Chapter 255 254: Take Him to Xuye Palace

In the depths of consciousness, between tall buildings.

Kurosaki Ichigo was staring at the figure in front of him solemnly.

He opened his mouth, but he was choked for a long time and couldn't say a word.

In contrast, the figure sitting on the ground, with black mist wrapped around his body, had already smiled and said.

"Long time no see, Ichigo."

"..."

"You took so much trouble to come to see me, don't you have anything to say?"

"..."

"If you keep silent like this, nothing will happen."

I don't know if this sentence worked, or if it was simply because Kurosaki Ichigo had sorted out his thoughts.

"I..."

Just opened his mouth.

But the boy's expression was extremely entangled.

"I, I want to know...something."

"Okay, I'll tell you everything I know."

With a shrinking and uneasy look, Kurosaki Ichigo's tone was uneasy.

"Are you...really that Arima Shizuya?"

"Yes, I am."

Unexpectedly frank.

At the same time, as the smoke around him dissipated, Arima Shizuya's figure emerged.

Unlike the man he saw in Soul Society, the Arima Shizuya who appeared now was thinner, and his face also had a bit of immaturity.

"You, this is..."

Arima Shizuya raised his eyebrows slightly, and then showed a plain smile.

"Hmm? Ah, are you concerned about this appearance? In fact, it's not a big deal... After being separated as an independent individual, my time has completely stopped at that stage."

Just like Yhwach a thousand years ago.

For Arima Shizuya at this moment, his time has also stagnated at that moment.

Although he wanted to explain more, looking at the tangled expression on the other party's face, Arima Shizuya finally put away his thoughts in this regard.

Obviously...

For Ichigo at the moment, he doesn't care much about this aspect.

The source of the boy's anxiety, uneasiness, and panic.

The focus of everything is on another problem.

"Then... are you just like what Hirako and the others said!"

Subconsciously taking half a step forward, Ichigo Kurosaki's face was full of tension, as if he was arguing with something invisible.

"For what unknown evil purpose did you appear in my spiritual world?!"

He pondered for a long moment.

Arima Shizuya's mouth opened, revealing a smile that was almost helpless.

"How should I put it... This is a very long story."

The present world, Soul Society, Hueco Mundo.

The world anchored by the Soul King and presented as a trinity is facing an unprecedented crisis.

"It involves all the living beings in the three realms, and it is also related to your future."

Ichigo Kurosaki, who was born with all the power and witnessed by many masters, is literally the child of destiny.

"Even tracing back, Ichigo... your mother's death is also related to this matter."

One sentence is more straightforward and exciting than the other.

Even after saying this, Ichigo Kurosaki's pupils shrank for a moment at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He was so shocked that it was hard to describe, as if he would blurt out those words in the next moment.

——Please tell me everything!

But.

This orange-haired boy, at this moment, forcibly suppressed all kinds of thoughts in his heart.

He failed to be too straightforward, and at this moment, he pursed his lips tightly, as if he was trying hard... hard! To suppress the thoughts deep in his heart.

Wandering on the edge of hesitation, Ichigo Kurosaki finally just showed a rather helpless smile.

"Really..."

Shizuka Arima also stared at the boy in front of him calmly.

"Why, are you not interested in your own life experience?"

"No, it would be a lie to say that I don't want to know... But, I'm not that idiot who knows nothing anymore."

The more he knew, the more cautious Ichigo Kurosaki's attitude became.

Unlike the confused boy in the original work who only knew to run around everywhere.

Knowing too much intelligence and information at this stage, Ichigo Kurosaki has been able to try to analyze right and wrong in his own way.

And make corresponding judgments.

"Although I really want to know what happened to me and what happened to you before."

But knowing those things, is there any use for me now?

Just knowing some, but unable to change it.

This desperate feeling of powerlessness is what Ichigo Kurosaki wants to avoid the most now.

The boy's eyes fell, and his hands were unconsciously clenched into fists, clenched into a ball.

"Compared to pursuing the truth, I think... there are more important things for me now."

As the words fell, the thoughts gradually penetrated into Ichigo Kurosaki's heart bit by bit, until they were completely "rooted" in it, becoming the root of his belief.

He raised his head like this, his eyes flashing with trepidation and determination.

"After all... Mr. Arima, you should have no ill will towards me, right?"

"..."

Arima Shizuya's expression did not change at all.

He just observed the other person calmly, until after a few breaths, he folded his hands across his chest.

His tone was still calm.

"A little bit, you have grown up a little bit."

Sigh.

More of a relief.

Compared with the original work, Ichigo in front of him has a more rational thinking angle, and also has his own thinking.

Even if things develop beyond expectations, within the scope of conditions, he will still make the greatest attempt... to try to turn the situation around.

Very good.

And this is the meaning of education.

Arima Shizuka also raised his right hand and gently rubbed his chin at this moment.

"Are you so sure... I really don't have any other plans for you?"

It's not enough to just test.

Since you want to put pressure on me, it is also necessary to increase the intensity appropriately.

"You know, the way we get along with each other is unprecedented. Regarding this aspect, if you just listen to Captain Hirako's one-sided words, you may suffer a big loss."

It's not good to trust others so much, Ichigo.

"Besides, let's put it more bluntly."

"Ichigo Kurosaki, you should have seen what I did in the Soul Society."

"For me, other people may just be objects of use. They are part of the chess pieces that I need to sacrifice in order to achieve a certain goal."

Put your feelings and trust on such a dangerous person.

Is it really okay?

Looking at Arima Shizuya's eyes, Ichigo Kurosaki pursed his lips and lowered his head slightly.

"I understand..."

