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"What's going on?"
"What did that pure-blood Quincy mean just now?"
"When did I become a descendant of a pure-blood Quincy, huh?!"
On the school rooftop, Ichigo's thoughts were a complete mess.
He stared at the version of himself in the video, shouting in emotional turmoil, unable to accept what he had just heard.
His dad was a clinic doctor.
His mom was a housewife.
That belief had been ingrained in him for as long as he could remember, and it hadn't changed until now.
Sometimes he even joked about it to himself. If he didn't work hard, he'd end up tightening screws in a factory someday.
And now—
Someone suddenly told him he was a descendant of a pure-blood Quincy?
Total nonsense.
"Ichigo, calm down," Chad said quickly, seeing his friend on the verge of losing it. "Maybe he was just messing with you. Don't take it seriously."
"Yeah," Orihime added gently, worry written all over her face. "Don't listen to what the enemy says. He was probably lying to throw you off."
"…You're right."
Hearing their voices, Ichigo's emotions finally eased a little.
He nodded and said firmly, "You're both right. Why should I believe anything he says? There's no way I'm a descendant of a pure-blood Quincy!"
"I have nothing to do with those evil guys!"
He clenched his fists and shouted with conviction.
There was raw disdain in his voice when it came to pure-blood Quincy.
After seeing so many future visions, even though he didn't feel particularly attached to Soul Reapers, Arrancar, or Quincy as factions—
The ones he hated the most were pure-blood Quincy.
The reason was simple.
Those bizarre, absurdly overpowered elite guards clashed completely with everything he believed "hot-blooded" fighting should be.
He wanted no part of that kind of shameless power.
But in the video—
The tragedy facing his future self wasn't over yet.
"Goodbye, Ichigo…"
Surrounded by Haschwalth, Yhwach's sinister figure slowly faded into the curtain of rain.
"Before long, I will return to claim you. Wait patiently for the call of the Wandenreich."
"Oh descendant of mine, whose eyes are clouded by darkness…"
With those unsettling words, Yhwach vanished completely.
The camera lingered on Ichigo, standing alone and lost in the pouring rain.
And on the broken Tensa Zangetsu, split cleanly in two.
The scene ended there.
There wasn't much to say about Haschwalth's first appearance.
It was just a single sword strike, cleanly severing Ichigo's all-out attack.
And yet…
That brief moment alone was enough to spark wildly different speculations across every major faction.
"What does this mean?"
Chōjirō Sasakibe frowned deeply, utterly perplexed. "According to Yhwach, that human boy named Ichigo seems to possess both Shinigami power and the power of a pure-blood Quincy?"
That couldn't be right.
Shinigami and Quincy were natural enemies, two races locked in endless opposition. They had already fought two wars of extermination against each other.
Under those circumstances, how could a human possibly wield both powers at once?
Unless…
Chōjirō's expression twisted strangely as an indecent word suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"Hybrid."
Could it be that the boy was born from a union between a Shinigami and a pure-blood Quincy?
That was even more absurd.
"Chōjirō, regardless of how this came to be," the Captain-Commander said gravely after a moment, "judging from everything we've seen, that boy Ichigo will be a pivotal figure in the Thousand-Year Blood War."
He paused, then spoke with unmistakable authority.
"So listen carefully. Dispatch personnel immediately. I want a captain-level Shinigami leading the team. Find that human boy as quickly as possible and place him under protection."
"And one more thing."
"Investigate his background thoroughly. Identify who Ichigo's father is. That point is just as critical."
This time, the Captain-Commander did not cling to pride.
Setting aside the arrogance Shinigami so often held toward humans, he issued a decisive order of protection.
The future visions had already proven Ichigo's importance.
So they would act first.
They would seize every possible chance to change what was coming.
"Understood," Chōjirō replied, bowing deeply. "I will relay your orders to all divisions immediately. We will locate the boy at once."
With that, he hurried out of the command office.
Left alone, the Captain-Commander sank into thought.
"Human… Shinigami… Quincy…"
"Can these three races truly coexist within a single soul?"
His brows knitted tightly.
He remained deeply skeptical.
———
Elsewhere, in Las Noches, a similar discussion was unfolding.
"Heh. If the world's already gone completely off the rails, why don't we throw ourselves into the mess and make it even more chaotic?"
Grimmjow rose slowly to his feet, one hand shoved casually into his pocket as the idea struck him.
"Grimmjow, you mean going to the Human World to find that boy named Ichigo?" Szayelaporro immediately saw through him.
"Exactly."
Grimmjow nodded, a feral grin spreading across his face. "I don't know why, but every time I see that kid, my blood starts screaming for a fight. Of course, that's not the main reason."
"Anyone with eyes can tell how crucial that human is going to be in the coming war."
"He looks like someone who can decide the direction of the future itself."
At that, the corner of Grimmjow's mouth curved upward into something sharp and predatory.
"If Ichigo is really that important, then wouldn't capturing him ahead of time give us the ultimate bargaining chip to change the future?"
"It might not work."
"But it sure beats sitting around here doing nothing, doesn't it?"
The Panther King, notorious for his love of slaughter, was uncharacteristically rational this time.
And surprisingly, his words quickly gained support from the other Espada.
"I agree."
"So do I."
"Grimmjow's right."
"We need to act, not just wait for our fate."
…
Unlike their last argument, even the dark-winged demon cast a vote in favor this time.
Ulquiorra also believed that the Arrancar should not fade into irrelevance in the future, but instead become a powerful neutral force capable of influencing the Shinigami world itself.
It was obvious.
The key to altering the future lay with Ichigo.
"Since everyone's on board, then…"
Grimmjow's grin widened to its fullest, revealing sharp, hunting fangs.
His voice dropped into a cold, savage laugh.
"This was my idea, so I'll handle it personally. I'll bring Ichigo back to Hueco Mundo myself."
Far away, in Karakura Town, Ichigo had no idea.
A single sentence from Yhwach had turned him into the most coveted piece on the board.
Both the Shinigami and the Arrancar had set their sights on him.
"..."
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