Grimmjow Rematch

Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Yammy Rialgo's blades clashed repeatedly in mid-air, each impact unleashing an astonishing surge of Reiatsu. Hyōrinmaru's chilling aura intertwined with Yammy's ferocious power, causing the ground to crack and shatter continuously during their battle.

"I am the Captain the Tenth Division, Tōshirō Hitsugaya." Tōshirō Hitsugaya's voice was icy, and his eyes were sharp as knives.

Yammy grinned, revealing a ferocious smile, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Tenth Division! What a coincidence, I'm also number 10— Arrancar Number 10, Yammy Rialgo."

Tōshirō Hitsugaya frowned slightly. "The 10th Arrancar, is he Espada?"

"You seem to know quite a bit," Yammy's smile grew even more menacing. "Looks like the person you fought before was quite the talker."

The two exchanged a brief but tense conversation, neither letting their guard down. They both knew this battle would be anything but easy.

Not far away, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa were confronting another Arrancar.

It was a somewhat feminine-looking Arrancar with pink hair, a slender build, and a strange smile on his face. His gaze swept over the two of them, scrutinizing them.

Yumichika Ayasegawa Zanpakuto tightly and asked warily, "Are you also Espada?"

Luppi Antenor smiled, a hint of smugness in her expression. "Oh, yes, my name is Luppi. As for my rank..."

He pulled open his shirt at his waist, revealing the number engraved on his side—6, the Espada.

Ikkaku Madarame's expression grew even more serious. He remembered Liu Hao saying that the strength of the Espada was vastly different from that of ordinary Arrancar. And Number 6 was one of the top-ranked Espada.

Further away, Rangiku Matsumoto and Momo Hinamori were facing the last Arrancar.

He was a silent presence, standing motionless at the edge of the Industrial District. He had short, blond hair, an expressionless face, and a vacant gaze fixed on the distance—or rather, on a butterfly fluttering among the ruins.

Rangiku Matsumoto gripped the Haineko tightly, looked at Momo Hinamori, and asked hesitantly, "This guy... can we cut him down?"

Momo Hinamori looked at the Arrancar who showed no reaction to them, unsure how to answer, "Um, I don't know either..."

Just then, a violent surge of Reiatsu suddenly erupted in the distant sky.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in that direction.

That was Ichigo Kurosaki's Reiatsu.

Let's rewind a few minutes.

After bursting out of the Visored base, Ichigo Kurosaki rushed towards the direction of the Arrancar's Reiatsu at full speed. He was extremely fast, leaving cracks in the ground beneath his feet.

But he was stopped halfway there.

A figure emerged from the darkness, blocking his path.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

The former Sixth Espada stood before Ichigo Kurosaki, radiating a dangerous aura. His right arm was empty—just as Ichigo Kurosaki had asked earlier, his other hand was gone.

"Hey," Grimmjow grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "I've been looking for you, Soul Reaper!"

Ichigo Kurosaki stopped and gripped his Zanpakuto tightly. It was a brand new sword, no longer the previous Tensa Zangetsu, but a heavier and more ancient -Zanpakuto one.

"That's exactly what I wanted to say." Ichigo Kurosaki drew his Zanpakuto, the blade reflecting a cold light in the moonlight. "I'll show you just how much I've changed in the past month."

Grimmjow's gaze fell on the knife in his hand, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes. "Hmm, a different knife seems to have given you more confidence."

"Perhaps." Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Grimmjow's empty right arm and asked, "Grimmjow, where's your other hand?"

Grimmjow glanced down at his empty sleeve, then looked up again, his smile becoming even more sinister, "I threw them away. Two hands are too much of a hindrance to take you down."

"Is that so?" Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes hardened. "Then it seems I won't need to hold back."

He placed one hand on his forehead and began to gather Reiatsu.

Grimmjow sensed the change in Reiatsu, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes. "If you don't want to die, you'd better do this!"

The moment the words left his mouth, black Reiatsu began to emanate from the hand that Ichigo Kurosaki placed on his forehead.

That Reiatsu was completely different from ordinary Soul Reaper Powers; it was more violent and more profound, like darkness from the abyss. The black Reiatsu condensed and compressed in his palm, eventually forming a black mask that looked like liquid metal.

Ichigo Kurosaki pressed the mask onto his face.

The mask transformed into an illusory Visored, covering his face. The Visored was pure white, with dark red patterns appearing on it, as dense as blood vessels. The Visored covered his entire face, revealing only a pair of eyes—eyes that were now burning with golden light.

