In a dim, shadowed corner of the Dangai, dozens of ragged people had made their lives here. Their eyes never rested, constantly scanning the Koryu that surged and churned around them without pause.

"Leader, look!"

Someone cried out. A white-haired man raised his eyes and found the nearby Koryu steadily fading. At the same moment, a terrifying spiritual pressure rolled in from the distance, so overwhelming the Dangai itself couldn't block it, vast as an abyss, suffocating as a prison.

"This is..."

A flash of golden light, there and gone. The spiritual pressure vanished just as abruptly. The surrounding Koryu disappeared by more than half. The white-haired man closed his eyes and reached out with his senses, and after a moment, wild joy spread across his face.

"The Kototsu... is gone!" He swept a broad hand through the air, voice bright with excitement. "The Kototsu has been destroyed by some unknown person! It will take a long time before it re-forms on its own! The Koryu is no threat for now! Use this time to rest! Once we've regrouped, we can finally set about fulfilling our ambitions!"

"Yeah!"

...

"Hey! Turns out it wasn't such a big deal after all!"

Grinning wide, Ichigo looked on proudly at what he'd done. Just as he'd felt, the so-called rules weren't unbreakable. They only held because the people involved lacked the power, or were strictly forbidden from trying.

"You idiot!" Yoruichi couldn't hold back. She leaped up and swiped a cat paw at his head. "What is going on inside that brain of yours?! That was dangerous!"

"It was fine..." Ichigo winced, rubbing his head. "I only cut it because I felt like I could. I'm not a complete idiot..."

"That's enough!" Yoruichi roared. Inwardly, though, she couldn't stop the thought creeping in: Why does it feel like this guy has gotten even stronger... That was the Kototsu. A genuine product of the rules of this place. And he just dealt with it like it was nothing... Maybe this guy really could try taking on the Gotei 13 alone...

Even as those thoughts ran through her mind, she kept her stern cat expression firmly in place and drove everyone forward. After the delay Ichigo had caused, the time they'd had to spare was nearly gone.

Soul Society. West Rukongai. Fugai District.

Same as always, quiet. Not far off stood Seireitei, domain of the Soul Reapers. As one of the higher-ranked Rukongai districts, close to Seireitei, public order here was relatively decent.

If nothing else, Soul Reapers passed through often enough that the place was spared the worst of criminal threats and Hollow incursions. Life was still poor, but far better than the districts ranked further back.

Crackle,

A strange sound broke the stillness. A gate tore open in the sky. The next instant, four people and one cat leaped through.

"Whoa —!"

The open air caught them off guard and a startled cry escaped, but the group recovered quickly, stabilizing in midair before drifting down to the ground.

"So this is Soul Society..." Orihime looked around and murmured. "It's not that different from the world we live in."

"Not that different?" Uryu adjusted the glasses, voice flat. "The difference is pretty obvious — between the ordinary people and the Soul Reapers."

Bare yellow earth beneath their feet. Thatched huts in every direction. Every structure around them belonged to another century. Back in the World of the Living, only the very poorest lived in houses like these.

Yet not far away, it was an entirely different world. Clean, polished stone underfoot. Buildings with a distinctly modern look. Still nothing close to the towers and high-rises of the World of the Living, but compared to thatched huts, the gap was the difference between heaven and earth.

"That's Seireitei," Yoruichi said. "Where the Soul Reapers and the nobles live. Outside Seireitei is Rukongai. Ordinary souls can spend their entire lives without ever setting foot inside, and the further back a district is ranked, the more dangerous it gets — constantly plagued by Hollows and criminals."

"Hmm... how to put it." Ichigo, a child of the new century, shook his head. "This so-called Soul Society is actually pretty backwards. I thought it'd be something impressive. Turns out it's just this."

Saying so, Ichigo strode straight toward Seireitei, casual and unhurried, like heading home.

"Be careful, Ichigo."

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE,

Before the words even finished, stone slabs came crashing down from the sky one after another, like an impassable wall slamming between Seireitei and Rukongai, sealing them apart completely.

"Been a while since I've seen a brat bold enough to walk up to Seireitei without a passage permit!"

Along with the stone slabs, a massive gate descended from above, and a giant nearly 10 meters tall burst out from it, two enormous axes in hand, tone swaggering and full of itself.

"Been a while since I've had a good workout... Attack from wherever you like. Come on, brat!"

"Heh, been a while since I've seen someone more full of themselves than me." Ichigo flashed a wide grin. "Then I'll stop standing on ceremony and,"

"Hold on, Ichigo!"

A low, steady voice cut off the rest. Ichigo recognized it and turned. Yasutora Sado stepped forward.

"A power type like this is perfect for testing what my training's been worth." Sado came to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ichigo. "And an opponent like this doesn't need the main force stepping in."

"...Hey! Sure!"

Ichigo could feel the eager anticipation stirring inside his companion and stepped back. The giant ahead might have zero sense of perception, but Ichigo could see clearly enough, this massive figure looked imposing, but was really only so-so.

"Oh! My opponent changed from a kid to an old man!" The giant swung both axes without a care. "Doesn't matter! Whatever kind of opponent it is, the great Jidanbo Ikkanzaka can handle it!"

"...I'm fifteen." Sado said, resigned. "Yasutora Sado. That is the name of the person about to defeat you."

"Don't make me laugh! Brat!"

Jidanbo Ikkanzaka swung. Those massive arms were larger than an ordinary person's entire body, speed and force combined, and the power behind that single blow was nothing to dismiss.

"Too slow."

Rooted to the ground like a mountain, Sado's feet didn't move an inch. Just raised one arm and held it overhead to block.

BOOM!

The axe came crashing down. A thunderous roar split the air, and waves of dust and smoke swallowed everything, impossible to see what had happened inside.

"Too light."

The low voice drifted through the settling haze. As the smoke cleared, the great axe had been stopped cold by Sado's right arm. That fierce, all-out blow had done nothing more than shear off the sleeve, leaving brown skin exposed beneath.

"This... how is that possible!"

Jidanbo raised the axe and stared. The attack hadn't been entirely without effect, but it had left only a shallow red mark on the skin, the kind that looked like it would fade on its own before long.

"How is that POSSIBLE!"

The scene was beyond all comprehension. Someone who wasn't even a Soul Reaper, how could they just block the great Jidanbo Ikkanzaka's strike!

"Ten-Hit Jidanbo Festival!"

➤ Next: You Gotta Keep Your Word Out on the Streets!