Not a Mob: Psycho

Though she was a little dazed after being manhandled, that didn't stop Rukia from staring in awe as Ohta crushed a fairly powerful Hollow into nothingness. She could sense its Reishi dispersing normally, meaning he hadn't 'completely' destroyed it, but there were no traces of its body by the time Ohta lowered his hand.
"Pretty neat, huh?" asked Ohta, turning to look down at the awe-stricken Rukia. She looked up as he did so, but because of their proximity, she felt compelled to take a step back, turning away from him as she replied, "It's a powerful ability..."
"And that's just the tip," mused Ohta. "If you're lucky or ask nicely, I might give you a little more."
Failing to understand Ohta's innuendo, Rukia turned to meet Ohta's gaze, asking, "How did you come to possess these powers? Were you born with them?"
"Were you born with yours?" countered Ohta, sticking together the pieces of his splintered chair before sitting back down.
Realizing that Ohta wasn't going to reveal information about himself or his abilities willfully, Rukia exhaled a sigh before returning to his bed, taking a seat before replying, "Not exactly. Many years ago, I was just an ordinary human. It was many years after my death that I attained Spirit Energy and cultivated my abilities to their current, well, previous level..."
"Many years ago?" parroted Ohta, raising his brows before adopting a teasing smile and asking, "Just how old are you?"
Snorting through her nose, Rukia retorted, "Have you never heard the expression that it's not polite to ask a woman her age? All you need to know is that I'm much older than you."
"You certainly don't look it," countered Ohta. "And that isn't a dig at your height or anything. I'm mainly talking about your clothes. You mentioned that you didn't have any money earlier, so I'm curious to know where you got them from."
"..."
As she couldn't admit that she had stolen her outfit from Ichigo's eleven-year-old sister, Rukia deflected by asking, "Is that really important right now? Weren't you curious about Shinigami, Hollows, and the organization I'm a part of?"
"I am," admitted Ohta. "But if we're going to be working together for the next month, I need to understand your situation. Like, how did you end up transferring your powers to Ichigo? You mentioned a supplier, but how do you pay for things if you're broke?"
Closing her eyes, Rukia exhaled a profoundly exasperated sigh before opening them and revealing, "That boy, Kurosaki Ichigo, possesses Spirit Energy far beyond the capacity of a typical human. Hollows are typically attracted to such individuals, so I was observing him and his family when they came under siege by an entire group. I ended up sustaining a serious injury as a result of my carelessness and transferred my powers to Ichigo as a last resort. I originally only intended to give him half, but, for reasons I've yet to understand fully, he was able to absorb nearly all of my power."
"Wow, that sucks," remarked Ohta, feeling just a smidge of empathy for the petite Shinigami. At the same time, however, he couldn't help feeling confused, compelling him to ask, "But if the Hollows were too much for you, someone with experience, how was Ichigo able to defeat them? He isn't bad when it comes to streetfighting, but his movements at the park were nothing to write home about."
Furrowing her brows, Rukia hung her head and seriously pondered over Ohta's words. The latter might not know it, but the position of Lieutenant was fairly high within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. It was a position second only to a Division Captain, so she shouldn't have had any difficulty dispatching a group of Hollows, even with a Limiter restricting her to 20% of her total Spirit Energy. In fact, it was because she was strong that such a limiter was required...
"Did I hurt your feelings?" asked Ohta.
Shaking her head, Rukia replied, "That isn't it...I just don't know how to answer your question without making it sound like I'm making excuses. By all accounts, I should have been able to handle the Hollows that attacked the Kurosaki household with ease. Maybe..."
Not wanting to reveal the true reason she was keeping an eye on Ichigo and his family, being that he looked a lot like someone she deeply cared about, Rukia abruptly shook her head, saying, "Forget it. Next question."
"Sure," replied Ohta, repeating, "You mentioned a Supplier. How are you able to pay for things?"
"There is a currency in the world I come from, Soul Society, known as Kan," explained Rukia. "Members of the Thirteen Court Guardian Squads receive a salary, but it can only be used to purchase goods and services back in Soul Society. My Supplier serves as an intermediary between the Soul Society and Human World, so he's able to provide goods that would otherwise be unavailable to both..."
