-----
-----
The World of the Living, Urahara Shop
"Something feels off…"
Urahara Kisuke tugged the brim of his hat lower, eyes sharp as he stared at the screen showing the white-haired man guiding the others. "Yoruichi-san, did you notice it too? That guy called Black Blade ( Kokutō ) . He keeps leading Ichigo along, but he's way too familiar with Hell. And there's this subtle sense of wrongness about him."
"Yeah," Yoruichi replied, licking her paw, her tone low. "He claims he's helping Ichigo, but I can't shake the feeling that he's using Ichigo's power. That look in his eyes isn't the look of a simple guide."
Inoue Orihime watched the screen, staring at the sinners bound in chains. Her face was full of worry. "Those sinners… they're terrifying, but they also feel so pitiful. Is this Hell? Endless suffering with no escape…"
Soul Society, First Division
"The fluctuations from Hell are getting stronger."
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni slammed his cane into the ground. His aged eyes flashed with sharp light. "The sinners are becoming active. This is no coincidence. Sasakibe!"
"Yes, Head Captain!"
"Inform the Onmitsukidō. Order Soi Fon to head to the World of the Living immediately to investigate. If the Gates of Hell are truly out of control… I will not hesitate to burn that place clean with Ryūjin Jakka."
Eleventh Division
"Hahahaha! This looks fun as hell!"
Zaraki Kenpachi laughed wildly as he watched Ichigo fight on screen. "That Hell guard looks tough enough to cut. Ichigo's gotten stronger. Makes me want to jump in right now and fight him myself!"
On screen, the battle took a sudden turn.
Crack!
The hundred-meter-tall wave of ice that Rukia had frozen suddenly filled with fractures.
"Don't underestimate the power of Hell, Shinigami!"
Boom!
With a furious roar, the ice exploded apart.
The massive figure of Green Cliff burst free. Instead of charging Rukia directly, he swung his arm hard. What happened next was horrifying. His forearm detached from his body like a rocket, spinning at high speed as it screamed straight toward Rukia's face.
"What?!"
Rukia's pupils shrank. She instinctively flash-stepped backward.
Boom!
The flying arm smashed the ground where she had been standing just moments ago.
"It's not over yet. Hadō Number Thirty-Three: Sōkatsui!"
Rukia twisted her body in midair, palm aimed at Green Cliff. A massive blue fireball detonated point-blank against his chest.
Bang!
Green Cliff was blasted backward, crashing straight into the massive lotus-shaped structure behind him.
"Ichigo! He's in there!"
Inside the Structure
Kurosaki Ichigo was locked in combat with Taikon and Gunjo.
Hearing the chaos outside, the red light in Ichigo's eyes intensified. He didn't want to waste another second.
"Get out of my way!"
Gurgle…
A white bone mask snapped into place over his face. Terrifying Hollow pressure erupted like a volcano.
Gripping Tensa Zangetsu with both hands, Ichigo swung it down at Taikon, Gunjo, and the entire towering lotus structure.
"Getsuga… Tenshō!"
Boom!
A black-and-red slash shot skyward, cleaving the magnificent white lotus cleanly in half from top to bottom.
Forced back by the overwhelming power, Taikon and Gunjo had no choice but to retreat for the moment.
"Now's our chance, Ichigo!"
Kokutō's ghostlike figure appeared beside him. He grabbed Ichigo's shoulder hard. "Don't get stuck fighting them. Your sister is deeper inside. Leave this battle to your friends."
"But…" Ichigo hesitated.
"Go, Ichigo!"
Renji swung Zabimaru, blocking the charging Green Cliff without even looking back. "Don't hold us back. Your goal is only one thing, right?!"
"Kurosaki, leave this to us," Ishida Uryū said calmly, his spirit bow blazing with light. "I've figured out how to deal with that fat one who eats energy. If you lose control here, it'll only make things worse."
Rukia flash-stepped to Ichigo's side, her gaze unwavering. "Trust us. Go!"
"…Yeah. I'm counting on you!"
Ichigo clenched his teeth, turned, and followed Kokutō as they sprinted toward the abyss leading to the next level.
"Trying to run?"
Gunjo's tentacle-like arms stretched out after Ichigo, only to be blocked by a wall of icy white.
"Your opponent… is me." Rukia's Sode no Shirayuki radiated cold as she stared at him.
