XX-level Hokage

With a metallic clanging sound, the cross necklace around his neck suddenly transformed into a giant two-handed sword.

The sword gleamed with a soft, spiritual light under the lamplight, no longer as aggressive as before, but instead possessing a warm and simple quality. "Kurosaki, come here." Ginjo beckoned to Ichigo.

Ichigo took a deep breath and walked up to Ginjo. Looking at the sword, he suddenly remembered the scene when he first awakened Fullbring and the days when Ginjo taught him to control his power.

Although he still had doubts about XCUTION's motives, at this moment, he had no choice but to believe.

“Feel it with your heart.” Yincheng’s voice became serious. “Don’t resist these forces; treat them as a part of yourself. Remember, you are not…”

It's not about accepting power, but about reclaiming the power that belongs to you.

After saying that, Ginjo gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands, slowly raised the blade, and aimed it at Ichigo's chest.

The blade had no sharp edge; instead, it felt like a warm piece of jade, gently resting against Ichigo's chest.

The moment the blade touched Ichigo's skin, a warm power surged into his body along the blade.

Ichigo shuddered. He could clearly feel the emotions contained within this power—Ginjo's obsession with revenge, Riruka's protection of her comrades, Sakizawa's reverence for time, Jekyll's insistence on justice, and Yukio's pursuit of order.

These emotions, like a stream, flowed into the depths of his soul, intertwining with his own will. "Ugh..." Ichigo groaned, his body beginning to tremble slightly.

The process of transferring power was more painful than he had imagined. Countless unfamiliar fragments of memory flashed through his mind—the scene of Silver City losing his family, the image of Liluka being betrayed by her companions, Chaze looking at the pocket watch and crying... These memories pierced his nerves like needles, making him almost want to give up.

"Don't stop!" Yin Cheng's voice came, tinged with urgency. "These aren't other people's memories; they're their pride! You must accept them to truly control these powers!"

Ichigo gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. He remembered Ishida lying in a pool of blood, Orihime's worried eyes, Chad's resolute back, and Mashiro's ambiguous smile.

Therefore, he cannot give up; he must become stronger, strong enough to protect everyone.

Gradually, those unfamiliar fragments of memory began to soften, no longer as painful as before. Ichigo could feel a new power slowly awakening within him.

This power is stronger and more stable than the previous Fullbring, as if it has merged with the will of everyone and become a completely new existence.

Meanwhile, in the distant Seireitei, in the private garden of the First Division, Mashiro sat at a stone table, looking at the crystal ball in front of her.

The crystal ball clearly reflects everything inside the arcade, from Ichigo's despair after losing his power to his resolute decision to accept the transfer of power; every detail is presented in its entirety.

Harribel stood behind Mashiro, holding a freshly brewed cup of tea. Looking at Ichigo inside the crystal ball, her brow furrowed slightly. "Shukurou Tsukishima's abilities are indeed troublesome; he can even sever existence. Kugo Ginjo's intentions are also not simple; he wants to use Ichigo's body to contain the power of all Fullbringers."

Mashiro took the teacup, took a small sip, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips: "Ginjo thought he was the one playing the game, but he didn't realize he was just a pawn. The Book of the End on Tsukishima Island, Ginjo's desire for revenge, and the pride of the XCUTION members... these are all the polishing stones used to refine Ichigo, this rough gem."

Her own light fell upon the orange-haired boy inside the crystal ball, who was receiving the power transfer, her eyes gleaming with anticipation: "Only a soul vessel that gathers the power of all Fullbringers into one body can bear that ultimate power capable of overturning the three realms. Ichigo-kun, don't let me down."

Inside the crystal ball, Ichigo began to radiate a dazzling light. The light grew stronger and stronger, almost illuminating the entire arcade.

Ginjo and the others smiled with relief. They could feel a powerful spiritual pressure awakening within Ichigo's body—it was Ichigo Kurosaki's new Fullbring power.

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, a resolute light flashing within them. He could feel the power flowing within him, a power that was both familiar and strange, yet filled with an unprecedented confidence.

He already knew that the battle was not over, but this time, he would not back down.

“Shukurou Tsukishima,” Ichigo murmured, his voice filled with unwavering determination, “Next time we meet, I will personally shatter your past.”

