Invasion

In the quiet heart of Karakura Town, night's obsidian sky was disrupted by the sudden appearance of two monstrous Hollows. Just as abruptly as they materialized, the dark shapes disintegrated, leaving behind only a fleeting trace of malevolent reiatsu.

The following morning, Ichigo sat on his bed, glaring at his sisters, Karin and Yuzu, who were chattering animatedly at his bedroom table. He was holding a pillow over his head, trying to muffle the incessant talk about "adorable little hands" and "tiny feet."

"Come on, Ichigo. You haven't visited them in weeks," Yuzu said, her eyes shining with that persuasive innocence that usually got to him.

"Yeah, Ichi-nii, be a good uncle or something," Karin chimed in, a touch of sarcasm lacing her words.

Ichigo sighed. "It's my day off. I just want to sleep. No Hollows, no Shinigami business, no drama. Is that too much to ask?"

"But they're your nieces, Ichigo!" Yuzu protested.

Today, the underlying eagerness in Yuzu and Karin's voices wasn't just about visiting the babies. They were also keen to see Kai but too embarrassed to admit it. Their animated chatter seemed aimed less at their obstinate brother and more at convincing themselves to make the trip alone. Ichigo sensed this. His sisters rarely got this worked up over a casual visit. If he tagged along, they'd have an excuse—they were just accompanying him, not making a conscious choice to visit Kai's home.

Yet, all Ichigo wanted was to recline on his bed and drift back to sleep, relishing the rare peace and quiet that had settled over his life. No Hollows. No Shinigami duties. No inter-dimensional crises to thwart. Just sleep. A simple request, he felt, but one that his sisters were hell-bent on disrupting.

Ichigo's eye twitched in mild annoyance. "So let me get this straight. You both want to visit Kai's place but you're too embarrassed to go alone, and you want me to be your cover? Is that the game here?"

Yuzu blushed and looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her skirt. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds—"

"Sneaky?" Karin finished, not even trying to hide her grin.

Just as Yuzu and Karin were about to deploy their usually effective puppy eyes, a sudden shift in the atmosphere froze them. Their spiritual pressures instinctively sharpened, as if honing in on a distant threat.

Ichigo, too, felt it. His gaze shot to his bedroom window, and what he saw startled even him—a man, tall and slender, dressed in white, standing just outside. The man's short, swept-back red hair flamed like a warning signal, and his Arrancar mask fragment, obscuring his left eye, bore three unsettling holes.

"Get the hell out of my bed," Ichigo growled.

Before the intruder could react, his expression contorted into one of anguish. He reached for his throat, as if being choked by invisible hands, and collapsed to his knees.

The suddenness of it all left the siblings momentarily stunned, their eyes widening in shock and disbelief.

Then, breaking the spell, a nonchalant voice called out from behind them, "Yo. I felt an annoying bug, so came to check."

All three heads swiveled around to find Kai casually leaning against the doorway, looking as if he had just taken a leisurely stroll. In a masterful display of multitasking, he cradled two babies in his arms—Akari and Hana—while a third, Yuki, was securely strapped to his chest. All three infants seemed blissfully ignorant of the surreal scene unfolding around them.

"Kai," Ichigo managed, struggling for a moment to find the right words, "what the—"

The two sisters rushed toward Kai, a mix of relief and reprimand on their faces. Yuzu, eyeing Kai with a hint of annoyance, plucked Akari and Hana from his arms.

"Really, Kai? A battle while holding the babies?"

Karin unstrapped Yuki from Kai's chest, mirroring her sister's disapproval. Kai shot them a helpless look, shrugging as if to say, 'What can you do?'

Turning to Ichigo, Kai sighed, "We've got a big problem. I need to head to Soul Society."

Meanwhile, the intruder was still on his knees, choking, unable to draw air into his lungs. Yet, inexplicably, he remained alive, as if some miraculous force held back the final curtain.

Ichigo looked at the agonizing man and then back at Kai. "You're just going to leave him like that?"

Kai shrugged, unbothered. "He'll live. Or not. Whatever."

Yuzu interjected, her arms filled with the twins. "What about the girls, Kai? You can't just go."

Kai smiled, and in an eye blink, Yuzu, Karin, and the babies vanished from the room. The next instant, they found themselves in another dimension, greeted by Yoruichi and the others who looked up from their conversations, not the least bit surprised.

Back in Ichigo's room, Kai stood up, dusting off his pants as if he had just performed a minor chore rather than teleporting people into another dimension.

"Better?"

Ichigo shook his head, still not used to Kai's casual manipulation of reality. "That doesn't answer what the big problem is."

Kai waved his arm in annoyance, and in the next second, a portal materialized in Ichigo's room. On the other side was Soul Society. "Just come with me. This shit is too big, and I am too lazy to explain it over and over again."

Ichigo nodded, used to Kai's nonchalant attitude. As he walked toward the portal, he paused. "What about my old man?"

Kai grinned. "He's with Urahara, taking the long path."

Ichigo flinched, remembering the arduous Senkaimon journeys. "Good, I prefer your shortcut."

In the next second, they appeared before First Division. Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryusai raised his eyes lazily to greet them. "Kurogami," he uttered, the tension palpable.

Ignoring Yamamoto's hostile gaze, Kai said, "I'm here to warn you, Gotei 13, about another mess you've caused." As he spoke, the choking Arrancar floated through the portal, landing in a heap in front of Yamamoto. With a flick of his fingers, Kai muttered, "Bakudō #77. Tenteikūra."

Yamamoto's eyes widened, both surprised and slightly impressed. Kai had effortlessly cast a high-level Bakudo without a chant. A moment later, Yamamoto, along with the other Captains, heard Kai's voice in their minds: "Gotei 13, gather in front of Captain Commander's base.

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