"As a member of the Kuchiki Clan, our mission is to protect the order of the Soul Society. For a member of the Kuchiki Clan to violate the spiritual laws is to disgrace the proud mission of the Kuchiki Clan."
"So… be prepared, Rukia."
"…"
Rukia bowed her head deeply, her body no longer trembling, as if all her strength had been drained, and she had completely given up struggling.
"Kuchi…!"
"Hey!"
Orihime couldn't help but want to step forward when she saw her like that, but someone was quicker to step up than she was.
It was Ichigo.
He glared at Byakuya, as if looking at the kind of person he hated most in his life.
"Although this guy violated the spiritual law, she didn't essentially harm anyone; instead, she sacrificed her own power… As an older brother, when his own sister is in trouble because of this, not only does he not protect her, but he wants to punish her in the name of family?"
"Regardless of the original intention, those who break the law are unforgivable… Kid, mind your attitude. You're not even a formal member, strictly speaking, you're still a commoner."
Kuchiki Byakuya's tone was indifferent.
"Someone like you has no right to lecture me, the Captain of the Sixth Division and the current head of the Kuchiki Clan. This is just the first warning; if there's a next time, I will teach you what proper etiquette is."
"Ah… Is that so? I really don't have any impressive titles."
Ichigo's eyes held anger, and he showed a challenging smile,
"But honestly speaking… whether it's strength or anything else, I feel like I can do better than you."
"So if you're going to talk about status, just save it. That will only make me think you have nothing remarkable besides that."
"Bastard!"
Renji's pupils constricted. If Kuchiki Byakuya was so incompetent, then wouldn't he, who aimed to catch up to this man, be even more foolish?
Whether out of heartfelt respect or his own beliefs, he would never allow anyone to insult his Captain.
"Take back what you said, or else… I'll take care of both you and that woman!"
"What do you mean by 'take care of that woman'? Explain yourself."
Ichigo's face darkened.
"Does that even need asking? Of course, it means killing her to get Rukia's power back."
By the end of his sentence, Renji drew his Zanpakuto and pointed its tip at Orihime.
His chilling killing intent was no longer concealed.
He wasn't just talking out of anger.
He was serious.
Everyone could feel that.
A look of determination flashed in Orihime's eyes.
"Alright, if this can atone for Miss Kuchiki's mistake, then I'm willing."
"Stop it!"
Rukia had already resigned herself to her fate, but hearing her say that made her anxious.
"If you do that, then all my efforts will be for nothing!"
"But…!"
"Die!"
Renji impatiently moved to attack, but Rukia was already alert and immediately stepped forward to block him.
"Stop it! Renji!"
"Get out of the way, you idiot! Do you want to increase your punishment?!"
Renji roughly threw her aside.
Orihime saw Rukia fall to the ground, sustaining several scrapes. In a moment of urgency, she wanted to enter her Shinigami state, just as she used to when fighting Hollows.
At that moment, a hand rested on her shoulder, stopping her impulsive action.
"Shimiya… Kun?!"
Orihime turned her head in surprise, looking at the owner of that hand.
"Calm down."
What Shimiya Takeru said was exactly like his expression at the moment.
It was this consistent attitude that made Orihime inexplicably calm down.
"You won't die."
"I'm not worried about that!"
"Then there's nothing to worry about… because what comes next is an internal conflict of the Soul Society; it's not for humans to interfere."
As if to confirm Shimiya Takeru's point, a gleaming greatsword suddenly appeared, cutting off Renji's path forward.
Forced to stop, Renji looked at Ichigo in front of him with a mixture of shock and anger.
"Kid… do you know what you're doing?"
"I wanted to ask you the same question."
Ichigo stood with his sword, blocking Shimiya Takeru and Orihime, and questioned with a cold expression:
"That guy gave up her Shinigami power to save someone. If you kill Inoue here, wouldn't everything she did lose its meaning?"
"It never had any meaning to begin with."
"What?"
"It means that sacrificing one's power to save someone is in itself meaningless, it's wrong! And if it's wrong, it needs to be corrected, especially… before the judgment!"
Renji roared, the anger in his eyes no less than Ichigo's.
"If you've heard me clearly, then get out of my way."
