XX-level Hokage

The Hollow let out a low growl, and a huge crack appeared in the part that was hit. However, the Hollow's power was too great, and it remained unharmed, continuing to advance towards them.

"It seems determined, it won't fall easily!" Rukia gritted her teeth, quickly shifting her strength, preparing to deliver a fatal blow. "Me too!" Ichigo shouted, mustering his courage, swinging his Zanpakuto, attempting to deliver a fatal attack to the Hollow. "Ichiriki Slash!"

With a whoosh, the Zanpakuto flashed a struggling light, facing the oncoming Hollow head-on. His spiritual pressure surged, distorting the surrounding air. Although he had no equal power, his conviction made him meet the Hollow's attack without hesitation.

"Take this!" Ichigo and Rukia's powers of Kido and Zanpakuto intertwined, condensing into a pungent gust of air that aimed directly at the Hollow's vital points.

Just as their combined attack was about to strike, the Hollow let out a deafening roar, releasing thick black smoke around it. The Hollow's body instantly swelled, transforming into a gigantic black shadow, its blue face and bared fangs radiating boundless killing intent as it pounced on them. Its ferocity filled Ichigo with immense fear, thinking, "Damn it, am I going to be eaten by it?"

In that instant, Rukia reacted extremely quickly and whispered: From now on, stick close to me!

If she never took the risk, she would never have known Ichigo's anticipation and the power of that anticipation for this battle. And Ichigo, through Rukia's resolute command, felt the courage to follow. He charged forward, facing the Hollow head-on!

Dodging the Hollow's attacks, the Zanpakuto suddenly appeared behind Rukia, aiming it at the Hollow's cheek without hesitation, and shouted again: "Hado #4, White Lightning!" The voice was as powerful as thunder, and with a thunderous strike, a beam of light instantly materialized, carrying unparalleled determination.

"I will not back down again!" Ichigo mustered his courage, swung his Zanpakuto, and tried his best to control his inner fear as he unleashed a powerful attack.

However, the Hollow's body twisted, as if sensing their impending attack, and with an explosive sound, the shadow returned instantly, slashing down with a single blow. "Are you alright?!" Rukia cried out, startled. Her spiritual pressure surged instantly, and a wave of spiritual pressure rippled around her, as cold as a blade piercing her heart.

The two who fight side by side must trust each other. Rukia and Ichigo know that the only way to turn the tide of the battle is to seize the opportunity and break free from the shackles of darkness.

Finally, after several waves of attacks, they transformed into a tacit cooperation, carrying the burden and moving forward. Rukia's spiritual pressure and Ichigo's determination intertwined into a dazzling light, transforming into immense power that directly approached the core of the Hollow.

However, something unexpected happened.

The enormous Hollow was sliced ​​in two by Ichigo's Zanpakuto at that moment, its body turning into countless fragments that scattered into the sky.

Chapter 49: The Invisible Void

Strangely, after the giant Hollow disappeared, a Hollow emitting white mist suddenly appeared, and then disappeared again.

"Hey! Ichigo! Watch out! That guy's movements are weird!" Rukia's voice was urgent and sharp, like a sharp blade slicing through the silent night sky.

Her purple eyes were fixed intently ahead, her fingers clenched into fists, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force. Her body leaned slightly forward, as if ready to rush forward to help at any moment.

The night breeze ruffled her long black hair, the strands fluttering gently in the air, highlighting her slightly pale face.

Ichigo stood rooted to the spot, his brow furrowed, his orange hair standing out starkly under the streetlights. His eyes held a mixture of confusion and alertness, and the Zanpakuto in his hand trembled slightly, as if in response to his inner unease.

He could feel an unusual sense of oppression in the air, as if something had blocked his way, but there was nothing in front of him. The streets remained calm, and the streetlights emitted a faint glow, reflecting the confusion and alertness on his face. The buildings in the distance appeared blurry in the night, as if shrouded in a thin mist.

"Where is it..." he murmured, a hint of anxiety in his voice. His fingers gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. He could sense the enemy's presence, but couldn't pinpoint their location. This sense of powerlessness intensified his anxiety.

