The air was drawn inward, sucked violently toward the center, pulled by motion itself.
Ichigo Kurosaki shattered the very notion of "distance" in an instant, as if tearing apart space itself.
In the blink of an eye—
The masked boy had already closed in on Grimmjow.
His speed had become something inhuman, beyond comprehension.
Before Grimmjow's pores could contract, before his heart could pound, before his brain could even react—
Ichigo had already raised Tensa Zangetsu above his head.
His left hand lifted, settling on the hilt.
Behind the mask, his pupils glinted a faint yellow. The inky blackness in his eyes held no emotion—only the cold, feral indifference of a beast.
Shhhh…
Like fabric being torn effortlessly, a crackling arc of black-red electricity distorted the space around it as it formed.
Getsuga Tenshō.
No roar. No fury.
Only a chilling calm.
Grimmjow's pupils widened. As the Panther King, he could scarcely comprehend how the boy's power had evolved so drastically in such a short span.
"Wha—"
Before he could finish—
Tensa Zangetsu slashed downward, a torrent of spirit pressure surging like a tidal wave, swallowing him whole.
Here in Hueco Mundo—the most primal land in the three realms, second only to the Soul King's Palace in spirit density—the unleashed power mirrored its raw origin.
Grimmjow's body vanished into the roiling mass of energy.
The unleashed storm scattered outward, forcing everyone to shield their faces, astonishment painted across their expressions.
Nell trembled as she stared skyward, her voice quivering.
"I-Ichi...go? He's this strong?"
"No. Something's... different."
Chad's tone was unusually grave as he stared at Ichigo's back—now strangely unfamiliar.
So what had changed?
"This isn't how he used to fight…"
Between Nell's two attendants, she crouched and hugged her head, equal parts terrified and intrigued.
"What… what do you mean?"
Chad, never good with words, struggled to explain the abstract shift. He paused, then landed on the truth.
"His attacks weren't so… restrained before."
Ichigo was never flashy. He wielded power like a blunt instrument—raw, focused, devastating. Each version of Getsuga Tenshō was like a blast—ranging in size and scope, but always explosive.
But this?
This wasn't a simple explosion.
The energy Ichigo slashed forward didn't burst—it imploded. It condensed like a black hole, pulling air inward in a violent reverse cascade.
What was this?
This wasn't the Ichigo Chad knew.
What kind of training had he undergone?
"Ichigo…"
The others watched as Ichigo stood silently, staring into the swirling, chaotic orb of energy before him.
Within it, currents twisted, collided—like a nuclear core in constant fission. Just by watching, one could feel the sheer weight of it.
Grimmjow had vanished inside.
Nell's mouth dropped, her voice catching in her throat.
"W-what's going to happen…?"
Grimmjow was Espada No. 6. His rank alone meant power and dominance.
Even in the ruthless, chaotic Hueco Mundo, he'd earned his spot among the elite ten.
To Nell—still regaining memories and power—Grimmjow was terrifying.
And Ichigo had just… swatted him away?
What had changed?
Before anyone could answer, a guttural scream erupted from within the energy storm.
It pierced the air like a spear, revealing rage and desperation.
Chad immediately spread his arms, shielding Nell and her attendants.
His own power wasn't on Ichigo's level—but he could at least protect the others.
"BASTARD!!!"
BOOM!
The energy sphere bloated—then burst in a violent eruption.
The blast rattled the air, leaving everyone dizzy, the ground unstable beneath them.
And from the smoke…
A battered figure emerged.
Grimmjow.
He had entered Resurrección—his released form.
But the state of his body spoke volumes.
Armor shattered. Blue hair torn. His right arm twisted grotesquely.
Sweat streamed. His breath came in gasps. One eye was swollen shut.
His voice cracked with weakness and fury.
"Ichigo… Kurosaki!"
He lunged, but Ichigo calmly raised his right hand.
A curled fist, one finger extended forward.
Black energy coalesced at the fingertip, forming a chaotic singularity that twisted the air around it.
Everyone's expression changed.
That energy—
That was… Cero.
Not just any Cero—a powerful, condensed form.
Grimmjow's body screamed in warning. He flinched back, switching from attack to defense instinctively.
But it wasn't enough.
Ichigo's condensed Cero hissed and pulsed—
Then exploded.
It pierced through Grimmjow's crossed arms and armor. It tore through his chest like paper.
In that brief instant, time seemed to freeze.
Grimmjow's mind couldn't grasp what was happening.
Why was he so strong?
Why was I so weak?
How did I get here?
He'd devoured his comrades. Fought tooth and nail to climb this far. His arrogance was earned—built on strength.
Because the weak died.
He'd survived. Thrived.
So what had Ichigo given up to gain this power?
Time? Friends? Something deeper?
It didn't matter. He couldn't accept it.
Anger welled in his chest like a claw pulling up from within, choking him.
COUGH—SPLAT!
Black-red blood sprayed from his mouth as he fell—like a puppet with cut strings.
Defeated. Ravaged. Cast from the sky like broken glass.
But he didn't give up.
He lifted his left arm defiantly.
Black energy stirred again—his eyes crazed, lips twisted into a manic grin.
"I… won't go down like this!"
"Is that so?"
Ichigo's reply was flat.
He pointed again.
More piercing arrows of energy streaked through Grimmjow's body.
"...!!!"
Nell covered her eyes, unable to watch.
It wasn't a battle. It was an execution.
THUMP.
The Panther King crashed into the sand, blood painting the dunes.
His mouth twitched, once so proud—now barely able to move.
His eyes dulled. Fatigue overtook him.
And finally—he passed out.
Ichigo looked down at him.
Expressionless.
Then turned away.
"Chad… Take care of him, will you?"
Arrancar had insane life force.
This would've killed any normal man—but Grimmjow would survive.
Barely.
Ichigo hadn't meant to go this far—but he no longer had time to hold back.
Too much kindness only brings more pain.
Even Buddha has his wrathful form.
He had to move.
Uryū still needed help.
Without pause, Ichigo turned toward the next Reiatsu spike—
And ran.
…
Elsewhere, in the black void between worlds—
Seiya paused mid-stride, as if sensing something.
Gin Ichimaru noticed and stopped too.
"What is it?"
Seiya smiled faintly.
"Nothing. Just… feeling a bit sentimental."
Though things had taken a few turns, that brooding boy—Ichigo—had found his inner strength.
This wasn't the same story as before.
The Hollow power now led the way, unleashing potential beyond the original timeline.
How far he'd go now… was no longer Seiya's to decide.
What mattered was the crisis ahead.
"…?"
Gin shrugged, already used to Seiya's half-spoken thoughts.
"By the way, Captain Arima… Are you confident?"
"About what?"
"Oh, come on…"
Gin crossed his arms, his voice turning serious.
"About this whole operation."
"Can you really handle… Yamamoto?"
—The Demon from a Thousand Years Ago.
—The Pillar of the Gotei.
Just standing was enough to embolden allies and terrify enemies.
A living legend.
The attention turned toward Seiya.
Everyone was listening.
But before he could answer—
Aizen spoke.
"We've arrived."
The black void opened—revealing a slice of the blue world beyond.
At this point, words didn't matter anymore.
So Seiya offered only a quiet answer.
"Don't worry. We will win."
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates