Spiritual pressure, wild and chaotic, surged toward the sky.
Once the swirling winds and stormy chaos faded, Kurosaki Ichigo stood revealed—donning his classic attire, wielding the pitch-black long blade of Tensa Zangetsu.
Huff...
With one swing of his Zanpakutō, the cutting edge seemed to split the very air. The steel's ringing echoed sharply, drawing visible reactions—even among the Espada present.
"This power…"
It caught some attention.
But not to the point of shock—if one had to describe it—
Yes.
"It's like watching a cockroach suddenly grow wings and fly. Disgusting."
Nnoitra's mocking laughter didn't stop, and his sentiment reflected the others' unspoken thoughts.
Ulquiorra remained unfazed, only vaguely confused.
—This amount of power… it's not even enough to call threatening.
It didn't compare to the Espada who had already been eliminated.
What was the point of taking someone this insignificant to Las Noches?
He didn't understand.
But orders were absolute.
Thoughts wouldn't affect judgment or action. Before an answer could form, Ulquiorra spoke:
"Grimmjow. Finish it quickly."
A rare command from Espada No.4. While Grimmjow's instinctual defiance clashed with orders—
This time, their goals aligned.
"Tch, I was gonna do that anyway!"
Unshaken by the Bankai's pressure, Grimmjow charged with a vicious kick toward Ichigo.
Ichigo, however, remained eerily calm.
No reaction in his expression.
'As I thought…'
What Seiya told him was right.
'Yelling during a fight is meaningless.'
'Calmness and composure are the keys to victory. You wait—and your enemy will reveal their weakness.'
Ichigo could see it now—the motion, the trajectory…
After their full-hearted exchange and spiritual consensus, Ichigo hadn't just gained power—he'd absorbed Seiya's teachings.
Echoes from his inner world returned to him—
'Your technique is rough. Your spirit, tangled.'
'So start over. Bit by bit.'
'It's okay… time doesn't matter here. If you're willing, I'll keep teaching you.'
This was nothing like the original timeline.
No longer a conflict between Ichigo and his Hollow self, nor the well-meaning concern of Yhwach's other side.
He'd embraced this power. United with Seiya, who wielded it best.
And now—his strength was more than just what showed on the surface.
He sidestepped.
Light, nimble. Movements beyond his age, poised and mature.
For a moment, he seemed like a different person—but nothing had truly changed.
He'd only awakened to something deeper.
Grimmjow's assault missed by mere inches. The force compressed the air so tightly it left a sting in its wake.
Ichigo watched Grimmjow's face change in slow motion—
From arrogance, to confusion.
Why? It didn't matter.
The opening was enough.
No more holding back. The spirit pressure he'd kept compressed now burst forth—
Shhhh—
Like gas escaping, like a balloon bursting.
Ichigo's true strength took form.
CLANG!
His once-loose grip became firm.
With a twist of his wrist, he reversed Tensa Zangetsu's edge upward.
Danger!
Grimmjow barely had time to think—
The world before him exploded in black-red lightning—
"Getsuga… Tenshō."
Spoken calmly.
Ichigo raised his hand.
No wind, no shifting air.
Only stillness—shattered as he brought the blade down.
A black wave of energy ripped across the sky, accompanied by arcing lightning.
It swallowed Grimmjow whole.
"You bastard!!!"
His voice cracked in rage—but he was already gone, blasted into the distance.
In that instant, the Espada capable of sensing the situation all wore shocked expressions.
"What the hell…?"
"He was hiding his power. And very well, too… no wonder Lord Aizen had his eye on him."
"This might be troublesome."
"…Let me go next."
It was clear.
The power Ichigo displayed just now—was only the beginning.
Ulquiorra stepped forward.
Harribel glanced over with a hint of something unspoken.
"You going to release?"
Ulquiorra's gaze didn't waver. He continued staring at Ichigo, his sea-green eyes reflecting Ichigo's figure.
"Yes. He's not someone we can just swat aside."
"But Lord Seiya warned us—don't make a scene."
"Which is why your powers wouldn't suit this situation."
Yammy came up, shouting:
"Hey! Let ME go!"
—A classic example of poor judgment.
Nnoitra, on the other hand, remained calm. He preferred waiting until his prey was weakened.
