Hello, everyone. ThunderReborn from 2025. This chapter was originally edited by Darklord331. Finally, in April 2025, this chapter was edited again by my current beta reader, Waroyer123. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story.
The following is a fan-based parody.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, TV Tokyo, Viz Media, and Studio Pierrot.
All other ideas belong to their original sources. Please support the official release.
"Hello." – Normal talking.
"Hello." – Ichigo's thoughts.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō speaking.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō thoughts.
Chapter 82:
Ichigo jumped out of the Garganta and found himself in mid-air. He dove headfirst toward the ice-covered ground, noticing the ice beginning to consolidate into a fist the size of a skyscraper. The giant fist extended toward him. Ichigo allowed his reiatsu to gather into Zangetsu in his right hand. Spinning in mid-air, he faced the incoming fist.
"Getsuga... TENGEKI!" Ichigo yelled, stabbing Zangetsu forward. A black sword-shaped beam with a red outline shot out, piercing through the fist and causing a massive explosion that obliterated it. The Getsuga Tengeki continued to descend, piercing the icy ground below and resulting in another massive explosion. Ichigo crashed into the earth, forcing the icy dust and debris away. In the distance, a pack of a hundred large polar bears, each bigger than tanks and completely white with red eyes, charged toward him.
Ichigo gathered more of his reiatsu into Zangetsu.
"Mugen Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo shouted, firing the attack into the air. The polar bears ignored the attack, continuing their charge. The Mugen Getsuga Tenshō turned downward, scattering into regular Getsuga Tenshōs that rained down on the polar bears. They were quickly torn apart, their blue blood staining the white snow. Ichigo noticed the blue blood beginning to bubble.
"Don't touch the blue blood. That's energy from the Overlord. It might contaminate you," Shirayuki warned.
"Got it," Ichigo replied. The bloodied snow started to pull itself together, forming a shape.
"Ichigo, there's no point in attacking them. The Overlord can infinitely regenerate them," Shirayuki added.
"Got it," Ichigo responded, quickly shunpō'ing away. "Kyōka, let me know when I'm getting closer to the Overlord."
"Okay," Kyōka replied. Ichigo continued shunpō'ing forward. The ground rumbled, and Ichigo saw a pack of two hundred white woolly mammoths walking toward him. Each stood over four meters tall, their white fur and red eyes glowing ominously. One mammoth raised its trunk and blew air out of it like a horn, while others pointed their trunks at Ichigo, blowing cold air his way. Ichigo shunpō'ed upward, avoiding the freezing blast.
"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo cried, launching several Getsuga Tenshōs at the woolly mammoths. The attacks bisected them, staining the snow with blue blood. Ichigo saw the woolly mammoths and the snow beginning to transform. He quickly shunpō'ed away.
"Any signs of the Planetary Core Communicator activating?" Ichigo asked.
"Nothing," Kyōka replied.
"I see… Well, hopefully, the increase in monsters is a sign we're on the right track," Ichigo thought, stopping in mid-air. Below, an army of monsters approached. Flocks of white wyverns, descendants of dragons with wings attached to their forearms, filled the air. On the ground, large golems, nearly as tall as the mammoths, marched toward him.
"Based on my estimate, approximately four hundred wyverns and four hundred golems are coming toward us," Chishiki commented.
"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo called out, firing several blasts at the incoming golems. The golems roared as they were knocked back. The wyverns, meanwhile, unleashed whitish-blue beams. Ichigo dodged the attack, and the beam struck the ground, forming pillars of ice.
"Mugen Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo shouted, launching multiple attacks into the air. The wyverns swerved, trying to dodge the falling blasts. The golems roared as the Getsuga Tenshō knocked them off their feet. Ichigo shunpō'ed toward the wyverns.
"Zangetsu, coat your blade with reiatsu so the blood doesn't stain it," Shirayuki instructed.
"All right," Zangetsu said. Both blades in Ichigo's hands glowed as he began to slaughter the wyverns. The wyverns tried to fight back, but Ichigo killed them before they could react. Their corpses merged with the golems on the ground. Some of the golems now had wyvern heads attached to their bodies. The wyvern heads turned toward Ichigo and fired whitish-blue beams at him.
"This is getting ridiculous," Ichigo thought, firing more Getsuga Tenshōs at the mutated golems. The attacks collided, causing large explosions. Ichigo used the explosions to hide his escape. "Anything yet?"
"Nothing yet," Kyōka replied.
"But the unexpected increase in monsters makes me think we're on the right path," Shirayuki added.
"In that case, we should move at full speed toward the Overlord, so we have enough energy to fight the other two Overlords," Zangetsu suggested.
"Aren't I passively generating more reiatsu?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes, you are," Kyōka replied. "But we still need to absorb energy from the environment to produce reiatsu."
"But the ambient energy is contaminated by the Overlord of Corruptive Frost," Shirayuki began. "If we want to use it, we need to purify it with hellfire, holy fire, and Schrift T: The Taiyo."
"The process consumes more energy than it produces," Kyōka concluded.
"I see…" Ichigo said, then increased his speed. "Then I'll pick up the pace." He shunpō'ed forward, ignoring as much of the enemy as he could.
Scene Change: Other side of the planet
A female humanoid being sat on a white throne made of frozen bones. She had a seductive body with bone-white skin and icy blue scales that emphasized her beauty. Her long, gravity-defying white hair contrasted with her reptilian crimson-red eyes. Dressed in a black dress with matching black fur on the collar, she sat beside a Dokkaebi, covered in white fur and dressed in a violet parka and pants. Together, they watched a panel of ice, showing Ichigo slaughtering a pack of one thousand white dragons the size of passenger airplanes.
"So, Eol-Eum Chuwi [Icy Cold, this is the person who killed the other Overlords?" the woman asked.
"Yes, Overlord." Eol-Eum Chuwi replied in a formal tone, like a butler. They watched as Ichigo shunpō'ed away, leaving the corpses of the saber-toothed tigers behind. "I would suggest sending out a platoon of your rytsar [knights]."
"How many?" The Overlord of Corruptive Frost asked.
"Perhaps 1,000," Eol-Eum Chuwi suggested.
The Overlord waved her hand, and 1,000 knights materialized. They were clad in heavy armor, each wielding a sword and a tower shield. Forming up in rows of 100, they positioned themselves along Ichigo's path, preparing to force him into combat. It took less than five minutes before Ichigo reached their location.
"To think he could travel so far in such a short time, take down so many of my forces, and still have power left to spare," she commented.
"Indeed," Eol-Eum Chuwi agreed.
The knights charged toward Ichigo. He responded by firing a Getsuga Tenshō at them. The knights immediately halted and slammed their shields into the ground, forming a multi-layered defense. The attack collided with the shields, disintegrating the first seven rows of knights and pushing back the eighth through fifteenth rows, leaving the sixteenth through twentieth rows untouched.
"I didn't expect one of his attacks to be that powerful," she admitted.
