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Chapter 327, Section 324: The Beginning

The two sides reached a consensus, which is naturally a happy thing.

However, the celebration banquet would have to wait a long time—before taking his leave, Matsushita Yusuke didn't forget to give Kurosaki Isshin a few more instructions.

"Oh, right, Isshin. What about tonight—"

There was no need to finish speaking; the latter had already given a rather sensible "Oh."

He waved with a grin and opened his mouth to speak.

"No problem, no problem, I know—tonight is the day that kid awakens, right? Don't worry, I won't get involved—and—well, I'll see if I need to be honest with him."

Although there are some differences, it is already quite an achievement to reach a consensus on this matter.

Yusuke Matsushita smiled helplessly and nodded to indicate that he understood.

That's enough.

After dealing with Kurosaki Isshin's matter, the daylight had completely faded.

It seems that Yusuke Matsushita originally wanted to continue his activities and handle other matters in a follow-up manner.

But soon, he stopped again.

As if talking to himself, he lowered his gaze and spoke in a slightly sentimental tone.

"I know—but she's still a girl—I'm a little worried—well, you're right, she'll grow up eventually."

With a helpless sigh, Matsushita Yusuke cast a thoughtful glance in a certain direction before disappearing into a secluded corner.

For spirits that have entered the human world normally, returning to Soul Society through normal means is a rather troublesome matter.

This is because it requires not only meticulous planning and arrangements, but also thorough preparation for bridging the two spaces. Therefore, for most Grim Reapers, each trip to the mortal realm is a long journey midway through their journey.

After all, a round trip requires a lot of energy.

But for some people, this is obviously not a problem.

Matsushita Yusuke calmly raised his right hand, lifted his index finger, and thrust it forward while simultaneously slashing it to the side.

It was as if something invisible was being forcibly torn open.

Accompanied by a faint buzzing sound, the space in front of Matsushita Yusuke silently cracked open.

o

It shimmered with a hazy, chaotic light, which, as time passed, gradually became more somber.

Yusuke Matsushita single-handedly cleared the passageway between the two sections.

If one only wants to move in this way, it seems rather reckless.

After all, the passage between the two worlds harbors too many dangers. In the original story, only Aizen, who had fused with the Hogyoku, or a captain forced into a corner, would attempt to do so.

But for Yusuke Matsushita, this was clearly not a "problem".

He confidently stepped into the chaotic passage, and soon there was no further movement.

The space trembled slightly, slowly closed in, and finally fell completely silent.

While things on one side have come to a temporary end, a completely different scene unfolds at the Kurosaki Clinic on the other side.

Kurosaki Ichigo was cleaning up the leftovers and tidying up the dishes.

Because there is no mother figure in the family.

Therefore, as the eldest son, he needs to occasionally play this role in such situations.

It wasn't a matter of whether he wanted to or not; it was simply because he was the only one in the family capable of doing such a thing—after all, that irresponsible father was someone you couldn't rely on.

Kurosaki Ichigo silently rubbed the plates, and Yuuko helped carry the tray back to the kitchen, smiling brightly as she spoke.

"Brother, shall I help you wash?"

"Hmm? Ah—no need, Yuzi, you can help me pack my things."

"Hey~ why? Youzi can already help with the dishes at home, right? Didn't my brother start doing that when he was my age?"

"I have no choice, silly girl—have you finished your homework?"

"Of course it's finished!"

"Wow, you're really something, you wanderer."

"hey-hey----"

Xia Li, who was outside flipping through a comic book, couldn't help but smile helplessly as she listened to these conversations.

Haha—these two siblings really have an exceptionally good relationship!

Hearing the sounds coming from inside, the latter responded with an "oh" without turning his head, and then shouted.

"No, I didn't lock the door anyway. Dad will come in by himself when he gets back. I also left a portion of curry, which is already frozen in the fridge."

"Is that so? Well, that's fine then. Just leave some food for that damn old man."

When it was time for dinner, he left home without saying a word.

This situation would be unacceptable in any family, but the Kurosaki family's situation is so unique that the three brothers have come to accept this reality to some extent.

After tidying up, Ichigo Kurosaki basically entered a study mode, following his usual routine.

His favorite thing to do is to stay in his room, listen to old cassette tapes, and browse through some books that interest him.

However, tonight is slightly different.

For some reason, Ichigo Kurosaki always felt a slight, sharp pain in his chest.

It was as if he had overlooked something extremely important, to the point that he was experiencing some kind of exaggerated physiological phenomenon—Kurosaki Ichigo frowned as he tidied himself up and then turned back into the living room.

"Youzi, Xiali—I'm going to rest now. You two shouldn't stay up late; remember to go to bed early."

The two younger sisters exchanged a glance, seemingly both understanding the subtle feeling in Ichigo Kurosaki's tone.

"Ichigo-nii, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Hmm—just a little bit. But it's okay, get some rest, and a good night's sleep should be fine."

"Uh? Is it a cold? Do you have a headache, or any other symptoms?"

"It's just some normal discomfort—Xia Li, don't overthink it, I'm leaving now."

After all, their family owns a clinic, so the three siblings can make their own diagnoses for most simple cases.

Watching Ichigo Kurosaki disappear around the corner, the two exchanged a glance, both reading a hint of worry in each other's eyes.

"Are you really alright?"

"Probably not—but since Ichigo is so insistent, is there any need for us to pursue this further?"

"But I'm still worried... How about we heat up some milk later?"

