Fate In Bleach (491)

Chapter 491 - Savior?

Crack—

Boom!

Ichigo Kurosaki's sword strike shattered the blue prison instantly. The powerful sword pressure grazed Ulquiorra Cifer's body, taking half his arm with it.

This outcome surprised Ichigo.

While attacking the prison, Ichigo had felt Old Man Zangetsu seemingly strengthening his attacks through contact with the prison.

But even so, Ichigo hadn't thought his current self could shatter the prison that had previously confined Ulquiorra with a single strike.

That final blow... the prison had felt like a bubble, popping at the slightest touch. This unexpected fragility had prevented Ichigo from pulling back in time, allowing the aftershock of his strike to hit Ulquiorra inside.

"Sorry, Ulquiorra."

Ichigo paused, then hurried over to apologize to Ulquiorra.

"Are you alright?"

"I didn't expect the prison to break so suddenly..."

After saying this, Ichigo abruptly stopped.

He suddenly remembered something Ulquiorra had said earlier while he attacked the prison: Quilge Opie, when using this technique against him, had claimed only Quincy or those with Quincy blood could break it.

And according to the family history Ichigo had learned from Isshin Kurosaki, his mother, Masaki Kurosaki, had been one of only two pure-blooded Quincy in the world before being attacked by White.

From this perspective, he, too, carried Quincy bloodline within him.

Could it be that while he attacked the prison, the power Old Man Zangetsu transmitted had activated the Quincy blood within him?

And after his Quincy blood was activated, the prison became so easily breakable under his attacks.

"It's nothing."

"Thank you, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ulquiorra shook his head. Emerging from the prison with only a severed arm was insignificant to him.

The injuries he had sustained earlier while trying to break the prison in his Segunda Etapa form were the truly severe ones.

Hiss hiss—

Expending some spiritual pressure, Ulquiorra's arm instantly regenerated, making Ichigo's expression relax considerably.

At the same time, Ichigo inwardly rejoiced that the one trapped this time was Ulquiorra, who possessed High-Speed Regeneration. If it had been Yasutora Sado, Uryū Ishida, Orihime Inoue, or the others, that last blow might have left Ichigo guilt-ridden to death.

"Ichigo, it seems your control over your power has declined."

Just then, Ailin's voice sounded behind Ichigo Kurosaki.

Ichigo turned his head and saw Ailin and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez approaching.

"Teacher Ailin, and Grimmjow?"

"Teacher Ailin, why did you come to Hueco Mundo?"

"Ichigo, this is a major event affecting all three realms. The Seireitei felt Hueco Mundo lacked someone to oversee it. If the Quincy were to recklessly annihilate all the Hollows, even if the three realms don't collapse immediately, they would enter a countdown to destruction."

Although the Shinigami world wasn't a fully formed world, meaning the three realms, after their creation, were destined for destruction due to Hell stealing souls, from the current situation, it could perhaps last for another ten million years or so.

But if the souls of the three realms were further depleted by the Quincy, this timeframe would be drastically shortened.

Perhaps, at longest, a few tens of thousands of years, or at shortest, mere decades, and the three realms would face extinction due to an insufficient number of cycling spirit particles.

"What? It's that serious?"

Ichigo Kurosaki's expression changed.

He never expected this incident to involve a world crisis.

Although his own strength ranked among the strongest Shinigami, Ichigo had a correct assessment of himself.

He was just an ordinary high school student, harboring no ambitions of ruling the world or overthrowing the existing order.

All he had was the will to protect his family and friends.

If nothing endangered his loved ones, Ichigo quite enjoyed having fun with his friends.

But now, faced with a sudden world-threatening crisis, Ichigo felt deeply worried.

"That's right. So, Ichigo, you need to work hard."

Ailin patted Ichigo Kurosaki's shoulder and smiled at him. "Perhaps the hope of saving the world this time rests on your shoulders."

"How is that possible?"

Ichigo Kurosaki shook his head. "Teacher Ailin, I'm just a Substitute Shinigami. How could I possibly bear such a heavy responsibility?"

