Did Cax 3 want to run?
He hadn't considered it before. But now... he was panicking.
Less than a kilometer away, that horrifyingly potent Reiatsu had washed over him, making his vision go dark and his body tremble. He was burning through his stamina just to resist this external pressure.
Although his opponents looked even worse, he had just received Cax 2's dying memories. Cax 3 had only one thought: Run. Run far away, and don't be fooled by that brat's seemingly exhausted state!
Cax 3 was, to put it mildly, traumatized by Shigū Takeru.
"This Reiatsu...!"
If Cax 3 was merely "holding on," Ichigo and the others nearly buckled at the knees. Cold sweat poured down their faces, their hands and feet trembling.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
They stared, dumbfounded, in the direction of the Reiatsu explosion.
They couldn't mistake their comrade's spiritual pressure. And that was why it was so shocking.
The invisible blade that could slowly kill a person with its pressure was soon sheathed.
In their senses, everything went quiet.
The other Hollow's presence was rapidly extinguished.
Ichigo and the others let out a sigh of relief.
"Th-That Reiatsu... was Shigū...?" Yayahara stammered, her face still pale with shock.
"Yeah. If I'm not wrong, that was his Shikai. There's no other explanation. I don't know what it does, but... his fight is over."
Ichigo quickly regained his composure, his voice firm as he gripped his own sword hilt.
Kūkaku also muttered, "I don't think that kid has the strength to help us anymore. In fact, I hope he doesn't try."
But...
Kūkaku frowned, looking at the gray-skinned, dog-headed Hollow. This was a problem.
Its defense is too strong.
With that level of defense, it was practically invincible. Their only chance was to use perfect teamwork. One slip-up, and they'd be picked off one by one.
"There's no such thing as a perfect defense. There must be a weak point we don't know about. That kid probably knew it, but we can't ask him now."
Just as Kūkaku was formulating a plan, Cax 3 suddenly began charging a Cero in his mouth.
"OORAAAAAH!"
Ichigo, roaring with spirit, charged forward to interrupt the Cero.
But Cax 3 caught his blade with one bare hand, spun him around, and flung him away. He then fired the Cero, forcing Kūkaku to use "Bakudō #81: Dankū (Splitting Void)" to protect the group.
"Hey, kid, you okay!?"
Ōmaeda, surprisingly agile, caught the flying Ichigo, wearing an expression that said, "Good thing Lord Ōmaeda was here."
But Ichigo had no time for thanks. "Ms. Kūkaku! My sword...!"
"I see it!" Kūkaku stared daggers at Cax 3, grinding her teeth. "That bastard... he's running away!"
She didn't need to say it.
Cax 3 had already opened a Garganta (Black Cavity) right in front of them.
Clearly, after taking several major losses, Cax 3 was done fighting. He was cutting his losses and retreating. As a final "screw you," he'd snatched Ichigo's Zanpakutō.
"We'll meet again. And when we do, I will kill two of you to make up for my loss."
"Maybe tomorrow. Maybe in a month. But I will be watching you, following you like a curse! Until then, live in fear!"
Cax 3 spat his venomous vow.
Everyone could tell he meant it.
"You show up, I'll knock you down!" Yayahara shot back.
Rindo Itaru said nothing, but his dark eyes were cold.
"Who's afraid of you? Lord Ōmaeda is not to be trifled with... I'll just... I'll just stick with my Captain every day," Ōmaeda muttered.
Kūkaku was about to shout a threat of her own, but Ichigo, who had been frantic, suddenly stood up straight, his gaze locked on Cax 3.
"You think you can just do evil, kill people, and then walk away? There's no such thing as a free pass! And... I won't let you just take my sword... take my power!"
Ichigo's soul stirred, answering his will.
In that instant, a powerful force blurred his vision. In that unreal, inner world of sloping skyscrapers, a man in a black, tattered cloak stood quietly.
He wore stylish sunglasses, his face cool, as if he had walked through hell and could no longer be moved by the living or mourn the dead.
Even so, the man's gaze toward Ichigo was filled with a deep sorrow. His low voice seemed to come from a great distance, yet it echoed in Ichigo's ear, in his heart, stirring a latent power to life.
[That's right, Ichigo... Do not falter. Do not allow yourself to feel regret. I have experienced that once. I do not want to see you hurt again. I do not want to see you grieve death. That is why I will not refuse you the power to protect yourself... to protect what you cherish.]
[Though your power is still far from mature, there is so much more. All you must do is cast off your fear, move forward, and call... ]
"—ZANGETSU!"
Ichigo roared the name, a name that came to him from instinct. In that moment, the two powers inside him unified.
Cax 3, who had stepped into the Garganta, suddenly sensed something. He looked down and saw that the sword in his hand had become a crimson blade, with a chain extending from its hilt, leading back out of the portal.
"This is..."
He instinctively followed the chain with his eyes. At its end, he saw a pitch-black bow held by the orange-haired brat. The chain was wrapped around the boy's other arm.
"Get back here!"
Ichigo yanked the chain. The force was so great it pulled the Hollow, more than three times his size, stumbling out of the Garganta.
The chain then exploded with a blinding red light, searing Cax 3 like lava.
"AAAAAAGH!"
His specially-enhanced defensive body felt fragile under this light.
Just as Cax 3 raised his arm to shield his face, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Another red chain-blade was embedded there.
His tough hide, just like when he'd faced Takeru, was useless.
But the difference was, Takeru had used absolute "stats" to overwhelm him.
Ichigo... was using the "arrow" of a Quincy, which was poison to a Hollow.
"Lord... Arturo... I still haven't...!"
Words more bitter than tears became his last.
Cax 3's body disintegrated from the point of impact.
And so, the battle that was never meant to be in the history books came to a close.
"Hooo..."
Ichigo let out a long breath.
"That's a pretty flashy Shikai you've got."
Before anyone could even react, a new voice cut in.
The tension lasted only a second.
It was Shigū Takeru.
"What are you talking about? It's practical and cool," Ichigo shot back, before pouting. "Meanwhile, your Reiatsu spiked abnormally. You clearly used some dangerous move. You've got no room to talk. Just go lie down."
"You know me. My recovery is fast. I'll be fine after a nap."
Takeru said it lightly. His 「Compound Potion」 could be used twice a day, restoring a small amount of stamina and Reiatsu. With it, he'd never stay weak for long.
"As long as you're okay!"
Shiba Kūkaku clapped Takeru on the shoulder, then looked at Ichigo with pride.
"I can't believe you two stole the show. But being in one piece is what matters most."
"I'm so jealous you two have mastered Shikai. I don't know how long I'll have to wait. Dammit, why can't you be more cooperative!"
Ichigo watched, amused, as Yayahara started muttering to her own Zanpakutō.
"Well, don't rush it. It's mostly luck. To be honest, I'm totally confused. I have no idea what just happened. I just... did it by feel... By the way, how do I turn this off?"
"Idiot. You just said it yourself. By feel," Ōmaeda grumbled.
"Shut up! It's my first time, how should I know? Uh, anyway, it's like this... right? Huh?"
Ichigo tried to revert his Zanpakutō. It changed... but not back to an Asauchi. It morphed from the black bow into a giant, shark-fin-like cleaver, almost as tall as he was.
He just stared at it, dumbly.
He had no idea why this was happening.
If Ichigo was confused, the more experienced Kūkaku and Ōmaeda were stunned.
Yayahara and Rindo had no experience, so they could only be surprised.
Of the entire group, only Shigū Takeru understood.
"It looks like your Shikai has a second, sword-based form. Because you just awakened it, and because of its special nature, you'll probably have to master both forms before you can revert it to an Asauchi."
"Two forms? A Shikai that can switch? That's a first for me. But... a sword and a bow, one close-range, one long-range... they fit well. It's a shame they're not separate, or you'd be the third dual-wielder in the Soul Society."
Kūkaku rubbed her chin, evaluating.
It's definitely not 'dual-wielding', Takeru thought, shaking his head.
He didn't know what Zangetsu was thinking.
But without a doubt, a change had been made.
Before, Zangetsu had suppressed Ichigo's immature power to keep him out of fights. Now, he was suppressing that power to keep it from going out of control, while actively giving Ichigo more.
That's why Ichigo had two distinct Shikai forms.
One represented his fragmented Hollow/Shinigami power. The other represented his fragmented Quincy/Shinigami power.
Compared to the original timeline, it just looked like an extra form. But the meaning was profound.
A Quincy is a human. But Ichigo was no longer human.
He would live on in the Soul Society as a Shinigami.
Perhaps that was one reason for Zangetsu's change.
A single path could not accommodate multiple identities. But it could bear multiple powers, broadening his own road.
From that perspective, he had really "apprenticed" himself to the right man.
Because this was exactly the path Aizen had chosen.
And Ichigo was poised to "surpass the master."
Takeru's thoughts raced.
He's awakened his Quincy powers now. I wonder what his Bankai will be. Two different Bankai forms? Or...
Before he could reach a conclusion, there was a new development.
Sh! Sh! Sh!
With the sound of tearing air, dozens of black-clad, masked figures appeared, surrounding the group.
"The Onmitsukidō?" Kūkaku recognized them instantly.
"Captain? Captain! You're finally here! You have no idea what I've been through...!"
Ōmaeda spotted the petite figure standing in mid-air and burst into tears.
"Silence!"
Suì-Fēng's eyebrows shot up, her eyes filled with disgust for her lieutenant. She turned her gaze to Takeru and the others, then waved her hand.
"All of them, including Ōmaeda, are to be taken back for interrogation!"
-------
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