XX-level Hokage

Retsuko Tamago no Hana took a sip of tea, her expression calm and composed: "Captain Hitsugaya has already resolved the situation. It seems the battle is quite intense."

“Yes.” Mashiro nodded, a barely perceptible glint in her eyes. “These ‘pieces’ have performed even better than I expected, especially that brat.” She was referring to Ichigo. Even though he was unconscious, Mashiro could still feel the three powers within him constantly intertwining and harmonizing, waiting for the next eruption.

"You seem quite interested in Ichigo Kurosaki," Retsu Unohana said calmly, her sharp eyes seemingly able to see through some of Mashiro's deepest secrets.

Mashiro chuckled softly, not answering directly, but instead casting her own light into the deep night sky outside the window, as if it could penetrate space and see the distant Karakura Town. Her response to Retsu Tamago no Hana carried a hidden meaning.

After all, an individual capable of fusing the powers of a Shinigami, a Hollow, and a Quincy... is a rare sight in this world. "Mashiro's voice was deep and resonant, carrying a sense of exploration and longing for the ultimate power. Her true purpose was to see what level Ichigo could ultimately reach and whether he could become the final variable that overthrows the Soul King's rule."

She slowly picked up her teacup, gently blew on the steam, and her eyes gleamed with a dangerous yet expectant light: "This is getting more and more interesting. Should I get involved?"

The battle in Karakura Town continues, with firelight and spiritual pressure intertwining in the night sky.

Chapter 179: The Hollows (Part 5)

The battle between Ikkaku Madarame and D-Roy was the most direct and brutal. Every collision of their power attacks was like the impact of boulders, deafening. After D-Roy's body swelled, his strength became even more astonishing. He swung his giant axe, and every chop was as powerful as splitting mountains and shattering rocks.

Madarame Ikkaku nimbly dodged, his Hozukimaru dancing in his hand with impenetrable speed and sharp whistling sounds as he searched for D-Roy's weakness. "What a nuisance!" D-Roy roared angrily, his attacks powerful yet unable to land a single hit on the agile Ikkaku.

Then he stomped his foot hard, cracking the ground, and the powerful recoil propelled him high into the air. His giant axe, carrying the force of wind and thunder, slammed down on a corner. "Hozuki Maru! Crack!"

A glint flashed in Madarame Ikkaku's eyes. Instead of dodging, he charged towards the axe.

Hozuki Maru's chains made a crisp sound in the air, and the nunchaku moved nimbly in the air, dodging the axe blade while striking D-Roy's leg hard.

"Crunch!"

The sound of bones cracking rang out, and D-Roy's massive body trembled violently. The axe veered off course and crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Damn it! D-Roy's face contorted in pain, the excruciating pain in his leg nearly knocking him off his feet. He stared at the corner of his eye, his gaze filled with disbelief and rage.

Ha! Too slow! "Ikkaku Madarame pressed his advantage, Hozukimaru drew a perfect arc in the air, and with all his strength, slashed fiercely at D Roy's Hollow Surface.

"boom!"

Under Hozuki-maru's fierce attack, the hard, bone-like void surface cracked with a crisp sound before exploding. D-Roy's massive body crashed to the ground with a powerful blow from one of its corners, dissipating into spirit particles into the air.

"How boring." Madarame Ikkaku retracted Hozukimaru, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

This opponent, though powerful, was not enough to force him to use his full strength. He craved an even stronger opponent, one he could defeat. Just as Madarame Ikkaku was dealing with D-Roy, the situation on other battlefields was becoming increasingly intense.

The battle between Renji Abarai and Xiaolong Kufang was at a stalemate. Xiaolong's speed and skill far surpassed Renji's, and every attack was precise and insidious. Although Renji's Zabimaru had a wide attack range, it was difficult for it to truly hit Renji due to Xiaolong's agile evasion.

"Your swordsmanship is too linear, Shinigami," Xiao Long said with a light laugh. His figure blurred around Renji, and the holographic flashes condensed at his fingertips grazed Renji's body time and time again.

"Damn it!" Renji's forehead veins bulged; he knew he was being manipulated. Without further hesitation, he roared, "Release! Baboon!"

