Yumichika didn't hesitate in the slightest—he immediately attacked his original.
And judging by his satisfied smile as blood splattered across the real Yumichika's face, it seemed he had finally realized his twisted fantasy.
Just as the real Yumichika was about to be crushed by his reigai counterpart, Ikkaku was also sent flying by his reigai version!
As everyone knows, Ikkaku never uses Bankai in front of others due to personal reasons.
But his reigai? The complete opposite.
More bloodthirsty than the original, the reigai Ikkaku had no issue using his full power.
And when it came down to it—one in Shikai versus one in Bankai?
There was no question. The real Ikkaku had zero chance.
His defeat was inevitable.
But just as the two originals were about to be finished off—reinforcements arrived!
Uryū Ishida's spiritual arrows struck like lightning, forcing the two reigai back and saving both Yumichika and Ikkaku from being killed on the spot.
The two reigai exchanged glances.
They had already fulfilled their desire of defeating their originals. Now, their true mission came to the forefront—capturing Kujō Nozomi.
"Enough. We still have a mission to complete. Let's not waste more time here," Reigai Yumichika said, pulling Ikkaku away from the fight.
Ikkaku clicked his tongue but relented, the two vanishing into the forest.
Uryū didn't give chase. The number of injured was already high.
Ōmaeda and Hisagi had both been buried in a collapsed tunnel by Reigai Ōmaeda's Raikōhō.
If not for Uryū's help, they might've died in there.
So Uryū focused on helping the wounded, putting the search for Nozomi on pause.
Elsewhere
Orihime, Tatsuki, and the others had also picked up on new spiritual pressure.
This time, it was the reigai version of Kira Izuru.
And his target—Matsumoto Rangiku!
During Aizen's betrayal, the real Kira had once lost to Rangiku in a duel.
Now, the reigai Kira was determined to erase that shame.
So, naturally, he challenged her again.
Honestly, Yammy Inaba's subordinates were utterly unreliable. Not a single one had gone straight after Nozomi. Each had their own agenda.
But this also showed—they weren't just puppets. They had independent thought.
Seeing the reigai Kira, Rangiku sighed.
She unsheathed her Zanpakutō, meeting his challenge head-on.
Their battle broke out atop an unfinished building.
Despite reigai generally being stronger than their originals, in close-quarters swordplay without Shikai, Rangiku completely suppressed Kira.
Yes, Kira was a genius—but to become a lieutenant in the Gotei 13, you had to be one of the best of the best.
If Rangiku hadn't been held back by her damaged soul and inability to use Bankai, she might've been on par with Kensei Muguruma—and not just his Shinigami version, but the Hollowfied one.
When the reigai Kira realized he couldn't win in pure swordsmanship, he immediately activated his Zanpakutō.
"Raise your head… Wabisuke!"
Rangiku's eyes narrowed.
Of all Zanpakutō, this was one she was extremely familiar with.
The moment Wabisuke was activated, she instantly pulled back, increasing the distance between them.
Reigai Kira swung, using Wabisuke's ability to add weight to nearby steel beams, slamming them toward Rangiku.
As she dodged with Shunpo, he appeared behind her and struck her blade—once, twice, three times!
2x! 4x! 8x!
Rangiku's expression tensed, but she still tried to lift her sword.
She raised it to unleash Haineko and shake off the weight…
But at that exact moment—Wabisuke's effect triggered!
Her Zanpakutō became heavy as a mountain—falling from her grip and smashing through the floor.
The steel plating collapsed beneath her.
Rangiku narrowly avoided falling by leaping away, but her Zanpakutō, Haineko, had been left behind.
She stared at it, confused.
Why had just 8x weight caused so much destruction?
The reigai Kira answered:
"Surprised? When Yammy Inaba created us, he enhanced our abilities. My Wabisuke no longer multiplies weight by 2 each strike—it multiplies by 10!"
"That means… your sword isn't just 8x heavier—it's a thousand times heavier!"
He pointed his blade at her.
If Haineko weighed about 3kg normally, it now weighed 3,000kg.
There was no way she could lift it.
Rangiku was forced to dodge, completely unarmed.
Reigai Kira chased her relentlessly.
"What's wrong, Miss Rangiku? Without your sword, you're helpless?"
But Rangiku didn't panic.
With one Shunpo, she widened the distance and calmly chanted—
"Bakudō #73: Tozanshō!"
