Chapter 47: Ichigo Kurosaki's Blissful Smile
"Is this the Soul Society? The air quality is actually quite good."
Ichigo Kurosaki, dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants with his hands in his pockets and a lazy gait, looked like a student out for a spring hike.
Stepping into the Soul Society, Ichigo scanned the scenery before taking a deep breath. The overly dense Reishi of the dimension entered his body through his breath. It was like someone living in a drought-stricken land drinking clear, mellow water for the first time; every cell in Ichigo's body cheered, greedily replenishing energy. Then, a massive surge of hunger followed!
He felt a primal urge to swallow everything in sight to fill the abyss of his infinite cravings!
However, this strange impulse was quickly and thoroughly suppressed by Ichigo.
A martial artist's appetite is indeed large, but eating just anything lacked the "elegance" and "style" a fighter should maintain. Ichigo had already caught the scent of a "Super Feast" drifting on the wind from the Seireitei. Only that kind of meal, capable of bringing supreme blissful pleasure, was a delicacy worthy of the "Strongest Creature on Earth."
But while Ichigo could hold back, the martial artists following him could not.
Arriving from the Reishi-thin material world to the Reishi-saturated Soul Society, many fighters could no longer restrain their instinctive hunger. Some roared with bared teeth; others' eyes turned bloodshot as they looked at the people around them as if they were discounted items at a "KFC Crazy Thursday" sale, wanting to rush up and take a few bites.
In this "Purity Cross-World Spectator Tour Group," which was organized to witness a world-shaking battle, there were also those with lower Purity—specifically, the Visoreds led by Shinji Hirako. Kisuke Urahara had eventually agreed to Ichigo's request out of necessity but remained uneasy, so he sent the Visoreds to keep watch.
Shinji Hirako was already regretting his decision. The group had just arrived, and before the legendary fight even started, the martial artists were on the verge of a bloody civil war. What kind of sick joke is this?
Shinji was a formidable Soul Reaper, but a total "newbie" in the field of martial arts fighting. He didn't feel he could stop a crowd of bloodshot-eyed fanatics.
At that moment, Ichigo suddenly turned his head. To the people behind him, he said softly:
"A powerhouse's Purity is also judged by what he eats. Those dominated by hunger, only wanting to eat bugs, are merely stupid birds and beasts. If you want to move up the cruel competition of the food chain, you should try to endure your hunger and find a feast that truly belongs to you, rather than chirping here."
With just that casual sentence, the agitated martial artists instantly calmed down!
In the crowd, Hiyori Sarugaki of the Visoreds nudged Shinji and whispered:
"I think my eyes just played tricks on me. My vision went blurry... Tell me, that thing that just spoke... what exactly is it?"
Shinji lowered the hand he was using to rub his eyes, a strange look on his face. When Ichigo turned to speak, what Shinji saw wasn't Ichigo's human form, but a... monster. A thing that inspired primal shivering and terror, something incomprehensible and hard to look at directly.
In that instant, Shinji felt a horrifying sensation of being chewed and devoured.
After a moment of silence, Shinji said: "The thing that spoke just now... might be the Strongest Creature on Earth."
Hiyori shook her head, full of confusion. "How is Ichigo becoming more and more terrifying? It's only been a few days since he awakened."
Shinji didn't answer. To this question, not even Urahara, the "smartest man in the Three Worlds," had an answer.
Regardless, the Tour Group became orderly under Ichigo's "pacification."
"Hmm, the Soul Society truly is the world of the Soul Reapers. The scenery is unique enough. Travel really does broaden the horizons."
Ichigo looked up at the blood-red vertical eyes filling the sky over the Seireitei, marvelling at the sight. Meanwhile, Orihime and Chad emerged from the crowd, cameras in hand, snapping away at the sky and the surroundings. Orihime said energetically:
"Kurosaki-kun, don't worry! As your managers, Chad-kun and I will capture every memorable moment of this trip. By the way, Rukia-chan, I wanted to ask... being watched by so many eyes every day in the Soul Society, do you feel especially safe when you sleep at night?"
Rukia looked at the sky with uncertainty, not knowing how to respond. Finally, she said: "The Soul Society never looked like this before. Perhaps the Observer did something again."
The tour group was massive. Aside from the martial artists and Visoreds, Ichigo's core friends were all present. Right then, the holy voice fell from the sky:
"Tsk tsk. Suspecting me the moment something confusing happens—Rukia, your logic makes me a bit sad. Fine, it was me this time, but that's not important. I've already given you the script for the 'Wandering Ark: Soul Society Chapter.' Now, I'll give you a Mark. Anyone who respects this Mark is a friend; anyone who doesn't, you beat them to death. I have to communicate with my other two partners and handle some other business, so I won't always be watching. Be careful!"
As the voice faded, a small blood-red vertical eye manifested above the head of everyone in the group.
Ichigo said nothing. His gaze was heavy and focused. He simply said:
"Alright. Let's go."
The Senkaimon opened by Urahara wasn't far from the Seireitei. Before long, the towering walls came into view. The massive walls, built of Sekkiseki, formed a circular Reishi barrier that enclosed the sky and the ground—an impregnable defense. Unless one used special means, invaders could only look at it and sigh.
To enter or exit, one had to pass through one of the four Great Gates, each guarded by a hero selected by the Soul Society.
