You could only say—this was so like Tatsuki.
Her first reaction upon witnessing Ichigo fighting wasn't fear or panic, but the will to face everything alongside him!
Rukia had no idea what Tatsuki was thinking. Instead, she turned to Orihime and said, "Inoue, that Hollow was targeting you!"
Orihime's expression changed the moment she heard that. Deep down, she felt that the monster's motive wasn't that simple.
That earlier throw by Ichigo had slammed the Hollow so hard it bounced and smashed its mask against a nearby fire hydrant—chipping off nearly a third of the white mask.
When Ichigo saw the face behind the mask, his hand, which had been reaching for his sword, froze for a split second.
And that moment of hesitation allowed the Hollow to escape.
It opened a Garganta and fled on the spot!
Rukia saw Ichigo frozen in place and frowned slightly. "What happened, Ichigo? That Hollow wasn't your match. Why did you let it go?"
Ichigo turned around, his face dark, and in a flash step, appeared in front of Rukia. At this moment, he still didn't know that Tatsuki and Orihime could see him.
With a grim expression, Ichigo said, "I saw the face under the Hollow's mask. It was someone I know."
Rukia paused, then explained, "Ichigo, in Soul Society, there's a rule—never look at what's under a Hollow's mask. Do you know why?"
Ichigo shook his head, and both Tatsuki and Orihime also looked at Rukia curiously. Everything was still new and unknown to them.
"Because Hollows are what souls become when they fall after death," Rukia said. Her words hit Ichigo like a bolt of lightning.
Zangetsu and White Zangetsu had never told him this.
"Then… the Hollows I've killed before?" Ichigo stared wide-eyed at Rukia.
"When a Shinigami slays a Hollow, its soul is purified and sent to Soul Society. Some settle there, while others go through reincarnation and are reborn into the human world with no memory of their past lives."
Rukia's explanation brought visible relief to Ichigo. If killing a Hollow had meant erasing a soul completely, it would've been no different from murder.
Seeing him relax, Rukia continued, "You still haven't answered my question—why did you freeze up just now? Were you hurt?"
Ichigo shook his head and then said something that stunned all three girls present.
"Because the face under that Hollow's mask… was Inoue's brother."
"What?!" ×2
Tatsuki and Orihime shouted in unison, eyes wide with shock.
Ichigo flinched at their voices and looked toward Rukia with a panicked expression.
He hadn't expected them to see him—he thought he was invisible to them, which was why he'd said it so plainly.
"Kurosaki-kun… you said that monster was my brother?" Orihime asked urgently.
She knew full well that her brother had died years ago—but she never imagined he'd become that thing.
"Orihime, calm down," Tatsuki said gently, holding Orihime's hand.
Rukia looked at Orihime and tried to use gentle, non-triggering words. "Inoue-san, Hollows are no longer the same as the person they were in life."
"Hollows don't retain any positive emotions. Even if that one really was your brother, there's only one reason it would appear before you now…"
That drew the eyes of all three girls.
"Hollows are born when a soul loses the most precious thing in their heart. Because of that loss, a hole appears in their body."
"To fill that hole, they seek out the person they loved most—to attack them. Because in their twisted view, only that person can fill the emptiness inside."
Tatsuki's face changed. "Then this Hollow came to kill Orihime!"
Rukia nodded seriously. "Exactly. A Hollow isn't a human anymore—it's a monster. Inoue-san, it's no longer your brother."
With those words, the emotional dam inside Orihime broke. Tears streamed down her face.
Tatsuki could only hug her tightly. She understood—Rukia's bluntness wasn't out of cruelty. It was the right thing to do.
Better a harsh truth now than false hope that could get Orihime killed later.
Ichigo turned toward the two girls and asked in a strained voice, "Then… should I kill him?"
The question plunged them all into silence.
But it was broken by the Hollow's sudden attack.
"Orihime! Orihime!!"
A crazed voice rang out. A Garganta opened in mid-air, and the Hollow reappeared before them!
Orihime stood there, tears still in her eyes, but now she looked at the grotesque creature before her—unable to find even a trace of the brother she once knew.
"Are you really my brother?" she asked, her voice trembling with pain.
Unexpectedly, the Hollow stopped and replied, "Of course I'm your brother!"
"You're lying! My brother would never attack me or my friends!" Orihime shouted.
The Hollow grew agitated. "It's your fault, Orihime! All of this is your fault!!"
At that, Ichigo, Tatsuki, and Rukia all showed visible disgust.
But the Hollow wasn't done. It roared, "When I first died, Orihime, you prayed to my picture every day!"
"You couldn't see me, but I knew—I knew you still had your brother in your heart!"
"BUT!!"
Its gaze suddenly shifted to Tatsuki, and its eyes filled with hatred.
Ichigo immediately sensed the Hollow's killing intent and stepped protectively in front of Tatsuki.
"It's her fault! Ever since you met her, you started praying to me less and less!"
Then it turned its fury toward Ichigo, roaring, "And in the past six months, ever since you met this man, you haven't prayed to me even once!"
That outburst left Ichigo unaffected—but the expressions of the three girls changed completely.
"Orihime! I was so lonely! You belong to me! I won't let anyone else have you!!" the Hollow screamed.
Ichigo growled, "What kind of twisted logic is that? You selfish freak… you don't deserve to be called her brother!"
(End of Chapter)
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