"Heh…"
"Just as I guessed before—the future plot really is going that way. Ichigo's 'Zangetsu' is going to be reforged!"
"And it'll be done personally by Oetsu Nimaiya, the so-called 'Sword God'!"
"That kind of treatment… only the main character gets to enjoy it…"
Inside the small shop, Kisuke Urahara bared his teeth in a light, breezy grin as he spoke.
He had already guessed it a long time ago.
That Zangetsu would still have a third version—and that it would most likely be a twin-blade form!
Even though…
Back then, that idea had seemed absurd, with nowhere near enough proof to verify it. Anyone who heard it would instinctively question it!
Even Yoruichi Shihouin, Tessai Tsukabishi, Isshin Kurosaki, and the others around him had done the same.
But now…
With Oetsu stepping out from the tower above, Urahara finally put his heart at ease.
Still smiling, he gestured for everyone to relax and keep watching.
Because…
Oetsu Nimaiya.
That "Sword God"…
Was the man who created Zanpakuto in the first place!
As long as he was willing, and put his full effort into it, reforging a brand-new twin-blade Zangetsu would only be a matter of time!
"Heh…"
"If nothing unexpected happens next, only Ichigo should be taken up to the Soul King's Palace by Squad Zero, right?"
"Not just a Zanpakuto upgrade—his injuries from earlier, and even the spiritual pressure inside him… all of it will be restored and strengthened…"
"That kind of top-tier treatment is honestly something to envy…"
Even Isshin Kurosaki—
a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard—
couldn't help imagining it, his face wearing an unmistakably envious look.
As a dad…
he almost couldn't stop himself from envying his own son.
After all—
even though he had once been the head of a branch family of the Shiba clan…
to this day, he had never set foot in the mysterious Soul King's Palace!
But his son Ichigo…
was about to become an honored guest personally invited by Squad Zero!
To say he wasn't jealous would be a lie!
However…
what came next was unexpected.
In the footage, after some conversation and catching up…
it wasn't just Ichigo Kurosaki.
Rukia Kuchiki—still unconscious from severe injuries, her entire body wrapped in white bandages—and Renji Abarai as well…
all three were chosen!
Senjumaru Shutara used the mechanical arms behind her to place them into special mobile spherical carriers.
It was obvious they were benefiting from Ichigo's "main character halo."
They, too, were "honored" enough to be taken to the Soul King's Palace for treatment and training!
The moment this scene was revealed—
as the ranking video played and transmitted it into the real world—
it caused an immediate uproar!
In an instant, heated discussion exploded across Seireitei and Hueco Mundo alike!
"...What?!"
"Renji Abarai?!"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi was the first to react. He frowned in displeasure, his gaze sharp as he glared past Byakuya Kuchiki—
staring straight at Renji, who was practically vibrating with excitement at seeing himself appear on-screen.
Then, with a mocking sneer, Mayuri spoke in a deliberately nasty tone:
"You little brat… you slipped the video creator some money on the side, didn't you?"
"How is it that every time there's something good, you're always included?"
"And earlier, you didn't even look like you had that deep of a bond with Ichigo Kurosaki. What, you're forcing yourself into the main character's story now?"
"Disgusting."
Mayuri's mouth moved faster than his brain ever bothered to restrain. In front of everyone, he showed Renji absolutely no mercy.
In his eyes, Renji getting this kind of spotlight made no sense at all.
Average talent. A Zanpakuto that was, frankly, trash.
And yet, just because of Ichigo—
Renji got dragged along into the future, escorted on an endless fast-track of upgrades.
Mayuri found that completely unacceptable.
Rukia Kuchiki, at least, was one of Ichigo's "wives" in the audience's eyes; people had long since accepted their pairing.
So, relationship-wise…
Byakuya Kuchiki could be considered Ichigo's brother-in-law. Getting a bit of benefit along with it was understandable.
But Renji Abarai?
What right did he have?
With so many Captains present, how was it his turn to "get rich"?
It was ridiculous!
"Yes…"
Even Kenpachi Zaraki frowned, looking thoroughly displeased.
With hostile eyes locked onto Renji, he bared a feral grin:
"Drag this bastard out."