"Besides, isn't Teacher Ailin here too?"

"With Teacher Ailin around, I don't think this crisis amounts to much, right?"

"Indeed, Ichigo."

"If I wished, I could indeed stop the Quincy's plans this time. Even killing the Quincy Emperor Yhwach directly isn't impossible."

"But—"

Ailin looked up at the sky of Hueco Mundo.

"Ichigo, this world has endured for millions of years thanks to a great being sacrificing everything."

Although Ailin didn't entirely agree with the Soul King's choices, he still respected his perseverance over millions of years.

"Now, that great being is tired and wants to rest."

"Under these circumstances, how could I bear to prevent him from resting, instead forcefully compelling him to continue enduring this suffering?"

"?"

Not only Ichigo Kurosaki, but even Grimmjow and Ulquiorra showed confused expressions.

What was this all about?

Why couldn't they understand?

Seeing the three's expressions, Ailin had no intention of explaining further.

In any case, they would understand when they entered the Soul King Palace and fought the Schutzstaffel.

"Well, in other words, in this war initiated by the Quincy, I will not intervene before their leader Yhwach brings release to that great being."

"Then Teacher Ailin, when will that time be?"

Ichigo Kurosaki looked up and asked Ailin seriously.

He seemed to have a premonition that Teacher Ailin's answer would be beyond his expectations.

"Hmm, probably around the time the three realms begin to collapse."

Ailin rubbed his chin, giving Ichigo Kurosaki a relatively clear answer.

The Soul King was the linchpin stabilizing the three realms.

Once the Soul King was killed by Yhwach, the three realms would naturally fall into a state of collapse.

After the Soul King was released, Yhwach would absorb the Soul King's power, reaching his absolute peak. That would be the time for Ailin to act.

"I see..."

Ichigo Kurosaki lowered his head.

From Teacher Ailin's words, Ichigo understood.

For Teacher Ailin, allowing that great being release was more important than the safety of the three realms.

But, from his own standpoint, Ichigo Kurosaki definitely didn't want the three realms to be destroyed just like that.

Perhaps this was why Teacher Ailin had told him the hope of saving the world might rest on his shoulders this time.

Immediately, Ichigo Kurosaki took a deep breath.

"I understand, Teacher Ailin."

"I will risk everything to prevent the destruction of the three realms."

"Mm, good luck."

Ailin nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, the Quincy's main target of attack is the Soul King Palace located at the very top of the Seireitei."

"If you have the heart to save the world, then go to the Seireitei."

"There are only two ways to enter the Soul King Palace."

"First, obtain the Shiba Clan's Kakaku Cannon, one of the five great noble families of the Seireitei, and use its power to directly break through the seventy-two barriers between the Seireitei and the Soul King Palace."

"Second, defeat the Gotei Thirteen, posing a devastating threat to the Seireitei, forcing the members of Squad Zero guarding the Soul King Palace to break through the seventy-two barriers and come down to the Seireitei. Then, invade the Soul King Palace while the breached barriers are still unrepaired."

"Ichigo, if you want to protect this world, then go to the Seireitei and fight alongside the captains of the Gotei Thirteen against the Quincy army."

"If you can annihilate the Quincy led by Yhwach entirely within the Seireitei, perhaps the world's crisis will be averted by you just like that."

After hearing Ailin's words, Ichigo Kurosaki didn't hesitate for a moment, turning directly to leave and find Kisuke Urahara, who had accompanied him to Hueco Mundo.

He needed Shopkeeper Urahara's help to rush to the Seireitei and participate in this Seireitei defense battle.

Watching Ichigo Kurosaki depart, Ailin strolled towards Las Noches.

For the next eight days, Ailin would likely spend his time here.

...

Ailin hadn't deceived Ichigo Kurosaki.

He truly didn't intend to participate in the battle between the Wandenreich Quincy and the Seireitei Shinigami this time.

