Chapter 144 Turning a small matter into a big one, and a big matter into an even bigger one! (Please subscribe)
" Ichigo, now that things have come to this, there's only one way I can think of to help you defeat that monster."
Rukia Kuchiki faced Ichigo Kurosaki with a complicated smile.
What method?
Ichigo Kurosaki was overjoyed. As long as he could defeat that kind of monster, any method was worth trying.
"But Ichigo, this method comes at a price. If you choose this path, there will be no turning back."
Rukia Kuchiki's expression held a hint of helplessness; once you step into their world, there's no going back.
"You're so unlike yourself, being so fussy and indecisive!"
"No matter the method, no matter what price I have to pay."
"I've already made preparations."
Ichigo Kurosaki's words were true. Several years ago, after witnessing the world of monsters, he had already developed a belief that ordinary people could not understand, and he had become stronger, all in order to gain the power to protect the people he wanted to protect.
"Hmph... Since that's the case..."
" Ichigo, become Soul Reaper!"
As Rukia Kuchiki's lips curled slightly upward, she raised her Zanpakuto.
"What?"
Ichigo slightly taken aback, not understanding what Rukia Kuchiki meant.
The next second, to Ichigo's bewildered gaze, Rukia Kuchiki's Zanpakuto pierced through Ichigo's chest in an instant.
"Why?"
Ichigo looked at the Zanpakuto in his chest, raised an eyebrow, and asked in confusion.
" Ichigo! Show me your resolve!"
Rukia Kuchiki offered no explanation, roaring loudly as the Spiritual Pressure surrounding her poured into Ichigo Kurosaki's body through her Zanpakuto.
The next second, Rukia Kuchiki was originally wearing a black Shihakusho, suddenly transformed into a Ichigo Kurosaki -robed figure with no Spiritual Pressure left. The instant Rukia pierced Ichigo, her Spiritual Pressure was completely absorbed by something hidden within Ichigo's body, leaving not a single drop for Rukia.
"What?"
Rukia Kuchiki stood there dumbfounded, staring at her own reflection. She had come up with this idea as a last resort, thinking that it wouldn't kill her.
Because the human body and soul have limits, even if she wanted to give all her Spiritual Pressure to an ordinary human, the ordinary human would be unable to withstand that enormous power and would eventually die from the dissipation of their soul. However, Ichigo Kurosaki did not do that. Instead, Ichigo Kurosaki as if he had been thirsty for a long time, drinking up all the Spiritual Pressure in her body and even feeling unsatisfied afterward. To be honest, this is a very dangerous phenomenon, at least proving that Ichigo Kurosaki is no ordinary person.
Leave everything to me!
Ichigo Kurosaki, dressed in a jet-black Shihakusho, stood silently before the monster, carrying his enormous, somewhat exaggerated Zanpakuto on his shoulder, exuding an imposing aura.
"What happened to you? How did you become like this?"
The enormous monster stared at Ichigo Kurosaki with utter bewilderment in its eyes.
Who knows?
Ichigo Kurosaki smiled slightly, showing no intention of explaining anything to the monster.
"Since you're not going to tell me, then you might as well die!"
The monster, as tall as a giant, stared at Ichigo Kurosaki, who had transformed into Soul Reaper, with madness in its eyes. It roared and swung its massive forelimbs as it slammed down from the sky.
" Ichigo, watch out!"
Rukia Kuchiki cried out as she watched the enormous hand press down on Ichigo Kurosaki.
"Bump!"
As a cloud of dust billowed from the ground, tears welled up in Rukia Kuchiki's eyes. She thought that the events of the Thirteenth Division from over a decade ago were about to repeat themselves before her eyes.
"Ha ha ha ha..."
The enormous monster roared with laughter. He had initially thought that the brat who had obtained the power of the Soul Reaper was incredibly powerful, but now it seemed he was nothing special.
Just as the monster was feeling smug, a cold light suddenly flashed across his shoulder, and bright red blood instantly gushed out. The next second, his entire arm was severed.
That's it?
Wearing the Shihakusho, Ichigo Kurosaki had somehow found himself standing in front of the giant monster. The strike that had just landed was delivered by Ichigo.
You're not dead?
The monster looked at Ichigo Kurosaki with confusion, not understanding why the little bug in front of it hadn't turned to ashes under its earlier attack.
