Rumble—
"Idiot bald man, why are you lasting for shorter and shorter periods? What's with three seconds?"
A loud bang stirred up a cloud of smoke, and an irritated curse came from within:
"Are you even a man?"
"..."
Ichigo looked at the girl in front of him with golden hair, two pigtails sticking up, deep brown eyes, and a pair of fangs, whose appearance resembled a middle schooler. His forehead pulsed with a visible vein.
He wanted to argue, but he didn't know how...
And most importantly...
What she said was the truth.
"You're so noisy, idiot!!"
"Heh heh, can't you say anything else besides that?"
The fanged girl said mockingly, making Ichigo grit his teeth, wishing he could use his Zanpakuto to grind down her two fangs.
These people...
They called themselves the Visored.
When he fought Grimmjow last time, the pure white version of himself, which had appeared during his fight with Zaraki, appeared again.
And unlike last time, when it only fought him internally.
As soon as it appeared, it took over his body!
Although this also allowed him to survive Grimmjow's attack.
After that, these people calling themselves the Visored found him and asked him to join their group.
Initially, Ichigo did not agree, but after just one day, he noticed rapid changes happening to his body.
He could even faintly feel...
There was a guy inside him rapidly growing stronger, merging with him step by step, but in Ichigo's view, this was its encroachment upon him.
This feeling was extremely peculiar; even when facing Zangetsu, he had never experienced such a sense of integration, as if it and he were originally one.
It even made him lower his guard for a time.
But the feeling that even Zangetsu had not given him made Ichigo realize that the other party might be deliberately trying to mislead him.
This made Ichigo feel increasingly afraid of the guy inside him.
But even so, he had no intention of joining this group of unknown origin until Rukia found him.
Rukia didn't say much, she just repeated what Ishikawa-sama had said when he arrived back then.
(Through this battle, he will gain new power. If you trust me, it's best not to interfere.)
(Although there will be some loss of control for a short time, and you might even be attacked if you intervene, that is indeed Ichigo's power. You don't need to worry about him.)
If these words had been spoken by someone else, Ichigo might have hesitated.
But Ishikawa was different; he had saved him and his mother when he was young, and he had been observing when Ichigo was learning Bankai, clearly sensing something from him.
Although he didn't understand why he would say this power belonged to him, Ichigo still chose to believe his words and proactively sought out these people who called themselves the Visored.
Since it was his own power, he had to learn how to control it!
And the result was gratifying: with the help of these people, he indeed subdued the other party within him, thereby gaining the method to use the other party's power.
But Ichigo didn't know...
The process of him subduing the Hollow within him was actually not much different from a Shinigami subduing their Zanpakuto.
However, he couldn't maintain the new power he had gained for very long.
3 to 5 seconds!
Such a short time meant that the battle would be over for him as soon as it began.
"Bald man—"
A gust of wind came, and Ichigo instinctively raised his hand to catch something, finding it to be a poorly packaged bento box.
"What are you spacing out about again?"
"Nothing."
Ichigo shook his head: "Just thinking about some things."
"What?"
The fanged girl chuckled strangely: "Little brat, missing home?"
Little brat?
Ichigo looked at the girl in front of him, who was about the same age as his sister and named Hiyori, and couldn't help but ask: "By the way, how old are you guys exactly? You keep calling people 'kids' all the time, and you... are you even 14?"
"Huh?"
Hiyori rolled her eyes: "You've been to Soul Society, and you're still bothered by people's ages? Those Vice-Captains and Captains you interacted with in Soul Society are all at least one or two hundred years old."
"Uh..."
Ichigo was choked by her words, but then he retorted: "There are young ones too, alright? As far as I know, Ishikawa-sama is more than a hundred years younger than Rukia, and not even as old as my dad."
"Then, by Human World standards, shouldn't he be called 'Uncle'?"
"Idiot, you just said that's Soul Society."
Their argument did not attract attention from those around them, except for a man with golden bobbed hair who looked like a slacker. He asked, "Is the Ishikawa you mentioned the guy who fought those Espada a few days ago?"
At these words, everyone who hadn't paid attention before turned their gaze to Ichigo.
Having lived in Karakura Town for a long time, they naturally knew about the battle that had occurred, but they simply didn't want to get involved in the Shinigami and Arrancar conflict.
Or rather...
They didn't want to stand with the Shinigami to face the enemy, even if the enemy was the same.
Even if they hadn't fought them, they could feel the power of the Espada who had come to Karakura Town.
And everything displayed by the Shinigami who arrived later as support shocked them.
Especially...
The other party also used techniques like Cero and Sonido during the battle. If not for the fact that the other party had no Hollow aura, they might have thought that the other party was also their kind, just like Ichigo.
"Is that guy very strong?"
A girl wearing a sailor uniform and glasses, who gave off a very quiet impression, asked.
"Eh? Lisa doesn't know?"