"Someone with no audience appeal like you…"
"Even if they heal you up in the Soul King's Palace, you'll probably still drool."
More mockery.
More cruel, blunt dissatisfaction.
And it wasn't just Mayuri and Kenpachi.
Almost every Captain present—
even the Captain-Commander, the old man himself—
wore a subtle, complicated expression as they looked at Renji.
Deep in their eyes:
bewilderment, and utter lack of understanding.
Why, exactly…
did Renji Abarai—this ordinary guy—
have what it took to become Ichigo Kurosaki's "brother"…
and enjoy the benefits of that cheat-level ride?
It was hard to accept.
After that—
amid a chorus of complaints—
the video jumped. The location shifted.
No longer Seireitei below…
but the Soul King's Palace, overflowing with reishi, wrapped in mist and clouds.
As far as the eye could see:
prosperous, tranquil, peaceful.
And above all—
those five massive Squad Zero palaces hanging in the sky were impossible to ignore, drawing everyone's attention.
Then the ranking video skipped over Ichigo's earlier recovery process—
soaking in hot springs to regain strength,
eating spiritual "soul sushi" to increase his spiritual pressure,
and undergoing training—
and cut directly to the scene taking place in Oetsu Nimaiya's domain.
At that moment—
in a forging area surrounded by waterfalls and flowing water—
Ichigo Kurosaki stood there.
And not far in front of him…
Oetsu's appearance had changed. He had removed his upper clothing, leaving himself in Shinigami attire, his body bare above the waist.
In his hand, he held a massive blacksmith's hammer, dark and heavy.
He stood before a gigantic blazing furnace.
With the help of attendants—Asauchi that had been made tangible and taken human form—
"Clang!!"
"Clang!!"
"Clang!!"
Hammer blow after hammer blow.
Sparks flew, flames roared and churned.
And through gaps in the fire—
the audience could clearly see it.
The broken blade of Zangetsu…
was being quenched and tempered.
Under the hammer's repeated strikes—
it began to subtly deform.
Its shape…
and the power within…
were quietly, steadily changing.
The moment this forging was shown—
another wave of shock erupted.
Because the process of forging a Zanpakuto…
was something only a handful of people in the entire world had ever witnessed.
Even powerhouses like Sosuke Aizen and the Captain-Commander—
leaders of their respective factions—
couldn't help but fix their eyes on the screen, fully focused.
Curiosity filled their gaze.
Silently watching the blade-forging unfold.
But the pure-blood Quincy were the exception.
At that moment, they looked the most panicked.
Especially each time Oetsu swung the hammer up and brought it crashing down—
that crisp, ringing impact sounded like it was slamming directly into every pure-blood Quincy's heart.
Their mood buckled under enormous pressure.
And they began to pray, desperately—
that the forging would fail.
Or that it would take an unbearably long time.
Anything—
as long as Zangetsu didn't return so easily from that furnace.
Even if this was "just watching"…
for the elites of the Wandenreich, it felt worse than being killed.
Exaggerated or not—
every second that passed felt like torture.
"Tch, tch, tch…"
"Aizen, Captain…"
"Since we're here, why don't we make a guess?"
"After the forging succeeds, what do you think the new form of the third-generation Zangetsu will look like?"
Inside Hueco Mundo, Gin Ichimaru wore a relaxed expression. After wiping sweat from his forehead—brought on by the heat that seemed to leak out of the screen—he looked up toward the throne and smiled, raising the topic as if it were a casual joke.
"It should be twin blades."
Without a single second of hesitation, Aizen's handsome face—partly shadowed by the single lock of hair hanging down—slowly formed the answer.
Yes.
As the creator of White…
and as one of the people in the world who understood Ichigo Kurosaki best—
Aizen, like Urahara, had developed that intuition long ago.
White represented Shinigami power and Hollow power.
And because the second-generation Zangetsu had also incorporated Fullbring, those three forces all belonged to one core.
In contrast—
that "Zangetsu old man" represented the bloodline power of the pure-blood Quincy, and it had already awakened.
And that portion of power—
was a separate individual, always remaining independent.
Just like in the past:
every time the old man appeared, it was basically consistent.
Based on all of that—
Aizen was certain.
