Ichigo Kurosaki plunged into his own inner world, seeking the ultimate technique of his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu: the Final Getsuga Tensho.
He awakened in a mysterious, submerged city—a stark departure from the strange blue skyscrapers he had visited before. There, he encountered three figures.
A young man clad in black. A white-clad version of his inner Hollow. And a girl in white, wearing a Hollow mask.
The white version of himself adjusted his unsettling twin-horned mask and sneered at Ichigo.
"You look pretty pathetic, don't you? King."
The voice echoed through the water. It was identical to his own, yet it was so filled with malice that it was hard to believe it belonged to him.
"Shut up. Why the hell are you back here!?"
"What, you already forgot? Man, you're as slow as ever."
As Ichigo questioned him, he remembered. He had subdued this Hollow during his previous trial and, with the advice of the masked girl beside him, had reached a small level of understanding. To face another "revolt" after only a few days was infuriating, but his attention was pulled away by another voice.
"Ichigo."
It was a young man's voice. Standing between the other two was a black-haired youth dressed entirely in black.
"Who are you...?"
"Answer my question. What did you come here for?"
As he asked again, the youth raised his right hand. The moment he swung it down, a pitch-black blade manifested in his grip.
"Tensa Zangetsu...!?"
"Yes. It's me, Ichigo."
The youth nodded at the stunned Ichigo. Though his appearance was different, his mannerisms reminded Ichigo of "Old Man Zangetsu," giving him a strange sense of déjà vu.
The youth explained that this was Zangetsu's form during Bankai. Since this was Ichigo's first time entering his inner world while in a state of Bankai in the outside world, this was his first meeting with this version of his spirit.
Ichigo swallowed hard as he observed the three of them.
This was the first time all the inhabitants of his inner world had appeared before him at once, and all of them were radiating intense killing intent. Even the masked girl—the only one who had originally welcomed him—looked far more tense than she had during his previous Hollowfication training.
—This time, Zangetsu is going to go wild.
His father's words flashed through his mind. It seemed this trial would be tougher than any he had faced before. Ichigo steadied his breathing and spoke with resolve.
"I have something to ask you."
"Ask? You mean about the Final Getsuga Tensho?"
"!"
As he suspected, they were aware of everything happening in the outside world. Their hostile attitude confirmed Isshin's warning: Zangetsu desperately did not want to teach him this technique.
"I see. Well... I don't have a choice! You have to teach me!"
Ichigo gripped his sword, his battle spirit flaring. Outside, Yuzu, Karin, and Tatsuki were still in danger from Aizen. He had to obtain the power to fight back immediately.
"And why is that my concern?"
"What?"
Zangetsu, who had always listened to Ichigo's resolve, dismissed his feelings with cold indifference.
"I don't care what happens to the things you want to protect!"
"What!?"
Suddenly, the youth in black kicked off the water. He lunged with a speed that defied logic. Ichigo managed to evade the strike, narrowly avoiding a lethal blow.
"Get out of this world, Ichigo! There is nothing for you here!"
"Damn it! What's wrong with you, Zangetsu!? I thought you were lending me your power for a reason!"
This was the first time. The first time Zangetsu had attacked him with genuine hostility. Betrayed by the one he had always considered an ally, Ichigo screamed in confusion and grief.
"Why... Why is this happening!?"
Is he part of it too? The words "crossbreeding experiment" echoed in his mind. A Zanpakuto with a rare "generational inheritance" was suspicious from the start. Was even Zangetsu a power orchestrated by Aizen? Was that why he wouldn't teach Ichigo how to defeat him? The world around him felt like it was drowning in the sludge of his own doubt.
"You're wrong."
Suddenly, a voice cut through the filth of his thoughts. Ichigo spun around and saw the third figure—the masked girl—clenching her fists.
"He... we are not on Sosuke Aizen's side."
"!"
"We are on your side, Ichigo, and yours alone!"
Her declaration was filled with intense emotion. He couldn't see her face, but the raw sincerity in her voice made it impossible for Ichigo to dismiss her words as a lie.
