Bleach: Awakened — Chapter 75 - Clean Up Your Own Mess

"Then what about me." Ichigo asked. "I'm the one who destroyed the Kototsu."

"I caused all of this, am I really just supposed to stand here and watch you die?!"

"Not die." Senna shook her head. "It's simply a return to what I was. I, who should never have been born, am returning to, "

"Nonsense!" Ichigo's gaze was iron. "By that logic—you were born because of me, and you chose to sacrifice yourself like this—did you get my permission?!"

"I made this mess! I'll clean it up myself!"

They reached the riverbank. The center of the river radiated a hazy, shimmering glow, and a crescent-shaped reflection lay across the surface of the water. From the shore, a vast unbroken stretch of valley was visible in the distance.

"It's not that simple, Ichigo." Senna gazed at the river, voice slow and quiet. "I can feel it, the power inside the Valley of Screams is nothing any Soul Reaper can match. That's the power of the world's own laws."

"So, I, "

A hand seized her wrist. Ichigo grabbed Senna and hauled her back just as she was about to leap into the river. Senna hit the ground hard, landing on her backside, while Ichigo drew both blades.

"Do you know why?" Before Senna could react, Ichigo asked. "Why did the entrance to the Valley of Screams appear here, of all places?"

"...A coincidence, maybe?"

"There are no coincidences in this world, not that many, anyway. Most coincidences are inevitable." Ichigo glanced at the river, then looked up at the sky. "I only just figured it out myself. This place, this is where I awakened my power."

"Seven years ago, I let everything out here. No holding back. That slash looked like it only killed a Hollow, but it affected the surrounding space."

"Even though the damage was quietly repaired afterward, by a certain bastard, compared to everywhere else, the spatial fabric here is at its absolute thinnest."

"Don't let appearances fool you." The two blades crossed, and spiritual pressure surged to its absolute peak. Ichigo smiled. "Watch carefully. Don't blink."

"What you're about to see is the strongest power in the Three Realms."

BOOM!

Spiritual pressure that had already reached the limits of a Soul Reaper erupted, nearly tangible in its density. Senna and every captain and lieutenant present saw it: the two black blades in Ichigo's hands drinking in spiritual pressure, flooding with it continuously.

The short blade blazed with golden light. The long blade radiated black. Gold and black climbed together, coiling around each other, each bleeding into the other.

The radiance kept intensifying, and Ichigo's spiritual pressure kept rising, from a level already at its limit, it climbed until no one in the surrounding area could sense it at all.

BOOM!

The white smoke that had risen atop Sokyoku Hill in Seireitei half a month ago appeared again. The blade swept through the air, white smoke parted, and the figure inside was revealed.

"Is this... a Hollow?"

Bull-like horns at the temples. The black markings were denser than last time, visibly heavier, now covering the entire upper body. Trinity Ichigo had returned.

"Without any external stimulus...?!" Sui-Feng's eyes went wide. "Alone—no trigger at all, and able to manifest this power directly...?"

"Cough!"

Ichigo coughed up a mouthful of blood. Breathing came ragged and uneven, and it took a long moment before it steadied.

"Quincy power and Hollow power mutually stimulate each other, drawing out the deepest layer of strength." Ichigo explained, directing the words at the Soul Society captains. "This is the result of half a month of training. It wasn't easy, but I did it."

"The problem is, two fundamentally opposing forces clashing inside the body produces an immense shockwave. Right now, the body still can't fully absorb that kind of impact."

"That's just..." Renji's fists clenched, teeth ground together. "Half a month of training, and I can wield Bankai with real proficiency now. I thought I'd managed to close the gap a little..."

"Never imagined I'd still be left this far behind..."

"Don't go setting me as your goal." Ichigo laughed. "I'm not being arrogant, but a Soul Reaper is never going to keep pace with me. Ever."

"But don't worry, I'm not abandoning anyone. So, how about it, Renji? Want to be part of my crew?"

"Give me a break. My abilities aren't anywhere near enough to join you lot."

"Don't say that, I still think you're, "

"Renji's right, Ichigo." A familiar voice cut in. Looking up, Uryu Ishida was standing by the roadside not far away, tone even. "A Soul Reaper who takes decades of training just to barely master Bankai has no business joining us."

"You didn't have to put it like that."

"You know Orihime's ability, it's practically an intrusion into the divine domain. No ceiling whatsoever."

"That's right, that's right! I'm very strong!"

A small yellow-haired head popped up from the side. Orihime Inoue flexed completely nonexistent biceps with a thoroughly pleased expression.

"Yasutora Sado, too, only a few years since awakening, and already stronger than Renji."

"I suppose." Yasutora Sado said, with characteristic modesty, then shifted without missing a beat. "Though I am definitely stronger than Renji Abarai, that part's true."

"And then there's me." Uryu Ishida pushed up the glasses, radiating confidence from head to toe. "In a real fight, Renji would be down in under three minutes."

"Ugh...!"

Blow after blow landing, Renji was feeling it. Renji had never claimed to be a genius, but had always been considerably stronger than peers from the same generation, and with Bankai newly mastered on top of that, it would have been impossible not to feel at least a little pride.

But being compared like this, against people who had probably trained for a fraction of the time, Renji suddenly felt like those years of effort had been wasted on a dog.

"Heh..."

A short, cold laugh. Even though they were on the same side right now, and even though the relationship with Ichigo was decent enough, for some reason Uryu just couldn't stand this red-haired Soul Reaper. Every time they came face to face, something somewhere would itch faintly, the dull, deep itch of a blade wound knitting closed.

"Ha, come on... that's not a fair comparison." Ichigo scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed by all the praise. "But yeah, we really are all pretty impressive, aren't we."

"Obviously."

"Ichigo..." Orihime Inoue came closer, expression full of worry. "Are you going to be alright? This is a collision of two worlds."

"Ah... so you all know already. Was it Urahara." Ichigo shook his head, gaze hardening. "Either way, it's the same mess I made half a month ago."

"My mess to clean up. I still have that much resolve."

"...I understand."

Gazing at the unyielding look in the eyes of the person who mattered most, Orihime Inoue said nothing more. Two streaks of light flickered at the hairpins. Soten Kisshun spread over Ichigo's body, mending the injuries from forcing Trinity to activate.

"You have to..." Head dipping slightly, warm brown hair falling across the forehead, Orihime Inoue said softly. "Come back safe, Ichigo."

➤ Next: Destroying the Valley of Screams