"Zangetsu…"
"A name I've never heard before!"
"A Zanpakuto that might not have even been born yet at this point?"
"Never thought the strongest Zanpakuto in the entire Bleach world would actually belong to Kurosaki Ichigo—a human!!!"
Staring at the newly appeared subtitles,
especially that unfamiliar name "Zangetsu,"
the audience felt an intense sense of strangeness.
You have to understand—
all the Zanpakuto that had appeared on the list before—
Ryūjin Jakka,
Senbonzakura,
Katen Kyokotsu, Ryūjin Jakka, Hyōrinmaru, and so on…
had long since become famous throughout the Soul Society
because of their wielders—the various captains of the Gotei 13.
Their names were known by countless souls.
Most of the audience, and even strong beings from other races,
more or less knew them as well.
Only Zangetsu
would have remained completely unknown
if not for the subtitles appearing
and the ranking video exposing it.
Nobody would have imagined that such a dark horse
would be sitting at the very top of the list,
claiming the title of strongest Zanpakuto!
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
"Zangetsu, huh? Pretty good name."
"No wonder, when he unleashed his Shinigami power back then,
Ichigo called that state 'Full Moon Reaper' or whatever…"
Inside Las Noches,
Gin Ichimaru commented with his eyes narrowed to slits.
"It's probably not just a simple single-type Zanpakuto, right?"
From the throne, Aizen spoke coolly after a moment of thought.
Normally,
every Zanpakuto only fell into one elemental or functional category.
For example, Ryūjin Jakka as the strongest flame-type,
Hyōrinmaru as the strongest ice-type, and so on…
However—
taking Kurosaki Ichigo's identity into account,
his soul carried the bloodline powers of all races at once.
Therefore,
it wasn't hard to imagine that
the structure of his soul
and the world within his heart
would be anything but simple—
in fact, incredibly complex.
In Aizen's view…
if you tried to classify Zangetsu
with just a single element or category,
that would be far too narrow-minded.
"Right?"
Leaning forward slightly, Gin smiled ambiguously.
"Come to think of it…
this round of the ranking is probably going to reveal
Ichigo's growth path step by step, right?"
"After all, at the very beginning
he was just a normal human high-school kid."
Sure enough,
Gin's guess was dead on.
Just as his words fell,
the two lines of subtitle on the transparent screen slowly faded.
After a brief flash,
new footage appeared.
This marked the official start
of this new round of the ranking.
Late at night.
The sky had darkened.
The first thing that came into view
was the residential district in the center of Karakura Town.
Only—
the Japanese-style wooden house
with the nameplate "Kurosaki Clinic"
had a huge hole blown through its side!
At the same time…
a Hollow's roar echoed through the air—
and standing opposite that Hollow,
wearing a Shinigami uniform and gripping a Zanpakuto in both hands,
was Rukia Kuchiki.
Just behind her,
still in his high school uniform on his way home from school,
stood Kurosaki Ichigo.
The moment this scene was shown,
it immediately set off a heated discussion.
"As expected…"
"The story finally loops back!"
"So it really all started because Rukia came to the Human World,
to Karakura Town, and ran into Kurosaki Ichigo!"
Inside First Division,
Byakuya Kuchiki frowned slightly.
He instantly recalled the events
from his own earlier ranking segment—
the scene in the future
where he and Renji Abarai
defeated Ichigo and took his adopted sister back to Soul Society.
"So that means…
Rukia is going to transfer her Shinigami powers to Ichigo in this scene
and help him become a Shinigami, right?"
"But…"
At that point,
Renji's expression turned awkward,
his face full of confusion.
"This Hollow… isn't it just the most basic kind?
Not even a Menos! Something that weak…"
"And Rukia can't beat it?!"
Renji's mind just blanked out.
No one understood Rukia's abilities
better than he did.
The two of them were childhood friends,
growing up together in Rukongai.
Later on,
when the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy held its autumn entrance exams,
they'd even signed up and gotten in at the same time.
The only difference
was that Renji's talent was slightly better,
so he entered the honors class,
while Rukia studied in the regular class.
But that didn't change the fact
that she eventually became an excellent Shinigami.
She absolutely had the strength
to be an elite seated officer!
"I seem to remember…"
"For any Shinigami below captain level,
there's no spiritual power limiter when they go to the Human World, right?"
"In that case, even with her power unrestricted,
Rukia still can't beat a normal Hollow?
Isn't that way too ridiculous?!"
Renji was at a loss for words.
If he didn't know for sure
that his future wife had good character,
he would have seriously suspected
that Rukia was actually Aizen's secret agent—
sent to the Human World specifically to put on an act
and lure Ichigo into the trap!
Otherwise…
this kind of stiff, contrived setup
was fake as hell—
even Renji was having trouble watching it!!!
All around him,
the other captains of the Gotei 13
also had strange expressions.
Yes, the Shinigami were absolutely miserable
in the Thousand-Year Blood War,
almost wiped out entirely,
and had to rely on Aizen and Ichigo to turn the tide.