In an instant, a crystalline inverted pyramid sealed the reigai Kira inside.
She smiled proudly. "I've been improving too, you know?"
Since she couldn't achieve Bankai, Rangiku had poured her efforts into studying Kidō. Though her spiritual pressure limited her power, Ichigo had promised to find a solution.
And she believed in him—absolutely.
She flash-stepped to retrieve Haineko.
"Whisper… Haineko!"
The reigai Kira, who had just smashed his way out of the Tozanshō, was immediately engulfed by the cloud of ash.
Before he could react—slash!
It was over.
Rangiku sighed. "You're just a fake. If Kira had your boosted powers, he probably could've ended this in seconds."
Meanwhile, in the Soul Society
As the chaos unfolded in the World of the Living, dark plots stirred in Seireitei.
Captain Kyōraku couldn't sleep.
Something about that captain's meeting earlier felt wrong.
He paid a late-night visit to Ukitake Jūshirō—one of the few captains not yet replaced by a reigai.
"Kyōraku, you're here." Ukitake welcomed him with a nod.
Kyōraku sat down heavily. "Today's meeting felt off. I can't believe Captain Unohana would think Ichigo would ever turn on the Soul Society."
Ukitake nodded. "Exactly. If Ichigo wanted to destroy the Soul Society, he's had plenty of chances before. Especially during the Aizen incident."
Kyōraku removed his straw hat. "It just doesn't add up. Why would he act now, when he's about to lose his powers?"
They decided to investigate the Research and Development Bureau.
Using the excuse of looking for their subordinates, they asked Vice-Chief Akon for access to the Dangai transit logs.
Akon, growing suspicious himself, began searching through records in the lab.
Sure enough, he discovered signs of tampering.
But just then… Yammy Inaba returned.
Akon had no time to react—Inaba attacked him.
What Akon didn't know was that even Soi Fon had been replaced.
The reigai Soi Fon arrived shortly after and falsely accused Kyōraku of record tampering—leading to his arrest.
When Ukitake appealed to Central 46 to release Kyōraku, they refused.
To be fair, Kyōraku and Ukitake were probably second only to Aizen in their disdain for Central 46.
Kyōraku had lost his sister-in-law and family to their decisions. Ukitake, as a minor noble, had suffered endless harassment from their system.
Frankly, if all of Central 46 had been wiped out, they probably would have toasted to it.
Still, seeing Ukitake's defiance confirmed something for Unohana—he was still the real one.
She met him in secret.
"Captain Unohana?" Ukitake was on guard.
He couldn't believe she would order Ichigo's capture.
But she calmly said, "I know you're angry, but right now, only you and Kyōraku can be trusted."
Ukitake was stunned.
Unohana smiled mysteriously. "You really think I ordered Ichigo's arrest because of some breach in the Dangai? Everyone knows that's ridiculous."
Talking with smart people had its perks—Ukitake immediately understood.
"You wanted to see… which captains were acting suspicious?"
Unohana nodded. "This situation is delicate. With so many captains fabricating testimony, not even I can clear Ichigo's name outright."
"I've already enlisted the help of the Kasumiōji and Shihōin clans. But we'll need hard evidence to truly prove Ichigo's innocence."
Ukitake nodded.
So Unohana did know something was wrong!
"Captain Ukitake… remember this: right now, you can't trust anyone in the Soul Society."
Ukitake headed to the prison where Kyōraku was being held.
As a known rule-breaker, he had no problem breaking in.
"We need to get to Yamamoto-sensei immediately," he said, unlocking the door.
Unohana was only the acting Head-Captain. If they wanted real change, it had to come from Genryūsai himself.
He handed Kyōraku his Zanpakutō.
But the moment Kyōraku took it—he drew it and slashed Ukitake!
Ukitake collapsed.
Only as he lost consciousness did Unohana's words echo in his mind:
"Right now, you can't trust anyone."
From the shadows, the reigai Ukitake stepped out.
The two impostors—Kyōraku and Ukitake—prepared to visit Yamamoto's quarters.
Their goal clearly went beyond Kujō Nozomi.
They were aiming for all of the Soul Society!
Unohana (watching from afar): "I warned you, you idiot! You're always getting ambushed!"
Fun Fact:
Success rate of sneak attacks on Ukitake Jūshirō?
100%.
(End of Chapter)
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