But Gin's final move was ultimately futile.
Aizen Sōsuke had already granted him a chance to kill him once—he would not offer that mercy a second time.
Watching the dying Gin stubbornly resist, Aizen showed no hesitation as he tore off Gin's arm.
Then, smiling faintly, Aizen plunged his sword directly into Gin's heart.
At that moment, both Rangiku and Ichigo's expressions darkened.
They could clearly feel Gin's reiatsu rapidly fading.
"Ichigo... please, hurry!" Rangiku cried.
"I know." Ichigo's face was equally heavy. He wasn't a fool. During their brief fight, he had sensed that Gin's blade wasn't striking to kill—it carried the same kind of protective intent as his own.
And there was no doubt—the one Gin sought to protect... was Rangiku Matsumoto.
But they were still a step too late.
Even as Ichigo pushed his speed to the limit, by the time he and Rangiku arrived, they found Gin collapsed, breathing his last.
Rangiku threw herself at him, tears pouring down uncontrollably.
In his final moments, Gin felt her presence. He forced his eyes open to look at her, but he no longer had the strength to even wipe her tears away.
"If tomorrow I were to become a snake...
One that devours humans...
And with that devouring mouth, I screamed that I still loved you...
Could I still say 'I love you' as I did today?"
That was Gin's final thought.
Seeing Ichigo arrive, Gin let out a relieved breath—then closed his eyes forever.
"Gin!!"
Rangiku sobbed without restraint.
She didn't know why Gin had followed Aizen.
She didn't understand why Aizen killed him.
She only knew—Gin was dying.
Aizen looked down at her sorrow, then raised his sword—ready to strike her down.
But Ichigo wouldn't allow that.
FWOOOM!
Seeing the monstrous, inhuman Aizen before him, Ichigo realized he could no longer hold back.
He slowly drew both of his Zanpakutō, and began to chant:
"Cry out—Zangetsu."
"Whisper—Muramasa."
In an instant, Ichigo held a massive cleaver-like blade in one hand, while Muramasa materialized beside him in physical form, sword in hand.
Aizen's eyes narrowed in curiosity. He had known of Muramasa, but didn't expect him to become Ichigo's Zanpakutō.
But that was just the beginning.
"Bankai—Tensa Zangetsu!"
"Bankai—Execution Binding Muramasa!"
Both Zanpakutō entered Bankai simultaneously!
Only now did Aizen begin to feel some excitement.
Ichigo took a deep breath and sensed the energy back home—his sisters Yuzu and Karin were still sleeping soundly.
He relaxed. No more distractions.
Aizen sneered. "Kurosaki Ichigo... You don't actually think two Bankai are enough to defeat me, do you?"
Ichigo shook his head. "Of course not. That's not the real power I came to show you."
He nodded to Muramasa.
Muramasa immediately released his Hollow powers, his upper body engulfed in dark, masked energy—
And then, he fused with Ichigo!
A single bull-like horn grew from Ichigo's head.
Half of his face turned white with red Hollow markings.
He now held a black and white dual blade, each radiating opposing energies.
And in that moment—
Aizen's expression twisted in shock.
He couldn't feel Ichigo's reiatsu anymore!
No, more accurately—
He had never truly understood Ichigo's spiritual pressure at all.
Ichigo—now a one-horned hybrid—looked at the stunned Rangiku and the watching Aizen.
"Sorry. This is my first time using this form... not fully familiar with it yet."
He cracked his neck and stretched.
His height had increased slightly, and his hair had grown longer.
His aura had become more mature—and terrifying.
Aizen was incredulous.
"You're... Kurosaki Ichigo? If this is your true form, then I'm disappointed."
"I can't feel any reiatsu from you. Even if you're suppressing it, I should sense something. You've failed to evolve. I'll give you one last chance—you've already lost everything."
But the near-dead Gin knew better.
That look in his eyes... it's confidence.
Aizen Sōsuke—you're going to lose.
Ichigo didn't respond to Aizen's nonsense.
Only he understood what he had become.
This form was a perfect fusion of his Shinigami powers and Hollow energy!
Even Zangetsu couldn't fully suppress this new power.
This wasn't a blend that included Quincy powers—it was a dual-core integration of pure Shinigami and Hollow strength.
