Despair, weakness, Mujō!
Looking at the people before him, and at everything he had lost, Ichigo Kurosaki fell into deep thought. How had he come to this point? The loss of his Spiritual Power left his soul in grave danger, on the verge of vanishing before everyone's eyes at any moment. Yet his companions hadn't even glanced at him. Perhaps if someone saw his current miserable state, they would only say, "I'm sorry."
He's heard far too much, far too much. I'm sorry, Ichigo! I'm so sorry, Ichigo!
"Haha, hahaha..." Ichigo Kurosaki suddenly burst into laughter, lying on the ground and laughing incessantly. "What on earth have I been doing!?"
Ichigo Kurosaki muttered to himself, his gaze gradually unfocusing...
"Look at him! Look at his pathetic state!" Kūgo Ginjō laughed loudly as he watched Ichigo Kurosaki lying on the ground, his Spiritual Pressure gradually dissipating, as if he were about to transform into Reishi and return to the cycle of reincarnation. "How weak he is! As weak as an insect!"
" Ichigo Kurosaki, everything you did was part of my plan. You were nothing but a clown on stage. Now I've had enough of the show! You can leave now." Kūgo Ginjō declared, looking at Ichigo Kurosaki lying on the ground. "I've accepted your comrade. Goodbye, Ichigo Kurosaki!"
"Is everything over for me!?" Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes lost all light. Rain fell from the sky, pounding against Ichigo's body. Ichigo tilted his head back, water droplets sliding down his cheeks, whether from his tears or the rain, it was hard to tell Riruka Dokugamine looked at Ichigo Kurosaki kneeling on the ground and suddenly felt a pang of pain in her heart. She frowned, the scene before her reminding her of the first time she met Ichigo Kurosaki.
"It's over! Ichigo!" Kūgo Ginjō announced the end of the battle with great joy. In Ginjo's eyes, Ichigo Kurosaki was already a dead man at this moment.
"Cheer up, Ichigo!" Just as Ichigo Kurosaki was looking at the rain and giving up on everything, a voice full of vicissitudes rang out behind Ichigo Kurosaki.
"You are..." When Ichigo Kurosaki turned around, he saw his father and mother. "Really!? Even you have been changed!?"
At this moment, the appearance of Isshin Kurosaki and Masaki Kurosaki did not cheer Ichigo Kurosaki up; instead, it made him fall even further.
" Ichigo Kurosaki, look down! See who's here!" Just as Ichigo Kurosaki had given up hope, a knife suddenly pierced his chest. This Ichigo Kurosaki, yet the pain in his chest brought a sense of familiarity. "You are..."
As Ichigo Kurosaki lowered his head, a stunningly beautiful woman with medium-length hair was smiling at him.
"Long time no see, Ichigo Kurosaki!" The cold and beautiful woman smiled slightly, and it was as if roses were blooming in Ichigo Kurosaki's heart.
"Voice!" The next second, a soaring Spiritual Pressure erupted! In an instant, Ichigo Kurosaki, dressed in a Shihakusho, appeared before everyone's eyes.
"It's been a long time, Rukia!" Ichigo Kurosaki smiled slightly as he looked at the cold and beautiful woman before him.
"Yeah! Long time no see, Ichigo Kurosaki. Two years have passed, and you've successfully evolved from a competent warrior into..." The cold and beautiful woman was none other than the grown-up Rukia Kuchiki. She smiled at Ichigo Kurosaki Ichigo Kurosaki, then kicked him in the head, "Growing into a crybaby otaku! Not bad, Ichigo!"
"Ouch!" Ichigo was kicked to the ground by Rukia. He clutched his head and looked at Rukia in pain.
" Ichigo! I know how terrifying the enemy's abilities are, but so what?" Rukia looked at Ichigo earnestly and said, "Even if your past has been altered, even if you've lost your family and friends, as long as you try to find a way to get back the bonds you've lost, isn't that enough!?"
" Rukia!" Ichigo looked at Rukia with a hint of sincerity in his expression, "It wasn't me whose past was altered, it was them..."
"..." Rukia fell silent upon hearing this. "I guess you should just die, Ichigo!"
Rukia spoke, she Zanpakuto and slashed at Ichigo Kurosaki.
"That was close..." Ichigo Kurosaki dodged the Zanpakuto that was coming straight for his head, his face filled with horror.
