"What the hell is going on?!"
"What did that pure-blood Quincy mean by that?!"
"When did I become a descendant of pure-blood Quincies?!"
On the rooftop of the school building, Kurosaki Ichigo's mind was a chaotic mess, his thoughts scrambled like mush.
Staring at his future self in the video, Ichigo was overwhelmed, losing control and shouting at the top of his lungs, unable to accept the bombshell revelation.
My dad's a clinic doctor. My mom's a housewife.
This had been Ichigo's unshakable belief since childhood, a truth that had never wavered. Sometimes, he'd even mock himself: With ordinary parents like them, if I don't work hard, I'll end up screwing bolts in a factory!
But now, out of nowhere, someone was claiming he was a pure-blood Quincy descendant?
Utter nonsense!
"Ichigo, calm down!" Chad Yasutora, seeing his friend on the verge of collapse, hurriedly tried to soothe him. "He might just be spouting nonsense to mess with you. Don't take it seriously!"
"Yeah, don't listen to the enemy. He's probably lying to throw you off!" Inoue Orihime added, her voice filled with concern.
"You're right…"
Ichigo's emotions settled slightly at his friends' words. He nodded, resolute. "Exactly! Why should I believe him? There's no way I'm a pure-blood Quincy descendant!"
"I'd never have anything to do with those evil bastards!"
Clenching his fists, Ichigo roared with conviction, his voice brimming with contempt for the pure-blood Quincies.
After watching so many ranking rounds, even though he had no particular attachment to the Shinigami, Arrancars, or Quincies, Ichigo despised the pure-blood Quincies the most. Their grotesque Schutzstaffel and their shameless, cheat-like abilities clashed violently with his sense of "hot-blooded" justice.
He'd rather die than be associated with such rogues!
But in the video, the tragedy for his future self wasn't over.
"Ichigo, farewell…"
Under Jugram Haschwalth's escort, Yhwach's sinister figure slowly vanished into the rain.
"Soon, I'll return to welcome you. Wait patiently for the summons of the Wandenreich…"
"Oh, my descendant, whose eyes are clouded by darkness!"
With those cryptic words, Yhwach disappeared completely.
The camera focused on Ichigo, standing alone in the rain, his expression dazed, and on the broken halves of Zangetsu.
The screen froze.
Haschwalth's first ranking segment was brief—just a single sword strike shattering Ichigo's attack. But this short scene sparked wildly different speculations across the Bleach world.
"What does this mean?"
Sasakibe Chōjirō furrowed his brow, puzzled. "According to Yhwach, that human boy, Ichigo, seems to possess both Shinigami and pure-blood Quincy powers?"
Impossible!
Shinigami and Quincies were diametrically opposed races, locked in a millennia-long feud, with two genocidal wars in their history. How could a human boy possess both powers?
Unless…
Sasakibe's expression turned strange as an indelicate term crossed his mind—hybrid!
Could this boy be the offspring of a Shinigami and a Quincy? That was even more absurd!
"Chōjirō, regardless, based on the footage we've seen, this boy named Ichigo will be a pivotal figure in the Thousand-Year Blood War!"
Pausing briefly, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni declared solemnly, "Send a team immediately, led by captain-level Shinigami, to find and protect that boy as soon as possible!"
"And investigate his background. Find out who his father is. That's critical!"
Shedding his usual stubbornness and pride, Yamamoto set aside his prejudice against humans and issued a decisive protection order. Since the future footage confirmed Ichigo's importance, they had to act preemptively to seize any chance to alter the future.
"Understood! I'll relay your orders to the divisions and ensure we locate that boy immediately!" Sasakibe bowed and hurried out of the office.
Left alone, Yamamoto pondered, his brows furrowed:
"Human, Shinigami, Quincy… Can these three races truly merge perfectly?"
He remained deeply skeptical.
---
Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo's Las Noches, a similar scene unfolded.
"Hey, since the whole world's gone to hell, why don't we throw in our lot and make things even messier?"
Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez stood, one hand in his pocket, a wild idea sparking in his mind.
"Grimmjow, you mean… go to the human world and find that boy named Ichigo?" Szayelaporro Granz instantly caught his drift.
"Exactly!" Grimmjow nodded, grinning ferociously. "For some reason, every time I see that kid's face, my blood boils with battle lust. But that's not the main point."
"You've all seen it—that boy's got a crucial role in the war. He might even shape the future!"
His grin widened, baring a predatory edge. "Since this Ichigo is so important, if we Arrancars capture him first, we'd hold the key to changing the future, wouldn't we?"
"It might not work, but it's better than sitting here twiddling our thumbs!"
The bloodthirsty Leopard King showed a rare moment of cunning. His words quickly gained the Espada's approval:
"I agree!"
"Me too!"
"Grimmjow's right!"
"We need to act, not just sit here waiting!"
Unlike their previous disputes, even Ulquiorra Cifer, the Black-Winged Demon, cast a vote in favor. He believed the Arrancars shouldn't be reduced to mere extras in the future but should become a powerful neutral force shaping the Bleach world's destiny.
Clearly, Ichigo was the key to that future.
"Since everyone's on board…" Grimmjow's grin stretched wider, revealing sharp, predatory fangs. "I proposed it, so I'll personally drag that Ichigo back to Hueco Mundo!"
Unbeknownst to Ichigo, far away in Karakura Town, Yhwach's words had turned him into the Bleach world's most coveted prize—a piece of Tang Monk's flesh, desired by both Shinigami and Arrancars!
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