The Alchemist in Bleach

"???!!!" Ichigo froze instantly!

"Surprised? Unexpected?"

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Chapter 378 The Death of Zhan Yue!

"He is... Zangetsu... And what about you, Uncle Zangetsu?" Ichigo asked in astonishment as he came to his senses.

"I am also Zangetsu..."

"You're not! The Quincy!"

Uncle Zangetsu glanced at Hollow White, who was clearly displeased, but didn't argue with him. Instead, he looked at Ichigo. He didn't have much time left, and there were some things he needed to let Ichigo know. Although Hollow White had completely shed his Hollow will, he was still somewhat affected.

His kindness towards Ichigo can be somewhat obsessive, which can prevent him from seeing things clearly in some ways.

"I am also Zangetsu, only the power I belong to is different. I am a product of the Quincy power within you, while he is a product of the Hollows and Shinigami within you. In other words, he is your true Zanpakuto."

"Before that..." Ichigo looked at Uncle Zangetsu with a puzzled expression.

"He was indeed very wicked before, but in the end, did he really hurt you or the people around you? He basically only appears when you are powerless, right? His ability to fight against others is completely different from when he fights you. You should have noticed that by now."

Ichigo nodded silently. This was also what had been puzzling him. As his strength increased, Ichigo became increasingly skeptical about the outcome of that battle between the "King and the Mount".

Because when his body was being controlled by Xu Bai, he was actually able to sense the situation outside, so naturally, he had some judgment about Xu Bai's combat strength.

Therefore, if Hollow White really is his Zanpakuto, then everything makes sense.

But then, a question popped into Ichigo's mind again—why?

Why did Xu Bai do this?

Seemingly sensing Ichigo's confusion, or perhaps because time was running out, Uncle Zangetsu said without hesitation, "The reason he became like that was to suppress the Hollow within you. Now it has completely merged. He will tell you about the benefits of the fusion. I'll tell you about another point now."

Ichigo glanced at Hollow White, who grinned wickedly.

"The Quincy power within you comes from your mother. She was originally a pure-blooded Quincy, but she was corrupted by the power of Hollows and became a hybrid Quincy. As a result, she died more than ten years ago in the Sanctuary that Yhwach launched for revival."

"Hey!" Xu Bai looked at Uncle Zangetsu with displeasure. He didn't want Ichigo to know about this for the time being.

“Ichigo has grown up. He can know these things, and he should know these things. He knows what to do.”

"Tch~" Xu Bai curled his lip, barely acknowledging Uncle Zhan Yue's statement.

"So, my mother really was killed by that Yhwach?"

“That’s right, he died in Saint-Ber, but I’m telling you this so that you won’t go looking for revenge. Your current strength is not enough to fight him.”

"I can use Mugetsu!" Ichigo said resolutely.

"It's useless." Xu Bai said coldly, "After Wu Yue uses it, you will lose the power of the Grim Reaper. I won't let you use it. After this guy disappears, you will no longer be able to defeat me."

"Ichigo, I'm telling you this not so you can seek revenge, but because I believe you have the right to know the truth. As for Yhwach, you're no match for him now, and you'll never have the chance to fight him. My time is running out. Finally, Ichigo, I'm glad you've come this far..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhan Yue completely transformed into spiritual particles and dispersed, directly merging into Xu Bai's body!

“Uncle Zangetsu…” Looking at the spot where Uncle Zangetsu had disappeared, Ichigo reached out his hand, as if he wanted to keep him there.

Unfortunately, he didn't touch anything, and his head drooped slowly in disappointment.

"One chirp."

"Ok?"

"Do you want revenge?" Xu Bai asked with a wicked smile.

Ichigo paused for a moment: "You, weren't you going to stop me? It seems like you don't even want me to know the truth."

"Why should I stop you? I am your Zanpakuto. No matter what you want to do, I will not stop you. So, whatever you want to do, I am on your side."

“…” Ichigo paused for a moment, then looked up and said, “I want to revive Uncle Zangetsu.”

“That’s impossible!” Xu Bai refused decisively.

Ichigo: "...Why? Do you have some kind of conflict with Zangetsu-san?"

"It doesn't conflict with me, but it does with you."

"With me? Uncle Zangetsu is pretty good, isn't he?" Ichigo asked, puzzled.

"It's just an appearance. That guy has been suppressing your power all along. The power you use is actually leaked out because he couldn't suppress it. The reason you feel that your strength has greatly improved during this period is because I have been fighting with him, which has attracted a lot of his attention. He wants you to be an ordinary person, but, as the saying goes, some things are not something you can get rid of just because you want to."

After listening, Ichigo fell silent. He hadn't had extraordinary powers for very long, so he had a certain degree of agreement with Hollow White and Uncle Zangetsu's ideas.

However, for now, he personally prefers Xu Bai because he needs power!

but......

"Is it really impossible for us to coexist? What if Uncle Zangetsu stops suppressing my power? Is that still not possible?"

Ultimately, he was guided by Uncle Zangetsu all the way. Although it wasn't as unforgettable as in the original work, it still held extraordinary significance for Ichigo, so he couldn't easily let it go.

Unfortunately, to Ichigo's disappointed look, Hollow White shook his head: "Impossible. Your Mugetsu just now consumed Quincy power. The last bit of Quincy power in your body has completely dissipated. Although you can no longer use Quincy skills, Yhwach can no longer affect you through this power."

Ichigo fell silent, his mood somewhat somber.

However, Ichigo quickly recovered. Now was not the time to think about these things. There were still enemies to deal with outside, and he also needed to find Rukia. There were still a lot of things to solve, and he didn't have time to be sentimental here.