"It's not a question of 'where,' it's that we can't see it at all!" Rukia's voice rang out again, tinged with anxiety. "It's a special kind of Hollow, its ability is invisibility! Ordinary people can't even see it, and even you can only sense its presence through spiritual pressure!"

"Invisibility?" A bead of cold sweat appeared on Ichigo's forehead, and he gripped the hilt of his sword even tighter. His intuition told him that the enemy was moving, moving at an extremely fast speed, like an invisible wind swirling around him.

The night breeze brushed against his cheeks, bringing a touch of coolness, but it could not quell the anxiety in his heart.

Suddenly, Ichigo felt a powerful impact from his side, and he was violently thrown back, crashing heavily into the wall by the roadside.

The intense pain made him cry out, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. He barely managed to lift his head, but still couldn't see any enemy. The cold touch of the wall seeped through his clothes, sending a chill down his spine.

"Ichigo!" Rukia's voice was filled with anxiety. She wanted to rush forward, but Ichigo stopped her with a raised hand. "Don't come any closer!" He gritted his teeth, stood up, and resumed his fighting stance. "I can handle this guy!"

Before he could finish speaking, another gust of wind swept through the air. Ichigo swiftly swung his sword, but the blade only struck the air. The next second, his back was struck again, and he was knocked to the ground once more. His body crashed heavily to the ground, dust flying everywhere, and pain spread from his back throughout his entire body.

Damn it! Ichigo slammed his fist heavily on the ground, anger and frustration swirling in his heart. He could clearly feel the other's spiritual pressure, but he still couldn't catch the guy's movements. The pebbles on the ground pierced his palm, and blood dripped from between his fingers.

Rukia bit her lower lip, a resolute glint in her eyes. She quickly pulled out her phone, typed in a command, and then a faint light shone from the phone, illuminating Ichigo's direction.

"Ichigo! Use this!" she shouted, throwing a glowing talisman at Ichigo.

With lightning speed, Ichigo caught the talisman in his hand. The talisman emitted a faint light, as if guiding him to something. Just then, a blurry outline suddenly appeared in the air. It was a huge Hollow with a strange smile on its twisted face. Its body was translucent, as if it were made of mist, but under the light of the talisman, its outline gradually became clear.

"I see it!" Ichigo's eyes darted around, and he quickly swung his sword at the silhouette. The blade sliced ​​through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

However, the void was faster than him. It easily dodged the slash and disappeared into thin air again, its laughter echoing in the night sky with a hint of mockery.

"Tch!" Ichigo gritted his teeth, feeling that invisible pressure again. He knew that if he couldn't catch his opponent's movements, he would have no chance of winning. His breathing became rapid, and sweat slid down his forehead and dripped onto the ground.

Just then, Rukia's voice rang out again: "Ichigo! Remember, the spiritual pressure of Hollows follows a pattern! You can determine their location by observing the changes in their spiritual pressure!"

Ichigo closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down. He began to focus on sensing the spiritual pressure around him. Sure enough, he could feel a faint and chaotic spiritual pressure moving through the air, like an invisible trajectory. His heartbeat gradually stabilized, and his breathing became deep.

"Found it!" He suddenly opened his eyes and swiftly swung his sword towards the end of the trajectory.

This time, the blade struck the Hollow's body accurately. The Hollow let out a shrill scream, its form appearing in mid-air. A deep wound had been cut into its body by the Zanpakuto, and black blood gushed out. The Hollow's face was contorted with pain, and a flicker of terror flashed in its eyes.

"It's not over yet!" Ichigo roared, swinging his sword again towards the Hollow. This time, his movements were even faster, the blade drawing a cold, sharp arc in the air, aiming straight for the Hollow's head.

The illusory figure tried to dodge, but it was too late.

The blade slashed down fiercely, severing the Hollow's head. Its massive body disintegrated into specks of black spiritual energy in mid-air, vanishing into the air. A night breeze swept through, scattering the black spiritual energy as if it had never existed.

Ichigo was breathing heavily, his Zanpakuto slowly hanging down. He felt his arm was a little numb; the battle had almost exhausted him. His clothes were soaked with sweat and clung to his skin, bringing a slight chill.

