Part 8 The good and the bad.

The hum of the airplane engines felt louder now, as if amplifying the knot of tension in Ichigo's gut. Across the aisle, a baby fussed; somewhere behind them, a couple whispered in hushed tones. But all of that faded to background noise, overshadowed by the swirl of thoughts crashing through his head.Between him and the distant star-flecked sky lay only the curved windowpane, dotted with rivulets of rain. The droplets caught faint reflections of cabin lights, turning the darkness outside into a shifting field of ghostly glimmers.He forced his gaze forward, trying to shake off the mental fog. Yuzu's words—her fury, her tears, her fear—echoed in the back of his mind no matter how hard he pushed them away. Even here, thousands of feet above solid ground, he couldn't outrun the memory of her trembling, accusing voice.This is for the best right ?Some part of him recoiled at that thought, the same part that asked him if he was running away. But here he was—on a plane leaving Karakura Town, leaving everyone behind... and leaving the silence behind.Across from him, Kyra reclined in her seat as though she owned it. She had just quipped about the impending airplane food, as if to lighten the mood. The conversation felt jarringly casual—like tossing a joke while juggling dynamite. Yet he found himself oddly grateful for it. Maybe he needed that whiplash shift. Maybe he wanted to focus on something mundane, if only to stave off the chaos brewing in his chest.He inhaled sharply, forcing words out before he lost his nerve. "So... about that group you mentioned."Kyra blinked, then a slow smirk pulled at her lips. "You mean the one I offered to let you crash with?"She stretched lazily, arching her back. The overhead reading light flickered across the metallic X-cross at her neck, a reminder of a parallel legacy she still hadn't explained. "Thought you said you'd do anything as long as I stopped calling you 'kid.'"Ichigo scowled, pressing himself further into the seat to hide a flush of irritation"I said I'd do 'whatever the hell you want,' not that I'd appreciate the nickname. And you didn't stop calling me kid."Kyra shrugged, her smirk deepening. "Well, you haven't run off screaming. I'd say that's progress." She tilted her head, letting the glimmer of amusement fade just enough to reveal a more serious undercurrent. "But yeah, that group. It's... complicated. You sure you're up for more spiritual drama?"He grimaced, glancing at the cross he still kept in a tight grip. Spiritual drama. That was one way to phrase a year of fights, betrayals, journeys to other realms. "Seems like I can't avoid it anyway," he mumbled. "Might as well see what you're offering."She studied him for a moment, eyes half-lidded. "All right, ki— " Ichigo," she corrected herself with a mischievous twinkle, as Ichigo's eye's twitched. "I'll cut you a break and give you the short version. You know, so you don't think I'm whisking you off to a secret torture dungeon or something."Ichigo frowned. "That's... reassuring?""Should be," Kyra retorted breezily. Then her tone dipped lower, threading with a seriousness that caught him off guard. "We're called the Xcution in some circles—very hush-hush. Let's just say we're... a collective, you could say. Folks with special abilities. Some, like me, are Fullbringers. Others are more, uh, standard humans with a twist."At that, Ichigo tensed. A moment ago, she'd let slip about being a Substitute Shinigami. Now she was calling herself a Fullbringer? And she expected him to just roll with it?"Wait," he said sharply, his brows drawing together. "Fullbringers? You literally said you were a Substitute Shinigami before—like me. Now you're saying you're something else? Care to explain?"Kyra raised a brow, her smirk softening into something more thoughtful. She tapped the X-cross at her neck as if drawing strength from it. "Yeah, I said I was a Substitute Shinigami. And I was—once. But things don't stay that simple, especially not in this world."Ichigo crossed his arms, clearly unimpressed. "So, what, you just woke up one day and decided you weren't a Substitute Shinigami anymore? Doesn't work like that."Kyra chuckled dryly, her gaze flicking to the rain-speckled window as though she could find some kind of solace in the storm outside. "You're right—it doesn't just happen. And I didn't decide anything, Kurosaki. I lost those powers."Ichigo's brow furrowed in confusion, his scowl giving way to genuine curiosity. "Lost them? How does someone just lose their Shinigami powers?"Kyra shrugged nonchalantly, though her eyes darkened ever so slightly. "They just... ran out. Burned through everything I had after years of fighting Hollows. I might've been able to hold onto them if Soul Society let me absorb some Reiatsu from other Shinigami, but..." She paused, a bitter smirk tugging at her lips. "Guess how well that went."Ichigo frowned, sensing the weight behind her words. "They wouldn't help you?""Of course not," Kyra replied, her tone sharp with a mix of frustration and mock amusement. "Soul Society doesn't like loose ends. Letting a human keep Shinigami powers? That's messy. Risky. And, oh, heaven forbid, someone might get it in their heads that humans deserve a little respect." She tapped a finger against her cross, her movements almost absentminded. "No one wanted to be the guy who gave me a chance. Hell, I'm pretty sure the Shinigami who gave me his powers in the first place was executed for it."Ichigo's eyes widened, his jaw tightening, remembering Rukia and remembering what could have happened to her if he hadn't saved her.Kyra nodded, leaning back in her seat with a dry chuckle. "Yeah. Well-deserved, though. That guy was an absolute bastard. Tried to use me as bait for a Hollow so he could score some kind of promotion. Got himself torn up pretty bad instead. Guess the universe has a sense of humor."Ichigo's fists clenched at her words, his knuckles whitening against the armrest. "So... you didn't even want those powers? They were forced on you?"Kyra glanced at him, her smirk softening into something almost wistful. "That's the thing about Soul Society, Kurosaki. They don't care what you want. They care about their rules, their order. You're just a tool to them. And when you stop being useful? They toss you out like yesterday's trash."Ichigo's gaze dropped to his lap, his thoughts swirling with memories of his own encounters with Soul Society. He thought about Rukia, her near-execution, the way the Gotei 13 had treated him like an anomaly at best and a criminal at worst."I've seen it," he muttered, his voice low but edged with frustration. "They don't care about people. Just their damn rules."Kyra's eyes flicked to him, her smirk returning, though it carried a faint trace of understanding now. "Then you get