Karakura Town, late at night.
The moon hung high in the sky. Hinamori Momo stared at the indicator on her communicator, her expression tense as she murmured to herself,
"Why is there such a strong surge of reiatsu at this hour? Shimo-kun went to Shiba City this afternoon to suppress that new Hollow outbreak. It seems I'll have to handle this one alone."
Standing atop a telephone pole, she looked at the Hollow's location displayed on her spiritual pressure detector and moved forward in a blur of Shunpo. As she closed in, the detector's readings became increasingly intense.
"This level of reiatsu… it's already close to a Menos-class Hollow."
The maze of buildings made her steps unconsciously quicker. If a Hollow was hiding nearby, the damage would be catastrophic. During her time stationed in Karakura Town, there had never been such a case in her jurisdiction. Not before, and certainly not now.
"I can't let the Fifth Division be disgraced—nor can I shame Captain Aizen."
Biting her lip, she accelerated further. But just as she arrived before a small private clinic, the Hollow's reiatsu suddenly vanished.
"What…?"
Her eyes widened. "How could reiatsu I just sensed disappear so suddenly?"
She raised her detector again—it showed nothing.
"What's going on?"
For some reason, as Hinamori looked at the clinic ahead, unease stirred in her heart. She had a feeling the Hollow concealing its reiatsu was hiding nearby.
"Did it slip inside a human building…?"
Lightly, she stepped onto the edge of an open window.
Inside, a spiky orange-haired teenager stared in shock at the sudden intruder.
"What the hell? A burglar?"
Hinamori paid no attention to the human boy; in her Shinigami state, normal humans shouldn't be able to see her at all. But this time, she had misjudged.
A sudden gust of air rushed from behind. Her body reacted before her mind.
"Bakudō #1: Sai!"
The orange-haired boy was suddenly bound by an unseen force, his hands twisting behind him as he fell flat onto the floor.
"Damn it! Who the hell are you? Why'd you climb through my window? A thief?!"
A trace of irritation flickered across Hinamori's face. "I'm more surprised that you can see me—but you're quite rude for a human. My name is Hinamori Momo. I'm a Shinigami."
Outside, atop a nearby rooftop, Shimo and Urahara stood together beneath the moonlight, observing the scene below.
"Oya oya, Shimo-kun," Urahara said in his usual teasing tone. "It seems everything is going exactly as you planned."
"I wouldn't say that," Shimo replied calmly. "Driving that Hollow here took quite a bit of effort. Besides, it's still too early to make assumptions before the plan is fully set in motion."
Urahara chuckled but didn't answer. He had only learned about Shimo's grand plan a few years ago, yet from what he was seeing now—a Shinigami girl appearing in Kurosaki Ichigo's room—Shimo must have started arranging things more than ten years earlier.
A thunderous crash echoed below.
From within the wall, a monstrous arm burst out, slamming directly into Hinamori's body. The terrifying speed and strength left her mind blank for an instant.
"How is this possible? Such power…"
She crashed hard into the wall, carving out a crater.
The spider-like Hollow emerged completely, its shriek tearing through the night. Its reiatsu erupted in full, pressing down on everything nearby.
"This reiatsu…"
Hinamori's right arm hung limp as blood seeped through her sleeve. Her eyes trembled in shock. "It's not a Menos, but its reiatsu is already close to a seated officer's level."
"I can't… I won't let Captain Aizen be disgraced. The Hollow crisis is almost over—there must be no accidents in my sector!"
Gritting her teeth, she lifted her left hand. "Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
Crimson fire gathered in her palm and roared forth, slamming into the Hollow. The blast burned its mask and drew a pained roar. Its twisted face grew even more savage. Realizing it might not win against the wounded Shinigami, it turned its gaze toward the stunned orange-haired human boy nearby.
It opened its massive jaws, white mist curling within. Instinct told it that devouring this soul would make it stronger.
"Get out of the way!" Hinamori shouted.
But Kurosaki Ichigo was human—how could he dodge such an attack?
At that moment, Hinamori also realized something. This human boy's soul density was far greater than normal. The Hollow's target wasn't her—it was him.
Just as its jaws closed in, Hinamori flashed forward, blade in hand, placing herself between the boy and the Hollow.
Steel pierced flesh.
Blood splattered across the floor. Hinamori's eyes widened as she looked down at the blade that had impaled her.
"So… your target was me after all."
The Hollow's hollow eyes glimmered faintly—it had feigned weakness only to deceive her.
Her body fell weakly to the ground, blood pooling beneath her abdomen.
"Is it over?" she murmured, unwillingly. "I still haven't returned to Soul Society… I haven't seen Captain Aizen again… To die here… it's too unfair."
She no longer had the strength to fight. The orange-haired boy, however, stood firm, defiant and unafraid.
