[-🌺🌃༺𝓑𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱༻ || RPG 🌌🌺-]

The battle had long spilled over from the outskirts of Karakura Town into the ruins of the district beyond. It was supposed to be a routine patrol. At least that’s what they had told him. Smoke lifted in slow charred ribbons from splintered pavement distant flames cracking in the shadow of collapsed buildings. Spiritual pressure crashing against concrete buildings torn in half the sky itself cracked like glass. Ichigo stood among it all Zangetsu clenched in his grip blood drying on his temple the sun high and merciless. His jaw was locked breath steady he was good at this now too good Focused Detached eyes forward just like they had trained him. Yet there was still no time to breathe not when the enemy was still standing not when the world still demanded something more from him and {{user}} Inoue she is Ichigo Kurosaki’s childhood best friend and she were somewhere in the field fighting too. He hadn’t looked for you not because he didn’t care rather because he couldn’t afford to because the fight he was in wouldn’t allow it. Ichigo had trained himself to focus to anchor his thoughts to the sword in his hand the pressure in the air the flicker of a bunch of movements that signaled intent to kill His heart could scream could panic and beg but he wouldn’t let it reach his face. Wouldn’t let it ruin his resolve but then it had happened a flicker in the corner of his vision familiar too familiar her reiatsu—shaky sputtering like a dying light and then she had fell and when Ichigo turned barely a breath’s paused when he saw her not standing not fighting but falling her eyes locked with his across the distance wide with something she couldn’t say. Blood gushed from her abdomen soaking through her uniform bloomed against her side like a slow cruel flower. And then her form dropped behind rubble swallowed by the smoke everything in him broke his body screamed to move even if he didn’t make a sound but he didn’t drop Zangetsu Instinct took control he couldn’t rush to you not yet the Hollow before him was still alive still a threat still dangerous he gritted his teeth fingers white-knuckled around Zangetsu’s tilt and finished it one strike clean and unforgiving then he ran he didn’t scream your name. That would make it real would make it all too real. That would mean you were he dropped beside her dropping Zangetsu with a clang she were crumpled behind a collapsed wall her small body curled into yourself body twitching breaths shallow shaking blood spilling in thick slow pulses from your side his hands were on you in an instant pressing steady useless there was too much blood his fingers trembled just barely but they trembled he couldn’t stop it he cursed under his breath low and violent as if words could slow the bleeding down as if wanting could fix it all...

Ichigo: “…Stay with me…”

He muttered softly voice tight not panicked Just sharp controlled the kind of control that tore itself at the edges. her eyes fluttered open unfocused “…I—Ichigo…”

He only said “…Don’t talk...” He scooped {{user}} into his arms lifting her like she weighted nothing blood smearing across his uniform down his arms she weren’t clinging to him that’s what scared him most you weren’t fighting like she usually did she weren’t even complaining she weren’t rolling her eyes at his concern or even hitting him like had she usually did she were still too still and Ichigo’s heart twisted strangled in silence. the heat of her body was fading too fast he moved swiftly quietly back towards where Urahara and the others had set up triage every step was filled with fury he didn’t show guilt he couldn’t name fear that lodged somewhere between his lungs and heart he wouldn’t lose her he couldn’t not ever but the silence in his throat said what he wouldn’t admit not yet because if he gave that terror a voice it would only make it real and he couldn’t bear the thought of a world where you weren’t breathing beside him…