As he donned the Visored, Ichigo Kurosaki's Reiatsu began to surge dramatically. The increase far surpassed that of a normal Bankai, and the intensity of his Reiatsu reached a new level in an instant.

Grimmjow's pupils contracted slightly. He could sense that Ichigo Kurosaki was completely different now—the intensity of his Reiatsu was approaching or even surpassing his peak level.

"You..." Grimmjow's voice betrayed a hint of uncertainty for the first time, "What is that?!"

"I don't have time to explain to you." Ichigo Kurosaki's voice came from beneath the mask, becoming deep and imposing.

Before he finished speaking, he had already moved.

Its speed was several times faster than before, and it appeared in front of Grimmjow in the blink of an eye before he could react. The Zanpakuto down, aiming straight for Grimmjow's neck.

Grimmjow instinctively raised his sword to parry. The instant the blades clashed, an unimaginable force surged from the swords, making his arm go numb.

But this is just the beginning.

Ichigo Kurosaki gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and black Reiatsu surged from his hand, condensing on the blade. The Reiatsu grew denser and stronger, eventually forming a nearly solidified mass of darkness.

He exerted his strength suddenly, and black slashes erupted from the blade.

Grimmjow was pushed backward by the slash, his feet carving two deep furrows in the ground. Black Reiatsu completely enveloped him, and then—

Boom!

The explosion was deafening. Black light engulfed Grimmjow's figure, and the shockwave spread outwards, uprooting the surrounding ground.

When the smoke cleared, Grimmjow's figure reappeared.

He had several wounds on his body, his Shihakushō was tattered, and his breathing became heavy. But his eyes remained fierce as he stared intently at Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Huff... huff..." Grimmjow panted, his voice filled with suppressed rage, "This power... it doesn't seem to Soul Reaper. Damn it, what have you been training for the past month?!"

Ichigo Kurosaki did not answer. He simply raised his Zanpakuto, and black Reiatsu once again condensed on the blade.

He brandished his knife.

A black slash flew from the blade, transforming into a massive crescent-shaped strike. The strike was remarkably similar to Getsuga Tenshō after Bankai, but even more ferocious and dangerous.

Grimmjow raised his sword to parry. The black slash struck his blade, the immense impact causing him to stagger backward.

In that instant, Ichigo Kurosaki vanished from the spot.

Shunpo.

In the next instant, he was already behind Grimmjow.

"Didn't I tell you?" Ichigo Kurosaki's voice came from behind, icy cold, "I don't have time to explain."

His Zanpakuto swung horizontally. At the same time, the black slash he had previously unleashed also struck again. The two black slashes attacked simultaneously from the front and back, trapping Grimmjow in the middle.

Boom--

An even more violent explosion rang out. Black light engulfed everything, and shockwaves spread in all directions, even causing distant buildings to tremble.

As the light faded, Grimmjow was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground and rolling several times before coming to a stop.

Ichigo Kurosaki gave him no chance to breathe. He charged forward, sword in hand, ready to deliver the final blow.

But at that moment, Grimmjow raised his left hand. A red light gathered in his palm, growing brighter and more dangerous—

Cero.

Ichigo Kurosaki's pupils contracted slightly. His sprint was too fast; there was no way to dodge.

He could only concentrate his Reiatsu on the blade and slash down at the instant the Cero was launched.

The blade cleaved through the Cero. A red light split in the middle, swept past him, and exploded into a huge crater behind him.

But this momentary pause gave Grimmjow the opportunity to counterattack.

Grimmjow had already rushed in front of him, wielding his sword with one arm, and brought it down fiercely. Ichigo Kurosaki instinctively raised his sword to block, and the two were once again locked in a stalemate.

Blades clashed, sparks flew. The two clashed repeatedly in mid-air, each collision unleashing an astonishing surge of Reiatsu. Neither could gain the upper hand, and in the end, they could only engage in a contest of strength with their swords.

Ichigo Kurosaki gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with golden light beneath his mask. He could sense that Grimmjow's power was waning, and his injuries were affecting his fighting ability.

With just a little more effort, we can defeat him.

Ichigo Kurosaki a deep breath and increased his Reiatsu once more. He gripped the hilt of his sword, preparing to unleash his final attack:

"Grimmjow, this is the end."

Grimmjow's pupils contracted slightly. He could sense that Ichigo Kurosaki's Reiatsu was rising to a new level—a level high enough to completely defeat him.