Is this all you've got?
Ichigo Kurosaki did not answer the monster's question, or rather, he did not need to answer it at all. Since he was standing perfectly fine in front of the monster, it naturally proved that he was not dead at all.
"Roar!!!"
"Die! Die! Die!"
The monster roared and attacked Ichigo Kurosaki once more with its remaining forelimb.
That's enough!
Ichigo Kurosaki leaped high into the air, dodging the monster's attack, and jumped to the same height as the monster's head. He then swung his Zanpakuto, and in the next second, the monster's entire body was split in two by Ichigo Kurosaki strike.
"Battle over."
Ichigo Kurosaki, carrying the massive Zanpakuto on his shoulder, looked at the monster he had instantly slain and smiled slightly. All these years of studying swordsmanship were for the day when he might actually use it, and now it seemed that the day he would finally use the swordsmanship he had practiced day and night had not come too late.
"Yo~ Rukia ~ I told you, leave it to me and there won't be any problem."
Ichigo Kurosaki, carrying his Zanpakuto on his shoulder, approached Rukia and smiled slightly.
"Are you kidding me?"
Rukia Kuchiki stared at the relaxed Ichigo Kurosaki before her, muttering to herself. Even she found it difficult to defeat him, yet Ichigo Kurosaki had so easily defeated him. Could it be that the Ichigo Kurosaki before her was the real monster...? She felt as if she had inadvertently broken the chains binding the monster.
"Experiment No. 3 has been destroyed; everything is proceeding smoothly."
High in the sky, a man dressed in the same white clothes as the monster from before silently watched everything happening on the ground. He waited patiently for Ichigo Kurosaki to destroy the experimental defective product. Then, he gently slid his arm towards the sky. The next second, the entire sky suddenly cracked open, revealing a pitch-black unknown space in front of the man.
"Then goodbye... Ichigo Kurosaki."
The man glanced one last time in Ichigo Kurosaki's direction, then turned and vanished into the darkness.
In the Soul Society... in the Fifth Division Barracks, in the captain's room where the Fifth Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen, Sōsuke Aizen was watching Ichigo Kurosaki's fighting skills with great interest through something that looked like a tablet computer.
Hahahaha... Hahahaha...
"Good, very good!"
"As expected, Ichigo Kurosaki, you are special. You can give me experiences that even I couldn't have imagined!"
"This is wonderful!"
"Ha ha ha ha..."
Sōsuke Aizen chuckled softly. His laughter was low and deep, but he was genuinely happy and joyful. In all his years in Soul Society, he had probably never been as happy as he was today.
"The joy that comes from the unknown is unique to us."
" Ichigo Kurosaki ~"
"The man I unintentionally created, who has unified all the power in the world—come! Come find me!"
Sōsuke Aizen said, standing up from his seat.
"It's time to start planning."
Aizen gently removed the glasses from his nose, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Well..."
"Has it finally come to this?"
Inside Ichigo Kurosaki's body, a man wearing a black trench coat that resembled Shihakusho but was definitely Shihakusho, sighed helplessly.
" Ichigo Kurosaki, if I could, I really wouldn't want you to gain any power, not even a tiny bit. It would be poison to both of us."
"I have slumbered for nearly a thousand years, and now I have awakened. If this continues, I will have no choice but to kill you with my own hands..."
" Ichigo Kurosaki... what should I do?"
A man in a black trench coat stood amidst towering buildings, sighing silently. Having watched Ichigo Kurosaki Ichigo Kurosaki grow up, he knew Ichigo Kurosaki's personality better than anyone. If Ichigo Kurosaki continued to grow and was allowed to gain power, he would one day stand against Ichigo and be killed by him. This was something he, the man who had watched Ichigo Kurosaki grow up, absolutely did not want to see.
"Ha ha ha ha..."
What exactly are you struggling with?
What exactly are you afraid of?
"Release me from here, let me go and help the 'King' become the true 'King'."
"Even if we die in future battles, it will only mean that the 'king' we chose was not strong enough..."
Just as the man in the black trench coat stood silently in the sky, the world around him twisted, and a mournful and ominous howl came from a dark corner.
"Shut up!"
"You just watch me like a good boy!"
