Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero.

I'm not good enough now.

Hyōrinmaru hummed in its scabbard, conveying its yearning for battle.

But as his master, Toshiro Hitsugaya must calmly assess the reality.

He met Captain-Commander Yamamoto's gaze and calmly said:

"I understand that with my current strength, I am not enough to fight against Ryujin Jakka."

Chapter 152 The Borrowed Hyōrinmaru?

Just then, Yanagawa's gaze fell upon the silver-haired boy, Toshiro Hitsugaya, and the Zanpakuto Hyōrinmaru in his hand.

A bold idea flashed through his mind at that moment: he would take this opportunity to try to create an unprecedented ice-type ghost path.

The most important step in realizing this idea is to personally get close to and feel the true power contained in the strongest ice-type Zanpakuto, "Hyourinmaru".

Without offering any further explanation, he strode straight up to Toshiro Hitsugaya.

"Toshiro," Yanagawa said calmly, "I'll borrow your Hyōrinmaru for a moment."

"Huh?" A clear look of surprise flashed across Hitsugaya Toshiro's eyes.

Borrow... Zanpakuto? He almost thought he had misheard.

A Zanpakuto is half of a Shinigami's soul, an existence highly bound to their spirit and will. There has never been a Shinigami who could lend their Zanpakuto to someone else and still have it function.

This completely violates the common sense that has been passed down in the Soul Society for thousands of years.

This is because the prerequisite for using a Zanpakuto is to communicate with and gain the approval of the "spirit" within the sword in order to unleash its true power.

The spirit of a Zanpakuto is formed from the soul power of its original owner, so a Zanpakuto generally only recognizes the Shinigami who created it.

However, this principle is not without exceptions.

For example, the Eight Mirrors Sword, a divine sword passed down through generations of the Ise family, can gain the sword spirit's approval and allow one to use its abilities as long as one possesses the bloodline of the Ise family.

Not only Toshiro, but all the Shinigami around who heard these words showed an expression of disbelief.

Even Captain-Commander Yamamoto frowned slightly.

He understood better than anyone the unique and exclusive nature of the bond between a Zanpakuto and its master.

After a brief moment of surprise, Hitsugaya Toshiro looked at Yanagawa.

He recalled the "Double Hyōrinmaru" incident, in which it was Yanagawa who helped Hyōrinmaru break free from the corruption of the King's Seal power and restore Hyōrinmaru to normal.

He always remembered that kindness. Although he didn't understand Yanagawa's intention in lending him the knife, based on his understanding of Yanagawa's strength and the "favor" that he hadn't yet repaid, Hitsugaya Toshiro chose to trust him after a brief hesitation.

He didn't ask any more questions, but simply nodded and solemnly handed Hyōrinmaru to Yanagawa.

Yanagawa took the Hyōrinmaru. It was icy cold to the touch, and the feel of the scabbard and hilt was completely different from his own "Tenjō".

It has lost some of its violent destructive urges and gained a chilling aura.

He could clearly feel a powerful and pure ice and snow energy flowing slowly within the blade, and at the same time, he could feel the spiritual energy repelling him, an "outsider".

This is only natural, as the spiritual power and will of a Zanpakuto originate from the soul of its master, Toshiro Hitsugaya, and naturally reject other beings.

"As expected..." Low sighs and head shakes came from the surroundings.

The captains understood perfectly well that Zanpakuto were not something just anyone could wield.

Even for the Zero Division, this basic rule is probably hard to break. Perhaps Yanagawa just wants to study the spiritual power characteristics of Hyōrinmaru and find a way to counter Ryūjin Jakka.

But to use its power directly, I'm afraid...

However, Yanagawa's next move once again overturned their understanding.

He held Hyōrinmaru in his hand and began to summon Hyōrinmaru's sword spirit.

He's trying... to communicate with Hyōrinmaru's sword spirit!

Hitsugaya Toshiro's heart tightened, and he subconsciously took half a step forward, but then stopped.

He believed that Yanagawa wouldn't do anything without being sure of success, but the situation before him was beyond his comprehension.

"Zheng—!!!"

A sword cry, like the roar of a dragon, suddenly erupted from the Hyōrin Maru sword in Yanagawa's hand!

Then, to everyone's disbelief, Hyōrinmaru's blade was covered and wrapped in pure, azure ice crystals!

The biting cold air surged outwards, fiercely clashing with the intense heat of the surrounding "burning city walls"!

Hyōrinmaru actually responded to Yanagawa's call!

"This... how is this possible?!" Kyoraku Shunsui exclaimed, his usually carefree face filled with shock.

"Hyōrinmaru... has acknowledged Lord Yanagawa?" Ukitake Jushirō murmured, this completely overturned his understanding.

"Interesting! This is so interesting!" Mayuri Kurotsuchi exclaimed excitedly, ignoring the instruments and staring intently at the Hyōrinmaru in Yanagawa's hand.

"The exclusivity of a Zanpakuto's spirit can actually be broken?! Is Yanagawa special to Hyorinmaru?"

Or did Hyōrinmaru's spiritual structure mutate due to the Royal Seal incident? Or perhaps both? This must be recorded! This is invaluable sample data!

The most shocked person was none other than Toshiro Hitsugaya himself.

As the master of Hyōrinmaru, he could feel most clearly that what Hyōrinmaru was conveying to him at this moment was not painful resistance or forced anger.

Rather, it was a feeling of "permission" and "cooperation" tinged with a hint of eagerness.