Rukia approached him, a hint of approval in her smile: "Not bad, Ichigo."

"Hmph, this kind of guy isn't enough to bring me down." Ichigo snorted coldly, but a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. His eyes revealed a hint of fatigue, but even more so, determination.

"However, you can't let your guard down." Rukia's expression suddenly turned serious. "Hollow abilities are incredibly diverse, and the next enemy you encounter might be even more troublesome than this one."

“I know.” Ichigo nodded, gripping his Zanpakuto tightly. “I will become stronger and protect those who need protection.” Rukia paused for a moment, then smiled. “That’s more like a Shinigami.”

As night deepened, the streets returned to calm. The streetlights cast long shadows on the two of them. Ichigo looked up at the sky, where stars twinkled in the night, as if silently witnessing their vow.

“Let’s go, Rukia.” Ichigo turned to look at her, his eyes shining with determination. “Okay.” Rukia nodded and followed beside him.

The two figures gradually disappeared at the end of the street, leaving only the wind gently blowing across the ground, as if whispering about their unfinished journey. On the rooftop of a building not far away, Mashiro watched the two figures and nodded with great satisfaction.

"Oh my, it seems Captain Mashiro is quite satisfied with him." A somewhat teasing voice came from beside Mashiro. "His talent makes me a little envious."

“That’s true, after all, it was created by that lord specifically.” “Alright, I’ll leave Soul Society to you, Gin.”

Chapter 50: The Soul (Part 1)

At night, Rukia sat alone on a city rooftop, looking at a box in her hand. She discovered that her artificial body's device was down to its last slot, and her body was gradually becoming unresponsive.

"Never mind, I'll go to Urahara Store tomorrow. My things should have arrived by now." The next day.

Rukia stood at the entrance of Urahara Store, clutching the bottle of artificial body fixation agent tightly in her hand.

"Mr. Urahara, has my order arrived?" Rukia asked anxiously as she entered the store. Kisuke Urahara was sitting behind the counter, leisurely fanning himself with a fan.

He looked up, revealing his signature sinister smile: "Oh, Miss Lucia, you've come at the perfect time. Xiaoyu, go and get Miss Lucia's goods." Xiaoyu responded and quickly ran to the warehouse, finding the box labeled "New Product."

She carefully handed the box to Urahara, who took it and handed it to Rukia, a sly glint in his eyes: "Miss Rukia, this shouldn't be left unattended for too long."

Rukia frowned, but didn't ask any further questions. She simply took the box, turned, and left Urahara Store. "How leisurely. I'm envious~"

After Rukia left, a girl with emerald green eyes appeared in front of the shop shelves, chuckling softly. "I thought you weren't going to come see me." Urahara Kisuke instructed Koyu to pour some tea.

"I haven't done anything shameful, so why would I be afraid to see people?" Masashi said with a smile.

“However, Captain Mashiro, there’s something I’ve always been curious about,” Kisuke Urahara suddenly said. “Oh!”

"This body of yours doesn't seem to be a prosthetic." "Guess~"

The next day, Rukia appeared before Ichigo looking radiant.

Holding a bottle of medicine, she said mysteriously to Ichigo, "Ichigo, as long as you take one pill each time, your soul will leave your body. This way, you can continue to perform your work as a Shinigami without being discovered."

Ichigo took the medicine bottle with some skepticism, poured out a pill, hesitated for a moment, and finally swallowed it. Instantly, his soul left his body and floated in the air.

At the same time, a new soul entered his body and took over his righteousness. "This feels... so strange," Ichigo's soul murmured to himself, looking at his body.

However, things didn't go according to Rukia's plan. Yu took the wrong box; the box was labeled "Terrible."

The soul that entered Ichigo's body was not an ordinary soul, but a special soul with immense power. The fake Ichigo kicked through the iron fence with such force that the ground trembled.

A man tried to stop him, but he easily jumped over him, as if the man were merely an insignificant obstacle. The fake Ichigo entered the classroom through a window outside the building, his gaze sweeping over the pretty girls in the class before finally settling on Orihime.

"What a voluptuous beauty." The fake Ichigo licked his lips, his eyes filled with lust. He suddenly pounced on Orihime.

