A Hollow Crashes In

Tatsuki's face flushed. She pulled Orihime aside and murmured something to her under her breath. Orihime nodded along, her expression bright and a little clueless. After a moment, Tatsuki brought her back over to Ichigo, who had already started looking bored.

"This is the new friend I wanted you to meet," Tatsuki said. "Orihime Inoue. She'll be starting at Karakura High with us this year."

"I figured we might end up in the same class, so I thought I'd introduce you two early."

Tatsuki did not sound entirely honest. She had come here planning to play matchmaker. The problem was that the matchmaker had started having ideas of her own.

"Nice to meet you, Inoue," Ichigo said. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. Tatsu's childhood friend."

"Idiot," Tatsuki snapped, embarrassed. "Who introduces himself as someone's childhood friend?"

Around here, saying it like that was practically the same as announcing they were dating.

"Nice to meet you, Kurosaki," Orihime said with a smile. If Ichigo's words shook her at all, she did not show it.

Clearly, Tatsuki had warned her ahead of time.

"Inoue... Inoue?" Ichigo muttered.

The name sounded familiar. Then it clicked.

'Orihime Inoue. Her brother was the guy who died after being brought to Dad's clinic. He never made it to the hospital.'

It had happened five years ago, on a rainy night. Her brother had been caught in a sudden accident and died before the doctors could save him.

When Ichigo looked at her again, there was a little more pity in his eyes. Five years ago, his own mother had died in an accident too.

Of course, Ichigo was not so hopeless that he would say any of that out loud. On the surface, he kept smiling and talked with Orihime about Tatsuki instead.

For a while, the atmosphere stayed friendly, but all three of them were clearly carrying thoughts they were not saying.

"Hey," Tatsuki said, clapping her hands once. "Let's go eat."

"Yes!" Orihime's eyes lit up at once. "A new restaurant opened nearby, and I've wanted to go there with Tatsuki forever."

Ichigo had no idea what to do with that level of enthusiasm.

'That appetite explains the curves. The girl clearly never misses a meal.'

"Sure, let's..."

Ichigo did not get to finish. The wall of the shopping center suddenly burst inward as if something had blown it apart.

"Boom!"

"Crash!"

Ichigo moved on instinct. He pulled Tatsuki into his arms and ducked low, shielding her from the falling debris. When the shockwave faded, he lifted his head and looked at both girls.

"Are you two okay?"

Orihime had been startled, but she had not been caught in the blast. She patted dust from her clothes and answered with her usual airy calm.

"I'm okay."

Tatsuki, still in Ichigo's arms, looked like she was about to overheat. Her cheeks were bright red.

"I'm... fine."

Only then did Ichigo realize what he was doing. He let go of her, awkwardness crawling up the back of his neck. He was about to say something when he caught movement through the smoke from the blast.

Something was moving in the dust. Worse, it was moving straight toward the three of them.

Ichigo's chest tightened, but he kept his voice steady.

"Tatsu, after something like this, we should head home. Take Orihime with you. I think her arm got scraped by some debris."

Tatsuki nodded. The blast had shaken her more than she wanted to admit. If that explosion had happened right beside them, the result would have been unthinkable.

"Yeah. We'll go another day." Tatsuki never dragged her feet when something needed doing. She grabbed Orihime, who still looked like she wanted to say goodbye to Ichigo, and pulled her toward the exit.

Ichigo smiled at them.

"I'm going to hit the restroom first. I'll head home after."

Neither girl questioned him. They said goodbye and left first. By then, the figure in the dust had fully revealed itself. It was a blue monster shaped like a giant bull, walking toward Ichigo on four legs.

Its head was covered by a white mask.

What shocked Ichigo even more was that the thing was moving through a crowd, and no one seemed able to see it.

'Damn it. What the hell is that thing?'

The ground cracked and sank under the monster's steps. Whatever it was, it was not natural. Ichigo glanced at the people still standing around to watch the damage. He did not dare bolt in the open.

If the monster really was after him, then running through the crowd might get innocent people hurt.

So he forced himself to walk out of the shopping center as if nothing were wrong. He did not relax. The monster followed him. It did not seem to have locked onto him perfectly.

More like it could sense the general area he was in.

Ichigo did not understand why it was following him, but he knew one thing for certain. He was no match for it.

"Hah... hah... hah..."

In an empty alley, Ichigo bent over with his hands on his knees, dragging air into his lungs.

"That should've shaken it, right?"

That was what he wanted to believe. There was no sign of the monster behind him. The moment Ichigo let his guard drop, a horrifying voice breathed beside his ear.

"Delicious little thing. Finally caught you."

Ichigo's eyes went wide. He turned and found a white bull mask staring straight into his face. Even with his nerve, the shock hit hard. Most people would have gone down screaming. But he was Ichigo Kurosaki.

At a moment like that, fear was not the first thing that rose in him. Courage was.

"You bastard!"

Ichigo drove his fist into the monster's white mask with everything he had. To his own surprise, the punch sent the bull-headed monster flying backward. While it was down, Ichigo did not waste time thinking.

He sprinted for the far end of the alley. The monster recovered and chased faster than he expected.

"Damn little morsel!"

Like a charging bull, it barreled straight at him, horns aimed for his body. If they hit, he would be skewered on the spot. Ichigo threw himself into an ugly roll and barely avoided the charge. But now the exit was cut off.

"Damn it! What am I supposed to do?"

"Use my power, obviously."

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