"And he can't set you up with some clothing?" asked Ohta. "I would understand if you're 'trying' to look like a kid, but your eyes are a dead giveaway..."
Similar to when Ohta had commented on her appearance at the door, Rukia's left eye twitched as she crossed her arms and replied, "It's not that simple...because of my circumstances, I had to use up most of my finances to secure a replacement body known as a Gigai. Without it, my Soul would become polluted by the natural energies of the Human World, putting me at risk of becoming a Hollow..."
"Ah, so you 'are' broke," noted Ohta. "Then, I'm guessing you stole those clothes from one of Ichigo's sisters?"
As he had hit the proverbial nail on the head, Rukia sweatdropped in response to Ohta's words. It didn't help that he immediately followed up by asking, "If you're broke, where are you staying right now? Ichigo's dad is pretty understanding, but I can't imagine him being okay with a random girl showing up out of nowhere and living with his family, especially when they're in the process of rebuilding."
"..."
Seeing Rukia avert her eyes, seemingly unwilling to answer, Ohta's brows perked up as he asked, "Are you homeless...?"
"Not...exactly..." replied Rukia. However, much like she was unwilling to admit she had stolen Yuzu's clothing, she couldn't just come out and say she was secretly living in Ichigo's closet. Even Ichigo wasn't aware of it, at least not yet...
"Not exactly...implying you're staying somewhere you shouldn't?" asked Ohta, subsequently guessing, "A local shrine, perhaps...?"
"Does it matter?" asked Rukia.
"It does," replied Ohta. "As you've no doubt realized by now, I treat most interactions as transactions. You know where I live, so it's only fair that I know where you stay. How else will I locate you if there's an emergency?"
"I'm staying with Ichigo..." replied Rukia, earning herself a skeptical and slightly amused look.
"I highly doubt that," replied Ohta. "Ichigo is a notorious busybody, but he wouldn't arrange to have you stay with him. He's much too overprotective of his family to allow that."
"..."
As it was Ichigo's desire to protect his family that allowed her to convince him to accept her power and take on her duties as a Shinigami, Rukia was unable to refute Ohta's words. She also didn't think he would be okay with letting her stay with him, or else she wouldn't have kept it a secret.
"Yeah, I thought so," appended Ohta. "That means you're either living in a storage closet or holing yourself up in their attic. In other words, you 'are' homeless."
"Yeah, and?" replied Rukia, getting a little defensive as she asked, "Are you saying all this to convince me to stay here?"
"You wish," replied Ohta. "I might consider it if you were ten centimeters taller and cast a shadow with your shirt off, but I'm not looking to get put on any lists."
Shaking his head, Ohta preempted Rukia's incensed response by stating, "You mentioned trust earlier, so how about this? I'll buy you clothes, food, and pay for you to have a place to stay. In exchange, once I die and go to this Soul Society you keep mentioning, you can return the favor. Now that I know there's a concrete afterlife, I might as well start investing."
Though she initially stared at Ohta as if he had completely lost his mind, Rukia eventually recovered her senses and replied, "Very well. However, I'll only be able to repay that debt if you enter the Shin'o Academy and become a Shinigami. Ordinary human souls are unable to enter the region of Soul Society where Shinigami and native-born Souls dwell."
"Sounds reasonable," replied Ohta. "Though, I'll have to see what Soul Society is like before making my final decision. If becoming a Shinigami means running around slaying Hollows, it sounds more like a punishment than a reward."
"There's a lot more to it than that," asserted Rukia. "Shinigami are charged with preserving the balance between the Human World, Soul Society, and the home of the Hollows, Hueco Mundo. Without our careful ministrations, all three realms would invariably collapse, resulting in unmitigable chaos."
"Sounds like the plot of a bad movie," replied Ohta, earning an accusatory glower for his troubles.
