The sky had cracked open.
A dark fissure stretched across Karakura Town, emanating a dense Reiatsu that made it difficult for nearby ordinary people to breathe.
Uryu Ishida looked up at the crack, his face pale.
The Hollow bait could indeed attract Hollows.
But no matter what, it shouldn’t have attracted so many Menos Grande.
This was no longer a match.
This was a disaster.
“How could this happen…” Uryu Ishida gripped his Quincy cross tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
Beside him, Ichigo Kurosaki stood frozen in place.
His mind flashed back to Yuzu, Karin, and the ordinary people in Karakura Town who couldn’t see any Hollows.
If all these Menos Grande released their Cero simultaneously, half of Karakura Town would be destroyed.
“Can we hold them off?” Ichigo’s voice was hoarse.
For the first time, he felt the weight of his sword.
“Leave the rest to me.” A calm voice came from behind them.
Ichigo whirled around and saw Yoriichi Tsugikuni standing not far away, his left hand resting on the gray Zanpakutō at his waist.
“Yoriichi?” After a brief moment of surprise, Ichigo immediately panicked.
“Why are you here?
It’s dangerous here!
Find somewhere to hide!” Uryu Ishida also quickly raised his Reishi bow, watching Yoriichi warily.
He hadn’t even noticed when the other had appeared behind him.
“Tsugikuni-kun, this isn’t an ordinary supernatural event.” “Staying here will only get you killed.” Yoriichi looked up at the crack in the sky.
Through the Transparent World, countless chaotic Reishi were gathering deep within the fissure.
The bait was just a trigger; what truly drew the Hollows was another, deeply hidden power.
That power’s target wasn’t Ichigo.
It was him.
“This commotion must have started because of me.” With that, Yoriichi took a step forward.
Reishi naturally gathered beneath his feet, supporting his body.
He slowly walked towards the sky until his entire body was level with the dark fissure.
“He’s walking in the air?” Uryu Ishida’s pupils contracted.
Ichigo opened his mouth, unsure what to say.
Just then, a dozen enormous, deathly white masks emerged from the fissure.
Red light gathered in their mouths.
Cero.
And a dozen Cero were released simultaneously.
“Yoriichi, get out of the way!” Ichigo shouldered his massive Zanpakutō, about to charge forward.
But the next moment, he stopped.
Yoriichi drew his sword.
“Burn away all impurities…” “Kakuyō.” The dark gray blade rapidly turned crimson, golden-orange flames flowing along the edge, instantly igniting the nearby cold, chaotic Reishi.
BOOM!
A scorching Reiatsu surged into the sky, dyeing the entire sky crimson.
Ichigo’s Shihakushō rattled wildly, and the Reishi bow in Uryu Ishida’s hands trembled violently, nearly shattering on the spot.
“This Reiatsu…” Uryu Ishida gritted his teeth, barely managing to stay upright.
Is this truly a power that a human could possess?
Ahead of the fissure, a dozen Cero flashes descended simultaneously.
Yoriichi’s expression remained unchanged; he simply gripped his sword with both hands and slashed diagonally forward.
“Sun Breathing, First Form: Dance.” A massive crimson crescent moon stretched across the sky.
The Cero were sliced in two the moment they made contact with the slash.
The remaining power didn’t dissipate, continuing its surge into the fissure, severing the dozen or so Menos Grande at the forefront.
Flames clung to the severed souls, instantly reducing them to ashes.
But deeper within the fissure, even more Menos Grande remained.
One after another, white masks huddled together, seemingly endless.
Uryu Ishida was utterly speechless.
Just moments ago, he had been proud of the number of Hollows he had destroyed.
Now, it seemed that achievement was utterly insignificant.
“It’s not over yet.” Ichigo stared intently at the fissure, gripping his massive Zanpakutō tightly once more.
Yoriichi also saw the Hollows behind them.
Was the opponent sending them here to test his power, or were they simply impatient?
Neither.
He had no intention of letting these Hollows enter the Human World.