But just as Ichigo Kurosaki his sword, something unexpected happened.

The Hollow Mask on his face suddenly began to crack. Cracks started from the forehead of the mask and quickly spread to the entire mask. The dark red patterns on the mask began to flicker erratically, like the last struggle of a dying life.

Click--

The mask shattered.

Countless fragments fell from Ichigo Kurosaki's face, dissipating into specks of light. As the mask shattered, his Reiatsu instantly plummeted to its lowest point. The powerful force that had been enough to defeat Grimmjow receded like a tide, leaving only deep exhaustion.

Ichigo Kurosaki's body suddenly went limp, creating a fatal opening in his movement.

Grimmjow seized the opportunity.

A glint of wild joy flashed in his eyes, and then he swung his sword. The blade drew a perfect arc in the air and struck Ichigo Kurosaki hard.

Pfft--

Blood splattered. Ichigo Kurosaki flying by the slash and crashed heavily to the ground. A deep wound appeared on his chest, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

Grimmjow stood there, looking at Ichigo Kurosaki lying on the ground, panting heavily. He too was covered in wounds, but he smiled, a smile filled with the triumphant satisfaction of victory.

"It's over for you now, Soul Reaper."

He walked towards Ichigo Kurosaki, each step exuding the composure of a victor. He reached Ichigo Kurosaki's side and swung his sword down once more.

Ichigo Kurosaki barely managed to raise his sword to parry, but the difference in strength was too great. The blade was cleaved in two, and he was knocked down once more.

Grimmjow looked down at him, his tone full of mockery. "Although I don't know what state you were in just now, you were exhausted after the mask shattered! You're dead, Soul Reaper. Although I was also badly injured, in the end, you still couldn't defeat me."

He kicked Ichigo Kurosaki away. Ichigo Kurosaki rolled several times on the ground, then knelt down, panting heavily.

He raised his hand and placed it on his forehead, trying to gather that black Reiatsu again. But the Reiatsu dissipated as soon as it appeared, as if it had never existed.

Grimmjow watched his movements and burst into laughter. His laughter echoed through the night sky, filled with smugness and mockery. "Soul Reaper, it seems that once your Visored shattered, it can no longer be used. Perhaps it's because of the number of uses, or because of the weakened Reiatsu, or perhaps because you're severely injured—but none of that matters. What matters is that you're about to die by my hand, Soul Reaper!!"

Ichigo Kurosaki knelt on the ground, head bowed, gasping for breath. Blood gushed from his wounds, staining the ground red. He could feel his life slipping away, his consciousness fading.

Is this the end?

No, this can't end...

[I still need to... I still need to protect everyone...]

His consciousness began to waver, and the scenery around him began to blur.

Then, everything froze.

The wind stopped, the sound disappeared, and the whole world seemed to have been paused.

Ichigo Kurosaki looked up and found that everything around him had frozen—falling dust stopped in mid-air, the distant explosion light was frozen in an instant, and even Grimmjow laughing face was still like a statue.

A figure appeared in front of him.

Uncle Zangetsu.

The middle-aged man who always wore a white robe and sunglasses was now standing in front of him, looking down at him. His expression was calm, but his eyes held complex emotions.

"Ichigo," Uncle Zangetsu began, his voice deep and gentle.

Ichigo Kurosaki looked at him, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Why don't you call me by my name?" Uncle Zangetsu asked, his tone tinged with questioning, but mostly with understanding. "Is it because Liu Hao told you that I'm not your Zanpakuto?"

Ichigo Kurosaki lowered his head, his voice filled with desolation and confusion. "No... it's just... I don't know how to wake you up either."

Liu Hao told him that the real Zanpakuto is White, while Uncle Zangetsu is Quincy. But both of these beings are part of him, the source of his power. He wants to awaken them, to gain their recognition, but he doesn't know how.

Uncle Zangetsu looked at him and remained silent for a moment. Then, he reached out and gently placed his hand on Ichigo Kurosaki's shoulder.

"In that case, come with me."

He crouched down, supporting himself with one hand on the ground. Black light surged from his palm, rapidly spreading and forming a massive black curtain on the ground. The curtain was like an abyss, deep and mysterious, as if leading to another world.

A black curtain rose, completely enveloping Ichigo Kurosaki.

In the real world, Ichigo Kurosaki's body remained kneeling on the ground, maintaining that posture. But his consciousness had entered a deeper part of his Inner World.

There, he will face his final trial.

There, he will find the real answer.