Hey everyone.
It's been a while, but your favorite Momo is back.
While my dear Toshiro was fast asleep in the World of the Living, Lord Aizen was busy dominating the battlefield, and our beloved protagonist—Ichigo, the boy with the emotional resilience of a memory foam pillow—was having his world shattered. I've been keeping a close eye on everything. Once I confirmed that Isshin had been treated by Captain Unohana and successfully set the flag for the Final Getsuga Tensho, I shifted my main camera back to my personal Valley of Screams.
This space is made of my own soul-matter—the Blanks. It's essentially an extension of my own body. Since it's different from a Zanpakuto's inner world, I can bring in outside objects or lifeforms, and I can deploy, store, or move the Valley itself at will. That's how I was able to catch and release the Cleaner to help Lord Aizen earn those extra "Style Points."
Now then.
To defeat Lord Aizen, we need to power up young Ichigo Kurosaki. Having a convenient space like this makes things much easier. Since my previous blunders actually ended up working out in a good way, I might as well put them to use. I'll use my Valley of Screams to handle the final adjustments—like tweaking his "White" seal—before the final boss fight.
And so...
"I hereby declare the first ever 'Momo's House Party'! To celebrate, I'm going to remodel this ridiculously huge Valley of Screams! Everyone, let's have a round of applause!"
—Clap clap clap!— —Yay! Big Sister!—
"Um... Master? That Zangetsu boy... his heart is completely broken. Are you sure it's okay to just leave him like that?"
—He's like dried squid; the more you beat him, the better he tastes— —Actually, breaking here gives him the perfect OSR chance to overcome his trauma!— —We have his dad, Captain Unohana, and 'Visored Momo' looking after him, so he's in good hands—
"I... I see. If you say so."
My roommate, Tobime, and the Momodama thought-forms were getting all hyped up about Ichigo. This is the first time I've invited a guest here (not counting the Cleaner), so as a host, I have to provide top-tier hospitality.
"I suppose as a woman, I can't welcome a gentleman into such a dull, empty place. I agree with you, Master."
—Tobime is so feminine— —Even if she's a bit high-maintenance— —Shh! Don't say it out loud!—
"Did you say something?"
"Alright, alright! Quiet, everyone!"
Honestly, they're always bickering. While keeping my rowdy roommates in check, I looked around the Valley of Screams—a place I'd become intimately familiar with during my month-long recovery from "Toshiro-nium" deficiency.
The Valley of Screams ruled by the "Dark Ones" in the movie was like a surreal Grand Canyon filled with Japanese doors and shutters, but mine lacked that kind of avant-garde style.
"Looking at it again, this place really is a joke..."
In front of me was a flat, monochromatic pink sky and an endless, inorganic floor. It looked like a 3D modeling screen with the textures missing. Even the white backgrounds in the original manga had more detail than this. God damn it.
If I appeared before Ichigo in my current state—slimy wings and tattered robes—the aesthetic would be way too confusing. I need to welcome him in a more stylish and familiar environment. I'm sure the Great Creator himself would approve.
Now that Tobime and the others had quieted down, we moved to the main agenda.
"First, I'm looking for remodeling ideas for this restless world. Any suggestions?"
—Ooh! How about we recreate the Zangetsu world as a tribute to Ichigo?— —Just change the color from blue to our pink!— —It would be so meaningful and stylish!—
Surprisingly, the Momodamas actually had a good idea. As they said, "meaningful style" is crucial. A protagonist entering a mysterious world to gain power or undergo training is a guaranteed way to rake in OSR points.
Since Tobime didn't have meta-knowledge of the series, I explained the visual of the Zangetsu world to her: an endless skyscraper city in shades of navy blue, tilted on its side...
"I can visualize it," Tobime said, "but in terms of being 'unsettling,' isn't that just as bad as this place?"
—...—
"..."
The Momodamas fell silent. Tobime's feminine logic was hard to argue with.
—Fine! Then how about the Zangetsu world in its despair state?— —Karakura Town submerged in water— —You can't say a familiar hometown isn't 'cozy'!—
"Excuse me? Do you think anyone feels 'at home' in a city drowned under the ocean? Besides, if you turn a blue world pink, it'll be a nightmare for the eyes. Did your common sense vanish during your near-ascension?"
—Uwaaaa! Big Sister! Tobime is bullying us!—
Yeah, I didn't really have a comeback for that either.
Deciding that silence was the better part of valor, I ignored the crying Momodamas. Then, Tobime—the anti-Zangetsu-world advocate—came up with an interesting alternative.
"You don't need to submerge it. If he's trying to reach Karakura Town, why not simply recreate it here in this Valley?"
—Ugh, really?— —The Soul Society already did that with the Tenkai Kechu!— —Tobime, you don't understand style! That's a total copycat move!—
"Be quiet and listen. The heart of a banquet is elegance. And elegance means making the guest feel welcome with things they find nostalgic—like the scenery or the food of their hometown."
