XX-level Hokage

Exactly! Why must we "release" the power out? Why can't we let it "return to its original state"?

Ichigo abruptly raised his head, his eyes flashing with an astonishing light. He no longer tried to condense the light patterns into a shield or weapon, but instead concentrated all his will.

On the wooden plaque, he focused on the depths of his soul—he wanted to completely merge the power of this Perfect Manifestation with his body!

That's it!

He let out a low growl, and the Agent Death Permit in his palm suddenly burst forth with a dazzling emerald green light. The outline of the words was no longer a flat light pattern, but as if it had come to life, it peeled off the wooden sign and spread rapidly down his arm.

The light flowed over his shoulders, covered his chest, and wrapped around his legs, like a verdant stream, outlining clear lines on his body.

Gradually, the light patterns began to solidify, transforming into a set of jet-black energy attire—an X-shaped crossband on the chest and knee-length skirt-trousers on the lower body. Although the outline was still blurry and the energy was unstable, it bore an astonishing resemblance to the Shinigami outfit he had worn when he first unleashed it!

This is his Fullbring form! What is this...?!

Jieqi's pupils contracted sharply, and her foot, which was about to launch a fatal blow, stopped abruptly in mid-air. She could clearly feel that Ichigo's spiritual pressure had undergone a qualitative change—no longer a faint firefly, but like a spark about to start a wildfire, carrying an oppressive feeling that could not be underestimated.

Ichigo slowly straightened up, his black energy suit shimmering with a faint light, and the pain in his back seemed to be suppressed by this power:

After moving his wrists, Ichigo could feel the power surging in his veins. It was no longer a strange, uncontrollable external force, but a part of himself connected to his own bloodline.

"It's not over yet!"

He charged at Jieqi with a sudden burst of dark energy, his fist like a shooting star.

Chapter 282: Fullbring (Part 3)

Jieqi reacted extremely quickly, immediately raising her leather boot to block the blow with a "bang!"

A deafening roar exploded in the pure white space, and this time, Jieqi's body was actually forced back half a step! She could feel that Ichigo's fist not only...

It possessed brute force, and a tenacious energy, piercing her defenses like steel needles, sending waves of numbing pain through her ankles.

“You…” Jieqi stared at Ichigo’s all-black attire, her eyes filled with astonishment. “How is this possible… your Fullbring has actually evolved?” Ichigo didn’t answer, but simply curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

There was no pride in that smile, only a resolute acceptance—he had finally found his own path to Fullbring. "Now, it's my turn."

He charged forward again, his fist slamming into Jieqi with even greater force. This time, the tide of battle was completely reversed.

Outside the arcade, Ginjou Kugo stood beside a glass container, watching the astonishing reversal inside. His fingers unconsciously clenched into fists. He had originally thought that Ichigo would need at least a week to master the fusion form of Fullbring, but now, this boy had surpassed his expectations in just one battle.

"Has the growth rate...gone beyond our control?" Yin Cheng murmured, a hint of genuine apprehension appearing in his eyes for the first time.

Looking at the orange-haired boy inside the container, who was constantly throwing punches, he suddenly realized that the "game" he had planned might have deviated from his script from the very beginning.

By the time the practice ended, it was completely dark.

Ichigo dragged his weary body out of the arcade. Jieqi was helped away by Ginjo. Her leather boots were still stained with blood. Her gaze towards Ichigo was complicated—a mixture of resentment and a secret sense of approval.

"Continue with Mingguan." Yincheng left these words behind and led Jieqi and Liluka away into the night.

Chad patted Ichigo on the back and handed him a new band-aid: "Go back and get some rest, don't push yourself too hard."

Ichigo nodded, watching Chad's departing figure, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. He tore off the old band-aid, put on a new one, and turned to walk towards home.

The night in Karakura Town was quiet. The warm light of the streetlights cast his shadow, which stretched and shortened, like a silent companion.

When Ichigo got home, the entryway light was still on. "I'm home," he said as he changed his shoes, hearing his sister Yuzu's voice from the living room. "Brother, dinner's in the insulated box, remember to eat it."

"Okay, thank you." He replied with a smile, most of his weariness dissipating.

I quickly washed up and didn't eat dinner—my body was so excited that I had no appetite at all.

Back in his room, Ichigo sat cross-legged on the bed, clenching the Substitute Shinigami License in his palm once more.

A faint emerald light flowed in his palm, echoing the jet-black energy armor on his body. He could clearly feel that this power had truly merged into his soul, no longer requiring deliberate summoning; he could mobilize it with a mere thought.

"I've finally regained my strength," he murmured, his eyes filled with relief.

