Continuing where we left off....
Narrator's perspective.
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Urahara's Shop
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While Ritsuka is reuniting with his old friends from school after the incidents in Chaldea, a certain black cat with golden eyes had arrived at a store that was not very suspicious from the outside called Urahara's Shop.
The name of the store belongs to the owner named Kisuke Urahara, an adult man with light blond hair and gray eyes. The store has no customers today, but it is still busy with the people who are living in the store.
Urahara himself is in the living room of his store watching television in a relaxed and serene position until he feels the presence of the black cat entering the store.
- Oh? What a surprise... I thought you wouldn't arrive so soon. - Urahara said to the cat, not taking his eyes off the television.
- The boy you mentioned has good instincts for a "simple" human. I have to admit I'm a little impressed he could detect me so quickly. - The cat said in a strong masculine tone, which is strange considering it's a female cat who's talking.
Were you suppressing your spiritual pressure? - Urahara said in a tone still paying attention to the television.
- Of course I was, but even so he managed to detect me. I admit I wasn't in a good place to hide, but any human wouldn't pay much attention to a cat, but this boy immediately suspected me. - The cat said and Urahara stopped watching the television and looked at the cat intrigued.
- Interesting. Not just anyone can find you, Yoruichi. Tell me. What else did you discover about him with your observation? - Urahara said with his full attention on the cat named Yoruichi.
- Well, physically speaking he doesn't seem that impressive to me. Obviously compared to the expected physique of a common Shinigami, but if you compare him to other humans, he seems to be strong. Now speaking spiritually... - Yoruichi said, pausing what she was going to say and Urahara noticing a change in the cat's expression.
- Oh? Did you notice anything abnormal about him? - Urahara said, guessing what Yoruichi was going to say.
- Yes. This boy's spiritual power is strange, very strange. At first glance, I thought he only had enough spiritual power to sense spirits like some humans, but after analyzing him more accurately, I noticed something abnormal. - Yoruichi said with a tone of uncertainty.
- Can you say what you felt? - Urahara said, curious to know.
- I can't believe those words are going to come out of my mouth. But I felt "Death" coming from him. - Yoruichi said, increasing Urahara's curiosity even more.
- Did you feel death? Are you saying that you thought you were going to die? - Urahara said, confused.
- No, you fool! When I said I felt "death" I meant that I literally felt the very concept of death! It should be impossible for a human like him to have this coming from his spiritual power! - Yoruichi said in a serious tone and she continued.
- Urahara. I know you know something about this boy. After all, the moment you felt he arrived in this city you asked me to observe him. Now that I've discovered that he has something that in my honest opinion should be impossible I deserve to have an explanation. - Yoruichi said looking at Urahara with a serious expression.
- *sigh* It seems that that boy really changed after he was kidnapped. This only increases my suspicions about the global incident that happened twice in the human world. - Urahara said changing his expression from calm to serious.
- You mean the incidents that caused the Soul Society to lose access to the human world? What does this boy have to do with it? - Yoruichi said to Urahara, confused.
- I don't have concrete proof, just theories based on certain events and information that I have. I noticed that the activity of the Clock Tower Mages has been quite "agitated" over the past few days, more than usual. I believe that those responsible for these two global incidents are their work. - Urahara said, drawing Yoruichi's attention.
- How can you be sure that the mages are responsible? - Yoruichi asked.
- Simple. Because the mages are powerful and dangerous due to their magic, in addition to other interesting things that I heard they could do. Do you remember that incident in Fuyuki? There was a Holy Grail War there, but the winner didn't make the request that most of the mages would do, which is interesting in itself. - Urahara said and Yoruichi remained silent contemplating Urahara's words.
Urahara and Yoruichi know about the existence of the Mages of the Clock Tower, the Alchemists of the Atlas Academy and the members of the Church, however, they know more about the Mages compared to the others.
The Holy Grail War that happened in Fuyuki City is something that did not go unnoticed by Urahara's ears since it was an event that caused a loud noise in that city that would be impossible for Urahara not to know about.
