"...Wha?!"
It happened in an instant.
Kugo Ginjo had swung his greatsword down to claim the life of his pitiable junior, ostensibly to save him from falling into Hollowfication. But just as the blade was about to sever his neck, the hand of the youth—Ichigo Kurosaki—which should have been pinned by the chains of the seal, reached up and caught the merciful strike.
"...Ugh... GAAAAAAHHHH!"
There should have been no way for Ichigo to resist while bound by the chains of the seal. Yet, the spiritual pressure erupting from him was of such a scale that even Ginjo, the one controlling the chains, flinched in genuine fear.
"GINJOOOOOOOOO!!"
With a roar that rumbled from the depths of his soul, a massive vortex of light exploded from the youth's body.
"Tch! Is awakening in the final hour your special trick? First the completion of your Fullbring, and now this... that's twice. I can't exactly call this a 'coincidence' anymore...!"
"OAAAAAAARRRRRGHHHH!!"
Ginjo spat out the lighthearted words as a way to mask the fact that he had instinctively jumped back to create distance.
Ichigo's spiritual pressure was rising in sudden, rhythmic stages. It was abnormal, as if the lids suppressing his power were being torn off one by one, making it impossible to gauge the true bottom of his strength.
Ginjo had heard from his subordinate, Tsukishima, that this was how the Captains of the Gotei 13 and the Espadas of Hueco Mundo had all fallen to this brat.
Even so, the look of composure remained in the man's eyes.
"...But you've underestimated this Goddess's seal, Ichigo! It didn't suppress your power all this time for nothing! If it were something that could be broken by a simple surge of emotion, you would have been devoured by your inner Hollow a long time ago!!"
"Ugh... GAAAAAHHHH...!"
It was true. The sealing art performed by the Guardian Goddess—the only person in the world who likely understood Ichigo's power with perfect accuracy—was an ability that had made even Shukuro Tsukishima tremble. It was a lock that held firm.
And Ichigo, who had been saved by that power until now, understood the strength of that "charm" better than anyone, as he felt it pushing back against him.
"Dammit! My spiritual pressure is leaking away...!"
"Calm down, Ichigo. You cannot defeat this opponent with brute force alone...!"
Having regained his will to fight with a somber resolve—as a final farewell to the vanishing masked girl—the youth found his counterattack stalled immediately.
Just as Zangetsu warned, the enemy before him was wielding the power of the girl who knew Ichigo better than anyone and had always worried for his safety.
Whether it was Byakuya Kuchiki, Ulquiorra Cifer, or Sosuke Aizen, the trump card that had led him to victory—the power of his inner Hollow, White—could not break her seal.
Laughing at this disadvantage was the white-clad man who was the source of that power.
"Hehe, what are you going to do, my King? Things are looking pretty bad, aren't they?"
"You bastard...!"
Ichigo snapped at the figure in his mind, asking if he understood the situation. The answer he received was perfectly in character for the Hollow.
"My power is sealed by Big Sis's chains anyway, so I'm useless. If you've truly become a 'full-fledged man,' then prove it. Let's see what you can do without my help... I'll be watching the show!"
The Hollow grinned with amusement. As he said, Ichigo and his friends were in an unprecedented crisis.
"...Ichigo, you know this already. The Fang-Locking Seal was adjusted by that girl after she was ascended by the Hogyoku. You are facing the power of someone who is no longer a mere Soul Reaper, but a true Transcendent."
"...!"
"Be careful. If Kugo Ginjo can perfectly control the ability he stole, we are fighting a power reinforced enough to seal even Sosuke Aizen...!"
Zangetsu's words brought back memories of that hellish final battle, making Ichigo's throat go dry.
Furthermore, there was one more shackle holding him back.
(I can feel it... her presence... it's still there...!)
That was the problem. To break the seal meant damaging and destroying the chains. If he did that, it might mean the total annihilation of the masked girl.
He wouldn't even be able to say goodbye.
"If this keeps up...!"
Cornered with no way out, the flames of despair began to scorch Ichigo's heart.
...And while he was paralyzed by indecision, the situation only worsened.
"...I won't kill you. Just stay there and sleep until it's over."
"...Dammit..."
Rukia Kuchiki collapsed in frustration, her spiritual pressure thrown into chaos by Riruka Dokugamine's strange technique.
"—To wear the power of the God of Time is to essentially become a god myself! Now, Inoue... on behalf of the God of Time, I shall deliver divine punishment to you personally!!"
"N-No...!"
Orihime Inoue gasped in pain as her arm was gripped by Giriko Kutsuzawa, who was cloaked in ethereal, hellish flames.
"—Whoops, I told you, didn't I? I'm not going to let you get to your friends that easily...!"
