— — — — — —
Ryo gave a slight push with his toe, spinning the office chair to face Orihime directly.
With a curious expression, he asked her, "So... when did you figure it out?"
He hadn't really tried that hard to hide it, but the fact that he kept getting exposed was starting to make him question his ability to pull off a proper disguise.
Orihime instinctively took a small step back, looking both nervous and unsure as she said, "I don't really know... I guess it was just a feeling?"
'A feeling, huh... Female intuition?' Ryo couldn't help thinking to himself.
Then Orihime seemed to remember something and added, "Maybe it was your gaze."
She paused, then continued, "When Ishida-kun looks at me, it's not the same as how you do."
"Specifically?" Ryo asked, raising an eyebrow. "My gaze gave me away?"
Orihime hesitated a little, clearly torn, before biting her lip and blurting out, "The girls in class keep saying things like, 'Ishida-kun likes Kurosaki-kun?'"
"So... if that's the kind of person Ishida-kun is, he wouldn't just stand there and watch me change clothes."
At that, Orihime glanced at Nemu Kurotsuchi beside her and added, "He also wouldn't say things like 'follow me' to a girl either."
So that's where I messed up?
Wait, hold on—what's up with your class? That's how they see Uryu Ishida and Ichigo Kurosaki? Are they all just hardcore fujoshi?
Ryo looked a little surprised but ended up letting out a short laugh.
"Well, looks like I really am terrible at pretending."
Both times he tried to impersonate someone, he got exposed. Ryo sighed, feeling a bit helpless.
Maybe he really was born without a talent for disguise.
Just then, Orihime took a deep breath and gathered her courage. "I answered your question."
Since she'd cooperated, it was only fair that this fake Uryu Ishida tell her where the real one was, right?
"Hmm?" Ryo tilted his head, slightly amused. "You think we're trading information here?"
Orihime didn't back down. She just stared him down, trying her best to stay brave.
"Well, now that's interesting."
Ryo smiled faintly, then spun back around in his chair and said casually, "He's fine. I've got that Quincy locked up in a residential house. He'll be out in seven days."
Orihime immediately let out a sigh of relief. So Ishida-kun wasn't dead—that alone was good enough for her.
After thinking for a second, she spoke again in a quiet voice, "Could I ask you not to keep doing this?"
"If you keep pretending to be Ishida-kun and doing questionable things... people are going to blame him for it."
Ryo didn't look back. He just said coolly, "Are you lecturing me on how to do things?"
Orihime opened her mouth, then protested softly, "I'm not trying to scold you. I just think it's wrong. You're intentionally getting Ishida-kun in trouble."
Ryo let out a chuckle and mockingly said, "Good thing I'm not the kind of villain with a short temper, Miss busty. Otherwise, you'd already be dead."
Still grinning, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket watch.
He opened it and stared at the hour hand—still pointing at '5.' After a short silence, he muttered, "Though, like you said, it's probably time to drop this Uryu Ishida act."
"So impersonating others doesn't really help increase influence, huh?" Ryo sighed inwardly.
If he wanted to summarize the rules so far...
To truly increase his influence, it had to be his name and his face.
The name mattered because it defined who the credit—or influence—belonged to. The face helped anchor that influence to a specific identity.
So theoretically, he could have someone else pretend to be him and go do big, important stuff. That might still help raise his sync with the world.
But the more he outsourced those tasks, the higher the risk when it came time for the final observation in Little Garden. There was a real chance the rewards might end up going to whoever did the job in his place.
There were even events in Gift Games where Little Garden judged who made the biggest contribution and rewarded them accordingly.
So yeah... letting someone else take his place wasn't a reliable shortcut.
"Just like Shiroyasha said," Ryo thought to himself with a sigh—"this whole Abyss thing really was a pain in the ass."
Hearing that he was planning to drop the Ishida disguise, Orihime clapped her hands in delight.
"You're going back to your original self? That's great news!"
Ryo looked at her sideways, a little amused. "You that curious about what I really look like?"
"No! Not at all!" Orihime frantically waved her hands.
Ryo narrowed his eyes playfully. "Planning to tell someone else? Kurosaki Ichigo, maybe?"
"No, I won't! If you're willing to stop setting up Ishida-kun, I'll keep your secret."
She said it seriously, with sincerity in her tone.
"Heh. What a strange position you're in," Ryo snorted, then turned his attention back to the computer screen.
"From now on, call me Ryo. Enough with the 'Ishida-kun' stuff—it's annoying."
"Got it, Ryo-kun," Orihime replied brightly.
He didn't answer her directly—just spoke over his shoulder,
"Next time, try not changing in front of a guy. That tactic is low."
And that's how Ryo's disguise got blown.
"I-I thought you'd turn around!!"
Ignoring Orihime's flustered shouting behind him, Ryo pointed at the computer and smiled at Nemu.
"Get me a copy of this 'barrier system' on the screen."
"Yes, right away." Nemu bowed respectfully.
— — —
Fourth Division
In a narrow alley, Unohana Retsu walked alongside Kotetsu Isane.
"The entire Seireitei is on high alert? Captains are allowed to use Bankai? Are those Ryoka all insane?"
Kotetsu Isane's voice shook a little as she gripped the hilt of her sword and caught up to Unohana.
She might be the lieutenant of the Fourth Division, but combat had never been her strong suit!
They were the medics. If those lunatic Ryoka targeted them, they'd be completely defenseless!
"Don't worry, Isane. We'll be fine." Unohana spoke gently, her hands tucked into her sleeves.
"But still..." Isane huffed, shoulders slumping. "Captain, it's just the two of us on patrol!"
Seriously—just her and Unohana in their entire division's patrol area?!
That was definitely weird.
Were they being used as bait?
Who in their right mind sends the medical squad out as bait!?
What the hell was First Division thinking?!
Unohana chuckled softly. "Well, the others wouldn't really be able to protect themselves against the Ryoka."
"Even so..." Isane looked at her captain—who seemed to be on a casual stroll through town—and was left speechless.
In the end, it looked like it was up to her to protect the captain... who only specialized in healing kido.
Just as she thought that, Unohana gently tugged her sleeve.
"Captain? What's wrong?"
Isane stopped and turned her head, confused.
And then she saw Unohana, still smiling softly, staring straight ahead.
...What?!
Isane stiffly turned her head and spotted two figures standing at the end of the alley in standard Shinigami uniforms.
It was Ryo Yagami—and Orihime Inoue.
.
.
.