XX-level Hokage

“This is my Fullbring—Dollhouse.” Liluka placed the dollhouse on the ground, a mischievous smile on her face, her voice tinged with pride, “Anything I want to put inside, no matter what it is, can be sucked in by it.”

As she spoke, she lightly snapped her fingers at Ichigo, the crisp sound particularly clear in the quiet space. "--Permit"

The next moment, Ichigo felt the scene before him suddenly distort, and a powerful suction force came from his feet. His body was as if it had been sucked into a black hole, and it began to shrink and deform instantly. He tried to struggle, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his hands. He could only watch as the sofas and arcade machines around him grew larger and larger until they became insurmountable "high walls".

When he regained consciousness, he found himself standing in a room filled with girlish charm—pink walls, plush carpets, crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and even miniature furniture.

Through the room’s enormous “window,” he could clearly see Ginjo, Chad, and everyone in XCUTION, looking down at him in the “dollhouse” like giants.

He's been locked up!

"Hey! What's going on here?!" Ichigo pounded on the wall, feeling the hard texture on his fingertips. He couldn't help but shout, his voice filled with impatience.

"This is your first training session." Ginjo's voice came from the "sky," clearly reaching Ichigo's ears. "This space is absolutely sealed off; there is no external interference, and no possibility of escape. What you need to do is discard all distracting thoughts, concentrate all your energy, and feel it, call upon it."

"Use your soul to awaken your pride as a substitute for Death!"

Meanwhile, in the barracks of the Third Division of the Seireitei, under the eaves of the courtyard, a soft cushion lay sprawled out, and Mashiro lay leisurely on it, her posture languid. A crystal ball, composed of high-density spiritual particles, was held between her fingers, shimmering faintly in the sunlight.

Inside the crystal ball, everything in that abandoned arcade was clearly reflected—the shock of Ichigo being locked in the dollhouse, the composure of Ginjo as he guided her, the determination in Chad's eyes, and even the mischievous smile on Rilka's face.

Mashiro looked at the scene in the crystal ball, a playful smile playing on her lips, like a chess player watching a piece fall onto the board.

“Ginjou Kūgo… is a decent pawn.” She murmured softly, her voice carrying a hint of nonchalance. “He’s a bit petty and his ambitions are ridiculously naive, but he’s quite suitable for guiding Ichigo-kun to a new level.”

In her eyes, Ginjou Kugo and the entire XCUTION were nothing more than pawns she had laid out to "activate" Ichigo—she would keep them when they were useful and discard them when they were not. What she truly cared about was only the three powers within Ichigo that had not yet fully fused together.

"The human soul is the perfect vessel to hold all power." A scientist's fervor flashed in Mashiro's eyes as she lightly rubbed the surface of the crystal ball with her fingertips. "The power of the Shinigami is the foundation of the world, the power of the Hollows is the key to breaking boundaries, and the power of the Quincy is the bridge to returning to the origin."

“But only Ichigo-kun can completely fuse these three powers with his unique human soul.” She paused, her voice becoming low and resolute, “Only in this way can he truly possess the qualifications to challenge the gods.”

"This performance called Fullbring was merely a way for him to remember who he is—to remember that pride that could overturn everything." Mashiro slowly closed her eyes, sunlight falling on her face, reflecting a serene smile.

Inside the "Love Dollhouse," Ichigo's emotions gradually calmed down. He knew that anger and complaints were useless. The only thing he could do now was to find his own "pride," as Ginjo had said.

He sat cross-legged on the plush carpet, took out the substitute death warrant from his pocket, and gripped it tightly in his palm. The cold, wooden touch traveled from his fingertips, through his veins, to his heart, as if awakening dormant memories. He closed his eyes, and scenes began to surface in his mind...

On the night he first received his Zanpakuto from Rukia, under the moonlight, he severed a Hollow's arm, experiencing the meaning of "protection" for the first time; in the underground training grounds of Urahara's shop, he fiercely battled the Hollow within him, never giving up his determination to reclaim his power even when he was badly injured.

心；

On the hill of double smashes, he shouted "The moment of release!" His black trench coat fluttered in the wind. At that moment, he only wanted to save Rukia, even if it meant fighting against the entire Seireitei.

In Las Noches, he repeatedly donned the Hollow mask, enduring the pain of his soul being corrupted, all to protect Orihime and carve a path to survival for his comrades; and in the final battle in Karakura Town, he burned all his power to unleash "Mugetsu," a black slash powerful enough to cleave the sky, ending Aizen's ambition.

This also cost him the power of death.

That pride, that will, that determination to protect others with all one's might, rekindled like sparks deep within his soul.

He could clearly feel a faint yet wondrous connection forming between himself and the license in his palm—as if something was slumbering deep within the license, waiting to be awakened.

Just then, the wooden plaque in his palm suddenly vibrated slightly, like a heartbeat, gently responding to his call.

Ichigo's eyelashes trembled, and a determined smile slowly curved his lips.

Liluka's "Love Dollhouse" is a closed space completely different from the outside world.

