"Oh dear, Tsunayoshi is serious. Kurosaki, prepare yourself to withstand the impact!" Urahara shouted the latter half of his sentence at the top of his lungs.
"Huh?"
Ichigo, who was in the middle of fleeing, heard his surname and stole a glance back. Immediately afterward, he saw the blazing Sky Flames burning around Tsunayoshi.
No matter how he looked at that state of Reiatsu, it could not possibly be a Bankai, right?
If he got hit, he would die, wouldn't he? Probably?
Ichigo immediately panicked.
"Stop, Tsunayoshi! I'm still here!"
Urahara's shout drew Ichigo's attention, but it also drew Shizuku's. Sensing Tsunayoshi's enormous Reiatsu, Shizuku decisively pulled himself out from between the white gaps, leaving Ichigo alone to be surrounded by the giant serpents.
And Tsunayoshi?
He crossed both hands horizontally in front of his chest. Soft Flames with supporting force erupted from his elbows, while the powerful Hard Flames all gathered in his palms. Centered on Tsunayoshi's crossed hands, the intense flames formed a huge X.
"It's already too late. Take this, Ichigo!"
Tsunayoshi had no intention of listening to Ichigo. The flames in his hands had already taken shape. Once the arrow was on the string, how could he not fire it?
The next instant, the condensed Hard Flames blasted out from Tsunayoshi's hands. The moment the high-density Sky Flames left his palms, they transformed into the shape of a lion's head with its jaws wide open.
It was an enlarged, ferocious version of Natsu.
This was the XX-Burner!
The enormous Natsu directly bit down on the white giant serpents around Ichigo. Immediately afterward came the violent explosion of the Sky Flames.
With a boom, the explosion swallowed all the white liquid at once. A small mushroom cloud rose in the white desert.
Black-red Getsuga waves slashed out one after another, scattering the smoke, dust, and flying rubble. Ichigo, who had been at the center of the explosion, reappeared before everyone.
It was Ichigo wearing his horned Hollow Mask.
"Damn it, Tsunayoshi! Were you trying to kill me too?!" Ichigo could not even care about Rukia for the moment. He immediately began yelling at Tsunayoshi.
Tsunayoshi's face did not show the slightest ripple. He merely waved calmly.
"Wasn't I trusting your strength? I knew you would definitely be fine."
"Besides, I concentrated all the power on harmonization. The explosion only looked impressive. It was all thunder and no rain. If those liquids had covered you, that would have been the real problem."
Seeing that Tsunayoshi showed no intention of reflecting on his actions, Ichigo's anger rose another three points. However, the scattered stones around them did indeed prove that Tsunayoshi had not used all his power for the explosion. He had only used the characteristics of the Sky Flames to protect him.
In his rage, Ichigo was angry for a moment.
"Damn it. I'll settle this with you after we get back to the World of the Living!"
Tsunayoshi casually waved him off. Hearing Ichigo say that, he knew Ichigo was not truly angry.
Temporarily setting aside the matter of Tsunayoshi attacking him, Ichigo turned his hostility back toward the thieving siblings.
"If you don't put Rukia down, don't blame me for getting serious!"
Black-red Reiatsu once again wrapped around the blade of Tensa Zangetsu. Both Homura and Shizuku felt tremendous pressure.
Since when had the Shinigami of Soul Society become this strong?
Were Shinigami not just people who swung swords around randomly and used half-baked Kidō?
Because Homura and Shizuku had been brought to Hueco Mundo by that parasitic Hollow when they were still children, their impression of Shinigami remained stuck in the days when they lived in Rukongai.
Back then, they had still been wandering children in Rukongai who needed Rukia's help. When had they ever witnessed the true power of a Shinigami?
It was precisely because Rukia had helped the siblings that she left an indelible impression in their hearts. Those were the happiest days in the siblings' hearts, without exception.
That was why, in the siblings' minds, they had to be with Rukia forever. Or rather, they believed that only by being with Rukia could they return to those happy times.
And now, all of that had been ruined by these Shinigami before them.
Would it not have been fine to let them secretly take Rukia away?
Why?
Why did they have to stop them?
The string called reason snapped in Homura's mind. She put Rukia down and shouted with a twisted expression,
"Why are you trying to steal Rukia away from us?! What's wrong with us just wanting to be with Rukia?!"
Looking at the nearly insane girl, Ichigo removed his mask and spoke with a gentle expression.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting that. But first, can you let Rukia choose for herself whether she wants to be with you?"
That single sentence struck straight into Homura's heart.
Her movements stiffened, and she did not know how to answer. When she had stood face-to-face with Rukia, she had already realized that Rukia had forgotten them. How could a Rukia like that possibly choose to be with them?
That was why, when Shizuku erased Rukia's memories, even Rukia's own memories had been altered. The memories of the time she had spent as a Shinigami had vanished from Rukia's mind.
It did not matter if Rukia did not remember them. Homura would slowly guide her with time, guiding Rukia into believing that the siblings were the people closest to her.
However, it seemed that plan could not be realized either.
They had been blocked by the Shinigami.
If they ran, they could not outrun them.
If they fought, they could not win.