A green-haired girl next to her, wearing goggles and an orange scarf, dressed in a tight suit and long boots, tilted her head.
"Idiot."
The white-haired middle-aged man, Kensei Muguruma, glared at Kuna Mashiro and smacked her on the back of the head: "She went to a comic convention to buy some limited edition doujinshi."
"Ah—"
Kuna Mashiro suddenly understood, then explained: "He's a very powerful person. With the help of Kon, we also observed his battle. He fought several Espada at the same time and even gained the upper hand. Even Hirako Shinji said he's a very impressive guy."
"Can you even trust what that bald man says?"
"Hey, hey, hey, Hiyori, are you underestimating me too much?"
"You guys."
Ichigo paused slightly as he listened to their discussion, then said irritably: "Since you knew there was a battle going on over there, why didn't you go help? Isn't Aizen also your enemy?"
"We don't want to help Shinigami."
Hiyori replied coldly, then, as if feeling it wasn't firm enough, added: "Never!"
Kuna Mashiro continued to explain to Lisa: "Anyway, he's terrifyingly strong, like Kensei could probably punch several of them to death."
"...Do you want to die?"
The white-haired middle-aged man, Kensei Muguruma, gave Kuna Mashiro a smack on the back of the head.
"Ah, Kensei, you idiot~"
Suddenly hurt, Kuna Mashiro immediately squatted down, clutching the back of her head.
"Ishikawa-sama isn't a Shinigami."
Just then, Ichigo suddenly spoke.
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but look at him again.
"According to Renji and Rukia, Ishikawa-sama has always been a commoner in Rukongai, never joined the Gotei 13, and isn't a member of Seireitei. He just accepted a commission from the Gotei 13 to temporarily act as a Captain."
"Oh, and Ishikawa-sama opened an Everything Store in Rukongai, the kind of shop that takes on any kind of job."
"You're joking."
Before anyone else could speak, Hiyori on the side retorted irritably: "Even if Seireitei was short on people, they wouldn't hire someone from Rukongai to be a Shinigami Captain. There's a limit to jokes."
"No, he's right."
Hirako Shinji suddenly spoke: "After that, I asked Urahara about it. According to him, that guy named Ishikawa is indeed not a Shinigami, but his strength is extremely powerful. However, he refused to tell me more specific details, citing the protection of his partner's privacy."
Since coming to the Human World, they had rarely paid attention to matters in Soul Society. Almost all their information came from Urahara Kisuke.
Among them, Hirako Shinji could be said to be the one with the least hostility towards Shinigami, and the only one who would actively inquire about Soul Society news. The other members were extremely repulsed by Shinigami due to past events.
"That really makes one curious."
Lisa flipped through the picture book in her hand, saying as she looked, "Is that guy really that strong?"
"Very strong."
Hirako Shinji said, his brows furrowing slightly: "And strangely strong. He looks even more like one of us than Ichigo."
"Huh?"
Ichigo was stunned.
"What 'huh', baldy!"
Hiyori kicked him directly: "You can't even use a Cero, you're practically lowering the bar for us Visored."
"But Urahara Kisuke clearly told me that there's no Hollow inside him. Instead, he completely simulated the power of a Hollow in the manner of a Shinigami, and it's not weaker at all; even Kisuke said he's a true genius, and in some aspects, he's not inferior to Aizen."
Hirako Shinji paused, then continued: "Perhaps that's why Aizen has always wanted to capture him and take him to Hueco Mundo. In fact, that battle a few days ago was already the second time. The first time Aizen sent an Espada to capture him was in Soul Society, which shows Aizen's Pay attention to for him."
"And when Aizen defected, it was also he who fought Aizen, delaying him until the Captains arrived."
Hirako Shinji glanced at Ichigo: "Ichigo should know this better; he was there at the time."
"…"
Ichigo's face showed a hint of embarrassment. He was there, yes… But apart from taking a single slash in the initial few seconds, he had been protected by Yoruichi in the Repentance Palace, lying on the ground observing the battle.
It was precisely because of this that he realized there was such a huge gap between Captains.
"He must be a good guy then."
Hiyori suddenly said. It wasn't that she had any good feelings for Ishikawa; after all, they had only watched that battle through the ability of the small bowl, like watching TV.
But in her eyes…
Anyone who fought Aizen was a good guy to her.
"I, on the other hand, think he's very dangerous."
Hirako Shinji shrugged, but didn't explain much.
Although Urahara hadn't said much about Ishikawa's details, due to Aizen, he had conducted some investigations.
The result was…
The other party's experience was strikingly similar to Aizen's.
Both were geniuses, both gained powerful strength in just over a decade.
And most importantly…
He had originally felt Aizen was dangerous, which was why he kept him close for surveillance.
And that guy named Ishikawa was also placed by Soi Fon by her side for surveillance because she felt he was unstable and could potentially endanger Seireitei's safety.
