NOTAKING
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Chapter 38
🕑 Added 2025-04-10 20:50:03 +0000 UTCBut the dream was short-lived as a swarm of students lunged at Tatsuki all at once. She fought back with all her might, her fists striking with precision, her kicks knocking them back. But they just kept coming—more hands grabbing at her, more bodies pressing in. She struggled, twisting and thrashing, but the sheer number overwhelmed her.
Hands forced her down, pinning her arms behind her back as she snarled in frustration.
Orihime’s heart pounded as she watched her friend being subdued. "Let her go!!" she screamed, her voice cracking with desperation. She tried to move, but the students holding her down were relentless, their grip unyielding.
The Hollow loomed over Tatsuki, its grotesque form casting a shadow as its laughter echoed. Its elongated fingers flexed, and with a flick of its wrist, sharp seeds shot out, embedding themselves deep into Tatsuki’s shoulder.
The Hollow cackled. "How do you feel? The seeds I shot into you are now spreading through your body, weaving into your nerves, taking control. Soon, you won’t be able to resist. So tell me, how shall I make you pay for interrupting my fun with the girl?"
Orihime thrashed against her captors, but their grip held firm. "Stop it! Leave her alone!!" she shouted, her voice raw with emotion.
The Hollow turned toward her, grinning with amusement. "What to do, what to do? It's hard for an innocent mind like mine to think of truly wicked tortures," it mused mockingly. "Hah, you’ll come up with one yourself soon enough!"
"Shut up! Let Orihime go!!" Tatsuki barked, gritting her teeth despite the pain spreading through her body.
The Hollow’s grin twitched with irritation as it slithered closer to her. "You still don’t understand, do you?" It brought one of its slimy tentacles right in front of her face. "Your life is in my hands."
Tatsuki glared, her body trembling with both pain and defiance. Then, in a flash, she lunged forward and bit down on the Hollow’s tentacle with all her strength.
A horrific screech tore through the air as the Hollow recoiled, its entire body writhing in agony. "LET GO, YOU FILTHY HUMAN!!" it shrieked.
Tatsuki refused. With a fierce growl, she twisted her body and ripped the tentacle away as she kicked off the ground, freeing herself from the students’ grasp.
The sudden shift in energy caused Orihime’s captors to loosen their hold just enough for her to break free. She gasped and ran toward Tatsuki, but the moment she reached her—
WHAM
Tatsuki’s foot connected hard with Orihime’s stomach.
A sharp pain exploded through her body. Orihime’s eyes widened as all the air in her lungs was forced out. She staggered back, a pained gasp escaping her lips before she dropped to her knees. Her body shuddered as bile rose in her throat, and she vomited onto the ground.
She slowly looked up, her vision blurring.
Tatsuki stood there, but her expression was blank—her eyes distant and lifeless. The Hollow's seeds had taken full control.
Tears welled up in Orihime’s eyes as memories flooded her mind.
'My brother always complimented my hair. I was proud of its color…'
She saw herself as a child, smiling brightly as her older brother ruffled her long orange locks.
'I had grown it out since I was a baby. But then… I cut it in junior high. Right after school started. A ninth-grader said she didn’t like the color of my hair. She took scissors… and cut it.'
The sharp snip of the blades echoed in her mind, the cold feeling of betrayal washing over her once again.
'I cut the rest to match. I couldn’t tell my brother. I told him I just wanted a change. Not long after… he died. I was left alone. I stopped going to school. I became lonelier.'
Her fingers trembled as they dug into the dirt.
'The person who pulled me out of that darkness… was Tatsuki. She took my hand, she yelled at me, she protected me. Because of her, I was able to grow my hair again. I’ll never cut it again. My hair… it symbolizes my trust in Tatsuki.'
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
'Thank you, Tatsuki… for protecting me these last three years.'
Orihime clenched her fists.
She wouldn’t let Tatsuki fight alone anymore.
Her breath hitched as she shakily reached out a hand toward her friend.
"From now on…" she whispered, voice filled with determination, "let me protect you!"
A sudden surge of energy erupted around her.
A brilliant blue light exploded from her hairpins as all six pieces shattered into glowing fragments. The air rippled violently as a whirlwind of power encircled her, sending a pulse of spiritual energy that made the Hollow stagger back in shock.
Orihime’s body trembled as she stared in awe.
Tiny glowing figures fluttered around her, their delicate wings shimmering in the light. They hovered before landing gently on her shoulders.
Then, in unison, they spoke.
"We are Shun Shun Rikka—the Six Princess Shielding Flowers. Our duty is to protect you. We… are your power!"
Orihime’s eyes widened in shock. "Whoa! Flying fairies are talking to me!" she blurted out, still trying to process everything.
One of the tiny figures let out a chuckle. "Nice reaction, but we’re not fairies," he corrected. "Like I said, we’re your power. We’re the power of your soul, awakened by something deep inside you that responded to a call. In essence… we are you."
Still overwhelmed, Orihime instinctively reached out and snatched the small figure in her palm, holding him like a trapped insect.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" the tiny being protested, squirming in her grasp. "Just because you don’t understand what I’m saying doesn’t mean you have to capture me!"
Orihime tilted her head, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Nobody else can see you?" she asked.
The little figure huffed. "Obviously! Were you planning to take us to a show-and-tell or something?! Only a few people can see us, like Ichigo Kurosaki."
Hearing that name, Orihime blinked. "Ichigo? Why?" she asked, confused.
The small figure smirked. "You already know why. We were born because of him."
Before Orihime could press further, one of the other six suddenly darted forward and smacked the first one across the head.
"There's no time for useless chit-chat!" he snapped.
"Ow! That hurt, Tsubaki!" the first figure whined, rubbing his head.
Tsubaki ignored him and turned to Orihime, his tone sharp and serious. "Listen, woman. You don’t need to know who we are or where we came from. All you need to understand is how to use us."
The other small figures floated forward, their wings shimmering like fragments of light. "Our job is to create a shield and to reject," one of them explained. "To activate us, you need two things—your heart and kotodama, the spirit chant."
They quickly began explaining the details to Orihime, guiding her through the process.
However, the Hollow, which had been watching in irritation, was not amused by how she was ignoring it.
With a growl, it suddenly fired another barrage of seeds directly at Orihime, their sharp forms cutting through the air with deadly speed.
Orihime's breath hitched. "What do I do!?" she panicked, looking toward the tiny figures as one of them urgently shouted instructions.
"Say the chant! NOW!"
Her heart pounded, and without hesitation, she shouted—
"Santen Kesshun!! I reject!"
In an instant, a blazing orange light erupted before her. A massive, triangular barrier materialized right in front of her, its glowing edges pulsing with power.
The Hollow’s seeds collided with the shield—but instead of breaking through, they were completely deflected, bouncing off harmlessly in different directions.
Orihime gasped, her hands trembling. "It worked…!" she whispered in awe.
TO BE CONTINUED 
