Roooar!

At the sight of Ren entering the barrier, Ichigo let out a savage, terrifying roar. Ichigo was in a near-complete manifestation of his Hollow power, almost unrecognizable—his skin was entirely white, marked with red tattoos, and he had a tail. His Shihakushō was mostly in tatters.

"Seems you've let your corrupt power get to your head," Ren smirked, his voice distorted by the Hollow's influence, making it unsettling to hear.

Swish!

Suddenly, the enraged Ichigo appeared beside him, swinging Tensa Zangetsu without hesitation, aiming to cleave Ren in two.

"Sakeru!... Yorugami no Mikazuki."

In the next moment, the dark blade shifted in form and color, transforming into a radiant red Shirasaya. Its crimson edge gleamed deeper than sunset, more vibrant than blood itself.

Ren flicked his blade lightly, parrying Tensa Zangetsu's strike.

Boom!

The force behind the two swords was so immense that the rocks below were cleanly crushed. Ichigo was sent flying backward several meters.

Roooaaar!!

A wave of lethal wind surged as Ichigo charged forward again, his body moving more like a beast than a human, his glowing yellow eyes burning with a blind desire to kill.

"Frenzied... but mindless." Ren muttered, pressing the crimson blade in his hand, his expression eerily calm, a stark contrast to the monster before him.

Swish!

Ichigo moved at an incredible speed, vanishing from in front of Ren only to reappear above him in the air, slashing downward with his sword, covering the sky with a black flash that cut through the air itself.

"Getsu—"

Before he could finish the name, Ren slowly raised his head, a wide smile on his lips.

"Slow."

Slash!

Ren swung his blade diagonally, not with a sharp sound but a hollow echo—as if the air itself had been torn. The cut deflected the deadly strike, and the shockwave slammed into the ground behind him, carving a massive, long fissure that stretched for dozens of meters.

Boom!!

The entire area trembled, dust and debris flying in all directions as if a small earthquake had struck. Ichigo landed in front of Ren again, crouched, breathing through his open jaws like a predator, his tail thrashing aggressively behind him.

"...Grrrr..."

His voice was a mix of human and beast, meaningless—pure instinct.

Ren raised his free hand to his neck, rolling his shoulder lazily before saying in a cold tone:

"If you're just a mindless beast... this won't be fun."

Ren raised his hand calmly, pointing it toward Ichigo, who charged at him again on pure instinct, and smirked lightly.

"Bakudō #∞. Mugen Kusari."

His voice was calm and confident as the tip of his finger glowed with a nearly invisible, transparent light, yet it carried an overwhelming reiatsu.

One second before Ichigo reached him—

He stopped.

Not because Ichigo wanted to, but because something invisible coiled around his body like hungry serpents, pulling him back with unnatural force.

Suddenly, chains appeared wrapped around Ichigo's body, though no one—not Yoruichi, Tatsuki, the Visored, or even Ichigo himself—could see or feel them. All they saw were their shadows, visible on Ichigo's skin.

Step!

Ren took a confident step forward, pointing his index and middle fingers directly at Ichigo's forehead, and closed his eyes.

Seconds turned into minutes, but the two remained frozen in the same position, with no sign of movement.

"What is he doing?" Tatsuki asked in confusion, seeing Ren motionless and nothing visibly happening.

"He's invaded Ichigo's inner world." Yoruichi replied with a serious expression, her golden eyes fixed on the siblings.

_

Ichigo's Inner World

The upside-down buildings reflected the sky below, not above. Ichigo's soul remained the same—a pale white world where gravity held no sway, skyscrapers towering upside down as if about to fall into an endless abyss.

But unlike usual, the place was far from silent. Two black-and-white figures clashed fiercely throughout the area.

"..." Ren stood firmly nearby, staring at the two, a grim look on his face.

It wasn't the sight of the two fighting fiercely that troubled him—he had expected this scene upon arrival. What darkened his expression was the realization of something he hadn't anticipated by entering Ichigo's inner world.

"Zangetsu..." Ren muttered as he looked at White Ichigo, realizing something utterly shocking.

White Ichigo, whom he had believed represented Ichigo's Hollow power, was actually the Zanpakutō spirit.

This realization hit him like a train moving at 300 km/h, leaving him slightly dizzy.

"If White Ichigo is the Zanpakutō spirit, then who is Old Zangetsu?" For the first time, Ren was genuinely confused. He couldn't fully comprehend what was unfolding before him—his past memories pointed to one thing, but reality was something else entirely.

"It's simple. The man you call Old Zangetsu is the Quincy Power Manifestation." A familiar, resonant voice echoed in Ren's ears as a familiar figure appeared beside him.

Black hair cascading like ink, blood-red eyes, and a beautiful black dress adorned with white lace at the hem.

"Mikazuki!!" At the sight of this familiar figure, he could only exclaim in surprise. More than a month ago, Mikazuki had been asleep, unresponsive no matter how much he tried to reach her.

But now, she had emerged from his inner world, and she seemed even stronger than before.

...

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