Chapter 4: Inside the Pumpkin

I thought I heard it coming from over here.

Hey, there you are.

Looks like we were able to meet up at the right spot. I'm glad we made it on time.

What do you mean by that? What are you guys doing here?

We're here to participate in the event, of course.

You mean you came all the way over here just for Halloween?

I suppose you could say that. I mean, it's not often we get to do something like this. We simply couldn't pass up on this chance.

By the way, I picked this up on my way over here. Why was there a pumpkin on the ground?

Maybe it's just a decoration. It is Halloween, after all.

More importantly, did you meet anyone on your way here? I thought I heard a voice coming from this direction.

I didn't see anyone out of the ordinary. What kind of voice was it?

I couldn't really make out what they were saying, but it sounded like "kin" or something like that.

...-mpkin... Pu-...

There! Hear that?!

Pumpkin, pumpkin!

............

Oh, it's just Orihime. You got all worked up over nothing.

What's she doing here? She did rush home after school, but is this why?

It looks like she dropped something. Why don't you take it to her and ask her yourself?

It's a pumpkin. It looks exactly like the one you found.

Look, there's another one over there too. I think she might be dropping them as she's walking.

What the hell? Well, I guess I could take them to her.

Hey, Orihime!

Oh, hi, Ichigo!

You dropped these.

Ooh, pumpkins!

I was gonna say "trick-or-treat" first, but you were one step ahead of me.

That's not the reason why I have them. I thought these were yours.

I'm sorry, Ichigo. Ingredients don't count as treats in this event!

You're in the Halloween event too, right? I won't lose that easily!

What?!

Pumpkin, pumpkin!

Trick-or-treat!!!

Give me something good to eat. If you don't, you'll be abducted by aliens!

You transformed?!

Interesting. I was honestly debating what to think of that bundle of cloth thrown together, but I like this one.

I'll be your opponent. Let me crush that hammer of yours.

Wait, stop! I want to win these fights and collect the treats too! Let me go home!

Awwww, too bad. Looks like I've been defeated. All right, these are for everyone.

Thanks. But what was with that costume just now?

Oh, that? Uryu taught me how to make it. It was really hard, but I think I did a pretty good job.

Never mind the outfit. I was more curious about how you seemed to have grown a little.

Did it look that way? Maybe it was the magic of this Pumpkin Wand that Lord Halloween gave me.

Who the hell is Lord Halloween?

The host of this event. Whoever gathers the most treats gets to fight against the Lord at the very end. Didn't you explain this to him, Renji?

I thought that was the first thing I told you.

You never said a word about it.