In an instant, the blade sliced across Ichigo's chest.
The force of this strike was so great, it nearly cut him in half!
Ichigo's pupils dilated, intense pain shooting through his mind, nearly driving him to his knees.
"..."
Seeing Ichigo in such a weakened state, Hikone was a bit surprised. "Ichigo, are you really this weak?"
He was about to pull out his blade when suddenly his own eyes widened.
Because at that moment, a powerful force surged from Ichigo's body, desperately stopping his bleeding, and despite his grievous wounds, Ichigo suddenly countered with a slash!
?!
Hikone never expected Ichigo to counterattack in such a state, but reacted quickly, blocking the strike.
But unexpectedly, as their blades clashed, a powerful force erupted from Ichigo's body.
"How interesting…"
A sudden smile appeared on Ichigo's face, and in the next instant, a tremendous surge of spiritual pressure rippled from his blade.
As the two blades met, a giant crescent Zangetsu appeared, and in the next instant, it swept over Hikone!
BOOM!
An immense force sent Hikone flying, slamming him into the ground and leaving a gaping hole!
"Uh, that was a bit too strong. Hope it doesn't mess up Aizen's plans?"
"'Kurosaki Ichigo'" sneered, then said, "So I really became the ancestor of the Kurosaki family. Who would I even tell… At this moment, 'Ichigo' was neither a substitute for the Zangetsu nor for vanity, but…"
At that moment, part of Yoshio's consciousness was drawn out, inexplicably appearing within Ichigo's body.
This may have happened because Yoshio once used the name Kurosaki as an alias, having deceived both Ishida Sōgen and Kurosaki Masaki in the past, thus altering history.
Or perhaps… it was because he traveled back a thousand years and met Yhwach, truly entering the annals of history.
In any case, right now, he was inside Ichigo's inner world.
It was a city of tall buildings, rain weaving a quiet, hazy tapestry of needles.
Deep in this steel forest, Yoshio stood against the wall of a high-rise, perpendicular to the ground.
He first looked at the world, then at himself.
Honestly, it wasn't his current self—he looked like a child, just as he did in his memories, before he entered the Shin'ō Academy.
Still, he was a bit taller than Hitsugaya, but not by much.
Hands in his pockets, Yoshio looked indifferent, but was actually searching for the Zangetsu and the White in this world.
Unfortunately, he seemed to be somewhere entirely different from them; he couldn't see them, nor could they see him.
Is that what he thought?
No, the Zangetsu formed by Yhwach in Ichigo's body seemed to have an independent consciousness, appearing as Yhwach from a thousand years ago, but not truly Yhwach's mind.
And now, this was the real Yoshio.
He looked like a child, but his consciousness remained unchanged.
In the next instant, someone appeared before Yoshio.
Kurosaki Ichigo!
He seemed confused by what was happening, barely even stopping.
"Huh?" When Ichigo steadied himself, he glanced around and was surprised to see Yoshio.
"So… who are you? Where's Old Man Zangetsu?!"
He knew this was his inner world, and the last time he saw Zangetsu, he'd awakened his Shinigami powers.
But now, upon returning, Zangetsu was nowhere to be seen.
"Zangetsu?" Yoshio asked quietly. "I am Zangetsu."
"...What?" Ichigo frowned. "What happened to Zangetsu?"
"Preconceptions are a terrible habit," Yoshio said calmly. "But I'm not here to correct your thinking."
"Kurosaki Ichigo, do you want power?"
"…What do you mean?"
"In other words, I can help you save Kuchiki Rukia."
!
Ichigo's pupils shrank. "You'll help?"
"Of course," Yoshio replied quietly. "As long as you use my power, there's nothing you can't do."
"…What do you want?"
"You're at least not a fool who blindly seeks power," Yoshio said. "But unfortunately, you don't need to do anything, and there's nothing you can help with."
"In fact, it's still too early for us to meet, but…" Yoshio looked up, a mysterious light in his eyes. "Maybe this is God's will."
"I don't understand what you're saying," Ichigo said, bewildered. He truly didn't understand Yoshio at all.
Ichigo couldn't comprehend, and Yoshio didn't explain. They just stared at each other.
Ichigo wanted to say something, but suddenly his world blurred, and in the next instant, Yoshio vanished.
From Yoshio's perspective, he was in a warped cosmic vortex, and eventually, Ichigo disappeared without a trace.
"Heh…" Yoshio smiled gently.
Indeed, his appearance was a bit premature.
In theory, he and Zangetsu together symbolized the power of the Quincy within Ichigo.
But clearly, in this part of the Quincy power, Yoshio was overwhelmingly dominant.
Symbolically, the Kurosaki family belonged to Yoshio's bloodline, but in reality, the Kurosaki family did indeed carry Yhwach's blood.
At least from the start, the Zangetsu Ichigo saw was not actually Yhwach himself, but a part of Yhwach's power remaining dominant.
If Ichigo truly rose up… it wouldn't matter if he was a Shinigami, Quincy, or human; even Quincy had to tie their blood to Yoshio and the Soul King. This bloody heritage… truly invincible.
There was another similar to him—Yamiko.
