Bleach: Awakened — Chapter 53 - The Shattered Mirror

BOOM!

Dozens of fire pillars converged and detonated at once. A massive mushroom cloud rose from where Ichigo stood, billowing upward and refusing to dissipate.

"Ichigo..."

No matter how certain Orihime Inoue was about the strength of the person Orihime cared for, watching those terrifying flames swallow Ichigo whole, Orihime couldn't help but worry.

"Relax. That guy isn't going down from an attack like this." Uryu Ishida pushed up Uryu's glasses and said flatly, "I don't know where his limits are, but they're definitely not here."

The assembled Captains stared at the flames, and cold sweat broke out across more than a few faces. Among everyone present, very few could withstand that kind of force, and even those who could wouldn't come out of it looking pretty.

"Cough, cough!"

The flames receded. Thick smoke rose in their place, and through the white haze a silhouette emerged, coughing, as though the terrifying explosion were nothing compared to the choking smoke now surrounding him.

"Now that's got some kick!"

One sweep of the long blade scattered the smoke, revealing Ichigo. His Shihakusho had several large holes burned clean through it, his face was noticeably darker than before, and the black blade in his hand glowed faintly red.

"Is that all it is..." Yamamoto weighed something in his mind, staring at the boy. "What a monster. And to think he's just a human."

In that moment, Yamamoto discarded his earlier conviction entirely, that a human wielding Soul Reaper power was nothing to fear. The human standing before him defied all reason. Even with both of them in Shikai, Yamamoto had been pushed squarely onto the back foot.

"Now that's got some kick, old man!" Ichigo wiped his face. "What about Bankai? You can use it now, right?"

"Hmph. Not even close!" Yamamoto decided to keep the boy on the hook a little longer. "Show me what you're really made of, kid!"

"Still not enough... is that it!"

Ichigo shifted from stillness to motion, raising his blade and charging forward. In the instant he had absorbed the flame attack, he had switched from Blut Arterie to Blut Vene, without it, even with the blade taking most of the impact, there was no way he would have come through unscathed.

Blade met fire blade again. Every swing of Yamamoto's weapon brought scorching heat with it, while Ichigo's long blade answered in plain, unadorned strokes, one after another. The fire blade's attacks looked far more overwhelming in scale. Yet it was clearly at a disadvantage.

Yamamoto swung again. Flames erupted, but this time, Yamamoto deliberately pushed the intensity higher. It had no real effect, but for a moment the fire wall blocked Ichigo's line of sight completely.

That was when Yamamoto extended a left hand. Spiritual pressure gathered in the palm, and two tongues of flame rose within it.

"Hado No. 73—Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down!"

The explosive attack launched from that palm. Fire-attribute Kido unleashed by the master of Soul Society's mightiest flame Zanpakuto carried power that exceeded the absolute ceiling of any other Soul Reaper.

"This kind of trick." Ichigo shook his head, vision only just cleared, already with a derisive laugh. "You don't think I can't use it too, do you? Something like Kido."

"Bakudo No. 81—Danku."

A massive transparent wall materialized in front of Ichigo. Both explosive flame attacks slammed into it and did nothing. A mayfly trying to shake an ancient tree.

"Danku without incantation... to think it could be done to that degree..." Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. "Kid. Who taught you the ways of a Soul Reaper?"

"Kisuke Urahara." Ichigo smiled. "You already had the answer before you asked, didn't you?"

"So it was him after all."

"That's right."

"Hff..."

Yamamoto exhaled slowly. Reluctant as Yamamoto was to admit it, the kid in front of him possessed strength that surpassed every Soul Reaper in the Gotei 13, save for Yamamoto alone.

"Kid." The call was soft, but the voice behind it was ice cold. "Are you certain you won't surrender? This is your last chance."

"Of course, does that mean Bankai is coming?" Ichigo's eyes lit up. "Hurry up, hurry up! I've been looking forward to this!"

"Then..." The spiritual pressure around Yamamoto surged. "Die in your anticipation."

"Bankai—Zanka no Tachi...?!"

The Bankai that was about to be released was cut off by a sudden incoming transmission. The sensation of the link was familiar: Bakudo No. 77, Tenteikura.

As a Bakudo, it held no defensive power. Its purpose was to search for a specific spiritual pressure and relay a message. A technique of considerable difficulty, only Vice-Captains and above could generally use it, and whenever it activated, something of great importance was being conveyed. Without question.

"This is Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of Squad 10."

That clear, cool voice rang in the ears of every person on Sokyoku Hill, including the Ryoka. Including Ichigo.

"Every word I'm about to say is the truth." There was an outrage in Hitsugaya's voice that couldn't be suppressed. "Every member of Central 46 is dead. Not one survivor. Based on examination of the remains, the time of death exceeds half a month!"

"Based on the on-site investigation, traces of spiritual pressure belonging to Kaname Tosen, Captain of Squad 9, remain at the location... estimated time present there exceeds half a month!"

Every Captain's eyes went wide.

Yamamoto most of all. The spiritual pressure that had been surging moments before flickered and died. Yamamoto's gaze swept across the Captains nearby, searching, searching for the face most likely to be implicated.

"That's...?!"

The other Captains were already turning, scanning for Kaname Tosen, only to find that at some point, without anyone noticing, Tosen had quietly moved to the side of Rukia Kuchiki, who had only just been rescued.

"Ah... ah..."

An overwhelming spiritual pressure exploded outward in an instant. Rukia's body locked in place. Kaname Tosen seized her by the collar and hoisted her into the air.

"Damn you! What do you think you're doing?!"

An enraged roar. A long, serpentine blade shot out, curving through the air toward Kaname Tosen, Renji Abarai's Zabimaru. Renji had hidden nearby before the execution ever began. When Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake, the two rebel subordinates, had nearly rushed forward earlier, Renji had nearly been exposed along with them.

"So it's Renji Abarai."

Tosen glanced back at the incoming blade, smiled faintly, and extended a left hand.

"You really are the most troublesome one."

CRACK!

The blade snapped apart section by section and clattered to the ground. The nightmare played out again, just like in the World of the Living, Zabimaru had been caught bare-handed and crushed to pieces. Only this time, it wasn't Ichigo doing it.

It was Kaname Tosen.

"Well done, Renji Abarai!"

The voice rang out. A black figure was already in front of Tosen, golden light converging at the blade's tip. Ichigo locked his gaze on the figure before him and brought the blade down hard.

"Getsuga Tensho!...?"

'There's no... sense of impact...'

The golden crescent howled forward, but in the instant it struck "Kaname Tosen," the entire body shattered like a broken mirror.

And just like that, vanished without a trace.

➤ Next: The Fading Cross