"Eternal life?"
Ichigo rested his chin on one hand, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Basically," Urahara said, his fan half-open, "Soul Hunters sustain their immortality by devouring human souls."
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone more serious. "Originally, Soul Hunters only absorbed the souls of the dead. But this time, they've begun consuming the souls of the living. That's a fundamental deviation from any prior record."
"What happens when the soul of a living person is taken?" Ichigo asked, his voice low but tense.
"Idiot!" Yoruichi snapped. "What do you think happens to a person who loses their soul? There's only one outcome death."
"Death?!" Ichigo and the others froze in shock.
Renji slammed his fist into his palm and rose abruptly. "Captain Shiraha, we can't just sit by. We have to eradicate these Soul Hunters!"
"You don't need to tell me," Shiraha said, his voice calm yet edged with resolve. "This world is my territory. Whether they devour the dead or the living, Soul Hunters are abominations that must be wiped out."
Though his tone was even, his eyes gleamed coldly. He knew too well what Soul Hunters were failed remnants born from one of the Soul Society's own forbidden experiments. As a Shinigami, he stood naturally opposed to their existence.
For them to survive, they had to consume human souls to maintain their immortality. There could be no peace between them.
"But what I don't understand," Urahara murmured, lowering his head in thought, "is why they've suddenly begun targeting the living."
It bothered him deeply. Every record he had ever recovered from the past showed that the Soul Hunting clan only absorbed the souls of the dead. To suddenly change now… something unknown must have occurred.
Ichigo slammed his palms against the table, anger flashing in his eyes. "Why are you just sitting there thinking? If this keeps up, there'll be more victims!"
Urahara looked up, chuckling softly. "As expected of Mr. Kurosaki. You have a strong sense of justice."
"Don't make fun of me!" Ichigo retorted sharply. "The priority now is to find those Soul Hunters."
"Of course," Urahara replied, his grin returning. "That's exactly why I created Lilin and the others to track their Reiatsu signatures."
He gestured lightly toward the three modified souls waiting nearby. "Lilin, you'll go with Mr. Kurosaki. Noba, you'll accompany Miss Inoue. Kurodo, you'll assist Mr. Sado."
Each of the three nodded. As modified souls, they possessed a keen ability to sense spiritual energy.
"No, I don't want to go with that guy," Lilin said with a small pout, glancing at Ichigo before turning to Shiraha. "I want to go with Shiraha-san."
Shiraha smiled faintly, still holding Yoruichi in his arms. "It's enough for me to have Miss Yoruichi." He playfully brushed her ears, his tone light. "I won't need any help."
He wasn't boasting. Given time, Shiraha could easily find the Soul Hunters himself. Yoruichi purred softly, rubbing against his palm.
"I see," Uryū said, pushing his glasses slightly. "But what about me, Mr. Urahara? Why don't I have support?"
He sounded more curious than offended, though the edge in his voice was clear.
Urahara waved a hand sheepishly. "Ah, I didn't expect you to regain your Quincy powers so quickly, Mr. Ishida. I hadn't prepared anything for you."
He had assumed it would take weeks of training before Ishida could recover his strength. That he'd done it so soon genuinely surprised him.
"I understand," Ishida replied quietly, though a faint sigh escaped him.
"Don't be discouraged, Ishida," Ichigo said, patting him on the shoulder. "Look, Renji's in the same boat no support either."
"Me?!" Renji shot Ichigo a glare. "What does that have to do with me?"
Urahara ignored their bickering and spent a few more minutes outlining the mission details. When he finished, Ichigo stood up and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Urahara, Mr. Shiraha. We'll head out."
Uryū, Sado, and Orihime followed, bowing politely before turning toward the door.
Before they left, Orihime hesitated, glancing at Shiraha. "Mr. Shiraha, do you still have to teach tomorrow? Tatsuki and the others like your lessons a lot. Many people have already signed up for your class with Mr. Ochi."
She smiled softly, remembering what Tatsuki had told her at school earlier. It wasn't just Tatsuki half the girls in their class were talking about Shiraha's ancient etiquette course. Hardly any boys had joined, though.
Shiraha shook his head. "No. I'm not much of a teacher. It's enough just to keep my name on the roster."
"That's a pity," Orihime said, her tone sincere.
Before anyone could respond, Urahara called out toward the back room. "Ah, Renji! Tomorrow you'll handle the store cleanup."
Renji froze mid-step, a vein twitching at his temple.
"Forget that," he muttered darkly. Then he turned toward Ichigo, his voice firm. "Ichigo, I've decided I'm staying at your place. If Soul Hunters appear, we'll handle them together."
Ichigo eyed him suspiciously. "You're just saying that to get out of cleaning, aren't you?"
Renji's eyebrow twitched. "It's not like that at all! I'm just thinking about your safety. With me the lieutenant of the Sixth Division around, you'll be fine." He folded his arms and nodded proudly.
Ichigo burst out laughing, pointing at him. "Renji, I didn't think you'd stoop that low! You really just want a free meal!"
"These two idiots…" Ishida muttered, adjusting his glasses before walking out alone.
Renji's veins throbbed visibly. "So, do you agree or not?"
"Fine," Ichigo said finally, smirking. "But don't touch my bed."
Renji groaned in frustration as the group finally left the Urahara Shop, their footsteps fading into the night.