Back to the video,
The scenes were still rolling—
"People who hold the same power and want to become king must possess…"
"…the resolve to seek battle at all costs, to pursue power!"
"To crush their enemies without mercy, grind them into dust! To have an absolute hunger for battle!"
"But you don't have that kind of instinct. Instead, you fight by relying on reason."
"That's why you're weaker than me, Ichigo!!!"
In Hollow Ichigo's hand,
That white Tensa Zangetsu
spun again and again, every swing accompanied by that cold, electronic echo in his voice.
Through the replay of the countdown video,
his words were carried straight into reality.
Non-stop, they were pouring a set of top-tier combat theory—straight from Hollow Ichigo himself—into the heads of all the powerhouses of the Soul Reaper world!
And after listening to the whole thing,
different people each had their own understanding, each resonating with it in their own way!!!
"Tch…"
"As expected of the most special one among the Menos!"
"I think that Hollow Ichigo's got it right! When it comes to fighting and killing, you've gotta rely on instinct!!!"
Inside First Division,
Kenpachi Zaraki's lips split into an excited grin.
He looked exactly like someone who had finally found a kindred spirit.
As the King of Killing Instinct,
his greatest joy in daily life was fighting and slaughter.
And as it happened,
Kenpachi's fighting style
was also absolutely unreasonable—relying purely on instinct to keep hacking away, whether he was slashing others or getting slashed himself!
Because of that,
this combat theory
went down extremely smooth for Kenpachi!
He got a full dose of pleasure out of it, feeling insanely satisfied!!!
Across from him,
Retsu Unohana, the first Kenpachi, felt much the same.
She likewise wholeheartedly agreed with Hollow Ichigo's battle philosophy!
A thousand years ago,
it was precisely because she held to that creed
that she slaughtered her way through Rukongai, fighting nonstop, staining her hands in endless blood—
which was how she became the greatest villain the Soul Society had ever seen!!!
Besides them,
the other captains present—
Hitsugaya Tōshirō frowning in thought,
Byakuya Kuchiki's gaze flickering,
Soi Fon in deep contemplation, Sajin Komamura lost in his memories…
Almost every single person was moved in one way or another!
Even…
the one seated at the very top,
the Captain-Commander, was no exception. He muttered in a low voice, "Abandon reason, show no mercy, and be utterly ruthless toward your enemies, huh?"
The old man reflected on himself.
It was precisely because, back then,
he hadn't wiped the enemy out to the last
that the future Yhwach and the pure-blood Quincy
were able to return in force once more and launch a new Thousand-Year Blood War!!!
Thinking of this,
the Captain-Commander suddenly saw the light.
The shackles on his mind fell away; his thoughts climbed to an unprecedented height, and in a single instant he gained a wealth of insight.
What's more…
his own power,
which had stood at the peak of the Soul Reapers and had been stagnant for many years,
at that very moment,
because he'd accepted this "King and Steed" lecture from the throne's white tiger,
actually showed faint signs of breaking through!!!
Such a pleasant surprise
made the Captain-Commander's eyes, after a thousand years, stir with long-lost excitement.
From the bottom of his heart,
he felt grateful for these two iconic scenes that had been exposed because of Ichigo Kurosaki!!!
——
On the other side,
in Las Noches,
the reaction and understanding of the Menos and Arrancar, after listening to Hollow Ichigo's "scripture,"
were in no way inferior to those of the captains—if anything, they were even more feverish!!!
"He's totally right…"
"To seek battle, to pursue power, to crush your opponent without mercy!"
"That's been the law of survival in Hueco Mundo since forever—weak are meat, strong do eat!"
"Hollow Ichigo's absolutely right! As expected of the ultimate Vasto Lorde standing above all of us!!!"
Everyone was excited,
voicing their approval.
The Espada all jumped to their feet as well,
each of them wearing a serious expression, ears pricked toward the screen,
afraid to miss even a single line Hollow Ichigo uttered!!!