"What?" asked Ohta. "I didn't say your job wasn't important. In fact, it sounds like the 'most important' job in the entire world. I just can't know for certain if you're telling the truth, so I'll have to wait until I die before I make a decision."
Maintaining a pouty expression, Rukia asserted, "I have no reason to lie to you..."
"Maybe," admitted Ohta. "But I'd have to be incredibly naive to believe the words of someone I just met. Until I confirm things for myself, everything you've told me is little more than hearsay."
Rising to his feet, Ohta made his way over to his closet, pulling out a thick winter coat as he added, "Anyways, unless you intend to spend the night in an attic or closet, you should return to the Kurosaki household and get your things. The landlady here is pretty reasonable, so I'll talk to her and see if I can't arrange a place for you by the time you return. If not, I'll put you up at a nearby hotel."
Accepting the fur-lined jacket presented by Ohta, Rukia adopted a teasing smile and asserted, "Your personality is a bit rough around the edges, but you're truthfully a very kind person, aren't you?"
"What makes you say that?" asked Ohta, raising his brows out of genuine curiosity.
"We barely touched on the three subjects you initially wanted to discuss," replied Rukia. "Instead, you've pressed me for information about my living conditions and the circumstances surrounding my present predicament. I can't say I'm fond of your penchant for teasing, but I sincerely appreciate your willingness to lend me a hand in my time of need."
Adopting a deadpan expression, Ohta insisted, "You're reading too much into things. This is just a business transaction. Nothing more, nothing less. The moment you betray me or undermine my 'trust,' you'll never be able to regain it. Remember that."
"Of course," replied Rukia, maintaining a smile as she was unconvinced by Ohta's assertions. This wasn't her first time dealing with someone whose actions contradicted their words. Ohta may have a sharp tongue, but she was convinced he was a good person at heart.
Shaking his head, Ohta pretended to be more annoyed than he actually was, muttering, "Whatever..." in a muted tone. Rukia's misunderstanding was beneficial for him in the long run, so if she insisted on interpreting his actions as genuine kindness, he was willing to allow her delusions. After all, if she truly were a Shinigami, it would benefit him immensely to have a friend on the other side...
Donning Ohta's oversized coat, Rukia turned her eyes up at him and said, "I should return within the hour. If you fail to convince the landlady before then, prepare to sleep on the floor."
("The fuck...?") asked Ohta, albeit within his mind. Outwardly, he raised his brows, waiting until Rukia was about to step outside before warning, "You shouldn't take my previous remarks to heart. You may not be my type, but if you insist on sleeping in my bed, we'll be sharing it."
"Bold words," replied Rukia, slipping on her bunny-eared slippers as she added, "With a room such as this, it's fairly obvious you've never enjoyed the company of a woman. Don't force yourself to sound more mature than you actually are."
Turning back, Rukia expected to find Ohta with an offended look on his face. Instead, she found him staring at her with crossed arms and what could best be described as a wolfish, ostensibly amused smile...
...
..
.

Contrasting what he had told Rukia, Ohta didn't actually need to procure her a place to stay. His past self had already negotiated with the landlady to have the rooms above and adjacent to his apartment leased, two to use as storage and the other to prevent people from living above him. Thus, in the wake of Ruki'a departure, Ohta pulled out a spare key and entered the apartment next door, relocating several duffle bags filled with money and supplies to the room on the opposite side of the building.
While it was true he worked many odd jobs, Ohta wasn't nearly as fiscally impaired as Tatsuki thought him to be. Many of the injuries she believed he sustained from fighting were from crushing local drug rings and Yakuza groups. Thus, while he lived fairly frugally, he had around &yen;80,000,000 in non-sequential bills and a few hundred thousand in foreign currency and gold bullion. He also had a shipping container filled with confiscated guns down at the docks, but that was primarily because he thought it would be a waste to melt them down or toss them in the sea...
Roughly forty minutes after her departure, Rukia knocked on Ohta's door, the latter opening it to find the petite Shinigami standing outside with a pink, rabbit-themed gym bag.
"I'm starting to feel bad for Ichigo's sister..." remarked Ohta, earning a snort in response.
