Because they had trained with Yoshio for so long, both Kira and Hitsugaya already understood Bankai—and Renj, even more so.
Renji had mastered Bankai long ago, but he had only achieved "Hihiō Zabimaru."
He still hadn't awakened the real "Sōō Zabimaru."
However, just like Hitsugaya, Renji had discovered the truth: the genuine Bankai was Sōō Zabimaru. Yet because his current power wasn't enough, he still couldn't bring out that true form.
Even so—
The power of Hihiō Zabimaru had already reached an astonishing level.
"This is my first time fighting with Bankai!"
Renji released a surging spiritual pressure. Zabimaru coiled around him like a gigantic skeletal serpent. Its head was covered in vivid red fur, its eyes yellow—locked on Ichigo.
Ichigo stared in shock.
What… is that?
A Zanpakutō… turned into a monster?!
"Huh?" Seeing Ichigo's stunned expression, Renji frowned. "Don't tell me you idiots don't even know what Bankai is?"
Ichigo couldn't afford to look weak in front of the man who clearly despised him. He lowered his voice and snapped, "If I'm only fighting you, I don't need to know Bankai at all!"
"You talk big. Let's see if you've got the strength to back it up!"
Renji swung his Zanpakutō. The massive segmented blade slammed down toward Ichigo.
Ichigo raised Zangetsu with both hands to block—but the gap in power was too large. Even though he stopped the blade, he was still blasted away.
It felt like getting hit by a truck.
Boom!
Hihiō Zabimaru smashed Ichigo into the wall. The wall collapsed under the impact, burying Ichigo in the rubble.
"What? So he's all bark and no bite!"
Renji sneered. "You're the only one—just a human—who thinks you can challenge the Gotei Thirteen?"
How naïve.
Yet inside, he felt even more disappointed. This man had so little strength. What was he going to use to save Rukia?
Renji stared at the ruins like Ichigo wasn't even moving, then walked closer.
"Hey… you're not dead, are you?"
"Getsuga… Tenshō!"
Boom!
Just as Renji stepped in, a sound exploded from within the rubble. His pupils widened. He reflexively jumped back and raised his Zanpakutō to block—yet he was still too late.
A golden spiritual pressure erupted outward. In the next instant, a giant crescent-shaped slash tore through stone and blasted straight at him.
Renji hurriedly defended with Hihiō Zabimaru—
—but the slash still cut into him. Half the attack carved across his body, digging a deep groove into his chest.
Blood sprayed out violently.
Renji's face twisted in disbelief. He gritted his teeth against the sharp pain and swung again.
Boom!
The huge baboon-king serpent swept the ruins, flinging the newly risen Ichigo dozens of meters away again.
Ichigo's body was drenched in blood. Disgust welled up inside him—but he forced himself upright.
"What…?" Ichigo gasped. "This… isn't weak at all."
Compared to a moment ago, it was far worse—yet Renji's pressure felt different.
"…," Renji stared at him, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Had his own strength dropped?
Yes—he was weakened. After taking that kind of hit, it was normal for spiritual damage to reduce his offense.
But not this much.
The main reason Ichigo could stand firm now wasn't that Renji had gotten weaker—
It was that Ichigo had gotten stronger.
Is he the real deal…?
Is he the type who becomes stronger mid-battle?!
"Alright. Looks like I was blind."
Renji stopped pressing the attack. "Name? Human?"
"Kurosaki Ichigo. And you?" Ichigo shot back. "Shinigami?"
Aside from Zangetsu, Ichigo possessed a special ability: in battle, he could sense another person's heart.
A Zanpakutō was a continuation of its wielder's soul. In a clash of blades, Ichigo could feel the opponent's heart through their sword.
He hadn't sensed malice from Renji earlier—only something like…
Expectation?
"Abarai Renji," Renji said in a low voice. "Lieutenant of the Sixth Division. My captain is… Kuchiki Byaku—"
"Ku…chiki?" Ichigo's eyes widened. "That's Rukia's…?"
