Chương 45: Hueco Mundo Needs Freedom (End)
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After spending three days in Hueco Mundo, Ichigo gained a moniker: The Conqueror of Menos Forest. He had subdued so many Adjuchas residing in the forest that every one of them actively avoided him. The Adjuchas gave up on ganging up on him on the second day, seeing how futile their predecessors' attempts were.
Poof!
"Is that the last one?" Yoruichi inquired in boredom.
"It appears to be," Retsu responded calmly.
Already used to Ichigo's display of brutality, the two female Shinigami didn't bat their eyelashes as Ichigo crushed an Adjuchas' head with his fist. Ashido, on the other hand, hadn't gotten over the fact of how strong Ichigo was, so he was gaping at the scene, as he always did for the past three days.
"He is… domineering." Ashido had seen a lot of individuals before, but it was his first time seeing someone dominate the battlefield. "He reminds me of Captain Kuruyashiki."
"Well, he's dead, unfortunately. Ichigo won't die stupidly like that," Yoruichi quipped nonchalantly. "Ah, I don't mean to belittle your Captain. I am just stating a fact."
"I know what being a Kenpachi entails. You don't have to apologize, Yoruichi-sama," Ashido waved off Yoruichi's apology.
Ichigo's Reiatsu suddenly surged, causing everyone to pay attention to him. Dark red Reiryoku coalesced around his body, slowly engulfing him like a cocoon. His pale body was gradually covered by a milky carapace. His mask covered his entire face and the horns on his forehead grew longer and sharper.
Before long, Ichigo lost any resemblance to a human. Standing over two meters tall, he looked like a high-ranked Vasto Lorde. The only thing reminiscent of his human form was his waist-length orange hair. His Reiatsu was sickeningly oppressive. It was so intense that the ground under him disintegrated.
Retsu and Yoruichi looked at Ichigo in anticipation. Ichigo was motionless and silent. They wondered if his Hollow had overtaken his mind. As they readied themselves to intervene, Ichigo raised Zangetsu and swung them to the side. A blast of Reiatsu swept the area, knocking the observing Shinigami back.
Whoosh!
As they recovered, Ichigo was already engulfed by the thick dark red Reiatsu. His form was concealed from the world. Retsu and Yoruichi were quite anxious but didn't dare approach him. They didn't know what was happening to him, but in case he was evolving, they didn't want to disrupt the process. In the end, they chose to wait.
Seconds turned to minutes. The red from the thick Reiryoku engulfing Ichigo was gradually dominated by the black. The red eventually disappeared, leaving Ichigo covered with black Reiryoku. His Reiatsu became intensely unbearable for a moment before disappearing like nothing. Following that, the black Reiryoku covering him dispersed.
'What was that?'
'Did the Reiatsu die down…? No, I am sure it got more intense at the end of it.'
Yoruichi and Retsu couldn't comprehend what had just happened. The intensity of Ichigo's Reiatsu had almost brought them to their knees earlier. They couldn't accept that kind of Reiatsu could disappear instantly.
'Is it possible that Ichigo…'
Retsu thought of a possible scenario and couldn't help but widen her eyes. Her heart hammered in her chest as she imagined how much power Ichigo possessed.
'But I can feel his Reiatsu right now. It is exceptionally intense but not to the point of immeasurable.'
She sighed as she thought about the enigma called Kurosaki Ichigo. Deciding to cast aside the thought, she looked at Ichigo. His waist-length hair had shortened. It only reached slightly below his shoulder. The carapace covering his body had also shed. The mask remained, but the mark on it changed. A curvy line ran down from the forehead to the jaw.
Ichigo's skin tone had returned to normal. His muscles got slightly smaller, but his body had become taller. He had grown over 10 centimeters, making him 192 centimeters tall. Wearing the skull-like mask, he looked equally regal and terror-inducing.
"Phew, I can finally take this thing off."
When he took off his mask, his glowing handsome face was exposed to the world. His cheekbones and jaw had become more pronounced, making him more masculinely attractive. Retsu and Yoruichi couldn't help but note that even though they had seen a lot of exceptionally attractive men before.
Tossing the mask into the air, Ichigo swept his bangs to the back. He walked toward Retsu and Yoruichi as his discarded mask dispersed. The two female Shinigami watched the approaching eye candy with a predatory look. They didn't want to act indecently in public, but Ichigo's charm had become more irresistible.
"Hello, ladies," he greeted with a smile. "It appears that you like what you see."
"That, we do," Yoruichi affirmed shamelessly. "Interested in spending some time with this sexy woman?" she smirked.
Ichigo grinned lightly in response. Mirth danced in his eyes as he looked at Yoruichi. Being the target of said eyes, Yoruichi shuddered involuntarily. Something in his gaze made her feel like she had been swallowed whole.
