Ichigo leaves and takes up residence in Soul Society!

No longer adversaries, but partners fighting side by side.

And then there was that clean and decisive jumping slash at the very beginning.

Now, relying on his Shunpo (Instant Step) ability, he wields his body, which has transformed into a humanoid weapon, to launch a decapitation strike against the enemy's head.

"To think that I'm reminiscing about the past at this time... I guess I really am getting old."

"However, it's not time for us to be defeated by the younger generation yet!"

Yamamoto Genryusai's eyes widened in fury. As he dodged the kick to the head, the charred blade slashed diagonally forward along his leg, aiming to slice off the dark silver armor on Shinomiya-no-Tsurugi's chest before delivering the decisive punch to the unsuspecting chest.

He had already figured out how to defeat this brat in front of him.

However, the blade bounced off the armor.

The blade, which should have erased everything, has hit a wall.

"what?"

Yamamoto Genryusai's expression changed slightly.

Something was definitely wrong.

This absolutely cannot be explained by spiritual pressure hardness!

It's more like a resistance to the act of "attack".

Treat attacks as something bad and keep them out.

This battle suit, this armor... what exactly is it?

To test the waters further.

Yamamoto Genryusai unleashed the "Sunset Prison Robe".

Clad in flames of 15 million degrees, it is truly the embodiment of the sun.

Even the giant light arrow that Ichigo shot from a distance was melted before it even got close.

This is the normal phenomenon.

However, there are also abnormal ones.

That is the Four Palaces Master.

He completely ignored the incredible heat, focusing all his attention on his punches and kicks, unleashing a furious barrage of blows.

Your fists are fine when they touch the flames, and your feet are fine when they touch the flames.

Instead, it shook the fiery outer layer violently, and the flying flames melted everything around it.

The earth beneath their feet continued to sink.

A magma-like basin was about to appear.

"Don't get too cocky, kid!"

Yamamoto Genryusai caught Shinomiya no Mikoto's fist, pulled it in front of him, and struck his head with the hilt of his sword.

boom!

The powerful blow embedded the Fourth Palace Master in the ground, yet he remained unharmed, with no trace of the severe blow to his head.

But through this attack, Yamamoto Genryusai seemed to realize something, and quickly created distance, avoiding the beam of light from the multiple Iaijutsu punches.

"Even though it can ignore damage, or even pure spiritual attacks, can it not ignore the physical limitations on the user's movements?"

"Why keep your distance? A Bankai that obliterates everything can't hit anything from this distance. And wasn't the point to let us know what kind of power we were defeated by? I don't feel any signs of being defeated at all."

The voice of the Four Palace Master rang out.

It sounded like the suit itself was making a sound.

It has a peculiar metallic texture.

“I know you’re confused, Captain-Commander. Since you told us about my abilities, I’ll tell you mine too… because in my opinion, this will increase our chances of winning and instill fear in the opponent, making them vulnerable, rather than keeping it a secret.”

"By the way, I have no fear."

"That's also... why I won't get hurt."

Upon hearing this, even Ichigo turned his head and looked at him with the eyes of someone looking at a monster.

Yamamoto Genryusai frowned deeply.

"...Does 'no fear' mean that as long as one doesn't fear the enemy or anything else... does that mean one can ignore all the damage caused by attacks in this state?"

"Indeed, this is the power of 'Vidyayaja Chendyami'."

The Four Palaces Lords walked slowly, their cloaks swaying behind them like a corner of the night.

"By combining the Zanpakuto and the Shinigami robes, these two external manifestations of the power of the Shinigami, the result is the form we see now."

"It's natural that spiritual pressure is hard, because Zanpakuto itself is very tough, and Shinigami armor also has the ability to inject spiritual pressure to enhance its defensive capabilities."

"But these are all secondary."

"It's not like a Zanpakuto that makes a punch or kick extremely lethal, nor is it like a Shinigami robe that provides defense against attacks simply by wearing it."

"The real power lies here."

The Four Palaces Lord pointed to the azure light on his chest.

"As long as there is not a trace of fear in my heart... I cannot break through the armor, let alone harm my core."

"Of course, ignoring damage is not without its costs; it will cause 'wear and tear,' with stronger attacks resulting in higher wear and tear... But at the same time, it can also absorb spiritual particles like a living thing."

Upon hearing this, Yamamoto Genryusai's expression darkened.

"It seems the Captain-Commander has already discovered... That's right, just as we were speaking, the 'wear and tear' you incurred from your attack has been repaired."

The Four Palaces Venerable stomped his foot and instantly sprang into action.