There are actually two reasons why Hyōrinmaru responded to Yanagawa.

Firstly, it's to repay a favor. Liu Chuan did help with the Wang Yin incident last time, freeing it from the control of the Wang Yin's power. Now is the perfect opportunity.

Secondly, there is the fighting spirit, the Flowing Blade! That rival who is known as the "strongest of the Fire type" and is on par with it as the "strongest of the Ice type"!

It has long wanted to have a real competition to see whose title of "strongest" is more well-deserved!

However, its master, Toshiro, was still very young and his power had not yet reached its peak. He was simply unable to bear its desire to fight Ryujin Jakka with all its might, so he chose to answer Yanagawa's call.

Liu Chuan held the "Hyourinmaru" covered in azure ice crystals in his hand, and felt the chilling touch of the Hyorinmaru.

Behind him, a group of death gods held their breath, their eyes fixed on Liuchuan.

They could clearly feel a vast, icy spiritual pressure emanating from Liu Chuan, from the hand holding the Hyōrinmaru, slowly spreading like an ancient glacier awakening!

The spiritual pressure was so strong that even in the high-temperature environment of the "burning city", they felt a bone-chilling cold, and tiny frost flowers even formed on their skin!

"Is this... Hyōrinmaru's true power?" Renji Abarai's teeth chattered slightly, and he subconsciously tightened his shihaka.

“No…that’s not right.” Jushiro Ukitake’s gaze was solemn as he slowly shook his head.

"Hyōrinmaru's power is indeed strong, but the spiritual pressure it is emitting at this moment... in both 'quality' and 'quantity,' far exceeds the limits that Captain Hitsugaya can use."

This is not merely the power of the Zanpakuto… but also Lord Yanagawa's own power!

Kyoraku Shunsui pressed his hand to his straw hat, his eyes gleaming beneath the brim:

"Breaking the boundaries... Zero Division, as expected, lives up to its name. This spiritual pressure has already exceeded the scope of ordinary captain-level Shinigami."

Rather than saying that Yanagawa was using Hyōrinmaru, it would be more accurate to say that he used himself as a vessel to amplify and unleash the power of Hyōrinmaru to another level!

Chapter 153 Roar of the Ice Dragon

At this moment, the person who feels the most direct and shocking impact is none other than Toshiro Hitsugaya himself.

He sensed the icy spiritual pressure surging from his Zanpakuto, several times stronger than when he used it at full power, and his heart pounded violently in his chest.

That wasn't just because of the difference in power intensity, the way Yanagawa's spiritual pressure flowed, or even the subtle resonance that formed between him and Hyōrinmaru.

All of this made him feel as if he had opened a completely new door, and he could see a deeper and broader world behind the power of Hyōrinmaru.

So... Hyōrinmaru can be used like this? My understanding of "ice" was so shallow after all...

Just as everyone's hearts were racing, Liu Chuan made his move.

He firmly gripped the hilt of Hyōrinmaru with his right hand. The azure ice crystal blade reflected the dark red flames of Ryūjin Jakka burning fiercely, presenting a strange beauty of ice and fire intertwined.

He closed his eyes slightly, as if communicating with the Zanpakuto in his hand at the deepest level, or as if mobilizing and unifying his own power with Hyōrinmaru.

The next moment, he uttered the words of liberation:

"Sit upright in the frosty sky—"

As the words of liberation were uttered, the chill that had been slowly spreading outwards from Liuchuan erupted instantly!

A visible azure cold wave surged outwards like a tsunami! The ground was instantly covered by solid ice shimmering with a ghostly blue light, which then spread rapidly outwards!

The moisture in the air froze instantly, turning into countless crystalline snowflakes that swirled upwards! The sky itself seemed to be stained by this extreme cold, displaying an eerie dark blue hue!

"-Hyōrinmaru!!!!!"

"Sing—!!!!!"

The response to him was a high-pitched dragon roar that pierced the clouds, filled with endless majesty and joy!

A massive, lifelike ice dragon, far larger than Toshiro Hitsugaya in his Shikai form, suddenly burst through the ice and soared into the sky!

Its entire body is composed of the purest, deep blue ice, and every dragon scale is crystal clear, reflecting a cold light.

As the long dragon coiled, it stirred up a chilling wind that could freeze everything. Its dragon eyes, like two huge sapphires, were coldly locked onto Ryujin Jakka in front of it, filled with eager fighting spirit!

This is the Shikai form of Hyōrinmaru, but driven by Yanagawa's powerful spiritual energy, its power and scale have reached an unbelievable level!

Its very existence completely dispels the intense heat permeating the air, replacing it with an absolute cold that penetrates to the bone!

"Roar--!!!"

The frost dragon roared to the sky, its huge tail swung violently, and its massive body, carrying a terrifying chill that could freeze everything, crashed into the still raging "Burning City" in front of it!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Ice and fire, the extreme cold and the most violent heat, clashed head-on in the most primal way on this ravaged wasteland!

Wherever the frost dragon passed, the flame barrier let out a mournful cry of being overwhelmed, and large swaths of flame were instantly frozen and solidified, turning into ice sculptures of various shapes.

Then, under the subsequent, even more violent impact of the flames, it exploded and melted, turning into a chaotic flow of spiritual particles mixed with steam and fire!

Ice and thaw, freezing and burning, in a constant cycle of annihilation and regeneration.

"This is... a clash of power beyond Captain-level, no, a clash of power beyond Captain-level...?"