"How are you feeling, Ichigo-kun?" Retsu asked reservedly, betraying the intense look she sent Ichigo.
"My power is balanced now. I am better than ever," Ichigo answered. He noticed Retsu's look and his lip slightly quirked upward. "I am still as horny as before; in case you are wondering."
"Oh…"
Retsu sounded calm, but her gaze didn't lie. Everyone could even see the blush decorating her cheeks. Ichigo chuckled lightly. The sound produced by his rambling throat tickled the women's spines.
"Kuhum! Congratulations, Ichigo-san."
Ashido dispersed the growing tension with his remark. Ichigo politely thanked Ashido, but the two female Shinigami got irritated. They forgot their resolve not to behave indecently in public. Fortunately, they quickly regained their professionalism.
Ichigo's balanced power meant they could proceed to their next agenda. Balancing his power by evolving his Hollow power was not Ichigo's only purpose for coming to Hueco Mundo. Ichigo also wanted to use his powers all at once. It was easily achievable, but he still had to train to do that. Therefore, Hueco Mundo was the perfect place to train as he didn't have to worry about endangering anyone or damaging the environment.
As Ichigo was about to tell Yoruichi and Retsu they needed to traverse deeper, various Reiatsu weighed them down. Ashido reacted strongly to the Reiatsu, quickly looking around in alarm. Yoruichi and Retsu reacted better but still looked around vigilantly. On the other hand, Ichigo only smirked as he recognized one of the Reiatsu.
"We got companies," Ichigo remarked calmly.
No one said a thing as Ichigo had just stated the obvious. Before long, the air trembled as static reverberated through it. Seven Arrancars revealed themselves. Grimmjow glared at Ichigo manically. Luppi Antenor, the current Sexta Espada, looked uncomfortable. The other Arrancars mimicked his expression. Only the lunatic Grimmjow was excited by the pressure they could feel from Ichigo.
"Do you have anything to deliver me, Grimmjow?"
Clank!
Grimmjow appeared before Ichigo in the blink of an eye, Zanpakutō clashing against Ichigo's neck.
"Your life, huh?"
"What the…"
Grimmjow could only widen his eyes as Ichigo punched his head. A resounding crack assaulted everyone's ears as Ichigo's fist met Grimmjow's forehead. Grimmjow shot toward Luppi, causing the effeminate Espada to curse loudly. Luppi tried to move away, but Grimmjow's body was too fast to dodge. Luppi groaned painfully as Grimmjow's body hit his body. As they flew away, Ichigo sent a Cero-infused Getsuga Tensho at the remaining Arrancars.
Boom!
The Arrancars only reacted when the attack hit them. They managed to survive it but lost a limb or sported a deep gash on their torso. Luppi gasped as his body hit the quartz tree. The unfamiliar pain made him immediately throw Grimmjow aside. The force embedded him into the tree. Pulling himself out of the tree, Luppi healed his broken ribs and glared at Ichigo.
"Strangle, Trepadora!"
Tentacles sprouted out of Luppi's back as he activated his Resurrección. The tree he was embedded in exploded into pieces as his tentacles flailed wildly.
"I will kill you, Kurosaki Ichigo!" Luppi roared madly.
Ichigo smirked before glancing at the people behind him. Retsu and Yoruichi nodded with a lighthearted smile whereas Ashido with a tense one. Ichigo kicked the ground and shot toward Luppi. The Espada's eyes widened in terror as Zangetsu's hilt hit his head. Luppi's vision went black as an unbearable dizziness assaulted his head.
Boom!
By the time Luppi regained his clarity, he was inside a crater, face-planted to the ground. He was about to stand when Ichigo's foot pushed his head deeper into the ground. Luppi's tentacles flailed as indignation burned in his body. The tentacles came crashing down on Ichigo but stopped when Ichigo planted the longer Zangetsu into Luppi's back.
"Gah! What are you doing!?"
"I am injecting my Reiryoku into you. I wonder how much you can take until you explode."
"Stop it! Just kill me already!"
Ichigo ignored the plea and turned to the figure rising from the ground. Grimmjow was still bloody but his caved skull was quickly popping up.
"Don't kill him. He's my meal!" Grimmjow shouted bloodthirstily.
"Izzat' so?" Ichigo quirked an eyebrow and smirked.
Ichigo hummed before pulling Luppi's tentacles at their base and uprooting them. Luppi let out a bloodcurdling scream as blood splattered everywhere. Grimmjow grinned madly at the scene which was mimicked by Ichigo. Ichigo carelessly tossed the milky tentacles at Grimmjow. Grimmjow swiftly caught and munched on them before Ichigo could tell him to have his meal.
The Fracción whom Luppi and Grimmjow brought watched the scene in silent horror. They knew they should be fighting the three Shinigami before them, but the oppression coming from the other side of the battlefield was too terrifying to ignore.
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