"Ugh... this is bad...!"
Uryu Ishida could not escape Jackie Tristan, who was focusing every shred of her resources into speed and disruption.
"—Go, my Stampede of a Hundred Demons! Turn those brats into mincemeat!"
"Crap...!"
"Eek...!"
Karin and Jinta were being swarmed by the monster army unleashed by Yukio Hans Vorarlberna.
In the distance, Ichigo could see his friends being broken...
"You guys...! DAMN YOU! LET ME GO, GINJO!!"
Ichigo screamed with everything he had, but his roar only shook the air in vain.
There wasn't a second to lose. He couldn't even surpass the Fang-Locking Seal that was supposed to be the proof of his growth. At this rate, he would lose his family, his friends, and everything else—
"Have you finally woken up?"
Suddenly, the mockery vanished from Ginjo's voice.
"...You idiot. You were thrown away the moment you lost your power, yet you trust Rukia Kuchiki and Kisuke Urahara the second they help you once. All this chaos is happening in the World of the Living, and it didn't strike you as odd that we're the only ones moving?"
"! What...?"
Seeing the hint of pity in the man's eyes, the questions in Ichigo's frantic heart multiplied. Into that tiny opening, Ginjo's next words entered with surprising ease.
"Did you forget, Kurosaki? Who the people responsible for handling spiritual anomalies in this world are supposed to be? Those self-proclaimed soul mediators who were supposed to protect the 'humans'—specifically the 'Ichigo Kurosaki Faction' who did them a massive favor during the Aizen incident."
"...!"
Ginjo's face twisted with rage.
"Rukia Kuchiki and Kisuke Urahara only handed you Soul Reaper powers after I stole your strength and you were back to being helpless. That arrogant, condescending attitude... as if to say, 'Here is some power gifted by the Soul Society, now use it to defeat that traitor'... I can't stand it...!"
This was Ginjo's own raw passion, unmediated by anything else.
"...Ichigo, open your eyes. The Soul Society didn't restore your powers out of the goodness of their hearts."
—They did it because they want us, the eyesore Substitute Soul Reapers, to destroy each other.—
Kugo Ginjo: The First Substitute Soul Reaper.
How did this man, who started as a good-natured youth, end up being called a "traitor" by the Soul Society? Knowing Ginjo's protective side toward his comrades, Ichigo had always wondered about his sudden change.
Why did he cause that incident? Why did he hate the Soul Society so much?
"...A massacre...?"
The darkness Ginjo carried was so shocking that Ichigo stood frozen, even while witnessing the crisis of his friends.
"That badge they gave us... the 'Substitute Soul Reaper Combat Permit.' It has built-in functions to monitor us and our surroundings, to eavesdrop, and to analyze and restrict our spiritual pressure."
"...!"
"They used that to turn me into 'bait' to wipe out the Fullbringers, who are nothing but an inconvenience to the Soul Society."
Ichigo instinctively pulled out his own wooden badge. He remembered the time Rukia's voice had suddenly come from the seemingly ordinary object.
"N-No... that's impossible! They wouldn't... they wouldn't commit a massacre...!"
"Ichigo, who was the man who gave us those badges?"
"!!"
Silence.
The man was Rukia's superior, someone who had been kind to Ichigo many times—a man of character with a gentle smile. His status was clear from the captain's robe he wore...
"—Jushiro Ukitake, Captain of the Thirteenth Division. He is the one responsible for planning this rotten Substitute Soul Reaper system."
It was a story that was hard to believe for Ichigo, a good-natured youth just like Ginjo once was.
The man's resentment continued to pour out.
By nature, there is a vast racial divide between humans and Soul Reapers regarding lifespan and spiritual power. Because of this, those in the Soul Society instinctively look down on humans.
Therefore—not just with Substitute Soul Reapers—it is human nature to feel jealousy, contempt, or fear toward an anomaly that threatens that hierarchy. The Soul Reapers' complex feelings were clearly shown in their stance: treating the Substitutes as useful local forces for troubles in the World of the Living, while simultaneously keeping them under strict organizational control.
"You feel a debt of gratitude to the Soul Reapers who helped you fight Aizen, but the entire reason your friends and family were ever in danger is the Soul Society's fault. Because they are incompetent, Aizen was able to plot as he pleased, Urahara was able to create the Hogyoku, your mother died, your sisters were endangered, Rukia was almost executed, and Orihime was kidnapped."
"You're wrong! You only say that because you don't know how dangerous Aizen really was!"
"That dangerous Aizen and those Hollows—monsters that 'normal' people should never have had to deal with—were enemies that those Soul Reapers were supposed to handle themselves. You have a family and friends, your life isn't just your own, yet you've nearly died countless times cleaning up their messes. Don't you forget that."
