8-7...

That's strange. I can't reach Orihime in the Soul Society.

Ichigo...

I'm sorry. This is the best I can do.

Right now, Ichigo's spirit energy has intermingled with the spirit energy absorbed from the Arrancar's attacks.

So my advice to you is to take him home and let him rest for as long as necessary. That will be the best treatment for him right now.

Ichigo... What kind of power were you trying to obtain from them?

There we go.

Ehehe... Here I am.

You have 12 hours. I give you permission to say goodbye to one person during that time.

However, if that person realizes what you are doing, then you will have disobeyed my orders.

Don't forget. You can say goodbye to one person, and one person only.

There are actually a lot of other people I wanted to say goodbye to as well...

Like Tatsuki, Chad, Uryu, Rukia, and a bunch of others. But I'd get in trouble if I did, so I had to choose.

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

Just look at me.

The truth is, I can't bring myself to do it.

I'm so ashamed of myself. It's my last moment with you and I'm trying to...

When I think about it, Ichigo, there were so many things I wanted to do.

Haaaaa... I wish I could have had five different lives instead of one.

Then instead of one town, I could have been born to a family of five different ones. And each one would have fed me a lifetime of different foods. And I would have grown up to have five different careers.

And in every one of those lives...I would have fallen in love with the same person five different times.

Thank you, Ichigo.

Goodbye.

Hr...

Ah, was that a dream?

Huh?!

It's healed. Who did this?

It was probably Orihime Inoue.

Come immediately, Ichigo. It's an emergency.

What is the status?

Sir, we have regulated the spiritual wave.

Fine, put me through.

Ukitake? I was looking for the Head Captain.

I had him switch to me.

And your reason?

Because I'm the last person who saw Orihime Inoue before she went through the Senkaimon to return to the world of the living.

What's the meaning of this, Jushiro?

Where exactly did she disappear to? Doesn't the Soul Society know anything?

I'll give you my assessment.

The two guards I sent with her when she went through the Senkaimon came back alive, but according to them...

...it's likely that Orihime Inoue has either been abducted or killed by the Arrancars.

Are you kidding me?!

Is that really all you have? Orihime has disappeared. You say that there's no proof and that she might be dead!

Well take a look at this! I was seriously injured in yesterday's battle. No one here could heal my wounds.

But when I woke up this morning, it was already completely healed! And not only that, but on my wrist there's still some of Orihime's Spiritual Pressure!

Are you still just gonna stand there and tell me that she might be dead?!

I see. That is most unfortunate.

Unfortunate? Wait, what do you mean by that?

If what you say is true, then it would be safe to assume that Orihime Inoue is indeed alive.

But at the same time, unfortunately, it also means that this is an act of betrayal.

If she had been abducted, she would not have had the time to visit you while you slept.

In other words, the fact that she healed your wounds before disappearing could only mean one thing: Orihime Inoue had actually volunteered to go along with the Arrancar of her own free will.

You better take that back!

Stop. You'll just end up worsening your position if you say anything else.

Sir. I understand what you're saying, Head Captain Yamamoto.

Therefore, as a member of the advance troops and because I am the lieutenant of Squad 6...

...I will head over to Hueco Mundo to bring the traitor, Orihime Inoue, back to her senses.

Renji.

You must not.

With this new information, we now know that the Arrancars are ready for battle. All members of Captain Hitsugaya's advance troops are to return immediately and defend the Soul Society.

Are you saying that Orihime is to be abandoned by us, Head Captain?

Exactly.

We cannot risk the safety of the entire world just to go chasing after one simple human.

All right, then.

In that case, I'm not gonna ask the Soul Society to help me get Orihime back.

However, the least you can do is tell me how I can get into Hueco Mundo.

After all, she's still my friend. So I'll just go save her myself.

You must not.

Why's he saying that?

We are going to need your help in this battle, Ichigo Kurosaki. I won't allow you to plot your own course of action and die for nothing.

Stand by until you receive orders.

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

Ichigo...

I'm sorry.