A faint spark lit up in her eyes. "Maybe… there's one last way."
"Hey, you rude boy!"
Ichigo blinked in confusion and looked toward her. "What?"
"There's one last way to defeat that Hollow," she said weakly, forcing her Zanpakutō upright.
"What way?"
"You have to become a Shinigami." Her voice trembled with pain. "Stab this sword into your chest. I'll transfer my power to you."
Urahara, watching from above, smiled. "What do you think, Shimo-kun? How will the boy choose?"
Shimo's lips curved slightly. "You'll see—a Shinigami born with extraordinary talent."
The instant he finished speaking, a blinding burst of spiritual power erupted below, illuminating the street like daylight.
"What a dazzling light," Urahara murmured. "A blend of Quincy, Shinigami, and Hollow energies… truly astonishing."
"That's why hybrids are always the most promising," Shimo replied. "Kisuke, ever thought about testing Hollowfication yourself?"
Urahara lowered his hat, voice low. "Your very existence makes that question ironic."
Below, the battle resumed.
Ichigo's newly-formed Zanpakutō was far larger than expected—a massive, oversized blade radiating power. As for technique—he had none. But Isshin's secret sword training over the years had clearly not gone to waste.
Moments later, the spider Hollow was cleaved cleanly in two, its spirit particles scattering into the night.
Ichigo's first battle as a Shinigami had ended.
Yet, before either he or Hinamori could react, an immense, suffocating spiritual pressure descended from the sky. The overwhelming pressure instantly rendered them both unconscious.
"Perfect ending," Shimo murmured.
He withdrew his spiritual pressure and descended quietly onto the street.
From the clinic, Kurosaki Isshin stepped out, scratching his short black hair. "What a disaster. Looks like I'll need to renovate again."
Shimo smiled faintly. "Worried about your house before your son? Not very fatherly."
Isshin folded his arms and looked at Ichigo lying unconscious on the ground. "If he didn't look exactly like Kaien, I'd start questioning the bloodline."
"…Is that really how your brain works?" Shimo muttered, exasperated. Even after regaining his Shinigami powers, Isshin seemed to be diving deeper into idiocy.
"What a tragic thing," Shimo sighed.
"Wait—hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Isshin shouted, but Shimo ignored him. Lifting Hinamori's limp body, he vanished with Shunpo.
Urahara glanced at Isshin with mild pity before disappearing as well, his sigh carrying quiet amusement.
Isshin scratched his head blankly. "What are those two even talking about?"
Back at the Urahara Shop's underground laboratory, Urahara's tone was uncharacteristically serious. "You really intend to place the Hōgyoku within her soul? You know Aizen's eyes are still fixed on the Human World. Masaki's abnormal state has already drawn his attention."
"No pressure, no progress," Shimo replied calmly. "If things go wrong, leave the fighting to me. Even if the plan leaks, there's still room to maneuver."
Urahara nodded decisively. "Then let's begin. Soul implantation procedure—commence."
When Hinamori regained consciousness, she found herself in what looked like an ordinary home. The furnishings were simple, with boxes piled in the corners. She tried to get up but cried out in pain.
"You're awake, guest?" a deep voice said.
Turning her head, she saw a broad-shouldered middle-aged man. "Who are you?"
"Tessai Tsukabishi. Clerk at the Urahara Shop."
Just then, the fabric curtain lifted, and a man wearing a striped bucket hat poked his head in. "Yo, good morning! Judging by that confused look, I bet you've got a lot of questions, huh? I'm the owner, Urahara Kisuke."
At the sound of his name, Hinamori's pupils shrank. "Urahara… Kisuke?" she whispered.
After a detailed explanation, she finally understood her situation.
During her fight with the Hollow, she had transferred her Shinigami powers to a human boy. Severely wounded and drained of spiritual pressure, she had lost consciousness.
Urahara had rescued her, placing her soul into a Gigai for stabilization.
"So that's everything," Urahara said cheerfully, wearing his characteristic merchant's smile. "Treatment, Gigai fabrication, and soul stabilization—total fee: ten thousand kan!"
---
Meanwhile, in Soul Society, within the First Division's office, Kyōraku Shimo stood before Head Captain Yamamoto.
"Thanks to Captain Kurotsuchi's new detectors, Hollow activity in the Human World has temporarily stabilized," he reported calmly. "But to be cautious, I recommend continued observation."
Yamamoto's eyes remained closed, his deep voice filling the room. "Understood. Lieutenant Kyōraku Shimo of the Fourth Division, your mission in the Human World is complete. Observation duties will be handled by Thirteenth Division Lieutenant Shiba Kaien."
Shimo bowed silently. The flickering firelight reflected across his face—its warmth unable to hide the quiet anticipation in his eyes.
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