"Were you able to work something out with the landlady?" asked Rukia.
"Of course," replied Ohta. "When I presented her with the funds outright, she didn't even ask questions. The room next to mine also happened to be empty, so here, your key."
"Oh, that's convenient," remarked Rukia, accepting Ohta's explanation and the proferred key without question. She originally planned to use a device that could alter the memories of ordinary humans to mislead the landlady into believing she had the proper documentation, but the device only had so many uses. Six had been used to alter the memories of Ichigo's family in the wake of the previous Hollow attacks, so she was a little worried she would run out before returning to Soul Society.
Following Rukia into her apartment, Ohta asked, "Should we go shopping now, or would you prefer to wait until tomorrow? Most department stores are closed by now, but there are a few 24-hour stores we can visit."
Adopting a smile, Rukia replied, "That's very considerate of you. However, I should have everything I require for tonight and tomorrow. As such, let's postpone shopping until tomorrow afternoon."
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta offered a dismissive, "If you say so," before baiting Rukia's response by attempting to leave.
"Where are you going?" asked the petite Shinigami. "Do you not still have questions for me?"
"I do," answered Ohta, subsequently musing, "But I'm honestly not fond of long discussions. I don't mind keeping you company, but it would save time if you wrote everything in a notebook. That way, I could reference it at a later date."
"I don't mind," replied Rukia, quickly clarifying, "Writing things down, that is. Relationships between Shinigami and humans are strictly prohibited by law."
"Oh? And in all your years as a Shinigami, you've never once violated these so-called laws?" asked Ohta. "For some reason, I seriously doubt that."
Furrowing her brows, Rukia wanted to protest, but her current plight was an egregious violation of several laws and statutes. If it were discovered she transferred her Shinigami powers to a human, it was conceivable that both she and Ichigo would be executed. The penalty for 'consorting' with a human was a simple ten-year ban on traveling to the Human World, so it was an infinitely lesser offense.
Crossing her arms in a closed-off posture and averting her eyes, Rukia responded with verbose silence.
Raising his hand in mock surrender, Ohta remarked, "Whoa, now. It was just a joke. Didn't mean to offend or upset you."
Shaking her head, Rukia softly assured, "You didn't...I just have a lot going on right now, and your comment reminded me of a personal matter. Still, I would appreciate it if you abstained from such remarks in the future..."
"Fair enough," replied Ohta, lowering his hands as he added, "Then I'll go ahead and leave you to your devices. If anything comes up, just pound on the wall."
Though she looked like she had more to say, Rukia didn't thwart Ohta's second attempt to leave. Instead, she waited for him to depart before sitting on her bed and exhaling a profoundly exasperated sigh. She had been doing her best to ignore it, but Ohta's teasing reminded her of how serious her predicament was. If she couldn't regain her powers before her month-long assignment concluded, Soul Society would invariably send a team to capture her, likely killing anyone that stood in their way. She could delay them using the excuse she was conducting an investigation, but, as a Lieutenant, she could only be away from her Division for so long...
Burying her face into her hands, Rukia, albeit only for a fleeting moment, regretted sending Ohta away. She knew little about him, but with a literal deadline approaching, being alone made her anxious...
...
..
.
*tok tok tok tok*
Opening his eyes before the second knock could reverberate through his room, Ohta briefly gazed at his alarm clock to find it was 2:19 AM. Instead of lamenting the disruption, however, he immediately parted with his bed, making his way over to the front door and opening it to find Rukia wearing his winter coat over a pair of pajama bottoms.
Holding up her cell phone, Rukia explained, "A Hollow is scheduled to appear near the riverbank at 2:30 AM, plus or minus ten minutes. How soon can you be ready?"
"Thirty seconds," replied Ohta, retreating to the interior of his room to retrieve a hoodie, a baseball cap, and a facemask. He had the habit of sleeping fully clothed after having one of his safehouses set ablaze in the middle of winter, so it didn't even take the full thirty seconds to return, earning a surprised, "You're an extremely prepared person, aren't you?" from Rukia.
