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As "Rug Ichigo" appeared on screen, the atmosphere in the shop plunged below freezing.
Isshin stood there helplessly, able only to stare at the transparent light screen in agony.
Urahara and Tessai were no better. There was nothing they could do either, and the scene grew painfully stiff.
But—
That tension didn't last long.
It was broken when several new figures appeared in the video.
"Ichigo, are you okay?!"
"Hold on a little longer! We'll get you out right away!"
"Don't give up!"
…
The camera slowly shifted, focusing on the exit of a corridor.
Several figures could be seen charging toward the scene.
"This is…"
Isshin squinted, then froze before blurting out in disbelief, "Huh? Aren't those Ichigo's classmates? Chad and Inoue?"
"Why are they involved in this battlefield too?!"
Isshin was completely stunned.
If Ichigo had been dragged into this future because of him, that at least made some sense. But Chad and Orihime were, without question, just ordinary high school students.
"This is insane… absolutely insane!"
Isshin clenched his teeth.
Are you kidding me?!
This place full of Western-style buildings is clearly the final battlefield where gods clash!
Even a Vasto Lorde got taken out in one move. What are two high school kids doing here?!
"Huh? Did I hear that right? Ichigo's classmates?"
Urahara was just as shocked.
By now, with his sharp intellect, he'd more or less pieced together what this future implied.
Clearly,
the setting shown in the video, this unfamiliar place, was either the stronghold of the pure-blood Quincy or directly connected to the Royal Palace.
Back when Ōetsu Nimaiya appeared in the earlier ranking, Urahara had already been quietly analyzing the scenery as the camera shifted, memorizing every detail related to the Royal Palace.
Because of that, he was certain that some of the Western-style buildings here contained spatial features unique to the Royal Palace.
In other words, there was a strong chance both places existed within the same space.
"Isshin-san, there's no need to panic just yet. It looks like Ichigo's body is only paralyzed. He doesn't seem to have suffered fatal injuries…"
Tessai observed carefully.
Ichigo's vitality was astonishing.
Even flattened into a "rug," it only meant his mobility was temporarily restricted. Compared to that Vasto Lorde earlier, his situation was actually far more optimistic.
"That's a relief! As a father, I was terrified he'd just drop dead like that…"
Isshin finally let out a long breath.
Normally,
he argued with Ichigo all the time. Sometimes it even escalated into actual fistfights.
But—Isshin was all bark and no bite. That was just his twisted way of showing affection.
Deep down, he cherished his son more than anything.
That was also why he kept such a tight leash on Ichigo.
In the end, he just didn't want his son to repeat his mistakes and walk the path of a Shinigami.
But judging from what he was seeing now, that hope was clearly shattered.
In the future, Ichigo had inevitably become a Shinigami after all.
And not just any Shinigami. He'd surpassed his father and earned a place on the final battlefield itself.
Thinking of that,
Isshin couldn't help but smile with pride.
As long as Ichigo lived, everything else could be discussed. He was more than happy to stay a quiet spectator.
...
Meanwhile, at Karakura High, the situation was the complete opposite.
"What?!"
"Orihime and I are actually in the video too?!"
Watching his own fearless charge on screen, Yasutora Chad froze before shouting in disbelief.
"C-Chad, your arm looks like it's mutated…" Orihime covered her mouth, her delicate body trembling with fear.
After watching for so long, their worldview had already been completely shattered.
But—when it actually happened to them, their first reaction was still pure confusion.
Who could've imagined it?
That ordinary, unremarkable people like them
would one day be swept into such a bizarre, apocalyptic war?
How did we even dare to do this?
"Chad… Orihime… seeing you rush in without hesitation to save me… honestly, it really moved me."
Ichigo's eyes flickered intensely, his emotions tangled beyond words.
At that moment, on the screen,
Inoue Orihime and Chad had already rushed to his side.
Working together, they forced Askin Nakk Le Vaar back, finally making sure Ichigo was no longer in immediate danger of losing his life.
Setting everything else aside, just seeing this scene alone
was enough to make Ichigo's eyes sting with tears.
Friendship forever!
Even with the end of the world looming, the bond between the three of them remained unshakable, strong enough to defy death itself.
That was no small thing.
Unfortunately, the moment didn't last.
Before Ichigo could bask in that feeling for long,
Askin Nakk Le Vaar quickly launched a counterattack.
"Oh my, a self-sacrificing rescue?" he drawled. "How touching, you humans…"
With that mockingly exaggerated tone, he repeated the same trick as before, flinging both arms outward and hurling two purple poison orbs into the air.
Then—
"Boom!!!"
Driven by Askin's will, the poison spheres detonated before they could even reach Chad and Orihime.
The two of them were still charging forward, and thanks to inertia, they couldn't stop in time. With the poison mist exploding and mixing into the air itself, spreading over a wide area, there was nowhere to dodge.
"Heh heh…"
"All three of you collapsing side by side, slowly enjoying the scenery of the Seireitei while suffering from 'reishi poisoning'… doesn't that sound kind of beautiful?"
A mocking smile curled at the corner of Askin's mouth.
