Chapter 428

2-in-1 chapter:

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“Idiot! If you’re going to fight, then fight properly—stop making such weird laughs!”

“What! I’ll laugh however I damn well please!”

“Then get lost and let me handle it!”

“…It’s just laughing, right? Fine, I won’t laugh!”

Hollow Ichigo, looking a bit dejected, backed down.

When they were younger, he could still take advantage of Ichigo now and then.

But as Ichigo grew more skilled at mastering his own strength—and with that damned old man’s help—it had become much harder to mess around in front of him.

Forget it, not worth squabbling with the brat!

Thinking this, he bared his teeth in a silent grin, then pressed the attack, charging straight at Haschwalth.

In just a few seconds, Haschwalth—already thrown off balance—was covered with several deep wounds.

Leaving him with injuries that were nearly fatal, Ichigo raised a hand, dispersing his Hollow mask.

He gripped his sword and turned toward Haschwalth.

“You’ve lost. If you don’t want to die, then leave now.”

“If we keep going, I really will kill you.”

If possible, Ichigo never wanted to kill anyone.

But for Kaelith’s sake, he was willing to break that vow.

All across Seireitei, the scent of blood was everywhere.

Even at just seventeen years old, he understood perfectly what was happening.

There was no doubt about it—this was war.

If he held back out of mercy, not only would the Gotei 13 suffer, but even those without the power to fight would be dragged into it.

That included Kaien, who always got along with him, and the rest of the Shiba family.

Under Ichigo’s gaze, Haschwalth leaned on his longsword, panting heavily.

He raised his head to meet Ichigo’s eyes.

“Kurosaki Ichigo…”

“You truly are strong. Even as His Majesty’s protector, I can’t match you in direct combat.”

“But you are not a true warrior.”

At those words, Ichigo frowned slightly.

“What are you talking about?”

Haschwalth slowly straightened.

“With your strength, if you had simply used your full power to cut me down here, I would have had no chance to resist.”

“But… you’re a gentle person. Even when facing an enemy, you try to leave them a path to live.”

“When fighting someone like me, that kindness will be the reason for your defeat.”

As he spoke, he raised his sword and pointed it at Ichigo.

“Schrift—Balance!”

Behind him, a massive scale appeared, like some kind of Stand ability.

Under Ichigo’s astonished gaze, the scale, which had already been tilted completely to one side, suddenly began to reverse.

Though it moved slowly, the side that had been weighed down started to rise.

Bang!!!

The side that had been at the bottom rose to the top.

The side that had been lifted came crashing down!

In the instant the scale reversed, every deep wound on Haschwalth’s body vanished.

Meanwhile, Ichigo’s body burst open with slashes, forcing him to his knees in a spray of blood!

Staring at the cuts on his body, Ichigo’s eyes widened.

These… these were Zangetsu’s cuts?

From the positions, they matched exactly the attacks he had just landed on Haschwalth!

This guy… he had reflected every wound back onto him?

Was something like that even possible?

Ichigo couldn’t help but feel a surge of disbelief.

Blood poured from his wounds, and his strength rapidly drained away.

Haschwalth, sword in hand, stepped up to him.

“It’s over, Kurosaki Ichigo.”

“Next, I will seal your spiritual power and put you into a deep sleep.”

“When you awaken again, everything will have changed. The world will be as His Majesty desires.”

“In that new world, you will live a life far better than the one you have now.”

Saying this, he raised his sword and thrust toward Ichigo’s shoulder.

Bang!!

Haschwalth’s eyes flew wide.

Under his gaze, the tip of his sword had stopped at Ichigo’s shoulder—unable to pierce even an inch further!

Blue light, like the circuits of a board, spread across Ichigo’s skin.

“Blut Vene?!”

Haschwalth’s voice shook.

A Shinigami… a Shinigami stronger than himself—why could he use Blut Vene?!

The lines of Blut rapidly covered Ichigo’s entire body.

Under its effect, his wounds began to heal quickly.

Gripping Zangetsu, he rose to his feet.

“Haschwalth, you said I was a gentle person—that I didn’t kill you when I had the chance.”

“But aren’t you the same?”

“When I was a child, Kaelith taught me never to be careless before an enemy, and that to protect the ones behind me, even if my hands had to be stained with blood, I must never retreat.”

“I have never forgotten that.”

“The only reason I wanted you to leave was because I didn’t sense any killing intent from your blade.”

“You didn’t even have the desire to win.”

“Your sword held nothing but emptiness.”

“I can’t kill someone like that.”

Meeting Haschwalth’s dazed eyes, Ichigo’s gaze sharpened.

“But your warning—I’ve taken it to heart.”

“From here on, without killing you, I will defeat you in a single blow.”

“Shiroi Haku!”

“It’s coming!!”

The Hollow mask appeared across Ichigo’s face.

The blue Blut turned crimson, shifting into Blut Arterie.

Reiatsu burst from his Zanpakutō.

Three entirely different powers—even two that naturally clashed—melded together in Ichigo’s body in a strange, unified harmony.

What… was this?

Haschwalth instinctively raised his sword, ready to counter.

The next instant, Ichigo’s figure vanished from his sight.

Only a roar rang in his ears—

Getsuga Tenshō!!!

