[Tsukishima Shūkurō was now attempting to convince Byakuya Kuchiki that he was a trusted companion who had trained alongside him for years.]
[Byakuya stared at Tsukishima with a mixture of confusion and growing alarm as false memories continued to flood his consciousness.]
["Stop this..." Byakuya whispered, his usual composure cracking under the strain of conflicting realities. "These memories... they feel so real, but I know they're not..."]
[Tsukishima smiled with satisfaction as he watched the internal struggle playing out on Byakuya's face.]
["Of course they feel real, Byakuya," Tsukishima said with mock sympathy. "Because in the timeline I've created, they are real. We've shared countless training sessions, discussed strategy, and I've observed every aspect of your fighting style over the years."]
["That's how I naturally know about the weakness in your Senbonzakura—because I've been there for every moment of your development as a warrior."]
Unfortunately for Tsukishima, there was one crucial factor he had miscalculated in his psychological manipulation.
[Byakuya Kuchiki was someone who prioritized duty and objective reality over personal relationships, even when those relationships felt genuine.]
["Even if those memories were real," Byakuya said, his voice growing cold with renewed determination, "it wouldn't matter. You're currently my enemy, threatening Soul Society and someone under our protection."]
["I've been prepared to cut down my own sister when duty demanded it," he continued, his spiritual pressure beginning to spike again. "Did you really think false memories of companionship would stay my hand?"]
[Without hesitation, Byakuya renewed his attack against Tsukishima with even greater intensity than before.]
[Tsukishima's confident expression faltered as he realized his psychological manipulation had backfired completely.]
[After a fierce exchange of strikes, Tsukishima managed to land another cut on Byakuya, temporarily gaining the upper hand in their battle.]
[But rather than surrender or retreat, Byakuya made a decision that shocked everyone present.]
["Bankai," he declared with deadly resolve. "Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"]
[The familiar cherry blossom petals multiplied exponentially, creating a massive storm of blade fragments that surrounded both combatants.]
[Tsukishima, still confident in his knowledge of Byakuya's abilities, moved toward the center of the attack—toward that 85-centimeter safe zone where Senbonzakura's petals couldn't reach.]
["You can't hurt me here, Byakuya," Tsukishima called out with renewed confidence. "This is still your weakness, regardless of how angry you become!"]
[But what happened next left Tsukishima completely stunned.]
[Byakuya deliberately guided his own Bankai's petals into the previously safe zone, attacking both Tsukishima and himself simultaneously.]
["What are you doing?!" Tsukishima shouted in alarm as blood began to flow from multiple cuts on both their bodies. "You're hurting yourself! This is insane!"]
["I don't care about my own safety," Byakuya replied with icy determination as cherry blossom petals sliced through both of them. "If injuring myself is the price of defeating you, then so be it."]
["I refuse to be bound by the same tactical limitations that defined me in the past. If my previous fighting style has become predictable, then I'll abandon it entirely."]
[Tsukishima was forced to retreat from the no-longer-safe zone, his confidence shattered by this unexpected tactical evolution.]
This is like fighting Kenpachi Zaraki! Tsukishima thought in growing panic. He's willing to trade damage for damage without any concern for his own wellbeing!
["I have to admit, you're a more adaptable opponent than I anticipated," Tsukishima said, trying to regain his psychological advantage. "But this reckless approach will only get you killed faster."]
["Perhaps," Byakuya replied coldly, "but it's also a strategy you've never seen before, which means all your stolen memories of my fighting style are now useless."]
[Although Tsukishima knew countless details about Byakuya's past tactics and techniques, he had never witnessed this level of self-sacrificial aggression.]
[The false memories of their supposed companionship contained no references to such desperate measures, leaving him without the tactical advantage he had expected.]
At this moment, the audience was extremely surprised by this series of developments:
[Byakuya Kuchiki]: I never expected Tsukishima Shūkurō's ability to be so versatile! Being able to use it on inanimate objects makes it truly unreasonable. Who knows where he might suddenly modify the past?
[Rukia Kuchiki]: Looking at it this way, his ability seems to be the opposite of precognition. Rather than simply modifying people's memories, he's actually altering the timeline of past events. Isn't that somewhat similar to Yhwach's abilities?
[Retsu Unohana]: Indeed, Yhwach's power to modify the future is virtually irresistible. Could this ability of Tsukishima's be comparable to His Majesty's to some extent?
[Gerard Valkyrie]: What kind of joke is this? Our Majesty's Almighty power—how could it be comparable to a minor villain like him?
[Lille Barro]: He can't even begin to measure up to His Majesty's capabilities, right?
[Pernida Parnkgjas]: Exactly. Such a person might pose a minor challenge to Kurosaki Ichigo or some Shinigami captains, but our Majesty wouldn't even notice him.
The Sternritter of the Wandenreich were indeed quite disdainful! Their assessment wasn't entirely wrong—for individuals at the level of Yhwach and Aizen, Tsukishima's abilities still couldn't make much meaningful impact.
