The cold fury on Shinobu's face had reached its peak. The spiritual pressure pouring off her made the entire sea of the mind tremble.
The moment Ignorance pierced Yuko's heart, Shinobu had turned into a streak of violet light, determined to tear the one who had hurt Yuko to pieces.
...Yet halfway there, she stopped dead.
Because she saw Ignorance's expression.
As Yuko spoke, the savage mockery on Ignorance's face began to fall away, piece by piece.
What... was going on?
Shinobu stood frozen a short distance away, her rage doused as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over her head.
Still holding Yuko, Ignorance widened her eyes slightly. The vicious curl of her lips faded, and her face softened.
She slowly raised her free hand. After a moment's hesitation, she rested it gently on Yuko's back, as though to comfort her—or perhaps to feel the warmth she had been denied for so long.
"It's going to hurt," she said softly.
Yuko froze, then loosened her embrace a little and saw the gentleness in Ignorance's eyes.
To be honest, that was not the expression Yuko had expected.
She had wanted to see Ignorance moved, at a loss for what to do.
Where did I get it wrong...?
Ignorance had not been questioning her. She did not hate her...
In an instant, Yuko's pupils widened slightly. She seemed to realize something.
So that's it.
The thought flashed through her mind like a light bursting out of darkness, flooding her thoughts.
Through her Zanpakuto, Ignorance had brought forth the demonic side of Yuko from her inner world. She was somewhat different from a Zanpakuto in the traditional sense.
Ignorance and Yuko were the same: both were parts of Tsugikuni Yuko's consciousness.
Ignorance was the Tsugikuni Yuko who