it. Why I stopped giving a damn about their approval. Why I had to find my own way to fight." She continued while taking a poke at her cross.Ichigo glanced at her cross, noting a faint presence - Reiatsu if Ichigo had to guess - radiating from it. "And that's when you became a Fullbringer?"Kyra chuckled softly, the sound tinged with a bitterness that felt like it had been honed over years. She tapped the cross at her neck, her fingers brushing against it like it was both a burden and a badge of survival. "Not immediately," she admitted, leaning back in her seat. "It took a while before I even knew what was happening to me. But yeah, eventually. Fullbring is what came next."Ichigo's frown deepened as a memory flickered through his mind—Orihime's hairpins transforming into defensive fairies, Chad's arm suddenly manifesting immense power. Both of them had been dragged into the spiritual world after being exposed to his battles with Hollows. He hadn't given much thought to how their powers developed back then, but now...He clenched his fists, his amber eyes narrowing further. "So... that's how it works? Just being around all this—Hollows, Shinigami, Reiatsu—it changes people?"Kyra leaned back in her seat, her arms folding casually as though the explanation was nothing new to her. "Exactly. It's like radiation exposure. Stick around long enough, and it leaves a mark. For some, it's subtle. For others..." She tapped her cross, her gaze sharpening. "It wakes something inside them. Something... useful."Ichigo's scowl deepened as the realization hit harder, remembering Urahara's comment on Chads abilities. "And you're saying that Hollow Reiatsu is part of that 'something.' That it's what's responsible for... all of this?" He gestured vaguely toward her cross, his mind swirling with the implications."Bingo," Kyra said with a faint smirk, though her tone carried an edge of bitterness. "Hollow Reiatsu is invasive. Persistent. You can't just brush it off like dust on your sleeve. And for someone like me, who spent years fighting those monsters, it's like secondhand smoke—doesn't kill you outright, but it leaves its mark,."Ichigo crossed his arms, his expression darkening. "And you're fine with that? That part of your power comes from them?"Kyra's smirk twisted into something more cynical. "Fine with it? Not exactly. But I don't get to pick and choose where my power comes from. What matters is what I do with it. That's the difference between surviving and getting swallowed whole."He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his grip tightening on the cross still hidden in his pocket. "So you just... adapted? No regrets? No second thoughts?"Kyra's sharp gaze met his, her smirk fading completely. "Regrets? Plenty. Second thoughts? Sure. But survival doesn't leave room for self-pity. If I didn't adapt, I'd be dead. Or worse." She leaned forward slightly, her tone growing serious. "You get it, don't you? You've had to do the same thing—adapt to survive, even if it meant becoming something you didn't want to be."Ichigo's breath hitched, her words cutting deeper than he'd expected. His mind flashed to his own struggles—his Shinigami powers, and more specificaly his Hollow mask. None of it had been what he wanted, but all of it had been necessary to protect the people he cared about.He leaned back, his gaze dropping to his lap. "Yeah," he muttered. "I get it."Kyra studied him for a moment before leaning back in her seat with a faint chuckle. "See? You're not so different from the rest of us. You just like to pretend you're above it."Ichigo shot her a glare, but there was no real heat behind it. "I'm not pretending anything. I just don't like the idea of relying on something that tried to kill me—tried to take over me. How do you even trust it?"Kyra's brow furrowed slightly, her smirk fading entirely as she caught the weight behind Ichigo's words. She leaned forward again, her elbows resting on her knees, and fixed him with a sharper gaze. "Hold up. Something that tried to kill you? Tried to take over? What exactly are you talking about, Kurosaki?"Ichigo stiffened, realizing he'd said more than he intended. His gaze darted away, his fingers tightening on the cross still hidden in his pocket. "It's... complicated," he muttered, his tone clipped.Kyra tilted her head, studying him with an intensity that made him feel like she could peel back his defenses if she wanted to. "Complicated? Sounds more like you've got something nasty living rent-free in your head. Am I wrong?"Ichigo's glare hardened, his crimson eyes narrowing as if weighing the risk of explaining anything further.... But then again, her powers do come from a hollow also, don't they ? His fingers twitched against his knee, the tension in his frame practically vibrating through the air. "It's not something I like to talk about," he muttered, voice low, his tone a mix of reluctance and frustration. "But yeah, there was... something."Kyra's smirk returned, sharper this time, like she'd found a puzzle piece she didn't expect to fit. "Something, huh?" she echoed, her tone carrying a teasing lilt that was almost a challenge. "You don't strike me as the type to get spooked that easily, Kurosaki. Whatever this 'something' was, it must've been pretty damn bad."Ichigo clenched his jaw, the memory of his inner Hollow flickering through his mind—the battles, the madness, the way it felt like staring into the worst parts of himself. "It wasn't just bad," he admitted, his voice quieter now, edged with bitterness. "It was a Hollow. Inside me. A part of me. And it wasn't just trying to take over—it was trying to consume me."Kyra's eyes widened slightly, the teasing edge in her expression faltering for just a moment. "A Hollow... inside you?" Her voice softened, though the disbelief still lingered. She leaned back, crossing her arms as she processed what he'd just said. "Damn. That's... something else."Ichigo shot her a wary glance, his body still tense, as if waiting for her to laugh or dismiss him. But Kyra didn't. Instead, she tilted her head, her dark eyes glinting with something between fascination and concern. "And you lived with that thing rattling around in your head? Let me guess—it didn't exactly play nice?"Ichigo let out a bitter laugh, the sound harsh and short. "Nice? It tried to kill my friends. It tried to take over every chance it got. The only reason I kept it under control was because I fought it—every damn day." He paused, his gaze hardening. "And then... I lost it. Along with everything else."Kyra blinked, her smirk replaced by genuine confusion. "You lost it? How the hell do you lose a Hollow inside you? That's not exactly something you can just... misplace."Ichigo's shoulders sagged slightly, his frustration giving way to something more subdued—regret, maybe, or