__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ichigo had finally managed to hold his ground through sheer determination.
Gin tilted his head and said with that sly smile, "What're you so surprised about, huh?"
Ichigo braced himself against the infinitely extending blade of Shinso. "You've got your Bankai, and I've got mine. Why wouldn't my Bankai be able to block yours?"
Roaring, Ichigo's Zangetsu erupted with a surge of black and red energy, blasting Shinso away with an explosive shockwave.
Gin's eyes widened a little. "Well, damn. You really are something scary, huh?"
Ichigo grabbed a massive chunk of stone and hurled it at him, but Gin's blade flared with countless streaks of light. The boulder shattered instantly.
In that same moment, Shinso shrank back to its short form, and Gin raised it with a lazy grin. "You're getting too dangerous. Guess I'll have to punish you a bit while I can."
"Otherwise," he added with a chilling softness, "you'll be a real pain later."
Ichigo's eyes widened. When did he shorten the blade?
Was I distracted? No… I've been watching his sword the whole time! There's no way I could've missed that!
Gin spread his arms slightly, posture loose but ready. "So, what should I do next?"
"My Bankai just got blocked in one shot… guess that means I'll have to fight you the old-fashioned way."
In a flash, he charged. The two clashed at blinding speed, sparks flying every time their Zanpakutō met midair.
Gin attacked relentlessly while Ichigo struggled to keep up. Their movements were so fast it was hard to see anything but flashes of steel.
"Man," Gin laughed between strikes, "that's one hell of a sword you've got. Feels like mine's gonna snap every time we clash!"
Ichigo retreated a few steps. "You sure talk a lot. How about I actually make that happen, huh?"
If I'm right, Ichigo thought, he didn't cancel his Bankai—he just pulled the blade back in.
Their duel grew faster, more ferocious. Ichigo's heart pounded as realization dawned.
If I'm right… then the moment he points that blade at me, I'm done for!
Ichigo swung with everything he had, forcing Gin to slide back several meters. Then, Gin's blade flared with a strange white light—
—and in the blink of an eye, Shinso slashed across Ichigo's shoulder. Blood splattered into the air.
Ichigo dodged hard to the left as Shinso plunged into the ground.
BOOM!
The impact blew the battlefield apart in a cloud of smoke and debris.
Using the rubble as a springboard, Ichigo shot forward. "At this range—!"
But Shinso suddenly snapped back into short form, faster than sight, meeting Ichigo's killing strike head-on.
The clash sent Gin sliding back until he landed atop a ruined building.
Ichigo glared. "Just as I thought!"
"The real danger of your Bankai isn't its length or its power—it's the speed you extend and retract it!"
He pointed his blade at Gin. "Now I get it. When you told me the length didn't matter, that was just to throw me off."
"You even split the street on purpose, didn't you? A little show to distract me from how fast your blade actually moves!"
(No, Ichigo, he just wanted to look cool while slacking off…)
"Am I right?"
Gin smirked. "Wow, you figured that out after just one exchange? And you even managed to dodge it the second time. Terrifying… you're only gonna get scarier from here."
"Well, since the secret's out, I might as well tell you."
"The speed at which Shinso extends—" Gin clapped once, grinning wider, "—is five hundred times faster than before!"
"It's not the longest Zanpakutō," he said, "it's the fastest."
"Even if you know that, you're not gonna win."
Ichigo's eyes went wide.
Then Gin moved. Shinso shot forward, and the two clashed again, their speed beyond human comprehension. Only streaks of shadow and flashes of steel lit up the battlefield.
Ichigo gritted his teeth. Stay focused. Don't get distracted by the blade—watch his movements. The instant he shifts into a thrust, that's when he'll strike. Don't let that blade point at you!
Gin's sword twitched—and Ichigo jumped back instinctively.
Gin chuckled. "Relax, I was just teasing you."
Then he lunged again.
Every time Gin so much as shifted his stance, Ichigo flinched, unable to counter. The duel became a deadly dance—Gin pressing, Ichigo hesitating.
"You're scared," Gin said lightly, "too scared."
Ichigo's face hardened. "Shut up, you bastard! I'll snap that sword in two!"
"Oh yeah? Go ahead and try."
They charged at each other, blades crashing again and again until sparks filled the air.
Suddenly, Shinso shot forward at full length—Ichigo didn't even have time to dodge before he was blasted back, smashing straight through a building.
BOOM!
Dust erupted across the battlefield.
Aizen and Isshin's own fight halted as they turned to look.
(Feels like Gin deliberately aimed that near Aizen…)
Then, with a roar, Ichigo burst out of the wreckage, Zangetsu slashing upward and knocking Shinso aside.
Under Gin's control, the blade instantly retracted, and Ichigo leapt free of the ruins.
Gin grinned. "Not bad! You actually blocked that one. Even if it was pure luck, color me impressed."
Ichigo wiped the blood from his mouth. "Who said it was luck, asshole?"
Isshin blinked. "Ichigo!"
"What is it now?" Ichigo shouted back. "Don't yell while I'm fighting!"
"Just give me a few minutes—this'll be over soon!"
Isshin smiled faintly, as if reading something deeper behind Ichigo's words.
Gin turned toward Aizen. "Sorry, Captain Aizen—did we interrupt your little chat?"
The Hōgyoku embedded in Aizen's chest pulsed with eerie light. "Not at all. We'd just finished talking."
Ichigo felt the immense spiritual pressure radiating from him. "Dad… what the hell is that thing? What's happening to him?"
Isshin grimaced. "How should I know? One second I'm fighting him, next thing I know—you're flying straight at me!"
...
[Live Comment Stream]
Byakuya Kuchiki (Bleach):The Hōgyoku… I'd like to have one. Imagine always getting what I desire.
Vegeta (Dragon Ball):Why does everyone in this world talk so damn much before fighting?
Aizen (Bleach):A grand plan is better enjoyed when shared, don't you think?
Zoro (One Piece):That Gin guy's sword can extend and retract like that? What kinda nonsense weapon is that?
Gin Ichimaru (Bleach):Told you already—it's about speed, not length.
Zoro: …Naruto:Whoa! That Gin guy's strong—and his weapon's super weird!
Genos (One Punch Man):These opponents are formidable… but I believe only my master could defeat them.
...
[On-screen scene]
From the Hōgyoku embedded in Aizen's abdomen, waves of white mist poured out.
"How fitting," Aizen murmured. "A name like 'Hōgyoku' suits it perfectly."
"It marks the horizon that separates gods from mortals."
"The power to erase everything in its path…"
Suddenly, a red beam of energy shot clean through Aizen's body.
Everyone froze in shock. Aizen turned his head slightly. "So, you've arrived, Kisuke Urahara?"
On a nearby rooftop, Urahara stood with his green-striped cloak fluttering in the wind.
"Long time no see, Aizen."
Aizen smiled faintly. "A hundred years, wasn't it?"
Urahara lifted his gaze. "Yeah… and in that time, you've really outdone yourself with the fashion choices."
Aizen's voice was calm, almost amused. "Everything must grow uglier before it evolves."
And just like that, the hole through his chest closed, leaving him completely unharmed.
"..."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________