A balance forged by Zangetsu, Muramasa, and White Ichigo working in unison.
Even without Final Getsuga Tenshō, Ichigo had surpassed Aizen.
This form... was stronger than Final Getsuga alone.
"Hey, Aizen," Ichigo said calmly. "Let's take this somewhere else. We're ruining Karakura."
Aizen scoffed. "No. You aren't worthy of challenging me, let alone choosing the battlefield."
But before he could finish—
BOOM!
Ichigo vanished and reappeared directly in front of Aizen—grabbing his face, just like he once did to Ulquiorra in his Vasto Lorde form!
He slammed Aizen into the ground and dragged him toward a hill on the city's edge.
Watching them disappear, Rangiku clasped her hands and whispered, "Ichigo... please win."
Aizen couldn't even resist.
Ichigo hurled him like a ragdoll into the dirt.
"Come on, Aizen," Ichigo said. "Let's end this."
Aizen, still recovering from the shock, stood up and said, "I get it now. You didn't lose your reiatsu... you abandoned it."
"You turned all your spiritual energy—Hollow and Shinigami—into your physical form. That's how your body became so powerful."
"But don't get cocky. You're still far below me!"
Ichigo listened to his nonsense, expressionless.
Aizen used Lightform Movement, teleporting behind Ichigo—but Ichigo effortlessly blocked the attack, their swords clashing hard enough to shatter an entire mountain behind them.
Ichigo frowned.
No wonder Unohana says I can't control my power... even with Muramasa and White Ichigo balancing it, I'm still too reckless.
But Aizen misread it completely.
"Hahaha! I've become so powerful! Just one swing can reshape the land!"
"Thanks, Ichigo. Without you, I'd never have had the chance to unleash this might!"
Ichigo just listened to him ramble.
Aizen flapped his wings and charged, ecstatic from the high of his power.
Every clash between them leveled entire hills and cliffs.
Aizen was drunk on this battle.
"Incredible! We've both evolved beyond any other Shinigami!"
"My arm has fused with my Zanpakutō. You've fused with Hollow power. Different paths—but the same goal: transcendence!"
"Unfortunately, from our exchanges... the gap between us is clear. I'm simply on another level!"
He roared and swung his sword—
But the next moment shattered all of Aizen's illusions.
Ichigo planted his white blade into the ground.
Then calmly raised his left hand—
And caught Aizen's strike bare-handed.
The ground behind Ichigo collapsed entirely from the force—
But the land beneath his feet remained untouched.
What Aizen hadn't realized... was that all of the destruction had actually been caused by Ichigo's unconscious reiatsu.
Now, facing Ichigo's strength head-on, Aizen was shaken to his core.
He couldn't accept it.
He still clung to the idea that Ichigo's advantage was only temporary physical strength.
He leapt back in panic. Ichigo didn't even glance at him—he didn't even bother pulling his blade from the ground.
He couldn't believe it—his first time using this dual form, and even Aizen couldn't withstand the passive pressure.
I've turned into a stat monster... Who's the final boss again?
Panicked, Aizen unleashed Hadō #90—Kurohitsugi, with full incantation!
"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!
Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat!
Creep through the eternal darkness, you who seeks to reject your fate!
Bakudō #90—Black Coffin!"
A massive purple-black cube surrounded Ichigo.
Aizen cackled.
"This is true power! The Black Coffin I cast now warps gravity and bends space!"
"You can't even comprehend it, Ichigo!"
But inside the enormous coffin—
Ichigo remained still. Unbothered.
The attack crumbled with a single wave of his hand.
Ichigo looked at Aizen calmly.
"It seems you still haven't realized it. My power... is greater than yours."
He drew the white Zanpakutō from the ground and stepped forward.
"Those shattered mountains weren't destroyed by your blade... but by mine."
In a flash, Ichigo appeared in front of Aizen—his Tensa Zangetsu slashed across Aizen's chest!
Blood sprayed. Aizen reeled—then instantly used Lightform Movement to escape.
But Ichigo didn't pursue.
"Funny," Aizen said, panting. "Before, when I created distance, you questioned it... Now, you're the one pulling back."
"So let me ask you—why?"
(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!]