"C-Cole-kun!!!"
Orihime looked at Cole with delight, almost ready to pounce on him.
But at that moment, memories that had been cut away and altered suddenly resurfaced in her mind.
Instantly, Orihime's face flushed red, and she lowered her head, not daring to meet Cole's gaze.
A black fairy-like spirit flew in front of Cole, hunching its back as it spoke:
"Hey, big guy, that Hollow just now was clearly my prey! You snatched it away — aren't you going to apologize to me?"
Hollow-bird quickly flapped its wings and flew over: "Fairy, you can't talk like that. Cole-san is Orihime's good friend."
Mei sternly said: "Soul, don't talk nonsense. Orihime has always liked Cole very much."
"That's right, that's right!"
Sola flew over excitedly: "Orihime always wanted to be Cole-kun's girlfriend, begging you two (so cute…)"
The little ones kept speaking the truth. Tatsuki, bound up in mysterious red ribbons like a dumpling, struggled nearby.
"You guys… stop talking nonsense…"
"It's not nonsense, you obviously like Cole-san."
"Orihime, happiness is something you must grasp for yourself."
"Do you want me to knock this guy out and carry him home for you?"
"…."
Cole curiously looked at the six little fairies.
He had to admit, the Soul Reaper world was indeed strange. He had no idea how these six little spirits were born.
Despite just being created, each one had self-awareness, completely different personalities, and it even felt like they had known each other for years.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Cole glanced at the restraining spirit rushing toward him, smiling as their eyes met.
"Bang!"
The restraining spirit flipped several times in the air before finally stabilizing, glaring angrily at Orihime:
"Foolish woman, I am the strength within your heart! You're so weak — how can you possibly unleash my power to defeat enemies?"
Hearing this, Cole was stunned.
Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka (Six Flowers of the Hibiscus Shield)… it was an ability even Aizen called one that trespassed upon the realm of the gods, able to reject everything.
But this broken ability barely played a role in the original story.
Clearly, this was because of Orihime's own personality.
"Cole-kun…"
Orihime's flushed face looked toward Cole.
Cole smiled and pointed at Tatsuki beside her.
"Orihime, treat Tatsuki first. Her injuries aren't serious, but if it goes on like this, she'll end up hospitalized for days."
As if waking from a dream, Orihime nodded. After a brief exchange with the fairies, she raised her hands toward Tatsuki:
"Souten Kisshun (Twin Heavenly Shields, I Reject)!"
Sola and Ayame flew out, circling Tatsuki as two protective shields emerged.
The wounds on Tatsuki's body began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, bit by bit until completely restored.
Yet she still looked uneasy.
Cole's eyes flashed with light. He had also learned Kaido (Healing Arts), but he had no idea how Orihime's ability worked.
Orihime's power didn't seem like healing.
It was more like reversing time, creating from nothing, rewriting cause and effect.
"No wonder it's called a power that trespasses upon the realm of the gods!"
With a boom, Cole soared into the sky again, catching sight of Chad.
Even though Chad couldn't see Hollows clearly, he still charged forward to protect Karin, felling one Hollow after another with his fists.
In the process of saving her, Chad threw a punch.
At that moment, his left arm was covered in red and black patterns. With a roar, he smashed through the walls of the street.
"The right arm of the giant, the left arm of the devil… so this is the power."
Cole nodded slightly.
He felt that even until the end of the original story, Chad never fully developed his ability. If he had, it could definitely rival a captain's combat power.
Suddenly, the sky cracked open.
A black fissure, like a gateway to Hell, tore across the heavens.
Huge black hands clawed at the edges, trying to widen the rift.
The owners of these hands were massive, mask-wearing Hollows, monstrous and terrifying.
Ichigo had just slain a Hollow when he looked up and froze.
"Rukia, what is that!?"
Sweat ran down Ichigo's face as he turned toward Rukia.
He had fought many Hollows, but never anything so terrifying.
It wasn't just their skyscraper-sized bodies, but the crushing pressure that far surpassed ordinary Hollows.
"That's Gillian, Menos Grande, the lowest of the Menos. They're born from over a hundred Hollows devouring one another."
Rukia looked gravely at the multiple Gillian.
She never expected that the Hogyoku, which normally only attracted ordinary Hollows, would draw in eight Gillian.
"It's over…"
Uryu's face turned pale with horror.
"How could Gillian appear… and in such numbers? If they enter the Human World…"
Just imagining the outcome left him trembling.
Uryu turned to Ichigo, gritting his teeth:
"Ichigo, the enemies are Gillian. Do you have the confidence to fight them with me?"
He hated the idea of cooperating with a Soul Reaper, but to protect Karakura Town, he had no choice.
Ichigo raised Zangetsu, about to answer, when Rukia slapped his shoulder:
"Ichigo, Uryu, your mission isn't to fight those monsters — it's to evacuate the Human World immediately!"
"Don't joke, Soul Reaper!"
Uryu shouted, pointing at the Gillian forcing their way out, his face pale:
"Each one has captain-level combat power, and they can even use Cero (Hollow Flash)…"
After describing their terror, he continued loudly:
"You're a Soul Reaper too, aren't you afraid of them?"
"Of course I know!"