"As for your attempt to escape from my suppression, I advise you not to even think about it."
The man in the trench coat snorted coldly and used his invincible power to repair everything around him, imprisoning the source of that cold and ominous power at the very bottom of this world.
Hahaha... Hahaha...
"That's not up to you. Just you wait! One day I'll get out of here..."
"That guy will need my strength one day..."
"Hahaha..."
The man in the trench coat heard that chilling, mocking laugh, which then slowly faded away, returning to silence.
Ichigo.
The man in the trench coat silently murmured the name of Ichigo Kurosaki, the one he loved deeply.
The next day, Ichigo Kurosaki got up very early. In the morning, he found a note left for him by Rukia in the house, but Rukia Kuchiki had already left their house.
Then, Ichigo Kurosaki encounters Rukia Kuchiki, who has transferred to the school, and then... he meets a group of companions including Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida...
Then the sky shattered, and a gigantic Hollow, Menos Grande named Gillian, appeared before Ichigo Kurosaki and the others...
It was at this moment that Ichigo Kokuki group were completely exposed to the Soul Society.
Rukia Kuchiki's transfer of her Soul Reaper powers to humans shocked the entire Soul Society.
"Good morning..."
Sōgo Shihoin, who had just come out of the bathroom, was slightly taken aback when he saw Shaoling Fon, who had been waiting for him in the squad leader's room for a long time. Then he greeted her as usual.
" Sōgo, something urgent has happened."
When Shaoling Fon saw Sōgo come out of the bathroom, her expression turned slightly serious, and she began to speak earnestly.
"Urgent?"
"What is it?"
Seeing Sōgo's anxious expression, Shaoling Fon frowned. A bad feeling rose in his heart; he had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.
"That idiot Rukia Kuchiki transferred her Soul Reaper powers to a human in the World of the Living. Now, the Central 46 Chambers is demanding that Rukia Kuchiki be captured and brought back to Soul Society to be imprisoned for one hundred years!"
Shaoling Fon told Sōgo what she had heard during the morning meeting that day.
"Huh? What on earth is that girl doing?"
"The mere fact that humanity is made aware of the existence of Soul Reaper is already taboo."
"That silly girl actually transferred the power of Soul Reaper to a human... Doesn't she think Soul Society already has enough trouble?"
Sōgo rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache.
Letting humanity know of the existence of the Soul Reaper would increase human fear, greatly raising the possibility that humans would become Hollows after death. Therefore, this is taboo. Allowing humans to directly obtain the power of the Soul Reaper while still alive is an even greater taboo. If humans were to achieve immortality through the power of the Soul Reaper, would they develop desires that ultimately harm the three realms? These are all completely unpredictable matters...
Moreover, given Rukia Kuchiki's precedent, what would they do if another Soul Reaper did something similar in the future?
" Sōgo, we have to help her, right? Besides, Rukia wouldn't do something like this unintentionally. I suspect there's more to it than meets the eye."
Shaoling Fon frowned. She still liked Rukia Kuchiki very much. She believed that Rukia must have had a reason for transferring her power to humans.
" The Central 46 Chambers only sentenced Rukia to a hundred years in prison, which is not a serious punishment. According to the laws established by the Kuchiki Clan back then, people who do this should be sentenced to death. The Central 46 Chambers has given the Kuchiki Clan of face. I guess the hundred-year sentence is just for show. In reality, how Rukia be tried is probably still uncertain."
Sōgo crossed his arms over his chest and recounted the story with a sense of helplessness.
"So, we can just do nothing?"
After hearing Sōgo's words, Shaoling Fon frowned slightly.
"Of course not. If I did nothing, wouldn't I become a good boy?"
How can I possibly remain at the top of the Central 46 Chambers's list of most hated people?
"Besides, didn't you say there must be something going on? Let's investigate thoroughly and find out what that is."
"Let me see what everyone's been playing behind my back. What interesting games are they playing?"
Sōgo, seemingly unafraid of making a scene, chuckled.
He was never Sōgo liked to stir up trouble, turning small things into big things, and big things into even bigger things. His main goal was to find some amusement in his invincible life. Anyone who could bring him joy was a useful person.
"Hehehe... please me to your heart's content~"
Sōgo burst into laughter, his heart filled with anticipation.
(End of this chapter)