Chapter Text
It was finally over. The blood-soaked chaos, the endless screams, and the weight of despair that had gripped every heart had come to an end. The war that had devoured their world closed with the collapse of its greatest shadow: Yhwach. The self-proclaimed ruler of fate, the emperor of the Quincy, and all his terrifying forms—Yuhabaha, Enrrabada, and even the old man with the extravagant mustache—all had fallen into silence.
For the first time in what felt like ages, the air was light again. Ichigo stood amidst the remnants of the battlefield, his body battered but his spirit blazing. Around him, his friends gathered in small groups, exhaustion painted across their faces but softened by the relief of survival. Orihime smiled brightly at him through tears, Chad nodded with his usual quiet strength, and Uryū pushed his glasses up as though nothing unusual had happened, though the faint curve of his lips betrayed his relief. Laughter began to ripple among them—it was awkward, nervous laughter at first, then genuine, like sunlight breaking through after a storm.
Ichigo’s gaze drifted across the room, and that was when he noticed a familiar figure standing a little apart from the others. Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro leaned against the far wall, his small frame tense, his eyes distant. He looked calm, but Ichigo could see it—beneath the icy expression, there was fatigue, and something heavier, something he couldn’t name.
Ichigo’s grin softened, turning into something warm. He pushed himself up from where he sat and walked over, each step echoing in the silence of those who noticed the orange-haired substitute approaching the child prodigy of the Gotei 13.
Hitsugaya’s teal eyes flicked to him instantly, sharp and defensive as always. His voice was curt, though not unkind.
“What do you want, Kurosaki?”
Ichigo folded his arms, tilting his head with a mischievous look. “Nothing really. I just wanted to say thanks—to my little friend, Hitsugaya Toshiro.”
Toshiro raised a brow, unimpressed, though his shoulders loosened just slightly. “Hmph. If you’re thanking me, you’re wasting your breath. You did most of the work.”
Ichigo chuckled and leaned in closer, his grin widening like a predator who had just spotted prey. “Actually, there’s one more thing I wanted to say. You’re going to marry my sister.”
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap.
Hitsugaya blinked once, then twice. His brain seemed to jam as if it had suddenly encountered a logic error. “Wh-what—WHAT?!” His usual composure shattered, his voice cracking as his face flushed red to the tips of his ears. “W-with… WHAT?! Your sister—?!?”
Ichigo only grinned wider, his teeth flashing as though he was enjoying every second of the boy captain’s unraveling. “That’s right. Karin. My sister. You’re going to marry her.”
Hitsugaya’s thoughts collapsed in on themselves like a deck of cards in a storm. Karin? Kurosaki Karin?! He had barely spoken to her more than a handful of times, and yet now—now Kurosaki himself was practically declaring their fates entwined. His mind scrambled, trying to summon reason, logic, *anything* to counter this absurdity.
“B-but… WHY?!” he finally stammered, his voice shooting up an octave. His words tangled together, tripping over themselves in sheer panic. “I—I don’t—I never—! That’s insane! Kurosaki, what are you—?!”
Before he could finish, Ichigo let out a laugh so carefree and girlish it almost seemed out of place after the horrors they had endured. He spun around, bounding away like an overjoyed child who had just discovered a new toy, leaving Hitsugaya frozen in place, his face burning, his brain short-circuited.
And for the first time since the war ended, those nearby began laughing again—not the strained laughter of relief, but the bright, honest sound of life returning to normal.