The whole sight—
a bunch of "good students" eagerly learning—
made them look exactly like model pupils in class, listening with full concentration.
All that was missing was for each of them to write a little pop quiz essay afterward!!!
"Yaa-re yaa-re…"
"The Menos and Arrancar actually got so immersed in their studying that they've come to genuinely accept Hollow Ichigo!"
"Captain Aizen… they might even be more devoted than they are to you, you know…"
Gin Ichimaru lifted his eyelids,
letting his gaze sweep around.
After taking in the scene of the Menos and Arrancar busy memorizing the whole speech,
he couldn't help letting out a sigh.
Honestly,
even he'd been affected.
He'd gained quite a bit of insight from this whole "King and Steed" theory.
So of course he could understand
why his fellow Hollows and Arrancar were reacting this crazily!!!
"Gin…"
"Rather than fretting over whether Hollow Ichigo is going to steal our spotlight,"
"wouldn't it be better to look forward to whether he'll say something even sharper next?"
Aizen's lips curved up.
On that handsome face of his, interest was written plain as day.
Yes,
even Aizen had felt something,
and the rewards he reaped were just like the Captain-Commander's.
His power, which had been stagnating for years
at the very pinnacle of the Soul Reaper world,
was also about to break through its limits and grow stronger once again!
That kind of feedback
left Aizen both astonished
and delighted, and the gaze he fixed on Hollow Ichigo
now contained a hint of genuine anticipation!!!
For all he knew,
given Hollow Ichigo's worldview
and his understanding of battle,
if he casually "leaked" another few points of combat theory from between his teeth
for the audience to study,
then a world-wide level-up, a universal power boost—
something that outrageous might really happen!
And regarding that,
Aizen had absolutely no doubt!!!
——
Meanwhile,
on-screen,
Hollow Ichigo's battle with Ichigo Kurosaki was drawing to a close.
There was no need to say much about the battlefield.
At the start, it was still Hollow Ichigo's one-sided crushing of Ichigo Kurosaki!
Only,
once he'd had his fun to his heart's content,
Hollow Ichigo didn't even bother to keep acting for the viewers anymore.
Even though he clearly held an absolute advantage,
when his white Tensa Zangetsu had already stabbed into Ichigo's abdomen,
all it took
was Ichigo bursting out with fighting spirit and grabbing hold of the blade.
And just like that…
the tables turned!
The white Tensa Zangetsu in Hollow Ichigo's hand
was, in the blink of an eye, dyed completely black, its power overwritten and assimilated!
Out of nowhere,
it became Ichigo Kurosaki's weapon, stolen for the protagonist's use!!!
Not only that,
the blackness spread incredibly fast.
Before the viewers even had time to react, Hollow Ichigo's arm that had been gripping the sword
was hit as well, stained pitch-black.
Then it crumbled into ash!
His arm broke apart into black fragments and scattered, and in an instant he'd become half-crippled, left with only a single arm!!!
Such an over-the-top turn of events—
because his throwing of the fight—no, his dumping of an entire ocean—was far too obvious—
immediately set off an uproar, and the audience couldn't help complaining:
"Holy crap…"
"This is ridiculous!"
"This looks so fake!!!"
"If Hollow Ichigo were really this weak, then Byakuya Kuchiki and Hiyori Sarugaki wouldn't have gotten beaten up so badly!"
"Hollow Ichigo's acting still needs work—at least pretend a little, will you!!!"
The audience were dumbfounded,
and the Visored in particular were practically drooling.
The "dangerous executioner" that was supposed to be the hollowfication trial
had turned into a warm, cozy power-up service—there couldn't possibly be a more considerate fight than this!
Hollow Ichigo,
as Ichigo Kurosaki's babysitter,
was just one step away from directly spoon-feeding the hollow's power into his mouth.
This kind of top-tier treatment, with zero risk involved,
once again made the viewers jealous of Ichigo Kurosaki's protagonist halo!!!
"Ichigo…"
"The battle's already over…"
"Looks like, in the future, you're still going to be troubled again and again by this hollowfication business!!!"
