The Double Edged Sword

03

The last thing I wanted was for the girls to be involved, or worse hurt. 

Spending these last six years around Ichigo meant that I had also come into close contact with his younger sisters. 

Isshin was more than happy and willing to have me in his home when they were children, and luckily the only thing I had to do was update my gig occasionally. Being a soul I don't physically age, and even if the girls were Isshin's daughters; there was no telling if their spiritual pressure would be high enough for them to see me in my soul state. 

So I put in the extra effort to be part of their lives, and they truly were wonderful. I loved those girls as if they were my own family, and with Isshin being powerless he wasn't a help with anything involving the Soul Society. 

Long story short, while pushing my wants away, this Shinigami needed to leave, and she needed to leave right now; neither I nor Karakura town needed her sniffing around.

"Hey, you idiots!" Ichigo spasmed from my side. "Can't you hear that outside!?" he all but screamed gaining both of our attention. 

I glanced at him while also trying to watch the girl for any sudden movements; even if she hadn't announced herself as my enemy, she was still foreign and unwelcome here. Though my focus was immediately broken when a deafening roar cut our exchange short. 

'Damn it! Ichigo's pressure was too high 

Ichigo's spiritual pressure grew steadily along with him over the years, and occasionally in high-stress situations it jumped higher than the regulated limit I had in place. 

His obnoxious dense pressure always brought forth unwanted guests, that's why I had put a spell upon him when he was just a boy; a fail-safe. Something similar to what Isshin had done all those years ago which had rendered him powerless.

 Something to ensure that Ichigo would be safe from the Soul Society; something that only I could do with my abilities. There were upsides, and downsides to it but I didn't care.

I had made my promises to keep Ichigo safe; even at the expense of myself.  

Not wasting a second I jumped from the window meeting the roaring object straight on; it was hollow. 

Which was a spiritual monster that was the embodiment of what happened to a lost human soul that was left unchecked for too long; a beast that prayed on the living or other human souls. 

This was a low level being, something that I previously never had to waste my time even acknowledging while in the Gotei Thirteen, however, nothing could have prepared my heart for the scene in front of me. Normally I handle these situations very quickly and with ease, but this time was different. 

I had noticed that the girls' spiritual powers were starting to develop as they aged; it was normal for every human, but with both Yuzu and Karin not only did their appearances and height change; so did their spiritual pressure. 

I landed just in front of the beast, with my eyes wide. I hadn't thought that either of Ichigo's sisters were in danger of being located; especially not sniffed out by a mere hollow. 

"Yuzu..." the name rolled from my tongue as I felt a sudden change in Ichi's spiritual pressure to my left. 

Damn this hollow.

I cringed as a stinging sensation came over my body as he emerged from the house not paying any attention to me.

He was past his spiritual limit. A deep migraine settled in my mind as I watched him be focused solely on the monster who gripped his sister tightly in its hand.