Before the knights could recover, Ichigo unleashed another Getsuga Tenshō, disintegrating the remaining ranks.
"To think he can unleash such destructive blasts with so little downtime," Eol-Eum Chuwi remarked.
"Agreed," the Overlord replied as Ichigo shunpō'ed away. "I want him." She cast a hungry glance at the image of Ichigo. "I want to devour all that energy he has." Standing up, she walked away from her throne. Eol-Eum Chuwi sighed as he continued to observe the ice panels.
"At least I didn't need to bribe her this time," he thought.
Scene Change: With Ichigo
Ichigo unleashed multiple Getsuga Jūjishōs at the enemy in front of him, which were more knights, this time numbering 2,000. The Getsuga Jūjishō tore through several rows of knights. It didn't take long for Ichigo to shunpō away, leaving only a couple hundred knights remaining. As he continued to move across the snowy plains, he pondered.
"Strange. There aren't any more enemies," Ichigo thought.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Naamah asked.
"No," Shirayuki replied. "All the enemies we've fought so far have been created from the Overlord's energy, which is nearly limitless."
"The Overlord is likely taking this time to assemble an even larger army to crush us," Ichigo speculated.
"Ichigo, the Planetary Core Communicator is activating," Kyōka interjected.
"Good," Ichigo replied. After five more minutes, he arrived at a new battlefield. There, an even larger army waited for him. Thousands of knights, armored polar bears, and wyverns stood poised for battle. At the far end of the field, Ichigo saw a woman sitting on a throne carried by a golem.
"Hello, Invader," the Overlord of Corruptive Frost greeted. Ichigo used the memories of the previous Overlords to understand her words. He ignored her greeting and shunpō'ed directly toward her, charging both Zangetsu with far more reiatsu than before.
"Getsuga Jūjishō!" Ichigo shouted as he swung both swords, releasing a massive Getsuga Jūjishō. The Overlord's eyes widened in shock at the sheer size of the attack. A large group of wyverns dived in front of the blast, surrounding themselves with energy in an attempt to stop it. Upon impact, there was a massive explosion, sending dust, chunks of ice, and blue blood flying in all directions. Ichigo swung his large Zangetsu down, parting the dust, only to find the Overlord unharmed.
"So uncivilized," the Overlord commented with a frown. "Beat him until he's nearly dead," she ordered. The red eyes of the remaining knights, polar bears, and wyverns glowed brightly as they charged at Ichigo.
"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo shouted, releasing his signature attack. The first few waves of enemies blocked the attack, sacrificing themselves in the process. However, the subsequent waves pushed through and continued their advance. The wyverns fired icy beams at Ichigo.
"Mugen Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo shouted, firing his attack high into the air. Just before it reached its optimal altitude, the attack collided with a barrier, causing it to prematurely detonate. In the distance, the Overlord of Corruptive Frost laughed.
"You didn't think I'd let you use that over and over again, did you?" she taunted.
Ichigo scowled as he was forced into close combat with the advancing army. Both of his swords were now coated in his reiatsu as he slashed down a nearby knight.
"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo shouted, swinging both swords to release two smaller Getsuga Tenshōs toward the incoming enemies. The knights were pushed back, but they quickly recovered and continued to charge at Ichigo.
"Looks like she's enhanced their defensive capabilities," Ichigo thought, facing them head-on. He swung his sword in his right hand downward at a knight, only for the knight to block it with his own sword. Ichigo then pointed the Zangetsu in his left hand at the knight's chest.
"Getsuga Tengeki!" Ichigo yelled, thrusting Zangetsu forward. A compressed beam of reiatsu shot out, piercing through the knight's armor and continuing on to strike the enemy behind him. Despite being hit by the attack, the enemies continued to move as if unaffected.
"I think it's time to kick this up a notch," Ichigo muttered.
"Finally. Which way?" Zangetsu asked.
"Massive destruction," Ichigo replied.
"Soy la furia que destruye el Cielo. [I am the fury that destroys Heaven.]" Ichigo began to chant. His reiatsu formed a barrier around him as the knights closed in and began their assault on the barrier.
"Coráge la furia que destruyó los nueve círculos del infierno. [I am the rage that destroyed the nine circles of Hell.]" Ichigo continued chanting.
"His energy is increasing!" The Overlord noticed.
"STOP HIM!" She ordered. The knights and wyverns relentlessly attacked the barrier, but it held strong.
"Yo soy el que se atreve a desafiar al destino. [I am the one who dares to challenge fate.]" Ichigo roared.
"Resurrección Luna Nueva! [Resurrection of the New Moon!]" Ichigo shouted as the black barrier exploded, releasing massive waves of black energy. Most of the wyverns barely managed to fly away, avoiding the explosion. The knights and polar bears, however, were mostly wiped out. Only about 1,000 remained, having been farthest from Ichigo. As the dust settled, Ichigo's hollowfied form emerged.
Ichigo looked down and noticed that both Zangetsu had changed. They were much longer now, matching the length of the larger Zangetsu, with curved tips and three protrusions near the blade's end. The tsuba retained its Manji-like shape, though now it was more curved and jagged (1). Ichigo turned toward the Overlord of Corruptive Frost and the Dokkaebi, taking a deep breath before letting out a loud, intimidating roar.
"RAHAHAH!" The shockwaves rocked the entire battlefield, causing avalanches all over the nearby mountains.
"Wh-what is that?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Eol-Eum Chuwi replied. Ichigo gathered energy in both of his blades as he sonído'ed toward them.
"Getsuga Jūjishō!" Ichigo roared with his distorted voice as he swung down with his zanpakutō, releasing a large and much more powerful cross-shaped blast of energy compared to before. The Dokkaebi quickly teleported away, abandoning the Overlord.
"AHAHA!" she screamed as the attack hit her, sending her flying. All the remaining enemies turned toward Ichigo and tried to attack him. Ichigo charged the Zangetsu in his right hand.
"Mugen Getsuga Tenshō," he said as he fired the attack up into the air. Unlike before, Ichigo's attack broke through the barrier. Once it reached the optimal altitude, it began to fall toward the enemy. Ichigo sonído'ed to where the Overlord landed. Ichigo arrived to find the Overlord's lower body bisected, leaking blue blood. She immediately spotted Ichigo.
"BASTARD!" The Overlord of Corruptive Frost yelled. She unleashed a wave of icy blue energy. Ichigo stood there, unfazed by the energy. Ichigo could sense the Overlord beginning to gather energy from the planet. The blue blood began to coagulate and regenerate her lower body.
"Should I stop her?" Ichigo asked.
"No," Shirayuki replied. "She is beginning to reabsorb all the energy from her minions and the planet." Ichigo could see the Overlord surrounded by icy blue energy, her form growing bigger. Suddenly, fists made of snow shot out from in front of her, flying toward Ichigo. Ichigo swung his swords at the incoming fists, bisecting them in half. More fists quickly formed and attacked him. Ichigo continued to attack the fists as he watched the Overlord of Corruptive Frost. She was now taller than Mount Fuji. She discarded her clothes, now covered in thick layers of dragon scales. Her eyes glowed crimson. On her chest, a large glowing orb pulsed. In her scaled hands, she gripped a massive broadsword made of ice.
