Rukia's voice echoing across the ground—"…Who?"—clung to Ichigo's ears as morning came. He hadn't slept at all. Lying in his futon, staring at the ceiling, he'd clenched and unclenched his right fist over and over. That moment. The instant the shadow touched his shoulder, he couldn't stop the light draining from those silver eyes. (What could I have done?) Nothing. He'd thrown his fist. It passed right through. That was all. Thursday morning, the hallway of Nijinohama High School felt different. Fewer people. But that wasn't all. The faces of those walking were somehow vacant. Footsteps were heavy. No voices. The hallway that should've been buzzing before homeroom was silent—like the bottom of the sea. Ichigo passed the staff room and saw one of the teachers sitting in a chair, staring out the window. He tried calling out. "[serious]Teacher, about today's morning assembly——" The teacher turned slowly. No focus in his eyes. "…What was it?" Ichigo stopped walking. So that's what this was. Ichigo ran to the infirmary. He pushed the door open. Four beds. All occupied. On the first bed lay Tachibana-sensei—the regular school nurse, a woman in her forties—lying on her back, staring vacantly at the ceiling while muttering something in a loop. "…Today's…absence form…" The same words, repeating. He almost laughed. Listless, yet work spilled from her mouth. This woman was dedicated. But he couldn't laugh. Not in a situation like this. White hair on another bed. Ichigo approached. Rukia was there. Lying on her side, knees slightly bent. Holding Chappy tightly in both arms, staring at the ceiling. Her silver eyes were open. But nothing reflected in them. "[gentle]…Rukia." He called her name. Rukia turned her face slowly. She looked at Ichigo. And said nothing. "[gentle]Can you hear me? I'm Kurosaki Ichigo." Rukia's lips moved faintly. "…Who?" Her voice was distant. All emotion drained from it. Ichigo reached out his hand. He tried to gently touch Rukia's hand. Her hand quietly withdrew. Not a conscious rejection. Just no response. Like a wave receding—she was simply there. Only the strength in her arms holding Chappy remained unchanged from yesterday. Ichigo pulled his hand back. He couldn't say anything. He stepped into the hallway. He pressed his back against the wall and looked slightly upward. (…Her complexion is worse than yesterday. This is bad. Really bad.) "Kurosaki." A voice. He turned. Uryuu stood at the end of the hallway. Silver-white long hair, round glasses. His usual expression, but a thin line creased his brow. "[serious]As of this morning, approximately thirty percent of students and staff are in a listless state. Within the range I've confirmed." "[surprised]Thirty percent? How many people?" "[serious]Nijinohama High has seven hundred twenty students and roughly fifty staff. Simple calculation puts it at over two hundred thirty people. Based on the number of shadows confirmed in the ground and hallways, but the actual number likely exceeds that." Uryuu pulled a folded paper from his shirt pocket. When he opened it, a school layout was marked with circles and X's. He'd recorded the shadows' appearance locations and times. Meticulously. Densely. "[serious]Attendance in Class 2-3 and Class 2-1 is around sixty percent of normal. The only ones moving today are you and me." "[serious]What about Renji?" Uryuu paused for a moment. "[serious]He's on a bench in the ground. Hasn't moved since this morning. Same position the whole time." Ichigo clenched his fist. ＊ During the morning, Ichigo and Uryuu moved through the hallways together. The shadows were still there. Drifting through the school building. Ichigo could see their forms. Uryuu could see them too. But other students couldn't. Ichigo ran toward a shadow in the hallway. He threw his whole body at it. It passed right through. Again. It passed through again. "[serious]Kurosaki." "[angry]I know. But I can't stop, not like this." "[serious]…That's true." His voice was quiet. Not an argument. Uryuu spoke while looking out the hallway window. "[sad]I can only see them. I can't touch them, can't stop them. I can only see—and do nothing." His hand pushing up his glasses trembled slightly. Ichigo noticed it for the first time. Uryuu was always precise, logical, his emotions never showing. But now his fingertips were shaking. "[serious]…You're scared too, aren't you?" "[cold]I'm not discussing fear. I'm saying it's illogical." "[serious]Same thing." Uryuu said nothing. He kept looking out the window, pushed his glasses up again. This time his fingers didn't shake. Whether he'd suppressed it or calmed down, Ichigo couldn't tell. The two of them stood there. The shadow slowly moved through the hallway. They couldn't stop it. They could only watch. The lunch bell rang. ＊ Ichigo went up to the roof. When he opened the door, the smell of tide came to him. Clear skies. Blue sky. The ocean was visible. Sagami Bay glittered in the distance. A beautiful day. Which made it feel even more wrong. Of the three benches, the middle one was empty. That's where Rukia always sat. With Chappy on her lap, using the bento lid as a plate, eating karaage while looking at the sea. A few days ago. Now no one was there. Only wind blowing. Ichigo stood