While I was impressed by her sudden focus on traditional aesthetics, I was still skeptical. Tobime raised a finger as she continued.
"Of course, simply recreating Karakura Town like the Gotei 13 did would be unoriginal. My suggestion is to recreate a specific scene that only someone who has known him for a long time would know—a landscape he finds profoundly nostalgic."
—...Oh!—
The Momodamas and I all realized it at once. That... that actually sounded mysterious and very interesting.
With a mischievous smile at our positive reaction, Tobime voiced her brilliant idea.
"Specifically, I'm thinking—"
It was a scenery that served as the root of Ichigo Kurosaki's existence. It was the perfect stage for our reunion.
***
How much time had passed?
For a boy who had been a middle schooler just six months ago—no, for any rational being—the truth was too heavy to bear. Ichigo Kurosaki knelt on the melted asphalt, staring blankly at the open Senkaimon.
Had Aizen already reached the Soul Society? Had he reached the real Karakura Town to harvest its souls and destroy it?
His friends—Tatsuki, Keigo... they were all there.
And...
"Yuzu... Karin..."
Ichigo's vision blurred with tears.
He had hated himself for being weak, for losing his mother and failing to protect those he loved. Then he met Rukia and finally gained the power to protect his family from Hollows. He had saved his benefactor, his classmates, and the friends who fought beside him.
He had been happy. He had been proud.
He thought he had finally moved past the helpless version of himself that could only be protected by his mother.
And yet.
"Ah... h..."
His body wouldn't move. He couldn't even grip his sword.
He couldn't stand. He couldn't run. He couldn't fight.
As a brother, he couldn't even protect the family he had left.
"I don't... want this..."
Ichigo gasped with grief. He knew he had to stand up, grab his blade, and fight. But the mere memory of Aizen's astronomical spiritual pressure made his legs shake. The truth the Demon King had revealed was drowning his heart in darkness.
How could he fight a monster like that? A being that surpassed even the Hinamori-monster—an elephant compared to his own ant-like existence. A man who had orchestrated every event in his life like a puppet master.
"It's... impossible..."
Everything had been a setup. The battles with the Arrancars and the Gotei 13, his Soul Reaper and Hollow powers, his meeting with Rukia.
His very birth as a human.
Even his parents' meeting.
"What... am I?"
Who am I? He asked himself.
Everything was a lie. He was just an actor in a script, playing a role that had been assigned to him. He was a hollow clown, exactly as Aizen had said.
Nothing was real. His sixteen years of life, which he thought had weight, were all just an illusion.
That was him...
"Ichigo Kurosaki."
A voice called out to him. It was a clear, gentle female voice, reminiscent of his mother in his fading memories.
He turned toward the source and saw Captain Retsu Unohana, who had looked after him so much in the Garganta. She was currently performing Healing Kido on his battered father, Isshin Kurosaki.
"I have finished the emergency treatment. Your father would like to speak with you."
"Speak...?"
Unohana took his raspy reply as consent and helped Isshin sit up.
"Ichigo... are you... okay...?"
"Dad!"
Seeing his father struggling to breathe, Ichigo rushed to his side. The fact that his body moved so easily, despite his previous paralysis, was a testament to the strength of his love for his family.
Ichigo slumped his shoulders in self-loathing. What right do I have to act like this now? Isshin stared at him.
"You idiot son of mine... stop making such a pathetic face!"
"Shut up..." Ichigo muttered, gripping his robes. "...I'm not your son."
A single tear fell as the words finally escaped him.
"Huh?"
"I'm not... I'm not worthy of being called your son."
It was true. He was just an experimental animal born for a monster's amusement. He was the source of the Kurosaki family's misfortune. He was a man born only to be a stepping stone for Aizen's research. His kind mother and his annoying-but-beloved father had only met because Aizen had pushed them together to create a freak like him.
Yuzu and Karin were in danger right now because he had been born. Their brother was the reason they were being targeted.
"I didn't quite catch that. You're not my what?"
"You heard me! I'm not your son, I'm just—"
"THWACK!!"
"GAH!?"
A dull pain exploded in Ichigo's head. He realized his dad had just headbutted him. But Isshin himself was currently writhing in even more pain than Ichigo.
"Wha...?"
"Ow! Ow! My wounds...!"
"Hey! Dad, are you okay!?"
"Psych! Just kidding! Bwahahaha!"
"Don't screw with me!!"
Ichigo reflexively retorted. Isshin looked at him with an exasperated expression.
"Hmph. Finally snapped out of it? Consider that payback for what you did to Toshiro."
"Oh..."
Ichigo realized his heart felt surprisingly lighter. He remembered doing the exact same thing to Toshiro earlier to snap him out of his despair. He gave a small, self-deprecating chuckle at the irony.
But.
"Can you fight, Ichigo?"
Even if he felt lighter, the facts hadn't changed. He was still Aizen's plaything—a jinx who brought danger to his family and everyone he had tried to protect. He was a hollow doll whose destiny was to die in obscurity after being discarded by the Demon King.
