The man in black remained silent on the matter; instinctively, the person standing before him was the ultimate authority on the subject.
“Mister!” Little Ichigo couldn’t follow the nuances of their conversation, but he called out, his voice soft yet firm.
“What do I have to do?”
“[It is simple,]” the man in black replied flatly.
“[Blood is the essence of *Blut*.
It is divided into *Blut Arterie* and *Blut Vene*.
The former enhances your physical strength, while the latter strengthens your defense—and for now, it can be used to stop bleeding.]”
“[To put it simply, *Blut* is the act of channeling spiritual power into your blood vessels.
Depending on the flow, it manifests as either active or static.
Although you are not a pure-blooded Quincy, you should be able to master it quickly with a little practice.]”
“What is spiritual power?” Ichigo immediately caught the key point.
“And what does that ‘flow’ feel like?”
“[Spiritual power is the Reishi within a person’s body.
Reishi is one of the fundamental building blocks of this world, much like air is to humans; normally you don’t perceive its existence, but it is everywhere.]”
“[It is just like the spirits that only you can see—the souls you’ve always been able to perceive,]” the man in black continued, speaking rapidly yet with crystal clarity.
“[Feel it with your heart.
It is something you see every day and touch every moment; you simply haven’t realized it until now.]”
“Reishi…”
Murmuring the word, Ichigo looked at his own hands.
He thought back to the ghosts he had seen since he was old enough to remember—beings invisible to everyone else.
He had never questioned what they actually were, treating them simply as a natural phenomenon.
But now, thinking carefully: what were those ghosts made of?
What power allowed them to exist?
The answer was now clear.
And since he could see them, it meant that he possessed it—this so-called spiritual power!
In the next instant, as if validating his thoughts, a sky-blue light flickered into existence upon his palm.
It pulsed with a life of its own, dancing as if cheering in excitement.
“[That is spiritual power,]” the man in black continued.
“[Now, channel that power into your blood vessels and let it flow naturally.]”
“Okay!”
Ichigo displayed a level of decisiveness and agency that defied his age.
With a flash, the light in his hand surged into his body.
Throughout the encounter, Ichigo never doubted the two men—not even the man in white with the strange voice.
The latter felt familiar, especially his face, which seemed more acquainted the longer Ichigo looked at it.
As for the man in black, he radiated a peculiar feeling; despite their different appearances, he possessed a comforting warmth that reminded Ichigo of his mother.
Beyond intuition, Ichigo reasoned that the two had no reason to lie to him.
His mother’s critical condition was real, and he believed that, aside from seeing ghosts, he had nothing special about him.
Even if they did have an ulterior motive, as long as they could truly save his mother, Ichigo would willingly step into hell itself.
“It really is…
natural…”
Whispering softly, Ichigo silently sensed the state of his body.
As the spiritual power was injected, a profound change occurred within his veins.
It felt as if some innate circuitry had been engraved into his blood vessels, allowing the power to flow in a specific, natural pattern.
“Is this *Blut Vene*…?”
Ichigo felt the spiritual power forming a cycle within his body.
The energy provided an intuitive feedback, like a fork in the road: choosing left meant *Blut Vene*, and choosing right meant *Blut Arterie*.
Without needing to ask, Ichigo placed his hand on his mother’s back.
The power of the *Blut* manifested instantly, and branch-like patterns bloomed across her skin.
While the wounds did not visibly knit shut, the spiritual power gave him a response: all the blood vessels around the injuries had been sealed by the Reishi.
Even upon returning to normal space, no more blood would leak out.
“[Very good.
Your talent, Ichigo, is formidable—terrifyingly so,]” the man in black remarked, his voice still flat but laced with admiration.
“[I thought it would be impressive enough for a hybrid to master *Blut* so quickly, but to further refine it on your own…
that is something most pure-blooded Quincies cannot achieve.]”
“Hehe, am I really as great as you say, Mister?” Sensing that his mother was out of danger, Ichigo finally regained the demeanor of a child.
“I don’t really get the technical stuff, but who says a hybrid has to be weaker than a pure-blood?
In the animal kingdom, many creatures become stronger when the strongest of two different kinds unite!”
“[…I suppose that is true.]”
“Hey, hey, hey!” the man in white suddenly interrupted, having been silent for a long while.
“Isn’t it about time to move to the next stage?!
We’ve stalled long enough!
Any longer and we’ll have to head back!”
*Crack!*
As if confirming the man in white’s words, a white fissure suddenly appeared in the pitch-black void.
Though it was minuscule, it signaled that the space was no longer stable.
“[Now, Ichigo,]” the man in black said, his tone becoming solemn.
“[Are you willing to become a warrior?]”
“A warrior?” Ichigo blinked.
“Can I protect my mom and sisters?”
“[Of course.
Not just them—if you wish, you can protect anyone you want to protect.]”
“Whatever it is you wish to protect, we will exert our utmost power to help you,” the man in white added.
“Then, what should I do?”
“[You only need to answer one question for us.]”
“What question?”
“Will you be afraid?”
“Afraid of what?
I’m not bragging, but I’ve seen ghosts since I was a baby.
There’s nothing to be afraid of!”
“[Afraid of the battle.]”
“…I don’t know.”
“Battle is a terrifying thing.
The clash of blades, where every fight is a dance on the edge of life and death.
Every swing of the sword is a matter of ‘you die or I die.’ Do you have the courage to truly wield a blade in your hand?”
“…”
“I don’t know,” Ichigo said, lowering his head so his expression was hidden.
“I don’t know if I’ll be afraid when I’m actually fighting.”
“But I do know that if it’s to protect my dad, mom, sisters, and…
Tatsuki—the people I love and care about—I will absolutely fight.”
“If they were to get hurt because I was too afraid to fight…”
“I could never forgive myself.” Ichigo looked up, his gaze resolute.
“So, please give me the power!
I don’t know about being a ‘warrior,’ but I want to protect them!”
**[Good!]**
“[Remember, Ichigo: abandon your fear and look forward!]”
**[Move forward!
Never stop!]**
“[Retreat and you will age!]”
**[Hesitate and you will die!]**
“**[Call it!
Call our name—Zangetsu!]**”