Ichigo fell silent.
He didn't understand what Kyoya meant by 'instinct'.
He also didn't understand what the so-called 'cost' was.
However, from Kyoya's words, Ichigo could tell that Kyoya truly believed he had the possibility of surviving against a powerhouse of his level.
Moreover, he wasn't stupid.
In front of Kyoya, he was as naive as a newborn baby.
Yet, Kyoya said his 'instinct' could utilize his power more effectively.
Didn't that mean he was inferior to his own 'combat instinct'?
Was he definitely being looked down upon?
As for what Kyoya said later about 'mastering instinct', Ichigo actually understood that somewhat.
After all, something called 'instinct' sounded inherently unintelligent.
If his body was controlled by 'instinct', would he turn into a beast?
But right now, Ichigo didn't even understand what his 'instinct' was, so how could he master it?
"Want to give it a try, Ichigo?"
Seeing the confusion in Ichigo's eyes, Kyoya's figure appeared in front of him again, the corners of his mouth upturned.
"Uh..."
Ichigo jolted awake from his stupor and hurriedly felt his body.
'Whew, good, it was just a dream...'
Looking at his unharmed body, Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief.
He had a dream where he was fighting an unbelievably strong enemy. He wanted to escape but couldn't no matter what.
In the end, his limbs were severed, and his chest was pierced...
"Yo, you're awake, Ichigo."
Kyoya's voice reached Ichigo's ears, making him freeze.
The fear transmitted by his body wouldn't lie.
This feeling of fear, as if being pierced by a sharp blade, gave Ichigo a certain feeling.
However, Ichigo's memory of that battle only lasted until the moment Kyoya asked him if he wanted to try fighting using his instinct.
'So the dream I had was real?!'
Anything after that was only fragmented memories.
"Kyoya-senpai, could you please appear further away from me next time?"
"I'm afraid I might not be able to stop myself from drawing my sword to cut you."
Ichigo complained.
He didn't know if it was a side effect of using 'instinct' to fight, but the moment he saw Kyoya, his body almost moved on its own to attack him.
Thankfully, Ichigo suppressed his body's reaction in the end, but it still left him feeling strange.
"It's fine. If you want to master 'instinct', you first need to know your own 'instinct' before you can gradually understand, interact with, and ultimately completely control it."
"With your strength, there probably aren't many who can help you achieve this. I count as one of them."
"If you need it, I can fully act as the catalyst to help you master your own instinct."
"N-No thanks..."
Ichigo shook his head.
Compared to mastering instinct, Ichigo was more averse to fighting Kyoya.
That feeling of utter powerlessness, of being completely helpless, was almost despair-inducing.
"By the way, Kyoya-senpai, the injuries on my body..."
Forget about what kind of injuries he sustained when his 'instinct' fought Kyoya… before he lost consciousness, Ichigo had a pretty good idea of the state of his body.
But now, Ichigo didn't feel any discomfort at all.
In fact, he felt abnormally healthy.
"Ah, that."
"I have some skill in Kaido, so I went ahead and completely healed all the injuries on your body."
"After all, I can't very well let you go into battle covered in wounds, can I?"
Ichigo didn't have much of a reaction to Kyoya healing all his injuries. He didn't know just how much mastery in Kaido was required to accomplish that.
He just felt that if Orihime could do it easily, there was no reason Shinigami couldn't.
This, however, was indeed Ichigo taking it for granted.
True, in terms of Reiatsu, Orihime wasn't strong.
But Orihime's ability was absolutely terrifying.
[Rejection of Phenomena]… this was an ability even Aizen Sosuke coveted.
To ensure his Hogyoku could successfully fuse with the one Kisuke created, Aizen sent the Cuatro Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer, to directly kidnap Orihime and take her to Hueco Mundo to 'reject' the possibility of the Hogyoku fusion failing.
Only after the Hogyoku successfully fused was Orihime discarded by Aizen like trash, eventually rescued from Hueco Mundo by Ichigo and the others.
Without the safeguard of Orihime's ability, even Aizen couldn't be sure he could perfectly fuse the two Hogyoku.