Plus…
Gentle, kind, friendly, a good-natured person… These labels, which could be heard just by asking about Ishikawa, made Hirako Shinji extremely uncomfortable, because Aizen was also like that.
But unlike Aizen, the other party had not joined the Gotei 13, and the fact that the other party controlled the villains in the later numbered areas of Rukongai had never been concealed.
Regarding Ishikawa, there was no need to inquire in Seireitei.
Any resident in Rukongai could speak eloquently about him, and the residents of Rukongai fully accepted Ishikawa being the leader of the villains. Not only did they not reject him, but they respected him even more.
But there was no fear or awe, only genuine respect from the heart, and a feeling as if they treated him as a friend.
Especially the women, who were so friendly towards him that it made Shinji somewhat uncomfortable.
Listening to their discussion, Ichigo didn't interject, because he was also very curious about Ishikawa.
His understanding of Ishikawa came from Rukia and Renji. He was completely unaware of more detailed information, only knowing that in Soul Society… Ishikawa was the youngest person, but in Soul Society, no one cared about age.
People who died at different times would form a family based on their age before death.
For example, Shibata the parrot, after arriving in Soul Society, formed a family with a child who died more than 80 years ago… well, a person with the appearance of a child. That boy, nearly eighty years younger than Shibata, became Shibata's older brother.
This was also why he could call Ishikawa 'Brother' without any sense of incongruity.
Mainly because…
He had been used to calling him that since he was little.
"You seem to respect that guy named Ishikawa a lot."
Lisa looked at Ichigo's expression and asked with some confusion: "Didn't you only stay in Soul Society for a few days? Is that guy really that charming?"
"No, I met Ishikawa when I was very young."
Ichigo shook his head: "He saved me and my mother from a Hollow attack, but I never knew his identity before going to Soul Society."
"I see."
Lisa nodded and casually tossed the publication in her hand aside.
Ichigo glanced at it and asked: "What's this?"
"Fake!"
Lisa said annoyed: "This is a photobook I bought at a convention a few days ago. The cover looked really embarrassing, so out of curiosity, I bought it to look. But the content had nothing to do with the cover; it was completely fraudulent."
"And later I found out that the author of this photobook just found some pictures online and compiled them into a book to sell. But because they were all old photos, no one noticed at first. However, not long after I bought it, he was arrested."
"Most importantly…"
Lisa proudly pushed up her glasses: "Compared to this kind of thing, I prefer publications geared towards male preferences. I only bought this one because of the cover."
The cover was very embarrassing?
Hearing Lisa repeatedly emphasize the cover, Ichigo couldn't help but glance at it curiously, and that glance froze him in place.
The cover of the photobook, carelessly discarded on the floor, depicted a crossroads. The main character in the center was a handsome young man wearing no clothes, with an extremely bewildered expression on his face. Behind him were tall buildings and a dense crowd at the crossroads.
It indeed looked extremely embarrassing and made one very curious why this young man would appear naked in such a place.
But…
The face of the main character on the cover made Ichigo freeze as if struck by lightning.
"This is…"
Ichigo then walked forward and picked up the photobook from the ground, staring intently at the bewildered, helpless young man on the cover.
"Huh—"
His reaction surprised everyone. Lisa, the owner of the photobook, her eyes immediately lit up: "So this is your preference! No wonder you scorned the manga I lent you. I also like BL stuff a lot!"
"This… How is this possible… No…"
Ichigo ignored her, staring at the photobook cover, muttering like a madman: "Am I hallucinating from practicing too hard? It must be… Otherwise, how could Ishikawa appear here… And how could he be photographed by a Human World camera? This is impossible…"
Ishikawa?
At these words, everyone exchanged glances and swarmed around Ichigo.
"It really looks like the image the small bowl showed us."
Kensei Muguruma said with some surprise, then carefully examined the cover and nodded: "His physique is indeed good."
"Let me see, let me see…"
Kuna Mashiro jumped onto Kensei Muguruma: "Tsk, this physique… Oh my… But, in the small bowl's image, his physique was even better than now."
"…What were you even looking at back then, you guy?"
"Hey, hey, hey, don't push."
"But isn't he a Captain?"
Otoribashi Rōjūrō smoothed his hair: "Has the Gotei 13's budget shrunk so much that they're making Captains appear in this kind of publication now?"
"You idiot, how could a Shinigami be photographed?"
"Right, it must have been taken before he died, right?"
"No, it was indeed taken after he died!"
Lisa suddenly spoke. Everyone looked at her, only to see Lisa browsing a webpage on her phone: "I just asked in a comic convention group, and someone told me this was news from seven years ago, and they even sent me the webpage… I just looked, and it's indeed from seven years ago."
"According to rumors, he appeared naked, falling from the sky, and then suddenly disappeared."
"It even became an urban legend, known as…"
"The Saint Who Fell From the Sky!"