But not only did Inaba Kagerōza vanish—Nozomi's spiritual body also began to fade.
"Nozomi!"
Ichigo rushed forward and pressed the King's Seal against her chest.
A golden light flowed from the back of his hand into Nozomi's body. Her form, which had been on the verge of disintegrating, slowly solidified.
But in exchange, Ichigo's spiritual power began to drop at an alarming rate.
"Thank goodness... Nozomi..." he murmured—before collapsing in her arms.
"Ichigo! Ichigo!"
Nozomi caught him and shouted in panic.
Rukia and Hiyori immediately flash-stepped to his side.
With Kagerōza defeated and all spiritual clones gone, Soul Society finally returned to peace.
Yamamoto Genryūsai began to gradually pass authority to Unohana Yachiru, whose leadership during the incident had proved exceptional.
Everyone knew—it wouldn't be long before the First Kenpachi would take over as the new Head Captain of the Gotei 13.
As for Nozomi, she received a special exemption and officially joined the Gotei 13 as the Fourth Seat of Squad Four.
Naturally, Unohana sent her to the World of the Living to personally tend to Ichigo's recovery.
Without the King's Seal, Ichigo's Shinigami and Hollow powers were further suppressed by old man Zangetsu.
Forget fighting—Ichigo could barely even sense spiritual beings anymore.
Even against a weak Hollow—one he could've killed with a glance—he needed help from Rukia and Hiyori just to land a hit.
"Sorry… I'm dragging you down," Ichigo said, struggling to keep upright with his Zanpakutō as a cane.
Rukia frowned, her voice sharp. "Idiot. How are you dragging us down?! When you're hurt—I support you!"
"When you can't move—I'll fight in your place! And when you're in pain—I'll share that burden!"
"Isn't that what we are to each other?"
Ichigo stood, gripping his sword. "Yeah. You're right."
"Hiyori, Rukia—hold that Hollow down! I'll finish it!"
The two exchanged glances and nodded—Rukia froze it in place while Hiyori bound it with wind.
Ichigo poured all of his remaining spiritual power into one final attack.
"This really is... my last Getsuga Tenshō..."
He took a deep breath.
"Getsuga Tenshō!!"
The blast obliterated the Hollow.
But in doing so, he also burned through the last scraps of power that Zangetsu had left untouched.
Rukia and Hiyori hurried to carry him home.
In Ichigo's room, all his friends stood around his bed with worried faces.
"I can't sense Kurosaki-kun's reiatsu anymore..." Orihime said quietly.
The room fell silent. Chad and Uryū both looked grim.
If even Orihime couldn't feel him—then Ichigo had truly lost his power as a Soul Reaper.
Ichigo slowly awoke to a quiet world.
The dead no longer whispered.
The howls of Hollows were gone.
He reached instinctively to his waist—both Zangetsu and Muramasa were gone.
Ichigo chuckled bitterly. "Old man Zangetsu… what a move. Guess I'll have to wait for you two to catch up with the new moon."
He stepped into the yard and looked toward Rukia and Hiyori.
"I think… I can't see you anymore."
The two girls looked at him, then slowly lowered their heads, sorrow written on their faces.
Nozomi sat quietly nearby, watching over Ichigo.
As expected, to Ichigo—Rukia and Hiyori faded away like mist.
He looked down at his hand and sighed.
"My powers... they're really gone."
Nozomi quietly took his hand and leaned on his shoulder. She didn't say anything.
They stepped through the door together.
"Welcome home, Ichigo."
At home, Rukia and Hiyori were in their usual outfits—like they'd never left.
But from that day on, Ichigo never saw their Shinigami forms again.
A year and a half later.
"ICHIGO! Are you seriously still in bed?! GET UP!"
Rukia violently tore his blanket away.
Half-asleep, Ichigo grumbled, "Isn't it still early for school?"
Having lost his powers, Ichigo had returned to a normal high school life.
He knew Zangetsu and Muramasa had been chasing the New Moon for the past year and a half—and they were close.
Now, Rukia walked him to school every day with Hiyori and Nozomi.
None of them ever brought up Soul Reapers or Hollows in his presence.
Even Unohana, Soi Fon, and Rangiku avoided those topics entirely whenever they visited the human world.
In this year and a half, Ichigo had grown to 182 cm tall.
Yuzu and Karin had entered middle school—though Ichigo wasn't thrilled about the white-haired delinquent always hanging around his sister.
"Yo, morning, Ichigo."
At the table sat Hitsugaya Tōshirō, calmly eating breakfast.
Ichigo stared. "Seriously? Tōshirō, why are you in my house again?!"