Yoriichi raised Kakuyō, the sun-like Reiatsu rapidly condensing on its blade.
He channeled his power into a single, vertical strike of Sun Breathing.
The blade fell.
A crimson-gold beam of light slashed vertically into the fissure from the sky.
The Menos Grande blocking its path didn’t even have time to scream before their souls were instantly incinerated by the intense Reiatsu.
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted from the depths of the fissure.
Flames spread along the crowded Menos Grande, disappearing into the darkness in an instant.
The remaining Hollows finally began to retreat.
They pushed and shoved each other, scrambling to escape into the depths of the Forest of Menos.
The enormous fissure that had hung in the sky rapidly closed.
Soon, the last vestige of darkness vanished.
Karakura Town returned to calm.
Yoriichi sheathed his sword and descended step by step from mid-air.
Ichigo and Uryu Ishida remained standing in place.
“Are you alright?” Ichigo was the first to recover, then plopped down on the ground.
“It’s alright, a rest will do.” Yoriichi checked his injuries, confirmed there was no danger, and nodded.
Uryu Ishida, however, kept his eyes fixed on Yoriichi.
“Who exactly are you?” “Yoriichi Tsugikuni.” “I know your name!” A vein throbbed on Uryu Ishida’s forehead.
He clearly wasn’t asking that.
Yoriichi didn’t answer, but turned to look around.
The wandering spirits attracted by the Hollows had quieted down, unaffected by the sun-like Reiatsu.
Ichigo, supporting himself with his massive Zanpakutō, stood up and blocked Uryu Ishida’s path.
“Alright, if he doesn’t want to talk, don’t ask.” “Kurosaki, aren’t you even a little curious?” “Curious.” Ichigo looked at Yoriichi’s back and grinned.
“But he came to save us, that’s enough.” Uryu Ishida fell silent.
He looked down at the Hollow bait in his hand, his pride gone.
This disaster was caused by him.
If Yoriichi Tsugikuni hadn’t appeared, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
On a distant rooftop.
Kisuke Urahara covered half his face with a paper fan, his eyes unusually serious beneath his hat brim.
“Oh my, that’s astonishing.” The black cat beside him licked its paw.
“Those flames reminded me of the old man’s, but there’s a difference.
Also, where did this kid’s power come from?” The black cat turned to look at Kisuke Urahara.
“Did you find out?” “Not a thing.” Kisuke Urahara closed his paper fan, the smile on his face fading slightly.
“His life before high school was perfectly normal, like an ordinary person.
No, not just like, just an ordinary person.” “The only thing we know is that his power awakened on the same day as Ichigo’s.” “You tell me,” he paused, “was it because he was triggered by Ichigo’s overflowing Reiatsu, causing his power to awaken?
Back then, I hadn’t even put that thing into Rukia’s body yet!” The black cat flicked its tail, its tone calm: “This kid doesn’t seem like a bad person.
He even saved someone near the school before!” “Let’s go.
With such a commotion today, Soul Society probably already knows.” “And as for Rukia, they’ll probably send someone to check on her soon.
We need to hurry back and prepare!” Kisuke Urahara opened his paper fan again, reverting to his usual shrewd businessman demeanor.
“My, my!
Looks like there’s going to be a lot of trouble ahead, Yoruichi.” A few black lines appeared on the black cat’s forehead.
“Don’t add ‘-san’ in that disgusting tone.” The next second, it pounced on Kisuke Urahara’s face.
“Ouch!
Ouch!
Ouch!
Yoruichi, stop!” “Serves you right.” The man and the cat clamored as they left the rooftop.
Soul Society.
In a quiet courtyard, Sousuke Aizen put down his notes, a glint of something unreadable flashing behind his glasses.
He had orchestrated the release of those Menos Grande.
He just hadn’t expected that the Menos Grande from the Forest of Menos couldn’t even force the other to use his full power.
Aizen walked to the window and looked at the distant sky.
“Do you like the gift I gave you, Yoriichi Tsugikuni?” “But this power is truly astonishing!” “How many more surprises can you bring me next?”