Ichigo ran through the empty roads, her breath steady but sharp.

Her mind raced, but it wasn't with thoughts of the fight ahead.

It was of Karin.

She had just tucked her younger sister into bed, the weight of her small, trembling form still lingering in her arms.

How long has it been since I've seen her cry?

Not since their mother died.

After that day, Yuzu had picked up their mother's role, tending to the house and the family, soft-hearted and warm.

Karin?

Karin had stopped crying altogether.

She had pushed through everything—getting scolded by teachers, losing fights with upperclassmen, even breaking her leg while hiking—without shedding a single tear.

And yet, today, she had buried her face into Ichigo's shirt, crying over the pain of a little boy's spirit trapped in a parakeet.

Ichigo's fist clenched.

I'll handle this, Karin. Just leave it to me.

Her pace quickened, her determination burning in her chest as she ran back toward the battle.

Rukia winced as her back slammed against a brick wall, her body pinned tightly beneath the monstrous grip of Shrieker's clawed hand.

The Hollow's grotesque face loomed close, his razor-toothed grin widening in amusement.

"Are you really a Soul Reaper? You seem pretty weak to me."

Rukia gritted her teeth, trying to break free, but his grip tightened.

Shrieker chuckled darkly.

"Go on, then. Drop this little human disguise of yours. Show me your true form!"

Rukia's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing.

The Hollow's smile faltered slightly, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

And then—

BAM!

A fist collided with Shrieker's face, the force of the impact sending him flying backward, crashing through the concrete sidewalk.

Rukia gasped, her body finally freed.

Staggering forward, she turned toward her savior—

And saw Yasutora Sado, standing there, his fist still clenched.

The giant of a man tilted his head, looking down at his knuckles.

"...Did I hit him?"

Rukia's jaw nearly dropped.

"You... you can hit a Hollow?"

Sado glanced up, confused. "Hollow?"

Rukia followed his gaze and froze.

Sado was still punching the air, swinging his fists as if trying to guess where the Hollow was.

Her shoulders slumped.

"...He can't see it."

Shrieker groaned, pushing himself up from the rubble.

His mask cracked slightly, his eyes wide in shock.

Then his expression twisted into amusement.

"Well, well... Looks like you're an interesting one, big guy."

Sado tilted his head. "Hmm?"

Shrieker's grin widened.

"You can't even see me, can you? You just got lucky with that hit."

Sado remained silent.

Then—without a word—he swung again.

His fist connected perfectly, smashing into Shrieker's face and sending him crashing backward again.

Rukia, still stunned, muttered, "He did it again..."

Sado simply lowered his fist. "...Got him."

Shrieker, now visibly angry, shot up and flared his wings, lifting himself into the air.

"Enough of this! I'll just stay up here, where you can't touch me!"

He cackled, soaring high above them.

Rukia's heart sank.

"Damn it! He's out of reach!"

Sado glanced at her. "Where is he?"

Rukia blinked. "What?"

Sado clenched his fists. "Tell me where he is."

Rukia stared at him for a moment—then pointed toward the sky.

Without hesitation, Sado wrapped his arms around a nearby telephone pole.

Rukia's eyes widened in horror.

"Wait—what are you—?!"

With a loud roar, Sado ripped the telephone pole out of the ground.

Rukia's mouth fell open.

Even Shrieker, still hovering, looked completely stunned.

"What the—?!"

Sado swung the pole like a bat, slamming it into Shrieker's body.

The Hollow screeched as he was sent flying into the ground, the pole snapping from the impact.

Sado calmly tossed the rest of it aside.

Rukia stared at him, completely speechless.

Sado simply looked down at his dust-covered hands.

"...That should do it."

Rukia cautiously approached the downed Hollow, her hand resting on her sword.

"You're finished."

Shrieker, still motionless, let out a soft laugh.

"That's what they all say."

Rukia's eyes narrowed.

Then—

From behind her, dozens of shrill cries echoed into the air.

Her breath caught.

She turned sharply, just in time to see Shrieker's hidden attack—his "Targets"—leaping through the air, descending on her and Sado.

"Damn it!" Rukia cursed, raising her sword—

But it was too late.

The creatures latched onto her arms and legs, pinning her against the ground.

Sado let out a grunt of frustration, his own limbs tied down by the writhing creatures.

Shrieker stood up slowly, brushing dust off his shoulder, his grin returning.