- The main objective of the mages is to reach the center of creation. A place they call "Root" a place where all the knowledge of the world is contained, and one of the ways they found to get there is by using a powerful device that grants wishes, the "Holy Grail". If the mages can accomplish something of this magnitude, I have no doubt that they can do something that can affect the entire world. - Urahara said.
Yoruichi knows all of this since it is something that Urahara informed her. Something she has to admit is that the ritual that mages use to temporarily bring famous historical people back to life to fight in a war seems to be interesting and impressive at the same time.
- You still haven't told me what kind of involvement this boy has in all this? - Yoruichi said, getting a little irritated that Urahara is taking his time to get to the point.
- I was going to talk about that now. Yesterday when that boy arrived in town, he was wearing a uniform with a certain symbol of an organization that I recognize and if my suspicions are correct, this boy could probably be the key to unraveling this mystery that is making the Soul Society very uncomfortable. - Urahara said with a smile of interest.
Yoruichi remained silent for a few seconds, staring at Urahara's expression until she responded.
- You're planning something, aren't you? - Yoruichi said and Urahara smiled.
- It's nothing really. I'm just going to pay a visit to a friend of mine. - Urahara said, keeping his smile.
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Ritsuka's perspective.
Hours later...
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After my introduction to my class, I went to my desk where the teacher told me to sit.
The place where I sat was coincidentally in front of Ichika's desk, which was located next to the classroom window. (A/N: Mandatory seat for all MCs)
As expected, Ichika was very curious to know what happened to me, as were the rest of my friends, judging by the expression of curiosity coming from all of them.
The class was quiet until the break bell sounded, causing the students in my class to start spreading around the school.
I decided to spend my break time in my class and as I was already expecting, Ichika and company came to my desk to talk to me.
💭They don't seem to have changed much, although from their perspective there haven't been two occasions when the planet has stopped in time.
The first person to start the conversation was someone I know, his name is Keigo Asano.
- Wow, is that really you Fujimaru? You seem to be... Different? You seem to be taller too, what did you take to become like this? - Keigo said, looking at me with a confused expression.
- Stop talking nonsense, Keigo! Ritsuka doesn't seem to have changed much, he's just a little bigger, that's all. - Ichika said with that delinquent air that honestly reminds me of Mordred for a moment.
Ichika also lightly slapped Keigo on the back of the head, who had his face a little close to mine since he was looking at me more closely.
- You really disappeared without saying anything, Fujimaru. We were starting to get worried about you. - Tatsuki Arisawa said to me.
Tatsuki Arisawa is a girl with a very similar appearance to Ichika, the difference is the color of their hair and eyes. Ichika has orange hair and eyes while Tatsuki has black hair and eyes.
Besides that, Tatsuki is a childhood friend of mine too, since if I remember correctly, Ichika, Tatsuki and I were sports colleagues at a dojo.
- That's right! Especially Inoe-san who was really worried about you. She kept asking about you sometimes, hehehe.... - Keigo said with a playful smile, causing a reaction from Orihime who immediately turned red in embarrassment.
- Huh? What?! - Said Orihime, blushing and not knowing what to say at the moment.
At the same time that Orihime is paralyzed with shame, Tatsuki and Ichika slap Keigo, seeing that their friend is embarrassed.
Orihime Inoe is a friend from school who is part of our group, she is also Tatsuki's best friend. Orihime is a beautiful girl with long orange hair and brown eyes. If I have to summarize Orihime's personality in a few words, it is that she is one of the kindest and most caring people I know, even though she can be a bit of an airhead sometimes.
💭It seems that they continue to be big since the last time I saw them. Or have they grown a little?
I am of course referring to the soft mountains that Orihime is carrying daily without any sign of tiredness.
💭I'm really used to the female body if I'm not affected by Orihime's mountains anymore... Although after Passionlip's summoning, no woman I've met can surpass her breasts size.
In my past school days, I would sometimes get distracted by Orihime's mountains since not even her uniform can hide them well, but after my journey in Chaldea, it's very difficult for me to get distracted in the same way I was in the past.
💭 I'm glad Goredolf dealt with this problem of creating an explanation for how I disappeared all this time.
I told my friends that I had suffered a medical incident that required me to be admitted to the hospital for a long time, the Director had the papers ready to prove this story created for the school principal.