Wangsheweiwan!

The enormous snake bone Zanpakuto extended from Renji's hand, its blade transforming into a gigantic bone snake with a head resembling a baboon's skull. Renji's spiritual pressure surged instantly; he no longer simply swung it, but instead drove the massive body of the baboon king, Zabimaru, in an attempt to crush Xiao Long.

However, Xiao Long merely chuckled, his spiritual pressure rising once more, and a powerful force erupted from his body.

"You think you can defeat me with this level of understanding?" Xiao Long said coldly, as more bone spurs appeared on his body, and his spiritual pressure increased accordingly.

It became even more enormous and solid.

Renji felt an immense pressure bearing down on him, and he was shocked to discover that even in his unleashed form, he still couldn't completely suppress his opponent. Meanwhile, Matsumoto Rangiku's battle with Nikim was also escalating into a fierce struggle.

Nikem's unpredictable movements made Rangiku's gray cat difficult to catch, and each attack came from an unexpected angle like a ghost.

"How annoying!" Rangiku complained, but the gray cat in her hand did not hesitate. The smoke-like blade changed shape in the air, trying to form an encirclement and force Nikem to show himself.

Ayasegawa Yumichika, on the other hand, showed extreme disdain for Edrad Riones. Although Edrad was powerful, Yumichika found his crude fighting style unseemly.

“What an ugly way to fight,” Yumichika said contemptuously, as the blade of Fujikoku danced in his hands with the grace of art, each strike precisely targeting Edorad’s joints and vital points.

Enraged by Yumichika's words, Edorad let out an impatient howl, and his attacks became even more ferocious.

Just then, a chilling spiritual pressure suddenly descended upon Edrad's head.

"Your turn, Arrancar." A cold voice rang out as Toshiro Hitsugaya, wielding the Daiguren Hyōrinmaru and enveloped in a giant ice dragon, swooped down from the sky.

"A Burial of a Hundred Flowers in an Icy Sky!"

Countless ice and snow petals condensed in the air, like a flurry of sharp blades, carrying extreme cold, instantly enveloping Edorard's body. Edorard let out a scream as his body was instantly frozen by the ice flowers, unable to move.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Yumichika's face relaxed slightly when he saw Toshiro make his move.

However, the ice flowers failed to completely suppress Edorard. Edorard struggled violently, the frost on his body crackling and then exploding. His body temperature began to rise rapidly, emitting a scorching aura that quickly melted the frost.

“Death…you have angered me!” Edorad roared, and his body began to undergo even more drastic changes. His armor peeled off rapidly, replaced by tougher skin, and his size became even larger. He let out a low roar, as if a flame was burning in his chest.

"Resurrection Blade! Soul Axe!"

Edorad Riones completed his Resurrección, his body becoming even more muscular and radiating terrifying heat, like a moving furnace. His hands transformed into enormous, serrated blades, and his spiritual pressure reached new heights, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.

Toshiro Hitsugaya's gaze grew even more serious. He could sense that Edrad's spiritual pressure after his Resurrection had completely surpassed that of a captain.

"Such power...is this really Aizen's masterpiece?" Hitsugaya Toshiro said in a deep voice, Hyōrinmaru emitting a cold hum in his hand. He knew that a tough battle was inevitable.

In the basement of Urahara's shop, Ichigo's body suddenly trembled violently, and a painful groan escaped his throat. The tug-of-war between the Hollow power and the Shinigami power within him continued, and the conflict between the two forces plunged him into a deep struggle.

Kisuke Urahara sensed the fluctuations in Ichigo's spiritual pressure and knew that he was going through some kind of ordeal. He hoped that Ichigo could rely on his own will to completely control this power.

Meanwhile, far away in the Seireitei, in the Fourth Division barracks, Mashiro sat at the tea table with a playful expression on his face.

"Resurrected... That brat Hitsugaya's going to get what's coming to him." Mashiro murmured to herself. She could sense Edrad's resurrected spiritual pressure and knew that Hitsugaya...

Tani Toshiro's technique would struggle against this level of power.