Rukia's full name was Kuchiki Rukia.
"He's her older brother," Renji said quietly.
"The Kuchiki are one of the great noble families of Seireitei. No one surpasses them in noble influence. But this time, even the Kuchiki family can't save Rukia from her crime. Do you understand?"
"I do," Ichigo answered, staring straight at him. "But so what? I've said it from the beginning—if Soul Society's rules won't let Rukia live, then I'll shatter those rules too!"
Renji's pupils widened. Then he laughed under his breath.
"How interesting. You really don't understand anything."
He lunged at Ichigo again, Hihiō Zabimaru attacking at the same time.
"This is Hihiō Zabimaru's power—don't get cocky just because you landed a hit!"
Boom!
The tremendous force drove Ichigo backward. He blocked, but his body was forced to retreat nonstop, his feet gouging two deep ruts into the ground.
When the power of that strike finally ran out, Ichigo sprang upward. Using the momentum, he actually stepped on Zabimaru and charged along its massive body toward Renji!
At that moment, Renji raised his free hand and rapidly chanted toward the rushing Ichigo:
"Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel—
Divide the light into six!
Bakudō No. 31: Shakkahō!"
Ichigo saw a fireball forming in Renji's palm. He didn't want to waste this chance—if he stopped now, everything would be for nothing.
He surged into Renji's range—
—and Renji finished the chant. A crimson blast detonated.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted in front of Renji.
He spoke coldly. "I'm not good at Kidō. But this Shakkahō is the only one I mastered after training with Captain Yoshio for a long time."
Renji's Kidō talent was weak, but training under Yoshio had forced improvement through a harsh dynamic. Shakkahō was his best spell, though he could use a few others.
Yoshio had deliberately pushed him to learn Kidō because Renji rarely used it—believing a surprise technique could change a battle.
Just like now.
Ichigo was blown away again.
But—
This man…!
Renji watched him. A trace of solemnity appeared in his eyes.
Even after taking hits from Hihiō Zabimaru and getting blasted by Shakkahō, Ichigo could still stand up.
Is he immortal?!
"Getsu—" Ichigo tried to gather power again, nearly losing consciousness.
Renji sensed Zangetsu charging and shouted, "You think I'll let you fire it again?!"
He swung Zabimaru. The huge serpent head opened its mouth like it was about to crush Ichigo in one bite.
Seeing the attack closing in, Ichigo used his trump card again.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
Boom!
Spiritual pressure compressed into Zangetsu and erupted as a massive crescent slash, flying straight into Zabimaru.
The two Zanpakutō powers collided. Two beams of spiritual pressure bloomed, overflowing with force.
Nearby Shinigami sensed the battle and couldn't hide their shock.
That's a Lieutenant's spiritual pressure—Abarai?
He's that strong?
Then who is he fighting?
The Ryoka?!
After several seconds, the clashing spiritual pressure dissipated. When the light faded, both men were still standing.
Renji stared at Ichigo, as if trying to speak.
"You…"
But he couldn't say more.
New wounds suddenly opened across his body—especially his back. Somehow, Getsuga Tenshō had struck his spine hard. Blood burst out like a fountain.
Renji bled heavily again. This time, he truly couldn't endure it.
The first time could be called carelessness.
This time he had fought with everything he had—yet he still couldn't stop that blow.
Maybe…
In that instant, a thought rose in Renji's mind—one he could hardly believe.
Maybe this man really could do it.
His knees shook. He dropped to the ground, then collapsed completely, losing consciousness.
Seeing Renji fall, Ichigo finally exhaled in relief. The moment he relaxed, his own vision dimmed too.
He…
Won?
In his first battle against a Shinigami Lieutenant, he actually won.
Rukia herself had been a Lieutenant, and when she first appeared before him, her power had seemed godlike.
And now he had defeated someone like her…?
