Ichigo stared speechlessly at the two figures in front of him, who were now arguing as if they were zanpakuto themselves. Were they really not here just to waste his time?
"What the hell! I don't have time to play house with you two!" Ichigo roared, vanishing in a flash step!
"Oi, Kurosaki Ichigo! Don't even think about running away!" Haineko was the first to chase after him. Tobiume snapped out of it too and shouted angrily, "Don't even think about it!"
Fortunately, Ichigo's backup arrived in time—Rangiku and the legendary tank of the Third Division, the one and only Legendary Stabbing Tank Hinamori Momo!
This was the woman who, during the Thousand-Year Blood War, took a direct hit from M and came out completely unscathed!
Known as the Spirit King's health bar!
If anyone could conquer her, they'd have it made for life!
In terms of battle prowess... let's just say even if you tied up Unohana, Yoruichi, and Soifon together, they'd barely be able to touch Hinamori's heels!
Do you even understand the gold-standard value of the Spirit King's health bar!?
"Ichigo, you go ahead! We'll handle things here!" Rangiku and Hinamori flash-stepped to stand in front and behind Ichigo.
"Yeah, just leave it to us. After all, [?] is already set."
"Got it! I'll leave it to you!" Ichigo sighed in relief. He really wasn't good at dealing with women—in more ways than one!
Chasing after Kuchiki Byakuya was more his style!
When Haineko and Tobiume saw their respective masters, they instinctively took two steps back.
Rangiku glared at Haineko's current form, fuming. She stormed forward and grabbed a handful of Haineko's hair.
"Explain this to me! What the hell is this look supposed to be?" Despite her sexy figure, Rangiku wasn't the type to act like a pervert. In fact, she leaned more towards the innocent type. Though, with a body like hers... innocence only went so far.
Seeing Haineko's revealing outfit now, Rangiku was so angry she wanted to disown her own zanpakuto!
"Let go of me! Why should I explain anything to you?!" Haineko yelped in pain as Rangiku yanked on her hair, swinging her claws at her master.
Rangiku dodged Haineko's attack, her expression turning serious. As expected, her own zanpakuto had turned on her!
Meanwhile, Hinamori and her zanpakuto, Tobiume, were going at it too. Tobiume called Hinamori flat-chested, and Hinamori fired back, saying Tobiume was just a woman abandoned by Aizen Sousuke. The two were at each other's throats, nearly pulling hair in the street!
As the saying goes, "Hehehe, I love watching women fight!"
In the end, Rangiku and Momo emerged victorious. These two, despite being vice-captains, were both masters of kidou. Neither Hinamori nor Rangiku had particularly destructive zanpakuto abilities, so they simply subdued their zanpakuto spirits by force.
At that moment, Muramasa was in Hueco Mundo, devouring Hollows. As a zanpakuto, even someone as unique as Muramasa couldn't fully materialize without their master.
To maintain his manifested form, Muramasa had made a decision against his master's will: he was consuming Hollows to keep his form stable and achieve his true purpose.
Ichigo, meanwhile, continued his pursuit of Byakuya and soon arrived at a rocky area.
He quickly realized what was going on. Just as he arrived, he sensed an incoming attack!
Ice pillars!
Ichigo didn't hesitate, drawing his zanpakuto and shattering the two ice pillars.
Next, four ice dragons came flying at him.
Though they looked impressive, to Ichigo, they were no different from the earlier ice pillars—one slash per dragon, all cleanly destroyed.
"Who are you?" Ichigo asked, landing on a stone pillar and facing the figure who had attacked him.
"I'm nothing... just a passerby with a mask—wait, wrong line. You're Kurosaki Ichigo, aren't you?" The man spoke coldly.
"Yeah, that's me. And you? How do you know my name?" Ichigo asked, glancing at Zangetsu, then at the man with long, teal-green hair below.
The man had white cross-shaped markings on his face—whether they were scars or something else, Ichigo couldn't tell.
"As expected of Kurosaki Ichigo, your combat strength really is extraordinary!" the man said, then continued, "Muramasa told me not to attack you. But, well, forget that."
He raised his zanpakuto, instantly condensing the moisture in the air into four ice dragons!
The dragons circled Ichigo, eventually freezing him solid in the center!
"Hmph!"
Ichigo remained unfazed. With a burst of spiritual pressure, he shattered the massive ice pillar in an instant!
"That was a powerful attack! If it were any stronger, maybe it could've..."
"Bankai? Did you say Bankai?" the man suddenly froze.
"What?" Ichigo asked, puzzled.
"The blade you're holding... is it your zanpakuto?" the man asked, sounding urgent.
Ichigo was confused. What was up with this guy? Why was every zanpakuto he met today so weird?
"What's your deal?" Ichigo asked again.
"Aren't you... my master?" the man asked, staring at Ichigo in confusion.
Ichigo was stunned. Master?
"If you're not my master, then there's no need to keep talking!" the man turned to leave, not giving Ichigo a chance to speak.
Ichigo, seeing through his identity, shouted, "You're Hyourinmaru!"
But this didn't make Hyourinmaru stop. Instead, he said, "No, I've long forgotten that name! Farewell, [?]"
As he spoke, dozens of ice pillars erupted around Ichigo, trapping him once more!