" Rukia, what are you doing?!" Ichigo Kurosaki protested angrily.
"Can't you read the room?!" Rukia was even angrier than Ichigo Kurosaki. "In that atmosphere just now, you should have listened properly and said, 'I won't do it again next time,' you Kuchiki brat!"
"Huh!?" Ichigo Kurosaki's face darkened with anger. "Who's the little brat!?"
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Kūgo Ginjō, who had been listening to the two arguing, grew impatient. "Enough, you two! What's the point of arguing like this? And... isn't it time to end this boring imitation game? Just because you're wearing Shihakusho, you think you've gained the power of Soul Reaper? What a joke! The reason Ichigo Kurosaki was able to draw power from your sword the first time was because Ichigo Kurosaki already possessed the power of Soul Reaper within his body. But now, I've completely absorbed all of Ichigo Kurosaki's power. How can you possibly restore his power like this?! It's laughable!"
"You're the ridiculous one!" Rukia Kuchiki said with a hint of disdain in her eyes after hearing Kūgo Ginjō's words. "Who do you think made this sword, and who gave Ichigo Kurosaki new power?"
" Ichigo, listen up!" Rukia ignored Kūgo Ginjō and addressed Ichigo Kurosaki in front of her.
"What's wrong?! Rukia!" Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Rukia, puzzled.
" Sōgo Shihoin asked me to pass on a message." Rukia took a deep breath, then loudly imitated Sōgo Shihoin's voice, "Ah, um, Rukia, go help Ichigo Kurosaki! My phone rang twice. The first time it was Kisuke Urahara, that guy who's always talking nonsense, and I didn't even answer. The second time it was Isshin Kurosaki, that old idiot, and he hung up on me as soon as I answered. So I guess something must have happened to that idiot Ichigo Kurosaki. Maybe that idiot listened to someone's lies again, got tricked, and lost his power. So take out your sword, and I'll sacrifice the power of a single hair of my head to help Ichigo Kurosaki. Oh, and when the time comes, just stab Ichigo Kurosaki's body like you always do!"
Rukia Kuchiki finished speaking, mimicking Sōgo Shihoin's manner.
"..." Ichigo Kurosaki fell silent upon hearing this. "So, it was Captain Sōgo Shihoin helped me?"
"Ichigo Kurosaki asked uncertainly."
"Yes!" Rukia Kuchiki nodded slightly. It was Sōgo Shihoin who helped you.
"Are you kidding me!? How could one person possibly restore the power that Ichigo Kurosaki lost!?" Kūgo Ginjō refused to believe it. "That's impossible!"
"Foolish!" Rukia Kuchiki looked at the crazed Kūgo Ginjō and sneered. "If it were anyone else, it would indeed be impossible, but if it's the invincible Sōgo Shihoin, anything is possible! After all, Captain Sōgo Shihoin is the man who makes the impossible possible!"
"Really!?" Sōgo Shihoin was currently playing Naruto Hokage: Ultimate Ninja Storm in Soul Society, was taken aback. "Really?! I'm actually the kind of man who can turn the impossible into the possible? Do you guys think so highly of me? I'm so sorry for being a gamer all this time!"
Sōgo Shihoin spoke, his fingers continued to move on the buttons, and he began a new round of the game.
It's impossible for him not to play games; it's impossible for him to ever stop. He'll just barely get by playing games every day for the rest of his life.
"Whether I've regained my power or not..." Ichigo Kurosaki gave Ginjo a confident smile. The Ichigo Kurosaki had lost his power was gone; the current Ichigo Kurosaki was invincible. "Why don't you try it with your own body and see?"
"Hahaha..." Kūgo Ginjō laughed mockingly after hearing Ichigo Kurosaki's words. " Ichigo Kurosaki, you really dare to talk back! Fine, I'll experience your power for myself!"
Kūgo Ginjō spoke, he instantly appeared in front of Ichigo Kurosaki, his body exuding an astonishing Spiritual Pressure. He brandished a massive knight's sword and slashed at Ichigo Kurosaki.
"Ah... is that all?" Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Kūgo Ginjō with a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "This power is far too weak!"
Facing Kūgo Ginjō's slash, Ichigo Kurosaki gently extended his finger.
With a clang, Kūgo Ginjō's slash was easily blocked by Ichigo Kurosaki.
" Kūgo Ginjō, you're really too weak~" Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Kūgo Ginjō with a confident smile.
