— — — — — —
At the very base of Sokyoku Hill…
Kurosaki Ichigo had just finished his training when he rushed over, only to freeze in place, staring up at the sky in pure shock. His body trembled involuntarily.
"…These two Reiatsus…"
The sky was practically swallowed by a crimson inferno.
And within that raging blaze, skeletal figures appeared, swarming like they were trying to attack something—only to be annihilated in an instant. They were wiped out like weeds underfoot.
"What are those things…?"
Even from a distance, just sensing the Reiatsu from those skeletal beings made Ichigo's scalp tingle.
Each and every one of them radiated a presence strong enough to completely overwhelm him. Monsters—undeniably.
And yet… they were being crushed. Effortlessly. En masse.
"What the hell is up there…?" For the first time, Ichigo genuinely doubted himself.
Could he really save Rukia? With pressure like that in the air—something that felt like staring into the abyss—did he really stand a chance?
That's when a familiar black cat appeared beside him and spoke.
"Having second thoughts, kid? If you wanna give up, you could just sit tight and wait for the execution to finish."
Shihoin Yoruichi, in her cat form, half-sighed, half-smirked.
"Sometimes, knowing your limits is its own kind of strength."
At that, Ichigo clenched his fists and his eyes reignited with determination.
"I didn't come all this way because I could. I came because Ihad to!"
"Even if I die fighting those two monsters up there, I'm still going to save Rukia!"
He pushed forward again, his legs regaining their strength as he started moving with purpose.
"Heh. Not bad, aside from the suicidal bit," Yoruichi muttered, impressed. Then she glanced up at the sky, her expression mixed with dread and awe.
"To think someone could actually push Old Man Yamamoto this far…"
Suddenly, she turned her head, ears twitching.
Someone else was approaching—Soifon stood there, her face a mix of shock and fury.
"Well, well. Long time no see, Soifon."
Yoruichi raised a paw in greeting.
Soifon looked past her, at Ichigo's back, then snapped through gritted teeth: "You've fallen, Yoruichi Shihoin!"
"Ahhh, figured you'd say that." Yoruichi leapt up onto a nearby pillar, smiling playfully. "Come on, let's go. I'm not letting you get in Ichigo's way."
Soifon's face hardened, her expression unreadable as she threw Yoruichi a cold glance, then reluctantly followed her.
Ichigo noticed, but didn't say anything. He had no time to waste. He headed straight for the steps of Sokyoku Hill.
Just then, a surprised voice called out from below the stairs.
"Ku-Kurosaki-kun?"
"Orihime?! You're alive!"
Ichigo turned, his face lighting up with joy.
"Uh… yeah." Orihime laughed awkwardly, not sure how to respond.
"'You're alive'? That's… kinda harsh..."
Standing beside her was a calm, soft-spoken girl with pale hair.
"Lady Orihime," she said, "I don't recommend ascending Sokyoku Hill at this time."
Ichigo eyed her suspiciously. "Who's she?"
"She's a new friend of mine!" Orihime answered quickly. "Anyway, Kurosaki-kun, Rukia's just up ahead, right? You're going to save her, aren't you?"
"She's up there?" Ichigo looked toward the sky, where monsters clashed with godlike force. He clenched his teeth. "You're right. I don't have time to waste. If I wait any longer, those two Reiatsus might crush her!"
Without another word, he bolted up the stairs, waving behind him.
"Catch you later, Orihime!"
"Be careful!" Orihime smiled, waving back, then sighed and turned to the girl beside her. "Miss Nemu, how much longer do we have to wait?"
Nemu bowed slightly. "Per my master's orders… we move once the battle above concludes."
"I see…" Orihime looked back at the burning sky, speechless.
Halfway up the hill, Ichigo stopped in his tracks. There, by a massive stone pillar—
Renji Abarai lay bloodied and unconscious on the ground, freshly bandaged.
Standing beside him, as clean and composed as ever, was Byakuya Kuchiki.
Byakuya turned calmly as he sensed Ichigo's approach.
"So. It's you."
"Byakuya Kuchiki!" Ichigo grabbed Zangetsu, his expression fierce.
"You here to stop me too?"
Byakuya was silent for a moment. Then, flatly: "You're too late."
"What?" Ichigo's eyes widened. Then he snarled, "What did you do to Rukia?!"
"She doesn't need your help anymore."
"Cut the crap!" Ichigo drew Zangetsu in one smooth motion. "I will save her!!"
Byakuya's brow twitched. He unsheathed his zanpakuto, speaking in a frigid tone.
"Fine. Before I go deal with Urahara Kisuke, I'll take some interest from you."
Rukia's situation had left Byakuya simmering with rage. Seeing Ichigo—a known associate of Urahara and someone who wouldn't listen to reason—only made it worse.
He narrowed his eyes and calmly stabbed his sword into the ground.
"Better knock some sense into you before you run off to die."
"Bankai—Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"
Ichigo gripped his blade with both hands. "I'm not the same as I was yesterday!!"
An ill-fated, yet inevitable battle began.
— — —
Elsewhere…
"The trail of reishi particles on Ichimaru Gin ends here."
Toshiro Hitsugaya halted in front of a massive sealed building.
"The Central 46 Chambers…"
His expression darkened.
"What the hell is Gin planning?"
As he pondered, a sudden chill ran down his spine. He looked north, eyes wide.
"That Reiatsu… The Captain-Commander's released his Zanpakuto?!"
"And the one clashing with him… it's even stronger?!"
"Two monsters…"
Hitsugaya cursed under his breath. But then something else caught his attention, and his eyes shot back to the building in front of him, face filled with shock.
"That's… Momo's Reiatsu?! Inside the Central 46?!"
Without hesitation, he slashed open the doors and charged in, ignoring all protocol.
Before he could even reach the main chamber, he stopped at the entrance to the inner corridor—eyes wide with disbelief.
"Captain Aizen?!"
"Hm?" Aizen Sosuke adjusted his glasses, flicking blood from his hand. He smiled warmly.
"Oh, Captain Hitsugaya. It's been a while."
.
.
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