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Fate In Bleach (386)
🕑 Added 2024-12-31 17:00:08 +0000 UTCChapter 386 - Expectations
“You’re right,” Ichigo admitted, not denying that his newfound strength stemmed from his new Zanpakutō.
He didn’t elaborate, however. He didn’t explain that he should have always possessed this power, that Old Man Zangetsu had been suppressing it. Now, thanks to Ailin, he wielded both White and Old Man Zangetsu’s strength, his true potential finally unleashed.
“This is the power I’ve recently mastered,” Ichigo continued. “It seems the trash unworthy of killing… is you.”
Ulquiorra tilted his head, uncomprehending. From his perspective, Ichigo’s current strength only rivaled his own in this released state. Why this arrogance? Then, understanding dawned. A Shinigami’s ultimate power was their Bankai. Ichigo, without Bankai, was his equal. With Bankai, he could likely kill Ulquiorra in this form.
But Ulquiorra wasn’t like those lesser Arrancar, limited to a single Resurrección.
“Is that so? I look forward to seeing it.”
He held his hands before him, green spiritual pressure coalesced between them, then spread outwards, forming a lance of solidified reiatsu. The Lanza del Relámpago. A more powerful variant of his Luz de la Luna.
Ichigo didn’t hesitate. Spiritual pressure rushed into his Zanpakutō.
“Getsuga Tenshō!”
BOOM!
The black wave of energy collided with the green lance. From the ground, it appeared as if the sky itself was shattering.
Orihime Inoue, followed by Enkidu, stepped out of the building, looking up at the sky. Even from this distance, the roar of battle was deafening.
“Ichigo…” Orihime clasped her hands tightly before her, feeling very distressed.
While the Hōgyoku’s fusion had amplified her own power, the gap between her and Ichigo, and Ulquiorra, was still vast. Sensing the clash of their spiritual pressures was the limit of her abilities.
“Waaaah!”
A child’s cry suddenly broke through the din of battle, drawing Orihime’s attention. She looked down to see a young girl in a light green dress being chased by two Hollows. Behind the Hollows, Uryū and Chad were in pursuit. Orihime instantly pieced together the scene – the Hollows attacking the girl, Uryū and Chad trying to save her.
Seeing the girl about to be caught, Orihime acted.
“Koten Zanshun, I reject!”
Her Tsubaki, her Shun Shun Rikka, unleashed a wide arc of energy that slammed into the ground between the girl and the Hollows, carving a deep trench.
“Pesche! I’m scared!”
“Dondochakka! Me too!”
Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Bilstin clung to each other with tears and snot dripping. They had been terrified by Orihime’s sudden attack.
“Stay away from that girl!” Orihime shouted. “Or I won’t be so merciful next time!”
Seeing the Hollows cowering, she paused. In the past, she would have killed any Hollow without hesitation. But her time in Hueco Mundo, especially during the Hōgyoku’s fusion, had given her a new perspective.
Hollows were part of the cycle of souls. She would only kill those without consciousness, those driven solely by instinct. If a Hollow possessed sentience, if it didn’t harm humans, she would spare it.
“Orihime!” Uryū and Chad finally caught up.
“Wait! It’s a misunderstanding!”
…
“I’m so sorry!” Orihime apologized profusely after hearing their explanation. It hadn't been an attack, but a game. The girl, Nel Tu, wasn’t being chased; she was playing with her Fracción.
“Orihime, are you alright?” Uryū asked, finally addressing her directly.
“Yes. Enkidu has been taking care of me. I’ve even gotten stronger.” She flexed her arm, as if to demonstrate her newfound muscle.
Uryū and Chad looked at the green-haired woman in white standing behind Orihime.
“Strange spiritual pressure…” Uryū murmured, sensing Enkidu’s reiatsu. He had never encountered anything like it. It wasn’t Hollow, Shinigami, or Quincy. It was similar to Orihime and Chad’s, but… different. Closer to a Shinigami’s, but distinct.
Enkidu nodded at them in acknowledgment.
“Where’s Ichigo?” Uryū asked. “We were separated during a fight.” He had sensed Ichigo’s spiritual pressure clashing with a powerful opponent earlier, but he hadn’t seen him here, in Las Noches.
“Ichigo?” Orihime giggled nervously. “He’s… fighting someone… in the sky.” She pointed upwards.
Uryū, Chad, and Nel’s group looked up, finally noticing the gaping hole in the Canopy, and the fissures spreading across the artificial sky.