Chapter 287: Fullbring (Part 8)

The neon lights in the abandoned arcade had long since lost their glow, and only the screens of a few old arcade machines still flickered with faint snowflake patterns.

At this moment, the scorching heat generated by the collision of energy in the air was slowly dissipating, replaced by the metallic stench of cooled metal and the lingering burning sensation of spiritual pressure, like a battlefield after a storm, both quiet and exuding lingering tension.

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, tiny fragments of energy still clinging to his eyelashes. He looked down at his hands, the lines on his palms enveloped by spiritual pressure.

Looking at the faint light, these hands, which once held the power of "Zan Yue" and tore apart the mask of the Hollow, now surge with a completely new power.

His pupils were no longer the pure black of his death god state, nor the crimson of his ethereal state, but rather like sunlight shattered in obsidian, with gold and white interwoven colors flowing deep within his pupils, as if hiding an entire world of interwoven light and shadow.

"This is...my power?" he murmured, his voice still a little hoarse.

As he slowly opened his palm, the surrounding air seemed to be stirred by an invisible force, and ripples of spiritual pressure spread out from the center of his palm.

Soon, a layer of translucent energy pulsed in the palm of his hand, initially as scattered specks of light, then condensing into a thin band of light, and finally transforming into a golden blade shadow about half a meter long.

The blade has no physical form, yet it exudes a sharpness even more acute than a Zanpakuto. With a slight flick, it cleanly sliced ​​open the metal casing of a nearby arcade machine.

Yincheng stood not far away, his arms crossed over his chest. His previously tense shoulders finally relaxed a bit. He looked at the golden blade shadow in Ichigo's palm, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes—a sense of relief, a sense of relief, and a hint of barely perceptible envy.

A moment later, a faint smile appeared on his lips, and his voice was gentler than usual: "You succeeded. You not only regained control of Fullbring, but you also made it purer. Ichigo Kurosaki, you are the true, complete form of Fullbring."

As the words fell, Liluka, Jieqi, Chaze, and Xuexu gradually recovered from the aftershocks of the energy impact.

Liluka leaned against a "King of Fighters" arcade machine, a few strands of her neatly combed twin ponytails falling loose beside her cheeks. She raised her hand to rub her temples, her face somewhat pale—she had almost exhausted her stored spiritual pressure in order to transfer the power of Fullbring to Ichigo.

Jieqi sat on the ground, her black leather jacket covered in dust. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, snorted coldly, but her tone was no longer as sharp as before. "Looks like we made the right bet this time. If even you had failed, all of us would have become a joke."

Sizawa remained silent, only rubbing his fists. He could clearly feel that the Fullbring power within him, which had been severed by Tsukishima, was now resonating faintly through Ichigo's spiritual pressure, like finding a glimmer of light in the darkness.

Yukio looked down at the handheld console in his hand. The data stream from the energy transfer was still visible on the screen. He pushed up his glasses and suddenly frowned: "Ichigo's spiritual pressure is strange. It has the fluctuations of Fullbring, the spiritual pressure of a Shinigami, and even the aura of a Hollow. This is not pure Fullbring at all; it's more like three powers mixed together."

Upon hearing this, Ichigo subconsciously mobilized the power within his body.

Sure enough, three distinct auras flowed within him—the energy of Fullbring was like warm light, the spiritual pressure of the Shinigami was like a steady wind, and the power of the Hollow was like lurking darkness.

In the past, these three forces always repelled each other, and even caused him to go berserk. But now they are like water flowing into a river. Although there are still slight collisions, they can coexist without fear, as if they are looking for a balance point.

“Perhaps this is the fusion we’ve always wanted.” Ginjo stepped forward, his gaze falling on Ichigo, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement. “The power of Shinigami, Hollow, and Human converges within you. You are no longer a substitute for Shinigami, nor a tool of a Fullbringer, but a truly independent individual—this is the essence of power.”

Ichigo gripped the golden blade in his palm, its light flickering slightly with his will. He raised his head, his eyes resolute: "Whether it's Fullbring or something else, as long as it can protect everyone, save Ishida, and stop Tsukishima, that's enough."