He really had become stronger.
But he also knew this wasn't the time to relax.
This was the enemy's base. If he passed out here, it was over.
He forced his body to move, trying to find somewhere safe to hide and recover—
Then he froze.
Something even more terrifying pressed down on him.
How did it feel?
Like the sky was about to collapse.
The entire air seemed to become weight, crushing down. Cold sweat poured from him.
Ichigo spun his head around—nothing.
All around him was a maze of ancient buildings and towers. The white towers rose into the sky, their tops buried in thick mist as if connected to the heavens. Sunlight fell through thin cloud layers, reflecting in mottled patterns along the stone walls.
Ichigo's gaze was frantic and empty as he searched for the source of the pressure.
But there was only the buildings… and the scars of battle.
The world that had been noisy moments ago fell deathly silent. He could only hear his heartbeat and breathing. Wind occasionally cried through gaps between towers.
He turned again and again, spotting the central tower above the clouds, then lowered his eyes to the ground.
His unease tightened like vines around his chest.
Who is it?!
Sweat fell from his face like rain. Even the wounds from fighting Renji felt lighter compared to this terror.
Then—
The pressure vanished.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
But in the next instant, a massive weight appeared behind him.
"You deserve praise," a cold, emotionless voice said from behind. "A mere human, yet able to defeat a Lieutenant."
Ichigo whirled around.
And there he was—the source of everything.
Ichigo had never seen him before, but from the words, he understood immediately:
This was Captain Kuchiki Byakuya of the Sixth Division.
Rukia's eldest brother.
What terrifying power…!
So this is a captain?!
How did he appear behind me?
I didn't sense anything at all—?!
Byakuya's gaze held no emotion. He looked at Ichigo, who instinctively tried to back away, and spoke lightly.
"Kurosaki Ichigo… you want to save Kuchiki Rukia, don't you?"
"…Of course," Ichigo answered. "You're her brother. Don't you want to save her?"
"That is her own fault," Byakuya said calmly. "The Kuchiki family has no need for disgrace."
Ichigo's pupils constricted.
That answer wasn't even something he had considered.
As her brother, shouldn't he protect her?
But Byakuya answered with such indifference that anger surged up Ichigo's chest—so fierce it even pushed back the oppressive fear.
"What did you say?! That's your sister! You're really saying you'll abandon her for something as stupid as reputation?!"
"This is the reason," Byakuya replied, still calm. "And it is not stupid. A commoner like you wouldn't understand."
"If being a noble means throwing away your sister, then I'll stay a commoner forever!" Ichigo shouted. "I thought you'd help her as her brother—but now you're the first captain I want to defeat!"
"I see…" Byakuya's brow furrowed. "I heard what you said when you fought Abarai. You believe that defeating a Lieutenant means you're qualified to fight a captain. You seem rather proud of that."
"Then I'll let you face reality."
In an instant, Byakuya disappeared.
Ichigo's pupils widened.
So fast!
Where—?!
Ichigo forced himself to focus, scanning carefully, preparing to respond to an attack from any direction.
It's coming—
There!
Left!
Ichigo swung his blade instantly—
—but only a thin gust of wind passed.
He stared at empty air, speechless.
Byakuya had already appeared at Ichigo's right.
His hand was outstretched.
And in it—
Was the broken Zangetsu.
In a single moment, Zangetsu had been snapped clean in two, and Byakuya had casually taken the blade.
"You deserve praise," Byakuya said lightly, holding the broken blade. "After fighting a Lieutenant, you can still react—and having the courage to swing at a captain is rare."
"But…"
"A human is a human. There are differences between strong and weak, and order among ranks. This is the most fundamental law of this world."
"Farewell, Kurosaki Ichigo."
Byakuya released the blade and let it drop. Then he turned away without hesitation.
He didn't look back—not once.
Abarai Renji lay collapsed. Ichigo stood bleeding, in a white world gradually stained red.
