On this topic, the black-clad uncle could only stay silent. The person in front of him was, by instinct, the most qualified to speak.

"Uncle!" Little Ichigo couldn't understand what the two of them were talking about, but he called out softly yet firmly. "What should I do?"

[...It's simple.] The black-clad uncle said plainly. [Blood is the power of Blut. It is divided into Blut Arterie and Blut Vene. Blut Arterie enhances your physical strength. Blut Vene strengthens your defense. Right now, it can also be used to stop bleeding.]

[Simply put, Blut is the act of injecting spiritual power into your blood vessels. Depending on the mode of circulation, it is divided into Arterie and Vene. You are not a pure-blood Quincy, but with a little practice, you should be able to grasp it quickly.]

"What is spiritual power?" Little Ichigo seized on the key point. "And what do those circulation modes look like?"

[Spiritual power is the spirit particles within your own body, and spirit particles are one of the foundations that make up this world. They are like air to humans. Normally you cannot feel their existence, yet they are everywhere.]

[Just like those spirits that only you can see, the ones no one else can see. The ghosts as you know them.] The black-clad uncle spoke very quickly, but every word was clear. [Feel them with your heart. They are something you see every day, something you can touch at every moment. You simply haven't realized it.]

"Spirit particles..."

Murmuring, Ichigo looked at his own hands. He remembered the ghosts he had seen since he could remember, the ones others could not see but he could. He had never examined them closely, never asked what ghosts actually were. He had only treated them as a natural phenomenon. But thinking about it carefully, what were those ghosts made of? What power allowed them to exist?

All of it now had an answer. And since he could see them, that meant he possessed it, that so-called spiritual power.

The next moment, as if confirming Little Ichigo's thoughts, a sky-blue light appeared on his hands, pulsing as if alive, as if cheering and rejoicing at something.

[This is spiritual power.] The black-clad uncle continued. [Next, inject the spiritual power into your blood vessels. Let it surge through naturally.]

"Okay!"

Little Ichigo displayed a decisiveness and drive that belied his age. The light in his hands flashed, then entered his body.

From beginning to end, Little Ichigo never doubted the two people before him, not even the white-clad man with the especially strange voice. Because that man gave Little Ichigo a very familiar feeling, especially his face. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. And the black-clad uncle gave him a very special feeling. Their appearances were completely different, yet the uncle gave him an unusual sense of warmth that belonged only to his mother.

Beyond perception, there was also the fact that at a time like this, the two of them deceiving Little Ichigo would be utterly meaningless. The horrific state of his mother before him was real. He also knew that, aside from being able to see ghosts, he had nothing special about him. Even if they truly had ulterior motives, as long as they could really save his mother, Little Ichigo would step into Hell itself.

"As expected... so natural..."

Whispering softly, Little Ichigo silently sensed the state inside his body. As the spiritual power was injected, a drastic change occurred within his blood vessels. It was as if some innate pattern had been engraved into them. The spiritual power naturally formed a special shape and surged through his blood vessels.

"Blut Vene, huh..."

In Little Ichigo's perception, the spiritual power formed a circuit through his body along his blood vessels. At that moment, the spiritual power naturally gave him feedback, as if presenting a left and right path. Choosing left meant Blut Vene, choosing right meant Blut Arterie.

Without needing to ask further, Little Ichigo placed his hand on his mother's back. The power of Blut manifested in an instant, and branch-like patterns appeared on his mother's back.

The wound showed no visible sign of healing, but the spiritual power had already given him feedback. All the blood vessels around the wound had been completely sealed off by spiritual power. Even if they returned to normal space, no more blood would flow out.

[Very good, Ichigo. Your talent is strong, terrifyingly strong.] The black-clad uncle's voice was still calm, but it was filled with admiration. [I originally thought that as a mixed-blood, quickly grasping Blut would already be impressive enough. I never expected you to achieve further enhancement on your own. That is something most pure-blood quincy cannot do.]

"Hehe, am I really as amazing as you say, Uncle?" Having sensed that his mother was out of danger, Little Ichigo finally showed a bit of his childish side. "I don't really understand all that, but who says mixed-bloods have to be weaker than pure-bloods? Plenty of animals become stronger when the strong join forces, you know."

[...That does seem to be true.]

[Hey hey hey!] The white-clad man, who had been quiet for a long while, suddenly spoke up. [Isn't it about time to move on to the next step?! We've already dragged this out long enough! Any longer and it'll be time to go back!]

CRACK!

As if confirming the white-clad man's words, a white fissure suddenly appeared in the pitch-black space. It was tiny, but it declared that the space was no longer stable.

[So, Ichigo.] The black-clad uncle looked at Little Ichigo, his tone extremely solemn. [Are you willing to become a warrior?]

"Warrior?" Little Ichigo blinked. "Can I protect Mom and my sisters?"

[Of course. Not just them. If you are willing, you can protect anyone you want to protect.]

[As long as it is something you wish to protect, we will exert our greatest strength to help you.]

"Then what should I do?"

[You only need to answer one question for us.]

"What question?"

[Will you be afraid?]

"Afraid of what? Not to brag, but I've been able to see ghosts since I was little. There's nothing I'm afraid of!"

[Afraid of battle.]

"...I don't know."

[Battle is a terrifying thing. Blade clashes against blade. Every fight teeters on the edge of life and death. Every swing of the sword means either you die or I die. Do you have the courage to truly wield the sword in your hand?]

"..."

"I don't know." Little Ichigo lowered his head, hiding his expression. "I don't know if I'll be afraid when I actually fight."

"But I do know this: if it's to protect Dad, Mom, my sisters, and... Tatsuki and the others, the people I like, the people I care about, then I will definitely fight."

"If they get hurt because I didn't fight..."

"I would absolutely never forgive myself." Little Ichigo raised his head and looked at the two of them with unwavering resolve. "So please give me strength. I don't really understand what a warrior is, but I want to protect them!"

[Good!]

[Remember this, Ichigo. Forget fear. Look ahead!]

[Advance! Do not stop!]

[Retreat only brings decay!]

[Cowardice invites death!]

[Call out! Our name, Zangetsu!]

➤ Next: Crescent Moon Piercing the Sky