exhaustion. "When I used Mugetsu, it wasn't just my Shinigami powers I gave up. It was all of it. My Hollow —everything that made me who I was. It's gone now." He looked away, his voice dropping. "But that doesn't mean I've forgotten what it was like."Kyra studied him for a long moment, her usual snark tempered by something softer. "So you're telling me you were walking around as some kind of Human-Shinigami-Hollow-Quincy hybrid and just... dealt with it? Damn, Kurosaki, you make me look normal here "Ichigo rolled his eyes, his scowl deepening. "It's not something I'm proud of, okay? I didn't ask for any of it. But if I didn't fight, people would've died. That's the only reason I kept going."Kyra's smirk crept back, though it was less sharp now, more contemplative. "You know, for all your brooding and grumbling, you're a lot more like me than you think. You adapted. You fought. And yeah, maybe it messed you up, but you're still standing. That's more than most people can say."Ichigo scoffed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, well, standing isn't exactly winning."Kyra chuckled, shaking her head. "Standing's better than lying flat on your back, Kurosaki. Trust me, I've been there." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees again. "And for what it's worth? You're tougher than you look. Anyone else would've cracked under all that pressure."Ichigo didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed on the floor. Her words hung in the air, heavy but not unwelcome. Finally, he let out a quiet sigh, his grip loosening on the cross in his pocket. "Thanks," he muttered, almost begrudgingly.Kyra's grin widened, the sharpness returning. "Don't get used to it, kid. I'm not exactly in the habit of handing out compliments."Ichigo shot her a sidelong glare, but this time, there was the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're impossible, you know that?"Kyra leaned back, her smirk deepening as she crossed one leg over the other. "And you're stubborn as hell. Guess we complement each other. Stubbornness and sarcasm—it's a winning combo."Ichigo rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Winning isn't exactly the word I'd use." But despite his snark, the tension between them had noticeably eased.The low hum of the plane engines filled the pause, a strange sort of calm settling over the cabin. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Ichigo didn't feel entirely isolated in his chaos. Kyra wasn't exactly someone he'd have chosen to confide in, but there was something oddly grounding about her sharp-edged banter and unapologetic attitude. She wasn't tiptoeing around him, and in a weird way, that was comforting.Still, Kyra's mind wasn't as casual as her demeanor. She tilted her head, tapping her finger idly against the armrest. "A Hollow, huh?" she muttered, her tone low and almost distracted. "That's... wild. Not just anyone could survive something like that, let alone fight it off day after day." Her eyes narrowed slightly, the wheels in her head clearly turning. "But it makes me wonder..."Ichigo frowned, catching the shift in her tone. "Wonder what?"Kyra hummed thoughtfully, leaning forward slightly as if to study him closer. "You've been a Shinigami, a Quincy, and apparently some sort of Hollow hybrid. That's one hell of a résumé, Kurosaki." She tilted her head, her dark eyes glinting with curiosity. "But with all that spiritual baggage, it kind of makes me think... ever considered the possibility that you might have Fullbringer potential too?"Ichigo blinked, his scowl returning. "Fullbringer potential? What's that supposed to mean? I'm not some patchwork of every spiritual power out there, you know."Kyra raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening as she waved a hand in his direction. "Aren't you, though? Let's recap: Shinigami powers? Check. Quincy bloodline? Check. Hollow influence? Check. You're basically this spiritual world's equivalent of a Swiss Army knife.""Not funny," Ichigo deadpanned, crossing his arms. But Kyra ignored his protest, clearly running with her theory."Think about it," she continued, leaning forward, her tone growing more serious. "You said yourself you've been exposed to all kinds of Reiatsu. Hollows, Shinigami, Quincies—they've all left their mark on you. If the right conditions lined up, there's no reason why you couldn't awaken as a Fullbringer too."Ichigo leaned back in his seat, staring at the ceiling of the plane cabin. "A Fullbringer, huh?" he muttered, his tone skeptical but with a faint flicker of hope -Pathetic- buried underneath. "I've already been everything else, apparently. Why not add that to the list? Maybe I'll sprout wings next."Kyra smirked, leaning forward with a teasing glint in her eyes. "You're joking, but with your track record? I wouldn't rule it out, Kurosaki. You've already checked off more boxes than most people could even imagine." She tilted her head, watching him carefully. "But seriously, why does the idea bother you so much? Afraid of getting more power?"Ichigo shot her a sideways glance, his brow furrowing. "It's not about being afraid of power. I'm just... tired of it coming with strings attached. Every time I've gotten stronger, it's been because someone was in danger, or because I had no choice. I'm sick of feeling like a puppet in someone else's game." Was his excuse, hiding his real reason.CowardKyra's smirk softened, just a little, as she leaned back in her seat. "Fair enough," she admitted. " I can't deny, I will have some demands from you, and these powers, you could argue that they aren't yours, but... that's life, Kurosaki," she said with a shrug, her tone strangely gentle. "Good, bad—it's always a package deal, they come hand in hand. "Ichigo stared at the faintly glowing seatbelt sign above him, his jaw tightening. Kyra's words hung heavy in the air between them. Good and bad—it's always a package deal. She said it like it was some universal truth, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. He didn't want to accept more power if it came with more pain. But what were his options?He let out a quiet, frustrated sigh, his fingers twitching against the armrest. Surviving on his own was a pipe dream. He'd already seen what it felt like to be powerless—trapped in that hospital bed while everyone he cared about faced the fallout of his failures. He clenched his fists at the thought. The idea of joining a gang or living in the shadows like some criminal was laughable. He wasn't about to give his old teachers and classmates the satisfaction of being proven right.Kyra shifted in her seat, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him. "You're awfully quiet, Kurosaki," she said, her tone light but probing. "Don't tell me you're actually considering it?"Ichigo turned his head, his