"You just said that Uncle Zhan Yue has been suppressing my power. So how am I supposed to develop that power now?"

"Just fight. Fighting is the fastest way. Remember what I said: fight with your instincts. Okay, get out... Hmm? Wait, okay, you can go out now."

"???" Ichigo looked at Hollow White with a face full of confusion. Just as he was about to ask something, he was expelled from the spiritual world.

Reality - a few minutes ago

Seeing Ichigo transformed into a Hollow, Isshin Shingetsu pointed at Ichigo, ready to fight at any moment. He had some understanding of Hollowfication, and he was also aware of the strength of the guy opposite him, so he wouldn't be careless.

However, just as he was about to make his move, he suddenly froze, because the white skin on the surface of the slender Hollow began to crack inch by inch, and then the pieces flew off and disappeared, revealing Ichigo inside.

This surprised Isshin somewhat. Hollowfication, is that how it works?

Although surprised, Isshin could still sense Ichigo's current state, so he wasn't too worried. He turned to look at Renji, who was lying on the ground receiving treatment, and narrowed his eyes slightly: "Hasworth was killed by Ichigo after he went berserk in Hollow form, right?"

"Gulp~~" Renji swallowed hard, then nodded frantically.

Seeing this, Isshin nodded in satisfaction, glanced back at Ichigo, and then left in a flash. As a father, there were some things that were best left to him to do.

Just as Isshin was about to leave, Ichigo opened his eyes and woke up from the mental space.

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Chapter 379 Non-existent Memories

The moment he woke up, Ichigo instinctively positioned his Zangetsu hands one in front of the other, ready for battle. He hadn't forgotten that Haschwalth was still outside.

To his surprise, he did not see Hasward, nor did he see any signs of a recent battle nearby. At the same time, he also noticed that Zan Yue had changed, becoming two swords, one long and one short.

It looks roughly the same as the previous large cleaver, except that there is a notch in the middle, a notch like a dagger, and this notch fits perfectly with his smaller Zanpakuto.

The larger one is the Hollow power that Ichigo absorbed from the Quincy, while the smaller one is the power of a Shinigami. They are a rare pair of Zanpakuto, and they are still unsealed, retaining their Shikai forms. (Mainly because I couldn't find Ichigo's Shikai phrase, only the cry "Zangetsu!", but I feel that shouldn't be it.)

After examining the new sword for a moment, he inserted the short sword into the scabbard that appeared at his waist, slung the large sword over his back, jumped in front of Renji who was lying on the ground, and extended his right hand.

"Are you okay?"

"..." Renji looked at his injuries, said nothing, and silently got up with Ichigo's help. After giving himself an injection of flesh-building serum from the Technology Development Bureau to speed up the healing of his injuries, he looked at Ichigo with some surprise, "Who exactly are you? This is the first time I've seen someone so terrifying after Hollowfication."

Are there many Hollowfied beings in Soul Society?

"No, that's taboo. You're the first Hollowfication user I've ever seen."

"..."

Renji glanced at Ichigo, knowing what he was thinking, and added, "But I've looked at the data on other Hollowfied Shinigami, and yours is clearly overpowered."

"Really? I feel alright, just so-so."

"..." Renji was once again rendered speechless by Ichigo, and silently began to heal his wounds.

Renji's injuries were almost fully healed in no time.

Seeing this, Ichigo asked, "Where do we go next?"

Although Ichigo experienced a lot and learned a lot of incredible information in those few short hours, he did not forget what he should do next.

However, Ichigo remained true to his original intentions, but Renji was not. When he first saw the empty execution ground, he was a little confused, but now he came to his senses. Generally speaking, there are only two places in Seireitei to officially execute criminals: one is here, and the other is Sokyoku Hill.

But places like Shuangji are generally used for executing serious criminals, and the procedures are extremely complicated. It's impossible for him to be completely unaware of it. As for executing someone in private, that's even more impossible. The Kuchiki family is not to be trifled with.

So Rukia should be safe for now, which is why Ichigo, somewhat bewildered, asked, "Where are you going?"

Ichigo: ? ? ?

"Looking for Rukia? Didn't you say you were going to save her too?"

"Oh, Rukia. Since she's not here, she must be at the Kuchiki residence. Let's go check it out."

With that, Renji took the lead and headed towards the secret passage they had previously encountered.

"Shall we still take the secret passage?"

"Hmm, something must have happened to the Seireitei now. The secret passage is the fastest way."

"Really? Your Seireitei has so many secret passages..."

Renji nodded without saying anything, leading the way while pondering his next move after finding Rukia. The constant tremors coming from the ground, coupled with Isshin's recent appearance, cast a shadow over Renji's mind.

This day is about to change!

……

Before long, the two arrived at the Kuchiki residence. Upon arrival, their hearts sank. Everywhere they looked, there were signs of battle. However, what reassured them was that the damage was not extensive, indicating that the battle had ended quickly. Furthermore, they sensed Rukia's spiritual pressure.

But this spiritual pressure...

Ichigo and Renji exchanged a puzzled look. This spiritual pressure... something's not right. How can it be so strong? They didn't feel weak at all. Is the treatment in the Seireitei prison really that good?

However, guessing was useless. After exchanging a glance, the two quickly walked towards the main entrance.

Fortunately, during this extraordinary time, even the Kuchiki family didn't have many formalities. After confirming Renji's identity, they were led inside by a servant.

Soon, led by a servant, the two arrived at the training ground, where Byakuya was addressing the Kuchiki family retainers with Rukia.