Retsu Unohana listened quietly without commenting. She knew Mashiro's feelings at that moment; it was as if she were watching a meticulously planned drama. A deep light gleamed in Mashiro's eyes: "In this way, those little ones whose powers have been restricted should also feel true despair, right?"

Her tone carried a hint of cruel pleasure, and she was referring to the spiritual pressure that Hitsugaya, Renji, and the others had been restricted.

She knew that in order to protect the human world, the Seireitei would restrict spiritual pressure when entering the human world to avoid causing too much damage, but against Arrancar after their Resurrection, this restriction was undoubtedly fatal.

"Hopefully they can hold out a little longer... otherwise, this show won't be very interesting." Mashiro chuckled, picked up her teacup again, and took a small sip. She seemed to be waiting for something, waiting for those suppressed forces to erupt in the face of adversity.

Chapter 180: The Hollows (Part 6)

Under the cover of night in Karakura Town, the battle reached its climax.

After releasing his Zanpakuto, Edrad Riones' terrifying heat and violent spiritual pressure made Toshiro Hitsugaya feel unprecedented pressure.

The chilling aura released by Daiguren Hyōrinmaru was rapidly evaporated under the intense heat of Edorad; each time an ice crystal condensed, it was instantly shattered.

"Death! Your ice has no effect on me!" Edorad roared, his axe blades, scorching hot, slashing wildly at Hitsugaya. Each of his attacks was incredibly heavy, as if it would tear space apart.

Hitsugaya Toshiro barely managed to dodge with his speed after releasing his Zanpakuto, but Edrad's strength and speed had increased significantly, leaving him overwhelmed. He tried to trap Edrad with moves such as "Ice Dragon Tail" and "Millennium Ice Prison," but Edrad, after releasing his Zanpakuto, displayed astonishing brute force, managing to break free from the ice's restraints each time.

Toshiro Hitsugaya clearly felt that his spiritual pressure seemed to be bound by some invisible force, preventing him from fully exerting it.

"Why... my spiritual pressure!" Toshiro Hitsugaya gritted his teeth. He felt that although his spiritual pressure was abundant, he was always a little short when using his techniques and could not reach his peak state.

This made him seem powerless when facing Edorard after he was released from his deadly state.

Meanwhile, Renji Abarai's battle with Shoron Kufun also fell into a predicament. Although the unleashed Baboon King Zabimaru was enormous, Shoron Kufun's speed and precise control over spiritual pressure allowed him to easily dodge and counterattack.

"Your memory is too cumbersome, Grim Reaper." Xiao Long Kufang chuckled contemptuously, his figure moving at high speed within the attack range of the monstrous snake-tailed mace.

The holographic flashes gathered at his fingertips precisely struck Renji's weak point.

"What... what's going on?!" Renji felt his body getting heavier and heavier, as if a portion of his spiritual pressure had been drawn away, making it difficult to gather.

Shonon Kufon saw his confusion and a cruel smile appeared on his face: "Heh, it seems you haven't noticed yet? Before you Shinigami entered the human world, your spiritual pressure was restricted by the Captain-Commander. In order to avoid causing too much damage to the human world, your power was suppressed by about eighty percent."

Upon hearing this, Renji's pupils contracted sharply. He suddenly realized why he always felt that his solution couldn't unleash its true power!

"Unfortunately, we Arrancar, who were granted true power by Lord Aizen, are not subject to such restrictions." Xiao Long Kufangliao smiled, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to Renji.

Matsumoto Rangiku's battle with Nikim was equally difficult.

Negim's unpredictable movements made it difficult for Rangiku's Gray Cat to lock onto him. Every time Gray Cat's smoke blades attacked, Negim could dodge at an incredible angle and seize the opportunity to counterattack. Rangiku felt her spiritual pressure being greatly depleted, while her opponent remained completely at ease.

"What a slippery fellow!" Rangiku cursed, feeling a bit strained.

Although Yumichika Segawa managed to hold off the berserk Edrad with his exquisite swordsmanship and the agility of Fujikoku (before Toshiro Hitsugaya intervened), after Edrad's release, he mainly served as a support and observer, occasionally assisting other team members. However, his own spiritual pressure was also restricted, preventing him from unleashing his true power. He watched as Captain Hitsugaya struggled in a fierce battle, feeling anxious but powerless to help.