amber eyes locking with hers. "Considering what?" he asked, his voice flat."Taking a chance," Kyra replied smoothly, gesturing vaguely. "On power. On trusting me. On not running headfirst into the nearest dead-end out of spite."Ichigo scoffed, leaning back in his seat. "You make it sound like I've got a choice."Kyra smirked, but there was a flicker of something softer behind her eyes. "You do. Everyone's got a choice, Kurosaki. It's just a question of whether you're willing to make it."Ichigo didn't respond immediately. He leaned his head back, staring at the faint overhead lights as if they held some kind of answer. The hum of the plane engines filled the silence, a steady backdrop to the war raging in his thoughts. Was this the best he could do? Hitching his survival to someone else's plan, someone else's power? It grated against everything in him, but he couldn't deny the truth: He wasn't strong enough to go it alone. Not anymore.Kyra seemed to sense the storm brewing in his mind, and for once, she didn't push. Instead, she shifted her posture, crossing her legs and leaning her elbow on the armrest. Her voice, when it came, was quieter, almost conversational. "You ever think about what you want, Kurosaki? Not what everyone else wants from you, but what you want?"Ichigo blinked, caught off guard by the question. He turned to look at her, his frown deepening. "What I want doesn't matter," he said bluntly.Kyra shifted in her seat, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him. "You're awfully quiet, Kurosaki," she said, her tone light but probing. "Don't tell me you're actually considering it?"Kyra raised an eyebrow, her smirk fading. "Doesn't it? Seems to me you've spent a hell of a lot of time fighting for what other people want. Maybe it's time you figured out what you're fighting for."Ichigo stared at her, his mind racing. Her words shouldn't have struck a nerve, but they did. What was he fighting for now? He'd lost his powers, his purpose, and almost everything that had defined him. The only thing keeping him moving was a vague, stubborn determination not to completely fall apart. But that wasn't enough, was it?"I don't know," he admitted quietly, his voice barely audible over the hum of the engines. "I don't know what I want anymore."Kyra leaned back, her expression thoughtful. "Well, that's a start," she said, her tone lighter. "Figuring it out, I mean. You've got time, Kurosaki. At least, you do if you don't get yourself killed first."Ichigo snorted, shaking his head. "You've got a real way with encouragement, you know that?"Kyra grinned, the sharp edge of her usual attitude creeping back in. "Hey, I'm not here to coddle you. But if it makes you feel better, you're not the only one trying to figure it all out. No one's got it together, least of all me."Ichigo glanced at her, surprised by the honesty in her tone. For all her bravado, there was something almost... relatable about her in that moment. He didn't trust her—not completely—but maybe he didn't need to. Maybe, for now, surviving was enough.He let out a slow breath, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "I'll think about it," he said finally, his voice steady but guarded.Kyra nodded, her smirk softening into something closer to approval. "Good. That's all I'm asking. For now."The two of them fell into a tentative silence, the hum of the plane engines filling the space between them. Ichigo stared out the window, the rain-slicked glass reflecting faint streaks of light from the cabin. Somewhere in the distance, the faintest glimmer of dawn began to creep over the horizon, casting the clouds in shades of gray and gold.For the first time in a long while, Ichigo allowed himself a flicker of hope—small, fragile, but there. Maybe he didn't have all the answers yet. Maybe he didn't know what he wanted. Maybe he is pathetic. But he was still here, still standing, and maybe that was enough to start with.......The plane cabin grew quieter as most passengers settled into their own worlds of sleep or muted conversations. Kyra stretched her arms lazily and tilted her head to the side, her neck cracking softly as she leaned back into her seat. She gave Ichigo one last sidelong glance before pulling her phone out of her jacket pocket.Flipping it open with a casual flick, she pressed a few buttons and brought the device to her ear. Her usual smirk faded, replaced by a more neutral expression as the line connected. Ichigo caught the faint hum of a ringtone before she leaned slightly away from him, her voice dropping into a lower tone."Yeah, it's me," she said, her tone sharp and businesslike. "We're on the way. ETA... let's say a couple of hours."Ichigo glanced sideways at her, faintly curious despite himself. Kyra's entire demeanor shifted on the phone—gone was the sarcastic teasing, replaced by a focus that hinted at something deeper. She wasn't talking to a friend or casual contact; this was someone she had to answer to.Her client, maybe?" You won't believe what I found... " She takes a look at Ichigo " I found a living Quincy who is able to leave Soul Societies wards. "Ichigo's muscles tensed at Kyra's words, though he kept his gaze fixed on the window, the faint reflections of cabin lights flickering across his narrowed eyes. A living Quincy? Leaving Soul Society's wards? The words twisted in his mind, sparking both suspicion and unease.Kyra's tone on the phone had shifted again, her voice calm but layered with intrigue, as if she were relishing the weight of her revelation. "Yeah, I know. Thought they were extinct too. But this one's not just surviving—he's bypassing barriers that should've kept him locked in. Something's different about him."Ichigo bit back the urge to react, his fingers curling into the armrest. "Yes, I've confirmed it," Kyra continued, her gaze briefly flicking to Ichigo. For a moment, her dark eyes seemed to linger, studying him as if he were a puzzle she was halfway through solving. "No, he doesn't know yet. And no, I haven't told him anything. I'm not stupid."Ichigo's jaw tightened. Told me what?Kyra's smirk returned, though it was colder now, calculated. "He's... raw. Untapped potential, sure, but damaged goods. But there's something under the surface. Something worth keeping an eye on."chigo felt a flicker of irritation flare in his chest, though he remained silent. Damaged goods?The way she spoke about him, like he was some broken tool, grated against him."No," Kyra said sharply into the phone, her tone hardening. "I'm not rushing him. The last thing we need is to spook him. You know how these types are—push too hard, and they break before they bend."Ichigo's gaze slid toward her again, his scowl deepening. He wasn't sure if it was the way she talked about him, or the fact that she clearly knew something about him