The gap in raw spiritual power simply didn't allow his techniques to affect beings of such cosmic significance.
Of course, this was still an incredibly versatile and dangerous ability. At minimum, it had put Kurosaki Ichigo in serious danger for an extended period, which was worthy of acknowledgment.
During the ongoing discussion, many observers began connecting various clues together, realizing implications that hadn't been immediately obvious.
In Soul Society, Jūshirō Ukitake came forward with a crucial insight:
"Speaking of which, have you all noticed something? This ability to change the past... it seems somewhat familiar!"
"In fact, it might be exactly what we've been hoping to find!"
"We've been wondering how to defeat that detestable Yhwach when the time comes!"
"Could this power to modify the past actually have some effect against him?"
Upon hearing this observation, Shunsui Kyōraku's eyes widened with sudden realization:
"You might be onto something there! Although Tsukishima's individual strength is insufficient compared to someone like Kurosaki Ichigo, perhaps he could still provide some auxiliary support?"
"He wouldn't need to take on a primary combat role against Yhwach!"
"Just letting him assist Kurosaki Ichigo slightly—helping to create openings or find flaws in Yhwach's defenses—that alone would be tremendously valuable!"
Thinking along these lines, countless Shinigami became extremely excited as they began making rapid inferences and connections!
Byakuya nodded thoughtfully as the implications became clearer:
"That's correct. His power does have genuine merit. Beyond its use on people, it can clearly be applied to objects and environments. So what else might it be applicable to?"
"Ah, that's right! The Three Realms Projection mentioned previously that Kurosaki Ichigo's experiences during this period would play a crucial role in his future victory over Yhwach."
"So this Tsukishima Shūkurō must indeed be a very important figure in that eventual confrontation!"
Meanwhile, Rukia smiled with infinite tenderness in her eyes as another piece of the puzzle fell into place:
"Perhaps this entire experience serves multiple purposes beyond just allowing Ichigo to gain more powerful abilities, recover his Shinigami powers, and strengthen his resolve..."
"Maybe there's another crucial objective: ensuring that Tsukishima Shūkurō will be available to help Ichigo in the future!"
"After all, Tsukishima will definitely be defeated in this current battle!"
"So afterward, it wouldn't be surprising if he had the opportunity to assist Kurosaki Ichigo in achieving final victory against an even greater threat!"
Hearing this, Retsu Unohana posed a critical question:
"By the way, when Kurosaki Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu was broken previously, we haven't been able to figure out how to repair it..."
"With this ability to modify the past, could such a restoration be achieved?"
"Could Tsukishima Shūkurō's power be used to repair a broken zanpakutō by altering its history?"
This single comment created massive waves of excitement!
The Gotei 13 immediately began an intense brainstorming session as the implications became clear.
They all realized this idea made perfect sense!
Could it be that Tsukishima Shūkurō was truly a crucial key to defeating Yhwach?
[Tōshirō Hitsugaya]: If he could restore Ichigo's Bankai by changing its past... that would solve one of our biggest strategic problems!
[Rangiku Matsumoto]: Imagine being able to undo any damage Yhwach inflicts by simply altering the timeline so it never happened!
[Ikkaku Madarame]: This could completely change the nature of our final battle strategy!
[Yumichika Ayasegawa]: Even the most devastating attacks could be retroactively prevented... the tactical applications are staggering!
[Mayuri Kurotsuchi]: Fascinating! Timeline manipulation as a counter to precognitive abilities... it's theoretically sound!
[Kenpachi Zaraki]: I don't care about the technical details. If this guy can help Ichigo get strong enough for a real fight, then he's useful!
[Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto]: The ability to repair what has been broken, to restore what has been lost... this could indeed prove invaluable against the Quincy King.
Even some of the Arrancar found themselves intrigued by the strategic possibilities:
[Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez]: So this annoying ability might actually be useful for something important? Interesting...
[Ulquiorra Cifer]: The capacity to alter causality itself... even we Espada must acknowledge the potential significance of such power.
[Tier Harribel]: If it could truly counter Yhwach's future manipulation with past alteration... the implications are profound.
[As the battle between Byakuya and Tsukishima continued, observers throughout all three realms began to understand that they weren't just witnessing a simple confrontation between enemies.]
[This was potentially a crucial recruitment process—a test that would determine whether Tsukishima possessed both the power and the character necessary to play a vital role in the ultimate battle for the fate of all existence.]
[The question was no longer just whether Ichigo and his allies could defeat the Fullbringers.]
[The real question was whether they could forge the alliances and gather the tools necessary to face a threat that could reshape reality itself according to his will.]
[And if Tsukishima Shūkurō's power to alter the past could serve as a counter to Yhwach's ability to control the future, then this entire conflict might be laying the groundwork for the most important battle any of them would ever face.]
The audience watched with renewed interest, understanding that every clash of blades and every demonstration of power might be building toward something far greater than they had initially realized. The fate of three worlds could very well depend on the relationships and abilities being forged in this moment.