"Cole's zanpakuto ability is simple—supreme weight, and the power to grow or shrink."
Tessai explained, eyeing the shinigami around him. Their casual looks made him repeat:
"When his zanpakuto first awakened, it already weighed tens of thousands of tons. By now… perhaps a million."
The Vizards gasped, their eyes snapping back to the towering golden pillar.
Many believed the more complex a zanpakuto's power, the stronger it was. But that wasn't true.
Among the captains of Seireitei, most zanpakuto abilities were deceptively simple.
Soi Fong's two-hit kill.
Byakuya's blade of cherry blossoms.
Komamura's black giant.
Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka.
The strength of a zanpakuto lay not in complexity—but whether its power could grow infinitely.
Like Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka. Even in shikai, it unleashed world-ending flames.
Cole's blade, with its ever-increasing weight, was the same kind—holding the potential to be called the strongest zanpakuto.
Tens of thousands of tons were already terrifying. But millions? Tens of millions?
A single swing, and almost no zanpakuto could withstand the blow.
As they whispered, they noticed the tiny black figure gripping the colossal pillar above.
It was like a mantis trying to move a mountain truck.
But then—he really swung it.
The sky howled with gales.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang's sweep whipped storms across Karakura.
Civilians staggered in the streets, blown off their feet.
Cole's laughter boomed as the pillar descended into the endless hollow tide.
"Menos! Here comes your little stick!"
Little stick, he called it. Yet thousands of hollows shrieked in terror, desperate to flee.
Some tried to brace against it with brute force.
Next moment—
BOOM BOOM BOOM…
Explosions rolled in chains. From below, hollows burst apart in waves, scattering as black spirit particles.
When the swing ended, the sky was clear.
From thousands of hollows, only a few dozen remained.
Uryū stood frozen, bow slack.
He had strained to fell two hundred with his arrows. Cole had swung once and erased thousands. The spectacle left him speechless.
"That guy… he can't be human…"
Ichigo muttered, sweat dripping.
Once, he had believed Cole was just a person. Now, he seemed a monster—more fearsome than shinigami themselves.
Rukia stared blankly.
In that moment, Cole seemed even more frightening than her brother.
If her brother took that strike… he'd be bedridden for years.
Brother… you'd better not come to the World of the Living. Or I may have to carry you home…
Her thoughts trailed off.
Above, Cole swung again—twice more. The remaining hollows vanished into nothing.
Then he shrank the staff, grinning down at the three below.
"Hey, don't just watch me work. You've got your own jobs!"
That snapped them out of it. Ichigo, Rukia, and Uryū darted through the streets, cutting down hollows one after another.
The tide in Karakura dwindled fast.
Cole nodded in approval, stepping through the air until he hovered above Karakura First High School.
Below—Orihime Inoue stood before Tatsuki.
Suddenly, a surge of power burst from her body—flowing into her hairpins.
In seconds, they bloomed into six lights, six tiny spirits hovering before her.
"Hello, Orihime, I am Hinagiku!"
"I'm Lily!"
"I am Shun'ō!"
"Shun'ōki!"
"I am Baigon. Pleased to meet you!"
"I am Tsubaki. I'll protect you."
One by one, the Shun Shun Rikka introduced themselves.
But Orihime just blinked, dazed, unable to grasp what had happened.
The only offensive one—Tsubaki—pointed to a charging hollow.
"Hey, woman! We're your partners! Together we're Shun Shun Rikka! Now use me and kill that thing!"
"No, too close!"
Hinagiku rushed forward. "Orihime, I'm Hinagiku. I'll protect you. Do as I say."
Guided by her, Orihime pressed her hands into a triangle before her, shouting:
"Three-Day Shield: I Reject!"
Hinagiku, Baigon, and Lily flew forward, weaving into a yellow shield.
The hollow's palm slammed down—yet the shield didn't break.
"Now use me—Koten Zanshun!"
Tsubaki's voice rang sharp, eager to strike.
Orihime clenched her fists.
"Koten Zanshun—I Reject!"
Black light slashed like a blade, cleaving the hollow clean in half.
But more surged in.
Orihime floundered, unsure which spirits to summon next.
"You fool, hurry and use me—"
Tsubaki snarled, his temper boiling. Only he could attack—without him, defense wouldn't hold forever.
But then—
A golden flash streaked from the sky.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The onrushing hollows exploded in bursts.
Cole landed beside Orihime, ruffling her hair with a smile.
"Well done, Orihime. That was beautiful."
...…
...
(End of Chapter)
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