"…Ah, I heard you very clearly, so… I absolutely won't move."
"Is that so? Then don't blame me for being impolite… Roar! Zabimaru!"
The suddenly transforming snake-belly sword extended as Renji swung his arm.
The seven-segment blade, like a long whip, was swift and possessed a sharpness far exceeding that of a whip, enough to cut off a Menos Grande's head.
But an attack of this level was not enough to make Ichigo retreat even half a step.
He didn't even flinch.
"Getsuga…"
Facing Renji's direct assault, Ichigo merely raised his sword with one hand. His resolute gaze and the suddenly surging spiritual pressure around him, however, made Renji's expression change drastically.
"What…!"
—"Tensho!"
The shark-like slash came down with an even angrier roar.
The spiritual pressure released from the tip of the sword transformed into a towering wave-like slash that surged into the sky, tearing apart the dark clouds that had gathered unnoticed.
"…"
Renji stared blankly at the small section of blade left in his hand, his pupils, reflecting Ichigo's figure, trembling violently.
Bang!
"Uwa!"
Ichigo mercilessly punched him in the face, sending Renji flying just like Rukia, whom he had thrown earlier. Renji then crashed even more miserably through a wall, engulfed in dust and debris.
"Damn it…!"
Renji's face was swollen and red, his hair disheveled, and his goggles were nowhere to be found.
"How can he be so strong… Weren't they saying that defeating the Menos Grande was mainly the achievement of that Shiba family woman?!"
"Hey."
"?!"
Ichigo suddenly appeared in front of Renji. The latter's attempt to get up stiffened, and he looked up to meet those eyes.
Their gazes met, and both seemed to discern some thoughts in the other's eyes.
"I want to ask you a question… The Spirit Arts Academy textbooks clearly teach us to protect humans. Is that wrong?"
"Bastard… There are good people and bad people among humans."
"Is Inoue a bad person?"
"That has nothing to do with it… Whether they are good people or bad people, their lives are far less important to me than some other people."
"So that's what you think? Then I'll have to defeat you, because otherwise… I can't find any reason to convince you to give up your beliefs."
"Heh… The road here was very quiet, so I suppose those Hollows were all eliminated by you. If I lose to an opponent like that, I have nothing to say… Bring it on!"
Renji said as he got up from the ground, holding his broken sword, refining every bit of spiritual pressure within him, just to display all his abilities in the coming strike, thereby responding to this brave and fearless formidable enemy, whom even he was subtly impressed by.
Ichigo gripped his sword hilt tightly.
Just as he was about to make his move, a strong wind, caused by an intense clash of spiritual pressure, blew, making the clothes of the two confronting individuals flutter.
"?!"
"What?!"
Ichigo abruptly turned his head, and along with Renji, looked in astonishment at the source of the'spiritual surge'—on the rooftop where the two Sixth Division members had initially stood.
Only Byakuya should have been left there.
Now, there was another person.
It was Shimiya Takeru.
The two had engaged at some unknown point.
Although it looked more like Shimiya Takeru unilaterally went to pick a fight, in reality, it wasn't without reason.
Byakuya's hand was on his sword hilt, looking as if he was ready to intervene in the battle at any moment… No, perhaps if Shimiya Takeru hadn't been there, he would have already acted.
But, because Shimiya Takeru intervened more quickly, placing his hand on his wrist, preventing him from drawing the Zanpakuto at his waist…
"What… happened just now…?"
Rukia's heart trembled.
After being thrown away, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Orihime hadn't acted rashly, but then Ichigo's appearance and his words made her feel incredibly conflicted.
Renji was on the verge of defeat, but Rukia knew this wasn't over.
Because her older brother hadn't made his move yet.
As long as her older brother made his move, then even that blond kid… even if Kurosaki ichigo had grown at an incredible speed to a level where even a Lieutenant couldn't match him in just a few months, he still wouldn't be an opponent.
So, at the moment Ichigo and Renji clashed again.
Rukia instead looked at Byakuya.
If he was going to act, it could only be now.
Although she guessed correctly.
But something incomprehensible also happened.
Not only Rukia couldn't understand, but even Byakuya was staring at the young man beside him.
"What kind of trick was that?"
He appeared without any warning.
Not a single sound was made until he revealed himself.