The overwhelming cold made it difficult for even Ichigo to break free.
Of course, every time someone tried to stop Ichigo, backup always showed up right on time!
Don't you get it? It's called the protagonist's plot armor!
"Hyourinmaru! I finally found you!" Hitsugaya Toushirou's voice rang out beside Ichigo.
Hyourinmaru, hearing Toushirou's voice, momentarily forgot about maintaining the ice pillars around Ichigo.
Toushirou leapt in front of Hyourinmaru, staring at him.
"I'm your master, Hyourinmaru! My name is Hitsugaya Toushirou!!"
Unexpectedly, Hyourinmaru smirked at him, "Are you joking? How could a child like you possibly be my master? Do you really think I'll believe such nonsense?"
Toushirou was stunned. "You've forgotten me? Did that Muramasa guy do something to you?"
"No, it's not because of him. It's just that when I was freed from my master's constraints, I..." Hyourinmaru shook his head.
"Though I'm currently staying with Muramasa, my true mission is to find my real master!" Hyourinmaru said, looking at Toushirou.
"I possess immense power. Only a select few of the strongest Shinigami could wield me! And that's certainly not someone like you, kid!"
Toushirou was disheartened. He had heard Hyourinmaru mistake Ichigo for his master.
Though Toushirou knew the power gap between him and Ichigo was vast... it was still a harsh blow for his own zanpakuto to reject him.
"Even if my strength isn't enough right now, I am your master!" Toushirou shouted.
"If that's the case, then prove it!" Hyourinmaru flash-stepped behind Toushirou, slashing at his back with his zanpakuto!
Though Toushirou reacted quickly and blocked, the force still sent him flying!
"Bakudou 63: Sajo Sabaku!" Toushirou jumped into the air, casting the spell.
Yellow chains wrapped around Hyourinmaru, but he seemed unfazed. His overwhelming ice power instantly froze the chains!
Moreover, as Hyourinmaru's spiritual pressure grew, the sky itself began to change!
Dark clouds swirled over Hyourinmaru.
Toushirou watched in shock...
Moisture in the atmosphere condensed behind Hyourinmaru into a massive ice dragon!
Hyourinmaru also noticed Ichigo, who had been preparing to fight earlier, now standing by, watching the spectacle like an amused onlooker.
Even the Millennium Ice Prison couldn't stop Ichigo.
So Hyourinmaru intensified the ice around Ichigo...
Knowing the true might of his own zanpakuto, Toushirou yelled, "Stop, Hyourinmaru! I'm your target!"
"Hadou 31: Shakkahou!" But such a weak spell couldn't harm Hyourinmaru at all. With a mere flick of his hand, the fireball extinguished instantly!
Seeing this, Toushirou flash-stepped forward, gripping his asauchi and slashing at Hyourinmaru!
Hyourinmaru didn't even open his eyes.
Toushirou was utterly powerless against his own zanpakuto and was blasted back to the ground by the ice dragon!
Struggling to his feet, Toushirou leaned on his zanpakuto and asked, "I've heard that zanpakuto act according to instinct, which is why they freed themselves from the Shinigami's control. What is your instinct, then? What does your soul desire? Have you even forgotten that?"
Hyourinmaru looked at him, replying coldly, "What my soul desires... is a place where I truly belong."
Hearing this, Toushirou recalled how his own spiritual power had been too overwhelming, leading everyone in his district to shun him. It was then that he met Rangiku and Gin. For the sake of his grandmother's safety, he left Rukongai and joined the Gotei 13.
Understanding all this, Toushirou finally reclaimed his shikai!
"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"
As he released his zanpakuto, an ice dragon identical to Hyourinmaru's formed behind Toushirou. To awaken his zanpakuto, he shouted, "Ryūsenka!" (Dragon Hail Impact!)
This was a technique normally only possible in his bankai form, but Toushirou, having broken through his own limits, unleashed it even in shikai.
And with it, he easily restrained Hyourinmaru!
Just then, Ichigo, who had been watching, finally joined the fight.
"Getsuga Tenshou!"
A black crescent moon burst from Ichigo's hand. Even without bankai, Ichigo realized he could now freely use White Ichigo's power!
The black Getsuga Tenshou shattered Hyourinmaru's Millennium Ice Prison. When it cleared, Ichigo saw Toushirou and Hyourinmaru frozen together.
"Hyourinmaru! Remember who you are!" Toushirou shouted.
Familiar spiritual pressure and a familiar face stirred Hyourinmaru's memories.
In an instant, Hyourinmaru's spiritual pressure surged, shattering the Ryūsenka that had encased them, and he transformed into a massive ice dragon coiling protectively around Toushirou.
"Ah, so you finally remember. But don't call me a kid—I'm Hitsugaya Toushirou." Toushirou forced a smile as he spoke.
The ice dragon roared, as if answering him.
Crack!
The ice dragon shattered, and Hyourinmaru re-materialized, cradling an unconscious Toushirou as they landed on the ground.
Without even needing to fight, Hyourinmaru had recovered his memories.
"Toushirou!" Ichigo flash-stepped to his side, worried.
"Don't worry, Kurosaki Ichigo. Toushirou is just out of spiritual energy. I'll take care of him," Hyourinmaru said calmly.
(End of Chapter)
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