CHAPTER 37: Kiwincy?

Kisuke paid no heed to the shouts, assuming they were directed at someone else. His attention was consumed by deciphering the dual-type spiritual presence left by two 'Hollows.' These spiritual presences were akin to those of his Visored friends but carried a more distinct 'Hollow' aura than the Visored's Hollow aura.

'Hollows who have acquired Shinigami powers. Arrancars.'

He had encountered information about them in the Soul Society's archives but never had the opportunity to meet one with such formidable power. Yet the question lingered: Why had two Arrancars infiltrated his town? If they sought to act like typical Hollows and consumed souls, they would have caused an uproar. Instead, their stealthy approach made him uneasy.

"You with the green hat! Don't ignore me, jerk!"

Kisuke's wandering thoughts were disrupted when a stone hurtled toward his face. With lightning-fast reflexes, he tilted his head just enough to evade the projectile and lifted his hat to glimpse at the public offender.

What he saw left him dumbstruck. The man standing in the street appeared to be an ordinary citizen, save for a faint trickle of Reiryoku seeping from him; the man's Reiatsu barely qualified him as a spiritually aware human.

Kisuke couldn't shake the feeling that he had encountered a similar Reiatsu before.

Skeptical, Kisuke raised his hand in greeting. "Quite the rude fellow, aren't you? Have you never seen a handsome man enjoying the rain on a roof?"

"I have. In fact, I used to be like you when I was a teenager. It was fun pissing down from my roof on rainy days. Those were fun times, man."

"My, that's just gross."

"You should try it sometime. It feels relaxing and therapeutic. Pissing in the rain is scientifically proven to lower your stress."

Kisuke shook his head and looked over his shoulder. "That's enough grossness for today. I will see you around."

The approaching group of Shinigami left him with no choice but to stop his unpleasant talk. He used Shunpo and flashed to the sky, his form assimilating with the darkness.

As the Shinigami began to look around the scene, the silver-haired youth just stood there, baffled. For a human, he showed an appropriate reaction to see men in kimonos jumping all over the place.

That was merely the beginning, as two cars rolled onto the scene. A woman with short black hair and a stern, piercing gaze emerged from the first car. She exuded an aura of dignity and authority, befitting her status in Karakura Town. (Check para comment)

Izumi Ishida, an Echt Quincy (Pureblood Quincy), as well as the current matriarch of the Ishida Family. She had recently married Sōken Ishida, another Echt Quincy, in an effort to keep their Quincy bloodline pure.

Somehow, she appeared exceptionally pissed today, perhaps furious about being roused from her sleep at 12 AM.

Kisuke didn't linger, as he had already planted a spy within the Ishida Family. He wasn't concerned about the Quincy collaborating with Hollows for an unexpected alliance. A very unlikely event but it was better to have safe measures for every incident, or so Kisuke Urahara believed.

'When will I find a good vessel for Hōgyoku?'

Unbeknownst to him, a demon had already set its sights on his disastrous invention—a demon who would soon change Kisuke Urahara's entire world.

***

Kazuya was struck motionless as the raven-haired woman emerged from her car. Her icy gaze, sharp frown, and commanding presence reminded him of someone who had once held a special place in his heart.

'What the hell is with her uncanny resemblance to Yumi? Who is she?'

Most of the characters he had encountered until now possessed easily identifiable traits — Harribel for her shark-like characteristics, Apacci for her name, Cirucci for her goth girl appearance, and Kisuke for his shady hat. The woman before him was different. Despite her undeniable beauty, her Quincy necklace and intense gaze were her only distinguishing features.

'A rich lady Quincy equals free hotel service.'

As the woman walked, she stumbled, seemingly injured in her left leg. "Move. You're obstructing our official work."

Kazuya rubbed the back of his head and glanced at the Shinigami squad. "Onee-san, I'm new in town. Do people in Karakura cosplay as samurai? How can they jump so high? …Do they possess supernatural abilities?"

Izumi, who was about to walk away, widened her eyes. His voice enveloped her in a sense of serenity, as though she was taking a stroll in a vast forest. The man and woman in white uniforms behind her displayed similar reactions of surprise to both his voice and his ability to perceive the spiritual world.

"You can see them?" asked Izumi slowly as she hobbled to his side. "Are you a descendant of some hidden survivor?"

The Quincy Massacre 150 years prior had left their race in disarray. Some prominent Quincy chose for a life of solitude, distancing themselves from matters of the spiritual world. Consequently, numerous young Quincy grew up ignorant of their ancestral history.

Izumi surmised that Kazuya might be one of those lost Quincy descendants. To preserve the Quincy race, she needed all remaining Quincy to unite so they wouldn't be killed off easily.

She was a firm believer of the 'Power in numbers' motto.

Kazuya rubbed his chin, frowning as if he tried to recall something. "You mean Kiwincy? My mum told me to seek guys with crosses in this town… before she passed away."

Izumi clutched the Quincy Cross tied hanging from her neck, bringing his attention to the silver necklace. "This cross?"

Kazuya's face lit up. "That's it! That's the one my mum told me about. You guys are the K-Kiwincy. I'm sorry if I'm pronouncing it wrong… it's really hard to get it right."

He sprinkled a dash of innocence into his words, perfecting his naïve act.

"No worries. Would you like to come with us?"

Izumi threw out an offer, willing to take a chance to test his potential. Even if he was a Gemischt (Mixed Breed) with limited potential, she could find a purpose for him in their clan. It was a much better fate than being eaten by some Hollow far away from any help.

"Are you kidding? Of course I will. I want to know more about this Kiwincy stuff."

"Akira, Katsumi, escort our guest."

"Yes, Izumi-sama."

"As you wish, Izumi-sama!"

Kazuya followed the two Gemischt Quincy, a pep in his walk.

Meanwhile, Izumi cast a sidelong glance at the Shinigami squad. They exchanged hushed words before dashing in different directions, seeking further clues on the incident.

'I'll have to keep an eye on Shinigami until Sōken-san returns… it's been three weeks.'

Her eyes lingered on the moon, finding comfort in its solitary presence as it cast a silvery glow over the landscape.

***

I took a lot of freedom with Izumi's character. Ichigo's timeline might be truly fucked when the time comes.