Kurosaki Masaki
Was a Quincy.
So why…
Why was there Hollow power inside her body?
The moment Ishida Ryūken perceived it clearly, his mind was thrown into turmoil.
As the heir of the Ishida family and a pure-blood Quincy (Echt Quincy), he understood better than anyone what that presence meant.
To a Quincy
Hollow Reiatsu is poison.
Not metaphorically.
But fundamentally.
It was a force that directly opposed the very structure of a Quincy's soul. Contact alone was dangerous prolonged exposure was lethal.
And yet
Inside Masaki
That poison had already taken root.
Ryūken's expression darkened.
He had never encountered such a situation before.
Even with his mastery over Reishi manipulation, even with the precision of Quincy techniques
There was nothing in their doctrine that dealt with healing something like this.
Quincy powers were built for eradication, not purification.
They destroyed Hollows completely, rather than cleansing them like Shinigami.
Which meant
There was no established method to remove Hollow contamination from within a soul.
Still
Ryūken tried.
He stabilized her condition as best he could, carefully regulating the Reishi around her body, attempting to suppress the foreign influence.
But it was futile.
At best
He managed to force her consciousness back.
Masaki's eyes slowly opened.
The first thing she saw
Was Ryūken's unusually stern expression.
"…Ryūken…?"
Her voice was faint, but steady.
He didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he stared at her his gaze sharp, heavy.
"Masaki."
There was restrained anger in his voice.
"How long were you planning to hide this from me?"
Masaki blinked, confused.
"Hide… what?"
Ryūken's tone hardened.
"That Hollow influence inside you."
"And more than that "
His eyes narrowed.
"I've sensed Shinigami Reiatsu on you more than once."
"Is this connected?"
At the mention of Shinigami
His voice grew colder.
The Quincy and Shinigami shared a long and bitter history. Even if open war no longer raged, the resentment had never truly faded.
Ryūken did not act recklessly
He understood the Quincy's current limitations.
But that didn't mean he felt anything but distrust toward Shinigami.
Masaki fell silent.
In her mind
A figure appeared.
Shiba Isshin.
She opened her mouth slightly
Then stopped.
She couldn't say it.
Not to Ryūken.
Not when she understood what that truth might cause.
Seeing her reaction
Ryūken understood everything he needed to.
His expression tightened.
"You're still protecting it… even now?"
But no matter how he pressed
Masaki said nothing.
Days passed.
Ryūken did everything he could.
He even kept the matter hidden from his father, Ishida Sōken, knowing how grave the implications were.
But
Nothing worked.
Masaki's condition only worsened.
Her body grew weaker by the day.
The Hollow's influence continued to spread
Not explosively, but steadily.
Inevitable.
Then
One day
She collapsed again.
Ryūken caught her before she hit the ground, holding her fragile body in his arms.
For the first time
Despair surfaced clearly on his face.
"…Damn it."
He had done everything.
Everything within his power.
And yet
He could not save her.
Masaki, however
Remained calm.
Even now, she showed no fear.
Death did not terrify her.
She had long lived with solitude. The idea of leaving the world… did not shake her as it might others.
Instead
Her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
If I die like this…
Will I go to the Soul Society?
What kind of place is it… really?
And then
She remembered.
Today
Was the day she had promised to meet him.
Shiba Isshin.
Her eyes trembled slightly.
I can't… break that promise.
Summoning what little strength remained, she spoke softly:
"Ryūken…"
"…Can you take me somewhere?"
"There's someone… I promised to meet."
"I don't want to keep him waiting."
Ryūken froze for a brief moment.
He already knew the answer.
A Shinigami.
Of course.
His first instinct was refusal.
But
Looking at her condition
At the fading light in her eyes
He couldn't bring himself to deny her.
"…Alright."
He lifted her carefully.
"I'll take you."
Rain fell from the sky.
At first, a drizzle.
Then
A steady downpour.
Ryūken ran through the streets of Karakura Town, following the directions Masaki weakly gave him.
The rain soaked through his clothes.
But he didn't slow down.
Even so
A heavy realization settled in his chest.
For a Quincy
Hollow power was fatal.
There was no coexistence.
No balance.
Masaki was not turning into a Hollow
Her Quincy nature prevented that.
Instead
Her soul was being destroyed from within.
When the conflict reached its peak
She would simply cease to exist.
Completely.
That was the end awaiting her.
And Ryūken
Could do nothing to stop it.
Ahead
A figure stood atop a utility pole.
Unmoving.
Unaffected by the rain.
Shiba Isshin had been waiting.
As a soul in a Gigai-less state, the rain of the Human World did not touch him.
He frowned slightly.
She's late…
Did something happen?
Then
He felt it.
Masaki's Reiatsu.
Weak.
Flickering.
And alongside it
Another presence.
Isshin's expression changed instantly.
He looked ahead.
Through the curtain of rain
He saw them.
A man running
Carrying a collapsing girl.
His eyes widened.
Without hesitation
He used Shunpo, appearing before them in an instant.
"What happened to her?!"
His voice was sharp.
Urgent.
The moment Isshin approached
Ryūken's eyes turned cold.
A Shinigami.
So it really was him.
Masaki's secret
Was standing right in front of him.
For a brief moment, anger surged within him.
Why?
Why would she involve herself with a Shinigami?
But
That anger quickly faded.
Replaced by grim reality.
"…She's dying."
Ryūken said flatly.
"Because of Hollowfication."
Isshin froze.
The word struck him like a blade.
Hollow.
Masaki
Injured by a Hollow.
His mind immediately connected the pieces.
The incident.
That night.
The abnormal Hollow.
"…No way…"
His voice dropped.
A terrible realization began to form.
Something far worse than he had imagined
Had already begun.
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