The boy lowered his head, and the half of his face that was turned sideways showed a tangled outline.

"I know that I can't trust others easily, so it wasn't Hirako who made me make this decision."

"......?"

Arima Shizuya raised his eyebrows slightly, and the next moment, he saw Ichigo Kurosaki suddenly raised his head and stared at him.

"Mr. Arima, when I was young, I got lost once."

"Maybe it was because I was wronged, or maybe it was because I simply missed my mother... I actually chose to run away from home."

"Now it's really funny to think that I was just a brat who didn't even have a good sense of direction, but I was delusional that I could find my destination..."

The corners of Ichigo Kurosaki's mouth were full of self-mockery.

But Arima Shizuka didn't interrupt him, just listened quietly at this moment.

"I feel like I have been walking for a long, long time..."

"It got dark quickly, and I couldn't find my way home."

"The surroundings were all unfamiliar, and no one I knew. I started to get scared and regretted it a little."

If I had listened to my father at the beginning, it would have been better.

Why did I have to be brave on my own?

"And at that time... a person appeared beside me."

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"He told me not to be afraid, and told me not to cry from now on... because every time I cry, the sky will become gloomy and it will start to rain."

"I'm sorry... I promised, but I didn't fulfill it."

But even so.

The warmth is still rolling in the boy's chest.

Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes condensed slightly, and at this moment they focused on the person in front of him.

"Mr. Arima! That day, you were the one who appeared beside me, right?"

"..."

"It doesn't matter if you don't answer, because I'm not here to verify, I just want to speak my mind."

I'm not manipulated by anyone, and I don't mean to be persuaded.

All the actions so far are completely based on Ichigo Kurosaki's personal will.

"I don't believe Mr. Arima will do such an excessive thing, so... I don't care if you don't tell me."

Because trust doesn't need a reason.

Perhaps when the time is right, the other party will confess everything to himself.

Before that...

"I'm sorry!"

The sudden apology made Arima Shizuka show an unexpected expression.

"...What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't doubt Mr. Arima's intentions. This is also an immature performance... I'm sorry for doing something disappointing."

Even more, even if the other party did something unreasonable.

Ichigo Kurosaki also felt that he couldn't hate him.

There is no reason to believe that the other party would have any intentions towards him. After all, there is not much that Ichigo Kurosaki can feel from Arima Shizuka.

In addition to the violent spiritual pressure unique to the Hollow, there is only the affinity like Uncle Zangetsu.

At this moment, the boy is no longer confused.

"I still have a lot of room for improvement and change."

"There are still many confusions in my heart that have not been verified. I still need to move forward."

"There are too many things I want to protect, and with my current strength, I can still do these things..."

Therefore,

"Mr. Arima, can you please..." His tone froze for a moment, as if he was ashamed of what he said, and Kurosaki Ichigo lowered his head.

"Believe in me again and lend me your power..."

Arima Shizuya's expression seemed to melt.

Under the ice, there is still some warmth left in its original appearance.

He smiled happily.

"You've grown up, Ichigo."

The boy who was once ignorant and ignorant, crying and looking for his mother.

At this moment, I already have my own will, and I am willing to rule out omnipotence and choose to believe in him.

What a feeling.

For a moment, Arima Shizuya's eyes were in a daze.

At this moment, he seemed to understand Aizen Sosuke's original thoughts.

——Witness with your own eyes that the children you have trained can grow up and become independent.

This kind of inner satisfaction is indeed a feeling that nothing can replace.

Although there were still many prepared words in his mind that had been rehearsed in advance, under this situation, Arima Shizu completely gave up on these useless temptations.

Enough.

He is already satisfied with the young man's growth.

Only relatively speaking...

"Ichigo. One thing is not right."

Taking a deep breath, black and red lightning appeared around Arima Shizuya.

This rising power presented an unprecedented turbulent feeling, and even set off a storm in the spiritual world that was enough to make people look at it.

Kurosaki Ichigo couldn't help but raise his hands and hide his face.

"I can't lend you power."

"Because these things have been a part of you since the beginning."

"I...it's just the dark side that you rejected and didn't want to face."

As for now.

Be willing to accept your weaknesses and shortcomings.

Kurosaki Ichigo also officially took his own step towards the realm of the strong.

…

The orange-haired boy left quickly.

The figure of the other party is like an arrow leaving the string, rising towards the end of the world until it completely disappears.

Only Arima Shizuya stayed where he was, staring at the other person's back with emotion-like eyes.

"Do you also have this expression?"

Half turning his head, Yhwach squatted on the ground.

There was also a bit of a plain smile on his solemn face at this moment.

"What are you talking about...do I look like the kind of person with a hard heart?"

"Heh, it's good that you can figure it out yourself."

Not wanting to argue, Yhwach just looked at the direction in which Kurosaki Ichigo left.

He said in a disappointed tone.

"Children's growth is always unexpected by their parents..."

Arima Shizuya smiled flatly.

“It’s precisely because it’s unpredictable that it’s full of possibilities, isn’t it?”

"...You occasionally say something very profound."

"Ha, thank you for the compliment."

In the spiritual world, there is no so-called concept of time.

Therefore, there should be a long...long time to think before the next boy comes to visit.

at the same time.

On the other side of the world.

The two Arrancars were given orders in Xuye Palace and responded at this moment.

"Chengzhi."

Aizen Sosuke, who was sitting on the throne, had a lazy expression and spoke in plain words.

"Repeat it, and I will give you a mission."

Ulquiorra Cifer lowered his head deeply, expressing his respect through actions and tone.

"Go to the present world and bring the acting shinigami named Kurosaki Ichigo... to Xuye Palace."