"It's better than being caught unawares," replied Ohta. "Now, how are we getting to the riverbank? Can you run in that form?"
"I can," replied Rukia. "But I'm too slow to reach the riverbank in time. I'll need you to carry me."
Raising his brows, Ohta asked, "Like...a princess carry? Or should I throw you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes?"
Furrowing her brows, Rukia asserted, "I'll ride on your back. Turn around and get on your knees."
"Tempting, but no thanks," replied Ohta, surprising Rukia by placing his hand on her head. Less than a second later, a tri-colored aura that was invisible to the naked eye surrounded her body.
"What do you think you're doing!?' exclaimed Rukia, batting away Ohta's hand before taking a step back and adopting a defensive posture.
"I'm not fond of having to protect people," replied Ohta. "So I transferred some of my power to you. I won't go into the specifics, but you should be able to fly so long as you can form a proper image."
Demonstrating his point, Ohta abruptly leaped into the sky, hands in the front pocket of his hoodie as he looked down at Rukia from above. To his immense surprise, she immediately followed after him, a curious look on her face as she asked, "You can transfer your power to others? How long does it last...?"
"As long as I want it to," replied Ohta. "Though it does tend to fade after an hour if I don't willfully sustain it. Just do me a favor and stay out of the way, okay? I gave you that power to prevent you from being a liability, not so you could show off."
"Yeah, whatever..." replied Rukia, making a show of rolling her eyes before taking the initiative to speed off in the direction of the riverbank. Ohta had no trouble catching up to her, but it was clear at a glance that Rukia had a fair amount of experience with flying. Her method was different from his, involving condensing energy at the base of her feet and using it to propel herself forward like riding a platform, but it was efficient.
"Are Shinigami usually able to fly?" asked Ohta, keeping pace with Rukia despite flying backward. Curiously enough, even though there was a lot of wind whipping past them, communication wasn't affected&mdash;one of the many peculiarities of existing in a cartoon world.
Instead of immediately responding to Ohta's question, Rukia descended from the sky, touching down near the riverbank's edge. It was only when he touched down next to her that she responded, "It's a technique called Geppo(Moon Walk), typically used by high-ranking Shinigami. It involves gathering spirit particles at the base of the feet to create a platform, so it isn't true flight..."
Turning to look up at Ohta, Rukia added, "More importantly...your power is incredibly versatile. It functions similarly to Spirit Energy, but the feeling is completely different. It's a lot more responsive, requiring almost no actual control..."
"Neat," replied Ohta. "But I've had this power pretty much my entire life. I don't exactly need others to tell me how it's used."
Shaking her head, Rukia asserted, "That wasn't my intention. I was going to say that if you received proper training, you could potentially learn the movement and combat techniques of Shinigami. Your physical form would constrain you, but they could prove useful in a pinch."
Recalling how Rukia had moved faster than his eyes could follow during their first encounter, Ohta didn't hesitate to respond, "Sounds interesting. When we get some time, teach them to me."
Adopting a sly grin, Rukia teased, "You want me to teach you Shinigami techniques when you won't even explain your power to me?"
"..."
Resisting the urge to point out he could yeet her into space if he wanted to, Ohta responded, "You already agreed to tell me about Shinigami. Are their techniques not a part of what makes them special?"
"Perhaps," replied Rukia. "But there's a difference between telling you what we're capable of and teaching you our methods. Generally speaking, prospective Shinigami would need to attend the Shin'o Academy for three years before learning proper techniques."
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta mused, "Then I guess I'll just have to wait until I die before learning them. That is, assuming I don't create my own. I'm pretty astute when I want to be."
Exhaling a faint chuckle, Rukia replied, "I don't doubt that. Just try not to flaunt your power in front of other Shinigami. If it's determined you pose a threat to the existing balance, you could become a target for elimination. I know you-"
Interrupting Rukia's warning, several figures crashed into the river's bank, kicking up dust clouds or creating large plumes of water. From within, several animastic Hollows emerged, but before they could even unleash their characteristic screams, their bodies converged to a point in the sky, compacting against one another as Ohta flexed his fingers and made a grasping gesture with his right hand.
