Sokyoku Hill, underground space.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ichigo was training his Bankai, constantly fighting against the manifested form of Zangetsu.
"Ah—! So annoying!!" Toshiro, who was leaning against a rock nearby trying to sleep, couldn't help but say irritably.
After his secret discussion with Yamamoto and returning around 3 a.m., Toshiro wanted to close his eyes for a nap, but the noise from Ichigo and Zangetsu made it impossible to sleep.
"Now, now, don't mind it. You know time is running out for Ichigo. He must seize every minute to train and master Bankai as soon as possible. Otherwise, with his current strength, he can't save Rukia. So, bear with it. Besides, going without sleep for a bit is no big deal for you," Yoruichi, in black cat form, advised.
"Although going a few days without sleep has no effect, I just went through a series of battles and wanted to rest properly," Toshiro said.
"But fine. Ichigo does need to master Bankai quickly. His current strength is still too weak. I'll find a place deeper inside to rest." With that, Toshiro walked deeper into the underground space until he couldn't hear the sounds of Ichigo and Zangetsu's battle anymore, then leaned against a rock to rest.
7:00 a.m.
Toshiro, who had been sleeping, suddenly opened his eyes.
"Hmm? Someone's approaching!" he thought, sensing something.
"This Reiatsu... Renji?" Toshiro murmured.
"So he comes after all?"
Clang!
Blades clashed. Ichigo and Zangetsu were locked in a stalemate, each exerting force.
While Toshiro slept, Ichigo had been fighting Zangetsu continuously, only resting when completely exhausted.
Yoruichi, standing nearby with her arms crossed, frowned and muttered, "Though there's no leap-like progress, the advancement is quite good... but..."
"For a while now, I've had a bad feeling..."
"As if something ominous is approaching..."
Boom!
Before Yoruichi finished speaking, a loud noise suddenly erupted.
The entrance to the underground space was blasted open, and a figure walked in leisurely.
"I was wondering where you were hiding. So that's your Zanpakuto's manifested form? Sneaking away for intensive training? That's pretty interesting."
"Count me in!" The newcomer walked closer, looking at Ichigo with a smile.
"Renji?" Ichigo looked at the newcomer in surprise.
"You've got a big question mark on your face. 'Why are you here?' That's what you want to say, right?"
"Actually, nothing much. Because there's little time left, I wanted to find a place to focus on training. That's all," Renji said casually.
"Little time left? What do you mean?" Hearing Renji's words, a bad feeling surged in Ichigo's heart.
"I'll tell you. Regarding Rukia's execution time... it's been changed again," Renji hesitated but ultimately told Ichigo.
"What?" Ichigo's expression turned heavy.
"The new execution time is… tomorrow at noon!" Upon hearing Renji's words, Ichigo and Yoruichi felt their hearts tighten.
"To be honest, it's a pity. With my current strength, trying to save Rukia is nothing but a pipe dream."
"Don't worry. I'm not here to fight you. I've also reached the stage of manifesting my Zanpakuto, just one step away from mastering Bankai. That's why I came here."
"I'm going to train hard here!" Renji said with a solemn expression.
At this moment, Yoruichi's face turned grim. "You... you just said tomorrow?"
"Impossible..."
"If that's the case, there's only a day and a few hours left. Excluding preparation time, there's only about one day for actual training. But judging by Ichigo's progress, mastering Bankai within a single day now is simply impossible!"
Although Ichigo's training progress was fast, it would take at least a few more days based on the timeline. Now, only one day of training time remained… completely insufficient.
"Hey! Is that alright, Yoruichi-san?" Ichigo suddenly spoke up. "Weren't you the one who approached me, asking me to train for Bankai? If so, how can you be the first to give up?"
Yoruichi said emotionally, "But Ichigo, if you can't master Bankai before tomorrow—"
"I already said I don't want to hear that now. Since the time is tomorrow—"
Smack!
Ichigo clapped his hands together. "Then I'll just master it today!"
"Hmm, good spirit. With the belief of 'do or die', I'm sure you can master Bankai within today," A voice suddenly interjected.
Toshiro walked leisurely from the depths of the underground space.
"Captain Hitsugaya! Why are you here?" Seeing Toshiro appear suddenly, Renji exclaimed in shock.
"What? Only you can come, but I can't?" Toshiro put on a serious face, pretending to be stern.
"No, no, no! I didn't mean that, Captain Hitsugaya!" Seeing Toshiro seemed angry, Renji hastily explained.
"Alright, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously. And how many times have I told you? Outside work hours, just call me Toshiro," Toshiro said helplessly.
"Yes, Captain Hitsugaya," Renji responded reflexively.
"Good grief..." Toshiro couldn't help but feel speechless.
"By the way, Renji, weren't you imprisoned earlier? You must have escaped this time, right?" Toshiro asked.
"Ah, yes. I've figured it out. No matter what, even at the cost of my life, I must save Rukia," Renji said with unwavering determination.
"Good resolve," Toshiro praised.
"Um... Captain Hitsugaya… I mean, Toshiro, why are you here too?" Renji asked.