Nezuko is also a Kamado by surname and can inherit Yoshio's power.
This is because Yamiko is essentially unrelated to Yoshio, only sent by Aizen, and considered an adopted child rather than a descendant.
Nezuko is considered his direct descendant, and while Ichigo is a descendant many generations removed, there's sometimes a phenomenon of intergenerational inheritance in the bloodline.
Perhaps because Ichigo is so special, a portion of Yoshio's power manifested in his body.
But his existence strengthened Ichigo's Quincy power, accounting for a considerable portion.
As a result, Zangetsu's power didn't improve but weakened instead.
With Yoshio's presence, Ichigo's Quincy power increased by about 3–4%, but he still had to account for 60% himself, while Zangetsu only held 7–8%.
This had consequences.
That is, the Quincy power could no longer suppress the Shinigami power within his body!
In the original story, the Shinigami power Ichigo used was only a fraction that Zangetsu couldn't suppress.
Zangetsu didn't want Ichigo to become a Shinigami, so he centered the Quincy power within himself.
But the full Zangetsu couldn't suppress the Shinigami power completely, and some always escaped. Now, with only 70–80% power, even less so.
Moreover, the Hollow inside Ichigo grew stronger, and every time it cocooned, his Shinigami power increased, making it even harder for Zangetsu to suppress.
So this time, Zangetsu no longer tried to restrain Ichigo's Shinigami power, but actively tried to awaken his destructive power.
This idea was not a problem—suppressing the Shinigami power was impossible, and since Ichigo wasn't going to fight as "himself" on the battlefield, he could only develop Ichigo into a Quincy.
That's why Yoshio even allowed Aiwass to enter Ichigo's body.
Just so.
The Quincy power couldn't be fully awakened for a long time, but first, the Shinigami power was stimulated.
Zangetsu barely held the center, and could no longer prevent Ichigo from becoming a Shinigami.
Thus, it's no surprise Ichigo used several Quincy abilities.
Earlier, he subconsciously used the Blut of Quincy to stop his wound from bleeding.
"If Kurosaki Ichigo doesn't have power in his body, and Zangetsu doesn't suppress it, he'll grow faster. If he could now obtain a real Zanpakutō, Ichigo might evolve into a blood-soaked warrior."
Of course, that's a joke.
Potential alone isn't enough.
If he could be as strong as in a bloodbath just by having potential, wouldn't all his prior experience be a joke?
But…
Becoming a top Shinigami is not a problem at all!
Right now, back in the outside world.
Returning from his inner world, Ichigo looked at the also-injured Hikone and couldn't help but feel incredulous.
At that moment, new power continued to gush from his body, and even Zangetsu was radiating spiritual energy like a reishi glow.
"I don't know what happened before, but Ichigo, you seem to have gotten stronger," Hikone said, climbing out of the crater. Despite being hit at close range by the Getsuga Tenshō, his steel skin greatly delayed the damage and rapid regeneration helped.
The wound that had nearly split Ichigo in half also healed, and his blood no longer flowed.
Looking at Hikone, Ichigo said, "I don't know what happened, but I just feel like there's a constant power welling up from deep within my soul!"
"... I'd like to test my current power, but there's almost no time left. Let's decide the winner in a single blow."
"I agree," Ichigo replied in a low voice.
After all, this was the Soul Society, and the battle's commotion wasn't small. If they kept fighting, more Shinigami would be drawn in.
The two of them charged at each other, Ichigo's blade condensing golden spiritual pressure, Hikone's blade condensing black and red.
At the same moment, they unleashed their blades!
In an instant, two massive crescents collided in the center!
BOOM!
A huge force clashed, the street splitting with countless stripes, the overwhelming power shaking the surrounding world, and the immense spiritual pressure halting even the approaching Shinigami!
"What… incredible spiritual pressure!"
Even the Shinigami in the distance changed expressions at the collision, and even Ukitake still tangled with Mayuri, was shocked.
"So this is your arrangement?" Ukitake's face darkened as he spoke to Mayuri.
Mayuri replied coldly, "Don't misunderstand. I have no interest in such arrangements."
"..." Ukitake didn't believe him.
If this wasn't Mayuri's doing, how could he stop him so calmly?
Seeing this, Ukitake realized he couldn't keep entangled with Mayuri. He didn't have his Zanpakutō, and using only Shunpo and Hakuda was highly disadvantageous.
Fortunately, he didn't fall ill at this critical moment, or it would truly be the end.
While the two spiritual pressures continued to clash in the distance, Ukitake instantly vanished.
Mayuri didn't pursue him. Watching as Ukitake disappeared, he turned to focus on the spiritual pressure battle, his eyes shining with an inexplicable light.
"Hmm~" Mayuri seemed overexcited, his fingers moving involuntarily.
"Lord Mayuri," at that moment, Nemu appeared, speaking respectfully, "Your orders have been carried out."
"Very good. Don't worry about things here—return now."
He had to thank Kuchiki Rukia and the great journey's failure. Without them, the Soul Society wouldn't be in such chaos, and his actions wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
…
Ukitake, seeing Mayuri not chasing him, unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
Arriving at the scene of the spiritual pressure clash, he found Ichigo was already gone.
