Chapter 230: A Brand New Transformation
BOOM!
Tremendous smoke and dust filled the midair. A barrier of azure light flashed across Reinhard's body surface as he remained stationary in the air, completely neutralizing the crescent moon fired by Kurosaki Ichigo.
Kurosaki Ichigo didn't grow angry when his attack failed. After all, his opponent's strength belonged to Espada's top tier. The previous assault had been merely exploratory.
"As expected, Reinhard—you're still extraordinarily powerful!" After heartfelt exclamation, Kurosaki Ichigo leaped into the air via flash step and confronted Reinhard directly.
CLANG—
Reinhard withdrew the Zanpakutō from his waist with one hand. Gripping the handle, he addressed Kurosaki Ichigo calmly: "Is this all you possess?"
"If that's merely your limit, you won't even possess qualification meeting Lord Fiander, because..."
"I will eliminate you on the spot!"
BOOM!
Accompanied by sonic boom reverberations, Reinhard's figure transformed into an afterimage and vanished directly from his position.
At this moment, Kurosaki Ichigo sensed profound crisis approaching from behind. He didn't possess time contemplating unnecessary reactions. Ichigo turned around and swung a crescent moon with black Reiatsu attached.
BOOM!
Following a violent explosion, black gunpowder smoke bloomed. Then Kurosaki Ichigo's figure suddenly retreated violently, withdrawing directly from the smoke.
Ichigo felt tremendous pressure at this moment. Among all enemies he'd confronted, Reinhard before him imposed the most profound stress.
Honestly, since Kurosaki Ichigo's debut, although he'd experienced countless brutal battles and nearly perished multiple times, he'd survived danger repeatedly due to various circumstances. He hadn't honed his own combat style whatsoever.
Compared to Reinhard or Zaraki Kenpachi—who'd experienced countless battles—Ichigo's fighting approach proved as immature as a child's.
Encounter enemy, use Getsuga Tenshō. Then activate Bankai to continue employing Getsuga Tenshō. As a Shinigami, he didn't know any Kidō techniques.
Among the four fundamental combat skills—Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō—except for powerful Reiatsu making his strikes extraordinarily potent, other aspects remained essentially blank.
Ichigo—who hadn't studied systematically—relied solely upon innate talent and extraordinarily terrifying combat comprehension.
BOOM!
Ichigo wanted utilizing the airborne smoke to separate himself, but Reinhard behind him didn't intend playing with Kurosaki Ichigo whatsoever. Reiatsu erupting from his body—mixed with raging killing intent—directly dispelled the smoke and dust filling the sky.
After capturing Kurosaki Ichigo's retreating figure, Reinhard's eyes narrowed. Invisible killing intent instantly saturated the surrounding space.
"Hyakuretsu Satsu!"
Gripping the blade handle tightly with one hand, Reinhard locked onto Kurosaki Ichigo's trajectory. The killing intent from his entire being gathered singularly. Black Reiatsu covered his Zanpakutō's blade like liquid.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
After slashing through empty air three times, Reinhard returned his Zanpakutō to its sheath. After exhaling heavily, the space surrounding Kurosaki Ichigo appeared torn apart, displaying shattered appearance.
CRACK— CRACK—
Within the spatial rifts opened by Reinhard's Hyakuretsu, black electrical arcs could be faintly witnessed constantly discharging.
The berserk spirit particles continuously surging within these electrical arcs were arranged and formed within merely brief moments, beginning to link with one another.
SLASH!
Within the first second, Ichigo's cheek was scratched. A bloodstain appeared. The wound rapidly transformed black, as though scorched, emitting black smoke.
Not good!
Sensing that strange formations had materialized within the space surrounding him, Ichigo's face gathered spirit particles. A mask bearing red and black patterns emerged. His entire body's speed soared as he directly rushed beyond this spatial region's boundaries.
BOOM!
Just as Ichigo's forward foot departed, the space behind him collapsed, triggering violent explosion.
"That was close..."
Kurosaki Ichigo—noticing this scene when glancing backward—frowned. A trace of unease flashed through his eyes.
"What terrifying talent! This Espada's spatial control has achieved frightening levels!"
Urahara Kisuke, observing the engagement, couldn't help sighing and addressing Sado positioned beside him.
"What terrifying killing intent! Even at such tremendous distance, the aftermath of that sacred intent makes me feel overwhelmed!"
With subdued voice, Sado Yasutora's fisted arm began trembling uncontrollably.
PAT!
Urahara Kisuke positioned his hand upon Sado's shoulder and consoled him: "Don't worry, Sado. The opponent Kurosaki confronts proves unique even within Soul Society."
On the other side, Reinhard appeared surprised witnessing that Kurosaki Ichigo could evade his ultimate technique. However, after consideration, circumstances seemed logical.
After all, the opponent had defeated Aizen's existence. If he perished so simply, matters would prove far too anticlimactic!
"What a devastating attack, Reinhard!"
Kurosaki Ichigo addressed Reinhard with obviously fearful expression, then canceled his mask status.
Witnessing Kurosaki Ichigo's behavior, Reinhard inquired with puzzlement: "Aren't you continuing maintaining your Hollow state? You don't naively believe you can engage me utilizing merely your current condition?"
Aware of the dissatisfaction permeating Reinhard's tone, Kurosaki Ichigo quickly explained:
"I don't want Hollowfication becoming my sole backup option!"
The instant his voice concluded, the Tensa Zangetsu within Kurosaki Ichigo's grasp began flowing like pooled black liquid. Then the Reiatsu throughout his entire body transformed suddenly.
His pair of brown eyes turned scarlet. Even the Shihakushō adorning his body gradually transformed.
Regarding Kurosaki Ichigo's abnormal behavior, not only Reinhard but even Urahara Kisuke—who believed he understood Kurosaki Ichigo profoundly—didn't comprehend what manner of power the other party had acquired.
At this moment, clouds within the sky began condensing. Spirit particles throughout the atmosphere poured into these clouds as though fleeing desperately.
CRACK!
Accompanied by bursts of thunder and lightning, the clouds above began forming vortexes centered upon Kurosaki Ichigo below.
"Hueco Mundo can gather such tremendous cloud formations?" Reinhard gazed upward at these transformations with incredulous expression across his features.
After all, he'd dwelled within Hueco Mundo since birth and had never witnessed rainfall. Hueco Mundo had constituted an endless black-and-white desert for ten thousand years.
Not until Aizen ruled Hueco Mundo and constructed the artificial sky near Las Noches had this region experienced day-night cycles—making Reinhard comprehend that this world contained not only darkness but also dawn.
The Kurosaki Ichigo before him had actually stirred atmospheric conditions and altered weather climate independently. Aside from Shinigami possessing special ability Zanpakutō, Reinhard had only witnessed this capability within Fiander.