"The orb on her chest is the Planetary Core," Kyōka said.
"Good," Ichigo said. He pointed his right sword at the ground below the fists. Black reiatsu began to concentrate in front of the tip of his sword.
"Cero!" Ichigo shouted as he fired a black ball of energy. The attack flew down, destroying the ground the fists were coming from. The fists all stopped, allowing Ichigo to sonído toward her.
"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo shouted as he swung his sword down, releasing his attack.
"NOT THIS TIME!" she screamed as she swung her sword at the Getsuga Tenshō. Ichigo's eyes widened as her sword bisected his Getsuga Tenshō, forcing the two halves to explode behind her. The giant greatsword continued to fly toward Ichigo. Ichigo sonído'ed to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade.
"Getsuga Jūjishō!" Ichigo yelled as he swung both of his swords down. The Overlord turned around, barely having enough time to raise her broadsword to block the attack. The Getsuga Jūjishō shook her entire body. She raised her broadsword and tried to attack Ichigo again. Once more, Ichigo sonído'ed to her blind spot and attacked her with either a Getsuga Tenshō or a Getsuga Jūjishō.
"Stop running!" The Overlord yelled, clearly frustrated by Ichigo's hit-and-run tactics. Ichigo suddenly increased the speed of his sonído, creating clones of himself. All of them began to bombard the Overlord with Getsuga Tenshōs or Getsuga Jūjishōs.
"METEL [Snowstorm]!" she yelled as she swung her sword around her, sending a circular wave of ice around her. The attack destroyed all of Ichigo's speed clones. She looked around, trying to find where Ichigo had gone. Ichigo stood above the Overlord. He brought up his white blade and used it to cut himself. Red blood stained the white sword's blade. He pointed the sword below him, toward the Overlord. He held the black sword up, ready to swing it. A black cero with a royal blue outline formed in front of him.
"Gran Ray Cero," Ichigo said as he fired his attack. Immediately after, he swung his black sword down. "Getsuga Tenshō!" The two attacks combined and flew toward the Overlord.
The Overlord looked up to see the powerful attack descending toward her.
"NO!" she yelled. Her broadsword began to glow. "Lavina! [Avalanche]!" She swung her broadsword up, firing her own crescent-shaped energy beam. The Gran Ray Getsuga Tenshō pierced through the Overlord's attack. She raised her broadsword, trying to block the attack. When the Gran Ray Getsuga Tenshō hit her broadsword, there was a massive explosion, even greater than before. Ichigo stood in the sky, waiting for the dust to settle.
The explosion from Ichigo's attack knocked the Overlord of Corruptive Frost off her feet, causing her to fall into the snowy ground, buried in the snow. Her body was severely damaged from the attack.
"I will not fall," she growled. The planetary core in her chest glowed as she absorbed even more energy from the planet. "I WILL KILL THAT BASTARD!" she screamed as she began to transform. The remaining ice on the planet began to transform into raw energy and was pulled toward the buried Overlord.
"We need to get off the planet. She is slowly absorbing everything," Shirayuki warned.
"How? I can't breathe in outer space," Ichigo replied.
"Not to worry," Yhwach replied as he activated Schrift V: The Ventus. Ichigo felt as if he had an oxygen mask on his face. Ichigo used sonído to escape the planet. Ichigo used his reiatsu to form a platform for him to stand on. He watched as an icy blue metallic orb floated out. More of the planet was being absorbed by the orb, causing it to grow bigger. In a few moments, the planet was gone, replaced by the metallic orb, which was slightly smaller than the planet. The orb began to release icy blue energy as it transformed. In a few moments, the orb turned into a giant icy blue metallic bird-like dragon.
It had a saurian posture and bird-like features; its head and neck were sculpted to resemble that of a bird of prey, with feather-like ornaments on each side of its head and at the elbows, and a jagged cone surrounding its neck. Its wings had the appearance of being feathered. Behind its head, there was a large arch connecting its shoulder pauldrons (2).
The creature looked up, immediately spotting Ichigo.
"To think you would force me to use my full power," she arrogantly said. Icy blue energy gathered around her neck and flowed to her mouth. "Polnyy nol' [Absolute zero]!" She fired a large icy blue energy beam at Ichigo. Ichigo quickly sonído'ed out of the way. The beam hit a nearby asteroid belt, instantly freezing the asteroids in its range. Ichigo quickly cut his hand and smeared blood on his right horn. Ichigo immediately gathered his reiatsu into both of his swords and his horns.
"Gran Ray Cero," Ichigo said as he fired his attack. Immediately after, he swung both of his swords down. "Getsuga Jūjishō!" The two attacks combined and flew toward the Overlord.
"Lavina," the Overlord said as her claws glowed icy blue. She swung them at the Gran Ray Getsuga Jūjishō, deflecting the attack off course. Ichigo's attack exploded behind her.
"That was my strongest attack, and she swatted it away like a fly," Ichigo thought.
"Not so strong now." The Overlord fired another icy blue beam at Ichigo. Ichigo dodged her attack and fired another Gran Ray Getsuga Tenshō. She ignored the attack, instead attempting to hit Ichigo with her beam. Ichigo was forced to dodge again.
"Should I use Schrift Z?" Ichigo thought.
"We still have one trick left," Zangetsu replied.
"We do?" Ichigo asked, dodging another attack from the Overlord.
"Ichigo, do you trust me?" Zangetsu asked.
"I do," Ichigo replied. His eyes widened as he felt something shift within him. Suddenly, Ichigo stopped moving. The Overlord turned her head toward him. Black, red, white, and blue energy began to gather around him.
"I didn't expect him to have so much energy left," the Overlord thought.
"Chōzetsukai [Transcendent Release," Ichigo said. Suddenly, there was an explosion of black, red, white, and blue energy, forcing the Overlord to move back.
"What is he?" the Overlord thought. The energy died down, revealing Ichigo's new form.
Ichigo now stood about 213.36 cm (7 feet) tall. His long orange hair had turned black. His golden yellow eyes were replaced by crimson ones. His hollow mask disappeared except for his horns. His skin returned to normal, and his chest was covered with blueish-gray bandages. Golden flame-like tribal markings now adorned his forearms. Below his waist, he wore a clean pair of black kimono pants. His fingers and toes now had black claws. On his back were five pairs of black angel wings. In Ichigo's hands were two large weapons, nearly the size of himself. The sword in his right hand had a crimson-red handle with a black base, while the sword in his left hand had a blue handle and white base. Both blades had slanted bases with sections jutting out from the underside as guards. A golden chain hung from the bottom of each sword.
"Eien Zangetsu no Atarashī Yozora [Eternal Slaying Moon of the New Night Sky," Ichigo said.