The pink walls were covered with lace stickers, the soft plush carpet was so thick you could sink your toes into it, and even the curtains hanging from the ceiling were embroidered with layers of bows—this overly sweet and girlish style made Ichigo, who was used to the smoke of battle and the mess of the Kurosaki family and was somewhat of a straight man, feel inexplicably awkward.

But he didn't have time to care about any of that.

Ever since Kūgo Ginjō's words, "Use your soul to draw out your pride," fell into his ears, Ichigo completely abandoned all distracting thoughts. He sat cross-legged on the carpet, his palm tightly gripping the cold Substitute Shinigami License, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.

Chapter 278: Liluka's Training (Part 2)

The rough texture of the wooden sign pressed against his palm, silently reminding him—that he had once held this very license, time and again shielding his relatives from danger.

Before his death, he fought against Hollows, Arrancars, and even Shinigami.

Memories surge like a torrent overturned, raging deep within the soul.

He recalled the tremor he felt when he first grasped his Zanpakuto, the resolute decision he made to storm the Seireitei alone to save Rukia, the despair and resentment he felt fighting Ulquiorra in Hueco Mundo, and the exhaustion he felt when he burned out all his spiritual power to protect the human world... Those fragments of "battle" and "protection" washed over his consciousness again and again, gradually allowing him to rediscover the pride that had long been forgotten, the pride that belonged to the "Substitute Shinigami".

After an unknown amount of time, a faint throbbing sensation suddenly came from the license in my palm.

The feeling was wonderful—like a dormant life being awakened, or like a parched riverbed welcoming its first drop of rain.

At first, there was only a faint tremor, but as Ichigo's consciousness continued to sink and his connection with the wooden plaque became stronger, the pulsation became clearer and stronger, and finally it beat steadily and firmly in his palm, just like his own heartbeat.

"—"

A ray of emerald green light, like a tender sprout breaking through the soil, slowly emerged from the unicorn emblem on the license.

The light was neither as cold and eerie as the Death God's oppressive blue nor as fierce and volatile as the Hollow Spirit's oppressive scarlet. Instead, it carried a vibrant and warm feeling full of life, quietly spreading across Ichigo's fingertips.

The light grew brighter, gradually coalescing into a blurry, flame-like outline of a character in front of him.

The outline flickered in and out of focus, yet it exuded a powerful aura that Ichigo's heart began to race involuntarily—was this... Fullbring? Outside the dollhouse, the members of XCUTION were watching the green light that was faintly shining through the pink space.

Kūgo Ginjō leaned against the dilapidated arcade machine, an unlit cigarette between his fingers, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashing in his eyes: "You got the hang of it so quickly?" He had thought that after Ichigo lost all his spiritual power, it would take him at least several hours, or even several stages, to reach the path of Fullbring—after all, the core of Fullbring is "resonance with the soul of matter," and Ichigo had long been accustomed to relying on the power of Zanpakutō.

"Tch, it's ridiculously slow." Liluka hugged her signature rabbit doll, still being sarcastic, but her purple eyes were fixed on the green light, unable to hide the curiosity in them.

Her "Love Dollhouse" is not only a space to trap the target, but also a container that can amplify the target's spiritual energy fluctuations. She knows better than anyone that the power contained in that emerald green light is growing at an astonishing speed.

Chad stood to the side, his silent face still expressionless, but the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his true emotions—he was overjoyed that his dear friend had regained his strength.

He had watched Ichigo fight with all his might to protect everyone in Karakura Town, and now that he saw Ichigo regain his power, the weight in his heart finally lifted.

Ginjo Kugo flicked the cigarette between his fingers, then turned his gaze to the middle-aged man who had been standing in the corner like an old butler: "It seems he won't show his true skills without a little something extra." He winked at the man, his tone tinged with amusement.

The man named Kiriko nodded elegantly. He raised his hand and removed the black eye patch from his face, revealing his right eye, which was meticulously stitched together like a mechanical clock—the hands on the dial slowly turned, exuding a cold, rule-like power.

"My ability is called 'Time Tells No Lies.'" Chaze's voice was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable authority. "I can set a time limit for anything. Within that time limit, the subject must fulfill the conditions I set."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Otherwise, it will be burned to ashes by the flames of time." Before he finished speaking, Jizawa had already pointed the right eye of the clock at Liluka's "Heart Dollhouse".

The hands on the dial began to spin rapidly, finally stopping at the "fifteen minutes" mark: "I've set a time limit for this training session—fifteen minutes." "The condition is," Ji Ze's lips curled into a cruel smile, "that within the time limit, defeat the sparring partner I've prepared for you."

Liluka immediately understood. She snapped her fingers while holding the rabbit doll, and the crisp sound echoed in the empty arcade: "Permit!" The next second, the pink space inside the "Heart Dollhouse" suddenly fluctuated violently.

A giant pig-shaped plush toy suddenly appeared in front of Ichigo—its body was as big as a small truck, its gray fur was patched with colorful patches, its wide-open eyes were two scarlet buttons, and its mouth had a twisted curve, revealing black cotton thread "teeth" sewn inside.

