Chapter 142: Spirit King's Personal Guard
When Hollow Ichigo helped Ichigo up again, the blood behind them began gradually boiling.
Bloody bubbles kept bursting in the crimson water, and after a moment, a skeletal arm stretched out from the bloody depths.
Hollow Ichigo threw away the broken Zangetsu in his hand, then snatched Ichigo's Zangetsu and immediately severed the bloody arm.
Splurt—
Accompanied by the sound of blood gushing out instantly, several drops of blood splashed onto his pale face.
Sizzle~
The area corroded by blood was quickly eaten away like ordinary sulfuric acid, burning part of his pale face.
However, with Vasto Lorde-level Menos Grande abilities, he quickly healed the facial wound and hurriedly ran toward the distance carrying Kurosaki Ichigo.
"Your body was the first thing I saw—why did such a strange bastard have to come along!"
"What the hell is it? Why have I never noticed it before?"
While complaining, Hollow Ichigo supported Ichigo and spoke.
"Ah..."
Ichigo gave a weak, wry smile and said to Hollow Ichigo: "It's meaningless to discuss that now. Since we were dragged into this world, we don't know how long it's been outside."
"The biggest problem right now isn't that this guy is going to replace me, or even kill you and Old Man Zangetsu."
"It's that I can sense that the strange existence mastering that black flame power is also helping us resist that guy."
"Anyway... it's all extremely chaotic right now!"
Speaking of this, Ichigo was sweating profusely with pain, his brows furrowed deeply.
"Hey hey hey! Hurry up and stop talking—I'll really die if you die!"
After saying that, Hollow Ichigo put Ichigo on his back and ran quickly.
In truth, Hollow Ichigo also blamed himself considerably, because Ichigo suffered such serious injuries entirely to protect him.
Just moments ago, that bastard had tried to control Ichigo and kill Hollow Ichigo. At the critical moment, Kurosaki Ichigo used his own body to block the fatal blow meant for him.
If not for the fact that their opponent couldn't kill Ichigo for some reason, they would have been slain long ago.
Finally, relying on Ichigo's body, under cover from the guy named Old Man Zangetsu, they escaped successfully. Even so, Kurosaki Ichigo was still gravely injured.
The reason why Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo, two individuals who used to be so incompatible and disliked each other, were able to cooperate fully before Ichigo came to Hueco Mundo was because of that foreign god's invasion of Ichigo's body.
The first time Kurosaki Ichigo became aware of his presence was when he contacted Hirako Shinji for Hollowfication training.
Back then, Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo were still fighting each other for body control.
Even Hollow Ichigo would emerge to cause trouble when Ichigo used Bankai, forcing Hollowfication on him, which made Ichigo fearful of using Bankai and resulted in him being beaten violently by Yammy.
However, that time when Ichigo defeated Hollow Ichigo, he was officially recognized by him and successfully grasped the right to Hollowfy at will.
Jilianka once made a surprise attack on Hollow Ichigo, intending to completely obliterate and devour the weakened hollow.
But Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo were both enemies and friends—how could they allow this unknown existence in their bodies to act freely?
Jilianka looked down on mortal Ichigo, constantly calling him "mortal" and "ant."
Soon Ichigo fought with the newly awakened Jilianka, but in the spiritual world, how could Kurosaki Ichigo oppose an old world god?
He quickly fell when black flames burst from Ichigo's body, scaring Jilianka back.
Thanks to that, Ichigo could use the black flame's power, but it cost dearly every time.
Even briefly summoning it for one second consumed most of Kurosaki Ichigo's physical strength.
Until the fight with Ulquiorra, his opponent in Resurreccion state had been crushing Kurosaki Ichigo.
When about to be killed, Ichigo, who had fought for so long without rest, was already mentally weakened.
After being attacked again by Jilianka, Kurosaki Ichigo became demonized, and the spatial area was separated by the world's will.
If not for Kurosaki Ichigo being the son of destiny in the Shinigami world, the most important piece on the chessboard promoting fate—
Possibly any other normal person, Shinigami, or Hollow, as long as Jilianka dared reveal his godly powers, the world's will would have killed him on the spot instead of granting such mercy as exile.
This was what Fiander noticed when he first came to Hueco Mundo, so he had always been extremely cautious against that unknowable mysterious existence.
He would rather submit to practice slowly under Aizen's banner than risk his life on other endeavors.
After all, having survived by chance, he shouldered not only his own life but also others'.
Those who did everything to help him, those who loved him, and those who cared for him—their fates were in his hands.
At this time, Inoue had been walking through this boundless desert for a long time, and along the way, she had seen remains of various creatures.
And Fiander was like an encyclopedia, explaining to her.
When she saw many human wreckages in strange costumes and subconsciously walked over, she discovered these remains actually contained large numbers of spirit particles.
"Why... can these human corpses absorb spiritual particles?"
Inoue asked Fiander in surprise.
"Humans? How is that possible? Stop saying such foolish things!"
"These aren't human beings—they're Quincy!"
Fiander said sharply.
"Quincy? Are they the same as Ishida-kun?"
"Then are they Ishida-kun's ancestors?"
At this moment, Inoue was like a curious child, very interested in this matter.
"Ishida Uryu?"
"He's not worthy. These are the first existences to follow the Soul King."
"The pattern on their clothing is hidden in history's long river. Even the oldest people in Soul Society don't know it."
In Fiander's words was both disdain for Soul Society and admiration for these ancient races.
"Soul King?!"
"So they're the gods' personal guards?"
"But... why are they in Kurosaki-kun's spiritual world? It's impossible for Kurosaki-kun to understand these things."
Inoue, now close to the matter's truth, gradually felt increasingly uneasy.
"You've finally grasped the point."
Fiander nodded and explained to Inoue in an extremely calm tone.
"They were named Sternritter by the Soul King himself. In that world era, only the strongest Quincy could bear this title."
"They are the Soul King's true successors. As for the Quincy who came after, they're merely their descendants."
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