"Yachiru Secret Technique – Sakura Qi Blade Slash!"
In an instant, behind Unohana Yachiru, Wonderweiss was torn to pieces—completely shattered beyond recognition.
After finishing the job, Unohana Yachiru stepped onto a nearby rooftop with a shunpo, landing beside Ichigo and Aizen, silently watching their confrontation.
"Oh? Unohana-senpai isn't joining you?" Aizen asked, glancing at the now-freed Unohana Yachiru.
Ichigo shot Aizen a contemptuous look. "Yachiru won't get involved. Don't worry, Aizen. You'll only fight me—no one else. Not even old man Yama."
Ichigo was brimming with confidence as he faced down Aizen Sōsuke.
"Is that so? I'm curious, Kurosaki Ichigo, where does your confidence come from? Don't tell me… you really think you hurt me back in Soul Society?" Aizen laughed.
Ichigo didn't respond. He simply shunpo'd to Aizen's back and slashed at his heart.
Aizen blocked the blow with ease, smirking. "Is this what you wanted to show me, Ichigo?"
But Ichigo simply sneered, and suddenly, an invisible sword wave—formed purely from spiritual pressure—slashed straight through Aizen's Zanpakutō and cut deep into his shoulder!
Crack!
A large gash instantly appeared on Aizen's shoulder.
Aizen's expression changed. He hadn't expected Ichigo to wound him using nothing but sword aura forged from raw reiatsu!
He quickly retaliated, swinging to drive Ichigo back.
Ichigo leapt away with a light jump, widening the distance.
"What's the matter? Can't even handle my sword aura?" he mocked.
Aizen glanced at his wound—still bleeding—then casually tore open his shirt.
Embedded in the center of his chest, radiating brilliant light… was the fully awakened Hōgyoku.
This was why Aizen had remained so calm throughout the war—he had long since fused with the Hōgyoku.
It granted him immense power and would even regenerate his injuries to protect its master.
And yet…
Despite the Hōgyoku's radiant glow, the wound Ichigo inflicted wasn't healing!
Even the Hōgyoku couldn't close the damage caused by Ichigo.
The smile on Aizen's face faded.
He placed his left hand over the injury, and black-red reiatsu began seeping out from the wound.
"This is your spiritual pressure…? Impressive. Kurosaki Ichigo, your growth truly exceeds my expectations."
"Just as I planned. Kurosaki Ichigo—every one of your battles has been orchestrated by me!"
Ichigo raised a brow at this but didn't respond.
Seeing no reaction, Aizen calmly began explaining everything he had done for Ichigo's "growth."
All of Ichigo's fights were arranged in advance—each one a challenge tailored to match his rising strength.
Even those around Ichigo were influenced by the Hōgyoku inside Rukia.
Inoue Orihime. Arisawa Tatsuki. Sado Yasutora.
Their powers awakened only because of the Hōgyoku's influence.
"Hahahaha! Kurosaki Ichigo, I'm certain now—you're the perfect subject for my goals!"
Aizen laughed gleefully.
Ichigo, however, remained indifferent.
"Aizen Sōsuke… when did you get the illusion that I was created by you?"
Aizen smirked. "From the beginning, of course. I've understood you since the moment you were born!"
Ichigo burst out laughing.
"Really? That's funny, because I don't think you know a damn thing about me."
Ichigo's tone turned bold and defiant, the kind that revealed Aizen had no clue about the soul that had reshaped Ichigo's spirit.
Just as Ichigo was about to mentally break Aizen with this truth, a man in a tattered captain's haori appeared and cut in.
It was none other than Kurosaki Isshin!
Ichigo blinked, surprised for just a moment, before grinning. "Old man, gotta say—you look pretty cool in that outfit."
Seeing Ichigo's calm, unshaken expression, Isshin didn't waste words. He grabbed Ichigo with a shunpo and took him away from the battlefield.
Aizen didn't stop them—just silently watched.
Once they were a safe distance away, Isshin finally stopped.
"Ichigo, I know you've got questions—but now isn't the time."
But to Isshin's surprise, Ichigo didn't ask anything.
Instead, he said, "You're my old man. Mom's gone. Karin and Yuzu are waiting back home. That's all that matters."
This was something Rukia had taught him.
Back when Ichigo first faced the Grand Fisher, Rukia had shown him this kind of acceptance.
Rukia had changed Ichigo—completely.
Isshin looked at his son, stunned… then chuckled bitterly. "I really did underestimate you, Ichigo."
Ichigo shrugged. "Alright then—I'm heading back to the fight."
Isshin nodded.
Then, his gaze shifted to Unohana Yachiru—still calmly observing the battlefield.
He gave his son a huge thumbs-up.
Good lord.
They say: Three years older, she's a treasure. Thirty years older, she gives you a kingdom. Three thousand years older, she's a goddess among immortals!