"Go ahead and finish your sentence," mused Ohta. "I'm curious to hear the rest."
Seeing five Hollows being crushed to a pulp without being able to resist, Rukia found herself at a momentary loss for words. None of the five were particularly strong, but their numbers would have proven an issue for the average, unseated Shinigami. Even Ichigo might have struggled against them if he were surrounded, so seeing Ohta handle them with a wave of his hand was awe-inducing...
Instead of awaiting Rukia's response, Ohta finished the Hollows with the ease of squeezing a stress ball, casually remarking, "Well, that takes care of that. Any other Hollows scheduled to appear?"
"Uh..."
Pulling out her cell phone, Rukia quickly skimmed through her messages before responding, "Not in the area I'm meant to patrol..."
"Then we have two options," remarked Ohta. "We can head back and get some rest or patrol until sunrise. Your choice."
"You're willing to patrol even though there are no Hollows scheduled to appear?" asked Rukia.
"I never knew when they would appear in the past," contended Ohta, adding, "And I doubt your cell phone is completely accurate if you were caught off guard while stalking Ichigo and his family. Since we're already out and about, we may as well do our due diligence."
Though her brows furrowed when Ohta accused her of stalking Ichigo and his family, Rukia summarily regained her smile and replied, "Sure. I'd also like to familiarize myself with your power, so shall we circle the city a few times?"
"Try not to lag behind," teased Ohta, taking off into the sky the moment he was finished speaking. Rukia did her utmost to catch up and overtake him, but unless he allowed it, she had absolutely no chance of surpassing him using his own power...
...
..
.

After staring at Ohta for several seconds, the raven-haired girl answered, "I am Lieutenant Kuchiki Rukia of the Thirteen Court Guardian Squads. Now, tell me, you're the one that appeared the other night, right? The one who took down a Hollow in a single blow?"
"And if I am?" asked Ohta, maintaining a smile as psychic energy began to exude from his body.
Seemingly oblivious to Ohta's threat, Rukia caught him a little off guard by abruptly bowing her head and responding, "Then, please, help me protect this town. Just one month will do!"
"That depends on you," replied Ohta, earning a confused, "What do you mean?" from Rukia as she raised her head.
"Well, you can't expect me to work for free, now, can you?" asked Ohta. "I may lend a hand every now and then, but I'm ultimately just a high school student. Fighting monsters seems more like the schtick of these 'Thirteen Court Guardian Squads' you mentioned."
"Ah..."
Though she was tempted to lecture Ohta about benevolence and doing the right thing, Rukia knew it would be somewhat hypocritical of her as even the members of her organization got paid. Asking him to put his life on the line without compensation wasn't exactly reasonable...
Crossing her arms and closing her eyes, seemingly in deep thought, Rukia remarked, "I don't have any money. But I can promise that, when you die, glory awaits you in the afterlife..."
"And I'm meant to trust you on that?" asked Ohta. "For all I know, you'll throw me under the bus and skip town the first moment you get."
"I would do no such thing!" responded Rukia, staring up at Ohta with a serious, ostensibly offended look on her face.
"Maybe," admitted Ohta. "But have you ever met a conman who admitted to being a deceiver? I know nothing about you other than your name and affiliation with a mysterious organization. Also, even if you wouldn't betray me, there's a chance your superiors might see things differently. What will you do if they determine your promise holds no merit?"
Unable to respond to or refute Ohta's words, Rukia hung her head and remained silent for several seconds, only offering a faint "Please..." when the former turned to leave.
Staring back at Rukia over his shoulder, Ohta found her bowing a second time. Her blue and white spaghetti string dress made the position a little compromising, but she didn't really have anything to exhibit, even if Ohta snuck a peek.
Catching Rukia off guard, Ohta teased, "You're really bad a this. Don't you know that knowledge and information are as good as currency in high-stakes situations? If you agree to tell me what I wish to know, I don't mind helping you take care of those masked monsters. What did you call them again, Hollows?"