"What is this new form?" Ichigo thought. To his surprise, there was no response from Zangetsu or anyone else in his mindscape.
"Even with your new form, you're no match for me!" the Overlord said as she opened her mouth and fired another Polnyy nol' at Ichigo. Ichigo suddenly disappeared from his spot. He silently reappeared behind the Overlord.
"That was different," Ichigo thought. Even though this was the first time he used the technique, he already knew its name. "Fukemachigetsu [Waiting Late Into the Night for the Moon]." The Overlord turned her head and spotted Ichigo.
"Now I've got you!" she screeched as she fired another Polnyy nol'. Ichigo used Fukemachigetsu to disappear again. "It doesn't feel like shunpō or sonído (3)," Ichigo thought as he reappeared behind the Overlord. He raised his black sword in the air, and black reiatsu began to gather around it. The Overlord turned around, and Ichigo opened his mouth, ready to say the name of his signature attack. But something else came out.
"Mikagetsu Tenshō [Crescent Moon Heaven Piercer]!" Ichigo roared as he swung the sword down. An energy slash, resembling Ichigo's signature attack, flew from his new sword. The attack was completely black except for the edge, which was white.
"Lavina!" she shrieked, swinging her arm down, trying to break the attack. To her shock, the Mikagetsu Tenshō broke through her Lavina and struck her arm.
"RAHAHA!" she screamed in pain as blue blood oozed from the wound.
"I'm not done yet," Ichigo said, pulling his black sword back. It glowed with black reiatsu. "Jougen Tengeki [Waxing Moon Heavenly Strike]!" Ichigo shouted as he stabbed the sword forward. A compressed linear energy blast shot out of the sword, black with white edges. The blast hit her right leg, piercing through her icy metallic skin.
"AHAHA!" the Overlord shrieked in pain. Ichigo quickly pulled back his white sword, which glowed with white reiatsu.
"Jougen Tengeki!" Ichigo shouted again, stabbing the white sword forward. A similar energy blast shot out, this one completely white with black edges. The attack hit her left arm. Ichigo quickly used Fukemachigetsu to reappear behind the Overlord. He charged both of his swords with his reiatsu.
"Mikagetsu Jūjishō [Crescent Moon Cross-Shaped Piercer]!" Ichigo shouted, swinging both swords down. The Overlord turned around and raised her arms as a black-and-white cross-shaped attack flew toward her. She tried her best to block it.
"RAHAHA!" she screamed, struggling against the attack. Ichigo quickly fired another Mikagetsu Jūjishō at her. The two attacks combined, causing a massive explosion. Ichigo used Fukemachigetsu to appear closer to the Overlord, parting the dust. Ichigo could see the many wounds on her bloodied body. He could tell she was defeated. Ichigo tried to summon Shirayuki or Kōsetsu, but nothing happened.
"Looks like I need to leave Eien Zangetsu no Atarashī Yozora," Ichigo thought as he released his form. To his surprise, he returned to normal while holding Yorugetsu. Suddenly, Ichigo felt the air rush out of his body. Before he could react, a bubble of air surrounded him. He looked up to see Yhwach, Kyōka, and Shirayuki appear beside him. Kyōka and Shirayuki tackled him in a hug.
"Are you okay?!" they asked.
"I am," Ichigo replied. Kyōka and Shirayuki looked at him one last time before letting him go. Ichigo turned to Shirayuki.
"Go finish her," Ichigo said.
"Very well," Shirayuki replied, summoning her blade. She shunpō'ed toward the Overlord and summoned a copy of her zanpakutō. Suddenly, Eol-Eum Chuwi appeared in front of the Overlord. Ichigo snapped his fingers. Chains of Hell quickly shot out, binding the Dokkaebi before it could react. Shirayuki stabbed her sword directly into the Overlord's core.
"AHAHAH!" the Overlord screamed as icy blue energy rushed out of her, slowly being absorbed by Shirayuki. As this happened, Ichigo turned to Kyōka and Yhwach.
"So, what happened when I used Eien Zangetsu no Atarashī Yozora?" Ichigo asked.
"The first thing was that Zangetsu disappeared from your mindscape," Yhwach said.
"Disappeared?" Ichigo asked.
"We couldn't find him at all in the mindscape," Kyōka added. "We tried to ask you if you knew anything, but you couldn't hear us. We tried to appear outside your mindscape, but something prevented us from leaving."
Suddenly, Suzumebachi appeared out of the mindscape.
"We found Zangetsu!" she shouted in joy.
"Where is he?" Ichigo asked.
"He is sleeping in a black coffin," Suzumebachi said.
"WHAT!?" Everyone shouted. The icy blue energy settled. They looked to see Shirayuki pulling her zanpakutō out of the Overlord's body, which had lost its icy blue sheen.
"I'm done absorbing her energy. She's ready for you to finish and take her Planetary Core," Shirayuki said with a yawn as she returned to the mindscape. Ichigo sent Yorugetsu into his mindscape.
"Let the world witness your rise. Let my allies feel your warmth. Let my foes feel your fury, Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi!" Ichigo chanted, activating Schrift T: The Taiyō. Ichigo pointed Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi at the remains of the Overlord. He shunpō'ed toward her and stabbed Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi into her chest, beside the Planetary Core. The Overlord let out a weak cry. The metallic skin began to sizzle from the heat as Ichigo cut around the Planetary Core. In a few moments, Ichigo finished cutting around the Planetary Core. He grabbed the large orb with both hands and pulled it from the Overlord's chest. He sent the Planetary Core into his mindscape. Ichigo pulled Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi from her chest and shunpō'ed up into the air. He held the sword with both hands as he raised it over his head.
"Kokuen," Ichigo said. Black flames surrounded the blade. "Nichibotsu [Sunset]." Ichigo swung Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi downward, releasing a straight wave of black flames. Kokuen Nichibotsu flew down and hit the Overlord. The black flames began to burn her body. In a few moments, Schrift O: The Oversoul activated and absorbed the Overlord. The black flames quickly extinguished themselves as Ichigo sealed Schrift T: The Taiyō.
"Let's get out of here," Ichigo said.
"You should take a brief break before we fight the next Overlord," Yhwach suggested.
"Good idea. We still need to talk about the side effects of Chōetsukai," Ichigo added. Yhwach, Kyōka, and Suzumebachi returned to Ichigo's mindscape. Ichigo opened a Garganta and jumped in. Ichigo activated Tengan and used Haōgan to send himself into Haō Zaimushō.
Scene Change: Haō Zaimushō
Ichigo opened his eyes to see he was in the bedroom the Evernight Drows, Evernight Demons, and Dragons had built for him. Kyōka, Suzumebachi, Katen, Kyōkotsu, and Yhwach appeared.
"How are you feeling, Katen? Kyōkotsu?" Ichigo asked.
"We are fine," Katen answered. Kyōkotsu silently nodded her head.