"You can't fight, can you?"
Ichigo lowered his head in silence. Isshin's voice grew cold.
"What about Yuzu and Karin? Are you going to abandon the two girls who look up to you as their brother?"
"No! Don't be stupid! There's no way I could do that!!"
Ichigo flared up instantly. It was an impulsive, reflexive reply, but Isshin's stern face immediately softened.
"Then there isn't a problem, is there?"
"Huh?"
"A man born from the woman I loved... a man who wants to protect my daughters as their brother. If a man like that isn't my son, then what is he?"
Ichigo gasped. A mixture of joy and guilt tightened his chest. The "experimental animal" finally reclaimed his pride as a human being.
"Besides, Ichigo."
"—Do you really think the boy your mother gave her life to protect could be anything other than our son?"
***
Ichigo raced down the dark, eerie path.
The light from the gateway he had entered was long gone. He was used to the sight of the scattered bones and strange debris by now—this was his third time here.
"So the current really has stopped..."
Ichigo glanced at the frozen, writhing walls on either side. This was the Dangai, the passage between the World of the Living and the Soul Society.
But this time, it was different.
There were no dimensional distortions leaking from the walls, and the Cleaner—which usually patrolled the area once every seven days—was nowhere to be seen, leaving only traces of its destruction. The Dangai was as silent as a grave. He had always thought it was a gloomy place, but this stillness was even more unsettling.
"This spot should do..."
Ichigo sat down on the bone-strewn ground and crossed his legs. He remembered the protocol: place the Zanpakuto across his lap and meditate. He recalled his father's words from just a few moments ago.
『—That state is called Blade Zen (Jinzen).』
After Unohana had silenced Isshin—who was still trying to fight despite being near death—the father had offered Ichigo a final piece of advice.
『Blade Zen?』
『Yeah. It's the foundation of all Soul Reaper swordsmanship. We use it to enter our Zanpakuto's inner world to converse and bond with our spirits.』
『The inner world...』
Ichigo had experienced it before. It was that metropolis of navy blue skyscrapers where he had received power from Zangetsu and fought his inner Hollow.
『...I heard this from Urahara, so take it with a grain of salt.』
Isshin had gotten serious then.
『According to his analysis, your Zanpakuto is unique. It's undergoing a "generational inheritance of abilities" that shouldn't be possible.』
『Like your Getsuga Tensho?』
Isshin had nodded. Apparently, that was one of the reasons Urahara was so certain.
『Now, here's the gamble.』
Ichigo had straightened his posture at his father's grim expression.
『My Engetsu has a special technique—a power that transcends even Bankai. The backlash is astronomical, but it's an invincible move that can cut down anyone.』
『What...!?』
『I'm betting that you've inherited this. I'm betting on your Zangetsu. With your massive spiritual pressure and your unique physiology, you should be able to minimize the backlash and obtain a blade that can reach Aizen. You're going to be the one to knock that god-wannabe off his throne!』
Isshin's eyes had been full of resolve. Ichigo realized what his father was saying: Use your own hands to shatter your stupid destiny. Aizen thought he had built a stepping stone, so Ichigo was going to knock him right off it.
『The name of the technique is...』
And then, his father had told him.
"The Final Getsuga Tensho, huh..."
Ichigo whispered the name in the silence of the Dangai.
It sounded like a desperate, tragic move. Ichigo focused his mind on the blade across his lap. Honestly, he was terrified. Doubts filled his mind. Who am I? Is this right? Can I really beat him? He didn't know. But this was the only path left for him to take.
"I'm counting on you, Zangetsu!"
There was no room for hesitation. He closed his eyes and braced himself, entering Blade Zen with his soul.
Isshin had said the Dangai was currently a stagnant world where the flow was blocked and the Cleaner had been destroyed. It was a space isolated from the outside world where time was nearly infinite—the perfect place to train.
A few moments later...
"..."
After the strange sensation of diving into water, a faint blue light hit his eyelids. He had reached the inner world.
"What!?"
But when he opened his eyes, he didn't see the navy blue skyscrapers.
"The town... no, is this Karakura Town!?"
Below him was his hometown, submerged under water. Stunned by the sight, Ichigo frantically looked for the master of this world.
And then, just beneath the surface of the water, he saw several small figures.
"What are you doing here, Ichigo?"
The first was a young man dressed in black. He looked like Zangetsu, yet he looked down at Ichigo with a voice and a face he didn't recognize.
『Good grief. I told you to listen to my warnings, didn't I?』
The second was his white Hollow self. He wore his Bankai form—the one with the twin horns on his mask that Orihime had told him about. He looked at Ichigo with a mixture of exasperation and pity.
And finally...
『I've been waiting for you, Ichigo.』
The final mystery of Ichigo's life. A person of tragedy who shared a similar—yet far more complex—secret as he did.
A girl in white Soul Reaper robes, wearing a Hollow mask, called his name in a sorrowful voice.