Bang!
Ryūken turned and shot an arrow, which, to Uryū's horror, flew over his head and precisely shattered the light arrow on the water tank, causing Ishida Uryū's cloak to lose its anchor and fall from mid-air.
"Damn it...! Let go! What are you trying to do, Ryūken!"
"Calling your father by his given name is also unwise. I'll educate you properly later. As for now... it's better to stay far away."
Ryūken, with one hand in his pocket, used the other to grab his son by the collar, dragging him directly towards the rooftop entrance despite his struggles.
"Hey, wait! I haven't dealt with all the Hollows yet!"
"You're not needed."
"What?"
Uryū was slightly stunned, even forgetting to struggle.
"The name 'cinderella,' besides originating from its special condition of forming at night, also has another reason: when excited, it emits dust called'Stardust.' If you touch the dust, you'll be enveloped in light."
Ryūken said as he walked.
"Dust...?"
"Although I don't quite understand, as a Japanese person, if you don't want to get hay fever, you should stay away from dust, whether it's pollen or not."
Before stepping through the door, Ryūken stopped and turned to look at the white dragon.
He happened to witness a rather strange sight.
With a high-pitched cry, the white dragon spread its wings and flapped them, scattering sparkling light particles like snowflakes. Compared to its size, it undoubtedly resembled dust.
Uryū also saw it.
He was firmly captivated by the dreamlike scenery under the starry night, unable to tear his eyes away.
However, the next moment, chain explosions erupted between the tall buildings and across the entire sky, like hundreds or thousands of fireworks going off simultaneously, illuminating the night, dazzling to the extreme, and incredibly visually impactful. The flames engulfed all the Hollows in their field of vision.
"?!"
Uryū was dumbfounded, his mind a blank.
Ryūken, on the other hand, pushed up his glasses like a scientist, seemingly understanding something.
"So that's it, this is what they call... being enveloped in light? Stardust, meaning meteors the size of dust? My British counterparts are quite artistic. If you choose to study abroad in the UK for university, you might want to try communicating with them. It might also help improve your rigid, untalented brain."
"..."
With that, he dragged the dazed Uryū into the stairwell.
Sealing the heat wave outside the door.
On the TV tower, Shimiya Takeru, oblivious to the father and son's argument, quietly experienced his current state.
Ichigo was growing, and he had not stood still either.
Even with temporarily lagging spiritual pressure, he forged a different path, excavating the power of the 'Fairy Tale Dragon: cinderella's Blood' bestowed by his machine soul.
Since the mixed-blood species was such a powerful solution, he naturally had to find ways to develop more correct fighting styles.
Just as Ichigo's Shinigami power was mixed with the power of Hollows.
Shimiya Takeru's Shinigami power was also mixed with the power of dragons.
Therefore, in addition to the superficial dragon magic of 'Invisible Scale,' he could also achieve further awakening with the help of his Zanpakuto.
If the release command 'Eight Phases Manifestation—Endonemī' corresponded to the sword, then 'God Must Hold Me—Endonemī' corresponded to the sheath.
The sword and the sheath each corresponded to a Shikai.
This was similar in concept to Ichigo's dual-blade theory in the original timeline.
However, Shimiya Takeru's Shikai, strictly speaking, was not a dual Shikai; it was more like a two-stage Shikai.
Because he had to first "draw the sword" before he could "release" the sheath.
When the power of the sword, the internal power, was completely expended, as if in nirvana.
The power of the sheath, the external power, could then be reborn anew.
In a sense, this also corresponded to the 'cinderella's' characteristic of metamorphosis and rebirth.
The result—
Was not his own dragonification, despite housing the Fairy Tale Dragon's blood.
Instead, through Shikai, by means of a part of his Zanpakuto's "sheath," 'cinderella' was able to materialize.
"—Let's clean up this area in one go!"
Shimiya Takeru waved his hand grandly, with the demeanor of a Dragon Knight.
The white dragon turned to look at him, its eyes filled with human-like joy and ferocity, as if saying, "Watch this."
...That's right.
Whether it was the sword or the sheath.
They were both Zanpakuto.
Since it was a Zanpakuto... then the true name of this 'cinderella' was naturally 'Endonemī,' and it was also the embodiment of the exceptionally ill-tempered Mushroom Woman in his inner world.
Chirp!
More'Stardust' was scattered into the sky.
Like meteors, they flew towards locations with Hollow spiritual pressure.
Just as he had told Shimiya Takeru before... eliminate all unpleasant things outside, completely, leaving nothing behind!
Matsukura Hospital was an abandoned building, and a well-known haunted spot in Karakura Town.