"Good," Ichigo said. "Katen, can you answer some of our questions regarding Chōetsukai?"
"I can tell you the basics," she replied as she sat down in a chair. Kyōka summoned a notepad.
"As you learned previously, a Zanpakutō is a fusion of a portion of the Shinigami's soul and an Asauchi," Katen began. Ichigo nodded his head. "Shikai is the beginning of your understanding between yourself and your Zanpakutō. True Bankai is achieved when you and your Zanpakutō harmonize with each other. Chōetsukai takes that idea and goes further. The user and their Zanpakutō completely merge as one, similar to what you experienced when you used the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō."
Ichigo turned to Yhwach. "Is Eien Zangetsu no Atarashī Yozora stronger than Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō?" Ichigo asked.
"It depends…" Yhwach answered.
"Why?" Ichigo asked.
"The Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō you used was weakened because you weren't aware of the true Zangetsu."
"In this case, how would you rank all three of them?" Ichigo asked.
"The strongest would be the True Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō if you learned the truth about Zangetsu."
"But I would still lose my spiritual powers?" Ichigo asked.
"You would still lose them," Yhwach replied. "Eien Zangetsu no Atarashī Yozora is the next strongest."
"And I don't need to worry about losing my spiritual powers," Ichigo said.
"Correct," Yhwach replied.
"So, what happened to Zangetsu?" Ichigo asked.
"I'm not sure," Katen answered.
"Well, I'm going to rest for the time being," Ichigo said as he closed his eyes and immediately went to bed.
Scene Change: Unknown Location
Eodum, Palgan Bul, Yeong-Wonhan, Yeogbyeong, and Saibeo sat around a table.
"Eol-Eum Chuwi and Jeonsa are late," Saibeo said as he looked at his watch.
"Has anyone received a reply from them?" Eodum asked. No one replied to Eodum's question.
"Then we have to assume the worst has happened," Yeogbyeong said.
"I agree with Yeogbyeong," Saibeo said. "We need to assume the worst has happened."
"Then Yeogbyeong's and Saibeo's Overlord are the last ones," Eodum said.
"So, what is the plan?" Yeong-Wonhan asked.
"Have we figured out anything about the killer?" Palgan Bul asked.
"According to the information we gathered, I believe the killer is someone from Planet-42016," Saibeo started, clicking a screen that showed the evidence from the Overlord of Destruction's office.
"But the Contract hasn't been broken," Yeong-Wonhan pointed out.
"I agree," Saibeo said. "But I would like us to focus our attention on clause nine of the contract." He pulled out a copy of the contract. Everyone could see the clause Saibeo was referring to.
"Clause nine: at the start of the invasion, all beings on the planet will become members of the Defenders."
"I believe Earth sent the killer away from the planet before the contract was signed," Saibeo theorized.
"But why would they do that?" Eodum asked.
"Training," Yeong-Wonhan answered, summoning a chart. Two colored lines appeared on it. "This chart tracks the death count and the average power level of the Defenders from the beginning of the war until now."
"The data shows that the initial death count was moderate before it dropped significantly. Once the line began to dip, the average power level rose immediately," Saibeo concluded. Yeong-Wonhan nodded.
"So, they used us to train their people?" Palgan Bul growled, furious.
"But why send the killer out now, with the contract almost finished?" Eodum asked.
"Maybe Earth was aware of how the Overlords were achieving their 'flawless' victories?" Palgan Bul suggested.
"That makes sense," Saibeo said. "Earth used us to train her forces and sent the killer to attack the Overlords in the end."
"I have something else to show," Eodum said, snapping his fingers. A new chart appeared. This one showed values dramatically spiking. "This chart tracks the active people in the dungeons. The dates circled correspond to the times the Overlords died. I believe the Defenders are aware of what the killer is doing and are pushing everyone to maximize the use of the dungeons before they're destroyed."
"So, what can we do now?" Palgan Bul asked.
"There's nothing we can do right now," Yeong-Wonhan said. "We can only inform the Overlord of the killer and his abilities. We can't directly intervene beyond that."
"So, we just call it quits and let the killer go free?!" Palgan Bul yelled.
"For now, yes," Yeong-Wonhan replied. "But this isn't over. There are other worlds, other beings we can cultivate into even stronger Overlords. We can use them for revenge against this world."
"So, we should look for new Overlords while we abandon Querehsha and Intelligentsia?" Yeogbyeong said, summarizing Yeong-Wonhan's statement.
"Exactly," Yeong-Wonhan agreed.
"Thank you for your concern, but both of us are loyal to our partner," Saibeo said, glancing at Yeogbyeong, who nodded in agreement.
"Very well," Yeong-Wonhan said, accepting their decision. The other Dokkaebi disappeared.
Scene Change: Haō Zaimushō
Ichigo opened his eyes and saw Kyōka sitting in a nearby chair.
"How long have I been out?" Ichigo asked.
"About two hours," Kyōka replied.
"I see…" Ichigo replied as he sat up. "Anything I need to know right now?"
"Both of the Dokkaebi are secured and unable to escape," Kyōka reported.
"Good," Ichigo said, activating Tengan.
"Are you planning to attack the Overlord of Pestilence?" Kyōka asked.
"I am," Ichigo said.
"Good luck," Kyōka said, vanishing into Ichigo's mindscape. Ichigo used Haōgan to send himself out of Haō Zaimushō.
Scene Change: Outside World
Ichigo opened his eyes to find himself standing on a reiatsu platform in the void between dimensions. He immediately resumed running toward the exit. Soon, he spotted it.
"Let the world witness your rise. Let my allies feel your warmth. Let my foes feel your fury, Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi!" Ichigo chanted, activating Schrift T: The Taiyō. Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi appeared in his hand. "Taiyō no Hikari [Light of the Sun," Ichigo said. A transparent veil of heat surrounded him, protecting him from harm.
Ichigo exited the Garganta, finding himself in space, gazing at the Overlord of Pestilence's planet. The planet was a mix of green and purple, with a black and green ring surrounding its prime meridian. At the center, a massive mouth with horn-like mandibles loomed.
"Kokuen," Ichigo said, his sword engulfed in black flames. "Enryūsei [Burning Meteor]!" Ichigo launched himself toward the planet, the black flames from Kokuen wrapping around him. As he entered the planet's orbit, green and black vines shot out from the ring, attempting to stop his descent. The flames quickly caught the vines on fire, spreading rapidly. Ichigo continued his descent until he crashed onto the surface of the planet. The black flames burned everything in their path.
Ichigo calmly walked out of the crater his landing had caused, unharmed by the flames due to Taiyō no Hikari and his immunity to heat.
"Anything from the Planetary Communicator?" Ichigo asked, taking a deep breath of the toxic air.
"Nothing so far," Kyōka replied. Ichigo felt his body adapting to the toxic air.
"Keep an eye on it," Ichigo said. He shunpō'ed forward, arriving at a part of the forest that wasn't on fire. There, he spotted a large swarm of car-sized red fire ants. The ants turned toward him and charged.