Ichigo was silent, unable to find a retort.
But as he desperately tried to deny it, Ginjo asked him a flat question.
"They left you to rot while you were suffering in helplessness. Even now, when you're about to die in this battle against us, they only sent one former criminal, Rukia Kuchiki. You only got your powers back because Kisuke Urahara begged them to."
"...!"
"Is that the sincerity you show to someone you see as an equal? Is that the etiquette shown to a benefactor who saved the world? ...Do you understand, Ichigo? You're blindly trusting those people just because they were the comrades you fought beside."
Ichigo couldn't answer. Even knowing Ginjo's words were laced with malice, he had no logical ground to deny them.
And to the youth who was looking down with a pale face... Kugo Ginjo reached out a hand of genuine salvation.
"Join me, Ichigo."
...What?
For a moment, Ichigo couldn't comprehend what had been said. The sheer absurdity of the suggestion made his mind go blank.
"...What... did you say...?"
"You are who I used to be. Your goodwill is being preyed upon by the Soul Reapers; you're being used up, betrayed, and you'll end up in despair, cursing your own weakness and stupidity. It's as if someone planned it—we humans known as 'Substitute Soul Reapers' are destined to follow the same path."
Ginjo let out a painful sigh. The hostility was gone from his eyes, replaced by a glimpse of the strong bond he felt for his comrades—the same look he had when he was the only one fighting beside Ichigo after everyone else had been turned.
"Ginjo... you..."
Ichigo was confused, but knowing the man's true intent, he also felt a sense of realization.
He had wondered about it before. During the battle, Ginjo had been strangely testing him, regretting his choices, and murmuring words of concern. The memory of his self-deprecating smile after the Fullbring training—"I'm not very good at being a villain"—was still fresh.
"...Ichigo, it's not too late. if you help me with my revenge, I'll have Giriko and the others stop their attacks. Your sisters, your friends, Karakura Town—we'll protect them in place of those incompetent Soul Reapers. And of course, your Fullbring, too..."
Ichigo knew it was a sweet poison.
At the same time, it was an irresistible hope. A massive trap that would allow him to protect his comrades, his benefactor, and his family—everyone he wanted to save.
"Open your eyes, Ichigo. The Soul Reapers... the Soul Society... they won't allow us Fullbringers to exist. To them, we humans with spiritual power are potential enemies."
The youth lowered his eyes.
Kugo Ginjo was a bad man. He had ordered Tsukishima to defile his bonds with his loved ones, and he was currently trying to take their lives. He was an unforgivable enemy.
But.
"...Ichigo, come with me. We can understand each other. We should be able to share our pain."
He knew the truth now.
He understood why.
Why this lonely man was fighting against them.
And Ichigo Kurosaki was the kind of man who would feel sympathy for someone he had connected with, even once. He was that kind of difficult...
...kind-hearted man.
"I—"
...But. Just as Ichigo was about to give his answer to Ginjo's invitation.
—Honestly, you've certainly got a lot of nerve, talking all that nonsense.—
A massive wall of hellish flame erupted, separating the two Substitute Soul Reapers.
+++
"—Geez, and things were just getting good, too."
A blast of hot wind singed her skin.
Yukio's annoyed voice reached her ears, and Karin Kurosaki—who had been on the verge of death—opened her eyes.
"...Eh?"
The sight before her was a sea of raging flames. The pixelated cross that had been binding her was gone, and her body was free.
What happened?
The girl cringed at the death cries of the burning monsters, then cautiously turned toward the two voices she heard behind her.
"Hey, hey, you blonde brat! What do you think you're doing to my adorable youngest daughter, huh?!"
"My, my. I was trying to avoid the rudeness of meddling in a child's big moment, but..."
Karin and Jinta both stood there, aghast.
"...Dad?!"
"Shopkeeper?!"
"You bet, Karin! It's the Kurosaki family specialty—Monster Parent Isshin himself!"
"You can't do that, Jinta. If you're going to make a grand entrance for a girl, you have to protect her until the very end."
The two annoying older men—her father, laughing boisterously, and the shopkeeper from Urahara Shop—were standing there. Seeing a piece of her daily life in the middle of this supernatural battlefield made the girl's head spin.
She had suspected from Ichigo's attitude and other fragments of information that her "old man" had some connection to the Soul Reapers. But his actual strength, saving them so easily from that "Yukio" guy, was something Karin couldn't process.
"You... why..."
Naturally, Karin had a mountain of questions for her father.
What was the flaming katana in his right hand? What was his relationship with the Urahara Shop? If he was this strong, why hadn't he fought for them until now?
But she never got to ask those questions.
"...Urahara, I'm counting on you here."