"My dear traveler, if you have a cold, your digestive system will be affected. Drinking this kind of thing is hard to digest and may even cause diarrhea."

o

"Ah—I forgot—"

Leaving aside the two girls' chatter for the moment, Kurosaki Ichigo, who had already moved to the second floor, returned to his room and was reclining in a chair, rubbing his temples.

He originally wanted to take a short nap to catch his breath.

But the current situation feels somewhat contrary to expectations.

Because he heard a carousel-like noise coming from the window sill—

What is that?

Did I not lock the windowsill properly?

Thinking this to himself, Ichigo Kurosaki sighed silently and sat up.

He stood up, grimacing, intending to lock and close the windowsill. But then, his windowsill was suddenly pushed open with a bang.

"————?!"

Kurosaki Ichigo instinctively took a half step back.

He saw a slender, petite woman walking into the room through the window.

Her clothes were quite retro, like those of a descendant of a noble family, exuding a subtle sense of solemnity.

To be honest, Ichigo Kurosaki was genuinely startled when he first saw it.

But he soon stopped thinking that way.

Because this guy just jumped in quite naturally.

"————???"

What is this guy doing?

She acted as if she were back in her own home, naturally starting to look around, and casually rummaging through his closet, all the while muttering things that normal people couldn't understand.

"Why is the spiritual pressure so strong here? Hmm? Is there something hidden in here—"

She had already reached her upper body into the closet and was openly rummaging around inside.

"Why are there so many random things? And what is this 'Summer Hot Photo Collection' thing?"

what! ! !

Kurosaki Ichigo almost reflexively kicked him.

bang

Rukia Kuchiki was kicked into the air, then struggled to climb out of the closet.

"Who is it?! Hey! Rinka, you should know when to stop with your pranks. This isn't the time for you to act recklessly." He hadn't even finished speaking.

Because Rukia Kuchiki saw through the identity of the "culprit".

The two exchanged a subtle glance for a moment.

Who are you?

"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you!!!"

Kurosaki Ichigo felt like he was laughing in anger. He pointed to the windowsill next to him and shouted loudly.

"You didn't say a word, just climbed over the wall and barged into someone's house, and now you want to ask who I am? Are you out of your mind?!"

Faced with Ichigo Kurosaki's questioning, the latter showed an extremely puzzled expression, as if he couldn't understand the current situation at all.

Etc., etc.

"How—how—how can you see me?"

Why can't I see?

"This doesn't make sense—"

Rukia Kuchiki almost reflexively lowered her gaze and examined her own attire.

But she quickly averted her gaze and revealed a very suspicious expression.

"I'm clearly in a spirit state, how could a mortal like you possibly see me?"

"What spirit? What mortal? — Are you some rich young lady who ran away from some powerful family?"

But wait.

Ichigo Kurosaki pondered for a long time.

"Were you wandering around the streets during the day? Was there another girl dressed similarly to you?"

Because of his overly flamboyant attire, Ichigo Kurosaki couldn't take his eyes off him the moment he saw him.

What's troubling is that it seems like everyone else didn't see it, which is really unsettling.

Upon hearing this, Rukia Kuchiki quickly showed a very flustered expression.

"Wait, Rinka! That's right—why didn't Rinka follow us?"

"Who is Linghua?"

The two sides were not on the same wavelength at all.

Fortunately, this situation did not last long, because soon Rukia Kuchiki's attention was drawn to something else.

"roar!!!"

A roar came from not far away, causing her expression to change drastically.

not good----

"Linghua?! Where are you?!"

She almost reflexively tried to rush out, but Ichigo Kurosaki pulled her back to where she was.

For some reason, that sound felt like a steel needle piercing into Ichigo Kurosaki's chest, making him feel as if his breath had been caught in his throat.

Ichigo Kurosaki felt a subtle sense of familiarity about this feeling.

It's as if—

I have personally experienced something like that at some point in time and in some place.

"Wait! That person just now—no, the one you're talking about, is that the little girl who was with you before?"

"You mean Linghua? Yes, that's her."

"I'll go with you!"

"What a joke! He's just a mortal with a little spiritual power. What right does he have to get involved in this kind of thing?"

Unable to reach an agreement, Rukia raised her right hand and slapped Ichigo Kurosaki in the chest.

Without any chanting, the binding spell was activated, instantly binding him like a dumpling, causing him to fall to the ground, where he couldn't get up for a long time.

As Rukia Kuchiki leaped down and disappeared from sight, Ichigo Kurosaki gritted his teeth and began to struggle.

His intuition told him that he absolutely could not stand idly by.

As that familiar feeling grew stronger, it solidified his deepest conviction.

What was happening not far away was deeply connected to some of his past experiences—and even in order to find the truth, he had no reason to sit idly by.

I want to stand up!

The mere thought of it was enough for Ichigo Kurosaki to stand up unsteadily.

He himself could not see it, but at this moment, the bright things emanating from his body began to converge and gather towards the part bound to his wrist.

The strap-like thing began to tremble slightly, then suddenly broke free.

Snapped!

Ichigo Kurosaki regains his "freedom".

Having regained his mobility, he instinctively moved to the edge of the windowsill and peered into the distance.

All that could be seen was Rukia's receding figure.

That guy seemed to be flying in the sky—

Is this something a normal human being could do?

The answer is naturally no, so at this moment, Ichigo Kurosaki has two choices.

Pretend nothing happened, and just lie down to rest.

Or perhaps...

Follow them!

He rushed out of the room, closed the door behind him, jumped down the stairs, and went to the entrance to put on his shoes.

Hearing the commotion, his two younger sisters came out and bumped into him.

"Ichigo-san?"

"You two! Go back and get some rest, I'll be right back!"

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