Or how long it would take if it were possible.
Within the Seireitei, the Shinigami's mastery of Kaido had not reached the level of 'regenerating severed limbs'.
Otherwise, Yamamoto's left hand would have long been restored after his battle with Aizen.
"Alright then, Captain Kyoya, how long was I asleep?"
"Not long, just about a day."
"What?"
Ichigo was stunned, "You mean, Miyako-nee is being executed today?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Right now, Shiba Miyako has already been taken from the Repentance Cell by four guards and is being escorted to the Sokyoku Hill for execution."
"If you leave immediately, you might just make it in time to save her before the execution."
"What?"
Hearing Kyoya's words, Ichigo was greatly alarmed. He quickly got up, not even having time to blame Kyoya, slung Zangetsu which was placed nearby onto his back, and ran towards the exit of the underground training ground.
He wouldn't doubt Kyoya's words.
If he were slow, Miyako might really die!
Although Ichigo hadn't interacted much with Kyoya over these three days, just from some of Kyoya's behavioral styles, Ichigo could more or less sense a certain mischievousness in Kyoya.
Yes, mischievousness!
Ichigo could read an enemy's 'heart' through the clash of swords during battle.
In the Zanpakuto Unknown Tales Arc, after fighting the Zanpakuto's spirit, Muramasa, Ichigo could even enter Muramasa's mental space when Muramasa was abandoned by Kuchiki Koga, call out to Muramasa, and receive a response.
At that time, the dying Muramasa found it strange that he couldn't even hear the calls of his own master, Koga, but could hear Ichigo's calls.
One could say that if Muramasa hadn't died, Ichigo might have gained another Zanpakuto.
When Ichigo fought Kyoya, he didn't sense any hostility from Kyoya's sword, which was why Ichigo didn't consider Kyoya an enemy.
But at the same time, Ichigo also read from Kyoya's sword a certain mischievousness in his heart, as if he wanted to tease him.
Ichigo felt that Kyoya probably calculated the time it would take for him to reach Sokyoku Hill before waking him up.
If he were any later, Miyako would likely suffer quite a bit.
"Tch, this kid runs pretty fast."
"But, this can be considered fulfills a wish of sorts."
Even as he said this, Kyoya didn't linger in the underground training ground.
The main event had begun, and it was time for him to make his entrance.
Outside the Repentance Cell, Kaien's veins bulged on the back of his hands as he watched his wife being led out by four guards whose bodies were completely covered by white conical hats.
"Miyako!"
"Calm down, Kaien."
Seeing Kaien like this, Ukitake quickly stepped forward to stop him.
"Believe me, Kyoraku has gone to the Shihoin Family to request a Heavenly Gifted Armaments. He will definitely return before the execution."
"Even if Kukaku and the others don't make a move, Kyoraku and I will definitely save Miyako."
"Mmm."
Shiba Kaien pressed his lips together and finally nodded.
He was the Lieutenant of the 13th Division, and also the future Captain candidate chosen by Ukitake.
Even if Kaien didn't consider himself, he had to consider Ukitake and the 13th Division.
Miyako was the 3rd Seat of the 13th Division. Her violating the Seireitei's ban had already caused some of the people in the Central 46 to have opinions about Ukitake.
If Kaien, the Lieutenant of the 13th Division, committed the crime of snatching prisoner, the Central 46 might use it to accuse the Gotei 13 of rebelling, to erode the Gotei 13's authority.
Of course, Ukitake wasn't one to stand by and watch his subordinate suffer.
Therefore, for this operation, he brought Kyoraku along.
Unlike the declined lower noble Ukitake Clan, the Kyoraku Clan was an upper noble family second only to the Great Noble Families.
As the head of the Kyoraku Family, the Kyoraku Clan also held several seats in the Central 46.
It wouldn't be easy for other noble families to target the Kyoraku Clan.
The group headed towards Sokyoku Hill.
Halfway there, Yamamoto, Sasakibe, Sui-Feng, Marechiyo Omaeda, Unohana, and Kotetsu Isane joined the procession.