Just then, the handheld console in Yukio's hand suddenly emitted a piercing "beep beep" sound, and the screen instantly changed from a blue data stream to a glaring red, with countless warning symbols flashing wildly.

Yukio's expression suddenly changed. He looked up abruptly, his voice urgent: "Not good! A powerful spiritual pressure is invading outer space—it's Tsukishima!"

The spiritual pressure was at least three times stronger than before!

"What?" Yin Cheng's face instantly darkened. Just as he was about to activate his Perfect Manifestation defense, he heard a crisp "crack"—a spiderweb-like crack suddenly appeared on the pixel barrier above the arcade, which was constructed by Xue Xu's Perfect Manifestation.

The next second, the crack suddenly widened, and a jet-black sword-like image, like lightning slicing through the night sky, shot straight down from the crack and slammed heavily onto the concrete floor of the arcade!

The ground shook violently, sending countless pebbles and dust flying. Several old arcade machines were overturned by the shockwave, their screens shattering instantly. As the dust settled, a black figure slowly emerged from the cracks.

Tsukishima Hidekuro was still wearing that long black trench coat, the collar slightly open to reveal the white shirt underneath. In his hand he held that jet-black longsword, the blade of which was undecorated, yet exuded a chilling aura that could devour light.

His expression was eerily calm, as if he were not intruding into enemy territory, but rather going to a pre-arranged appointment.

His gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Ichigo, a cold smile curving his lips: "What a lively gathering. Looks like I arrived at just the right time."

"Tsukishima!" Ginjo almost instinctively stood in front of Ichigo, his right hand swiftly unleashing his Fullbring technique, silver spiritual pressure condensing into a giant axe in his mind, "You dare to come here!"

"Long time no see, Ginjo." Tsukishima gently twirled the longsword in his hand, the blade slicing through the air and leaving a black afterimage. "It seems you have finally completed the step I left behind. I thought you would be a little slower than I expected."

"A move you left behind?" Jieqi suddenly stood up from the ground, her hands radiating a pale purple spiritual pressure, her tone filled with anger, "You clearly severed our Fullbring, altered our memories, and played us like pawns, and now you dare to say that this was something you left behind? You have too much shame!"

Upon hearing this, Tsukishima simply smiled faintly. He raised his longsword and casually swung it in Jieqi's direction—without immense spiritual pressure or complex techniques, just a simple slash, yet it created a clear black crack in the air.

The crack instantly spread to Jieqi's front. Jieqi subconsciously used her current technique to defend herself, but as soon as her spiritual pressure touched the black crack, it was like ice and snow meeting a raging fire, instantly collapsing.

Chapter 288: Fullbring (Part 9)

"Jieqi!" Upon seeing this, Liluka immediately raised the Toy House Fullbringer in her hand. Pink energy erupted instantly, and countless toys with spikes flew out of the device and shot towards Tsukishima.

But before these toys could even get close to Tsukishima, they were blocked by the black spiritual pressure surrounding him, paused in mid-air for a second, and then shattered completely.

"Don't waste your energy." Tsukishima's gaze fell on Riruka, his tone icy. "Your Fullbring was given to you by me, so since I can..."

Cut it off, and you can easily defeat it.

He paused, then looked at Ichigo again. "I severed your powers and altered your memories merely to cleanse your excess past. The sublimation of power comes at a price, and you were nothing more than stepping stones to guide Kurosaki Ichigo to become a vessel."

"A vessel?" Ichigo clenched his fist, the golden blade shadow on his palm instantly becoming even more dazzling. "You treat everyone as pawns, hurting Ishida and causing Ginjo and the others pain, and now you want to use me? I will absolutely not let you have it!"

Before the words were even finished, Ichigo had already charged out. His speed was several times faster than before, and a long trail of golden spiritual pressure trailed behind him. He was like a shooting star, crashing into Tsukishima. The golden blade in his hand, accompanied by a whistling sound as it tore through the air, slashed straight at Tsukishima's face!

Tsukishima's eyes finally flickered with a hint of emotion. He was no longer as casual as before, but gripped his longsword tightly, channeling his black spiritual pressure into it. "Clang!"