"Ho Yi"

The doll let out a silent roar, its thick limbs gripping the plush carpet, exuding a ferocious aura that contrasted sharply with its cute appearance, as it lunged at the cross-legged figure.

Ichigo, who was sitting down, rushed over!

The heavy footsteps shook the carpet, and the resulting gust of air made Ichigo's bangs flutter. "Hey! What's going on?!"

Ichigo was startled awake by the sudden turn of events. He looked up abruptly, seeing the pig-shaped doll charging towards him like a small mountain, and instinctively tried to stand up and dodge. But as soon as he moved, he realized the problem—without his spiritual power, his body was merely at the level of an ordinary human; those instantaneous abilities already etched into his bones...

Step techniques are simply impossible to use at this moment!

"boom!"

A dull thud echoed in the pink space.

Before Ichigo could even see the doll's movements, a sharp pain shot through his chest, as if he had been hit head-on by a truck. His body flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the pink wall before sliding down to the ground, a trickle of blood spilling from his mouth.

"Cough." Ichigo clutched his chest and struggled to get up from the ground.

The sharp pain in his chest made him furrow his brow, but there was no fear in his eyes. Instead, a long-lost thrill and excitement ignited within him—he hadn't felt this sense of oppression in the face of a powerful enemy for far too long.

He no longer had his Zanpakuto, Shunpo, Getsuga Tenshou, and even his most basic spiritual senses had become weak.

Now, all he can rely on is this body, scarred from countless battles, and the Substitute Death Certificate in his hand that has just become his friend.

"Damn it!" Ichigo roared, no longer trying to dodge, but instead sitting cross-legged again, concentrating all his attention on the license in his palm. He could feel the wooden plaque pulsating more intensely because of his emotional fluctuations, its emerald light flickering, as if in response to...

In response to his desire.

Chapter 279: Liluka's Training (Part 2)

Come on! Respond to me!

Lend me your power, just like before!

I need power! I need enough power to protect Rukia, to protect Uryu, and to protect everyone!

That yearning to "protect" from the depths of his soul, that pride as "Death God," erupted completely at this moment.

Ichigo's consciousness merged completely with the soul of the license plate, and he could almost hear a resonance, like an ancient ballad, emanating from deep within the wooden plaque: "—!!!!!!!"

The Substitute Shinigami License in his palm suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling green light! The light instantly enveloped Ichigo's entire body, turning his figure a vibrant green.

The flame outline in the shape of the character in front of him solidified instantly, like a shield forged from green light, firmly blocking Ichigo's path, with tiny particles of light dancing around its edges.

"boom!

The pig-shaped doll's enormous body slammed into the emerald green shield.

The violent impact caused the entire "heart-shaped dollhouse" to tremble violently; even tiny cracks appeared on the pink walls, and the plush carpet was torn and wrinkled.

But this time, Ichigo's body remained completely still.

He sat steadily in place, his palms pressed firmly against the shield, clearly feeling the force of the doll's impact being gradually neutralized by the shield.

The warm green light flowed into his body through his palm, not only offsetting the impact of the collision but also significantly reducing the pain in his chest.

“Success…” A look of wild joy flashed in Ichigo’s eyes. He could feel that his connection with the power of Fullbring was becoming stronger at an astonishing speed.

"It's not over yet!" Ichigo suddenly stood up, his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit. With a thought, the emerald green shield in front of him instantly turned into countless particles of light that wrapped around his arm and finally condensed on his right fist.

The fist covered in green light exuded an astonishing sense of power, and even the air seemed to be distorted by the energy emanating from it.

Seeing that its first attack had failed, the pig-shaped doll let out another silent roar and turned to charge at Ichigo again. This time, Ichigo did not hesitate at all; he met the doll's charge head-on and swung his right fist fiercely!

"Bang!"

The fist collided violently with the doll's body. Emerald green energy erupted instantly, exploding like thunder in the pink space.

The seemingly indestructible pig-shaped doll was actually sent flying by Ichigo's punch. Its massive body crashed into the pink wall with a loud bang, and several patches on its body fell off, revealing the white cotton inside.

Outside the dollhouse, the members of XCUTION stared at the incredible scene before them, falling into a brief silence.

"Are you kidding me?!" Liluka's eyes widened, her grip on the rabbit plushie tightening. "Only a few minutes? He not only drew out the Earth Manifestation Technique, but he can use it skillfully?!"

Her "Love Dollhouse" has an extremely keen sense of power. She can clearly perceive that Ichigo's Fullbring energy has not weakened, but has become more and more solid and powerful in the battle.

The composed smile on Ginjou's face vanished completely, replaced by an unfathomable solemnity, and the fingers holding the cigarette tightened slightly.

Looking at the constantly flashing green light with a complicated expression, he said, "This man... his growth rate far exceeds my imagination."

He originally thought that even if Ichigo could master Fullbring, it would take him a long time to hone his skills. But now it seems that Ichigo's understanding and adaptability to power has exceeded his expectations.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Chad's eyes as he murmured, "Ichigo never disappoints." Meanwhile, in the distant Seireitei, in the courtyard of the Sixth Division.