Chapter 2 – A Calculated Move
The weight of the rain had not lessened, each drop a sharp reminder of the situation at hand. The Shinigami—no, *he*—stood still, his mind racing to process the events that had led him here. In this timeline, one of the most pivotal moments in Bleach's history was unfolding: the meeting of Isshin Kurosaki and Masaki, the foundation for Ichigo's birth.
And now, here he was—an unknown element in a known story. A reincarnation with memories of Barragan, a fan of Bleach who knew every twist of the tale. But that knowledge was a double-edged sword. If he interfered too much, he could alter everything. The stakes were too high to risk making a mistake.
As the rain drummed in the distance, he thought carefully. *I have to help Isshin and Masaki without changing things too much… just enough to keep everything on course.*
From the rooftop, he could feel the fierce clash of spiritual energies below. The Hollow—a black, monstrous thing that was the result of Aizen's twisted experiments—was fighting Isshin Kurosaki. He could see Isshin struggling against the creature's overwhelming power.
*I should be dead. Isshin saw this body die.*
The Shinigami whose life he had inherited was gone, but those memories were fresh, and they stung. He couldn't afford to let confusion or hesitation cloud his actions.
*I need to be cautious. Isshin can't know too much.*
With a calm breath, he made his move. Leaping down from the rooftop, his sandals made only the faintest tap as he landed a short distance from Isshin, just far enough not to alarm the Captain but close enough to show his presence.
Isshin, in the heat of battle, turned, eyes widening in shock. His usually bright and commanding aura flickered with surprise. "You? But you… I saw you—" Isshin's voice wavered between confusion and urgency as he slashed at the Hollow, who growled viciously at both of them.
"You were dead. How are you—?"
Before Isshin could finish, he cut in, his voice steady but quiet. "Captain Isshin, I apologize. It seems the connection to the Seireitei was cut off by someone." His tone was respectful, but there was an undertone of something more—something that warned Isshin not to press the matter.
The surprise in Isshin's face lingered, but this was a battlefield, and questions could wait. For now, the Hollow needed to be stopped. "Can you still fight? You're wounded!" Isshin yelled over the din, glancing at the blood that stained his uniform.
He nodded, feeling the ache of the Shinigami's wounds but suppressing them with sheer willpower. "I can still assist using Kido."
Isshin nods, his focus returning to the Hollow as it charged forward with a blood-curdling roar. The Captain responded immediately, slashing upwards to deflect its attack, his spiritual pressure surging in defense of himself and the human girl behind him—Masaki.
The Hollow was strong, far stronger than the average creature they encountered, and it was relentless. Isshin was fending it off, but even he was beginning to show signs of fatigue. The battle wasn't going well.
Taking a step forward, he raised his hand, fingers glowing with spiritual energy. "Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō."
Golden beams of light shot out from his hand, slamming into the Hollow's midsection and immobilizing it. The creature howled in rage, but its movements were halted for the moment, giving Isshin a brief window to catch his breath.
Isshin glanced over at him, nodding his thanks, but there was still confusion in the Captain's eyes. "Are you sure you can keep going?"
He nodded again, his hand still raised as he focused on keeping the Hollow bound. But his own energy was flagging. The wounds from earlier were starting to weigh him down more than he had anticipated.
*I need to be careful. I can't use Barragan's abilities here. It would change too much…*
The situation was precarious. As powerful as Isshin was, this Hollow was no ordinary creature. Even with Kido to help restrain it, their attacks weren't enough to defeat it. And in the back of his mind, he knew this was how it was supposed to happen. Masaki would step in—she had to. If he did anything more, if he tipped the scales, everything would change.
The Hollow roared again, breaking free from the binding Kido. It swiped at Isshin with renewed fury, and Isshin barely managed to dodge the attack. Masaki, watching from the sidelines, gasped, clutching her bow tightly, her Quincy blood awakening instinctively.
"Masaki!" Isshin shouted, his voice hoarse with desperation. But she wasn't running away—no, she was moving toward the Hollow.
His heart pounded. *This is it. This is the moment where Masaki saves Isshin.*
The Hollow lunged for Isshin again, but this time, Masaki jumped in front of him, allowing the creature to bite into her shoulder. It was painful to watch, but he knew this was the only way. This was how it played out. Masaki would use herself as bait, and the Hollow would be destroyed.
He clenched his fists, standing back and watching, even though every instinct screamed at him to act. He had to let the story follow its course.
Isshin's eyes widened in horror as Masaki was bitten. "No! What are you doing?!"
But she didn't falter. Masaki raised her bow, pointing it directly at the Hollow, even as its teeth sank into her flesh. Her eyes were fierce, determined, and in a single, decisive moment, she released her arrow at point-blank range.
The Hollow shrieked, its form disintegrating into nothing as Masaki collapsed into Isshin's arms.
The silence that followed was deafening. Rain continued to fall, soaking the three of them in the aftermath of battle. Isshin cradled Masaki, his face a mixture of relief and disbelief. She had saved him. She had saved them both.
But there was no time for celebration. In the distance, another presence arrived—Urahara. As the story dictated, Urahara would take over from here, offering Isshin the choice to save Masaki by sacrificing his Shinigami powers.
He stepped back, blending into the shadows. His role in this chapter was finished. He had done what was needed, what was necessary. Isshin would lose his powers, Masaki would live, and Ichigo's future would remain intact.
As Urahara approached, his words were quiet but filled with significance. "You've done well," Urahara said softly, though whether he was speaking to Isshin or him, he wasn't sure.
With a single step, he disappeared into the night, the rain continuing to fall behind him.
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