Chapter 201: Kurosaki Karin
"Karin? It's really her!"
After confirming that the ponytailed girl before him was indeed his younger sister, Kurosaki Ichigo felt profoundly anxious. More troubling still, he seemed to have discovered his sister's deepest secret—the power she wielded appeared to be Shinigami abilities, along with the timing of when she'd obtained them.
In order to avoid worrying his family, he'd deliberately concealed his dangerous activities from them. Although he'd known Karin possessed spiritual power and could perceive him when he transformed into a Shinigami, the reality of actually witnessing his sister combat those monsters filled Ichigo with tremendous concern.
At this moment, Ichigo leaned against the tree trunk. Just as he attempted to shift his position for better observation—because he couldn't perceive what manner of creature Karin was fighting—he realized something critical. Having lost his Reiatsu, his perceptive abilities had diminished dramatically. He failed to notice a dried branch lying directly beneath his foot.
CRACK!
Damn it! Ichigo made noise the instant he moved. Although the sound proved quite subtle, within such a tense environment, even the slightest disturbance would resonate extraordinarily loudly.
"Hmm?"
Sensing movement originating from behind her position, Karin rose to her feet and turned her head sideways to peer into the woods. When Ichigo appeared within Karin's line of sight, her expression transformed into one of visible panic.
'Oh no! Why is Ichigo here?!'
Although she'd been deeply concerned about her older brother's recent condition, he had obviously witnessed her wielding a blade at this moment. Before Karin had time to formulate a response, a sudden sound of something cutting through the air reached her ears.
Sensing immediate danger, Karin had no time to evade completely. She could only raise the blade in her hands horizontally before her body to parry the incoming strike.
BOOM!
The tremendous force directly launched the slender Karin into the air. Although she hadn't been struck head-on, after receiving that blow, Karin felt a surge of blood rushing through her chest.
"Karin!"
Witnessing his younger sister being struck airborne, Ichigo understood that his appearance had disrupted Karin's battle. He no longer cared about concealing his presence. He leaped forward with a burst of speed and caught Karin—who was about to crash to the ground—securely in his arms.
After executing a roll to absorb the impact, Ichigo lifted Karin and rushed toward the woods. "Sorry, Karin! I didn't intend to follow you!"
"Be careful, Ichigo! That thing is pursuing us!"
Just as Kurosaki Ichigo ran into the forest with Karin held in his arms, he heard his sister shouting urgently toward him: "Get down quickly!"
Ichigo, who had no time for deliberation, heard his sister's frantic warning. With a swift motion, he pulled Karin tightly against his chest and threw himself forward onto the ground.
BOOM!
The instant Ichigo dropped prone, a turbulent shockwave struck from behind them. The terrifying wind blade directly severed a wide swath of trees at their midsections. The cleaved trees began toppling to the ground with tremendous crashes.
"Damn it!"
Ichigo's eardrums rang painfully from the preceding blast. The moment he'd landed, a tree branch had accidentally struck his forehead. Blood immediately began flowing from the wound on Ichigo's brow.
" Ichigo, you're injured!"
Having escaped immediate danger momentarily, Karin broke free from Ichigo's embrace and stood upright. She quickly helped Ichigo to his feet and spoke with obvious concern: "What you just did was extremely dangerous!"
"Heh, it's fine. Has that monster departed?"
Because he couldn't perceive the creature, Ichigo could only direct his question to Karin standing before him.
"Not yet. It's hovering to the left. These fallen trees have obscured its line of sight, making it temporarily unable to locate us."
Hearing Karin's description, although Ichigo felt curious about what manner of monster his sister was battling—whether it was a Hollow or something else entirely—considering his sister was engaging in such perilous activities, he spoke with evident worry: "Shouldn't you be at school right now? Why did you appear here? And isn't Yuzu with you? Didn't you leave together?"
"Don't worry, Ichigo. Yuzu has already arrived at school safely. I came here halfway through our journey. Yuzu didn't accompany me!"
As she spoke, Karin gripped the white blade in her hand more firmly and stated with gravity: "I'm sorry, Ichigo. I've been keeping this matter from you. However, the most urgent priority now is eliminating that monster."
"Karin, tell me truthfully—what are you now? Are you... a Shinigami or something else?"
Ichigo looked at Karin with tremendous earnestness, yet he worried that his sister would deny his hypothesis. After all, according to normal logic, if Karin had become a Shinigami, then it should be impossible for him—having lost his Reiatsu—to perceive her at all. Since he could see Karin clearly, yet remained unable to sense the Hollow's existence, this contradiction troubled Ichigo most profoundly.
"I don't know either..." Karin lowered her head, her brow furrowing with uncertainty. Suddenly, as though sensing something, she immediately crouched down and pulled Kurosaki Ichigo's body lower as well. "That thing is approaching our position."
"Ichigo, leave this area immediately. Your presence here makes me anxious. I'll explain everything when we return home!"
As she spoke, Karin drew forth the long blade in her grasp. It was a sword bearing unique vertical striations, similar in form to an ordinary katana. The guard was fashioned in the shape of a pure white octagonal diamond.
"Rend the earth!"
The moment Karin unsheathed her blade, despite her delicate physique, she raised it directly overhead. The sword swung forth a transparent blade of pressure, severing all the tree trunks beside Ichigo's position, creating a safe corridor for his departure.
"Don't worry, Ichigo. I'm strong now!"
Karin looked at Ichigo, a proud smile gracing the corner of her mouth. Following this declaration, her body leaped upward. Using the height of the tree trunks as footholds, she bounded into the air and rushed toward the monster's location.
Observing his younger sister's heroic figure, Kurosaki Ichigo couldn't prevent the sadness welling within him. An indescribable sensation permeated his heart. How could he characterize this feeling? It contained the comforting realization that his younger sister had matured and no longer required his protection, yet simultaneously carried an inexpressible anxiety. Two complex emotions intertwined within Ichigo's heart. Ultimately, in order to avoid disturbing Karin's battle, Ichigo had no choice but to turn around and depart silently.
Ichigo, having left the wooded area, gazed across the empty park. Just as he turned his head away, an explosive sound erupted from the distance. Enormous clouds of smoke and debris surged skyward in an instant.
"Karin..."
Although he desperately wanted to assist her, at present, he truly appeared powerless to do so.
Glancing at the watch on his wrist, the time had already approached 8:30. The scheduled time for classes had passed considerably. If he rushed to school at this juncture, he would definitely face criticism from his teachers. Therefore, Ichigo decided against returning to school.
Moreover... Ichigo could not bring himself to depart without first witnessing Karin emerge safely. Thinking thus, Ichigo walked toward the massive banyan tree situated at the park's center. He sat down slowly, leaning against the thick trunk. His eyes grew unfocused as he gazed toward the sky. Today, Karakura Town's sky seemed extraordinarily gloomy.
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