Just then, a sudden, urgent phone call shattered the silence of the room. Ichigo picked up the phone, and the name flashing on the screen warmed his heart—it was Ishigami Yuuryu.

"Hey, Shi Yu? What's up so late?" He answered the phone with a smile, his tone relaxed. But the voice on the other end wasn't the calm and rational one that Ishida Uryu usually had.

Instead, there was a series of rapid, painful gasps, mixed with the slicing sound of a sharp blade tearing through fabric, and... a dull, heart-stopping "thud"—the sound of a blade entering flesh.

Kurosaki, save me!

Ishida Uryu's voice was broken and intermittent, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, each word trembling with despair, as if it would be extinguished completely at any moment. Ichigo's smile froze on his face instantly, his blood seemingly freezing at that instant.

"Ishida?! Where are you? What happened?!" he shouted into the phone, his voice hoarse with tension. There was no response.

There was only a soft "click"—the phone was hung up.

Ichigo's hand gripping the phone trembled violently, his knuckles turning white from the force, and the phone case cracked from being squeezed so tightly. He could clearly recall the panting sounds, the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh, and Ishida Uryu's last desperate cry for help.

A chilling coldness shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, instantly freezing all his excitement and relief.

Uryu is in trouble. "Ishida!"

Ichigo suddenly sat up in bed, his movement so fast it created a gust of wind.

He didn't even have time to change out of his loose gray loungewear. When his gaze swept over the bedside table, he grabbed the surging Substitute Death Certificate without hesitation—the certificate that allowed him to establish a connection with the power of Fullbring. At this moment, it felt faintly warm in his palm, but it couldn't suppress the anxiety surging in his heart.

He practically ran out of the room, his footsteps echoing loudly on the wooden stairs.

Downstairs in the living room, his younger sister, Youzi, was carrying a cup of hot milk. Seeing his hurried figure, a worried look immediately appeared on her face, and her clear voice carried a hint of panic: "Brother? Where are you going so late? It's dangerous outside!"

Following closely behind was the iconic gate of his father, Isshin Kurosaki, his usual indifferent tone tinged with a barely perceptible concern: "Ichigo! What's wrong with you now? Running out in the middle of the night, do you want to be captured by a Hollow?"

But Ichigo didn't hear a single word of these words. His mind was filled only with Ishida Uryu's broken cry for help, the imagined pool of blood, and the frantic urge to "find him immediately."

Ichigo abruptly opened the door, and the cold night wind instantly rushed into his collar, making his short orange hair fly wildly, but it couldn't dispel the burning anger and anxiety in his heart.

The night in Karakura Town was quiet, with only a few streetlights on, casting long shadows on the streets.

Ichigo ran frantically along the sidewalk, his steps almost out of control, the soles of his shoes screeching against the ground. His mind was blank, only his heart pounding wildly in his chest, as if trying to break free of his ribs—Where was Ishida? Who had attacked him? Was he still alive? Countless questions swirled in his mind, each one pricking his nerves like a needle.

I ran past the familiar convenience store, past the park I frequented, past the Quincy workshop where Ishida once stood... Every place was deserted, with only the night wind swirling fallen leaves, making a rustling sound, like a silent sigh.

Ichigo abruptly stopped, bent over, and gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently. Sweat streamed down his forehead, leaving a small wet patch on the ground.

Chapter 283: Fullbring (Part 4)

"Don't panic," he told himself. Ishida is a Quincy; even if he encounters danger, he will surely leave clues.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to concentrate all his mental energy—since awakening his Full Vision ability, he could vaguely sense his surroundings.

The spiritual pressure fluctuations, though still very weak and far less acute than those of a true Shinigami, are now the only hope.

As consciousness gradually sank into his body, the warm power connected to the Substitute Death Certificate slowly awakened, like a faint light searching for direction in the darkness.

The surrounding spiritual pressure surged in like a tide, carrying the faint aura of ordinary wandering spirits, the chilling fluctuations of distant Hollows, and... a familiar yet...

A spiritual pressure that exudes an aura of impending death!

The spiritual pressure emanated from the west side of the city. It was very weak, like a candle flickering in the wind, about to be extinguished at any moment, and was being gradually devoured by an even colder and more ominous aura.

It's Shi You!

Ichigo suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of wild joy in them, which was then replaced by a deeper anxiety—that ominous aura was more terrifying than any Hollow he had ever encountered.

Without further hesitation, he turned and ran wildly westward.

This time, his steps were more determined, and his speed was pushed to the limit, far exceeding the range of ordinary people. The scenery on the roadside rushed past in front of him, leaving only the sound of the wind whistling in his ears.

