They stood in silence, the air thick with rising spiritual pressure. Their reiatsu clashed like opposing tides, crackling through the rubble-strewn battlefield. Every second was a warning, a promise of violence.
Ichigo's gaze flicked to the side—Yammy was still conscious.
As Ichigo turned and casually walked toward him, Yammy growled and charged, raising his massive fist.
"I'm not done with you!" he roared.
Ichigo sidestepped the clumsy swing effortlessly. Yammy's punch slammed into the ground with a thunderous BOOM, shattering the pavement beneath them.
"Tch—fuck!" Yammy snarled and swept his giant arm sideways in a wild attempt to swat Ichigo.
But Ichigo didn't budge.
With one hand, he caught the swing mid-air, halting the brute force effortlessly. In the same motion, he yanked Yammy forward and delivered a devastating punch straight to his jaw.
CRASH!
Yammy's massive body flew through the air like a missile, colliding with a nearby building and reducing it to rubble.
Ichigo turned back toward Ulquiorra, Zangetsu still in hand.
"Now it's just you and me," he said calmly. "Though… something tells me you won't be fighting me today."
Behind him, Yammy stirred. Covered in dust and cracked stone, his fury was boiling over. But then—he smirked.
Opening his mouth, energy began to gather. A red orb sparked to life, rapidly expanding as the air twisted around it.
Ichigo sensed it immediately.
'That's a Cero… I could try deflecting it, but at this range…' he thought.
BWOOOM—!
A massive crimson beam erupted from Yammy's mouth, blasting toward Ichigo. He turned quickly, holding Zangetsu sideways, bracing for the impact.
BOOOOM!
The explosion rocked the entire district. Buildings were flattened, the ground torn apart like paper. Smoke and dust shot into the sky in a mushroom cloud of destruction.
Yammy stood tall, laughing through the carnage.
"Yeah! That definitely got him! AHAHAHAHA!"
He stepped from the crumbled ruins, waiting for the smoke to clear.
And then—a sharp gust of wind.
The dust split cleanly down the center.
There stood Ichigo, unmoved. His clothes were slightly tattered, but he was unscathed, a confident smirk on his face.
'Absorbed most of it with Zangetsu… still did some damage to the area though,' he thought. 'I should learn how to do that. A Getsuga Cero—that'd be something.'
Yammy's grin melted. He stumbled back, fear flashing in his eyes.
Ichigo's gaze alone made him retreat instinctively.
From afar, Ulquiorra watched silently.
'We've gathered enough data,' he thought. 'Time to report back to Lord Aizen.'
In a blink, he appeared behind Yammy. A Garganta portal tore open behind them.
Without a word, Ulquiorra punched Yammy into the portal, sending him crashing through it.
"We will return, Kurosaki Ichigo," he said, stepping into the void.
The Garganta closed with a thunderous hum.
Ichigo exhaled and lowered Zangetsu.
'They ran… Guess that's my win.'
He turned to leave—but just then, two familiar presences arrived.
Urahara and Yoruichi stepped onto the scene, looking around at the devastation.
"Wow," Urahara said, adjusting his hat. "He really handled them by himself. What've you been feeding him back in Soul Society?"
Yoruichi smirked. "Nothing special. He just trained with his Zanpakutō spirit… and mastered Bankai in less than a day."
Urahara chuckled. "Impressive. He might not even need the Visoreds anymore. At this rate, he could give Shinji a run for his money—though, I haven't seen his Bankai yet."
Ichigo turned to them with a wry grin. "Better late than never, huh?"
Yoruichi laughed lightly. "We figured you could handle it. So—what were they like?"
Ichigo scratched his head. "Different from Shinji and the others. They've got Hollow holes, but they carry Zanpakutō. Like… Hollow versions of Shinigami. One of them—felt strong. Cold. Focused."
Urahara's expression turned thoughtful. "Think you could've beaten him?"
Ichigo shrugged. "It'd take a minute… but unless he's hiding something crazy, I'd win."
Urahara smiled. "Good. Thanks for the intel. We'll be in touch."
He turned and began walking away, tipping his hat.
Yoruichi winked, blowing a kiss before vanishing into shunpo.
Ichigo watched them go, then turned his gaze to the horizon.
'Time to get back. Something tells me things are only going to get worse from here.'
....
After retrieving his body, Ichigo returned home, slipping back into the rhythm of his day like nothing had happened.
'Tomorrow, Rukia and the others will be arriving…' he thought as he stared up at the ceiling. A faint smile crept across his face. 'Can't wait to see Rangiku... and Rukia, of course.'
With nothing else pressing, Ichigo closed his eyes and let himself drift—his mind falling into the depths of his inner world.
The skyscrapers greeted him like silent guardians. Perched on the edge of one was his partner, Zangetsu, legs dangling as he looked down at the abyss below.
"What's up, Partner?" Zangetsu said without looking, his coat fluttering slightly in the wind.
Ichigo walked over and stood beside him, hands in his pockets. "Nothing much. Just bored, I guess." He paused, glancing at the empty sky. "Hey… what happened to the Old Man?"
Zangetsu's gaze stayed forward. "He'll appear when you're ready to accept your other side. Until then, it's just you and me."
Ichigo nodded. "Alright. Cool." He leaned forward, arms resting on his knees. "So… since we're partners now, when I use the form, I won't lose control, right?"
"Right," Zangetsu said, standing. "We'll be working hand-in-hand. There's no time limit either—you can tap into it as much as you like. And…" He turned to face Ichigo fully. "There's a second form. More… like those guy you fought. It's raw. Wild. Not sure if you'll ever want to use it—unless you really stop holding back."
Ichigo smirked. "I'll use it when I need to. But I don't mind practicing with you in here."
Zangetsu grinned and stepped back. "Alright then… I won't hold back, Partner."
The two bumped fists.
In a flash, they leapt apart.
Ichigo's Bankai ignited around him, a whirlwind of black spiritual pressure erupting from his body like a dark flame.
BOOM—!
Zangetsu responded in kind—his reiatsu surging even stronger, warping the air itself. The sheer pressure cracked the nearby structures.
Ichigo raised an eyebrow, smirking.
'Show-off.'
As the smoke cleared, his eyes narrowed.
Zangetsu now stood transformed—cloaked in Ichigo's Bankai gear, but with a gaping Hollow hole in his chest. A sleek white mask with elongated black horns covered his face, glowing red eyes peering through the slits.
"I hope you're ready," Zangetsu said, voice distorted and monstrous. "When we're done here, you'll have the battle instincts of a Hollow born in Hueco Mundo!"
Ichigo tightened his grip on Zangetsu.
He grinned. "Good. I was starting to feel rusty."
Then they charged at each other.
TO BE CONTINUED