that she was letting on, but every instinct told him to be on guard.Her smirk softened slightly as the voice on the other end of the line continued speaking. "Relax," she murmured, her voice dropping to a lower, almost soothing tone. "I've got it under control. You're paying me to do a job now, and I always deliver. Just make sure you're ready when I call."She snapped the phone shut with a flick of her wrist, tucking it back into her pocket before turning her attention fully to Ichigo. Her smirk returned, sharper now, tinged with amusement as she caught the way he was glaring at her out of the corner of his eye."Something on your mind, Kurosaki?" she asked, her voice light and teasing, as if she hadn't just been talking about him like some kind of experiment.Ichigo turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "Who was that?"Kyra chuckled, leaning back in her seat with a nonchalant shrug. "Just someone I usually work for. Nothing you need to worry about."He didn't look convinced, his amber eyes narrowing slightly. "You called me a Quincy.""Relax," she said again, waving a hand dismissively. "It's not like I'm planning to sell you off to the highest bidder. You're just... an interesting case, that's all. People like you don't come around often.""People like me?" Ichigo repeated, his tone colder now. "You mean people with a past you think you can use?"Kyra's smirk faltered for just a moment before she shrugged, her gaze turning serious. "You're not wrong. But you're not right either." She leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees as she met his glare head-on. "I'm not interested in digging up your skeletons, Kurosaki. What I'm interested in is what you're capable of. And right now? You don't even know that yourself. " She pauses for a second.Ichigo's frown deepened, his jaw tightening as her words landed with a precision that made him uncomfortable. He looked away, the faint reflection of his scowl caught in the window as he wrestled with the truth in what she'd said."And neither do I," Kyra admitted after a beat, breaking the silence. Her tone shifted, softening with an odd sense of honesty that caught Ichigo off guard. She leaned back, gesturing vaguely with one hand as if brushing off the weight of her own admission. "I don't have all the answers, Kurosaki. I don't know what you're capable of or where all this could lead. I just know that there's... something there. Something worth paying attention to."She let the words hang for a moment before continuing, her smirk returning, but it was quieter now, less sharp. "All I do know is that my employer has been interested in finding Quincies for a long time. Allies, he calls them. Apparently, they've got some history together—good history, from what I hear."Ichigo shot her a skeptical glance, the tension in his shoulders refusing to ease. "Your employer?" His voice carried the faintest edge of suspicion. "Who the hell are you working for?"Kyra chuckled, but there was no humor in the sound, just a thread of something inscrutable. "Let's just say he's someone who knows a lot more about your world than you might think. And no, before you ask, I'm not going to spill his name. Not yet." She tilted her head, her dark eyes studying him with a mix of curiosity and caution. "But if he's interested in you? There's a reason. A damn good one."Ichigo's frown didn't waver, his amber eyes narrowing as he turned his gaze back to the window. "I'm not interested in being someone's project," he muttered, his voice low but firm. "If this is about using me for something, you can forget it."Kyra let out a soft sigh, her smirk fading into something closer to exasperation. "You really think that's all this is? A setup? A scheme?" She leaned forward again, her tone sharpening as she jabbed a finger in his direction. "Look, I get it—you've been burned before. Probably more times than I can count. But not everyone's out to screw you over, Kurosaki. Sometimes, people just... see potential. Even if you don't."Ichigo didn't respond right away, the weight of her words pressing against the growing knot of doubt in his chest. Finally, he glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "And what's in it for you, then? Why are you so interested?"Kyra leaned back again, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Me? I'm a simple girl, Kurosaki. I like to keep interesting and helpful company, and you? You're about as interesting as they come. Plus..." She tapped the X-shaped cross at her neck, her gaze flickering briefly to the faint glow of the cabin lights above them. "Let's just say I've got my own reasons for keeping an eye on you. But I don't owe you an explanation. Not yet."Ichigo's eyes narrowed, his instincts screaming at him not to trust her. And yet... there was something in her tone, something almost genuine, that made him hesitate. It wasn't the full truth—he could tell that much—but it wasn't a lie either. Not completely.For a moment, the hum of the plane engines filled the silence between them, a muted backdrop to the unspoken tension in the air. Ichigo finally exhaled, his breath fogging faintly against the cold glass of the window."I don't trust you," he said bluntly, his voice steady but guarded. "But I'll listen. For now."Kyra's smirk stretched wider, her dark eyes glinting with a mix of satisfaction and mischief. "That's all I'm asking, Kurosaki. For now." She leaned back in her seat, her posture as casual as if they were discussing the weather, but her words carried a subtle edge. "And let's be real—you don't exactly have a wealth of options at the moment, do you?"She finished with a light giggle, the sound entirely too casual for the weight of what she'd just implied. It was the kind of laugh that tiptoed on the line between genuine amusement and a veiled warning.Ichigo's expression flattened into a deadpan glare, his brow twitching slightly. "You really know how to sell this whole 'trust me' thing, don't you?" he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.Kyra tilted her head, her smirk never wavering. "What can I say? I've got a gift for persuasion." She raised her hands in mock surrender, her tone playful but not without that faint, lingering sense of menace. "Relax, Kurosaki. It was just a joke. Probably."Ichigo groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Yeah, real funny. Remind me to laugh next time."Kyra chuckled softly, clearly entertained by his irritation. "Oh, come on. Don't act like you don't enjoy a little chaos. Besides, if I were really out to get you, you wouldn't be sitting here right now, would you?"Her words hung in the air for a moment, and Ichigo's crimson eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her. It wasn't the first time she'd hinted at some deeper game, but the way she flitted between teasing