"No, no. Your son is the priority right now. I'll wait for another chance to make contact with her."
"...Sorry."
The serious expression on her father's face—one she had never seen before—made her catch her breath.
Every shred of his focus was on the air above them. It was on the other problem child of the Kurosaki family, who was currently using spirit-particle footholds to fight the enemy leader—
"My son is in your debt, Kugo Ginjo...!"
—Ichigo Kurosaki.
+++
"Dad..."
Ichigo let out a stunned voice as he saw the bearded man—Isshin Kurosaki—emerge from the wall of fire. His own father, who had been secretly watching over his growth since the battle with Aizen—or perhaps even before then—had finally made his move.
Ichigo felt a genuine family bond, but at the same time, he felt ashamed that he looked so weak and lonely that his hands-off father felt the need to intervene directly.
"...What, you show up now to play the savior? You Soul Reapers really love your hero complexes, don't you?"
Beside the youth, Kugo Ginjo sneered at Isshin. His lack of agitation at the arrival of a powerful reinforcement was likely due to the number of cards he still had hidden.
However, Isshin only scratched his head aggressively at the man's mockery.
"Shut up. I've got my own circumstances to deal with. Being a hero with this many enemies isn't an easy job."
Ginjo looked suspicious as the bearded man complained with a grimace about how "it all went to waste." Prompting him with his chin to continue, Isshin began to speak as if squeezing the words out.
"...It's true that the Soul Society is responsible for Ichigo being dragged into Aizen's rebellion. We're responsible for cutting off contact with him after he lost his power, for the suffering that caused him, and for our decision to look the other way."
"Oh?"
"A 'son' is more delicate than you'd think. Especially Ichigo—maybe because he lost his mother right in front of him, his 'ego' about protecting everyone is stronger than most. He's a battle-junkie, unfilial brat who can't even understand his parents' simple wish for their kid to live in a peaceful, happy world."
Ichigo bit his lip at the conversation. The fact that his hidden feelings had been seen through. The fact that his father had been thinking of him in his own way. Those feelings clashed and blurred with the seventeen months of helpless pain and the sorrow of having his Fullbring stolen.
...In the midst of that, Isshin's aura shifted.
"But listen, Kugo Ginjo. You're making a few massive mistakes."
The Fullbringer with the greatsword's brow twitched.
"First. You think the Soul Society is planning for you and Ichigo to destroy each other... but I'm sorry to tell you that the higher-ups don't have the luxury of worrying about a past stain like you right now."
"...What?"
Isshin held up his fingers, counting them off for the scowling Ginjo.
"Second. The reason the Gotei 13 hasn't moved is because they've had a standby order this whole time—waiting to catch the tail of that monster who's even more important than you... the one who brought even more shame to Central 46."
"...!"
Ichigo was confused, but Ginjo was different. He seemed to have a hunch about what that meant, and his eyes gradually widened.
"And third. As you said, the Gotei 13 is normally strictly loyal to the orders of Central 46. Disobedience is not permitted, for any reason."
Isshin stated this with a firm voice.
But then, he suddenly shifted his gaze from Ginjo to the boy beside him.
He offered a grin to the innocent hero who couldn't keep up with the conversation.
"But there's one guy who changed that million-year history."
—It was you, Ichigo.—
The son instinctively flinched at his father's smile.
"The Captain Commander Yamamoto I know would never have allowed your Soul Reaper powers to be restored. 'Granting Soul Reaper power to a human' is an absolute taboo in the Soul Society—a law from ancient times when humans and souls began living in separate worlds."
Ichigo remembered the words of Rukia's brother, Byakuya Kuchiki, whom he had fought before. An absolute law that had to be prioritized over even the life of his sister, his wife's final legacy.
"You changed that. The oldest Soul Reaper, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto—the man praised as the very history of the Gotei 13—you changed his thousands of years of loyalty and pride... as a single human named Ichigo Kurosaki."
The youth didn't know the weight of those words. But Isshin's pride-filled eyes seemed to hold a conviction stronger than anything else.
"If the leader of all the captains, the one who should be the model for everyone, changes, then naturally those below him change too. If even that stubborn old man defied the law, then we..."
The moment the man's lighthearted words echoed through the air...
The atmosphere itself trembled.
"What?!"
"This spiritual pressure... is it...?"
Ichigo, Uryu, the other friends, and the XCUTION members—friend and foe alike looked up at a single point in the dark night sky.
Appearing there in the air were a pair of massive sliding spirit gates.
And as he saw the rows of Soul Reaper robes lined up behind them, Isshin laughed with total confidence.
"Well then, look who's here. It seems they said, 'To hell with the standby order'..."
***
10 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://patreon.com/Well_being