_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wind Scale roared.
A colossal dragon's head burst through the air.
All the spatial spirit particles of the Royal Palace that had been absorbed and stripped away surged back at that very instant. The moment the monk struck with his palm, they were spewed out along the path of the roaring dragon, slamming straight toward the oncoming Yhwach.
In that split second—
Heaven and earth changed color. The sky itself split apart.
And it wasn't just the Royal Palace that was thrown into chaos.
In the real world—whether it was the World of the Living, Hueco Mundo, or Soul Society—any place where a transparent light screen existed was suddenly hit by a disaster-level hurricane, a raging storm that tore through everything in its path.
On the video feed, however, the apocalyptic scene of wind and destruction only lasted until the image itself shattered. Then it cut off, abruptly.
The only thing the viewers managed to see—
Was that enormous, roaring dragon head swallowing Yhwach whole in a single bite.
The recap was forcibly paused.
Staring at the fragmented, twice-collapsed image, the audience was left utterly shaken, as if they had just lived through the end of the world themselves.
"Inner Hadō…"
"I never thought I'd see the day," someone murmured. "A technique that only existed in ancient secret records, something from the 'Eight-Nine-Seven' legends that people once believed was nothing but myth… to think it would actually reappear."
In the World of the Living, outside Karakura First High School.
Standing blankly before the transparent light screen, Tessai Tsukabishi let out a long, emotional sigh.
As the former Chief of Kidō, his mastery of spells had once reigned supreme across all of Soul Society. Ever since his defection nearly a century ago, the position of "Chief of Kidō" had remained vacant to this day.
That fact alone was proof enough of Tessai's strength.
"After seeing the power of Inner Hadō," Urahara Kisuke said with a teasing smile beside him, "I'm guessing you won't feel lost anymore when you train Kidō in the future, huh?"
Not long ago, they had reacted just like the Visored.
The moment they sensed the presence of an Espada, they rushed straight to the school grounds and worked together to subdue Grimmjow.
But then—
Just as everyone was about to deliver the finishing blow—
The Negación descended from the sky.
To stop Grimmjow from escaping the World of the Living, Urahara swung his Zanpakutō without hesitation the instant the Negación pierced through the clouds.
Unfortunately, luck wasn't quite on his side.
The crimson slash unleashed by Benihime missed by mere centimeters. Just a little closer, and Grimmjow's head would have been cleanly severed.
In the end, unable to break through the Negación, they could only watch helplessly as Grimmjow rose slowly into the sky atop chunks of shattered earth, hurling threats until the very last second:
"Yoruichi Shihōin. Kisuke Urahara."
"You two pieces of trash just wait. Once I evolve into a Vasto Lorde, you'll be the first ones I hunt down and tear apart!"
After that useless, furious outburst, Grimmjow vanished completely.
All that remained was a scene of utter devastation, Ichigo and his father lying badly wounded together, and a terrified Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Chad.
Nearby, beside a pool of blood staining the ground red—
Ichigo stared at the horrifying hole in Kurosaki Isshin's body, his face full of worry.
"Dad… are you okay? Are you feeling any better?"
Please.Don't you dare die on me.
If you do, Karin, Yuzu, and I will be orphans.
And besides—
You still haven't explained my past yet!
You've been lying to me for years. You owe me a proper explanation!
Faced with his devoted son's concern, Isshin pressed a hand over his wound, enduring the dull, persistent pain, and forced a grin.
"Don't worry, Ichigo. After Miss Yoruichi and the others treated me, my injuries aren't life-threatening anymore."
As he spoke, Isshin shifted his gaze toward Yoruichi and Urahara, giving each of them a look filled with gratitude.
If the shopkeeper and the others hadn't arrived in time, his old life really might have ended right there.
Catching Isshin's look, Urahara turned his head and nodded lightly in response.
"Just focus on resting, Isshin-san. There's no need for thanks."
Then he glanced back at Ichigo, his words coming straight from the heart.
"Besides, a premium prospect like Ichigo can't be allowed to fall into the hands of the Arrancar, no matter what."
When Urahara looked at Ichigo, his expression was complicated.
Even the Arrancar had figured it out, so with his own brilliant mind, Urahara had realized it the moment the rankings of the Head Captain and the big-eyed monk were revealed.
In the final showdown among the top three—
This orange-haired boy was guaranteed a seat.
"Ah… me?" Ichigo scratched the back of his head, flustered. "You're giving me too much credit, Urahara-san."
Every guy liked to compete and prove himself, sure, but being praised like that in front of so many unfamiliar faces still made him feel awkward.
"All right," Urahara said. "Since everyone's safe now and we're all here, it's time to get down to business."
Beneath the dark green fisherman's hat, his serious gaze swept over Ichigo, Chad, and Orihime one by one.
Then he deliberately lowered his voice.
"Starting today, under the joint guidance of Miss Yoruichi, Tessai, and myself, the three of you will undergo a three-month special training program."
"Huh? Training?"
Ichigo was stunned.
Sure, he'd watched all those recap videos and seen countless flashy abilities, battles between Shinigami, Arrancar, and pure-blood Quincy.
But in reality, his head was still a mess.
His understanding of the Shinigami world barely scratched the surface.
"That's right," Urahara said firmly. "A hellish training regimen meant to correct the world line itself."
In truth, Urahara had already sensed Kuchiki Rukia's spiritual pressure the moment she arrived in the World of the Living a day earlier.
And based on all the clues revealed in the recap videos, he had drawn a conclusion.
In the original timeline, it was very likely Rukia's contact with Ichigo and the others that awakened their powers, pulling them into the whirlpool of fate.
After all—
The Hōgyoku inside Rukia's body was something Urahara himself had sealed away long ago.
He had never forgotten that secret.
Now, with Rukia taken—
The original world line had already deviated.
So, in order to restore the future as much as possible, and more importantly to draw out Ichigo's latent potential, Urahara knew he had to play the role of a "farmer" and force growth ahead of schedule.
That was his true purpose here.
But just then—
The shattered image on the screen suddenly reformed.
The first thing that came into view was a massive, dome-shaped barrier woven from countless blood-red veins.
And then—
Yhwach's lofty, domineering voice rang out.
"Give it up, Ichibē Hyōsube. Your little tricks won't break through the defense of the Outer Vene: Blut."
Arrogant. Contemptuous.
Yhwach stood with his hands behind his back, expression indifferent, positioned at the center of the Blut barrier.
Bathed in the crimson glow refracting from all directions, the deep black of his cloak visibly faded just a little.
"You bastard…"
Seeing the sneer tugging at Yhwach's lips, Ichibē's eyes shifted once more, turning from pitch-black to a terrifying, deathly white.
His voice grew colder by the second.
"You barge into the Royal Palace without permission, attempt to slaughter those who guard the Soul King, and now you dare stand on the main approach and spew such nonsense…"
"Even someone utterly clueless should know there's a limit."
Gripping the brush in his hand, the monk swung it in fury.
Black ink smoke flickered endlessly around his body, and the soft brush tip subtly transformed into a thick, razor-sharp blade.
At the same time, his killing intent surged, his voice echoing with absolute finality.
"Yhwach, you wretched creature destined to suffer divine punishment…"
"Fall into a world completely dyed in black, and die in despair."
As his aura reached its peak, the release command rang out:
"Blacken everything… Ichimonji!"
"..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________