Silence fell over them. They could estimate the height of the Canopy based on the distance to the fissures. At least three thousand meters. Even from this distance, the clash of Ichigo and his opponent’s reiatsu was oppressive. Could they even help if they went up there? Or would they just be a burden, forcing Ichigo to divide his attention, to protect them?
“Master,” Enkidu’s voice whispered in Orihime’s ear, “would you like to observe their battle?”
Orihime nodded, then shook her head. “I want to see Ichigo… but if I’ll just be in his way…”
She clenched her fists. Her powers had grown. She could now fully resurrect someone recently deceased. But that was only if they hadn’t been dead for long. She couldn't help Ichigo if he was killed. She couldn't bear the thought of not knowing, of being helpless.
“If you wish to observe, we can go, Master,” Enkidu said. “Those two above are strong… but they are not strong enough to harm you in my presence.”
“Really, Enkidu?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Master.”
“Then I want to go.”
“Very well. Let’s go.”
Golden chains erupted from the ground, binding the group – Orihime, Uryū, Chad, Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka – then shooting upwards, carrying them through the hole in the Canopy.
Seconds later, they emerged above Las Noches.
The oppressive weight of Ichigo and Ulquiorra’s clashing reiatsu made Pesche and Dondochakka gag. Even Orihime, Uryū, and Chad felt their bodies grow heavy.
They couldn't see the battle itself, only a blur of black and green light flashing across the sky. Each exchange created shockwaves, sonic booms echoing through the air. Occasionally, a green Cero and a white Getsuga Tenshō collided, erupting in massive explosions.
Golden chains, controlled by Enkidu, intercepted the shockwaves, shielding Orihime and the others from the battle’s destructive aftershocks.
“Ichigo… he’s so strong…” Orihime whispered.
Uryū and Chad, while also awestruck by Ichigo’s power, felt a pang of… something akin to regret. The gap between them was now vast. They had once fought alongside Ichigo as equals. Now, without Enkidu’s protection, they couldn’t even approach the battlefield.
…
Ailin put his hand in his pocket and surveyed the other battles raging across the replica of Karakura Town.
Golden lightning bolts, launched from the ripples behind him that kept Urahara and the others occupied. They were all captain-level. And Ailin wasn't trying to kill them. He had only opened five ripples, one for each of them, a mere… expression of his displeasure.
If they had attacked him directly, he would have responded in kind. He wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate those who threatened him. Why allow them to live, only to become potential allies for Ichigo, to convince him to unleash Mugetsu against Ailin?
He stroked his chin. He remembered the debates in his past life, the arguments over which form of Ichigo was stronger – Mugetsu Ichigo or dual-wielded, Hollowfied Bankai Ichigo.
Those who favored Mugetsu pointed to Aizen’s reaction. Aizen, after merging with the Hōgyoku, though not yet having created the Ōken, had surpassed the limits of a Shinigami. Yet, he couldn’t sense Mugetsu Ichigo’s reiatsu. The explanation was that Mugetsu Ichigo existed on a higher dimensional plane.
Those who favored dual-wielded, Hollowfied Bankai Ichigo argued that he wielded all four types of power – Quincy, Shinigami, Hollow, and Fullbring – making him the closest to the Soul King, perhaps even having reached that level. Otherwise, how could he have defeated Yhwach, who had absorbed the Soul King? Mugetsu Ichigo, no matter how strong, couldn't have reached that level. He hadn't mastered Fullbring yet.
But Aizen, during his battle against Yhwach, hadn't claimed to be unable to sense Yhwach’s reiatsu. It was a puzzle. Everyone’s reiatsu, no matter how strong, could be sensed by others. Except for Mugetsu Ichigo.
“Perhaps… I should test it myself.”
Ailin didn’t believe his own spiritual pressure had reached that level, the level of being… imperceptible.
Mugetsu Ichigo… a worthy experiment. He wondered, however, if Isshin would still teach Ichigo the Final Getsuga Tenshō this time.
Comments
Ben Coffin
Also the hogyoku was still working on Aizen while he was imprisoned and while he never said it before he was sealed he was evolving to become stronger than mugetu ichigo.
Ben Coffin
Little late but I believe kubo said in an interview it was his dual wielding merged hollow form. Stronger than that would have been True Bankai but we never saw that in the manga maybe in the anime. But 3rd should be final getsuga tenshou.