Jidanbo Ikkanzaka, one of these heroes, was guarding the West Gate as usual. He wasn't a Soul Reaper, just a common human soul. However, relying on his peerless strength and indomitable will, no rioters or Ryoka had bypassed him in three hundred years. He believed that as long as he stood there, no one could pass.
Until today, when he saw a massive crowd of "spectators" with blood-red eyes over their heads walking toward him!
(Years later, in a special Grappler Baki-style interview, Jidanbo would say to the camera:)
"A Baki-style flashback interview for the Martial Arts Channel? What is that? Fine, it's during work hours anyway. You want to know about that day...?"
Recalling the event, even a hero like Jidanbo shuddered.
"That day brought me a great shock. Can you imagine? Hundreds of muscular giants wearing very little clothing, with perverted smiles and the Soul King's Mark over their heads, marching toward you with powerful momentum and a gait so 'macho' it's frightening? I've been a guard for three hundred years, and that was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. Lucky it was me; if it were the other three guards, they'd have screamed like little girls..."
"What happened next?" Jidanbo paused, a nostalgic look on his face. "I've always loved one-on-one challenges. That man responded to my desire. He didn't let the other giants swarm me; he fought me alone. But what happened next was bad... honestly, I don't remember how I was defeated. My strongest memory is the look of disappointment in his eyes before I blacked out..."
Jidanbo sighed deeply, concluding the interview: "My proud strength disappointed him. It was like he wanted to eat a bowl of rice but only got plain water with a single grain in it. I feel deeply humiliated. I've been training hard; if I get the chance, I'll show him my Purity..."
It wasn't Jidanbo's fault he couldn't remember. The battle ended in an instant. Ichigo had used a god-speed lunge, grabbed Jidanbo's face, and slammed his head into the ground.
At that moment, Ichigo felt only bewilderment.
This is the hero who guarded the gate for three hundred years?
To Ichigo, who still held common human common sense, three hundred years was a vast amount of time. Coupled with the luxurious win-streak and the five-meter-tall monstrous physique, the man looked intimidating. So, in the "greeting" phase of the fight, Ichigo had instinctively used a bit too much power!
The result was that before Jidanbo could even say hello, he was floored.
Even though he won, Ichigo was confused. I've only trained for how long? He's trained for three hundred years? And this is it?
Despite his confusion, Ichigo didn't say it. He only said flatly: "You aren't in good form today. Winning like this is meaningless. If there's a chance later, let's spar properly."
Regardless, Jidanbo went down before he could trigger an alarm. The path to the Seireitei was open. The tour group entered and began to scatter.
"Ichigo, be careful." Rukia left first, offering a worried blessing. As per the script Mo Yu gave them, Rukia's role was to find Byakuya and handle the "noble diplomacy" side of things. It was a non-combat role, so she was relatively safe, making her more worried about Ichigo.
Ichigo's role was the "Action Scenes"—using his fists to communicate deeply with the Seireitei.
"Don't worry. I'm looking forward to it."
Looking at Ichigo, who had "Invincible" written all over his face, Rukia sighed. She didn't know where his confidence came from, but the arrow was already on the string.
Orihime and Chad had auxiliary roles. Orihime followed Ichigo, while Chad—camera in hand—followed Rukia with several martial artists to act as her "entourage" and provide "style." The Visoreds also departed to contact their old connections.
The remaining martial artists, acting as extras, had no specific script. They followed their instincts. Before the main event, they scattered to find their own "meals." Even if they couldn't find a "feast," a "hot dog" sized snack would suffice.
The Soul Reapers of the Gotei 13 were soon blocked by muscular giants with perverted smiles and bulging muscles:
"Dear little hot dogs... let me see your Purity!"
Then, without another word, the fists started flying.
Alarms soon rang everywhere. Reports of a mass invasion of "perverted Ryoka" reached the Captains, emphasizing the blood-red vertical eyes on their heads.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto stood in the 1st Division headquarters, contemplating recent events: the sky anomaly, Uryu's rampage, the swift judgment of Central 46, Aizen's assassination, and now this invasion. He sensed the "Invisible Hand" pushing these events.
"Soul King... what is it You want?"
Suddenly, a strange "shockwave" erupted from somewhere in the Seireitei, spreading arrogantly in all directions. It was a tide of battle intent and a silent invitation:
"Those who can feel my fighting spirit... come find me. Let us beat each other until one of us dies. There can only be one 'Strongest' in this world!!!"
The provocation made Yamamoto snort. He instinctively wanted to release his own aura and charge over for a visceral brawl. But at the last second, he realized something was wrong. After a thousand years of cultivation and self-restraint, this "impulse" was fundamentally bizarre.
Before Yamamoto could figure it out, several other auras in the Soul Society exploded in response, including Retsu Unohana—the former "Killing Ghost" silent for a millennium.
Clearly, this silent invitation contained a special power that could trigger the battle intent of specific people.
But more importantly: the Soul Society's greatest battle-maniac, the current Kenpachi Zaraki, had already responded and was charging toward the source like a wildfire.
Ichigo Kurosaki, walking through the Seireitei with his hands in his pockets, let his battle intent flare freely.
"The Soul Society is truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. So many powerful enemies... come on. Come to me..."
A blissful smile gradually spread across Ichigo's face!
End of Chapter
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