"Stop!" Shirley shouted angrily, grabbing a table and chairs and smashing them at Ichigo the Demon.

However, the fake Ichigo easily dodged the attack and shattered the desk and chair with a backhand swing. Just then, Rukia arrived at the classroom.

She immediately noticed Ichigo's unusual behavior and realized something was wrong. "Ichigo, stop him!" Rukia shouted.

Ichigo's soul immediately rushed towards his own righteousness, attempting to regain control of his body.

However, the fake Ichigo's power far exceeded his imagination.

The Gikai began to fight back, and Ichigo was kicked so hard that he couldn't fight back at all. In the end, he was kicked away and crashed heavily into the wall.

Ichigo leaped out of the window, landed safely, and then fled the scene at a terrifying speed. Rukia frowned, her mind filled with doubt: "This guy... could he be a modified soul?"

Orihime realized that it wasn't the real Ichigo, and looking at Ichigo's soul, her eyes were filled with worry.

Ichigo, ever the enraged man, felt his reputation had been utterly ruined by this demon. "That guy... I'll personally take him down!" Ichigo said through gritted teeth.

Just then, Mashiro suddenly appeared behind them and said calmly, "That guy is a modified soul, right? He's probably one of the few who slipped through the net." Rukia glanced back at Mashiro, understanding dawning on her.

Ichigo wasn't surprised by Mashiro's words. He had already heard Rukia mention that Mashiro was also a Shinigami. Although he was initially a little shocked, he didn't pay much attention to it.

Meanwhile, the fake Ichigo, who had regained his body, was overjoyed.

He saw several children playing a game, and one of them complained that the game wasn't fun and insisted on deleting it. Hearing this, the fake Ichigo suddenly remembered his past, and his emotions instantly spiraled out of control, entering a frenzied state. "Delete? You ignorant humans!" the fake Ichigo roared, kicking the child.

At the critical moment, Ichigo's spirit arrived and stood in front of the child. A great battle between the two was about to break out.

To subdue this vile artificial body, the four members of Urahara Shop—Urahara Kisuke, Kou, Jinta, and Tessai—were all prepared. They knew that the power of this special soul was extraordinary, and they had to go all out.

The battle between the real and fake Ichigo was extremely fierce. Although the fake Ichigo was powerful, Ichigo's soul was not to be outdone.

Just as the fake Ichigo was about to escape, he suddenly sensed a powerful Hollow aura. A giant centipede-shaped Hollow was rapidly approaching the three children.

"Not good!" The fake Ichigo's expression changed, and he immediately rushed towards the Hollow, kicking it away. The Hollow was severely injured, but still tried to put up a stubborn resistance.

Ichigo and Rukia arrived, and Ichigo severed one of the Hollow's tentacles with a single strike. The Hollow finally collapsed completely, dissipating into spirit particles and vanishing into the air.

After the battle, the fake Ichigo stood there, panting heavily. His eyes no longer held the ferocity of before, but instead held a hint of bewilderment.

"Actually... I don't want to hurt anyone," the fake Ichigo said softly. "I was only created a short time ago when the Soul Society issued an order to abolish the modification of souls, and millions of souls will be destroyed... Why should my fate be decided by others?"

Ichigo and Rukia exchanged a glance, both feeling conflicted. Just then, Kisuke Urahara appeared. Holding a stick, he gently flicked it, pushing the fake Ichigo's soul out of the artificial body.

“Ichigo, this soul cannot be kept,” Urahara said calmly. Ichigo looked at the soul, feeling a pang of reluctance.

He looked around and suddenly noticed a discarded rag doll by the roadside. On a whim, he stuffed his soul into the rag doll's mouth.

The rag doll instantly came to life, its eyes flashing red, and it immediately sought to fight Ichigo to the death. However, how could it possibly be a match for Ichigo at this moment?

The next morning, the rag doll started causing trouble. Ichigo, annoyed beyond measure, grabbed the doll and threw it away. "From today onwards, you'll be calling back your soul," Ichigo said helplessly.

From then on, Rukia and Kon lived in Ichigo's closet and began their new life.