Yamamoto Genryusai removed the "Sunset Prison Robe" and disappeared from the spot, incidentally avoiding a black arrow that looked like a cone.

That was Ichigo's doing.

Besides being effective at both close and long range, the Bow of Light can also unleash a variety of attack methods.

To give it some different mechanisms.

It's not a special ability.

The differences are merely in terms of "speed", "form", and "power".

These cone-shaped black arrows are a technique that Ichigo believes can break through the high temperature on the outer edge of the "Sunburst Robe," mimicking the fighting style of the previous Shinomiya-san, providing long-range cover to create opportunities for his comrades.

However, there is now another necessary reason.

That is to buy time for the Four Palace Masters to repair the "wear and tear" of their Bankai.

It is clear.

The real purpose of revealing the intelligence, besides secretly repairing the 'wear and tear' and damaging the opponent's morale, was also to make him realize this and understand how to cooperate next.

However, Yamamoto Genryusai's actions disrupted Ichigo's tactical plan.

"Southern Firefire Ten Trillion Death Burial Array!"

Yamamoto Genryusai plunged his sword into the ground, awakening the ashes of those who had died by his blade, which transformed into a charred legion of skeletons that surrounded Shinomiya-no-Tsurugi.

Hold it tightly.

The army of the dead continues unbroken.

The Four Palaces Venerable cannot break through in the short term.

That's exactly the effect Yamamoto Genryusai wanted.

"I'm the target...!?"

Seeing that the old man ignored the four palaces and came straight for him.

Ichigo instantly understood the other party's intention.

Indeed, if we deal with him first, then no matter how outrageous the Four Palaces Lord's "defense" is, it will be defeated because the "wear and tear" will reach its limit.

"How can I let you succeed!"

Faced with an unprecedented crisis, Ichigo's attention is also more focused than ever before.

He raised his hand and fired three giant blue and white arrows at the approaching figure. Then, arrows of various shapes were fired like a machine gun, and for a time, the earth within a radius of more than ten kilometers could be felt trembling under the bombardment.

But for Yamamoto Genryusai, who had reached Bankai, such an attack was simply a matter of one strike.

"Eastern Rising Sun Blade!"

If they can't cut through the armor of the Four Palaces Lord, surely they can cut through a mere rain of arrows?

Rather, it's more accurate to say that if even this type of attack is ineffective.

He couldn't possibly be alive now.

"Although it looks very similar, even that man was defeated by me, so how can you be an exception?"

Yamamoto Genryusai unleashed his spiritual pressure.

Even the hidden arrow that Ichigo used to try to break through the "South Fire Fire Ten Trillion Death Burial Formation" to help the Four Palace Master escape was intercepted.

It has nothing to do with the power of Bankai; it is purely achieved through impeccable slashing techniques and Shunpo.

Only at this moment did Ichigo understand how powerful the Four Palace Master's heart truly was.

The prerequisite for ignoring harm is having no fear.

That being said.

Looking at that figure shrouded in the blazing sun, wielding a sword... how could one not feel fear?!

It's like being in a zoo, separated by glass.

Knowing full well that nothing could happen.

But when you see a tiger rushing towards you, any normal person would instinctively feel scared.

This is an unavoidable instinct.

However, Shinomiya-sama managed to suppress this instinctive reaction.

This way.

Ichigo was even less willing to lose.

"Crescent Moon Sky Slash...!"

He wielded the bow of light, unleashing a blue-black crescent-shaped slash.

Yamamoto Genryusai didn't even need to swing his sword; he simply knocked it away with his bare hands.

Ichigo did not run away.

Instead, relying on his super-fast combat ability, he went all out to exchange injuries with his opponent.

Yamamoto Genryusai deliberately showed mercy, never touching his body with his blade, but instead focusing on dismantling his resistance.

Seizing the opportunity, he delivered a powerful punch to Ichigo's abdomen.

"Whoa!"

That punch was too heavy.

It felt worse than being stabbed with a knife.

Even if you were slashed with a knife, you wouldn't be paralyzed as if you were electrocuted, with the impact penetrating your entire body and your brain's ability to think stopping for a moment.

This is undoubtedly a flaw.

However, Xu Bai did not allow his opponent to seize this opening. He seamlessly took over Ichigo's consciousness and continued to fight against Yamamoto Genryusai.

In terms of seizing opportunities and applying skills, Hollow White is stronger than Ichigo.

And the most important point.

That is, Xu Bai always harbors murderous intent and pursues victory.

“The Return…”

Even if one's mental state changes, the physical injury is a real and undeniable fact, and it's impossible for it to have no impact whatsoever.