In the outside world, Ichigo's spiritual pressure began to skyrocket. As the night passed, his Reiatsu became more than five times stronger than before.
Yoruichi's jaw dropped, staring at Ichigo in a daze. "What is going on with this kid?" She looked at Kisuke Urahara, who also wore a grave expression. His Adam's apple bobbed, showing that his heart was far from calm.
He succeeded? Urahara was ecstatic internally. But being the old fox he was, he immediately snapped open his folding fan to hide his face. "It seems Mr. Kurosaki's communication with his Zanpakutō went quite well."
Yoruichi composed herself, finding Urahara's explanation acceptable—or rather, it was the only explanation that made sense.
Ren lay lazily on the ground, not interjecting. Ichigo's spiritual pressure had surged, but his outward appearance hadn't changed; there were no Hollow traits yet, meaning he was still being suppressed. To let Ichigo truly awaken his Hollow powers, he would likely need to experience a life-and-death struggle.
Soon, Ichigo opened his eyes, a flicker of joy crossing his face. He was now certain that Ren had told the truth; his power had indeed been suppressed by Old Man Zangetsu. However, he wasn't yet sure if that white guy was the "real" Zangetsu. After all, he'd spent the whole night listening to the guy rant about Kings and mounts and "instinct"...
Ichigo refused to believe that eccentric loudmouth was the core of his soul. "Old Man Zangetsu definitely fits my self-image better!" thought the high school freshman who liked to fight and usually acted like a bit of a delinquent.
Having mastered Bankai, the further-empowered Ichigo couldn't sit still; he wanted to go rescue Rukia right then and there.
However, Urahara stopped him. With a smile, he said, "Don't be in such a hurry, Mr. Kurosaki. Now is not yet the best time to save her!"
Although Ichigo was strong now, the Seireitei was in total chaos. Urahara felt it was better to wait for Aizen to show his hand before they made their move. That way, they could pin all the blame on Aizen, exonerating Rukia and allowing Ichigo, the Substitute Soul Reaper, to operate in the open.
Everything was going according to Urahara's calculations. But what he didn't know was that everything was also going according to Aizen's calculations. Their intellects were evenly matched; the only difference was their attitude toward the world.
"Then, for the next few days, let me give little Ichigo some proper training!" Yoruichi laughed.
Ichigo, however, had zero interest in the provocative beauty. He looked at Ren and asked, "Why do you know so much about my situation?"
"Eh? What are you talking about?" Ren feigned ignorance with a face of pure innocence.
"..."
Seeing Ren had no intention of explaining, Ichigo didn't press him. "Fine. Regardless, thanks for telling me those things." With that, he went off to train with Yoruichi.
Over the next few days, Aizen kept the Seireitei in a state of total confusion, playing the Gotei 13 like a fiddle. Hitsugaya, in particular, was toyed with by Aizen's schemes.
Execution Day.
Early in the morning, Ichigo was fully prepared. With Yoruichi's help, he arrived at the Execution Grounds. At that moment, Rukia was about to be pierced by the Sōkyoku, a fate that would scatter her soul to the winds.
"RUKIA!"
Ichigo roared, his spiritual pressure erupting completely. He charged forward, placing himself between Rukia and the Sōkyoku, facing the weapon head-on!
Ren observed from the shadows. Seeing Ichigo repel the Sōkyoku—a weapon said to possess the combined power of a million Zanpakutō—with just his Shikai, Ren didn't know where to start his critique.
"A million Zanpakutō... seems a bit weak..."
As Ichigo batted away the massive halberd and rescued Rukia, the Captains standing at the execution site finally snapped out of their shock. They turned their gazes toward Ichigo. Before the Captains could move, their Lieutenants swarmed forward, unleashing everything they had!
"Ryoka! Face my blade!"
"Hadō #1: Shō!"
Some came at him with blades, others with powerful Kidō—their fury was palpable. But Ichigo wasn't the same kid he was a week ago. Having mastered Bankai, he was the brightest star on the field!
With a single leap, he vanished, appearing behind the group of Lieutenants. A few flashes of his sword followed, and the Lieutenants collapsed one by one! And at this point, Ichigo hadn't even used Bankai; he was still holding that oversized kitchen knife!
Ichigo held Rukia in one arm. She looked at him with a dazed expression. "Ichigo?" Her voice was uncertain because the change in him was too great.
Whether it was his aura or his Reiatsu, Ichigo had undergone a complete transformation. He was no longer just a punk high schooler; he seemed steady and mature. Spending time facing "White Ichigo"—a reflection of his rawest self—had allowed him to prune most of his flaws.
Whoosh—
Sizzle—
A streak of sword pressure sliced through the ground, leaving a deep gash at Ichigo's feet. Ichigo looked up to see Byakuya Kuchiki standing coldly behind him.
"You again!" Ichigo frowned. He had zero affection for Rukia's older brother. In his view, a brother should protect his sister, yet Byakuya had personally seen her to the execution stand. It was a direct violation of Ichigo's convictions.
As they locked eyes, a commotion broke out in the distance. Renji Abarai came charging through with Zabimaru. Seeing Rukia safe, Renji's face filled with joy, and he focused on holding off the surrounding enemies.
Ichigo set Rukia down but never took his eyes off Byakuya. Once Rukia ran toward safety, Ichigo spoke: "I won't lose this time!"
"Arrogance!" Byakuya said coldly.
"BAN... KAI! TENSA ZANGETSU!"
Rumble—!
Black spiritual pressure shot into the sky, forming a terrifying storm. Byakuya shielded his eyes, staring in disbelief. "How is this possible?! In just one week, he mastered Bankai!"
As the black storm dissipated, Ichigo appeared in a black, high-collared coat. There was no grand spectacle, no change to the terrain. Only his clothes and his sword had changed, becoming more refined and compact.
Facing Ichigo's Bankai, Byakuya sneered. "Can something so small and pathetic really be called a Bankai?"