Clink—
The instant the blade struck the ground, three wounds tore open across Ichigo's body. They were deep. Blood poured out—more than the amount Renji had sprayed earlier.
The world spun.
The last thing Ichigo heard was the sound of metal hitting stone.
Then he fell.
"…," Renji, lying on his side, tilted his head. He opened his eyes in confusion, looking at Ichigo's fallen body. A spark lit in his eyes—
Then pain forced them shut again.
The pale towers reflected their grim fate. Sparse sunlight pierced the clouds, dotting the ground and splashing into flowing blood.
Red spread across white stone bricks like a vivid stain.
The air was thick with dust and the smell of blood. This white world, dyed red, looked like a silent, strange, tragic painting.
…
A figure broke the silence.
"Aah… I'm still one step late."
Ukitake approached. He looked down at Ichigo, touching his forehead.
Then he lifted Ichigo over his shoulder—
—and vanished in an instant.
Not long after, Shinigami arrived in large numbers.
"Lieutenant Abarai?!"
Seeing Renji lying in a pool of blood, they were stunned. They quickly summoned the Fourth Division's rescue team and ordered emergency treatment.
…
In the Repentance Cell, Rukia stared outside through the iron bars.
That just now…
She doubted her own spiritual sense.
Was that…
Ichigo and Renji's spiritual pressure?
What happened outside?
Why had Ichigo's spiritual pressure appeared in Seireitei—and how had they fought?
Most importantly—
Why were both signatures so weak?!
Especially Ichigo's spiritual pressure. It was like…
A candle flame in the wind—about to go out at any moment.
"Captain Soi Fon! Captain Tōsen! Captain Komamura!"
Rukia rushed to the cell gate, shouting the three names.
Because Rukia was involved, captains of the Gotei Thirteen were assigned as guards. Desperate for news, all she could do was call for them.
"Kuchiki… are you trying to say something?"
Komamura Sajin arrived—seemingly the one assigned to guard her at the time. He wore a huge helmet that hid his face.
"Captain Komamura!" Rukia pleaded. "Please—just tell me. What happened outside?!"
Komamura hesitated, then finally spoke.
"There is a Ryoka in Seireitei. Your eldest brother has already gone to that area."
Rukia froze.
A Ryoka…?
That clearly wasn't the Hollow King.
Then who…?
Could it be—
Ichigo?!
How could that be possible?
He isn't even a Shinigami. How could he enter Seireitei?
But then…
If not Ichigo, whose spiritual pressure had she felt?!
"Idiot…" Rukia whispered. "Who asked you to save me…?"
Komamura saw her expression and said nothing further. He followed Yamamoto's orders without question, yet he couldn't help but sympathize.
As he turned to leave, he suddenly stopped.
Because the shadow before him—
Twisted.
"…?!"
The shadow moved like it was alive, and a woman's figure emerged from it.
She looked indifferent. Black-haired, about 1.76 meters tall. The moment Komamura saw her face, he was the most shocked of all.
She looked exactly like the Second Division captain—
Soi Fon.
But she was taller, more mature. She wasn't wearing a Shinigami uniform—only white clothing like a military coat. No Zanpakutō hung at her side.
And yet—
Her face was truly Soi Fon's.
"…Who are you?" Komamura instantly raised his guard.
The woman ignored him completely and fixed her eyes on Rukia.
Under that gaze, Rukia's scalp went numb. A sinister sensation rose from deep in her chest. She stepped back without thinking.
She wore prisoner's clothes and was barefoot. She didn't feel cold—only an unsettling heat.
"Stop!" Komamura roared as the woman advanced. "Heaven will—"
Before he could finish, her figure vanished—
—and appeared behind him.
She still ignored him and continued toward Rukia.
Then Komamura's body ignited.
A silent flame engulfed him, and he collapsed straight to the ground in burning stillness.
Rukia's eyes shook.
Captain Komamura…
Couldn't even move?