The third-generation Zangetsu…
would inevitably be twin blades.
The answer was already obvious.
"Well…"
"Twin-blade Zangetsu, huh? That sounds strong."
Gin's smile turned sly as he teased:
"Once he's holding two blades, when he fights, won't Ichigo Kurosaki's combat power—and cutting force—double?"
"Only something like that could finally break through Soul King Yhwach's defense, right?"
As he spoke, Gin's tone grew more and more eager.
He wanted the forging to speed up—fast.
He wanted it to end.
To reveal that dawn—
twin-blade Zangetsu, reborn in flames, bursting into the world at its peak!
When that moment arrived…
the whole world would witness the greatest shock in history.
Maybe even—
the transparent screen of the ranking video itself…
might not be able to withstand the pressure of a "strongest divine weapon" like that.
At the same time—
under the audience's burning expectation—
the footage carried Oetsu's conversation with Ichigo.
"Ichigo…"
"Have you still not noticed?"
"Why, when this Asauchi touched you for an instant, it turned completely white… and the reason behind that?"
As he continued swinging the hammer and striking the metal, Oetsu spoke casually without turning around.
"Huh?!" Ichigo froze, answering in confusion. "I… don't know…"
"That's because…"
Oetsu stopped.
He planted the hammer at his side.
Then, with a wide grin and a voice that rang out loud, he explained:
"That Hollow—White! It was made by Aizen, constructed from the souls and spiritual mass of many Shinigami!"
"And those ingredients just happen to be the same way I make Asauchi. So after it entered your body…"
"It fused with your original Shinigami power—and that's why your Zanpakuto was formed!"
This truth—
had already been guessed by the viewers not long after this ranking began. Plenty of people already knew.
But within the story itself…
Ichigo had no idea. He had never truly realized it.
So when he learned the truth—
his eyes shook, and he could barely believe it.
But then…
Oetsu went further.
He told Ichigo that the "Zangetsu old man"—that avatar of Yhwach—
was never a real blade spirit at all.
The next moment—
the video jumped again.
It shifted into Ichigo Kurosaki's inner world.
And this time—
the scene inside was completely different from before.
Looking out across it—
there were no complete skyscrapers anymore.
Instead—
everything was collapsing and sinking.
The whole city was being destroyed, soon to be swallowed by the sea.
"Is this some kind of farewell ritual?"
"Before the third-generation Zangetsu is born… a goodbye to the old man?"
Seeing this unfamiliar scene—
the real-world Ichigo, watching it, was shaken to his core.
His body swayed.
And the Shinigami power within him…
also began to churn chaotically.
Yes.
Just like before—the "sync" remained.
Power and future moving together.
But this time…
it wasn't simply receiving the results of watching.
Ichigo himself would have to go through the entire metamorphosis of power—step by step.
"Ichigo…"
"Are you alright?"
"You've become very strong."
"To be able to stay at your side… and personally witness every bit of your growth…"
"I'm satisfied."
As the camera focused in—
the Zangetsu old man's tall figure began to break apart in the seawater.
Bit by bit, he turned into black fragments.
And the blue reishi greatsword he held—
the symbol of pure-blood Quincy power—
vanished as well, following his disappearing body.
All of it—
returned to Ichigo Kurosaki, whole and complete.
And then…
when Ichigo reached out—
and touched the reishi fracture—
the entire scene, along with his figure, was swallowed by a blinding light.
That warm, gentle segment within the Soul King's realm ended there.
And at the same time…
the moment Ichigo's will truly awakened—
he opened his eyes.
Before him, inside the furnace—
towering flames surged and danced.
They spread outward to both sides, endlessly, filling the entire field of view.
It looked like burning wings—
a sign that Zangetsu was about to be reborn from the flames.
"Is it here?"
"Third-generation Zangetsu… the legendary twin-blade form!"
In that instant—
the entire world of Shinigami held its breath.
All eyes locked onto the blaze inside the furnace.
There—
Zangetsu, now fully tempered…
was about to reveal itself at last.
And only when that moment arrived…
could the Zanpakuto "Zangetsu" truly be considered, in the fullest sense…
the strongest Zanpakuto.
(End of Chapter)
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