On the devastated streets, deep craters and scorch marks from Spiritual Energy were everywhere.
Asuka slowly sheathed his long tachi. The phantom of the giant wolf behind him dissolved into golden-red sparks and merged back into his body.
The demonic markings covering half his face receded like the tide, revealing his usual cold and stern features.
"Is it over?" Shinobu Kocho landed gracefully beside Asuka, checking him for injuries.
Before everyone's tense nerves could fully relax...
Crack, crack, crack—!!
The sound of shattering suddenly echoed from the sky in all directions.
It sounded as if an invisible, giant hammer was frantically smashing against the firmament covering the city.
Asuka snapped his head up, his expression darkening.
With every tremor, the canopy of the sky became riddled with black fissures that threatened to expand further, leaking an unsettling aura of nothingness.
It wasn't just the sky; even the ground beneath their feet and the surrounding buildings began to warp amidst the shattering sounds.
The debris and ruins that had been floating in midair lost their final sense of balance, crashing to the ground one after another.
"What's going on?! Didn't we defeat the monster? Why are things getting worse?!" Yusuke exclaimed, struggling to steady his swaying body.
Kurama furrowed his brows, his gaze grim. "I'm afraid... it's because the battle just now was too intense."
"Although the mastermind has been eliminated, that power capable of severing space completely shattered this dimension's tolerance threshold. It's rapidly accelerating toward collapse."
"What does that mean?!" Kuwabara asked loudly.
"It looks like all of Sarayashiki, along with us, will be sucked into a spatial turbulence and shredded to pieces," Hiei offered his deduction coldly.
Beep, beep, ring—!
Just as everyone's expressions changed, Shinobu Kocho's phone rang.
"Manager Urahara!" Shinobu responded anxiously into the receiver.
"Miss Kocho, I've already noticed the situation through the monitoring equipment." Kisuke Urahara's voice lacked its usual playfulness, replaced by urgency and unease. "Give the phone to Asuka! Hurry!"
Asuka snatched the phone. "What's going on?"
"Asuka, the space in Sarayashiki has reached its final breaking point! This is exactly like the situation you encountered in Fuyuki City, perhaps even more violent!"
Kisuke Urahara spoke incredibly fast, terrified of wasting even a single second.
Fuyuki City.
Just thinking of those three words gave Asuka a massive headache.
"What should I do?!" The veins on the back of the hand gripping the phone bulged.
"Kill the Shinenju!"
Kisuke Urahara's answer was cold and resolute, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.
"Even though Ryudoji is dead, the anchor for the Valley of Screams is still that girl! As long as she exists, the fusion between the Valley of Screams and the World of the Living won't stop, and the spatial collapse will continue!"
"Asuka, if you don't want another tragic parting, and if you still want to bring Miss Kocho back to the Soul Society safely, you must sever this anchor immediately!"
"Kill her, and the Valley of Screams will lose its core. The laws of the World of the Living will automatically repair the stripped space."
"This is the safest method. Do it now! You're out of time!"
Beep, beep, beep—
The call disconnected.
Or rather, due to the violent spatial fluctuations, the signal could no longer get through.
"Kill... the Shinenju."
Asuka still held the phone, his gaze falling upon the young girl not far away.
Senna had just awakened from her unconscious state.
She didn't seem to understand what had happened yet, sitting blankly on the ground and rubbing her throbbing forehead with both hands.
"Huh? Were the bad guys who kidnapped me defeated?" Senna looked at Yusuke in the distance, her eyes full of innocence and confusion. "My head hurts so much. It feels like I just had a really, really long nightmare..."
'She is just a soul pieced together from countless scattered memories. She merely thinks she is a living human...'
'She doesn't even count as a living being...'
Asuka kept telling himself.
His right hand gripped Kakudatsu tightly as he walked briskly toward Senna.
"Old man, what are you doing?" Yusuke acutely sensed the killing intent radiating from Asuka and abruptly stepped in front of Senna.
His eyes were filled with incomprehension. "Why are you drawing your sword on her?!"
"Move aside, kid," Asuka's voice was as cold as ice. "She isn't human. She is the Shinenju, formed from the convergence of countless Blanks' memories."
"As long as she lives, this space will completely collapse. To save this city... she must be disposed of."
"How is that possible?!" Yusuke roared in confusion. "She has flesh and blood! She laughs and curses! Why are you saying she isn't human?! We were just fighting together to protect her!"
"This is the cruelty of the world."
Asuka continued to walk forward, avoiding Yusuke's gaze.
Behind him, Shinobu Kocho's eyes reddened.
She knew Asuka's personality. She knew he possessed an upright soul that refused to implicate the innocent. Although he appeared cold and ruthless on the surface, in his heart, he cherished those small bonds and lives more than anyone else.
'This decision must be agonizing for him...'
'But if he doesn't do this, this city will be destroyed... and the whole world too...'
"...I'm sorry, Senna."
Asuka closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
His figure instantly vanished from the spot. Not even Hiei, who had the fastest movement techniques, could catch a glimpse of his afterimage.
The next second, Asuka appeared behind Senna.
He raised his Zanpakuto high into the air.
Senna looked up blankly at the man who had suddenly appeared before her.
Her eyes held only deep confusion and fear.
"Old man... are you going to kill me?" she asked softly. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"
"I'm sorry."
Asuka forced the words through gritted teeth, his eyes shut tight.
Then, using all the strength in his body, he slashed down viciously!
The next day. Karakura Town, Urahara Shop.
The aroma of tea filled the underground training ground.
"...What a thrilling and exciting trip to the World of the Living."
"After the signal was lost, I was on pins and needles... Fortunately, it was perfectly resolved in the end..."
Kisuke Urahara sat cross-legged in front of the tea table, waving his folding fan as he welcomed the slightly exhausted Asuka and Shinobu Kocho.
Today, he lacked his usual relaxed banter, constantly observing Asuka's condition with a serious expression.
"Thank you both for your hard work. Please, enjoy the tea."
Asuka unceremoniously picked up his teacup and downed it in one gulp, feeling the exhaustion in his body ease significantly.
Kisuke Urahara tapped his chin with his fan, a gleam of curiosity flashing in his eyes hidden beneath the shadow of his hat brim.
"However, I truly didn't expect..."
He deliberately dragged out his words, his gaze darting back and forth between Asuka and Shinobu Kocho.
"Asuka, Miss Kocho... the two of you usually seem quite compassionate..."
"I originally thought that even when facing a crisis capable of destroying the Three Realms, you would make a different choice. You had me worried for a long time..."
"Fortunately, you ultimately made the right decision and closed the Valley of Screams."
"After all, killing a Shinenju with nothing but fake memories is the simplest and safest method."
Hearing Urahara's words, Asuka's hand holding the teacup paused slightly.
He glanced at Shinobu Kocho beside him, who happened to be looking at him as well.
Their eyes met in midair, and they smiled at each other.
Hidden within that smile was a secret known only to the two of them and the youths from that distant, alternate world.