"Bankai, huh? Now that really is surprising. How long has it even been? To think you've already grasped such a high-level power."
Something shifted in Ichimaru Gin's normally calm expression, and surprise flickered in his eyes.
Even Hitsugaya Tōshirō, always praised as Soul Society's genius, hadn't reached that point so quickly, despite all his talent and effort — had he?
And that was someone who had gone through countless trials before slowly coming into his strength.
For Kurosaki Ichigo to reach Bankai in such a short time was truly astonishing.
Aizen Sōsuke, meanwhile, studied Ichigo with a satisfied look.
In a certain sense, he was the one who had created the boy standing before him.
A Shinigami father and a Quincy mother. Born with the power of a Hollow inside him, and the rare power of Fullbring as well.
He was practically a miracle — the fusion of four completely different powers.
Each of those powers held enormous energy.
They collided and mixed inside Ichigo's body, brimming with endless possibilities.
Aizen was full of expectation. He looked forward to watching Ichigo keep pushing past his own limits, until he reached heights no one could imagine.
In Aizen's eyes, Kurosaki Ichigo was the final opponent he had prepared for himself.
Only by clashing with someone like that could he truly test the limits of his own strength.
After all, standing at the top was often lonely.
Only with an equal beside him would his own greatness stand out, and the long climb to a higher place feel a little less empty.
"So what if you're captains? I've learned Bankai too now! We're all on the same level, so who cuts down who isn't decided yet."
Now in Bankai state, Ichigo looked at Ichimaru Gin with a taunting grin.
That obnoxious look on his face all but said, 'Come on. Try and cut me!'
Gin had no intention of going easy on him. Since Ichigo had provoked him, there was no reason not to give the boy what he asked for.
"Bankai. Kamishini no Yari."
Ichigo suddenly felt as if some huge, ancient beast had locked onto him. On reflex, he brought his Zanpakutō up across his chest.
Clang!
The two blades met with a sharp ring.
A terrible force surged from where they met, crashing into Ichigo like a tidal wave and shoving him back more than ten meters before he could barely stop.
The moment he halted, his mind went blank. Only the dizziness from that impact remained.
By the time he came back to his senses, he realized in horror that Gin had already struck him — and the power behind that blow was far greater than he'd imagined.
Gin studied the shaken Ichigo, mildly surprised.
He hadn't expected this boy, whom he'd once looked down on a little, to block his full-power strike on pure instinct.
He gave Kamishini no Yari a light flick, the corner of his mouth curving.
"Oh my, oh my. That's some impressive perception. You actually blocked that strike! Looks like you have more potential than I expected. But it's still nowhere near enough."
Under Gin's control, Kamishini no Yari pulled back, then shot out again.
Next to the relaxed Gin, Ichigo looked miserable.
That unpredictable attack style threw him into total confusion, and he could do nothing but twist and dodge over and over.
"Kamishini no Yari's reach is thirteen kilometers, Ichigo. You can't dodge it."
Gin kindly explained the ability of his Zanpakutō.
"Stop looking down on me!"
Ichigo's mind raced.
Since Gin's blade was made for long-range attacks, he needed to close the distance. Up close, Gin shouldn't have nearly as much of an advantage.
The moment he decided, he moved.
The razor-sharp Shinsō stabbed at him like lightning.
Ichigo dodged left and right, and in that dangerous moment he had only one thought: get in close, as fast as possible.
Every dodge felt like walking a knife's edge. One mistake and he was dead.
After several near-misses, hope finally sparked in his eyes.
He'd made it close to Gin.
The corner of his mouth lifted, and he couldn't hide his pride.
"Now you can't do anything, can you?"
With that, he poured all his strength into one attack.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
The black-and-red slash of reiatsu tore toward Ichimaru Gin with terrifying force, as if to rip apart everything in its path.
But Gin was no ordinary opponent.
He slipped aside like a ghost, easily avoiding the deadly strike.
Then he released Shinsō again.
Ichigo looked at the incoming blade and felt a rush of confidence. At this range, he was sure he could dodge it.
But reality hit him hard.
He still couldn't dodge.
Shinsō pierced straight through his shoulder, and the sharp pain made him suck in a breath.
"How is that possible? There's no way I couldn't dodge at this range!"
Ichigo's eyes went wide with disbelief.
This was nothing like what he'd expected. He forced his brain to work, trying to figure out why he hadn't been able to move in time.
Then it hit him.
"That thing you said about Kamishini no Yari reaching thirteen kilometers — that was to mislead me, wasn't it? Your Zanpakutō's real ability isn't how far it stretches. It's how fast it is!"
"Oh my. You figured it out this quickly? Not bad! Shinsō extends and retracts at five hundred times the speed of sound. How many times do you think you can dodge that?"
Gin's teasing voice drifted through the air, as if mocking how naive the boy was.
Ichigo gritted his teeth against the pain and grabbed Shinsō's blade with his bare hand, trying to stop it from pushing any deeper.
"You'd grab my Shinsō bare-handed? What a reckless kid," Gin said with a light laugh.
Ichigo glared at him, his fighting spirit burning.
"I'm not losing like this!"
"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo shouted and released another slash.
Gin turned sideways to avoid it, then swung Shinsō lightly and stabbed at Ichigo's chest.
Ichigo jumped aside just in time.
He panted hard, a sorry sight as he glared at Ichimaru Gin.
"The game is over, Ichigo."
Before Ichigo could recover, Shinsō pierced through his chest again.
"Why? We're both captain level. So why is the gap between our strength this huge?"
Ichigo's consciousness began to blur.
A sharp pain tore through his mind.
His second-stage Hollowfication was about to trigger on its own again!
He doubled over in pain, one hand pressed to his face. Then a Hollow mask appeared over his features.
"Hollowfication, is it? Interesting."
Watching Ichigo now, Aizen suddenly felt the urge to step in himself.