Black robes. A white haori. Elegant ornaments fit for a noble. "Captain of Squad Six" didn't quite capture it—more like a cold, aloof prince.
His spiritual pressure weighed the air down like lead, pressing on everyone's shoulders.
Not just Rukia and Orihime—Yayahara and Rindō went pale,
breathing hard, sweat beading.
The oppression felt familiar and alien all at once.
They'd fought a mid-tier Menos with near-captain-level pressure, but this man was on a different plane.
Only Shinomiya, Ichigo, and Renji kept their composure.
"Rukia. You've grown weak."
Byakuya Kuchiki stated it flatly.
He wasn't done. Ignoring Rukia's frozen, ice-bath posture, his eyes moved to the only human present—Inoue Orihime.
"An hour ago, Onmitsukidō sent footage: you were acting together with a human suspected of possessing Soul Reaper power. Seeing you now in a gigai, so feeble I can barely feel your reiryoku, I have nothing more to ask."
"As a Kuchiki, your mission is to uphold Soul Society's order. For a Kuchiki to violate the law disgraces that mission."
"So—prepare yourself, Rukia."
"…"
Rukia bowed her head. The trembling stopped—as if her strength had been pulled out—and she gave up fighting.
"Ku—!"
"Hey!"
Orihime moved on instinct—but someone else stepped in first.
Ichigo.
He glared at Byakuya like he'd found the exact kind of person he hated most.
"She may've broken a law, but she didn't harm anyone. She sacrificed her power to save someone. You're the big brother—and when your sister lands in trouble because of that, instead of protecting her, you punish her in the name of family?"
"Whatever the intent, those who break the law can't be excused. Watch your tone, whelp. You're not even a full member—strictly, a commoner."
Byakuya's voice didn't rise.
"Someone like you has no right to lecture the Captain of Squad Six and head of the Kuchiki clan. That's your first warning. Next time, I'll teach you proper manners."
"Yeah? I don't have a shiny title."
Ichigo's eyes burned. His smile was pure provocation.
"But here's the thing… in strength—and everything else—I think I can do better than you."
"So if all you've got is pedigree, save it. Makes me think you've got nothing else."
"Bastard!"
Renji's pupils shrank. If Byakuya were that unworthy, what did that make someone chasing his back?
Out of respect—and conviction—he couldn't let his Captain be insulted.
"Take it back. Or I'll cut you down—and the woman, too."
"What do you mean, 'and the woman'? Spell it out."
Ichigo's face went cold.
"What do you think? Kill her. Take back Rukia's power."
Renji drew, blade tip snapping to Orihime.
Killing intent rolled off him, unhidden.
He wasn't bluffing.
Everyone could feel it.
Resolve flashed in Orihime's eyes. "If that will make up for Kuchiki-san's crime, then I—"
"Don't!"
Rukia had resigned herself—but that snapped it. "If you do that, everything I did is for nothing!"
"But—"
"Die!"
Renji had had enough—and lunged. Rukia was ready and moved to intercept.
"Stop, Renji!"
"Outta my way! Want a harsher sentence?!"
He flung her aside.
Orihime watched her skid, skin scraping bloody—and, on reflex, tried to shift into Soul Reaper state like she did against Hollows—
A hand fell on her shoulder, stopping her.
"Shinomiya… -kun?!"
She turned, startled.
"Calm down."
His words matched his face.
That consistency calmed her in turn.
"You're not going to die."
"That's not what I'm worried about!"
"Then there's nothing to worry about… Because what comes next is an internal Soul Society fight. Humans don't get to step in."
As if to prove him right, a great blade flashed across the space—blocking Renji's path.
Renji halted, eyes blazing at Ichigo standing before him.
"Whelp… do you know what you're doing?"
"I was about to ask you that."
Ichigo planted himself in front of Shinomiya and Orihime, cold voice cutting:
"She gave up her power to save someone. If you kill Inoue here, doesn't that make it meaningless?"
"It is meaningless."
"…What?"
"Sacrificing your power to save someone is wrong. If it's wrong, it must be corrected—before judgment."
Renji growled, anger no less than Ichigo's.
"Move."
"…Yeah, I heard you. So—no."
"That so? Then don't blame me… Roar, Zabimaru!"
The blade uncoiled, vertebrae snapping out.
Seven segments cracked forward like a steel whip—quicker than any lash, sharper by far, enough to lop a Menos's head.
It wasn't enough to make Ichigo budge.
He didn't even flinch.
"Getsuga…"
Facing the frontal assault, Ichigo simply lifted his sword one-handed. The surge of pressure off him made Renji blanch.
"W—!"
"—Tenshō!"
Sharktooth—Zangetsu—came down with a roar.
Reiryoku poured off the tip into a tsunami of a slash that ripped open the clouds gathering overhead.
"…"
Renji stared at the pathetic stump in his hand, pupils shaking with Ichigo's silhouette in them.
Thud.
"Uwaa!"
Ichigo's fist smashed his face, launching him like he'd just thrown Rukia—only farther—through a wall and into rubble.
"D—damn…"
His face was swollen, hair a mess, goggles gone.
"How is he this strong… I heard the Shiba woman did most of the work on the Menos—"
"Hey."
"?!"
Ichigo appeared in front of him. Renji's attempt to rise froze. He looked up into those eyes.
Their gazes crossed—and each read something there.
"One question. The Academy teaches us to protect humans. Is that wrong?"
"Idiot… humans can be good or bad."
"Is Inoue bad?"
"That's not it. Good or bad—some lives matter more to me than others."
"That's how you think? Then I have to beat you. I can't think of a reason you'd accept to abandon your conviction."
"Heh… The walk here was quiet. I assume you're the one who erased the Hollows. Losing to an opponent like that—fine by me. Come on."
Renji climbed to his feet, broken blade in hand, distilling every drop of pressure into one next strike—a full answer to a fearless foe who, he admitted, had impressed him.
Ichigo tightened his grip.
The moment before he moved, a gale from clashing pressures tore across the lot—shirts snapping.
"?!"
"What?!"
Both whipped around toward the source—back on the roof where Squad Six had first stood.
There should have been only Byakuya now.
There were two.
Shinomiya.
They'd crossed at some point.
It looked like Shinomiya had gone to pick the fight—but strictly speaking, he had his reasons.
Byakuya's hand rested on his hilt—as if he were about to step in. No—without Shinomiya, he would have.
But Shinomiya had moved first—palming Byakuya's wrist and locking his Zanpakutō in the sheath—
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (390 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (166 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (190 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (168 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (180 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (110 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (170 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (60 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (110 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (60 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (80 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it