In Karakura Town,
on a high-school campus,
as Ichigo Kurosaki's companions,
Tatsuki Arisawa and the others were the first to pull their eyes away from the screen.
They were just about to turn and congratulate Ichigo—
but the moment they turned around,
they were all horrified by what they saw.
Right now,
Ichigo Kurosaki himself had already closed his eyes.
At some point he'd shut his eyes,
and just like his future self on the screen,
he was silently absorbing
that tremendous Hollow power from Hollow Ichigo!!!
Not only that,
in that short moment,
at the corner of his right eye,
white hollowfication matter began to seep out across his face.
Under the shocked stares of Tatsuki Arisawa, Yasutora "Chad" Sado, and Orihime Inoue,
it quickly gathered and took shape.
Very soon, it formed a hollow mask with red markings, fully covering his face!!!
The appearance of this scene
sent shockwaves through them!
Tatsuki and the others couldn't help feeling a surge of envy!
Too insane…
This was the protagonist's
exclusive movie-watching benefit.
Every time Ichigo Kurosaki reached an important moment in the footage,
he didn't have to do anything on purpose at all—
his present self would automatically synchronize with his future self and be affected!
He would likewise gain power,
or learn some new technique or move!
And
this strange miracle
wasn't happening for the first time.
Even now,
even seeing it with their own eyes,
including Orihime and the other girls, as Ichigo's most trusted companions,
after their initial shock,
they still couldn't help but be envious of Ichigo Kurosaki!
He just had to lie there to get stronger…
Just keep watching, just keep leveling up…
This kind of top-tier treatment surely only the true Soul King would get, right!!!
——
In the end,
under the gaze of audiences all over the world,
as his body turned pitch-black and just before he vanished completely,
the final lines that Hollow Ichigo delivered
once again made the viewers almost cough up blood:
"Can't be helped…"
"Since you didn't lose, I'll acknowledge you as king—for now!"
"But don't forget, between you and me, king and steed can switch places at any time!"
"And if you want to control my power, then before the next time I appear… you'd better be careful not to die!!!"
Even though he was actually thinking the most for Ichigo Kurosaki's sake,
this damn tsundere Hollow just had to say it in the nastiest tone,
deliberately trying to scare Ichigo!
The viewers could only watch in exasperation, rolling their eyes one after another
as they were forced to sit through
his entire performance!!!
"Tch…"
"Grimmjow… you chickening out yet?"
"Next time you fight Ichigo Kurosaki, it's going to be a whole different story!"
"Now that he's gained Hollow Ichigo's hollowfication power, his combat strength is already on par with us Espada!"
In Las Noches,
Yammy crossed his arms over his chest, baring his teeth in a vicious grin as he deliberately brought it up.
He didn't even have to think about it.
To show just how powerful this new strength was,
the footage that came next would definitely continue the battle
between Ichigo and Grimmjow!
After so much time watching these videos, Yammy had already figured out the pattern!!!
"So what?"
Grimmjow sneered, hands shoved into his pockets, forcing himself to sound brave. "If I can beat Ichigo Kurosaki once, I can beat him a second time!"
"Even if we fight again, at worst it'll be fifty-fifty! What's there to be afraid of…"
But before he even finished the sentence,
the transparent screen flashed.
A brand-new battle clip, sure enough, cut in seamlessly!
"Yo, I was just looking for you, Ichigo Kurosaki!"
"That's my line, you busted bowl…"
"Now I'll show you just how strong I've gotten after this month of training!"
Blue sky, white clouds.
High above Karakura Town,
two figures met and confronted each other.
Naturally, they were Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow, making his second incursion into the living world!
Only,
when the camera shifted to Grimmjow and revealed his latest, miserable look,
inside Las Noches,
Grimmjow's own eyes bulged as he roared, practically blowing the palace roof off!
"???"
"What the—"
"Where's my blue right arm!!!"
"When did someone chop it off?!"