As for waking Rukia, Homura did not dare. Rukia, who had been cut by the scythe, had completely lost the light in her eyes. Homura was afraid that if Ichigo and the others saw Rukia like that, they would immediately vent their anger on them. Then there would truly be no room for negotiation.
"What is it? You say you want to be with Rukia, but you don't even have the courage to let her choose?" Ichigo asked.
Shizuku quietly moved his feet and stood in front of Homura. As her younger brother, he understood his sister. No matter what, she would never wake Rukia at a time like this.
Ichigo's question once again pierced Homura's heart. The light vanished from Homura's eyes, and she could only turn her head blankly to look at Rukia lying unconscious on the ground.
Courage?
She truly did not have it.
Knowing full well that Rukia did not know them, what meaning would there be in waking her?
"Shinigami, why do you always have to force us?" Homura's tone was like a volcano that could erupt at any moment. Her eyes locked firmly onto Ichigo, as though she wanted to devour him alive.
"Sister?"
Sensing that Homura's emotions were wrong, Shizuku hurriedly turned his head, wanting to comfort her. But before he could even open his mouth, Homura had already embraced him from behind.
"Shizuku, all we need is to be with Rukia forever. The process doesn't matter at all, right?"
Although it was a question, Homura's tone was filled with a forcefulness that allowed no rebuttal. Under the pressure of that aura, Shizuku could only tremble and say one word.
"Yes…"
The moment Shizuku's voice fell, a mass of black Reiatsu surged out from Homura's body and tightly wrapped around the siblings.
With an unhinged expression, Homura looked at Ichigo and said,
"So what if you stop me? We will be with Rukia forever. I said so!"
As Homura's tone grew increasingly sick, Shizuku gave a soft sigh. He knew his sister had changed. But as the younger brother who had depended on her since childhood, he could only wholeheartedly support her decision.
The black Reiatsu rapidly swallowed the siblings. Ichigo had no idea what the two of them were trying to do. Raising his sword, he asked,
"You two…"
Before Ichigo could finish speaking, he saw the siblings transform into a mass of black Reiatsu and drill into Rukia's body.
This was Homura's choice.
If they could not truly be with Rukia, then they would use their power to turn Rukia into something that belonged to them.
No matter what, they would absolutely never give up on Rukia!
Black Reiatsu surged from Rukia's body like flames. She unconsciously let out a painful scream, making Ichigo so anxious that he nearly lost control.
The one in danger was Rukia.
Ichigo could not swing his sword, but he also could not simply stand there and do nothing. For the first time, he somewhat disliked the fact that all his talent had been invested into offense.
Could he not have some special ability that could save Rukia?
Lost and confused, Ichigo subconsciously asked for help.
"Tsunayoshi, save Rukia!"
Tsunayoshi and Urahara came to Ichigo's side together, carefully sensing the changes in Rukia's Reiatsu. Tsunayoshi reassured him,
"I think you don't need to worry. Rukia's current condition is something you have experienced before too."
"Huh?"
"What Tsunayoshi means is that Rukia, who is now completely wrapped in Hollow Reiatsu, is undergoing an alternative form of Hollowfication?" Kisuke Urahara guessed.
Under normal circumstances, Hollowfication required both a mask and the white liquid that transformed into a Hollow's physical form. For someone like Rukia, where no white liquid had appeared, this was not the normal route at all.
Considering that the siblings themselves were not ordinary Hollows, and that the way Rukia's Reiatsu was changing right now was exactly the same as when Ichigo underwent Hollowfication, perhaps this was an abnormal form of Hollowfication?
Before Kisuke Urahara could continue studying it, a white figure was thrown out from the black flames. Tsunayoshi, who was closer, casually caught her. The cold sensation in his hands and that head of white hair both revealed the owner's identity.
"Sode no Shirayuki? Why did you come out?" Tsunayoshi asked curiously.
"I did not come out on my own. The new power that appeared inside Rukia forced her Shinigami power out," Sode no Shirayuki said with lingering fear. "Fortunately, I could use materialization to escape. Otherwise, under the pressure inside Rukia, my blade might have been damaged."
"Sode no Shirayuki, is the power inside Rukia Hollow Reiatsu?" Ichigo hurriedly asked.
"You noticed?" Sode no Shirayuki asked in return. She had not expected Ichigo's perception in this area to be so sharp.
"I only just found out too." Ichigo scratched his head awkwardly. He had basically borrowed Tsunayoshi and Urahara's conclusion.
"Because the Hollow power inside Rukia's body is foreign, it forced the Shinigami power that was originally in her body out?" Urahara summarized, then asked, "Sode no Shirayuki, are you certain you still remember Rukia?"
"Of course! If I did not remember her, I would have run away already," Sode no Shirayuki said somewhat speechlessly. Respecting one's master and serving a stranger were two different things.
For someone like Ichigo, even a trace of Reishi was enough for him to remember Rukia. The siblings' method of erasing memories was completely ineffective against Sode no Shirayuki, whose Reiatsu was linked to Rukia's.
While they were talking, Rukia's screams gradually subsided.
A pale foot stepped out from the black Reiatsu.
Rukia's Hollowfication was complete.
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