As for Grimmjow?
The Panther King had been blown somewhere far, far off…
Ichigo had caught him off guard, sure—but the power he showed couldn't be ignored.
"Then it's decided. This was also part of Lord Seiya's instructions."
More a declaration than a request.
Ulquiorra drew his sword.
There was nothing memorable in the motion—but even Ichigo's pupils narrowed.
A Zanpakutō?
Why would a Hollow have something like that?
What had really happened?
Ichigo tensed, eyes wide.
Ulquiorra raised his sword, still staring.
"Then—I'll begin."
He was about to show his real strength.
The tension grew.
Until—
A voice rang out across the battlefield.
Soft, but unmistakably precise:
"Hands of the thousand; unreachable in darkness.
The archer of heaven who casts no shadow, scatter brilliance on the path,
Fan the embers with wind, gather without doubt, heed my call;
Light Bullet, Eight Bodies, Nine Paths, Celestial Code, Swift Treasure, Great Wheel, Grey Turret—
Aim the bow afar, and vanish like moonlight…"
Chants—long, complex, reverberated through the air.
And just as everyone caught on—
The spell was complete.
"Hadō 91: Senjū Kōten Taihō."
With that final word—
Blazing crimson pillars formed overhead.
They launched like cannons toward the Espada.
"...?!!"
Caught off guard—but not panicked.
They all ducked behind Yammy—who grumbled.
"YOU GUYS!"
His roar was lost in the explosion.
Ichigo turned, stunned.
That technique—Rukia once called it Kido. Which meant—
Reinforcements?
"KUROSAKI-KUN!"
A familiar voice.
Ichigo turned to see Urahara Kisuke, hand raised, red energy still crackling from his fingers.
He was the one who launched the spell.
But there was no time for conversation.
Orihime and Chad were rushing forward.
Ichigo panicked—
What were they doing here?! This wasn't like their Soul Society mission!
Wait…
Maybe their help was exactly what was needed.
Ichigo glanced at Uryū, still unconscious among the rubble.
"Orihime! Help him—Uryū's in bad shape!"
She nodded fiercely, hurrying to his side with Chad.
At the sight of his injuries, Orihime gasped, hands over her mouth.
"So cruel…"
She knelt, her hairpins already glowing as she summoned her power.
Chad stood guard.
Ichigo exhaled, tension easing for a moment.
From above, Urahara called out:
"Kurosaki-kun, well done holding out this long. Good work."
The situation seemed under control.
Until—
A cold voice slashed through the smoke.
"So this is the Urahara Kisuke Lord Aizen mentioned."
"Interesting."
"But only barely."
WOOOO—
The world screamed.
A black beam of energy rocketed from the smoke.
Urahara's eyes widened. He raised his sword.
"Benihime!"
A red crystalline shield formed instantly.
Black collided with red—
CRACK!
Urahara vanished—
His shield shattered in midair.
He barely avoided being pierced.
"…You blocked my Cero?"
The smoke cleared.
Harribel stood, finger raised. Her face serene.
"That kind of courage… is worth noting."
In other words—
She called it foolishness.
Urahara tipped his hat lower, tone serious beneath his smile.
"Really? I thought I'd block that easily~"
No. These weren't ordinary Hollows.
They were—Arrancar.
Smarter. Stronger. Humanlike in every way.
Aizen Sōsuke…
What have you created with the Hōgyoku?
They were outnumbered.
Overwhelmed.
Now was not the time for reckless action.
"Yoruichi-san, I'm counting on you."
With a flash, a lithe figure shot through the air.
Light surrounded the Espada—countless glowing nodes appeared.
Shihōin Yoruichi's voice rang proudly:
"A technique of the Shihōin family, passed down through generations."
"These are Reishi-disrupting beams—one touch will shatter your energy."
"Be careful."
The tactic was clear—slow them down. Buy time.
But none of the Espada showed surprise.
Ulquiorra didn't even look up.
"These tricks… we were warned."
"They're meaningless."
They did nothing to stop him.
Ulquiorra raised his blade again.
"Restrain—Murciélago."
His Resurrección.
Releasing his true form—returning to what he once was.
Above Karakura Town…
As Ulquiorra transformed—
Black rain began to fall.
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Powerstones?
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