The Supergod Universe, the Styx Galaxy
The Grim Reaper Karl watched the so-called "Hell" and "Shinigami" on screen, idly twirling a feather pen between his fingers.
"Souls… resentment… the will of Hell…"
"The laws of death in this universe are completely different from ours," Karl murmured, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "No dark data, a world formed purely from spirit particles. If I can fully understand this, it might unlock the secrets behind the fear of the Void."
Angel Nebula
Holy Kesha sat upon her throne, frowning slightly as she watched the tortured sinners.
"That Hell is filled with chaos and brutality," she said calmly. "Even as punishment for sin, the power itself feels far too evil."
Demon One
Morgana, on the other hand, was thoroughly entertained. "Hahaha! This place is amazing! Way more honest than Kesha's hypocritical heaven. Those sinners would make perfect natural demon soldiers!"
Demon Slayer World
"So that's… Hell?"
Deep within the Infinity Castle, Kibutsuji Muzan trembled as he stared at the screen.
He had lived for a thousand years, and nothing terrified him more than death. The Hell shown before him, the endless torment and the despair of wanting to die but being unable to, filled him with a fear he had never known.
"Absolutely… absolutely cannot die!"
"I must conquer the sun! I must become the perfect being! I refuse to end up in a place like that!"
Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters
Shinobu Kocho smiled faintly, her expression complicated. "So that's the fate of evildoers. Looks like even demons have to pay a price after death."
Sanemi Shinazugawa snarled. "Throw every demon in there. Let them taste something worse than death. If we had the power of those Shinigami, killing Muzan would be easy."
The scene shifted again.
Ichigo and Kokutō pushed through layers of fog, reaching an even deeper level of Hell.
The scenery changed completely.
The sky turned an eerie deep blue, while the ground shimmered with yellow light, like a golden sea. The stench of sulfur was thick enough to make one gag.
"This place is—"
Ichigo barely had time to speak.
Splash!
The yellow "surface" below suddenly exploded. A massive blue hand, big enough to blot out the sky, burst forth and grabbed straight for Ichigo.
Another Hell guard, even larger than the last.
"Watch out!"
Kokutō shoved Ichigo away.
Bang!
The giant hand slammed into Kokutō, sending him flying. He crashed hard into distant rocks, blood spraying from his mouth.
"Kokutō!" Ichigo shouted.
The Hell guard didn't stop. Its enormous body rose from the depths, its chest splitting open as countless black chains shot out like venomous snakes, trying to drag Kokutō into the abyss.
"You bastard!"
Something inside Ichigo snapped.
Hollow power exploded from within him. The mask formed instantly, and his body became a black streak of lightning as he crossed hundreds of meters in a blink.
"Break!"
Slash!
Tensa Zangetsu, wrapped in black-and-red energy, cleaved straight into the Hell guard's massive wrist.
Skin that could withstand Kidō shattered like tofu under Ichigo's blade.
The enormous blue hand was severed clean off.
Spinning through the air, Ichigo raised his sword with both hands and roared.
"Getsuga… Tenshō!"
Boom!
A massive black-and-red blast erupted point-blank, punching straight through the Hell guard's chest and blowing its colossal body apart into countless fragments.
Instant kill.
Ichigo landed, his mask shattering away. Ignoring his own exhaustion, he rushed to support the heavily injured Kokutō.
"Hey! Stay with me!"
Kokutō coughed up blood but still smiled. "Cough… don't worry about me. In Hell, getting hurt is just part of daily life…"
"Go… your sister… she's just ahead…"
Guilt and gratitude filled Ichigo's eyes as he looked at the man who had been injured saving him. He failed to notice the faint glint of triumph that flashed through Kokutō's eyes as he lowered his head.
Meanwhile, back on the upper level
"Roar!"
Green Cliff charged at Renji like a living tank, muscles bulging as he bellowed.
"These guys are a pain," Renji muttered, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes sharpened with savage resolve.
"If Shikai isn't enough, then I'll show you… real power."
He slammed Zabimaru into the ground. His spiritual pressure exploded upward, red light shooting into the sky.
"Bankai!"
Rumble!
A massive serpent of bone burst from the earth and coiled around him. No longer a whip, it was a gigantic skeletal snake made of countless vertebrae, crowned with a red mane and radiating the terror of an ancient beast.
"Baboon King… Zabimaru!"
"Crush him!"
With a swing of his blade, the colossal bone serpent opened its jaws and slammed into the charging Green Cliff with unstoppable force.
Boom!
"....."