The clash of gold and black blades echoed through the arcade with a piercing metallic clang. A powerful shockwave rippled outwards from the two figures, cracking the ground and causing chunks of cement to fall from the ceiling.

Ichigo could feel an immense power emanating from Tsukishima's sword, a power that carried a chilling aura that seemed to devour everything, almost crushing the golden blade in his hand.

“Not bad.” Tsukishima’s lips still held that cold smile. “This fused power is purer than I expected. It seems Silver City’s plan has indeed succeeded.”

"A plan?" Ichigo gritted his teeth, increasing the output of his spiritual pressure. The golden blade flashed again, forcing Tsukishima's longsword back half an inch. "What exactly are you planning? Explain yourself!"

Tsukishima didn't answer. With a flick of his wrist, his longsword suddenly transformed into countless black fragments, like a flock of hungry crows, piercing towards Ichigo's entire body. These fragments were extremely fast and their trajectories were unpredictable, making them impossible to completely dodge.

Ichigo could only concentrate his golden spiritual pressure around himself, forming a protective shield. "Puff! Puff!"

The black fragments kept hitting the protective shield. Although they failed to break through the defense, they caused a tingling sensation in Ichigo's arm. He knew that this was not a solution and he had to take the initiative to fight back.

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo completely fused the three powers within him, and the golden blade instantly lengthened, reaching over two meters in length. "Danku Isen!"

Ichigo roared and slashed the golden blade in his hand down hard on the ground. A huge golden strike erupted from the blade, like a golden lightning bolt, instantly tearing the ground apart and spreading towards Tsukishima.

Wherever the slash passed, the cement ground was cut in two, and gravel and dust were all thrown into the air.

Tsukishima's expression finally changed. He no longer held back, concentrating all his spiritual pressure onto his longsword. The black spiritual pressure formed a massive sword shadow, which...

The golden slashes collided violently!

"Boom!"

A deafening roar erupted, the walls of the arcade were instantly torn apart, and countless fragments flew outwards. The windows of residential buildings hundreds of meters away were shattered, and even the streetlights on the street were overturned by the shockwave.

Silver City, Liluka, and the others quickly activated their Full Power defensive abilities, barely managing to block the flying debris. After the smoke and dust cleared, the arcade was reduced to ruins.

Ichigo knelt on the ground, his right hand supporting him, his chest heaving violently, and a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth—the collision had caused a slight shock to his internal organs.

Tsukishima took a half step back, his black trench coat ripped open by the slash, revealing a white shirt underneath, which was also stained with blood.

But Yuedao's expression remained calm, even with a hint of satisfaction: "Not bad, at least now, you are qualified to be a candidate for that final trial."

"The final trial?" Ginjo strode over to Ichigo, helped him up, and eyed Tsukishima warily. "What exactly are you planning? Explain yourself!"

Tsukishima ignored Ginjo. He raised his left hand, and the longsword in his hand suddenly transformed into a black book.

The book cover had no text, only a silver crack, like a mark left by a sword—this was the true form of his Fullbring, "Page One of the Book of the End."

The book opened automatically, each page gleaming with a faint light. There were no words on it, only blurry images: the pain of Ginjo and the others when they lost their Fullbring, the scene of Ishida being seriously injured by him, and the scene of Ichigo fighting him before.

These images are all from the past that he "cut off" and "rewrote".

"Soon, you will understand." Tsukishima's voice was deep and cold, as if from the abyss. "The boundary between the past and the present is nothing more than words on a page that can be changed at will. And Kurosaki Ichigo, you are the key that connects the past and the future, the opening of that new chapter."

After saying that, Tsukishima's figure suddenly turned into countless black fragments, like ink dissolving into water, and instantly disappeared into the ruins.

Ichigo struggled to stand up, but Ginjo pressed down on his shoulder: "Don't chase! You're no match for him now, and we don't know his true strength yet. Chasing after him rashly will only lead you into a trap!"

Ichigo clenched his fist, his nails digging deep into his palm, blood dripping from between his fingers. He looked in the direction where Tsukishima had disappeared, his eyes showing no fear, only an increasingly determined light: "He wants to use me, wants to treat everyone as pawns, then I'll make sure he doesn't get his way."

"Kurosaki, listen to me—"