Rukia snapped, her eyelid twitching as she recalled what she had seen earlier.
Even captains and lieutenants from a hundred years ago had been wiped out. What were seven or eight Gillian compared to that?
She herself couldn't defeat them.
But a single lieutenant with the right zanpakuto could easily crush these Gillian.
And if not, wasn't Cole still nearby?
After witnessing his overwhelming strength, she now had unshakable trust in him.
"Cole…"
Uryu recalled the moment of shock he'd just experienced, but still felt uneasy.
"Cole's zanpakuto is only in shikai. Against ordinary Hollows it might be fine, but against Gillian…"
Rukia silently thought otherwise.
She doubted any Gillian's head was harder than Soi Fong's.
As the two debated, Cole appeared, dragging his massive golden staff like a god, right before the rift.
Staring at the Gillian already halfway out, he swung the staff down without hesitation.
"I'm not interested in playing whack-a-mole. Get back down!"
"Boom!"
With a single swing, the Gillian — towering like skyscrapers — were smashed back into the rift.
Without their force pulling it open, the rift in space began to heal.
Below, Uryu's jaw hung open, unable to close for a long while.
"Uryu, why are you just standing there? I already wiped out all the Hollows in Karakura Town. Even if you're lazy, this is too much."
Ichigo scowled at him.
In his mind, Uryu, as a Quincy, should be faster and more efficient than him. Yet he just stood there dumbfounded.
Snapping back to reality, Uryu's eyes flickered uneasily as he stared at the restored sky.
"That human… is he really human?"
According to Ichigo, Cole wasn't an ordinary human.
But to Uryu, Cole seemed like someone who had been a Soul Reaper for a thousand years already.
"I am human!"
Suddenly, Cole's voice rang out from behind him.
Uryu nearly jumped out of his skin, cold sweat dripping as he turned.
The moment he saw Cole's face, he swallowed hard, remembering that he had once wanted to fight him.
Now he realized that if Cole so much as poked him with that golden staff, his father would be preparing his funeral tomorrow.
Before long, the situation calmed down.
Cole yawned, the nearby Hollows all having been slaughtered by him.
"Urahara-san, not only did you two skip helping, but you're just watching? Hurry up and clean the battlefield."
The ones called out were Urahara Kisuke and Tessai.
The corners of their mouths twitched before they reluctantly moved to help.
After a busy day, even Kisuke wiped sweat from his forehead, sighing:
"Those two really are too much…"
"Cough, Urahara-san…"
Cole coughed lightly, walking toward him.
Kisuke immediately became wary: "Don't even think about it. I'm not lending you my underground training hall. It'll take thirty years to repair."
"What do you take me for?"
Cole patted Kisuke's shoulder, grinning.
"I came here to introduce you to some promising talents. With your guidance, they might make you famous in Soul Society someday."
Cole beckoned Orihime and Chad over.
Kisuke's eyes narrowed.
He had already seen everything that had happened to them, and he was fascinated by their newly awakened powers.
Yet, shaking his head, he looked sternly at Cole.
"Cole-san, you know my situation. If I become famous in Soul Society, it'll be my death."
He lived in a gray area, unable to expose himself.
Cole scratched his chin, then smirked:
"Urahara-san, if you don't help us, then when we die and go to Soul Society, we'll complain about you every single day."
Kisuke nearly spat blood.
This brat…
When bribes didn't work, he resorted to threats!?
Forcing a smile, Kisuke pushed everyone toward the shop, laughing:
"Fine, Cole-san. How about this — we'll spar first. If you win, I'll guide them properly."
"You and me, sparring?"
Cole raised an eyebrow in interest.
"Bankai!?"
If Kisuke used his bankai, Cole had little chance of victory.
But Kisuke chuckled: "Didn't expect you to know about bankai. Don't worry, I won't use it."
He assumed Cole had heard of it from the Visored.
Hearing that, Cole grew eager. He too wanted to test Kisuke's strength.
"All right then! Where should we fight? Your underground hall is nearly destroyed. Can it even handle us?"
Kisuke's face darkened instantly.
He had forgotten that his pride and joy was already near collapse.
"Hirako's barrier space…"
"That's about to collapse too."
Kisuke was speechless.
Was this brat born under the star of destruction? He wrecked every place he fought!
"Fine. I'll make a barrier space now. It should hold."
Moments later, in front of Orihime and Chad, Kisuke created a massive purple barrier.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he asked Cole with a smile:
"Cole-san, how about this barrier?"
Cole, still chatting with Rukia, glanced at it and casually commented:
"You blended in Bakudo #26 Kyokko (Curved Light), #73 Tozansho (Inverse Mountain Crystal), #77 Tenteikura (Heavenly Rickshaws in Silken Air), #94 Kin'rin Sajo (Gold Rope Wraps), and even hints of Bakudo #99 Kin (Seal)."
"With this, the barrier hides itself, making it hard to detect. Inside, it can reflect attacks, making it sturdier. Tozansho and Tenteikura are space-binding spells, strengthening it even further."
"And with #99 Kin, you can completely lock away spirit energy, even freezing the surrounding space instantly."
As Cole spoke fluently, Kisuke's face went blank.
Damn it. How the hell did this kid know all that!?
(End of Chapter)
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