"How is this possible!?" Kūgo Ginjō couldn't believe his eyes. Ichigo Kurosaki had blocked his attack with one hand. Although he had guessed that Ichigo Kurosaki would become very powerful, and that the opponent's strength might even exceed his imagination, no matter how much Kūgo Ginjō thought about it, he never expected that Ichigo Kurosaki would become so powerful. It was as if they were on a completely different level. The opponent's strength was far superior to his! It was an absolute crushing of power!
" Ichigo Kurosaki! Why!?"
"Why can you possess power that I cannot so easily!?"
"Why is it that despite all my scheming and sacrifice, I cannot gain the power to fight you?!"
" Ichigo Kurosaki! Answer me!!!"
Kūgo Ginjō roared angrily at Ichigo Kurosaki, who possessed overwhelming fighting power.
"Why?" Ichigo Kurosaki didn't answer Kūgo Ginjō's question. Instead, he asked Kūgo Ginjō and drew Zangetsu from behind him. The Zangetsu, originally shaped like a kitchen knife, changed. The sharp blade became thicker and heavier. At the same time, chains bound Ichigo Kurosaki Ichigo Kurosaki's arm as he gripped Zangetsu, running from the tip of the blade down to his arm. Zangetsu at this moment was different from its normal state; it was more like the Mugetsu form in its Shikai state...
The moment Ichigo Kurosaki accepted Sōgo Shihoin's power, he became different. It was as if he saw the future in an instant, knew the past, and controlled the present. He completely learned and mastered all the magic and secret techniques of the Ichigo Kurosaki family, Five Great Noble Clans Shiba Clan of Soul Society. At this moment, Ichigo Kurosaki had made the Mugetsu technique his normal state. This was the change produced by the power of a single hair of Sōgo Shihoin, which forcefully elevated Ichigo Kurosaki's power to a whole new level.
"Clang~" Although Ichigo Kurosaki's body was devoid of any Spiritual Pressure at this moment, he merely swung his Zanpakuto, sending Kūgo Ginjō flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground. "Get up and look back! Look at what you've done! Look at the person crying! A guy who makes his comrades cry, a guy who gains power only for himself, not for others, how could you possibly obtain power like me, power that can only be obtained to protect!?"
Ichigo Kurosaki shouted at Kūgo Ginjō!
"Power gained for protection!?" Kūgo Ginjō was puzzled. He slowly stood up from the ground, ignoring the countless injuries he had sustained. He turned around, and then Kūgo Ginjō understood. He finally knew where he had lost...
Behind him, Riruka Dokugamine was crying!
As a self-proclaimed savior of Fullbring, seeking justice for his fallen Fullbring comrades from Soul Society, he somehow became just like the beings in Soul Society who persecuted them—a group of monsters gradually twisted by the pursuit of power...
"Hahaha..."
"Ha ha ha ha..."
Kūgo Ginjō burst into laughter.
" Ichigo Kurosaki!" Kūgo Ginjō pointed his knight's sword at Ichigo Kurosaki, " Bankai!"
In an instant! Kūgo Ginjō completed his Bankai, and a terrifying Spiritual Pressure soared into the sky. The Hollow power, Soul Reaper power, and Quincy power he obtained from Ichigo Kurosaki's body, along with his own Fullbring power, gradually merged into one. His power seemed to break a certain calm and advance towards a certain great being.
" Ichigo Kurosaki! It's too late!" Kūgo Ginjō, sword in hand, charged towards Ichigo Kurosaki. "It's all too late!"
"..." Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Kūgo Ginjō and subconsciously used his Zanpakuto to block.
With a "thud," the sound of a sword piercing through a body echoed in everyone's ears. Kūgo Ginjō 'Ichigo Kurosaki body was instantly pierced by Ichigo Kurosaki.
" Ichigo Kurosaki... if you and I had met sooner, perhaps there wouldn't have been so much trouble." Kūgo Ginjō looked at Ichigo Kurosaki with a complicated expression. "Damn it! Why did I realize this so late? How many of my Fullbring comrades are left?"
"They're all still here!" Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Kūgo Ginjō in front of him, unsure of what to say. He gently patted the other's back and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Is that so!?" A hint of relief flashed in Kūgo Ginjō's eyes upon hearing this. "It seems that this time it's me who will die, not someone else. That's great."
(End of this chapter)