"Damn it… which bastard—Tōsen Kaname, this must've been you!!!"
Grimmjow was stunned.
He stood there, dumb as a statue, eyes wide.
Just a minute ago, when faced with the Soul Reapers' declaration of war,
he'd just been arrogantly boasting that he absolutely wasn't afraid of Ichigo Kurosaki!
Who could've imagined…
that the very next time he appeared,
he'd already had an arm cut off and had instantly been turned into a cripple!
His combat strength and power
would obviously be heavily weakened as a result.
Seeing the kind of treatment his future self got, Grimmjow naturally couldn't accept it!
He was deeply shaken!!!
"So that's how they treat 'trash', huh? That's one ruthless method."
Coyote Starrk's gaze dropped
toward Tōsen Kaname standing below the throne, and he couldn't help furrowing his brows.
He clearly remembered it: Ichigo Kurosaki's face
was once again filled with confidence,
with the same determined eyes he'd had back during the Soul Society invasion!
Clearly,
Ichigo's mental fortitude had finally reached the level of a real expert.
His only shortcoming, the last weak point, was finally being patched up!
Step by step,
inch by inch, he was moving toward being "hexagonal"—
moving toward being a fully maxed-out, all-round fighter!!!
Then,
after the surge of spiritual pressure subsided,
as the camera shifted and finally gave a clear shot of Ichigo Kurosaki,
the viewers clearly saw
that as he raised his hand and pressed his palm against his face,
there—
a hollow mask,
consciously formed by Ichigo himself,
appeared, taking shape under his will!
"Unbelievable…"
"Perfect. At this rate, the instant I hollowfy—about eleven seconds—"
"I'll finish this battle!!!"
His voice went sharp,
almost like a shrill roar.
Once he entered his hollowfied state, Ichigo's tone even shifted toward something more demonic.
And "eleven seconds"—
that number
immediately caused an uproar!!!
At the very start,
it had only been Ichigo Kurosaki's body erupting
with the same kind of dark red spiritual pressure as Hollow Ichigo,
that overwhelming, uniquely Hollow aura.
Vast and bottomless, it churned the sky.
Because the spiritual pressure was too intense, it even seemed to spill out of the screen,
leaving the audience stunned!!!
"Even his reiatsu changed in sync?"
"Ichigo… really has gotten so much stronger!!!"
In a small shop,
Isshin Kurosaki smiled in relief, clearly very satisfied.
Not only had Ichigo's reiatsu grown stronger, and not only was the mask no longer unstable—
he'd also noticed that Ichigo's face
was once again filled with confidence,
with the same determined eyes he'd had back during the Soul Society arc!
Obviously,
Ichigo Kurosaki's resolve had finally reached the level of a true expert.
His only shortcoming was basically fixed!
Step by step,
he was moving closer and closer to being perfectly balanced in every stat—
moving toward becoming a true "six-sided warrior"!!!
Then,
after the waves of spiritual pressure dissipated,
as the camera once more focused on Ichigo,
the viewers could clearly see
that as he raised his hand and covered his face with his palm,
there,
a hollow mask,
consciously formed by Ichigo's own will,
appeared again!
"Unbelievable…"
"Perfect. At this rate, the instant I hollowfy—about eleven seconds—"
"I'll finish this battle!!!"
His voice went sharp,
almost like a harsh shout.
Once he entered hollowfication, Ichigo's voice even shifted toward a more demonic male tone.
And "eleven seconds"—
that number
once more set off an uproar!!!
At the very beginning,
it had been Ichigo's body suddenly erupting
with that same dark red, Hollow-type reiatsu as Hollow Ichigo.
Vast and deep, it stirred the heavens,
and because the pressure was too strong, it felt like it overflowed from the screen,
leaving everyone dumbstruck!!!
"Even his reiatsu changed in sync?"
"Ichigo… really has gotten so much stronger!!!"
Inside the shop,
Isshin Kurosaki once again smiled in satisfaction, deeply pleased.
(End of Chapter)
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