"You Soul Reapers always underestimate me. That's why I always win."

His wings flared, his claws gleaming under the moonlight.

"And I think I'll eat you first."

Rukia struggled, her teeth clenching in frustration.

Shrieker stepped forward, his claws reaching toward her—

Then—

Sado's muscles flexed.

With a roaring battle cry, he broke free from the creatures holding him down, their tendrils snapping like twigs as he tore through them.

Shrieker staggered back, stunned.

Rukia, still pinned, could only watch in shock.

"You... broke free?"

Sado rolled his shoulders. "They weren't that strong."

Shrieker snarled.

"You think brute force solves everything?!"

Sado didn't answer.

Instead, he pulled back his fist—

And swung.

The impact sent shockwaves through the night air

Sado stood firm, his fists clenched, as Rukia patted off the last remnants of the Targets that had been pinning her down.

Above them, Shrieker hovered, his grotesque wings flaring as he cackled down at them.

"You pests just won't stay down!" the Hollow sneered. "No matter. You can't touch me up here!"

Rukia ignored his taunts, turning to Sado.

"Kick the air above me."

Sado blinked. "...What?"

"Just do it!"

He hesitated, then lifted his massive leg and swung—

BOOM!

The sheer force of the kick sent a shockwave rippling through the air, launching the remaining Targets off Rukia's back.

Shrieker, seeing this, cursed under his breath and immediately ascended higher.

As the remaining Targets leaped back to his side, Rukia wiped her forehead and turned to Sado with a new plan.

"Alright, listen up. I have an idea."

Sado, still confused, nodded. "What's the plan?"

"Your strength. My brains."

Sado frowned. "...That doesn't seem smart."

Rukia glared at him. "You don't get to insult me in my own plan!"

Still, she turned to look at Shrieker, who floated above, laughing.

"He thinks we can't reach him."

Sado stared at her for a second.

Then, realization dawned.

"You want me to throw you."

Rukia smirked. "Glad you're catching up."

Sado sighed, picking her up carefully in his massive hands.

"You sure about this?"

Rukia crossed her arms. "I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't."

Sado adjusted his grip, then aimed at the sky.

Shrieker, watching them from above, snickered. "Oh, how adorable. What, are you going to throw another telephone pole at me? I'm too high up!"

Sado exhaled.

Then—

"Heads up."

BOOM!

Rukia rocketed upward, Sado's sheer strength sending her hurtling toward the Hollow.

Shrieker's laughter died instantly.

"WHAT THE HELL—?!"

Before he could react, Rukia closed the distance, her sword gleaming under the moonlight.

"It's over! Give up!"

For a split second, panic flickered across Shrieker's mask.

"W-Wait! You win! I surrender!"

Rukia hesitated slightly.

And that was all he needed.

From the fur on his neck, a Target emerged, its forehead splitting open.

Rukia's eyes widened.

Shrieker's grin returned.

"Just kidding."

A barrage of leeches shot out, coating Rukia's body.

"Tch—!"

Her flight trajectory shifted, and she plummeted toward the ground.

Sado, watching from below, immediately sprinted forward, his massive frame moving faster than most would expect.

At the last second, he caught Rukia, skidding slightly from the force.

"You okay?" he asked.

Rukia, wincing, tried pulling the leeches off, only to find that they stuck to her like glue.

"Damn it...! What are these things?!"

Shrieker, now hovering lower, laughed maliciously.

"You really should pay attention, Soul Reaper. Those leeches don't come off easily."

His grin widened, stretching across his mask.

Then—

He extended his tongue.

It vibrated, sending a piercing sound pulse through the air.

The leeches on Rukia's body detonated.

"GAHHH—!"

Pain exploded through her as she collapsed in Sado's arms, smoke rising from her wounds.

Sado's jaw tightened.

His grip on Rukia's body steadied, his muscles tensing as he looked up at the laughing Hollow.

"You..."

Shrieker tilted his head mockingly.

"What's wrong? Getting mad?"

Then, as if to drive the knife deeper, he lifted something into the air—

A cage.

Inside, Yūichi Shibata trembled, his small wings fluttering weakly.

"Yūichi!" Sado's voice boomed, his fists clenching.

The bird looked down, eyes filled with guilt.

"I'm sorry... I got caught."

Three Targets appeared around the cage, their movements sharp, dangerous.

Shrieker's grin twisted.

"Now you understand."