Raising her head, Rukia adopted an assured smile as she remarked, "You would truly lend me your assistance? I knew you were a noble soul...!"
"I have my moments," replied Ohta. "Also, my name is Ohta, Yamada Ohta. I'd say it's nice to meet you, Kuchiki-san, but my intuition tells me you're going to bring me a lot of problems."
Realizing that Ohta was teasing her, Rukia playfully retorted, "You're free to run away if you get scared."
("Cheeky...") thought Ohta, adopting an amused smile as he asked, "So, what now? I'm assuming you're the reason Ichigo was at the park, hitting pepper-filled balls like a madman. Don't you need to watch over him or something?"
"That idiot..." muttered Rukia, smacking her head as she revealed, "The pepper-filled balls are duds. He's 'supposed' to be hitting the ones with faces on them..."
Exhaling a tired sigh that belied her appearance and made her seem much older, Rukia looked up at Ohta and said, "It's a complicated story, but that boy, Kurosaki Ichigo, has inherited my powers as a Shinigami. He's agreed to take on my duties until my powers have returned, but I fear he may not be cut out for such a responsibility. He complains at every opportunity he gets..."
"Well, yeah," replied Ohta, leaving Rukia at a momentary loss for words as he asserted, "You're a Shinigami of the Thirteen Court Guardian Squads, or whatever you called them. I assume it's your duty, and you've received all kinds of training to help prepare you to fight against Hollows. Ichigo and I are ultimately just High School students. Expecting him to take your job as seriously as you do is unreasonable."
"..."
"Anyways, I'm going to take off," said Ohta, turning to leave as he added, "You should probably get back to Ichigo and actually pay attention to his training. I would also complain if the person who asked me to do their job read manga while I busted my ass..."
Blinking in surprise, Rukia opened her mouth, looking like she wanted to defend her actions but couldn't find the words to say. Instead, she called out to Ohta once he was about ten meters away, shouting, "I'll come and find you once Ichigo is finished for the day!"
"Knock yourself out," replied Ohta, raising his hand without turning to look back at the self-proclaimed Shinigami. He had quite a few questions for her, but he would rather not be caught discussing the supernatural in the middle of a public sidewalk on his only day off...*
Following Ohta's departure with her eyes, Rukia softly remarked, "What a strange human. I'm not sure if he's conscientious or simply enjoys putting people in their place..."
Shaking her head, Rukia decided to save her investigation into Ohta's nature and abilities until later. Now that he had pointed it out, she felt a little guilty about leaving Ichigo to his own devices. She wouldn't ignore her subordinates in the 13th Division, so she definitely shouldn't neglect the person who had agreed to take on her duties and responsibilities...
...
..
.
Though he wasn't sure when, or even if, Rukia would come to visit, Ohta took an afternoon nap, waking up around 7 PM and taking a cold shower to ensure he was fully awake. Fortunately, his efforts weren't for naught as, in the midst of drying his hair, a soft knocking emanated from his front door.
Slipping on a pair of track pants, Ohta elected to answer the door without a shirt, earning a wide-eyed stare from the much shorter Rukia, dressed in a white, blue-trimmed camisole with a sunflower on the chest, blue-jean shorts, and bunny-eared slippers.
"Why do all your outfits look like you stole them from a prepubescent girl's closet?" asked Ohta.
Though it was only for a brief moment, Rukia's left eye twitched as she deflected, asking, "Why are you shirtless?"
"I just got out of the shower," replied Ohta. "Besides, this is my home, and I'm perfectly secure. Now, do you wanna keep standing out in the cold, or do you want to come inside?"
Exhaling a sigh, Rukia made her way into the interior of Ohta's apartment, surprised by how clean and spartan it was. Other than a neatly made bed, a dresser, a simple wooden desk, a wooden chair, a rug, and the diorama Ohta had completed the previous day, there was nothing of note.
"This is where you live?" asked Rukia. "It looks more like a prison cell than a proper dwelling..."
"It's just a temporary residence until I finish High School," replied Ohta. "I hate having to relocate a bunch of stuff when I move, so I'll worry about furniture and decorations once I lease a proper house."