Now about my physical changes, unfortunately I didn't have a good excuse to give, but I was lucky that it wasn't a very drastic change after all the only way they could suspect something abnormal about me is if I'm shirtless, which I highly doubt will happen.
💭 Da Vinci came up with the idea of using the excuse that the Church uses to cover their tracks saying that there was a gas leak, but how will that work for two global incidents? I'm glad Goredolf didn't listen to her.
- Are you really okay Fujimaru-kun? - Orihime said this being worried after hearing my false story of my disappearance.
- Yes, I am, Inoe-san. What I went through in the hospital is not something I want to go back to any time soon. All I want now is to kill the longing I felt for you all! So. Did anything happen while I was away? - I say this with a smile on my face, changing the subject to something more pleasant.
- It's good to have you back, Ritsuka. - Said a strong male voice that I immediately recognize.
Yasutora Sado or as he is nicknamed by Ichika, Chad, he is a dark-skinned man, very muscular and very tall, I guess he probably reaches the height of Chaldea's delinquent servants like Sakata Gintoki and Ashwatthama.
- I feel the same,Chad. I'm glad to be back. - I say this with a smile of relief on my face.
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Hours later
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Time passed very slowly in my opinion, probably because I was so used to crazy activities or any bizarre and unexpected thing that happened in Chaldea on a daily basis that standing still and paying attention in class became something very boring for me.
This is not something that has changed much for me in the past, since from the beginning I was not a student who always paid attention in class.
But finally the classes ended and the exit alarm was heard. Immediately the students began to leave the classroom.
Before I could leave the classroom I heard Ichika's voice.
- Hey, Ritsuka. Are you leaving already? - Ichika said calling my attention with her question.
- Yes. Why are you asking? - I say this looking at her being curious to know what she wants and I notice a slight expression of embarrassment coming from her.
- Well... Since we haven't seen each other for a while and the way to your house is the same way I take to mine... I was wondering if you could come over for a quick visit to my house. - Ichika said, a little embarrassed about what to say to me.
Seeing Ichika acting shy, which is something rare to see, makes me happy to see her again. It also made me want to tease her a little, but I decided to hold back on that urge for now.
This isn't the first time Ichika has invited me to go to her house, since my family is very close to hers. You could say that my mother was one of Ichika's mother's best friends, and that's why I met Ichika and her younger sisters.
- Of course I can. I'm sure your sisters will be surprised to see me back. Oh! By the way, how is your father? Is he still full of energy? - I say this with a nostalgic smile remembering the Kurasaki family, but a certain negative thought crosses my mind.
💭It really is an irony of fate. Ichika lost her mother and I lost my father. Well, I never knew my father, but whenever I asked about him, my mother always said he was dead and avoided talking about him.
In the past, I was very curious to know some information about my father, but the only thing my mother told me was that she met him when she was young on a vacation she took in Germany. That's the only piece of information I managed to get from my mother until it got to a point where I gave up wanting to know about him.
- My old father hasn't changed at all, he's still the same annoying person who can't give me a day of peace! - Ichika said this irritated and I smile seeing her expression.
💭Man, I really missed Ichika... By the way, did the baseball club keep my position? I'd better ask Tatsuki about it tomorrow.
After our brief conversation, Ichika and I said goodbye to our friends and walked towards our homes.
On the way to Ichika's house, she decided to ask a question that took me a little by surprise.
- Hey, Ritsuka. What kind of tattoo did you try to get rid of? I thought you weren't interested in getting one. - Ichika comments on this, looking at my right hand, where there is a faint mark of my Command Seals.
- Oh! This? Well, this was a type of tattoo that a group of my friends in the hospital got when we were discharged from the doctors. The reason for the tattoo is to express our friendship that we had. Well, in my opinion, I found it a bit ridiculous, so I tried to get it removed. As you can see, I didn't have much success. - I say this, making up a quick excuse.
- So your group was a bunch of Chunnis? Seriously, Ritsuka? I thought you had already gotten over that phase... - Ichika says, letting out a sigh, and I look at my childhood friend with a twitching eyebrow.