His eyes flickered toward Rukia.

"Alright, Soul Reaper. It's time for a game."

Rukia, still in pain, gritted her teeth.

Shrieker pointed at Sado.

"If your big friend moves, I blow the cage up. Simple, right?"

Sado's fists trembled, his rage boiling inside him.

Rukia, still catching her breath, forced herself up slightly.

"Damn it..."

She turned her head toward Sado.

"Don't move. I'll handle it."

Sado glanced at her, his face unreadable.

"You're injured."

Rukia smirked through the pain. "And I gave my word not to screw up. So, trust me."

Sado's eyes widened slightly.

Then—after a pause—he nodded.

Rukia turned back to Shrieker.

"Alright, Hollow. Let's play."

Shrieker snickered. "Now that's the spirit!"

With a flourish, he motioned toward the Targets.

"Let the hunt begin."

Rukia took off running, her body still aching from her injuries, but her mind stable

Shrieker's Targets immediately leaped after her, their figures flitting across the rooftops as they closed in.

As she sprinted down an empty street, she could hear them flanking her.

One from the left.

One from the right.

She timed her movements—

And at the last second, she jumped into the air.

The two Targets fired leeches below, the projectiles slamming into the pavement instead of her.

Rukia twisted midair, aiming to land on a rooftop—

Only for another Target to emerge from the trees beside her.

"Tch!"

The leeches fired, striking her right side, sending her spiraling downward.

She hit the ground hard, pain flaring through her body.

Before she could recover—

A shadow loomed over her.

Shrieker grinned.

"You're covered in blood now, Soul Reaper."

His tongue extended.

"Let's see if you can take another hit."

The sound rippled through the air—

The leeches exploded.

Rukia let out a pained gasp, her body shaking.

Shrieker chuckled, approaching slowly.

"You know... you actually look kind of pretty covered in blood."

His clawed fingers flexed.

"I almost don't want to kill you just yet."

Then—

With a sudden snarl, he hurled a Target straight at her.

Rukia, still weak and barely moving, could only watch.

"Tch... not like this..."

And just before the attack landed—

A loud impact echoed through the air.

Something—or someone—had arrived.

Y/N huffed, rolling his shoulders as he flicked sweat from his brow, his body still thrumming with the lingering energy from his previous battle.

His back was to Rukia, his stance casual yet steady.

Then, without fully turning, he glanced over his shoulder at her, his expression unreadable.

"You okay?"

Rukia's breath hitched.

Her jaw slightly parted, eyes wide in shock.

She wasn't expecting him.

Not now.

Not after he had vanished earlier, off to deal with whatever Poseidon had dragged him into.

Had he...

Had he come back all this way... for her?

Her face flushed red.

She immediately shook off the thought, clearing her throat.

"Just a little..." she muttered, forcing herself to stand properly.

Y/N's eyes flickered toward her briefly, then shifted toward the Hollow looming in front of them.

Shrieker sneered, wings twitching. "Oh? Another one? How exciting!"

Y/N tilted his head, cracking his neck before manifesting his trident in a flash of azure energy.

Y/N tilted his head, cracking his neck before manifesting his trident in a flash of azure energy

"So, this is the problem?" He spun the weapon effortlessly in his hand. "Alright... pretty simple."

Rukia snapped out of her daze, quickly moving beside him.

"Wait—be careful!" she warned. "Shrieker's leeches aren't normal. He plants them on his enemies and detonates them with sound pulses!"

Y/N paused, then smirked.

"Leeches, huh? That's it?" He twirled his trident once more. "Sounds simple enough."

Shrieker's grin widened, his jagged teeth gleaming under the streetlight.

"Oh, confident, are we?" The Hollow flexed his claws, shifting on his feet. "I'll make sure you're screaming by the end of this."

Y/N laughed.

"You'll have to try harder than that."

Shrieker moved first, his wings spreading wide as he leaped into the air.

From the fur on his twisted, grotesque body, Targets burst forth, screeching as they darted toward Y/N.

"Oh, please."

Y/N planted his foot down, reeling his trident back.

"Hydro Cutter!"

A sharp, crescent-shaped wave of pressurized water sliced through the air, tearing through the Targets with ease.

Shrieker's eyes widened.

"Tch—!"

Before he could recover, Y/N was already above him, trident spinning.

"Waterfall!"

A crashing torrent of water shot downward, slamming into Shrieker mid-air, sending him plummeting toward the ground.

