"Woman… you want to save him?" the Hollow sneered mockingly. "What a foolish instinct."
The Hollow could clearly sense the determination radiating from Kurosaki Masaki. Even after realizing the danger, she still refused to retreat.
That resolve amused it.
Masaki remained silent, her gaze fixed entirely on Ichigo.
The Hollow grinned grotesquely.
"Fine then. Let's make a deal."
Still, Masaki did not respond.
The Hollow continued in a taunting tone:
"If you allow me to devour you willingly, I'll spare the child."
Naturally, there was no possibility of Masaki agreeing to such a proposal.
The Hollow knew that as well.
But it did not matter.
Because Ichigo was still in its grasp.
"It seems you've made your choice, woman."
As it spoke, one of its clawed forelimbs suddenly contracted before thrusting violently toward Ichigo's chest.
Masaki's pupils shrank sharply.
Her breathing instantly became ragged.
The moment she saw the Hollow attempting to kill her son, every instinct within her erupted.
Without hesitation, she activated Hirenkyaku.
At the same instant, she rapidly formed her Heilig Bogen and fired two arrows in succession.
She was not aiming for a killing blow.
Her only objective was to interrupt the Hollow's movements long enough to rescue Ichigo.
Boom! Boom!
The Hollow's arm exploded apart under the impact of the arrows.
A shrill howl erupted from its mouth.
It had not expected this woman to react so quickly.
But despite the pain, the Hollow immediately adapted.
Seeing Masaki rushing desperately toward Ichigo, its instincts sharpened further.
Its massive leg suddenly lifted, replacing the destroyed arm as it stomped viciously toward Ichigo's position.
Just as expected
Masaki became even more frantic.
Her Hirenkyaku surged to its limit.
Although years had passed since the incident with White, and although childbirth had weakened her spiritual power considerably, Masaki was still an exceptionally talented Quincy.
At this critical moment, traces of her former brilliance resurfaced.
Her speed increased explosively.
Finally
Boom!!
The Hollow's enormous foot crashed into the earth.
Grass, dirt, and shattered stones exploded everywhere.
Yet beneath the cloud of dust, Ichigo was no longer there.
Masaki had successfully caught him in her arms.
She could not help letting out a relieved breath.
"Thank goodness… I made it…"
Using Hirenkyaku at full speed, she had finally rescued her child.
Now all that remained
Was defeating the Hollow.
However, just as Masaki gathered herself to counterattack, the Hollow suddenly spoke again.
"I knew you'd come for him, woman."
Its grin widened hideously.
"Now let me devour you both!"
Its body abruptly expanded outward.
An overwhelming pressure descended instantly as the Hollow lunged directly toward Masaki.
Yet Masaki still did not panic.
Even though she was no longer as strong as she once had been, a Hollow of this level should still have been manageable for her under normal circumstances.
She gently lowered Ichigo behind her.
Then she raised her bow once more.
Spirit particles gathered rapidly.
A Quincy arrow formed.
Everything was ready.
The instant before she released the arrow
A violent pain suddenly pierced through her heart.
"Gh !"
Masaki's body trembled violently.
The gathered Reishi scattered instantly.
Her strength vanished in an instant.
The abrupt collapse of her spiritual power caused her expression to freeze in disbelief.
The Hollow's shadow loomed larger and larger before her eyes.
"Why…?"
Masaki could not understand what had happened.
Just moments ago, victory had been within reach.
But now, every ounce of strength had disappeared from her body.
At that moment, despair finally surfaced within her heart.
Not because she feared death herself
But because of Ichigo.
If she died here…
Who would protect him?
Ichigo was still so young.
Would he really be devoured by a Hollow here?
Someone…
Please…
Save Ichigo…
That thought flashed through Masaki's mind.
Then the Hollow descended completely.
Its jaws opened wide, prepared to swallow both mother and child whole.
But at that precise instant
A figure suddenly appeared.
Boom!!!
A single punch erupted forward.
The terrifying force of the blow exploded with overwhelming spiritual pressure.
The Hollow's gigantic body was blasted away like a rag doll.
Its scream echoed only briefly before abruptly cutting off.
Cracks spread across its body.
Then
The Hollow disintegrated entirely into spirit particles.
Completely annihilated.
Masaki barely managed to turn her head.
Through her fading consciousness, she saw only the vague silhouette of a young man standing nearby.
Then the agonizing pain in her chest intensified once again.
Her vision darkened.
And she lost consciousness.
Beside the grassy riverbank, Gosuke Shigure lowered his gaze toward the unconscious Masaki and Ichigo.
A thoughtful expression appeared in his eyes.
"So it has finally begun…"
Kurosaki Clinic.
Although it was merely a small private clinic, thanks to Kurosaki Isshin's extraordinary medical skill, business had remained consistently prosperous.
Of course, his medical ability was not the sole reason.
Another important factor was his pricing.
Isshin's treatments were astonishingly cheap.
Because Soul Society medicine and Human World medicine were fundamentally different systems, many illnesses considered difficult or expensive to treat in the Human World could be resolved easily through techniques Isshin regarded as ordinary.
As a result, many struggling patients sought treatment specifically at the Kurosaki Clinic.
After finishing with the final patient of the day, Isshin finally relaxed slightly.
Normally, by this hour, Masaki and Ichigo would already have returned home.
But today
They were late.
For some reason, an inexplicable unease had begun growing within Isshin's heart.
It felt as though something terrible had happened.
Yet he could not identify the source of that feeling.
Thinking of this, he unconsciously clenched his fist.
Ever since the birth of their children, Masaki's soul had stabilized considerably. The burden on Isshin had lessened, allowing portions of his Shinigami powers to gradually recover over the years.
However, the amount restored remained limited.
At present, he could vaguely sense spiritual beings and traces of Hollows, but true combat was still difficult.
"I hope I'm just overthinking things…"
Isshin could only console himself quietly.
Then
The clinic door suddenly opened.
A familiar voice called out loudly.
"Is Dr. Kurosaki here?"
Isshin froze instantly.
A spiritual pressure he recognized immediately entered his perception.
The moment he looked toward the entrance, his pupils contracted sharply.
Standing there was Gosuke Shigure.
And in his arms
Were two unconscious figures.
A woman.
And a child.
Isshin recognized them immediately.
Kurosaki Masaki.
And Kurosaki Ichigo.
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