Black flames gathered on the edge of Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi.
"Taiyō Furea [Solar Flare]!" Ichigo yelled, swinging his sword around him. A black circular wave of flames shot out, engulfing the incoming ants. Some of them dropped, rolling in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames.
"I'm surprised these ants know 'stop, drop, and roll,'" Kyōka commented.
"Same," Ichigo said. "Anything from the Planetary Communicator?"
"Still nothing," Kyōka replied. Ichigo watched as the surrounding area began to burn. He shunpō'ed forward and continued attacking the planet with his black fire. Ichigo encountered armored scorpions the size of military tanks. The scorpions swung their black tails at Ichigo, attempting to sting him. Ichigo sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the stingers.
"Taiyō Furea," Ichigo said, swinging Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi and unleashing a wave of black flames. The scorpions raised their armored claws in an attempt to protect themselves. Taiyō Furea easily sliced through their claws, killing them instantly. The black flames devoured their bodies and spread, continuing to burn the surrounding area. Ichigo glanced forward and spotted a swarm of helicopter-sized mosquitoes approaching.
"Enryūsei," Ichigo murmured as black flames enveloped him. He shunpō'ed toward the swarm. Most of the mosquitoes scattered, avoiding his charge, while the rest burned upon contact. The burning mosquitoes crashed to the ground, igniting small fires in the process. Ichigo continued his charge, setting them all ablaze. In a few moments, the entire swarm was reduced to ash.
"Anything yet?" Ichigo asked.
"No," Kyōka replied.
"Okay," Ichigo said. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble. Ichigo shunpō'ed into the air, watching as the earth began to shift. The ground erupted as a gargantuan dark purple centipede shot out. The centipede glared at Ichigo. Its face had three sets of glowing yellow eyes, long antennae, and a large mouth filled with sharp teeth. The creature roared and lunged toward Ichigo, its mouth wide open. Ichigo held Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi with both hands, twisting his back as though preparing to thrust a spear. Black flames gathered around the blade.
"Taiyō Purominensu [Solar Prominence]!" Ichigo shouted, thrusting Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi forward at the oncoming centipede. A compressed beam of black flames shot from the sword. The centipede closed its mouth and veered away. Taiyō Purominensu tore through the centipede's teeth. The creature screamed in agony as black flames began to consume it. The massive centipede dove towards the unburned ground, attempting to smother the flames.
Ichigo raised Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi high. "Nichibotsu," Ichigo said, swinging the sword downward. A fresh wave of black flames slammed into the centipede's exoskeleton, cracking it and spreading the flames further. The centipede let out another piercing scream as the flames tore through its body. Cracks formed along the exoskeleton, releasing more black flames. The enormous centipede finally collapsed, the black flames continuing to burn through it.
"Anything?" Ichigo asked.
"Still nothing," Kyōka replied.
"At this rate, I might have to light the entire planet on fire," Ichigo thought. He continued his journey across the planet, burning everything in his path. After an hour, Ichigo finally set the last spot on the planet ablaze.
"Finally," Ichigo thought. Suddenly, the planet began to shake.
"We're getting a reaction from the Planetary Core Communicator," Kyōka reported. Ichigo watched as the planet started to transform. He shunpō'ed into outer space, activating Schrift V: The Ventus to aid his breathing. The planet emitted a dark green light, extinguishing Ichigo's black flames. The planet's form morphed into a female humanoid shape. She had glowing red eyes, pale skin, long flowing black hair, purple lips, and insect-like hands and feet. She wore greenish-black exoskeleton-like armor that exposed her upper cleavage and shoulders.
Ichigo, using the Overlords' memories, understood the Overlord of Pestilence's language.
"So, you're the one who's been harming my children," the Overlord of Pestilence said.
"I am," Ichigo answered. "And you are?" he asked.
"I am Querehsha, the Overlord of Pestilence and the Queen of Insects," she declared.
"I see..." Ichigo said, gripping Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi with both hands. The black flames were absorbed into the blade, causing it to glow predominantly white with a blue edge. "Chōshinsei [Supernova," Ichigo announced as he swung the sword down. Querehsha's eyes widened as she felt her body shift. She looked down to see the left side of her body, from her shoulder to pelvis, beginning to float away.
"Impossible!" she screamed, using her right hand to try to pull the floating portion of her body back together.
"There's no use," Ichigo said, raising Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi.
"No!" she screamed, raising her right hand and firing a blast of dark green energy.
"Chōshinsei," Ichigo said, slashing down. The attack cut through Querehsha's energy beam and severed her right hand.
"AHAHAH!" she screamed in pain as her right hand floated away. Her energy beam continued toward Ichigo, but the slash had given him enough room to avoid the attack. The dark green energy dissipated, revealing Querehsha, now missing the left side of her body and her right hand.
"I WILL NOT BE STOPPED!" she screamed, her body shaking violently. Insect parts began to forcibly grow out of her body.
"Suzumebachi, are you ready?" Ichigo asked.
"I am," Suzumebachi replied as she appeared beside him, her stinger ready.
Ichigo raised Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi. "Chōshinsei," he said, swinging diagonally downward toward Querehsha's limbs.
"NO!" she screamed, attempting to dodge the strike. Suzumebachi shunpō'ed toward her. Chōshinsei slashed through Querehsha's waist, leaving her head and chest untouched. Querehsha screamed in agony as Suzumebachi stabbed her stinger into the planetary core. Waves of dark green energy exploded from her chest.
"NOOO!" Querehsha screamed as dark green tentacles erupted from her back, attempting to crush Suzumebachi.
"Keep it up, Suzumebachi," Ichigo said, shunpō'ing in front of her. He deactivated Chōshinsei and unleashed waves of fire from Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, incinerating the tentacles. It didn't take long for all the attacks to cease. Ichigo turned to see Suzumebachi dislodging her stinger and beginning to fall. He shunpō'ed toward her and caught her.
"Thanks for catching me," Suzumebachi said.
"No problem," Ichigo replied. "You should go back and rest."
"Good idea," Suzumebachi replied with a yawn, before returning to Ichigo's mindscape. Ichigo stabbed Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi into Querehsha's body. She let out a weak, painful cry, but Ichigo ignored her as he began to move the blade, cutting the planetary core from her body. It took a few minutes before he successfully removed the core.
"Kill me now," she mumbled weakly as Ichigo pulled the sword out of her.
"Very well," Ichigo replied, raising Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, gripping the nodachi with both hands. "Kokuen," he commanded, and black flames erupted, surrounding the blade. "Nichibotsu," Ichigo said as he swung the sword downward, releasing a massive wave of black flames at Querehsha, incinerating her. He watched as the flames extinguished themselves. Ichigo sealed Schrift T: The Taiyō.
Suddenly, Chishiki appeared in front of him. Ichigo stopped, standing before her.
"Master, I believe we must establish a plan before attacking the last Overlord," she said.
