Chapter 118: XCUTION (part 2)
The tension in the Xcution headquarters was palpable. Ginjo paced back and forth, his frustration etched into every line of his face.
"They're making a mockery of us," he growled.
Riruka crossed her arms, her cheeks flushed with anger. "I don't know who those two think they are, but they're dead meat."
Jackie nodded grimly. "They're treating this like a joke. It's time to show them we mean business."
Unbeknownst to them, Harry and Ichigo were eavesdropping from the shadows, their reiatsu masked. Harry leaned toward Ichigo, whispering, "Dead meat, huh? Should I pretend to cry now or later?"
Ichigo snorted, barely suppressing his laughter. "You're going to make them lose their minds."
Harry grinned. "That's the plan."
As the duo walked out of the shadows, they spotted Chad and Orihime waiting for them in a nearby alley. Chad stood with his usual stoicism, but the faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Orihime, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with excitement.
"Did you see their faces?" Orihime asked, giggling. "They're so mad!"
Harry chuckled. "Oh, we're just getting started. Ready to make this a team effort?"
Chad nodded. "As long as no one gets hurt too badly."
Ichigo smirked. "Define 'too badly.'"
The group returned to Xcution's headquarters, boldly walking through the front door. Ginjo, Riruka, Jackie, Yukio, and a still-dazed Tsukishima were waiting for them.
"You've got some nerve showing your faces here," Ginjo snarled, drawing his weapon.
Harry raised his hands in mock surrender. "Whoa, whoa, let's not get hasty. We come in peace. Mostly."
Ichigo stepped forward, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, we just wanted to talk… and maybe poke fun at you a little. Nothing personal."
"Personal?" Riruka snapped. "You humiliated us! You sabotaged our training, you stole Tsukishima's power, and you—"
"Made you look foolish?" Harry supplied helpfully.
Riruka screamed in frustration and lunged at him.
What followed was a chaotic ballet of mischief.
Yukio's Trap: Yukio activated his Fullbring, trapping the group in a video-game world. The environment resembled a dungeon, complete with ominous music and pixelated walls.
"Oh no," Harry deadpanned. "Whatever shall we do in this retro nightmare?"
Ichigo laughed as Harry casually tapped the walls, causing them to glitch and dissolve. Within moments, the entire simulation collapsed, leaving Yukio staring at the remnants of his power in disbelief.
Riruka's Dollhouse: Riruka attempted to trap Orihime in her dollhouse. Orihime, however, played along, pretending to be fascinated by the tiny furniture and figurines.
"This is so cute!" Orihime exclaimed, rearranging the furniture with glee.
Riruka's eye twitched. "You're supposed to be terrified!"
Orihime tilted her head. "Why? Can I keep this?"
Harry appeared beside Riruka, munching on popcorn he'd conjured. "You should just give it to her. She'll take better care of it than you ever could."
Riruka screamed again.
Jackie's Boots: Jackie activated her Fullbring, her boots glowing with power. She charged at Chad, expecting a clash of strength.
Chad sidestepped calmly, causing Jackie to crash into a wall. "You okay?" he asked, his voice as neutral as ever.
Jackie growled, her boots sparking. "You're infuriating."
Chad shrugged. "I get that a lot."
Ginjo's Swordplay: Ginjo, tired of the antics, went straight for Harry. Swinging his massive blade with precision, he aimed for a decisive strike.
Harry yawned, casually sidestepping every swing. "You're trying so hard, and I respect that. Really."
Ginjo's frustration boiled over. "Fight me seriously!"
Harry tilted his head. "You couldn't handle me being serious."
By the end of the day, the Xcution group was exhausted, bruised, and utterly humiliated. Ginjo slumped into a chair, glaring at the group of misfits who had ruined his plans.
"You're all insane," he muttered.
Harry leaned against a table, grinning. "Insane? Maybe. Fun? Absolutely."
Ichigo crossed his arms, smirking. "You brought this on yourselves."
Orihime giggled. "We should do this again sometime!"