Karin raised her hand shyly. "I invited him. Lately there've been more and more creepy spirits bugging me."
Ichigo blinked in surprise.
In the past year and a half, his sisters' spiritual power had continued to grow.
Both of them could now see spirits clearly.
Karin, in particular, had such strong reiryoku that she was constantly being harassed by ghosts.
Enter the guardian knight: Hitsugaya Tōshirō.
He'd been secretly protecting her for months—just this morning, he'd taken down two more of them.
Of course, he wasn't just protecting her…
Ichigo raised an eyebrow.
That delinquent was definitely falling for his little sister.
"Whatever. Thanks, I guess," Ichigo muttered.
Sure, Rukia, Hiyori, and Nozomi could have handled it just fine… but some people clearly had ulterior motives.
"We're heading out," Hiyori called, greeting her sisters-in-law before heading to school with Ichigo and the girls.
For her, school had become something she actually enjoyed.
"ICHIGOOOO!"
A green-haired girl in a school uniform flew into his chest like a rocket.
"Morning, Nel."
He was already used to it.
That's right—Nel was now enrolled in school with them.
No one knew how many years she'd spent in Hueco Mundo, but she adapted quickly.
Alongside Orihime—both beauties with incredible figures—they had no shortage of admirers.
Naturally, these boys had formed a "Free Nel and Orihime" resistance, dreaming of saving them from Ichigo's clutches.
To make matters worse… Ichigo kind of had the "blond troublemaker" look going.
"Morning, Ichigo."
When he entered the classroom, Tatsuki greeted him.
She had made some changes in the last year and a half—growing her hair out, quitting karate club, and ditching the chest binder.
She'd finally embraced her femininity.
Despite her lingering "female tyrannosaurus" nickname, she had no shortage of secret admirers either.
But that day… someone arrived.
Someone handed Ichigo a business card.
Welcome to Xcution.
Ichigo didn't care for the man, but something about the encounter felt different.
Deep inside his body… something was awakening.
Or rather, after a year and a half of development—Zangetsu and Muramasa had almost completed their task.
"Working again today?" Rukia asked, swinging her bag over her shoulder.
Although still a Soul Reaper—and now the Vice Captain of Squad 13—she hadn't worn her armband or fought in battle for over a year.
"Not today. I think I'll head home early. I'm a bit worried about Karin."
"Oh? Worried about her getting into trouble?" Hiyori smirked.
Nozomi added playfully, "Or maybe he's worried about someone stealing his little sister?"
Ichigo nearly choked.
"W-Wait, what?! I'm not—!"
Rukia looked at her chest and muttered, "Ah… so that's why…"
"I am NOT a siscon!"
The three girls laughed, and Ichigo could only sigh in defeat.
They returned home together.
That day, Orihime came by after her shift at the bakery.
The girls had been so cheerful lately—because recently, they'd begun sensing faint traces of Ichigo's spiritual pressure again.
Orihime sensed it too and wanted to confirm it—and inform Tatsuki, who was growing impatient.
Ichigo himself didn't act surprised. He'd expected this.
Late that night.
"ICHIGO! Ichigo! Uryū's been attacked!"
A phone call shattered the calm.
"What?! Uryū was attacked?!"
Ichigo was stunned.
He knew Uryū's strength—he was captain-level! How could someone like him be wounded?
"Let's go. We're heading to the hospital!"
Ichigo rallied the girls and rushed to Uryū's room.
But it wasn't Uryū who greeted them—it was his father, Ryūken Ishida.
Ryūken raised an eyebrow, but quickly composed himself. "You're Uryū's friends, I presume?"
"Yes, sir," Rukia nodded. "We're his high school classmates."
None of them knew Ryūken's true identity as a Quincy. They still thought he was just a doctor.
He simply smiled and said nothing, then led them into the room.
Strangely, Uryū said nothing.
Not who attacked him.
Not how it happened.
Nothing.
Ichigo wanted to help—but he didn't even know where to start.
At the same time, elsewhere in the city, Mizuiro and Keigo were also attacked.
If not for Tatsuki's intervention, their fate might have been worse than Uryū's.
Ichigo was frustrated.
One after another, his friends were being targeted—and he couldn't do anything.
"If only… if only I still had my powers...!"
He couldn't help but think it.
Sure, Rukia, Hiyori, and Nozomi were strong enough to protect everyone.
But still… he couldn't help wishing.
Over the past year and a half, with Kisuke's help, Nozomi had fully evolved her Zanpakutō—Ame-no-Hazure was now the perfected Tsukikage Uzuki.
After all, the memories and powers of Yuuōji had always been hers to begin with.
(End of Chapter)
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