"I have a plan," Ichigo responded, opening a Garganta and stepping through. Chishiki quickly followed. As they traversed the void, Ichigo shared his plan.
"But that is insane!" she exclaimed upon hearing it. Ichigo glanced at her.
"I know it's an insane plan, but do you have any other suggestions?" Chishiki sighed.
"Very well," she said, accepting the plan.
"Master, if you're going to follow this crazy plan, let us give you something that might help," Kisara said. Ichigo stopped, activating Tengan. He used Haōgan to pull Kisara and Valiona out of Haō Zaimushō.
"How are you two?" Ichigo asked.
"Good," they replied.
"I'll go first," Kisara said, snapping her fingers. A pair of large Latin crosses appeared in her hands. The crosses were platinum-colored with sharp axe heads, chisel grinds on each end, and white dragon leather handles at the intersection.
"Do you have a name for them?" Ichigo asked.
"No. I believe you should have the honor of naming them," she replied.
"Okay," Ichigo said as he took the crosses from her. He activated Schrift L: The Luminous Liberator, feeling the light energy flow into the weapons. "I name you Daybreaker," Ichigo declared. The crosses glowed white, blinding everyone. The light died down, revealing the engraving "Daybreaker" on the long face of the crosses. Ichigo sealed Schrift L: The Luminous Liberator, making Daybreaker disappear. He turned to Valiona.
"I've finished modifying the weapons from the Asura Machina," Valiona said, snapping her fingers. Two giant broadswords appeared in front of her. One had a platinum-white fuller, a perpendicular crossguard, and a gold-edged blade. The kanji 白騎士 [White Knight] was engraved along the fuller in platinum white. The other had a black fuller, dark red-violet edge, and the kanji 黒騎士 [Black Knight] engraved in dark red-violet. Ichigo grabbed both swords.
"You named these swords?" Ichigo asked, swinging them.
"I did," Valiona admitted. "Is there a problem with the names?"
"Not really," Ichigo said, stabbing both swords into the ground. He activated Schrift K: The Kūkan-Teki Shihai and felt the spatial energy from it flowing into the swords. He could feel all three weapons merge together. Ichigo sealed Schrift K: The Kūkan-Teki Shihai, causing the swords to vanish.
"Here is Bismuth's spear drill," Valiona said, snapping her fingers. A teal-blue spear drill appeared in front of her. Ichigo gripped it, activating Schrift N: The Negate. The unique energy from Schrift N: The Negate flowed into Bismuth's spear drill. The two harmonized quickly.
"I name you Kūsho Yari [Void Spear," Ichigo said. The spear drill briefly glowed before returning to normal. Despite the lack of visible change, Ichigo felt the connection between Schrift N: The Negate and Kūsho Yari. He sealed Schrift N: The Negate, making Kūsho Yari disappear.
"Next are the chains of Rhodonite," Valiona said, presenting a set of coiled chains.
"Stand before Creation. Fall after The End. Chrónou Génesi," Ichigo chanted, activating Schrift C: The Chrónou Árchonta. He grabbed the chains with his left hand while keeping his right hand on Chrónou Génesi. Ichigo allowed the energy from Schrift C to flow into both the chains and Chrónou Génesi. The chains glowed before merging with the scythe, which now had a sharp spear tip at the top and four chains wrapping around the silver shaft, reuniting at the bottom. The black leather along the shaft disappeared. Ichigo sealed Schrift C: The Chrónou Árchonta.
"Now for the last ones," Valiona said, summoning a pair of black gauntlets with silver markings.
"These are made from Kurogane's arms and Hagane's power?" Ichigo asked.
"They are," Valiona confirmed.
"Engulf the light and plunge the world in darkness, Nightshroud," Ichigo chanted, activating Schrift U: The Umbra. He allowed the Nightshroud armor to fully manifest. Ichigo was clad in black and gray armor, with red gemstones on the chest. The gauntlets he wore due to Nightshroud disappeared, allowing him to slip on the new ones. He felt the energy from Schrift U flowing into the gauntlets. Within moments, the gauntlets glowed, and the silver markings spread across the entire armor. Ichigo sealed Schrift U: The Umbra, sending the upgraded Nightshroud back to his mindscape.
"Good luck, Ichigo," Kisara said, giving him a hug. Ichigo responded with a quick kiss.
"Hey, don't forget me!" Valiona grumbled. Ichigo ended his hug with Kisara and quickly embraced Valiona. She kissed him as well. Afterward, Ichigo sent them back to Haō Zaimushō.
Ichigo continued his journey through the void. It didn't take long before they reached the end. Ichigo jumped out of the Garganta and landed on a gigantic planet. It was much bigger than any other planet he'd visited, covered in shining metal. He could see towering metallic cities stretching endlessly, vast metallic plains, spiraling metal mountains, and bottomless neon-lit chasms. Ichigo stood on the surface of the metallic planet, ready for the final challenge.
"The gravity is super strong," Ichigo commented as he felt the weight of the large planet's gravity pressing down on him. Luckily, it only took a few moments for him to adjust. Suddenly, alarms began blaring, and humanoid robots flew toward him. They were about 152 cm (five feet) tall and made entirely of metallic silver (4). The robots landed in front of Ichigo and drew their guns, pointing them directly at him.
"Unknown organic object detected," the robots said in unison. "Submit yourself to the Empress, or you will be terminated."
"Vollständig," Ichigo replied. All 25 Schrifts activated simultaneously, creating a massive explosion of energy that destroyed the nearby robots. As the dust settled, Ichigo stood in his Vollständig, now with black scales covering the gauntlets on his red and white dragonic arms.
"That's likely due to the new gauntlets," Yhwach observed, noticing the new addition to Ichigo's Vollständig. In the distance, more robots flew toward him, raising their weapons and firing laser beams.
"Dividing Wall," Ichigo cast. A transparent blue wall appeared in front of him, blocking all the incoming energy blasts. He could feel Dividing Wall draining the energy from the attacks.
"Asshuku-ryoku [Compression Force," Ichigo said as he extended his right palm. Clenching his fist, he pulled the robots toward each other, crushing them into a large metallic ball. Ichigo continued tightening his grip, compressing the ball even further. He opened his hand, releasing the now shrunken mass of robots.
"Anyone know where the Overlord might be?" Ichigo asked.
"None of the Dokkaebi know the exact location, since she communicates through a screen, but based on the background, she seems to be in a large tower," Kyōka replied.
"Then let's head there," Ichigo said, pointing toward a massive tower in the distance. "It also appears to be the source of the robots."
"Good idea," Kyōka agreed. Ichigo flared his wings and took off, heading toward the tower. As he flew, the nearby buildings transformed, revealing large laser cannons. They began firing at Ichigo.
"Dividing Wall," Ichigo said again. A transparent blue barrier surrounded him, blocking all the incoming beams. He could feel the energy from the lasers draining into the barrier.