The Hollow let out a furious shriek, barely catching himself as his claws scraped against the pavement.

Y/N landed a few feet away, smirking.

"That all you got?"

Shrieker snarled, his mask twisting in fury.

"Cocky little—"

With a flick of his twisted fingers, dozens of leeches launched toward Y/N, covering the street in a rain of pale, wriggling creatures.

Y/N dodged most of them, twisting his body mid-air—but a few latched onto his arms.

"Gotcha."

Shrieker's tongue extended, vibrating rapidly.

The air shook as a sound pulse rippled outward—

BOOM.

A cloud of smoke and debris erupted around Y/N's figure.

"Y/N!" Rukia called out, eyes wide.

Shrieker let out a satisfied laugh.

"Told you! Once the leeches are on you, it's already over!"

But then—

A figure emerged from the dust, completely unharmed.

Y/N rolled his shoulders, the remnants of the explosion falling off him like mist.

Shrieker's laughter died instantly.

"...What?!"

Y/N smirked, lifting his now-wet hand, droplets of water glistening under the streetlights.

"Did I forget to mention?" His trident gleamed with an eerie blue light. "My water can nullify explosive force."

Shrieker stumbled back slightly, his confidence wavering.

Y/N's grin widened.

"Your leeches won't work on me."

Shrieker's wings twitched.

Then—

Y/N disappeared.

"Teardrop!"

A single, precise thrust pierced straight through Shrieker's shoulder, causing blackened blood to spray across the pavement.

The Hollow let out an agonized scream.

Y/N twisted the weapon, ripping it free as Shrieker staggered backward, clutching his wound.

"Y-You little—!"

"Hydro Lance."

A sudden burst of water shot forward, crashing into Shrieker's chest, sending him skidding backward.

The Hollow panted heavily, his body shaking.

Y/N casually spun his trident, looking bored.

"I expected more."

Rukia, still watching in awe, took a shaky breath.

This was the first time she had ever seen Y/N fight seriously.

And it was... something else entirely.

Shrieker, now desperate, began to gather more Targets around him, his body rising into the air once more.

"I won't be beaten by some water-wielding brat!"

Y/N tilted his head.

Then—

Poseidon's voice boomed in his mind.

"End it now, boy."

Y/N's grin faded.

He exhaled, twirling his trident one final time.

"Alright, then."

He sprinted forward, leaping high into the air, his weapon charged with a deep, resonating power.

Shrieker's eyes widened.

"Wait—"

"Hydro Cutter."

A massive blade of water erupted from the trident, cleaving through the Hollow's torso.

Y/N stood over Shrieker, his trident glowing brilliantly, ready to land the final blow.

The Hollow, wheezing, its body trembling from the devastation of Y/N's attacks, snarled weakly.

"You... filthy little—"

Then—

The air shuddered.

A deep, ominous rumble echoed through the night.

Y/N froze, sensing something far more sinister than before.

And then, before anyone could react—

A massive red fissure split open behind Shrieker, its jagged edges burning with an eerie crimson glow.

From within the dark void, grotesque blackened hands shot out, gnarled and twisted, their fingers bony and clawed as they latched onto Shrieker's body.

"W-WHAT?!" Shrieker screamed, his wings flailing in panic.

More hands reached out, grabbing onto his arms, legs, and torso, pulling him slowly and mercilessly into the gaping maw of the abyss.

"NO! THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!"

Shrieker's struggles were useless.

The grip tightened, his body dragged deeper and deeper into the hellish portal.

Y/N took a step back, watching with clear confusion. "Uh... what the hell is this?"

Rukia's expression was grim.

"Hollows who committed sins while they were still human are not purified by a Zanpakutō. Instead..." She motioned toward the red void. "They are dragged to Hell."

Y/N's brows furrowed, watching as the screaming Hollow was yanked completely inside—his final, desperate wail cutting off abruptly as the massive doors slammed shut with a resounding boom.

The air fell silent.

The crimson glow faded, and it was as if the portal had never been there.

Y/N slowly exhaled, trying to process what he just saw.

"Right. So that's a thing." He rubbed his temples. "Great. More weird ghost rules."

Poseidon, in his small sprite form, materialized beside Y/N's shoulder, his tiny face contorted in equal frustration.

"Ugh. Just when I thought I was getting used to all of this nonsense!" Poseidon grumbled, crossing his