His son had brought back an unbelievable daughter-in-law.
Someone even he didn't dare mess with—a true, terrifying legend!
Isshin sighed. "Please don't make me call my daughter-in-law 'senpai' one day…"
Meanwhile, Ichigo had no idea what embarrassing thoughts his dad was thinking. If he had known, he'd have kicked him across the city!
Together, the father and son shunpo'd back to the battlefield.
At that moment, Gin Ichimaru, seeing Isshin take Ichigo away, returned to Aizen's side.
Even though Yamamoto and Amagai hadn't moved yet, Gin felt it safer to rejoin Aizen.
"Ichigo!"
Ichigo didn't bother hiding his reiatsu and launched himself at Aizen again.
This time, Gin moved.
For the first time, the always-detached Gin drew his short blade and blocked Ichigo's strike.
Even so, Ichigo's slash still sliced clean through the building beneath Aizen.
Just as it collapsed, Isshin appeared behind Aizen and struck.
Aizen blocked with perfect composure, smiling as always.
But at the same time, Isshin flicked his free hand and launched a compressed reiatsu bullet—Reiatsu Bullet Finger Flick!
BOOM!
Aizen was blasted through several buildings before coming to a stop.
Yet even then, he remained unshaken—clearly, Isshin hadn't inflicted any real damage.
Dodging the next few attacks, Aizen suddenly countered, aiming one hand at Isshin's abdomen.
"Hadō 63: Raikōhō!"
Though the chant was skipped, the golden lightning it produced spread across entire city blocks!
Everyone could see it streaking through the skies.
Back with Gin, the silver-haired captain glanced at Ichigo with a peculiar expression.
"Such a pity… this is the first time we've ever fought."
Ichigo furrowed his brow in confusion.
Gin explained, "Back when you first came to Soul Society, I waited for you at the White Way Gate. But you never came through."
"You used a route that even Aizen-sama didn't anticipate."
Gin's ever-smiling eyes gleamed oddly.
"Shame, really," Ichigo muttered.
"You know… swords carry the resolve of their wielders. The stronger the enemy, the more intense the emotion in their swing."
"You can feel it when blades clash—what they think of you, whether they fear you, or disdain you, or how much conviction they fight with."
"We've never crossed swords before, so I never knew what you were really thinking."
Gin's smile twisted.
"I thought you were just a lucky kid with power, but turns out… you're terrifying."
He was genuinely glad he hadn't fought Ichigo before.
Because Ichigo might've read everything from his blade—and that would've ruined all of Gin's plans.
"No wonder Aizen's so obsessed with you."
Gin finally raised his blade. "Ichigo, do you know how long my Shinsō can stretch?"
"About the length of a few hundred Zanpakutōs. I was nicknamed the 'Hundred Blade Style' as a kid."
"But do you know how far it can go after I use Bankai?"
"Let me translate it into a modern measurement for you: 13 kilometers."
Hearing that, Ichigo actually looked intrigued. Damn, he thought. That's long enough to assassinate someone from the next city over!
Gin elevated his reiatsu.
But Ichigo noticed something strange—Gin wasn't using his full strength.
It felt like he was still hiding something.
Still, thanks to Ichigo's earlier words, Gin had given up the idea of fighting him directly.
He didn't want Ichigo reading his inner thoughts.
"Bankai—Kamishini no Yari!"
The blade shot forward at blinding speed, cleaving the entire street—and even the sky—in two.
But even as the blade surged forward, Ichigo only retreated slightly from the pressure.
That was it.
To Ichigo, this wasn't even threatening.
Seeing Ichigo's reaction, Gin was slightly stunned.
Ichigo smirked. "Why so surprised? Did you think your Bankai couldn't be matched by mine?"
The whole thing felt almost comical.
Because really… neither of them was using Bankai seriously.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
Ichigo didn't wait for Gin to strategize—he fired a Getsuga straight at him!
The shockwaves alone woke Matsumoto Rangiku, who had just finished healing.
Feeling those two spiritual pressures, she knew exactly who they belonged to.
Forgetting her wounds, she staggered to her feet and rushed toward the battle between Ichigo and Gin.
Gin dodged Ichigo's blast, retracting his extended blade in an instant.
But something was off—when he'd struck earlier, his blade hadn't moved nearly that fast.
Gin sneered and launched himself at Ichigo, slashing wildly.
Ichigo, however, wasn't counterattacking—he just blocked.
Because something felt off.
Gin's strikes were meaningless… almost intentional.
Ichigo could sense it.
So he just defended and stayed still.
Seeing his attacks fail to break through, Gin jumped back and slashed again from a distance—extending his blade like a spear.
(New book launching! Please add to your library, send flowers, and leave reviews!)
(To read the uncensored version, download the "Feilu Novel" app!)
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]