Chapter 111: The Premature Assault

“Boom!”

Ichigo, wearing his mask, brought the black blade in his hands crashing down onto the ground. Yet the braided girl in a mask, who had been his target, was no longer there.

“Smack.”

Using the Zanpakuto that had previously been strapped across his back, Hiyori knocked away a chunk of flying debris. Then she kicked sharply upward, sending the slipper from her foot flying. The braided girl caught it in one hand, swung it with all her strength, and smacked Ichigo squarely in the face.

Whether it was because of Hiyori’s blow or because his time had run out, the mask on Ichigo’s face slowly dissolved beneath the impact. Sent flying, Ichigo spun countless times through the air before crashing to the ground with a wet slap.

“Are you all jealous of my good looks? Why does every last one of you keep hitting me in the face?!”

Furious, Ichigo covered his slightly swollen cheek as he climbed to his feet, then roared his dissatisfaction at Hiyori.

“Shut up, you baldy! You still haven’t fully mastered Hollowfication! Just stand there and take your beating!”

Pulling her mask aside, Hiyori folded her arms and immediately shot back at him.

“He can maintain it for nearly eleven seconds now. Looks like there’s still room for improvement.”

Supporting himself with one hand, Hirako watched the battle between Ichigo and Hiyori below with boredom. For Ichigo, completely defeating the Hollow within him would take quite some time, so mastering Hollowfication enough to sustain it for any meaningful duration would naturally not be easy either.

“Nothing to be done…”

Chojiro, watching the spectacle alongside Hirako, propped his chin on his hand in equal boredom. Ever since Ichigo had defeated the creature within him, there had been no need for Chojiro to intervene. Judging by the degree of Hollowfication Ichigo would eventually master, Chojiro simply could not offer much assistance.

“In any case, since there’s nothing happening right now, perhaps we should—!”

Chojiro had been speaking calmly when he suddenly rose to his feet, startling Hirako beside him.

“That’s impossible…”

“What is it…?!”

Hirako, who had looked utterly uninterested a moment earlier, suddenly widened his eyes as well. Though he reacted slightly later than Chojiro, he could now feel it too—that spiritual pressure that had abruptly appeared in Karakura Town. It made no attempt to conceal its presence, descending without warning like a declaration of war.

“This spiritual pressure is…”

Chojiro knitted his brows tightly. Knowing who had arrived, he could not understand how events had come so early—earlier than they had in the original timeline.

“This spiritual pressure is…”

Ichigo, still fighting Hiyori below, also stopped moving. He stared in astonishment toward the direction beyond his sight. There were many spiritual pressures, but there was one among them that Ichigo could never forget.

It belonged to the man who had once made him taste helplessness—the man who had driven him to come here in search of new power.

He had come again.

“黒崎!” cried Chojiro.

Chojiro shouted at Ichigo, who had fallen deep into thought. At some point, he had already removed his artificial body and returned to his true Shinigami form.

“Hurry! Hitsugaya and the others won’t be able to hold them off alone!”

According to the information Chojiro possessed, Rukia had returned to the Soul Society with Orihime not long ago. With Chojiro absent from the battlefield, the already limited strength available in the living world had fallen further. If they confronted the newcomers head-on, they would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.

Chojiro did not wait for Ichigo’s reply. He appeared directly beside him, seized him, and rushed out of the warehouse where Hirako and the others had been staying.

But not long after they burst from the warehouse, a white figure blocked their path.

“Grimmjow…”

Seeing the light-blue-haired man who had actually come out to intercept him and Ichigo Kurosaki, Chojiro narrowed his eyes dangerously. With Rukia and Renji gone, and Ikkaku and Yumichika unable to fight at full strength, Matsumoto and Hitsugaya alone could never withstand the attacks of two Espada. He had to reach them as quickly as possible.

“I’ll handle this.”

Ichigo suddenly stepped in front of Chojiro. Ever since Grimmjow had appeared, his gaze had never left him. It was as though an invisible fury drew the two of them toward one another.

“…”

Chojiro had never placed much confidence in Ichigo’s Hollowfication. Furthermore, having learned from the original storyline that Ichigo would ultimately be forced onto the defensive, he had intended to defeat Grimmjow first and then join Ichigo in aiding Hitsugaya and the others.

But now that Ichigo had suddenly made this request, Chojiro could do nothing but sigh inwardly.

Fate truly was impossible to change.

Still, after glancing at Grimmjow’s empty left sleeve, Chojiro nodded and swiftly rushed toward the distant battlefield where Hitsugaya and the others were fighting.

“What confidence. I thought the two of you were planning to take me on together.”

Grimmjow bared his teeth in a savage grin. He knew Ichigo was no match for him, yet he still could not resist coming straight to find the orange-haired Shinigami.

“Bankai—”

Black spiritual pressure suddenly enveloped Ichigo, transforming his attire into a black coat-like Shihakusho.

“Ten Blades of the Moon.”

“Hah. Bankai? And what exactly is that supposed to accomplish?”

Grimmjow laughed disdainfully and raised his chin slightly.

“Have you forgotten? Your Bankai is useless against me.”

“No, you’re the one who’s forgotten. It was precisely the technique I gained after activating Bankai…”

Ichigo glanced meaningfully at Grimmjow’s body. A glaring, enormous scar ran across the Arrancar’s powerful torso.

“That’s why you have that scar.”

“…”

A scar?

Grimmjow’s fingers twitched slightly. He had never been able to forget that wound. Even now that he had lost his position among the Espada, the scar where his number had been erased—and the one across his chest—meant nothing to him.

“There’s something I want to ask you, Grimmjow.”

“…”

“What happened to your arm?”

“I threw it away.”

The disdainful smile that had vanished from Grimmjow’s face returned, more vicious than before.

“I only need to kill you. Having two arms was getting in the way.”

“…Is that so?”

Ichigo had expected some other answer. But perhaps the truth was simply that he still did not understand the man standing before him.

“In that case, I suppose I don’t need to hold back anymore.”

“Do whatever you want—if you don’t want to die!”

“Whoosh!”

In an instant, Ichigo assumed the stance for Hollowfication. He knew perfectly well that his current self, relying on Bankai alone, would have difficulty defeating Grimmjow—even with one of the Arrancar’s arms missing.

“!!!”

Yet the one most shaken by Ichigo’s Hollowfication was Grimmjow.

That savage and overwhelming spiritual pressure nearly crushed him. Half a month ago, Ichigo had not possessed power like this!

“Wh-what is this?”

When the Hollow mask appeared on Ichigo’s face, Grimmjow’s composure completely shattered. Even his voice trembled.

But Ichigo clearly had no intention of answering his question.

“Sorry, but I don’t have time to explain.”

Because I’m going to take you down in eleven seconds!!!