"Dividing Reflection," Ichigo continued, directing all the collected energy back toward the cannons. The reflected energy destroyed the cannons in a massive burst of light. Ichigo pressed on toward the source of the robots.
Another fleet of robots appeared, but these were much larger than the previous ones. They stood about three meters (9.84 feet) tall and were heavily armored. Ichigo raised his hand and focused on the robot at the back of the group.
"Inryoku [Attractive Force," Ichigo said. Instantly, all the robots were pulled toward the central robot. They collided, limbs and bodies tangling into a massive ball. The robots struggled to free themselves.
"Jūryoku [Gravitation Force," Ichigo said, pointing his fingers downward. The ball of robots slammed into the ground, crushed under the force of increased gravity. Ichigo moved his hands together, creating two transparent walls that pressed the mass of robots into a compact cube. After a few moments, he released his control and resumed flying.
"This planet is so large," Ichigo thought as he continued toward the tower.
"Based on my calculations, this planet is bigger than Jupiter," Kyōka commented.
"I see… then I need to go faster," Ichigo thought, pushing himself to fly even quicker. As he accelerated, he spotted more laser cannons in his path. Ichigo raised his right arm, causing all the rings on it to spin clockwise.
"Spiral Magnum," Ichigo said as he punched the air. All five rings shot out from his arm like missiles, easily pulverizing the laser cannons. Ichigo raised his left arm, causing the rings there to spin as well.
"Spiral Magnum," Ichigo said again, launching another volley of rings that destroyed another set of cannons. "Reload," he ordered. The rings returned to his arm with a gust of wind, and the ground shook beneath him as a massive brownish-orange robot rose from a newly opened hole. The robot stood over 250 cm (8.2 feet) tall, with a large, tooth-like design on its stomach (5). It turned toward Ichigo.
"RAHAH!" the robot's stomach roared as it took several steps before rolling toward Ichigo.
"Chained Magnum," Ichigo said, flicking both of his arms. The rings glowed with transparent silver energy as they launched from his arms, transforming into two long whips, each 100 meters (109.36 yards) long, with rings spaced 20 meters (21.87 yards) apart. Ichigo swung his left arm, sending the whip crashing into the rolling robot, halting its movement. He quickly swung his right arm, striking the robot again and sending it spinning like a top.
Ichigo swung both arms downward in unison, bringing both whips down on the robot and slicing it in half. The resulting explosion sent a burst of dust into the air.
"Reload," Ichigo said. The rings flew back to him, clearing the dust away. He resumed flying toward the tower, but the buildings around it began to transform into laser cannons once more.
"Dividing Wall," Ichigo said, summoning another transparent barrier. "Sky Chaser," he added. Sky Chaser materialized on his left gauntlet, and Ichigo extended his arm as the bow fully expanded. Drawing the string back, a large green arrow formed.
"Five Counter Boost," Ichigo said. The green gem on his right gauntlet glowed, making the arrow grow even larger. Ichigo aimed it high into the air. "Piercing Storm." He released the string, and the large green arrow shot upward, breaking apart into hundreds of smaller arrows that rained down on the tower and the laser cannons. The cannons turned their attention to the falling arrows, firing at them as they descended.
Ichigo raised Sky Chaser again, pulling back the string. This time, a golden arrow appeared.
"Five Counter Boost," Ichigo said once more. The green gem on his right gauntlet glowed again, causing the golden arrow to swell. "Boosted Storm Piercer," Ichigo said, releasing the arrow. It spun rapidly, forming a golden cyclone as it tore through a group of laser cannons, exploding them in a blaze of light. Ichigo aimed at another group of cannons and released another Boosted Storm Piercer, followed by two more until all the laser cannons were destroyed.
Ichigo summoned Daybreaker, which grew to accommodate his larger form. He flew up toward the top of the tower, but as he ascended, the sides of the building transformed again into laser cannons. Ichigo spun Daybreaker so the long blades faced forward, preparing for the next challenge.
"Luminous Edge," Ichigo said. Daybreaker began to glow with a bright white light. Ichigo charged toward the laser cannons as they began firing beams at him. He skillfully dodged the incoming lasers. As he closed the distance, Ichigo swung Daybreaker, slashing apart the nearest cannon.
"This is too slow," Ichigo thought.
"Luminous Breaker," Ichigo called. Copies of Daybreaker appeared around him, floating in the air. "Go," he ordered. The copies of Daybreaker flew toward the remaining laser cannons. The cannons adjusted their aim, now targeting the incoming duplicates. Ichigo seized the opportunity, charging forward and slicing through the nearest laser cannon. Meanwhile, the copies of Daybreaker destroyed the larger, more powerful cannons.
Soon, Ichigo reached the top of the tower. With a powerful strike, he broke through the structure, entering an empty office room. In front of him was a monitor that flickered on, revealing Intelligentsia's face.
"Hello, Killer," she said.
"Overlord," Ichigo replied.
"I didn't expect you to know my native tongue," she commented.
"Where are you?" Ichigo asked.
"So, you think you can kill me?" she responded. Ichigo remained silent. "Given that you've made it this far, I can only assume that either the Dokkaebi betrayed me, or you've forcibly read their memories," she continued. Ichigo stayed quiet, his expression unreadable. "Your silence answers my questions," Intelligentsia chuckled. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not here. Good luck finding me."
Suddenly, the entire tower exploded, flames engulfing everything. The remnants of the building crashed to the metallic floor as the area was consumed by fire. After several minutes, the dust and debris from the explosion were blown away, revealing an unharmed Ichigo standing amid the destruction.
"It's a good thing I activated Chrónou Stási [Time Stop] right as the explosion happened," Yhwach said.
"It was," Ichigo replied. "I was able to protect us with Dividing Wall before we had to use Chrónou Archí [Time Start]." He stepped out of the ruined tower. "I just hope Chishiki is having better luck than we did."
"Onward to the next tower," Kyōka said.
Ichigo sighed, but without another word, he flew toward the next tower.
Author Notes:
Look up Tensa Zangetsu Version 3, the Tensa Zangetsu Ichigo used against Ginjo.
An icy blue version of the Winged Dragon of Ra.
I will add this update to the State Sheet at the end of Arc 15. Hirenkyaku requires the user to gather the ambient reishi in the surroundings and have it gather around the user's feet and use it to push themselves wherever the user wants to go in a linear direction. Hirenkyaku could be imagined like you are wearing socks and sliding on a smooth floor. Shunpō requires the user to gather their reiatsu and use it to jump wherever the user wants to go in a linear direction. Imagine doing a standing position and then jumping. Sonído has the least amount of explanation in lore, so I decided to adapt the Instant Transmission from Dragon Ball. The user needs to visualize the location, and then convert their body into a mixture of reishi and reiatsu and send it to the desired location. This can only be done on the same plane of existence, meaning you can't use sonído to travel from Hueco Mundo to Soul Society, but this is a predecessor of Descorrer.
Excalibur from Warframe
Grendel from Warframe