"Dammit!"
In the distance, Kukaku cursed under her breath.
Behind her, Ganju, Hitsugaya, Rukia, and Renji also had unpleasant expressions.
According to their original plan, they were going to intercept the guards escorting Miyako to Sokyoku Hill and snatch the prisoner.
They just never expected that the execution of a mere 3rd Seat would involve even Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
To make matters worse, on their side, only the few of them had managed to infiltrate the Seireitei.
The other Division Commanders had all been defeated and captured.
The 1st Army's Commander, Kisaragi Shusuke, was defeated by Sasakibe who had activated his Bankai.
He probably never imagined he would fall in the 1st Division without even seeing Yamamoto.
Although Shusuke's strength was considerably greater than in the original work-
Sasakibe was no ordinary Shinigami either.
He was the wielder of the strongest Lightning-type Zanpakuto, Gonryomaru, one of the earliest disciples to follow Yamamoto, and also the man who managed to leave a scar on the head of a younger Yamamoto.
Although his presence wasn't prominent, one shouldn't think his strength was weak.
One must know, in the battle a thousand years ago between the Gotei 13 and the Lichtreich's Quincies, Sasakibe was able to intervene in the fight between Yhwach and Yamamoto, and even successfully managed to sneak attack and injure Yhwach.
In the Thousand-Year Blood War, if Sasakibe hadn't been ambushed, how could he have died so easily?
Although Shusuke's Zanpakuto was good, it could only be considered a lower-tier attribute Zanpakuto compared to the fire-type Ryujin Jakka.
With not much difference in Reiatsu, he stood no chance of defeating the wielder of a [Strongest] series Zanpakuto.
Forget Shusuke not getting to see Yamamoto… even if he did, he might not even have the courage to draw his sword.
After all, due to Kyoya's intervention, the current Shusuke lacked some of the ruthlessness and the hatred born from enduring hardships that Amagai Shusuke had.
The 2nd Army's Commander, Madarame Ikkaku, and the 3rd Army's Commander, Yumichika Ayasegawa, went to the 11th Division to challenge Zaraki.
Both fought together and were severely wounded by Zaraki. They were currently lying incapacitated in the 4th Division.
The 5th Army's Commander, Ichinose Maki, was severely injured by the 9th Division's Captain, Tosen Kaname, and was now imprisoned in the 9th Division's jail.
The 6th Army's Commander, Kano Ashido, was defeated by the 6th Division's Captain, Kuchiki Byakuya, and was currently under the custody of the 6th Division.
As for Ichigo's group...
Orihime was in the 13th Division, Chad was in the 8th Division, and Uryu was currently lying on the experimental table of the 12th Division's Captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri.
"Shall we make a move?"
Hitsugaya placed his hand on the hilt of the Zanpakuto on his back and asked Kukaku.
"Do you have confidence?"
Hearing Hitsugaya's question, a flicker of hope appeared in Kukaku's eyes.
If Hitsugaya, the strongest member of the Revolutionary Army in this assault on the Seireitei's Gotei 13, said he was confident in holding off the Captain-Commander, then Kukaku felt they could still act.
Hitsugaya shook his head. "Not at all. Forget that old man Yamamoto, I'm not even sure I can hold off the Captain of the 4th Division."
"Three days ago, if I hadn't tricked her with a mirror image clone, I probably wouldn't have been able to escape easily."
"..."
"Then let's wait a little longer."
Hearing Hitsugaya say this, Kukaku sighed.
Although she really wanted to rescue her sister-in-law right now, she didn't want to recklessly throw their entire group into the fray.
After hearing Hitsugaya describe his battle with the 5th Division's Captain, Aizen Sosuke, upon his return, Kukaku realized that perhaps Aizen was the deepest lurking mastermind that Kyoya had once mentioned, the one who could rival him over twenty years ago.
After all, from Hitsugaya's description, Aizen was right in front of him, yet Momo and Unohana couldn't see him. Or rather, what they saw was the dead Aizen he had killed. That was terrifying.