Sensing the lingering pressure, he knew Ichigo hadn't been in an accident but had left, and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he'd made it to the bottom of the Sōkyoku.
His figure disappeared as he hurried in that direction.
…
On the other side, Hikone was battered and covered in blood, his arms, chest, abdomen, and back soaked.
He made it to a safe hideout prepared in advance by Tokinada, as instructed after the battle with Ichigo.
Upon entering, he found Tokinada there.
"Master Tokinada, your orders are complete." Tokinada—Aizen—looked at Hikone with interest. "Well done."
"Thank you for the praise!" Hikone beamed with pride at Tokinada's praise, then promptly collapsed unconscious, overwhelmed by excitement and injuries.
"Seems so… looks like it succeeded." Yamiko leaned into the shadows, looking at the fallen Hikone.
"Yes." Aizen replied quietly, walking over to Hikone's body. The next moment, phantom colors flowed from Hikone's body into Aizen.
Aizen had recruited Yamiko to serve as his purifier.
Previously, Aizen and Yamiko were linked. Yamiko endlessly split her soul among others, and Aizen absorbed a portion of this soul to strengthen and enhance his own.
But this type of soul couldn't be absorbed in great amounts, otherwise Aizen's life would be in Yamiko's hands. Even if Yamiko was his own creation, Aizen wouldn't allow that.
Thus, he found Hikone and used him as a mediator, making him responsible for purifying the soul fragments given by Yamiko.
Hikone was a special life created by Tokinada, using the Tyrant Duke ability to break through the boundary of life and death. Aizen used this to transform Yamiko's soul into death and hollow power, channeling it into himself.
In this way, the soul fragments Aizen absorbed became safe and harmless.
After Tokinada died, the Tyrant's power also vanished. So how to stimulate Hikone and start the purification?
That's right—Kurosaki Ichigo!
Aizen had planned long ago—Yhwach was clearly inside Ichigo, and Ichigo had let him in by Yhwach's command, but was actually there already.
Yhwach had Ichigo call himself a Quincy; Aizen had Ichigo mark him as the Tyrant's Duke.
The abilities given by Aiwass had to follow the rules and couldn't be added at will. The Quincy had to be spoken naturally, and the Tyrant's power was real, so it could be added.
By giving Ichigo the trait of "Tyrant Duke," he became a key. As long as his power touched Hikone, it would stimulate the "boundary assimilation" effect and purify the soul fragments left by Yamiko.
Now, Aizen's plan had clearly succeeded.
Although their contact was brief, some of the soul fragments in Hikone's body were purified, and Aizen began absorbing some of this power to strengthen his soul.
"Alright, phase one is complete. Time for phase two." Aizen spoke quietly.
He didn't look at Hikone's body on the ground, but turned toward the door, slowly speaking to the outside world.
"It's time to leave this place… to fall into this twilight world."
…
In the ruins of the Soul Society palace.
Once, this was said to be an execution ground.
Prisoners were thrown into this deep pit, along with captured Hollows, and forced to fight them.
For nobles, this was a form of entertainment; they sat on high platforms, watching the people in the pit fight for their lives until the Hollows devoured them.
This execution method was so inhumane that over two hundred years ago, it caused a bloody tragedy: a Shinigami who survived not only killed the Hollow, but also escaped to massacre the watching nobles!
The nobles died horribly, in even more pain than a Hollow's death. Even the soldiers who investigated said it was the most tragic sight of their lives.
After that, this punishment was abolished.
Incidentally, the Shinigami who killed the nobles and Hollows was Aizen!
After this place was abandoned, few dared come here.
Rukia knew this and hid here.
Now, death was everywhere, but hiding here at least meant safety.
She never imagined that her friends and colleagues would one day be the ones to arrest her.
She leaned against the side of the pit, her expression gloomy and in pain. She must have lost control again earlier, not even knowing who she hurt.
In that moment, she felt spiritual pressure from the outside world and knew the Shinigami were trying to capture Ichigo. She wanted to help him, but before she could act, a powerful pressure erupted from that location.
It was clearly Hollow spiritual pressure and extremely powerful, suppressing several captains.
Unable to sense Ichigo's pressure, Rukia didn't act.
At this moment, she was about to take a risk.
Rukia's heart accumulated negative emotions, pain from past to present, until finally, black spiritual power began to pour from her body.
Her consciousness blurred, the power of the Hollow spreading, but she didn't let herself lose consciousness. She fought to maintain it.
She had… to see the emptiness within her own body!
In an instant, Rukia felt as if she was in a frozen plain!
Snow fell from the sky, smooth ice at her feet, her inner world—the place of Sode no Shirayuki.
But now, Sode no Shirayuki's figure was nowhere to be seen!
"So it's you…" Rukia looked at the 'herself' before her and said quietly, "What exactly do you want?!"
The other Rukia was dressed all in white, her death god's garb also white, but otherwise looked identical.
She turned and smiled at Rukia. "Long time no see, Rukia!"
"Don't blame me. It's just… this is also a request from someone very important to you!"