While responding to Rukia, Ohta moved over to his dresser, retrieving a black tank top. He doubted Rukia actually minded seeing him shirtless, as he was fairly athletic and muscular, but it would make conversing easier if she weren't distracted by his abs.
Noticing that Rukia was staring at him, Ohta adopted a teasing smile and asked, "Disappointed?"
"Hardly!" replied Rukia, crossing her arms and taking another look around the room before making her way over to the bed and taking a seat. She expected Ohta to sit a respectable distance away from her, but he made things simple by pulling out the wooden chair and staddling it backward, allowing him to rest his crossed arms on the backrest.
"Hardly doesn't mean no," teased Ohta. "No need to be ashamed. I know I look good."
"You're very arrogant," remarked Rukia, adding, "Also, I didn't come here to play games. Like you, I have many questions. Chief among them being, how were you able to defeat that Hollow? I didn't sense any Spirit Energy within your attack."
"And you call me arrogant?" asked Ohta. "You haven't even answered my questions, yet you're probing me for answers. I told you that information is a form of currency, so what makes you think I would reveal the details of my power all willy-nilly? It benefits me in no way."
"I see..." replied Rukia, furrowing her brows as she admitted, "There is certainly some truth to your words. But if we're going to work together, there should at least be 'some' trust between us..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta replied, "Then feel free to tell me one of your weaknesses. Something that would ruin you if it became known to others. Because that's basically what you're asking of me when you ask for an explanation of my power."
"..."
Taking advantage of Rukia's silence, Ohta added, "All that matters is that I'm capable of killing those monsters called Hollows. That's the reason you approached me, right?"
"Right..." replied Rukia. She felt compelled to learn more about Ohta's power, but the most important thing was that he was able to get the job done. Everything else was secondary, so she sat straighter, adopted a serious expression, and questioned, "Then tell me, Yamada Ohta, what knowledge do you seek in exchange for your services?"
"Nothing major," assured Ohta. "I mainly want to know about Shinigami, Hollows, and the Thirteen Court Guardian Squads you mentioned earlier. I'll likely have more questions after, but that's a good start."
"And how do I know you'll help me after I answer your questions?" asked Rukia. "You can't seem to trust me, so why should I trust you?"
"To set the example?" replied Ohta, adding, "You're the one that needs my help, so you kind of 'have' to trust me. Then, based on your actions, I may come to trust you. That's generally the way things work when you petition someone to fight and risk their life on your behalf."
Taken aback by Ohta's words, Rukia remained silent for several seconds before asking, "Are you really a high school student? Your nature is even worse than my supplier..."
"I'll take your word for it," replied Ohta. "Now, are you going to answer my questions, or did you come all this way for nothing?"
"I'll-"
Before Rukia could answer, a high-pitched alarm began to ring, emanating from the phone in her pocket. She casually pulled it out, but when she saw what was displayed, her eyes widened as she abruptly leaped toward Ohta, shouting, "Move...!"
Though Ohta moved out of the way just as a mask-wearing monster rose up from his chair, things didn't play out as Rukia had pictured them in her mind. She expected to tackle him to safety, but Ohta dodged back at the same speed as her leap, catching her out of the air and hugging her to his chest as he evaded the creature with ease.
"You're pretty light," remarked Ohta, holding Rukia with his left hand as he extended his right toward the red-skinned monster with messy black hair, a humanoid bone mask, and a snake-like lower body. It tried to charge at him with an open mouth, revealing a second, much smaller mouth within its abyssal black maw, but it didn't get far before a tri-colored aura spread across its body, freezing it in place.
"You were curious about my power, right?" asked Ohta, releasing Rukia from his hold as he said, "Then pay close attention..."
Punctuating his statement, Ohta began closing his hand, compressing the red-skinned monstrosity into a tiny ball. This time, however, he continued the process until the Hollow had vanished completely, sparing himself the possibility of spending the evening cleaning up blood and gore...
...
..
.

Chapter 7: Friends With Benefits