After the previous training session concluded, the next disturbing scene began to unfold before the viewers' eyes.
[For reasons that initially remained unclear, Orihime Inoue encountered a strange and threatening enemy. This mysterious assailant slashed at her with what appeared to be malicious intent. The villain behind this attack was none other than Tsukishima Shukuro!
Upon sensing this unfamiliar and ominous spiritual pressure, Ichigo Kurosaki and Yasutora Sado rushed over immediately to help Orihime repel the dangerous enemy.
Orihime herself felt genuinely puzzled by the entire encounter. Although it clearly felt as though someone had slashed her with a blade, there seemed to be no physical damage whatsoever to her body.
She had no idea what she had actually experienced or who this mysterious person truly was.
However, when Ichigo and Sado began analyzing the situation and discussing their next course of action, something inexplicable occurred.
For reasons she couldn't understand, Orihime seemed remarkably familiar with the attacker. She spoke directly and matter-of-factly, declaring that Tsukishima Shukuro was her friend.
After making this shocking statement, both Sado and Ichigo felt tremendous surprise and refused to believe such a claim!
Orihime herself became confused by her own words, because she knew logically that this person was the same individual who had attacked Uryu Ishida. So why had she called him her friend?
Was this really the case? Why does my memory seem to contain something very strange and contradictory?
Orihime remained unaware that this confusion resulted from the mysterious man's special ability.
Tsukishima Shukuro possessed the power to alter the past itself, making his technique one of the most unreasonable causal weapons in the entire world of Shinigami.
Because Orihime couldn't figure out what was happening to her thoughts, she could only attribute it to some very strange phenomenon.
She decided to temporarily comfort Ichigo and the others by insisting that she was perfectly fine.
However, Ichigo naturally refused to believe Orihime's reassurances. He understood instinctively that she was hiding something important from him, so he resolved to discover the truth behind these mysterious events.
With this determination, Ichigo went directly to Ginjo Kugo's residence that evening to ask him about the mysterious assailant.
He remained unaware that Ginjo was actually working in coordination with Tsukishima Shukuro as part of an elaborate deception.
After hearing Ichigo's account of the day's events, Ginjo immediately told him a fabricated explanation. He claimed that this person had once been a member of their organization.
In the projection, Ginjo began describing a former member of their group.
"This person is called Tsukishima Shukuro, and he was once a valued member of our organization," Ginjo explained with apparent sincerity.
"It was Tsukishima who originally discovered the method of using Substitute Shinigami to transfer Fullbringer powers."
"You should understand that our organization constantly seeks out Substitute Shinigami for this purpose."
"In this way, we can transfer our Fullbring abilities to the Shinigami."
"This allows us to eliminate these powers from ourselves."
"Because we genuinely dislike continuing to maintain these abilities."
Under Tsukishima's supposed leadership, they had collaborated with many Substitute Shinigami in the past.
Additionally, Ginjo retrieved a Substitute Shinigami Badge and showed it to Ichigo, claiming it had been left behind during a previous collaboration with another Substitute Shinigami.
This evidence made Ichigo believe Ginjo's story completely.
However, the truth was that this badge belonged to Ginjo himself! It was actually the very first Substitute Shinigami Badge, specially issued to Ginjo by Ukitake Jushiro.
After Ichigo examined the badge, Ginjo continued his fabricated narrative.
"Previously, we had been asking Substitute Shinigami for help in transferring our powers."
"But then, Tsukishima suddenly betrayed us."
"He actively murdered many Substitute Shinigami and numerous members of our XCUTION organization."
"We were all completely confused by his sudden change in behavior."
"So the person who plotted against Uryu Ishida at this moment should be this traitorous Tsukishima Shukuro. Therefore, we must defeat him to achieve lasting peace."
At this moment, Ichigo believed everything Ginjo had told him and promised to continue helping their cause. He looked forward to making significant progress in the future. As long as he could quickly master these Fullbring techniques, he should have opportunities to continue protecting his friends!
Meanwhile, on another front, Orihime Inoue engaged in a private conversation with Yasutora Sado.
Orihime admitted that what she had said during the day was indeed false.
She had genuinely been slashed by the mysterious man.
But for inexplicable reasons, she felt that Tsukishima Shukuro was her friend.
This represented a truly incredible and disturbing phenomenon.
It seemed as though her thoughts and memories had been somehow modified.
This was genuinely a very weird and unsettling state of mind.
Orihime didn't want to make Ichigo worry about her condition, so she had chosen to conceal these strange experiences.
So all of this could only remain an unsolved mystery, waiting for them to investigate slowly over time.]
Moreover, this bizarre individual Tsukishima Shukuro left even the audience members who witnessed these scenes feeling deeply puzzled. It was genuinely difficult to understand what was actually occurring.
In Soul Society, the Shinigami began discussing these developments with serious concern and confusion.
"It appears that this mysterious Tsukishima Shukuro is indeed an incredibly dangerous individual, and his abilities likely exceed everyone's imagination," they observed with growing alarm.
"After all, these so-called Fullbring techniques actually derive from the power of the Soul King, and the Soul King's power represents a truly incredible existence."
"Just like those Quincy abilities—each of them derives their power from Yhwach."
"Fullbringers like Tsukishima Shukuro possess abilities just as strange and unreasonable as various Quincy techniques."
"Various impossible and overpowered skills are indeed not something that can be countered casually."
"Therefore, it will be extremely difficult for Ichigo to defeat Tsukishima Shukuro!"
Ukitake Jushiro's expression froze on his face as realization dawned.
"Ginjo Kugo is the first Substitute Shinigami, but he didn't tell the complete truth to Ichigo..." he said with growing concern.
"What could be the reason for this deception?"
"Did he think it was unnecessary to reveal the whole story? Or was he deliberately lying? Is he attempting to manipulate or harm Ichigo and the others?"
"Is there some secret alliance between Ginjo Kugo and Tsukishima Shukuro?!"
The Shinigami could only pay careful attention and continue watching these events unfold, trying to analyze as much important information as possible.
After all, according to the Three Realms projection, Ichigo's experiences would prove crucial to his eventual battle with Yhwach!
Perhaps these XCUTION members and others who possessed Fullbring abilities would all represent important forces in the coming conflicts!
[Subsequently, Ichigo found himself feeling deeply depressed as he wandered around, genuinely needing to think carefully about his next course of action.
But for the moment, he truly couldn't determine what he should do.
This sense of powerlessness made Ichigo feel tremendously frustrated.
He desperately wanted to recover his strength quickly and make himself significantly stronger.
Ichigo even began harboring doubts about the people around him, because this mysterious Tsukishima Shukuro had genuinely brought tremendous psychological shadows into his life.
He couldn't determine whether the people surrounding him were allies or enemies.
This feeling was genuinely disturbing and disorienting.
It was as if some kind of deception game had begun!
Perhaps defeating these enemies would prove far more difficult than anticipated.
In this state of uncertainty, Ichigo suddenly thought of the most reliable person he knew—Urahara Kisuke.
But even when considering Urahara, he still harbored numerous doubts... because while Kisuke was undeniably powerful and knowledgeable, could Ichigo really trust him completely?]
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