Therefore, when Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto suggested Ailin oversee Hueco Mundo to prevent the Wandenreich Quincy from resorting to desperate measures like annihilating Hollows and causing the collapse of the three realms due to soul imbalance, he had agreed without hesitation.

As for whether sending Ichigo Kurosaki to the Seireitei could stop Yhwach, Ailin didn't believe they could succeed.

The souls Yhwach bestowed upon the Quincy would return to Yhwach upon their death.

Meaning, if the Seireitei side failed to kill enough Quincy, Yhwach would still need to use "Auswählen" to actively absorb most Quincy to enhance his own power.

Conversely, if the Shinigami side successfully killed many Quincy, as long as they hadn't killed Yhwach himself, the more Quincy died, the stronger the power Yhwach reclaimed.

If Yhwach recovered to his multi-pupiled state, aside from Captain Ichibē Hyōsube of Squad Zero, no one on the Shinigami side would be his match.

In short, as long as Ailin didn't intervene during Yhwach's growth process, Yhwach ascending to the Soul King Palace and killing the Soul King was a certainty.

The prophecy of taking back the world in nine days was made by Yhwach based on the battle between the Shinigami side and the Wandenreich Quincy side.

Nine days was the time it would take for all the Quincy to die in battle.

Simultaneously, it was also the time for Yhwach to recover to his absolute peak.

Once Yhwach recovered to his peak state, it wouldn't even take a day for him to kill and devour the Soul King, becoming the "God" of the Shinigami world, and then use the omnipotent power of "God" to create a new world.

...

Seireitei.

Squad Twelve.

Clatter clatter, clatter clatter...

In the laboratory, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's hands flew across the keyboard, analyzing the residual spiritual pressure left behind by the Quincy during their previous infiltration of the Seireitei.

Simultaneously, he was analyzing Vice-Captain Sasakibe's Zanpakutō and the Star Medallion marked with a pentagram that Ichigo Kurosaki had brought back two days prior.

Mayuri had seen the Quincy who fought Vice-Captain Sasakibe use this type of Star Medallion via surveillance.

It was precisely because of this Star Medallion that Vice-Captain Sasakibe lost his Bankai.

Two days had passed since the last Quincy attack.

During these two days, although Vice-Captain Sasakibe had temporarily recovered the power of his Shikai, he still couldn't get a response from his Bankai.

According to Mayuri's research, the Zanpakutō spirit no longer existed within Vice-Captain Sasakibe's blade.

In other words, this Zanpakutō could no longer manifest its spirit, preventing Sasakibe from achieving Bankai.

"So that's how it is."

Typing the final confirmation key, Mayuri Kurotsuchi flexed the fingers of both hands.

After a night of research, Mayuri had finally completed the analysis of this Star Medallion.

"Akon."

"Captain Kurotsuchi."

Hearing Mayuri call him, Akon, carrying a stack of documents, stopped and came behind Mayuri.

"Any orders?"

"I have completed the analysis of this Star Medallion. Take the results to Squad One and have them inform the other captains."

"Yes."

Akon put down the documents in his hands, picked up the report Mayuri had just printed, and prepared to head to Squad One.

But—

Boom!

A violent roar suddenly echoed in everyone's ears. Even this laboratory began to shake.

"What's happening?"

Akon quickly stabilized himself and asked in surprise.

"Hoh hoh hoh hoh, I didn't expect these fellows to launch another attack today."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi rose from beside the experimental equipment, placing his hand on the Zanpakutō at his waist. He said to Akon, "Akon, it seems impossible for you to go to Squad One now. Just use Bakudō Number 77: Tenteikūra to broadcast this report to all Shinigami within the Seireitei who have completed Bankai training."

"Yes, Captain Kurotsuchi."

From Captain Kurotsuchi's words, Akon guessed that this was likely the Quincy's second assault on the Seireitei Shinigami.

Not daring to delay, Akon spread his hands. Spiritual pressure formed black patterns in the air, creating a square black frame.

"Bakudō Number 77: Tenteikūra!"