Just as the Shinigami were in dire straits and their disadvantage of having their spiritual pressure restricted was exposed, in the basement of Urahara Shop, Kisuke Urahara's expression became unusually solemn. Through a special device, he clearly sensed that the Shinigami's spiritual pressure on the Karakura Town battlefield was being suppressed, while the Arrancar's spiritual pressure was closing in step by step.

"We can't wait any longer." Kisuke Urahara gritted his teeth. He knew that if they didn't take action soon, Hitsugaya and his men might be wiped out.

He suddenly stood up, a resolute glint in his eyes, and stretched out his finger, quickly drawing a complex rune in the air, "Release the restriction of spiritual pressure in the mortal world!"

With a low shout from Kisuke Urahara, an invisible spiritual pressure wave instantly spread out, rapidly covering the entire Karakura Town like ripples.

This wave of energy precisely targeted the suppressed spiritual pressure within the Shinigami. On the battlefield, all the Shinigami in the advance team shuddered violently.

Hitsugaya Toshiro, Abarai Renji, Matsumoto Rangiku, Madarame Ikkaku, and Ayasegawa Yumichika all felt a powerful force instantly surge within them.

It broke through the barrier and surged out like a raging flood.

That was a long-lost, completely liberating power!

This is... the spiritual pressure restriction has been lifted?! Hitsugaya Toshiro stared in shock at the surging spiritual pressure emanating from his body; he could feel the Daiguren Hyōrin...

Maru's power increased several times in an instant.

"Hahahaha! That's more like it!" Ban let out a wild roar as he felt the surging power within his body.

Damn it! That bastard Kisuke Urahara! "Shoron Kufang's expression changed drastically. He felt the sudden surge of the Shinigami's spiritual pressure, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.

Edrad Liones also sensed the qualitative change in Toshiro Hitsugaya's spiritual pressure, and he roared furiously, "Why?! Why has your power suddenly increased?!"

"Now, you've disturbed me, Arrancar!" Toshiro Hitsugaya's eyes turned cold and sharp. His spiritual pressure solidified in the night sky, and the form of the frost dragon became even more solid, its aura even more powerful.

"Release! Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!" Hitsugaya declared again in a deep voice, but this time, the power within him was completely unleashed. The extreme cold instantly froze the surrounding air, causing the temperature to plummet. The flame spirit surrounding Edorad was also suppressed in the face of the extreme cold.

"Dragon Shot!"

Hitsugaya Toshiro's figure flashed, transforming into a cold afterimage, instantly appearing in front of Edrad. Hyōrinmaru thrust forward, carrying frost.

The dragon's power pierced Edorad's chest fiercely.

Frost spread rapidly from the wound, instantly freezing Edorard's body into an ice sculpture.

Before Edorad Riones could even scream, he was completely frozen, and then shattered under the extreme cold, turning into countless ice crystals that dissipated into the night sky.

"Damn it!" Shonon Kufang's face turned ashen as he watched Edorad's demise. He whirled around, trying to flee. However, Renji was faster. With his spiritual pressure fully unleashed, Renji's Fubuki Zabimaru amplified in power. "King Zabimaru! Baboon Cannon!"

A massive amount of spiritual pressure condensed in the mouth of the Baboon King, Zabimaru, transforming into a blazing beam of spiritual pressure that instantly caught up with Xiaolong Kufang. Xiaolong let out a furious cry of resentment as his body was directly struck by the Baboon Bone Cannon, exploding into fragments.

Matsumoto Rangiku's gray cat was also completely unleashed. With lightning speed, she completely surrounded Nikem with her smoke-like blade, then suddenly contracted, utterly shredding Nikem.

Yumichika Kanze skillfully dealt with the remaining Arrancar, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He could finally unleash his true power. With that, the second wave of Arrancar invading Karakura Town was completely annihilated.

In the basement of Urahara Store, Ichigo's body trembled violently a few times before slowly calming down. The faint Hollowface mark on his forehead seemed to become clearer and more stable.