The moment Grimmjow said, "Try me," Ichigo vanished—his form blinking out of sight.
CLANG!
Their clash lit the air with sparks as Zangetsu met Grimmjow's claws midair, the Espada grinning as he braced against Ichigo's weight. The pressure behind Ichigo's strike forced Grimmjow back, heels grinding the pavement with each step.
Ichigo pressed forward, his blade slicing through the air in a wide horizontal arc.
SWOOSH!
Only for Grimmjow to duck under it. Before he could retaliate, Ichigo's knee rocketed into his chest
WHAM!
Sending him skidding across cracked concrete as dust and debris kicked up around them.
Grimmjow snarled as he caught his footing, claws flashing as he lunged again with a downward slash. Ichigo met him cleanly.
SCRAPE!
Zangetsu angled perfectly as he twisted his wrist, redirecting the blow with a sharp, metallic grind. Then Ichigo struck, his blade rising in a diagonal arc.
SLASH!
Drawing a clean line of blood across Grimmjow's shoulder.
The Espada hissed through his teeth but spun with the momentum, backhanding toward Ichigo's face. Ichigo leaned back, letting the claws miss by inches before twisting low and sweeping his leg toward Grimmjow's feet. Grimmjow leapt over it, flipping once and landing on the edge of a shattered shipping container.
"You're faster than before," he growled.
Ichigo raised his blade, eyes narrowed. "You're slower than you used to be."
BOOM!
Grimmjow launched forward, his Sonído cracking the ground beneath him as he closed the distance like a bullet.
SLASH. SLASH. SLASH.
His claws came fast and wild, but Ichigo weaved between them, reading each attack with uncanny precision.
As Grimmjow committed to a final swipe, Ichigo sidestepped and raised Zangetsu high before bringing it down
CRASH!
Slamming Grimmjow straight into the pavement. The ground buckled, a crater forming beneath the force of the impact. Grimmjow grunted, trying to rise, but Ichigo was already above him.
STAB!
Zangetsu plunged down—but Grimmjow twisted, the sword piercing the ground beside his head. He kicked upward with both legs, slamming Ichigo in the ribs and launching him into the air.
Ichigo twisted mid-flight, landed with a slide, and planted his foot deep into the earth to halt the momentum—only to find Grimmjow already coming at him again.
But Ichigo was faster.
POW!
His fist buried itself into Grimmjow's gut, stealing the Espada's breath. As Grimmjow gasped, Ichigo followed up with a downward slash
CLANG!
Zangetsu crashing into Grimmjow's claws, pinning him down as the ground shattered beneath.
Leaning in, Ichigo muttered, "Still want more?"
Grimmjow spat to the side, defiance flaring in his eyes. "Hell yes."
They vanished—reappearing midair as blurs of motion.
BAM! BAM! CLASH! SLASH!
Their exchange shook the entire district, shockwaves bursting outward, blowing steel beams loose and sending clouds of dust and rubble skyward. Sparks flew as metal met claws in rapid succession, neither relenting, their silhouettes flickering like lightning across a shattered battlefield.
Ichigo appeared behind Grimmjow.
SLASH!
His blade grazing across the Espada's back. Grimmjow roared and whirled around, claws swiping up, but Ichigo ducked under, twisted, and drove his elbow straight into Grimmjow's jaw.
CRACK!
Knocking him off balance.
Blood ran down Grimmjow's lip as he staggered. "You son of a—!"
He lunged again.
Ichigo sidestepped cleanly—Zangetsu carving downward in a streak of silver light. Grimmjow barely dodged, panting now, his movements just a step slower. Ichigo raised his blade again, ready to finish it.
"You know what, I'll stop. I want to show you the gap between us Grimmjow. "
The bandages on Zangetsu began to unravel, whipping in the wind as an enormous pressure engulfed the battlefield. Grimmjow's expression shifted to a frown as he felt the sudden spike in Ichigo's energy.
' He's not just a puny bug, Grimmjow' thought. ' Guess I'll need to get serious after all.'
Then Ichigo's voice rang out, cold and sharp:
"Bankai: Tensa Zangetsu."
The moment the words left his mouth—
Boom.
A black and red explosion of energy erupted from Ichigo. The sheer shockwave sent Grimmjow skidding back, struggling to hold his stance. His eyes widened at the transformation unfolding before him.
Ichigo now stood in pitch-black robes, his spiritual pressure suffocating the air around them. His sword had become a sleek, all-black katana, jagged at the edge. A short black chain clinked softly, hanging from the hilt and swaying gently in the wind whipped up by his reiatsu.
He didn't speak. He didn't need to. His icy stare said everything.
---
Elsewhere in Karakura Town…
The Soul Reapers all turned as Ichigo's power burst through the air.
"He's been holding back," Renji muttered, eyes narrowing.
"Even I don't have that much power… How could a Substitute have this much?" Toshiro whispered.
Rukia smirked knowingly.
Ikkaku crossed his arms and smirked. "I'll surpass you one day, Kurosaki."
Yumichika, adjusting his hair, didn't seem fazed at all.
Meanwhile, Rangiku smiled with a small flush on her cheeks. ' Who knew he'd grow this strong in such little time…? Luckily, Soul Society has no rule against multiple wives.' She thought.
They had all just defeated their opponents, now that their limiters were off. The battle was over—but Ichigo's had just begun.
---
Back at the battlefield, Ichigo stood tall, his presence like a black sun. Grimmjow, for the first time in a long while, felt his stomach twist.
"I think I've shown you enough," Ichigo said calmly. "Don't go snitching to Aizen now."
Then—whoosh—he vanished.
In the same breath, he reappeared behind Grimmjow, his blade already sheathed.
"Or you'll be the first person I kill when I arrive in Hueco Mundo."
Grimmjow froze.
' I… I couldn't see him move. I can't sense him. He's like a ghost… a ghost that could end me in an instant.' He thought in panic.
When Grimmjow turned, Ichigo was gone.
---
Back in his Shikai, Ichigo returned to Rukia.
"Well, I'm done. I'm sure I delivered the message."
"You really know how to traumatize someone, don't you?" she replied with a smirk. "Come on, let's regroup with the others."
They met at the usual park where Ichigo trained. He glanced at the group, some bruised, some drained.
"We should use the time we have to sharpen our skills. That's my suggestion."
Everyone looked at him, thoughtful.
Toshiro nodded. "He's right. I'll report this to the Head Captain. But in the meantime… we train. Hard."
Ichigo turned to Rukia. "Alright, I'm going home. Let's go."
Without warning, he scooped her up and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
"Hey—what are you doing?!" Rukia yelped, blushing.
Ichigo grinned. "Carrying my woman. Obviously."
Then—Sonído.
He vanished, his speed leaving a faint hum in the air.
Rangiku blinked in surprise. "That was… Sonído. But he can also use Shunpō… Wow. He's multi-talented."
The other Soul Reapers simply sighed and walked away, ignoring Rangiku's flushed smirk as she stood alone in the park.
TO BE CONTINUED