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Looking down at the unconscious Haschwalth lying on the ground, Ichigo lifted his hand and dismissed the mask from his face.

It was time to help Kaelith.

He stepped forward to leave, but suddenly froze, glancing toward the rooftop where Haschwalth lay.

A blue radiance enveloped Haschwalth’s body.

Within the glow, his spiritual pressure, his life force—everything—was rapidly stripped away.

His stern face shriveled as his body began to wither.

Ichigo’s expression twisted.

That power—it was etched into his soul.

He could never forget this sight for as long as he lived.

Auswählen!!!

The same power that had nearly taken his mother’s life when he was nine!

Yhwach—what kind of damnable monster was he?!

Just because his guard lost a fight, he would steal his very existence?!

With a roar, Ichigo charged toward Haschwalth, desperate to stop the force draining him.

He didn’t know if he was trying to save Haschwalth, or if he was trying to save the helpless mother who had once fallen the same way.

All he knew was that never before had he felt such burning intent to kill someone!!

Suddenly, a voice came from the side:

“Calm yourself, Kurosaki Ichigo.”

That voice…

Ichigo turned instinctively and saw Aizen, one eye bound with a black bandage, face composed.

“Aizen-san!”

Relief broke across his face.

Back then, when his mother was nearly taken by Auswählen, it had been Aizen and Kaelith who saved her!

As if reading his thoughts, Aizen shook his head:

“I don’t yet have the same power as a certain someone.”

“To stop Auswählen is beyond me.”

“But…”

He raised his right arm toward Haschwalth.

Immediately, the force stripping Haschwalth of everything came to a halt.

Though not restored, Haschwalth lay unmoving, silent, but no longer fading.

Seeing Ichigo’s confusion, Aizen explained:

“I used the power of the Soul King’s right arm to completely freeze his state.”

“Now, every Sternritter in Seireitei who has been defeated is likewise frozen.”

“In truth, I haven’t saved anyone—but at least their power can no longer feed back into Yhwach.”

His eyes shifted toward the First Division, where terrifying waves of reiatsu clashed endlessly.

“The Yhwach of now is not some infinitely strengthening monster.”

“He is only an ordinary Quincy.”

“And defeating Quincies… is something that man excels at.”

At those words, Ichigo instinctively turned toward Kaelith’s direction.

After a brief daze, he smiled faintly.

“As expected of Kaelith-san.”

“The closer things come to despair, the more you realize… how reliable he truly is.”

Aizen did not disagree.

Yes—when danger loomed, Kaelith was the surest presence of safety.

But… when no danger was present, he was also the one most likely to bring it.

Remembering some unpleasant memories, Aizen narrowed his eyes.

Kaelith hadn’t even done anything yet, but he silently added two lines in his private ledger of grudges.

With Ichigo at his side, his figure flashed as he sped straight toward the heart of the battlefield!

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“Hm?”

Yhwach frowned.

Just moments ago, he had sensed Haschwalth being defeated.

He didn’t know who had shown such boldness—but it didn’t matter.

Without hesitation, he activated Auswählen.

Once he absorbed Haschwalth’s strength, experience, and memories, not only would his power surge, but he could also study the ability of the one who had defeated Haschwalth—preparing himself in advance.

However, He hadn’t expected that midway through the Auswählen, a strange force would suddenly interfere and break it off by force!

Yhwach was stunned.

Someone in this world could actually stop his Auswählen?

Could it be that besides Kaelith, Seireitei had a second Transcendent?

Countless speculations surged into Yhwach’s mind, darkening his expression.

“You dare get distracted?!”

While he was deep in thought, Kaelith appeared before him in an instant.

At some point, a Zanpakutō had appeared in Kaelith’s hand.

Slash!!!

A spray of blood burst from Yhwach’s body.

At the very moment Kaelith struck, Yhwach had reacted, raising his spirit blade to block.

But the spirit blade was like a block of butter; in less than an instant, Kaelith’s sword cut it cleanly in two!

If he hadn’t leaned back at the critical moment, that strike would have split open his internal organs.

Kaelith grinned, twisting the blade, and slashed back the other way.

Yhwach let out a cold snort.

In the instant their blades had met, he had already discerned the ability of Kaelith’s sword.

Similar to Lille Barro’s Penetration, this blade ignored all defenses, cutting apart any object it touched.

Against such an ability, the strategy against it was simple: stay out of its range.

Lille Barro’s power relied on shooting, so dodging sideways was the answer.

Kaelith’s sword, however, was close-combat.

Therefore, the solution was to widen the distance!

Red markings spread across Yhwach’s body.

Blut Vene Anhaben!!

Once he activated the technique, his speed skyrocketed, and in an instant he had opened a gap of dozens of meters from Kaelith.

Then, with a wave of his hand, dozens of massive spirit bows materialized in midair.

They hovered like autonomous turrets, each drawing back a glowing arrow.

Yhwach’s speed in Blut Vene Anhaben was overwhelming; by the time Kaelith slashed down at the spot where Yhwach had just stood, Yhwach had already finished his entire setup.

Seeing this, Yhwach’s lips curved upward.

Kaelith’s attack power was monstrous, but in speed, Yhwach still had the upper hand.

He lifted his hand, preparing to release the arrows.

But at that exact moment, a wave of intense danger crashed over him!

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