"You expect me to believe that...? Then why—"
"You want to know 'why we won't help you'?"
The youth in black, Tensa Zangetsu, spoke from behind. He had lowered his sword at the girl's plea, but his face was twisted with anger as he gestured with his free left arm.
"Look at this world, Ichigo! Your world was once a forest of skyscrapers that pierced the heavens, filled with hope! Now it has withered into a pathetic imitation of the town you live in!"
Ichigo's eyes widened. He had been unsettled by the change in this place from the moment he arrived. Zangetsu glared at him.
"This happened because you fell into despair and stopped moving forward."
Ichigo was speechless.
"I have nothing to teach a weakling like you," the youth spat.
Because I stopped moving forward...
Deep down, he knew it was true. But as he tried to look away from the truth, the sorrowful voice beside him pulled him back.
"You found out about your destiny, didn't you?"
The masked girl whispered, her voice full of regret. As the most alien presence there, she alone seemed to grieve for Ichigo's misfortune.
"Did it scare you?" the white version of himself taunted. "The fear of running on rails laid down by someone else?"
"You bastard..."
"How pathetic! And you call yourself our King? Gahahaha!"
"Wh—GAH!"
The Hollow lunged, laughing as he slammed Ichigo into a submerged building. As Ichigo scrambled to regain his footing, more strikes and insults rained down.
"Think back, Ichigo! Remember the rails you've been running on!"
"!"
"Power! Enemies! Combat! You were born with more power than any miracle or coincidence could explain! You were provided with the perfect, ultimate enemy to test that power against! This is the ultimate battle to satisfy the beast's instinct for blood that sleeps deep in our chests! This is the destiny we carry!!"
The white version of himself boasted with genuine delight. To Ichigo, however, it was a disgusting conspiracy.
"Don't screw with me! Because of that 'stupid destiny,' my sisters and my friends are about to be killed!"
"You really don't get it, do you? They're about to be killed for one reason and one reason only. Because you..."
"—are WEAK!!"
Ichigo froze at the roar.
"This isn't about the motives of the guy who laid the rails! Drawing out your power! Devouring your enemies! Winning your battles! That's just the natural order of survival! What are you so afraid of? What is there to despair over!?"
"That's..."
"Shall I tell you? You aren't despairing because you're running on someone else's rails, Ichigo."
His white self lowered his sword and pointed a finger, his voice dripping with pure contempt.
"You're just... scared of Aizen."
It felt like his heart had been hollowed out. A shiver ran through his body, and a ragged breath escaped his lungs.
"Yes, Ichigo," Tensa Zangetsu added, his words cutting deeper. "You are terrified of Sosuke Aizen's bottomless intellect and power."
"Zangetsu..."
"You had already resolved to carry and overcome your destiny before you even came here. The fact that the rain in this world has stopped is proof of that."
Zangetsu pointed toward the surface of the water. The shimmering, warm sunlight was a sign that the clouds were gone.
"But this world has not returned to its former self! That is because your legs are frozen by the enemy's majesty! You are afraid to face him!"
"I... I'm..."
"Why!? Why can you resolve to overcome your destiny, but not to face your enemy!? Where is the boy who refused to give up against Kenpachi Zaraki, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Ulquiorra Cifer!?"
Ichigo lowered his head, silenced by Zangetsu's intensity. The emotions he had tried to suppress began to boil over like a massive whirlpool.
Stop it. What am I supposed to do against a guy like that? He bit his lip to keep the words from escaping.
The terror was etched into his mind, his heart, and his body. A spiritual pressure so heavy it threatened to crush his soul just by being near it. A level of strength that vibrated through his blade with every clash. And the terrifying manipulation of a man who had played with people's lives since before they were born. It was all unknown, a level of power that made his instincts scream that defeat was inevitable.
How am I supposed to fight something like that?
"Remember, Ichigo."
A sorrowful voice brushed against his ears. A small, soft hand touched his cheek. Though it was only within his mind, the touch felt human and incredibly gentle.
"You..."
"Remember the first time you called Zangetsu's name...!"