But that didn't mean
that right now, their fighting power
should look this pathetic.
"Ahem…"
Shunsui Kyōraku shook the dust from his hat,
laughing awkwardly.
"With this scene aired,
I'm afraid the Arrancar and Quincy
are going to use it as fresh material
to mock us Shinigami again…"
After speaking,
Shunsui couldn't help glancing back at the screen.
His gaze fell on the young, green-faced Ichigo,
and he quietly shook his head.
"This kid…"
"He's just being played by capital, honestly…"
On the other side,
in Las Noches—
when this scene was revealed,
Aizen's trio watched with great interest.
"Congratulations, Captain Aizen…"
Gin flashed his fox-like grin.
"Isn't this exactly the script we drafted at the very beginning?"
"Everything under control—
Kurosaki Ichigo's life blueprint really is following your plan to the letter."
Hearing that,
Aizen, seated on his throne,
nodded with a faint smile.
"Gin… you're not wrong.
If this ranking video hadn't suddenly appeared
and disrupted the environment…"
"Right about now,
the events shown in the footage
would have been unfolding for real."
Aizen didn't feel any regret.
On the contrary, he was very satisfied
to see this footage exposed.
At the very least, it proved
that his plan,
and his control over Kurosaki Ichigo,
were flawless.
You could even say outright—
Kurosaki Ichigo was the alternate account
that Aizen had personally leveled up.
And the scene right now
was only the first step—
the step that would rewrite Ichigo's life,
officially beginning his Shinigami career.
Then,
under Aizen's gaze,
the footage continued to play—
Seeing his two younger sisters
lying injured on the ground,
and being told by Rukia
that their weakened state was actually his fault,
Ichigo's blood boiled.
He charged recklessly at the Hollow to taunt it,
provoking it until it prepared to lunge and bite him.
At the critical moment,
Rukia stepped between them,
using her own body as a shield.
Her spirit form took the bite instead,
blood soaking her clothes
as her spiritual power plummeted.
Then,
taking advantage of the Hollow being forced back for a moment,
Rukia gritted her teeth,
dragged herself up from the pool of blood,
and leaned against the wall as she told Ichigo:
"You've seen it yourself…"
"I'm already badly wounded,
and there's no way you can fight that thing as you are.
If this keeps up, everyone will be devoured…"
"So, Kurosaki Ichigo—do you want to save your family?"
Pale-faced,
Rukia lifted her trembling arms,
both hands gripping her Zanpakuto,
its edge held upright before her,
her dark eyes grim and unwavering.
"There is…"
"only one way."
"And that is for you to become a Shinigami."
——
In the present,
on the high school campus in Karakura Town's city center—
"So that's how I became a Shinigami…"
Ichigo's eyes shone,
his heart full of excitement
as he watched the scene unfold.
Even though
he, like Renji,
couldn't help wondering:
From just one unlucky hit by a Hollow,
this Shinigami named Rukia was already in that bad a shape?
Aren't Shinigami supposed to be stronger than this?
At this power level,
Hueco Mundo should have overrun Soul Society ages ago.
Why would they be hiding and farming quietly
for hundreds or thousands of years,
only launching war after Aizen arrived
and took control of Hueco Mundo?
It felt totally fake—
like something to trick three-year-olds.
Behind him,
sharp-eyed Tatsuki Arisawa
noticed something even weirder.
"Um…"
"Ichigo—
it's not just your two little sisters.
If you look way in the back of the shot, near the house…"
"Even Uncle Isshin is lying on the ground unconscious."
Those words
instantly stunned everyone.
"Huh?"
"Wait—wasn't Uncle Isshin
also a former captain-class Shinigami?"
"If I remember correctly,
on the Karakura battlefield
he even went one-on-one with Aizen
and didn't exactly fall behind, right?"
"Yeah… it's ridiculous.
Dad is totally just pretending to be dead!"
"He's really overdoing it!!!"
Ichigo's eye twitched fiercely.
He suddenly felt like he was living
inside the Truman Show.
So in order to make him a Shinigami…
everyone, one after another,
had gone all-in on the performance?
The director and screenwriter: Aizen.
The on-site actor: Rukia Kuchiki.
And his whole family,
especially dear Dad Isshin,
even took a cameo role on purpose?
Once that thought crossed his mind,
Ichigo could only shake his head
with a helpless, bitter laugh.
He had no words.
He had to admit it—
at this point, he had no choice
but to become a Shinigami.
——
Finally,
the footage jumped ahead slightly.
In order to save his family, Ichigo didn't hesitate.
He accepted Rukia's proposal.
Without a second thought,
he allowed the blade of her Zanpakuto—Sode no Shirayuki—
to stab straight into his chest.
Then,
in a close-up shot—
"Boom!!!"
Blue light burst forth,
suddenly flooding the entire screen.
"Here it comes!!!"
"The moment I became a Shinigami!!!"
Clearing away all stray thoughts,
Ichigo clenched his fists, eyes burning.