in front of that bench and looked at the sea for a while. He felt nothing. Couldn't even think it was beautiful. His knees gave out. He crouched down. His hand touched the ground. He confirmed no one was around. "[crying]Why can't I do anything?" His voice came out. "[crying]I can't touch them. Can't stop them. Rukia, Renji, anyone—I couldn't protect anyone." Something rose from deep in his throat. "[crying]It's the same as with Mom…" He cried. He cried out loud. He slammed his fist against the roof fence. It hurt. But he couldn't stop. In the previous world, he should've been able to fight. These hands should've moved to protect someone. Now they only pass through things, can't grip anything. Then. The roof door opened with a click. "Oh, someone's here? I'll close it then—" It was Mitsuko from the school store. A woman in her sixties, white apron. Holding a yakisoba pan with a peaceful expression on her face. Ichigo wiped his face with his sleeve. He stood up. "[serious]N-no, I'm fine! I'm here!" "Well then. It's getting cold, so you should close it." "[serious]Y-yes." Mitsuko closed the door and left. Ichigo stood there for a moment, unable to say anything. Then he sighed alone. (…The timing couldn't be worse.) He couldn't laugh. But something loosened a little. The door opened quietly again. "[serious]The roof was the only place I could think of." Uryuu stood there holding a bento box. He looked at Ichigo. He saw Ichigo's red eyes. He said nothing. Uryuu sat on the next bench. That was all. He opened his bento and started eating silently. He didn't look at Ichigo. Didn't say anything unnecessary. He was just there. Ichigo also sat on the same bench. He opened the yakisoba pan he'd brought, though he wasn't really hungry. Wind blew. The sound of seagulls came from far away. The two of them ate in silence. There was no solution. No way to stop the shadows. No way to know if light would return to Rukia's eyes. But he wasn't alone. That was all Ichigo had right now. ＊ After school, Uryuu said he was heading to Nijinohama Municipal Library. "[serious]I'll investigate the correlation between the shadows' appearance patterns and the times and locations. There might be some clue." "[serious]You sure you don't need me?" "[sarcastic]You'd just be in the way. Emotional people aren't suited for libraries." "[surprised]…You talking about me?" "[cold]Figure it out." Uryuu adjusted his glasses and walked off quickly. Ichigo was alone. He left the school gate, walked a bit, and his feet naturally turned toward Misaki Hill. He hadn't decided. He just wanted to go there. To that observation deck where he'd stood with Rukia in the third episode. Twenty minutes on foot from Nijinohama High. He walked alone up the narrow mountain path through the hill. Tree leaves swayed in the wind. Gravel scattered underfoot. The air felt heavier than usual. He reached the observation deck. Wooden decking. One vending machine. No one else. He placed his hand on the railing and looked down. Nijinohama city spread out below. Haruka River glittering north and south. The rooftop sign of the station building's Coast Terrace. Nijinohama Central Street's shopping district. Beyond that, Sagami Bay. He could see it all. And. He could see gray. More than yesterday. Not just along the coast. Gray dots scattered through residential areas. In front of the station. In the shopping district. Before, he could count them, but now he was afraid to count. The entire city was sinking into a pale gray. "[serious]…If this keeps up, the whole city will be consumed." Something in his pocket grew hot. He reached in. A small metal piece came out. Rukia had given it to him three days ago in the infirmary. "Keep this with you, it's a charm," she'd said, pushing it at him bluntly. She wouldn't explain why. Just that he should keep it. That was all. The metal piece grew warm in his palm. That wasn't all. A faint light began leaking through the gaps in his fingers. Ichigo opened his hand. The metal piece was glowing. Faintly, but definitely. In that moment, an image flooded his mind. ——Black clothing. ——His own hand gripping the hilt of something large. ——Running. Running to protect someone. ——Must protect. Must not fail. Something burned in his chest. A sensation like fire. Power. The feel of that power from the previous world. So close to reaching—but not quite. The light faded. The metal piece in his palm became just a metal piece again. Only the warmth remained. Silence returned to the observation deck. Ichigo stood looking down at the city sinking into gray. He didn't have the power. Rukia still hadn't woken. Renji was still on that bench in the ground. He had no way to stop the shadows. Nothing had changed. But Ichigo slowly stood up. "[serious]…I can't give up." His voice was small. No one could hear it. Even crying, even powerless, even with bad timing like Mitsuko interrupting—he could still stand. That much was certain within him. Ichigo gripped the metal piece Rukia had given him tightly once more. It wasn't warm. But he held it. And he began walking down the slope. The lights of Nijinohama city in the dusk began flickering on in the distance. Mixed with the gray shadows, lights still glowed. Certain lights were still there.