Chapter 233: Killing Intent Domain
When life passes, people tend to witness their past. At such moments, counting the fragments throughout existence, vague memories from the past become clearer.
This statement was once conveyed to Kurosaki Ichigo by his mother when he was extraordinarily young.
At that time, Kurosaki Ichigo remained quite small. When he'd followed Kurosaki Masaki visiting an elderly man within the hospital, the other party's eyes had been so clouded he couldn't perceive clearly—yet he could distinctly recount what had transpired during his childhood.
The revolving memory scenes flashed through Kurosaki Ichigo's mind like a slideshow.
Am I... dead?
At this moment, Ichigo kept repeating this statement within his heart. His consciousness gradually grew blurred. He couldn't even recall what he'd been doing previously, nor why he'd manifested here.
The eyelids proved so heavy—better to close them...
This represented what Kurosaki Ichigo desired most presently. As Ichigo's conscious power sank, several voices sounded simultaneously, passing through layered mountains to reach his ears.
"Kurosaki, pull yourself together!"
It's Manager Urahara's voice...
"Wake up, Ichigo! Ichigo!"
This voice is Sado's...
"Kurosaki, what the hell are you doing, you idiot!"
And Ishida's...
"Idiot! What are you thinking?! Wake up, Ichigo!"
Is it Rukia? Why is she here too...
"Kurosaki, please wake up!"
"Kurosaki!"
Orihime...
That's right—I came here rescuing Orihime. I'm still fighting. I can't collapse yet!
"Kurosaki, please wake up!"
When Orihime's voice grew louder and resonated once more, Kurosaki Ichigo's consciousness was instantly awakened from the haze.
"Hah—"
Ichigo drew a profound breath—precisely like a drowning person rescued to shore after rebirth, breathing heavily.
His sunken chest rose and fell momentarily before returning to normal appearance once more.
When blinding white light flashed through Ichigo's vision, the surrounding world finally wasn't in a gray state but normal scenery.
Both Sado Yasutora and Urahara Kisuke below released relieved breaths witnessing Kurosaki Ichigo's crooked neck straightening once more.
Because merely seconds ago, they'd directly noticed that Kurosaki Ichigo's Reiatsu had completely vanished. No vitality flowed from his entire being whatsoever.
The situation just now had genuinely frightened them both. Sado had possessed no choice but continuously shouting desperately below, fearing that something wrong with Kurosaki Ichigo would cause him collapsing directly.
"You recovered from my killing intent so rapidly—you prove worthy of my high regard, Kurosaki!"
"Just now... what was that..."
Hearing Reinhard's approving tone, Ichigo only felt momentary bewilderment. When he regarded the body that had been split by his opponent previously, the tremendous wound originally torn from the shoulder blade had healed presently.
If not for the dull pain throughout his body at this moment—and the presence of foreign Reiatsu within the wound—Ichigo would even believe all this represented illusion.
"Have you not comprehended yet? However, that's normal... The combat techniques within this world prove far too crude. No! You cannot even claim any combat techniques exist. Battles between the strong represent merely Reiatsu collisions—possessing absolutely no aesthetic beauty. Naturally, this statement was spoken to me by Lord Fiander personally."
Reinhard—who carried one arm behind his back like a master while slowly extending the other—possessed completely different temperament presently.
Despite standing before Kurosaki Ichigo, Ichigo sensed the other party appeared integrated with this world.
Being able to perceive the other party one second only for them to vanish from this world the next second... proved an extraordinarily uncomfortable sensation.
Extending his hand and positioning it upon his shoulder, Ichigo still experienced considerable fear from the severe pain of torn flesh and shattered bones previously.
"Have you finally noticed? The Killing Intent Domain represents a mental attack based upon my murderous aura that can directly affect your consciousness. People who sink within the Killing Intent Domain will subconsciously sense they've perished, gradually surrendering resistance, ultimately dying genuinely... However, it differs from mental attacks. The damage I inflicted upon you constitutes genuine assault. Yet your current physical structure proves extraordinarily remarkable. Anyone suffering that injury level—even Arrancar—would perish directly from severe trauma. And the black flames upon your body's surface... no, rather you absorbed surrounding spirit particles to heal injuries rapidly. The recovery speed proves simply terrifying!"
After listening to Reinhard's explanation, not only Kurosaki Ichigo but also Urahara Kisuke and others below gained certain insights.
Had they not witnessed this personally, they'd never have imagined killing intent could be utilized to such subtle levels—capable of harming people invisibly while simply standing still.
Shinigami's Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō represented results of Soul Society's ten-thousand-year historical evolution. Yet now they were called crude techniques by the other party. It's truly... absurd...
Urahara Kisuke listened to all this with varying expressions, gradually contemplating these questions within his heart. After years of research and contact, he already understood Fiander's genuine origins.
That's precisely why he'd resolved traveling to Hueco Mundo at this critical juncture.
Kurosaki Ichigo raised the black Reiatsu blade within his grasp. Pointing at Reinhard with solemn expression, he declared: "You're genuinely well-instructed, Reinhard!"
"However... I possess reasons why I must fight..."
"As expected... you resemble precisely what Lord Fiander stated—you think too highly of yourself. This world doesn't revolve around you. Have you ever genuinely understood their thoughts regarding what you call protecting others? Not everyone wishes growing up beneath your protection. Do you comprehend?"
Reinhard believed that Kurosaki Ichigo's current appearance proved somewhat ridiculous. Undeniably, Kurosaki Ichigo represented an extraordinarily kind and responsible youth.
However, the pressure being his companion proved particularly tremendous. Because not everyone constituted a genius like Kurosaki Ichigo. The companions surrounding him claimed acting together, yet they often remained behind him, running after him desperately.
To avoid becoming Kurosaki Ichigo's burden, they had to practice arduously making themselves stronger—not for anything else but not becoming the other party's burden.
However, differences existed between ordinary people and geniuses—let alone someone who possessed such advantages.
Why was Inoue Orihime unwilling returning to reality? Would Fiander disagree if she returned? What could Orihime—who possessed only that level of strength—accomplish by returning?
Fiander had informed Reinhard privately more than once that the most feared circumstance among companions was one person suddenly surpassing everyone dramatically.
Emotions often arose when others could only approach distantly.
Naturally, different individuals would ferment into different results. Some would fracture between companions due to jealousy.
Some would work arduously to catch up to avoid becoming the other party's burden.
However, most would depart sadly and vanish from one another's lives...
This wasn't sowing discord but an inescapable phenomenon among all living beings.
"Fighting is fighting! Your so-called reasons for protecting others shouldn't constitute excuses for you to fight!"
"Do you understand?! Kurosaki!"
The instant his words concluded, Reinhard's tremendous fist had already swung toward Kurosaki Ichigo's face.
"Hyakuretsu Ōgi—Yomei!"
Black Reiatsu enveloped Reinhard's entire being. Tremendous pressure—like heaven and earth's force—struck Ichigo head-on!
At this moment, darkness descended...