He snapped his fingers lightly.
The poison surged all at once, and in an instant, Chad and Orihime were slammed to the ground.
That scene alone sparked another wave of heated discussion throughout the Soul Society.
...
Squad Eleven.
"This is seriously infuriating to watch!"
"You get poisoned the moment you get close. That ability is way too cheap! There's nothing you can do against it!"
…
Staring at the screen, furious at how casually Askin toyed with other people's lives,
Ikkaku Madarame clenched his fists, teeth grinding.
That bastard!
I really want to jump into the screen and slash him.
"First it was that guaranteed hit, piercing everything,"
"And now this seemingly flawless lethal poison…"
"The Quincy abilities are getting more and more absurd."
Yumichika Ayasegawa frowned deeply.
In both battles shown so far, Askin's opponents had dropped instantly due to poisoning.
Worse still, that purple toxin could perfectly blend with the reishi in the air. In theory, even without touching it, simply breathing or getting close enough guaranteed poisoning.
An ability that broken was honestly hard to counter in the short term.
"Tch… you guys are making way too big a deal out of this!"
Annoyed by the reactions of his two subordinates,
Kenpachi Zaraki rolled up his sleeves, grabbed them by their collars like they were chickens, and barked at them, "You cowards! Stop boosting the enemy's confidence and killing your own morale! There's no such thing as an invincible power! Every ability has a weakness!"
"Ah… Captain Zaraki, I'm sorry! Just… please put us down first…"
With his collar choking the life out of him,
Ikkaku's eyes rolled back as he begged helplessly.
"Hmph."
Ignoring the bald man,
Kenpachi continued, "If you keep adjusting your own reishi state, you might be able to build resistance to that weird poison."
For someone known as a brute,
Kenpachi was actually thinking things through for once.
If Askin really meant it when he said that the moment you step into the poison's range, the reishi inside your body gets contaminated instantly, then why not continuously alter your own reishi state?
Wouldn't that solve it?
Just as the thought crossed his mind,
the battle on screen took another sudden turn.
...
"Idiot…"
"Explaining your abilities right in front of your enemies. Don't tell me you've gotten so full of yourself that you think no one can deal with you anymore?"
As Askin Nakk Le Vaar stood with his back to the camera, lecturing Ichigo and the others nonstop, suddenly—the view snapped around.
And then, a graceful figure appeared out of nowhere.
Black stockings.
A bunny girl outfit.
Sun-kissed skin that radiated wild charm, and a skin-tight suit that showed off a dangerously explosive figure.
The moment the camera fully locked onto her, the audience's excitement instantly skyrocketed.
...
"H-holy… crap?"
"L-Lady Yoruichi, she's way too hot! I can't believe that with a war about to break out, she still took the time to dress up like this. Truly a blessing to all viewers…"
Eyes glued to the screen,
Ōmaeda grinned like an idiot, drool practically spilling from his mouth. His pupils had almost turned into hearts, and he looked ready to hug the screen and lick it.
Unbelievable.
Watching a recap video and getting this kind of bonus content?
Lady Yoruichi's look was basically the ultimate fantasy for every shut-in out there.
If he could cross space and time,
Ōmaeda would've instantly become a lifelong fan and begged Bunny Girl Yoruichi for an autograph.
However—his response was drowned out by Soi Fon's furious roar.
"ŌMAEDA!!!"
"Close your filthy eyes right now! Don't you dare defile Lady Yoruichi with that disgusting gaze, or I'll rip your eyeballs out!"
Soi Fon was livid.
She looked like she wanted to pin Ōmaeda down and beat him senseless.
Sexy?
A blessing to viewers?
Absolutely not!
You pathetic otaku men are not allowed to take advantage of Lady Yoruichi like this!
"Ah… but… if I don't look, it's a waste! Even if I close my eyes, everyone else is still seeing it, right?" Ōmaeda protested weakly, rubbing the footprint still stamped on his backside.
Whatever.
For the black stockings. For the tight suit. For the bunny girl outfit.
I'm giving up on dignity today!
Captain Soi Fon…
Kick me, hit me, do whatever you want. Just don't stop me from admiring Lady Yoruichi's heroic figure!
"You…"
Soi Fon's face turned green with rage.
She had completely lost any way to deal with him.
In the end, she could only unclench her fists and turn her attention back to the screen.
At the same time, she silently prayed in her heart,
"Lady Yoruichi… please. No matter what, you have to come back safely."
...
The World of the Living.
On the outskirts of Karakura Town, at the corner of a rooftop.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
"I'm not entirely sure how I ended up mixed in with a bunch of human high school kids, but when it comes to a troublesome poison like this, my 'Shunkō' is probably the only real counter…"
No longer in her black cat form,
Yoruichi had returned to her human body. She sat casually on the edge of the roof, chin propped on one hand, a confident smile tugging at her lips.
Aside from being extremely satisfied with her sexy bunny girl outfit, she was also eagerly looking forward to what came next.
The moment she transformed into a god of lightning and beat the living daylights out of a pure-blood Quincy.
"..."
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