Thanks to this, very few unrelated people were present at this time.
Inoue Orihime could fight boldly and without worry.
"Solitary Heaven, Severing Shield!"
According to Rukia, as a Substitute Shinigami, she didn't possess powerful spiritual energy, and at first, she couldn't even see spirits. But after becoming a Shinigami, she immediately knew the name of her sword and gained the power of "Shikai."
The trajectory of the sword tip glowed as it cut through the void, its color identical to Orihime's hair.
Accompanied by the incantation, the trajectory advanced straight forward like a slash.
No matter how one defended, it was useless.
Because this was an attack that severed all touched matter from the spatial dimension.
The Hollow that attempted to block it was considered a formidable enemy for most Shinigami, but it was utterly defenseless before Orihime.
She easily annihilated it, as if cutting paper.
"—Watch out behind you!"
The powerful ability that seemed to kill opponents with a mere swing of the sword couldn't compensate for her weak combat awareness.
Orihime didn't notice a Hollow resembling a Medusa's head ambushing her from the window, firing bullet-like projectiles from its head.
In a moment of desperation, Rukia flew to block the attack.
The impact of the projectile sent her flying, crashing into the wall.
"Miss Kuchiki!"
"Don't come near!"
Orihime's expression changed, and she was about to rush over to check on her, but the person involved stopped her.
Rukia's condition was very abnormal at this moment. External injuries and dust all over her body were secondary; what was important was that the blood vessels in her neck, hands, and feet were bulging, and it was imaginable that her main torso beneath her clothes was probably the same.
"Hehehe... Although it's a pity I didn't hit the main target, it doesn't matter, because this makes it more interesting."
The unknown, cunning Hollow was too large to enter the hospital corridor. It clung to the outer wall like an octopus, licking Orihime and Rukia with malicious eyes.
"Mmm~ wonderful, I love tormenting resilient and beautiful girls like you the most."
"I've already imagined it: one party, controlled by my seeds, tearfully urges her companion to harden her heart and kill her, while the other, heartbroken and unable to act, ends up covered in wounds, eventually being ravaged to death amidst the other's desperate expression."
"How does such a drama of mutual slaughter appeal to you?"
The seemingly female Hollow let out a triumphant laugh.
However, the next second.
To the Hollow's shocked gaze, Orihime unhesitatingly swung her Zanpakuto, and the orange-yellow slash reappeared.
It knew very well how powerful this was, which was why it chose to ambush them.
But it never expected the girl it considered a great enemy to be so ruthless, hardening her heart to strike down her companion just because of a few words!
The next moment, the orange-yellow slash landed on Rukia.
It did not split her in half as the Hollow had expected.
Instead, it transformed into a membrane of light, enveloping her entire body.
"—Twin Heaven, Returning Shield!"
Orihime's incantation came belatedly.
Further enhancing the skill's effect.
Rukia's injuries, including her damaged clothes and the dust on her, reversed and healed completely, as if time were flowing backward.
"What?!"
The Hollow was so astonished it almost fell off the outer wall.
A slash could change like that?
Moreover, this recovery speed was simply too fast!
"So, it's an ability that uses seeds to control others' bodies. Good thing I stepped out to block for Inoue, otherwise it would have been a bit troublesome, after all, isn't there a saying that a doctor can't heal himself? Thank you, you've made me fully aware of a whole new tactic, though it was a bit painful."
This time, it was Rukia's turn to be smug.
"How dare you hurt Miss Kuchiki! I will never forgive you!"
"Die!"
Seeing Orihime about to launch an attack, the Hollow, terrified, fired all its seeds at Orihime in one breath.
But this time, Orihime was prepared and directly raised her Zanpakuto.
A triangular orange-yellow barrier formed directly in front of the Hollow's sword tip.
"Santen Kesshun... I reject!"
The projectiles were all intercepted.
The Hollow was both terrified and enraged.
Why are there so many strange techniques!
It's an attack, a heal, and a defense all at once.
"Damn it! You beautiful women deserve to die!"
The female Hollow let out a roar of envy, jealousy, and hatred, but despite her words, she didn't want to continue fighting.
"Don't run!"
Rukia immediately sensed the opponent's intention and raised her hand, intending to use Bakudo to intercept.
Just then, she suddenly noticed something strange flying through the air and froze in place.
"Eh? What... is this?"
Thumb-sized, like crystalline insects or birds, or even paper airplanes, with clear flight characteristics, and quite cute.
"So cute~"
Its unique and delicate appearance also piqued Orihime's curiosity.
The Hollow, noticing the strange object, paused for a moment, then began to grow suspicious.
Then—