The masked girl pleaded with him as if offering a prayer. Ichigo replayed her words in his head over and over until he finally understood her intent.
Right. It was the night after Urahara's reckless trial to regain his Soul Reaper powers, back when he had first decided to save Rukia. It wasn't the power he'd taken from her; it was his own new power. During his training to master it, he had been nearly killed by the bucket-hat man's Benihime. As he had run away like a coward, Zangetsu had called out to him with words of encouragement.
They were...
"—The enemy is one. You are one. What is there to fear?"
The moment Ichigo recited the words, the atmosphere around the girl shifted to one of joy. At the same time, a heat began to rise in Ichigo's chest.
"Yes! You have nothing to fear! As long as you believe in yourself, you..."
"—can defeat anyone!"
It was a powerful, unwavering statement. Tensa Zangetsu and the Hollow both wore expressions that said her words were a simple matter of fact.
They were serious. They truly believed that they—that he—could win.
Ichigo let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. I've been acting like a total coward.
『—!!』
In that moment, the world shook.
A massive tremor churned the water, and the town began to collapse. In its place, new buildings erupted from the vertical ground. One after another, skyscrapers rose to pierce the heavens.
This was Ichigo Kurosaki's inner world. The change in his heart brought the rain, submerged the land, and now, built the towers once more.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Ignoring the cataclysm beneath his feet, Ichigo spoke his apology. The fear was gone. The doubt had vanished. He could see the path, his legs were steady, and he was ready to step into the future.
"I've found my resolve. To protect what I want to protect... to stand up no matter how many times I fall... I'm ready to keep moving!"
His eyes were filled with the light of a thousand stars of hope.
"I see."
Tensa Zangetsu nodded at Ichigo's resolve. Beside him, his Hollow self wore a savage grin, and the masked girl clasped her hands together in quiet celebration. It seemed he had finally earned their respect.
"So, how do I get the Final Getsuga Tensho from you guys? Do I have to beat all three of you?"
Ichigo knew he had only reached the starting line. Both Zangetsu and his white self were formidable opponents he would have to fight with everything he had. And if the masked girl was who he suspected, she would be a terrifying enemy as well.
"No."
"What?"
"It's not 'the three of us.'"
The youth in black denied his question. He and the Hollow walked toward each other, ignoring Ichigo's confusion. They both turned their gaze toward their "King."
"The one..." "...you will..." "...fight..."
『...is one.』
In that instant, their bodies began to dissolve into light. Zangetsu and the Hollow turned into spirit particles, while the masked girl transformed into a series of thin chains. They converged into a single mass.
"What the... hell is that!?"
Standing before the stunned Ichigo was a figure in a white coat. Chains were wrapped around his arm and chest, and a single horn protruded from one side of his head. It was a fused version of Tensa Zangetsu.
The man looked up at the speechless Ichigo and spoke slowly.
『—Originally, we were two parts of the same whole.』
The voice was deep, rough, and strangely endearing all at once.
『And to ensure that our massive power does not destroy your immature body, the third acts as a seal.』
"Destroy... me...?"
『That is the true form of the power you have been wielding until now.』
The truth matched what his Hollow self had told him during his previous trial. But to see them physically merge was beyond anything he had imagined. Ichigo swallowed hard. Finally, the reason for the girl's existence was clear. At the same time, his suspicions about her identity were all but confirmed.
With his remaining doubts cleared, Ichigo's morale surged. He prepared to face the embodiment of his own power.
『You said it just now. That you would protect what you love. That you would stand up no matter what.』
Ichigo realized this would be their final question. He gave a short, firm nod.
The white youth accepted his resolve. He gave a single, dismissive "I see," as if shaking something off. As if letting go of something that would never return.
『Then let us test the weight of that resolve...』
『—RIGHT NOW!!』
"Fine with me! I'm going to... PROTECT EVERYONE!!"
In a world of blue where the skyscrapers pierced the sky and the sea was gone, the roars of the spirits echoed.
With the resonance of their twin blades as the signal, Ichigo Kurosaki's final trial began.
***
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