- Hey! I take offense to that! I'm not the type of person who goes around inciting spells and posing in public! - I say this, arguing with Ichika.
- Keep telling yourself that. I just don't want you to corrupt my sisters any more with your passion for Kemen Rider and Mechas. I'm tired of seeing them mentioning the names of the characters' attacks. - Ichika said with an exhausted expression.
- At least they know how to have fun than the grumpy older sister who only knows how to be a delinquent. That way you'll end up alone in the world. - I say this making fun of Ichika who immediately becomes furious.
- You take it back, Ritsuka!!! - Ichika shouts looking at me being angry and I just respond with a smug smile not showing any fear of her.
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Ichika's House
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Arriving at Ichika's house, I once again feel a wave of nostalgia when I see the house that I and my mother sometimes visit.
The moment Ichika was opening the door to her house, I immediately feel an attack coming and without thinking twice I stand in front of Ichika protecting her and intercept the attack and then immobilize the person responsible for the attack.
- Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! Hehehe you're getting better Ichika! You didn't let your guard down! - Said an adult male voice that I recognize the moment I heard it, but before I could say anything, Ichika speaks for me.
- Seriously, what kind of crazy father decides to do this to his daughter?! Another thing is that I'm the one holding you. - Said Ichika looking at me who is firmly holding Ichika's father's body.
- What?! - Said Isshin Kurosaki and I see him looking at me being very surprised.
💭Oops! It seems I forgot that Mr. Kurosaki has these habits of approaching Ichika like that. Well, at least I know that my physical technique is not weak and my instincts are still at full steam.
- I'm sorry about that, Kurosaki-san. The moment I felt an attack coming towards Ichika, I ended up reacting on instinct. - I say this, letting go of Isshin, who gets up from the ground and looks at me, completely shocked.
- You don't have to do this. I know how to deal with my idiot old father. - Ichika said, his face a little red, and I just respond with a slight smile.
- I don't believe it. Is that really you, Ritsuka? - Isshin said.
- Yes. I'm back. I can't leave Ichika alone at school for too long or she'll end up taking someone to the hospital. - I say this, joking a little about the situation, and I feel a slight look of irritation coming from Ichika, which I ignore.
At that moment, Ichika's two younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin, appeared after hearing the commotion that had happened at the entrance to the house.
The two had the same reaction as their father, but soon after, they were both very happy to see me again and I felt the same way about seeing them again after a long time.
Unfortunately, I didn't stay for long since I was just making a quick visit, but I promised that I would return to catch up.
I said goodbye to Ichika and headed towards my house. Arriving at the door of my house, I immediately felt two presences coming from inside my house.
💭What is this?! An invasion of my house? Damn, all my equipment is in my room! Should I call for help from Chaldea? Tch! They would take a while to arrive. Now would be a good time if I could summon a Shadow Servant right now! Are my mother and sister okay?
With my senses on edge and nervousness and worry taking over, I slowly open the door and soon after I hear a happy laugh coming from my little sister and a happy tone of conversation from my mother.
This left me confused, but I am still on alert in case something abnormal is happening.
The moment I enter the room I am confronted with a strange sight. My little sister is playing with the same black cat I saw when I was going to school and my mother is happily talking to an old adult man who seems to be some kind of merchant.
💭 What is going on here? And who is this man talking to my mother? Is it because he is giving me an air similar to Merlin? Fou's presence would be great at this moment.
My presence is noticed by everyone and my mother is the one who starts the conversation.
- My son, you arrived at the right time. Let me introduce you to an old friend of mine. This man's name is Kisuke Urahara and that cat that's with Gudako is called Yoruichi. - My mother said with a smile on her face.
💭 An old friend of my mother's? Why didn't I know about this?
- It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Ritsuka Fujimaru. As your mother said, I'm Kisuke Urahara, a simple salesman in my humble shop. Your mother said a lot about you. - Urahara said introducing himself to me, but for some reason I have the impression that his shop is not simple at all.
I thought I had left my life as an adventurer and Master of Chaldea behind after I left Antarctica. But it seems that I fell into Fate's Trick.
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Next chapter: The night that changed everything....
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