and dead seriousness kept him off balance.Finally, he let out a sigh, turning his gaze back toward the rain-speckled window. "You've got a weird sense of humor, you know that?"Kyra shrugged, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back comfortably. "Maybe. Or maybe you just need to lighten up, Kurosaki. Either way, it keeps things interesting."Despite himself, Ichigo couldn't shake the feeling that, joke or not, Kyra was someone who always kept her cards close to her chest—or at least, that's how she appeared to him so far. Her smirks, her teasing tone, the way she danced around any straight answers—it all felt deliberate, like she was constantly testing the waters, gauging just how far she could push before he snapped. And yet, beneath all that, there was something else, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.Was it calculation? Or maybe... caution?Whatever it was, Kyra wasn't as carefree as she pretended to be. Ichigo could tell. He'd seen enough masks in his time—hell, he'd worn a few himself—to recognize when someone was hiding more than they let on."Yeah, well, keep your sense of humor to yourself," he muttered, his gaze fixed on the rain-speckled window. The faint glow of the horizon hinted at the approaching dawn, casting muted hues of gold and gray across the clouds. "Some of us aren't exactly in the mood for your brand of comedy."Kyra let out a low chuckle, clearly unbothered by his jab. "Oh, come on, Kurosaki. You might not admit it, but you'd be bored out of your mind without me around. Who else is gonna keep you on your toes?"Ichigo's jaw tightened, but he didn't take the bait. Instead, he leaned back in his seat, arms crossed as he let out a slow, measured breath. "You really don't let up, do you?""Not in my nature," Kyra quipped, leaning forward just enough for her X-shaped cross to catch the dim cabin light. Her gaze flicked to him, and for a brief moment, her teasing smirk softened into something more genuine. ......" So what exactly are fullbringers ? " Ichigo's jaw twitched as the question slipped out, almost against his better judgment. He'd been holding it back, keeping his curiosity buried beneath layers of irritation and suspicion, but the words found their way to the surface regardless. He shot Kyra a sidelong glance, almost daring her to tease him for asking.Kyra didn't. For once, her smirk faded entirely, replaced by something more reflective. She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms as if weighing how much to tell him. The faint glow of the cabin lights caught the metallic sheen of her X-shaped cross, drawing his attention for just a moment."Fullbringers," Kyra began, her voice quieter, more deliberate, as though each word carried more weight than she wanted to let on. She leaned back in her seat, arms crossed, the sharp edge of her usual demeanor softening just enough to give Ichigo pause. "We're humans. People who've had our lives... altered, by Hollows. Not just through attacks, though that happens too, but through proximity, through exposure to their Reiatsu. It's not always dramatic—sometimes, it's subtle. But the impact? It stays with you. It changes you."Ichigo's eyes narrowed, his skepticism warring with a reluctant curiosity. "You're saying just being near them can do that?"Kyra nodded slowly, her fingers brushing the X-shaped cross at her neck, almost absently. "It's like... radiation, in a way. Some people get lucky and walk away unscathed. Others? Well, let's just say not everyone comes out the same on the other side. For Fullbringers, that exposure imprints something on us, something deeper. And for some of us... it triggers something. A connection."Ichigo tilted his head, frowning as he mulled over her words. "A connection to what? The Hollows?"Kyra's lips curved into a faint, almost bitter smile. "Not exactly. More like a connection to the things around us. Objects, places, tools. Everything in the world has a soul, Kurosaki—even inanimate objects. Fullbringers can tap into that, manipulate it. It's like... drawing out the potential of the world itself and turning it into something you can use. For me, it's this." She held up her cross, the faint metallic sheen catching the dim light. "This is my anchor. It's not just a tool—it's a part of me, tied to who I am and what I've been through."Ichigo stared at the cross for a moment before leaning back, crossing his arms. "So, you're saying it's not just about the Hollows themselves, but what they leave behind? What they change in people?""Exactly," Kyra replied, her tone carrying a sharp edge of understanding. "It's not like being a Shinigami or a Quincy. There's no noble lineage, no inherited duty. Fullbringers don't get a choice in this. The Hollows leave their mark, and you either figure out how to live with it or you don't."Her words stirred something in Ichigo, uncomfortably close to his own experiences. The battles, the scars, the way every fight seemed to carve something away from him while leaving something new behind. "Sounds like you're saying it's all about survival."Kyra smirked, though there was little humor in it. "That's one way to look at it. But it's more than that. It's about taking what's been forced on you and finding a way to make it yours. Hollows might've been the catalyst, but being a Fullbringer isn't about them. It's about what you do with what's left."Ichigo's gaze dropped to his hands, his fingers unconsciously curling into loose fists. "And that cross?" he asked after a beat, nodding toward the pendant around her neck. "That's your... what, focus? Your Zanpakuto?""Something like that," Kyra said, her smirk softening into something more genuine. "It's my Fullbring—a manifestation of everything I am, everything I've been through. It's my weapon, sure, but it's also a reminder. Of where I've been. Of what I've survived." She paused, studying him closely. "And yeah, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. There's a darkness to it. A price. But once again, that's life, isn't it?"Ichigo met her gaze, his amber eyes flickering with something unreadable. He wasn't sure what to make of her explanation, but he couldn't deny the parallels to his own journey. The things he'd lost, the things he'd gained. The choices he'd been forced to make, and the ones he hadn't."So... you're able to influence objects touched by Hollows and turn them into weapons?" Ichigo asked, his tone tinged with genuine curiosity.Kyra tilted her head slightly, her expression softening into something almost patient. "Close, but not quite," she said, holding up her cross. The faint metallic glint seemed to pulse faintly, as if responding to her touch. "It's not just about objects that have been touched by Hollows. It's about the connection—between me, the object, and the world around