In Karakura-cho's western district, there is a commercial street that has long been abandoned.

This place was once bustling, but now only dilapidated shops and mountains of garbage remain. Only a few old, neglected streetlights still shine, casting a pale yellow light that makes the graffiti on the walls and the pebbles on the ground look ghostly.

Ichigo rushed into the alley behind the shopping street, panting heavily. As soon as he turned a corner, the scene before him made his pupils shrink suddenly, and his blood seemed to freeze instantly.

Uryu Ishida lay on the cold ground, beneath him a large pool of blood. The dark red blood slowly seeped away through the cracks in the stone pavement, gleaming eerily under the streetlights.

His always spotless, snow-white Quincy uniform was now mostly stained crimson with blood; the collar, cuffs, hem… every part was soaked.

His hair was stained with blood, and even his usually neatly combed blond hair was stuck to his wet forehead, making him look utterly disheveled.

His right arm was pinned to the wall behind him by a black longsword, the blade deeply embedded in the brickwork, with only the hilt sticking out.

Blood trickled down the sword's blade, forming a dark red trail on the wall. It dripped onto the ground, making a "drip, drip" sound that was particularly clear in the quiet alley.

Ishida's chest heaved violently, each breath accompanied by a painful groan. His eyes were half-open, his vision blurred, yet he stared intently at the person in front of him, his face filled with resentment and anger.

In front of him stood a man wearing a white shirt.

The man had shoulder-length black hair, the strands falling smoothly over his shoulders. His profile was handsome, yet carried a lingering melancholy. In his hand...

He was looking at a book with a brown cover, his head down as he flipped through it, his movements slow and elegant, as if the bloody scene before him had nothing to do with him, or as if he were admiring a perfect work of art.

"Who...are...you?" Ishida forced out these words through gritted teeth, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible. He endured immense pain with each word, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

The man slowly closed the book in his hand, making a soft "snap" sound. He turned around and looked at Ishida. His melancholy face was adorned with a calm, even gentle, smile, as if he hadn't been the one who had just pierced Ishida's arm.

"Me?" The man's voice was soft, like a feather brushing against a heartstring, yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible coldness. "My name is Tsukishima Hidekuro." "It was you...you did it!"

Ichigo's voice came from the alley entrance, with a beast-like growl, filled with suppressed anger. He looked at Ishida's blood-covered appearance and Tsukishima's nonchalant expression, and the anger in his heart was instantly ignited, burning him to the point that his reason almost collapsed.

Those brown eyes were now filled with crimson rage, and even his breathing became heavy.

Hidekuro Tsukishima turned his head and looked at Ichigo, his gaze lingering on him for a few seconds, as if he were looking at an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time, rather than an enemy.

"Oh? You're Kurosaki Ichigo?" His tone was calm, even tinged with curiosity. "Ginjo, I always mention you."

"Let him go!" Ichigo had no time to listen to his nonsense. He gripped the Substitute Shinigami License tightly, and the power of his Fullbring was instantly activated, surging through his limbs like boiling magma.

Since fully integrating with Fullbring during his training at XCUTION, this was the first time he had been so eager to draw upon that power—for no other reason than…

All for the sake of saving his companion who was on the verge of death.

"Buzz—!"

Emerald green light burst forth from Ichigo's body, instantly enveloping his entire form.

The jet-black energy suit, resembling the armor of a Grim Reaper, covered his limbs and torso at a visible speed, finally coalescing into a small, green-glowing badge on his chest.

The entire outfit had smooth lines and was full of power, with every part radiating the will to protect. This was Ichigo Kurosaki's Fullbring form. Tsukishima Hidekuro looked at Ichigo's outfit, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes, which was then replaced by a cold killing intent. However, the killing intent was hidden very well and could not be detected without careful observation.

"Is this it..." he murmured softly, a hint of amusement in his voice, "The power that Silver City desires." — Die!

Ichigo roared, stomping his foot so hard that a small crack appeared in the ground. He shot forward like an arrow, charging straight toward Tsukishima Hidekuro with unstoppable momentum.

With her right hand clenched into a fist, emerald green energy condensed on her fist, forming a thick energy shield. The fist whistled, carrying enough power to repel XCUT ION member Jai Tristan, and slammed hard towards Tsukishima's chest.

However, facing this angry and powerful blow, Tsukishima Hidekuro still wore that calm smile on his face. He neither dodged nor retaliated. Just before the fist was about to touch his chest, he casually held the seemingly ordinary brown-covered book in his hand in front of him.

"clang!"

A crisp metallic clang echoed through the alley, sudden and jarring.