Even though,
in earlier rankings,
he had already watched himself in battle,
wearing the black Shinigami coat
and looking every bit the hero,
this moment was different.
This was the very first time he became a Shinigami,
an event of enormous significance.
Then,
in the video,
within that blinding brilliance—
Ichigo, now possessing Shinigami powers,
underwent a complete transformation.
His white school uniform vanished.
In its place appeared
the black Shihakusho of a Shinigami.
Not only that…
a shockwave of spiritual pressure billowed outward,
and in Ichigo's hands
appeared a huge, diagonally long Zanpakuto.
As soon as this scene hit reality,
it set off another wave of uproar.
"What the—"
"His Zanpakuto is already that huge
right at its awakening?"
Ikkaku Madarame frowned.
Just from the early form of "Zangetsu,"
he could vaguely see a hint of resemblance
to Kenpachi Zaraki's "Nozarashi."
Both were long and broad,
more like massive cleavers than swords.
"Don't tell me…
these god-tier Zanpakuto are already special
before they're even properly released?"
Ayasegawa Yumichika mused seriously.
Judging from this scene,
he acknowledged that Ichigo's appearance
was undeniably impressive.
Truly worthy of a man groomed
to become an artificial Soul King.
The very moment he became a Shinigami,
his look and posture
were already that cool.
Honestly,
if Ichigo weren't such an abnormal monster,
Yumichika might have actually gotten heart-eyes.
"Oooh…"
"Not a bad Zanpakuto at all…"
Kenpachi bared his teeth in a grin,
shifting Nozarashi on his shoulder.
"Looks like Kurosaki Ichigo can take a good beating.
If I get to fight him,
it's bound to be a blast, right?"
The beast-like light in his eyes
flared with excited fighting spirit.
Knowing in advance
that Zangetsu was the number-one Zanpakuto,
the king of swing was thrilled.
He was already looking forward
to seeing in the later footage
whether his future self,
during Ichigo's invasion of Seireitei as a ryoka,
would get the chance to intercept that kid
and battle him to his heart's content.
——
In the end,
under the gaze of all the viewers,
Ichigo raised his blade
and cleaved the Hollow apart in a single stroke—
clean and decisive.
He heroically resolved the crisis.
The clip ended on the cool silhouette of his back.
"Heh…"
"Mr. Isshin, Ichigo looks great.
He's got the same flair you did when you were young."
Inside the Urahara Shop,
Kisuke fanned himself leisurely
as he glanced at Isshin beside him,
the corners of his mouth lifting.
"Right?"
Isshin arched his brow.
"Ichigo's the one destined to be the protagonist.
There's no way he'd ever be ordinary."
Pride written all over his face,
Isshin could hardly wait
to see the later scenes
of Ichigo training and growing stronger,
swinging Zangetsu and mowing down enemies!
Very soon,
while everyone chatted,
new footage lit up and flowed seamlessly onto the screen—
Blue sky, white clouds.
High above a giant blue stone disk.
Ichigo, Kisuke, and Tessai Tsukabishi
appeared on camera.
"!!!"
"This place…
isn't this the underground training ground here at our shop?"
Kisuke was surprised.
"So this is after he was defeated by Byakuya, right?"
"I can't feel any Shinigami power from Ichigo at all."
Sure enough,
he was right.
In the footage,
the voice of the future Kisuke rang out at the same time:
"Ichigo…"
"Right now, the 'soul sleep' and 'chain of fate'
inside your soul, where your spiritual power comes from,
have both been destroyed by Byakuya Kuchiki."
"So our first priority
is to help you regain the source of your spiritual pressure!!!"
After saying this,
Kisuke first instructed the two child assistants—
Ururu Tsumugiya and Jinta Hanakari—
to conduct some adaptation training for Ichigo
in his pure spirit form.
Then,
Tessai stepped forward
and brought his axe down in a single strike,
severing the chain of fate
that connected Ichigo's soul to his body.
"Is Kurosaki Ichigo going to Hollowfy?!"
The audience's eyes widened.
They were shocked to see
that because his chain had been cut
and his soul had been separated from his body for so long,
before long,
Ichigo began showing the same Hollowfication symptoms
that Shinji Hirako and the others once had.
Immediately after,
the screen shifted.
Through the dark Hollow hole
forming in Ichigo's chest,
the perspective dove inward—
entering his inner world.
The new scene
was completely unfamiliar to most viewers.
Towering skyscrapers were turned upside-down,
the color palette was eerie and off,
and everything was deathly silent.
And then…
what came next
left everyone utterly stunned.
A sudden voice rang out—
like thunder exploding directly in their hearts.
"Heh…"
"Turn around and have a look. This place now…"
That voice spread out,
making viewers' scalps tingle.
In their minds,
one name leapt up instantly, in unison—
Yhwach.
"Holy crap…"
"That really sounds like Yhwach's voice!"
"Don't tell me…
there's actually a Quincy King
living inside Kurosaki Ichigo?!"
In that instant,
the entire world of viewers
was completely blown away.
(End of Chapter)
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