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Fate In Bleach (277)
🕑 Added 2024-08-28 17:00:05 +0000 UTCChapter 277 - The Competition
However, that trust Urahara had placed in Hiyori Sarugaki resulted in her, along with Shinji Hirako and the others, becoming test subjects for Sōsuke Aizen’s Hollowfication experiments. While all eight of them had eventually survived, thanks to the power of the half-formed Hōgyoku in Urahara’s possession, and mastered Hollowfication, increasing their strength, their so-called “Hollowfication” was built upon Hollow reishi infiltrating their spiritual energy. If their willpower faltered, they would be consumed by their inner Hollows.
This experience drastically changed Urahara’s approach. While he maintained absolute trust in those he entrusted with tasks, to prevent another incident like Hiyori’s, he would always make thorough preparations.
Sending Yoruichi Shihōin to the Soul Society to meet with Ailin was part of his plan.
…
In the World of the Living, Uryu Ishida watched the Hollows in the sky as cold sweat dripped from his brow.
Twelve years ago, his grandfather, Sōken Ishida, had been tricked by the Shinigami, nearly killed by Hollows. This incident had left a deep-seated resentment towards Shinigami within Uryu’s heart.
Of course, he excluded the Shinigami who had saved his grandfather.
One day, he witnessed his classmate, Ichigo Kurosaki, clad in a shihakushō, purifying a Hollow. The sight ignited a fury within him.
He decided to challenge Ichigo, settling their rivalry with a competition: whoever killed the most Hollows would determine whether Shinigami or Quincy were superior.
However, what Uryu didn't know was that Karakura Town, in recent years, had become a “Heavy Spiritual Ground,” attracting the attention of the Hollows in Hueco Mundo.
Furthermore, Aizen, having discovered Ichigo's existence, wanted to know what heights a human with Shinigami, Quincy, and Hollow bloodlines could reach.
Thus, when Uryu used the Hollow bait, hundreds of Hollows descended from Hueco Mundo, focusing their ravenous hunger on the inhabitants of Karakura Town.
The sight of so many Hollows terrified Uryu. He frantically drew his bow, Ginrei Kojaku and began unleashing a barrage of blue spiritual arrows, each one obliterating a Hollow.
Ichigo Kurosaki was also leaping through the town with his Zanpakutō cleaving through Hollows with every swing.
Even Shino Madarame, whose spiritual pressure was slowly returning, joined the fray in battling Hollows with the aid of Kon.
However, compared to Uryu’s one-arrow-one-kill efficiency, and Ichigo’s swift swordsmanship, Shino was still too weak.
Thankfully, the Gigai Urahara had provided was of high quality. While it hindered her spiritual pressure recovery, her physical strength was impressive.
Despite their efforts, the sheer number of Hollows was overwhelming. The three of them couldn’t possibly eliminate them all.
As a result, the people of Karakura Town faced a grave danger. Lacking spiritual pressure, they were unable to see the Hollows. All they saw were shattering windows, crumbling walls, and buildings collapsing as if attacked by invisible giants.
Many were injured by the falling debris, some even dragged from the streets and devoured.
Those who had been crushed to death and had their souls separated from their bodies, finally saw the truth of the world. They witnessed the monstrous creatures attacking their city and the blue arrows that occasionally pierced through the night, vanquishing the beasts.
However, their souls only attracted even more. Within minutes, their souls were devoured.
Uryu gritted his teeth as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He had bitten down so hard that he had drawn blood. The fingers of his right hand, pulling the bowstring, were also raw and bleeding. With each shot, a few drops of blood splattered from his hand.
Regret filled his heart. He had only intended to lure a few Hollows, to prove the Quincy’s superiority over the Shinigami.
But now, hundreds of Hollows rampaged through the city, far exceeding his ability to control. The destruction around him, the screams of terror, chipped away at his resolve. All he could do was fight, desperately trying to eliminate as many Hollows as possible.
Uryu’s situation was relatively stable. Ichigo, however, due to his Zanpakutō’s limited range, was far less efficient.
Thankfully, his immense spiritual pressure served as a beacon to the Hollows. They would abandon their human prey and charge towards Ichigo, seeking to devour him. This allowed him to save countless lives, as many as Uryu.
The students within Karakura High School also faced casualties. Thankfully, several of Ichigo’s friends, those closest to him, had awakened their spiritual pressure. Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado, who had encountered Hollows before, had even manifested Fullbring powers, driven by a desire to protect others. They, too, joined the fight.
An hour later, exhausted and panting, the four of them finally eliminated all the Hollows that had descended from Hueco Mundo.
“Ishida!”
Ichigo Kurosaki stormed towards Uryu Ishida, who stood silently in the center of Tsubaki Park. He raised his right fist to punch at Uryu’s face.
Bam!
Uryu offered no resistance. He collapsed to the ground, physically and emotionally drained. The hour-long battle had taken its toll.
Regret filled his heart. His impulsive actions had brought disaster upon Karakura Town.
Based on a rough estimate, the hundreds of Hollows had caused over a hundred casualties.
These deaths, to a certain extent, were his fault.
"Ishida," Ichigo yelled, grabbing him by the collar, "even if we had a blood feud, you should have challenged me directly! Why? Why would you do this? Look at what you've done to this city! How many people… How many people have been killed because of your selfishness?!"
Having punched Uryu, Ichigo's anger still simmered. He raised his fist, preparing to strike again. But then, a powerful, sinister spiritual pressure erupted from behind him, freezing him in place. It was beyond anything he had ever sensed.
He whirled around to see space itself shattering. A massive creature, over forty meters tall, was forcing its way into the World of the Living.
“Run, Ichigo! We have to run!”
Kon, now using Ichigo’s body, and Shino Madarame arrived at the park just as the Hollow began to emerge. Seeing the massive creature’s white mask, its pointed nose, and its colossal form, Shino’s face paled.
“Run, Ichigo! That Hollow is hundreds of times stronger than the ones we’ve just fought. Only high-ranking seated officers can deal with it. We have to get out of here!”
Despite being a Shinigami for years, Shino had never encountered a Gillian. However, the spiritual pressure emanating from this creature told her that Ichigo and the others stood no chance. Even at her full strength, she could only buy them time, waiting for reinforcements from the Seireitei.
With the Seireitei’s monitoring of the World of the Living, a Gillian’s arrival wouldn’t go unnoticed. The Twelfth Division would detect it and relay the information to the Fifth Division. They would then dispatch a rescue squad to handle the situation.
“How can we possibly run?”
Before this incident, Ichigo might have listened to Shino and hid until the stronger Shinigami arrived. But now, images of those who had been killed by the Hollows flashed in his mind. This disaster had originated from Uryu’s desire to compete with him. While he hadn't agreed to Uryu’s challenge, he couldn't deny that he was partially responsible.
He had played a role in these deaths.
In such a short time, so many had been injured and killed. If this massive creature entered their world, how many more would perish?
Ichigo released Uryu, drew his Zanpakutō, and charged towards the Gillian that was forcing its way into their world.
Bam!
When he reached the creature, one of its legs had already broken through the dimensional barrier and was entering their world. Half its body had emerged.
As the leg descended, preparing to crush the ground beneath, Ichigo raised his Zanpakutō high above his head and swung down with all his might.
“Haaaaaaa!”
Initially, the sheer force of the Gillian’s leg nearly buckled Ichigo’s body.
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