Chad nodded. "It was… entertaining."
As the group left the headquarters, Harry turned back and gave Ginjo a mock salute. "Until next time!"
Ginjo groaned, burying his face in his hands.
The Xcution headquarters stood silent. The remnants of Ginjo's group sat in uneasy anticipation, their spirits broken from weeks of relentless antics by Harry, Ichigo, and even Chad and Orihime.
Ginjo's patience had reached its end. He slammed his fist on the table, his face a mask of desperation. "Enough of this! If they come back here, we'll—"
A faint ripple of spiritual energy cut him off. The air grew heavy, and a dark pressure filled the room. Ginjo's eyes darted to the source: Harry, standing in the doorway, his usual playful demeanor replaced with something far colder. Ichigo stood beside him, his own reiatsu subdued but unyielding.
"You know," Harry began, his voice calm yet edged with an unsettling finality, "this was fun for a while. But playtime's over."
Before Ginjo could react, Harry vanished. In an instant, he appeared behind Riruka, his hand glowing faintly. She gasped, her body freezing as Harry tapped her shoulder.
"Sleep," he whispered, his power sinking into her soul. A soft, pale light flowed from her into Harry's palm, and Riruka collapsed, her Fullbring abilities stripped away.
"W-What are you doing?" Yukio shouted, summoning his gaming console to trap Harry in a digital world.
Harry didn't even glance at him. With a wave of his hand, Yukio's device shattered, and the boy crumpled to the ground, his Fullbring dissolving into the ether as Harry absorbed its essence.
Ichigo watched in silence, his expression conflicted.
Ginjo roared in fury, lunging at Harry with his blade glowing. "You think you can just—"
Harry caught the blade with two fingers, his eyes flashing with a mix of deathly black and divine gold. Ginjo's power unraveled before his eyes, the spiritual energy being siphoned directly into Harry.
"Power without purpose," Harry murmured. "A waste."
Ginjo collapsed, his strength gone, his body limp.
When it was done, the Xcution members were gone—stripped of their abilities and rendered powerless. Harry had absorbed their genetic and spiritual ties to Fullbring, solidifying his own connection to the ability while subtly enhancing Ichigo's latent potential.
The aftermath was eerily quiet. As they walked away from the now-abandoned headquarters, Ichigo finally spoke.
"You didn't have to kill them."
Harry shrugged. "They were a threat, Ichigo. A minor one, but a threat nonetheless. Besides, I didn't kill them all. Just… neutralized them permanently. Tsukishima will wake up tomorrow as an ordinary man."
Ichigo sighed. "You're ruthless sometimes, you know that?"
Harry smirked. "And you're still too soft. It's a miracle we get along."
Weeks passed, and the Kurosaki household found itself in an uncharacteristic state of peace. Harry had taken up residence with the family, claiming he was "too lazy" to bother with finding his own place.
Isshin grumbled about it constantly, though he clearly enjoyed Harry's company.
"Don't you have some divine palace or something to crash in?" Isshin asked one evening, gesturing wildly.
Harry leaned back in his chair, smirking. "I do. But your cooking's better."
Yuzu beamed at the compliment, setting a plate of steaming food in front of him.
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You're like a freeloading uncle who refuses to leave."
Karin scoffed. "At least he's cooler than you."
Harry laughed, ruffling Karin's hair.
Even Orihime and Chad stopped by frequently, joining the family for meals and recounting their escapades. Despite Harry's overwhelming power and occasional ruthlessness, his presence brought a strange sense of warmth and stability to their lives.
Late one night, Ichigo found Harry sitting on the roof, staring at the stars.
"You're surprisingly quiet tonight," Ichigo said, sitting down beside him.
Harry smiled faintly. "Just thinking. It's… nice, you know? To have moments like this. Peace. Family. It's something I haven't had in a long while."
Ichigo nodded, his gaze following Harry's.
AN: the next Chapter will be the beginning of the TYBW, drop some Powerstones for me, please. YOUR help is appreciated.