REVIEWS AND POWERSTONES PLSSS!!!!!Chapter 174: Hollow vs Hollow
"What kind of monster is that?!"
"The Reiatsu's presence is unmistakable. That pure evil aura... is exactly the same as a Hollow's." Kurotsuchi Mayuri frowned, pinching his nose with his hand and said in disgust.
Byakuya Kuchiki widened his eyes and parted his lips slightly. Obviously, the appearance of this scene had shattered his long-held understanding. A Shinigami's Hollowfication was still within his comprehension, but when the species changed completely, that impact on his worldview made the head of the Kuchiki family deeply upset.
In his view, Shinigami were noble and honorable. If a Shinigami's identity drifted toward either extreme, in his view, it was blasphemy against Shinigami and a symbol of depravity.
Although he was able to maintain respect for Kurosaki Ichigo, Ishida, and the others, it was only based on the fact that Kurosaki Ichigo had helped Soul Society resolve too many difficult problems, thus earning his approval.
"Have you degenerated so far, Tōsen?"
Byakuya Kuchiki's figure began moving. Before the other captains could react, his form flickered and appeared in midair. Looking at Tōsen Kaname after Resurrección, aside from the stench covering his body and Reiatsu similar to a Menos Grande, he could no longer see the slightest characteristic of being a Shinigami.
"Hmm?"
Tōsen Kaname, who had just completed his Resurrección state, was still adapting to this body for the first time. If Tōsen Kaname wanted to describe his mood at this moment, he could only say he was extremely excited. The man who had lived in darkness for hundreds of years was so eager to see this world with his own eyes. But... this wish came true only after he became a monster, which was truly an extremely sad thing.
"This voice... I see. It's you, Byakuya Kuchiki!"
"As expected! Exactly as I imagined. You look arrogant. Do you nobles look down on everything in the world with such a foolish attitude?"
As soon as the words fell, Tōsen Kaname swung the two arms beneath his armpits directly, carrying tremendous force, and smashed directly at Byakuya Kuchiki. For Tōsen Kaname, his heart had already died that rainy night outside Central 46. His human emotions had been shattered all over the ground by Tsunayashiro Tokinada's mockery.
The thick arm pierced through the air. Just as it was about to strike Byakuya Kuchiki, a figure flashed and appeared before him. The figure raised his arms and positioned his Zanpakuto to help block the blow. "Idiot! What are you standing there for, Byakuya!"
"Kurosaki Ichigo..."
Byakuya Kuchiki looked at Kurosaki Ichigo with a complicated expression. He wanted to say something but finally swallowed it back. After clearing his throat, he simply said, "Thank you, Kurosaki Ichigo. Their goal is you. Although I don't know why they chose to act at this time, you must be careful!"
"Yeah!"
Ichigo didn't say much. He simply turned around silently, grasped Tensa Zangetsu with both hands, and left his back to his trusted partner.
Looking at Tōsen Kaname in this form, Ichigo couldn't help but think of his past self. In times of crisis, he'd borrowed the power of the Inner Hollow within his body, or been directly taken over by the Hollow, transforming into a monster.
And... that time at Las Noches—it was a nightmare Kurosaki Ichigo didn't want to recall even now. To save himself, even Inoue...
Thinking of this, Kurosaki Ichigo's expression flickered with sadness, but he quickly recovered and stared at Tōsen Kaname below. "I heard you were looking for me. Now I'm here."
"We finally meet, Kurosaki Ichigo."
Tōsen Kaname's voice came from the huge mouthparts. He flapped the two pairs of wings behind him, flew up quickly, then hovered in the air. "So this is what you look like, Kurosaki Ichigo. You have quite a nice appearance!"
"Will you use Hollowfication, Kurosaki Ichigo? Let me see how strong the Hollow within your body is!"
Tōsen Kaname's words made Ichigo's heart skip a beat. If this blatant provocation had happened before going to Hueco Mundo, he might have been overwhelmed and resolutely refused to use the Hollow's power, going up to fight using only Bankai.
But after experiencing that spiritual world and fighting side-by-side with the Inner Hollow, he had come to regard the other as a partner he could completely trust. It was also because of the Hollow that he'd been able to bring the other captains and companions back from Hueco Mundo to the Human World intact.
Ever since becoming a Shinigami, in all the battles large and small, every time he was in crisis, it was the Inner Hollow who stepped forward to save him. Although at the beginning the other had bad intentions and wanted to invade his body, that was only once...
"You want to meet my Hollow? Of course. I just hope you can withstand my blade."
After saying that, Ichigo slowly raised his hand and placed it on his face.
At this moment, Ichimaru Gin in the air looked at the scene below with a frown. In his view, Tōsen Kaname seemed to have undergone a certain change in temperament after Resurrección. Perhaps it was feeling sight for the first time that made him more excited, but Ichimaru Gin guessed that Tōsen Kaname's temperament seemed to have been influenced by the Hollow. His reason and emotion weren't as decisive as before.
Instead, he was teasing the Shinigami very arrogantly. And judging from the fact that Kurosaki Ichigo had been able to block his own Bankai's strike just now, this child was probably no longer someone Tōsen Kaname could handle.
"Hey! Captain Tōsen, don't hesitate. Hurry up and kill your opponent!"
"Huh?" Tōsen Kaname, hearing Ichimaru Gin's voice, turned his huge compound eyes to look at him and said slowly, "Ichimaru? You don't need to worry about my affairs. But you—you can't even deal with this brat. You've failed Lord Aizen's expectations of you!"
After those words fell, Tōsen Kaname opened his mouth. A massive shockwave of Reiatsu launched directly toward Kurosaki Ichigo's position.
At the same time, red and black Reiatsu fell into Ichigo's hands. A brand new mask was placed on Ichigo's face in the blink of an eye.
The white mask was full of strange red and white patterns. If Fiander were here, he would definitely recognize it—it was one of the crests of the Divine Kingdom of the Scarlet King, Jilianka.
Although the Scarlet King was an evil god, he had fallen into Kurosaki Ichigo's body. An evil god wasn't a good thing, but a fallen evil god—everything left by him was a precious treasure to mortals.
"True Getsuga Tenshō!"
The black blazing sun enveloped Tensa Zangetsu in Ichigo's hand. At the same time, a strange and mysterious Reiatsu overflowed from Ichigo's body, once again filling the Human World.
"This oppressive Reiatsu... is he really Kurosaki Ichigo?"
Byakuya, who had returned to Unohana and the others, asked suspiciously.
"What are you questioning, Captain Kuchiki? He's undoubtedly Kurosaki Ichigo, but... he's become stronger."
"Fortunately, I'd considered that a battle would break out here. I asked Akon and the others to reinforce the spirit particles in this area in advance. All humans have been evacuated long ago, so there's no need to worry their battle will affect ordinary people."
"The only thing that needs consideration is reconstruction after the war."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri held his fingers in an orchid gesture and looked at Kurosaki Ichigo's position with a kind of fanaticism in his eyes.
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