As the flames burned, the iron helmet on Komamura's head melted away. Only then did Rukia realize—
Komamura was actually a wolf-man.
"Y-you…" Rukia swallowed hard, fear rising in her chest. "Who are you?"
"Come with me," the woman said lightly. "I can keep you from dying."
"You've got to be kidding!" Rukia shouted. "What did you do to Captain Komamura?!"
"…Strange," the woman tilted her head, puzzled. "He was an accomplice of the people trying to kill you. I helped you take him down, yet you mourn him."
Rukia choked on her words, then said in a low voice, "I don't need help from someone with an unknown background. Who are you? What do you want?!"
"Everything about you is because of a foreign object inside your soul," the woman said. "Come with me. I'll help you take it out."
"…And if I refuse?"
Rukia didn't understand what she meant, but there was no way she could trust a stranger—especially someone strong enough to injure a captain.
"…I see," the woman said softly. "May I take that as resistance?"
She extended her hand. Another flame began to burn.
Rukia's heart tightened. She wanted to resist, but she didn't even have her Zanpakutō.
How was she supposed to fight?
Her Zanpakutō had been confiscated by the Gotei Thirteen. As a prisoner awaiting execution, she could never be allowed to keep it—without it, her combat ability was greatly reduced.
Watching the woman approach—watching even the iron bars begin to melt—Rukia raised her hand and shouted:
"Hadō No. 63—Sōkatsui!"
"Scattered bones of beasts, sharp spire, red crystal, steel wheel—
Move like wind, stop like empty void;
The sound of spears striking fills the city of nothingness—!"
Late chanting!
Release first, then chant to amplify the spell!
In an instant, blinding lightning burst from Rukia's palm and exploded toward the woman.
Boom!
But the moment Sōkatsui neared her body, it seemed to melt away—like it had been dissolved.
It didn't harm her at all.
Instead, flames pierced through the thunder cannon and struck Rukia in one breath.
The woman stepped close and grabbed Rukia by the collar, lifting her.
Rukia instantly lost strength, as if sealed. Suspended in the air, she saw the shadow beneath her begin to rise, as though it would drag her into another world.
The woman—Surtr—had been tasked with bringing Rukia back to the Wandenreich, so they could move before Aizen and seize the broken hōgyoku first.
Because they could not reveal the existence of the Quincy, she had been ordered to act first.
Surtr was also a Quincy—yet in truth, she was a Shinigami who had gained Quincy power. Even the disguise she wore resembled an Quincy's power.
So even if it was exposed, no one would associate her with the Quincy.
But—
Just as the shadow was about to envelop both her and Rukia, a sudden smile appeared on Rukia's face.
It was an eerie smile.
Surtr frowned.
In the next instant, she sensed a vicious power erupt.
Surtr immediately retreated.
A pale hand emerged from Rukia's body—its head marked with a vivid crimson death scythe.
"Thank you so much," Rukia said with an evil grin. "With your power, you awakened me so easily."
Quincy power and Hollow power were natural enemies. Quincy could erase Hollows completely—while Hollows could poison Quincy.
Thus, stimulation from Quincy spiritual power also activated Hollow spiritual power.
That was why Dark Rukia manifested directly from within Rukia's consciousness.
"…Troublesome," Surtr muttered, frowning at the figure before her.
"You're troubled, but you should be grateful," Dark Rukia smiled, spinning the scythe like a windmill. "But I'm not interested in fighting you. Goodbye."
If she wanted to flee, no one could stop her.
In this state, Dark Rukia possessed two abilities:
Death Cut — able to cut anything and inflict true damage.
More subtly, if A is parasitizing B's body, one cut can separate A from B—cutting even abstract connections.
Death Adjacent Manifestation — she could appear beside any dead being.
In Soul Society—the land of the dead—this ability was essentially unbeatable.
If she wanted to leave, no one could stop her.
In an instant, her figure vanished before Surtr's eyes.
…