in the direction of the hollow.
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