"Boom!!!"
"Boom!!!"
Explosions thundered through the night.
Rukia stared in shock at the two figures before her.
Both humans had suddenly erupted with astonishing spiritual power, their azure reiatsu shooting into the sky like twin blue pillars.
She couldn't see what was happening inside.
She couldn't even tell if the attempt had succeeded.
At that moment, dozens of Hollows rushed in from afar, greedily eyeing the blue light.
"Roar!!!"
Their howls shook the night.
Rukia's face paled as she shouted: "Cole, Ichigo, be careful! The Hollows are heading for you!"
Before her words finished, she felt her zanpakuto suddenly lighten in her hands.
"Shua!"
"Shua!"
Two silhouettes flashed past her.
"Bang! Bang! Bang…"
The dozens of charging Hollows exploded instantly, their bodies cleaved apart into fragments before turning into black reishi.
All of it happened in just three seconds.
"This… impossible…" Rukia stared in disbelief.
"Yo, Rukia!"
Cole, now dressed in a black shihakusho, turned and greeted her with a grin.
Ichigo too was wearing the black robes, staring in awe at his clothes and sword.
"Shinigami, does this mean I've really become one like you?"
But Rukia ignored their questions, her eyes still wide in shock.
"Both of them… became Shinigami…"
She lowered her gaze to her own hands, then to her white clothing.
"They even took away all of my Shinigami powers…"
"No…"
Shaking her head, she looked at Ichigo. "Only he took my spiritual power."
Then she turned toward Cole.
"His power… it's all his own…"
Her shock deepened. She had no idea what kind of monsters these humans were.
"And their zanpakuto… why are they both so huge!?"
In the Seireitei, the size of a zanpakuto reflected a Shinigami's power—it represented their reiatsu.
Ichigo's sword was nearly two meters long, taller than himself.
But Cole's sword… huh!?
Rukia blinked, following the blade upward. She tilted her head higher and higher—yet still couldn't see the end.
"Ichigo, have you ever seen an eighty-meter sword?"
Cole hefted the massive zanpakuto, feeling like he could split the heavens with a swing.
Ichigo's face filled with envy. "Forget eighty meters, I've never even seen one ten meters long! Why is yours so massive?"
"Eighty meters!!"
Rukia's eyes widened as she stared at the blade.
"How could there be an eighty-meter zanpakuto!?"
In Seireitei history, there had been millions of zanpakuto, but none so large.
Even Komamura Sajin of the Seventh Division didn't have a blade exceeding twenty meters.
"Just how strong is his spiritual power…?"
Rukia was stunned, watching Cole's back.
"Ichigo, let's see who can kill more!"
Cole swung his massive sword eagerly at the remaining Hollows in the distance.
Ichigo, of course, wasn't about to refuse.
Thus, what had moments ago been a terrifying army of Hollows became prey, their predators wielding enormous swords.
"Shua!"
Ichigo cleaved one Hollow apart.
But when he looked over—
Cole's eighty-meter blade swept across the sky like a silver dragon.
"Boom! Boom! Boom…"
Seven Hollows that failed to dodge were obliterated at once.
Ichigo's eyes bulged. "Cole, that's cheating! With a sword that size, how am I supposed to compete!?"
Cole laughed loudly, swinging the giant blade. "Then why don't you handle the ones on the ground? My zanpakuto isn't exactly suited for that!"
So, between the two of them, more than three hundred Hollows were wiped out in an instant.
They even had the energy to argue afterward.
Cole boasted, "I killed two hundred and thirteen."
Ichigo growled, "I got ninety-three. But only because most of them were in the air! Otherwise, I wouldn't have lost!"
"A loss is a loss. Tomorrow morning…"
Before Cole could finish, Ichigo suddenly toppled forward.
"Eh!?"
Cole quickly caught him, turning toward Rukia.
"Rukia, what's going on?"
Leaning against a pole, barely standing, she answered, "It's nothing. This was Ichigo's first time as a Shinigami. His body just isn't used to it yet. He'll be fine after some sleep."
She then looked at Cole with a strange light in her eyes.
"I just don't understand… how you adapted so quickly."
Of course, because my spiritual power is already overwhelming… Cole thought silently, carrying Ichigo back into the bedroom.
When he came out, he saw Yuzu and Karin fainting under Rukia's memory-altering spray.
Waving the bottle, she explained quickly, "Don't misunderstand. This doesn't harm them. It just alters their memories temporarily, so they won't have nightmares."
Cole nodded lightly. He didn't object. Tonight had been far from pleasant.
"I'll be going then…"
Rukia gritted her teeth, trying to leave despite her injuries.
"Wait."
Cole hurried over, and without asking, scooped her up into his arms.
"At a time like this, stop being stubborn. Just tell me where you need to go."
Her face turned crimson. After a few futile struggles, she gave up, muttering under her breath:
"Arrogant brat… you think I haven't lived long enough to handle this kind of wound…"
"Sure, sure."
Cole replied casually.
"So, where to?"
Rukia answered reluctantly, still flustered.
"Urahara Shop!"
......…
......…
(End of Chapter)
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