it. Fullbringers aren't just manipulating objects; we're pulling out their soul."Ichigo frowned, his brow furrowing. "The soul of an object? What does that even mean?"Kyra leaned back, crossing her arms as she considered how to explain. "Every single thing in this world—living or not—has a soul. Shinigami deal with the souls of people. But Fullbringers? We interact with the souls of everything. We draw out the latent energy buried within an object, amplify it, and—if you're good enough—shape it into something that reflects us."Ichigo's gaze flicked to the cross around her neck. "So that's why your weapon is a cross? Because it's connected to you somehow?"Kyra nodded, her fingers brushing over the pendant. "Exactly. It's not random. My Fullbring is tied to my past, my emotions, and my experiences. This cross... it belonged to someone important to me. It's a symbol of everything I've been through, everything I've had to survive. Everything I believe in. That's what makes it mine. Fullbringers don't just pick up any object and make it a weapon. It has to mean something. It has to resonate with who you are.""Well, usually," she added remembering the fiery red haired girl, her voice carrying a faint note of dry humor as she snapped herself back to the present. The smirk on her lips sharpened, but the shadow of whatever she had recalled lingered in her eyes.Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he considered her words. "So it's not just about power. It's personal.""Very personal," Kyra confirmed, her tone carrying an edge of conviction. "That's why being a Fullbringer is so... complicated. Our power isn't clean. It's not something you're born into or inherit from a long line of noble warriors. It's messy. It comes from pain, from loss, from being touched by something dark. Hollows are a part of our origin, sure, but they're not what define us. What defines us is what we do with that darkness."Ichigo was silent for a long moment, his mind turning over her words. They felt uncomfortably familiar, like echoes of his own struggles. Hollows, Shinigami, Quincies—every part of his life had been shaped by forces he couldn't control, by powers he never asked for. And yet, he'd always found a way to fight back. To survive."So you take something awful," he said slowly, "and turn it into something you can use. Something that gives you strength.""Bingo," Kyra said, her smirk returning, though it was softer now. "But it's not just strength for the sake of strength. It's about taking control. Fullbringers don't wait around for someone else to save us. We don't follow orders from Soul Society or bow to the Quincy king. We make our own rules, fight our own battles. That's what it means to be one of us."Ichigo leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms as he mulled over her explanation. "Sounds like you've got a lot of pride in it."Kyra shrugged, her expression flickering with something more subdued. "Pride? Maybe. But it's more about survival. We're not part of some grand cosmic plan, Kurosaki. No one's looking out for us. So yeah, we learn to stand on our own. To fight for ourselves. And if we're lucky, we find a way to make it mean something."Ichigo glanced at her cross again, the weight of her words settling heavily in his chest. He wasn't sure what to make of her yet, wasn't sure if he could trust her. But for the first time, he felt like he understood her—just a little."And what about you?" Kyra asked suddenly, her sharp gaze cutting through his thoughts. "You've been through hell, Kurosaki. You've lost powers, gained them, lost them again. What's your anchor? What keeps you going?"Ichigo stared at her for a moment, his jaw tight. The bluntness of her question cut deeper than he wanted to admit. Normally, he'd have brushed it off, maybe hurled some sarcastic remark back at her. But the plane's hum, the dimmed lights, and the way Kyra's question sliced through the tension left him with nothing to hide behind."My anchor?" he repeated softly, tasting the words like they might turn to ash if he said them too quickly. "I... I don't know."For once, Kyra didn't press him. She only nodded, as if that non-answer told her more than any speech could. Outside, dawn was creeping into the sky, painting the stormclouds in muted grays and blues. The plane rattled slightly as it cut through a patch of turbulence, and Ichigo cleared his throat, trying to ground himself."I used to think it was family," he admitted, his voice quiet. "Or maybe friends. But when I lost my powers, I... I couldn't protect them anymore. Couldn't protect anyone. Maybe that's why I ran." His jaw clenched, the shame of it still raw. "And now? I'm here, on this plane, sitting next to someone I don't even trust, hoping... hoping there's something left for me on the other side."Kyra listened, her posture surprisingly relaxed. But her eyes never left Ichigo's face. She didn't smirk; she didn't tease. She just waited, letting him speak."I guess that's all I've got," Ichigo muttered, as though he were trying to convince himself. "The chance there might be something else out there. A reason to fight. Maybe this... Xcution of yours is a start. Or maybe it's just one more mistake."A beat passed before Kyra spoke, her tone softer. "Sometimes, starting anywhere is better than not moving at all," she said quietly. "You can't know what's on the other side until you step through the door."Ichigo gave a small, humorless laugh. "That's a real fortune-cookie line, you know."Her mouth quirked into a ghost of a grin. "I'm just saying... you want an anchor, maybe you gotta figure out who you are without all those powers. The rest might follow."He turned away, letting out a long breath that fogged the window. The first rays of dawn were beginning to pierce the clouds, staining them with a pale, golden light. Somehow, it made everything feel more exposed, as though the rising sun would peel back every layer of doubt and fear he'd been carrying."Don't think I'm just gonna roll over and let your employer toy with me," he said at last, his voice firm. "If I don't like what I see, I'm out. I've had enough manipulation to last a lifetime."A corner of Kyra's lips twitched up. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't push back, Kurosaki. Besides—" She shrugged one shoulder, her X-shaped pendant catching a flash of light. "If your anchor leads you somewhere else, that's your call. Not mine."Ichigo huffed softly, the tension in his shoulders easing by a fraction. "Guess we'll see."They settled into silence again, the steady drone of the engines lulling the rest of the cabin into drowsiness. The day was breaking fully now, turning the rain-slicked sky into a riot of grays and soft oranges. Ichigo felt that familiar itch under his skin—the same restless energy that had driven him to fight for so long. Only now, it had nowhere to go.Kyra reclined her seat back with a click and folded her arms behind her head, one foot crossed over the other. She regarded him through half-lidded eyes, an unreadable expression flickering across her face."You know," she said, her voice surprisingly low, "I'm not about to pretend like I have this grand plan for you. I just know you're interesting enough that it's worth keeping you alive—and on your feet. Whatever comes next... yeah, we'll see."She closed her eyes as if preparing to doze off, her breathing evening out. Ichigo glared at her, half-expecting another sarcastic quip, but none came. For the first time, she actually looked tired—or maybe just human, in the most normal sense of the word.He turned back to the window, the cross still pressed against his palm in his jacket pocket. Outside, the sun kept climbing, inch by inch, through the ragged veil of clouds. Eventually, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and let his head rest against the seat.For now, the tension between them was at a low simmer—no immediate threats, no snide remarks. Just an uneasy truce hovering in the predawn light.And maybe that was enough.He closed his eyes, the humming engines and the distant murmur of passengers weaving into an odd sort of lullaby. In the quiet, just on the brink of half-sleep, Ichigo found himself thinking about Fullbringers and crosses, anchors and regrets. About the mother he'd lost, the father who'd vanished, and the sisters he'd left behind in a town that no longer felt like home.Good, bad—if it was a package deal, then he can't wait to see the good from all of this shit.......Ichigo lifted his gaze from the plane's window, dawn's first light stabbing at his tired eyes as Kyra somehow went to sleep despite the sun finally appearing. He let it in anyway, as if the brightness might burn away the lingering fog of doubt in his head. The quiet hum of the engines wrapped around him like a thin blanket—never quite comforting, but enough to keep him from unraveling entirely.Her words echoed, nudging at the corners of his mind: Maybe you gotta figure out who you are without all those powers. The sentiment should have felt like salt in a wound, but instead it just... was. A persistent truth he couldn't shake.He flexed his fingers in the pocket of his jacket, his palm brushing against the cold metal of the cross nestled there. Ryuuken's gift—his mother's, supposedly—felt heavier than it had any right to be. In a sense, it was literally that: a piece of steel weighing him down. He'd never really dwelled on the idea of having a personal totem—an "anchor"—because his anchor had always been the people he protected. But who was he protecting now?His father was MIA, Yuzu had made it clear she didn't want him around, and Karin was... well, Karin. Tougher than Yuzu, maybe, but still left holding the pieces he'd dropped. And his friends? He'd walked away from them, too, had he not? Abandoned them to dodge the shame of being powerless in a world forever on the brink of war.Find an anchor. The notion hovered, persistent and tantalizing: could this cross, this little chunk of metal tied to a past he barely understood, be that anchor? He remembered his mother in vague fragments—warm smiles, gentle admonitions, a presence that had once been unshakable. Now, everything felt like shards he couldn't piece together. Did he even have the right to wield something that had once been hers?A quiet grunt escaped him as he shifted in the seat, half-turning to see if Kyra was still awake. She wasn't—or if she was, she was keeping her eyes closed, feigning sleep. Her breathing was slow, the tension in her posture less jagged. At rest, or as close as she'd allow herself. He wondered what her anchor was, beyond that X-shaped cross.He glanced down at the cross in his pocket again, rubbing his thumb over the surface. Could it truly be his? Could he even claim something his mother had once owned, especially after failing to uphold every promise he'd ever made? But perhaps that was the point. Fullbringers find power in what they've lost, or so Kyra had implied. If so, he had a lifetime of losses to sift through. And if this cross was part of it—part of her, part of him—maybe it was a start. A symbol of what he'd fought for... or what he'd let slip through his fingers.Above him, the soft beep of a seatbelt sign flickered, and the plane rocked slightly in the thinning clouds. The day was edging closer, the horizon awash with pale gold and gray. He could almost imagine the warmth of the sun pressing in, urging him to peel back the layers of old grief and make something out of them—his something, not Soul Society's, not a Hollow's, not any Quincy clan's.Good, bad—it's always a package deal. Kyra's phrasing teased at the back of his thoughts. Maybe it was cliché, maybe it was the same tired logic everyone spewed, but right now it felt like the only truth he had. If he was going to carry the darkness, the guilt, the regrets... maybe there'd be some light in there, too. Something he could still salvage.He rested his head against the seat, closing his eyes as the hum of the engines lulled the cabin into a hushed semi-sleep. A stray snippet of thought drifted through his mind: If I try, I could shape something of my own from all of this... maybe that cross is the key. Maybe I can take back a piece of my mother's will and make it mine—give it new purpose instead of letting it drown in regret.His fingers curled around the metal again, drawing silent strength from the sensation of it. If that's what it means to be a Fullbringer—finding power in what you can't let go of—then... I'll do it. He might still resent the idea of taking up yet another power, another debt to the spiritual world. But as Kyra had said... it's a messy life, and nobody's going to clear the path for him.He let out one last exhale, easing the tension in his shoulders. The engine noise merged with the dull roar in his mind, and he gave himself permission to drift closer to sleep—just for a while, just enough to let the rising sun banish the night still clinging to his thoughts.He might not know where this path led, might not trust Kyra or her employer or anything that waited on the other side of the flight. But with the cross in his grasp, pressing an almost comforting weight into his palm, Ichigo allowed a flicker of something like determination to spark in his chest.Whatever happened next, he'd walk into it carrying all his baggage—Quincy, Hollow, Shinigami, human—and if this cross really could become his new anchor, then so be it. Good, bad—it's always a package deal.......What Bullshit. ......To be continued !Heres the link to my shitty discord - https://discord.gg/nbgXPRCM

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