BLEACH: Blade of Purification

"What?!"

Having lunged at empty air, Souichirou's expression changed drastically. He whipped his head around to look at the saber-toothed tiger Hollow that was already attacking Ling Qing!

"What kind of footwork is that?" Although he said that, Souichirou vaguely sensed that this Adjuchas wasn't using footwork, but rather a technique akin to spatial displacement! Only that could explain how it had dodged his attack!

He only had a basic knowledge of Adjuchas, nothing more. Ordinary Shinigami dealt with ordinary Hollows, those that couldn't even be called Gillians. For an average captain, being able to handle a Gillian was already impressive. As for Adjuchas, they were the stuff of legend. It was impossible to encounter such a Hollow in the world of the living or Soul Society. To find one, you would have to venture deep into Hueco Mundo, and even there, it was said that there were not many Hollows of this level.

In a way, the statement in the Shin'ō Academy textbooks that "Gillians must be handled by the Royal Special Task Force" wasn't entirely to scare students. In fact, if not for the powerful spiritual pressure emanating from this saber-toothed tiger and its form, which was distinct from ordinary Hollows and Gillians, he wouldn't have been able to draw a conclusion so easily.

Ling Qing's arms were trembling slightly!

He, who normally could wield his sword with a single hand and deliver unstoppable slashes, now had to grip the blade tightly with both hands just to barely hold on, to prevent the tiger's sharp claws from landing on him and disemboweling him!

Even so, he was still pushed back uncontrollably in a straight line for several dozen meters. An almost unbearable force assaulted him, the terrifying and ferocious beast's face right in front of him. Its golden eyes were filled with arrogance, and a contemptuous disdain for the weak!

Since coming to Soul Society, this was the first time Ling Qing had so clearly felt the touch of death again!

It was different from the man in Zaraki. The feeling of impending death in that fight was more like dancing on a knife's edge between equals, the danger of being cut down by a single mistake. What was closing in on Ling Qing now was complete, overwhelming power. Ling Qing had to admit, this so-called Adjuchas, whose body was actually smaller than a typical Hollow's, had completely overturned his impression of "Hollow = weak trash."

Ling Qing, who had nearly exhausted himself killing the Gillian, had spent what little power he had just recovered on blocking this one simple attack. For Ling Qing, he had already given his all. But for the saber-toothed tiger Hollow, this was just a basic attack. It could launch similar attacks as many times as it wanted!

This was, without a doubt, the most dangerous situation Ling Qing had ever encountered.

If Ling Qing were here alone, he probably could have just closed his eyes and waited for death. But the question was, could this man, Souichirou, handle an opponent of this level?

"Meaningless! A dying struggle!!"

The saber-toothed tiger Hollow didn't even spare Ling Qing a contemptuous glance. Ling Qing had barely blocked one of its attacks, and at point-blank range, its next blow was already swinging!

Or do I have to leave it to Souichirou to handle?

Just now, Ling Qing had been standing right next to Souichirou, and even then, he couldn't stop the Hollow's attack. Now, they were so far apart.

The saber-toothed tiger Hollow's attack came at Ling Qing like a bolt of lightning!

But, in that instant, something happened. The entire world seemed to slow down, as if someone had pressed a slow-motion button. Ling Qing could even see the Hollow's claws moving forward, bit by bit.

"What... is this?"

[Heh, you can't even handle this much?]

A voice spoke from behind Ling Qing.

It was a voice that Ling Qing found incredibly familiar and intimate the moment he heard it. But for a moment, he couldn't recall where he had heard it before. Just as he was about to speak, the voice continued immediately.

[I was planning to see how long you could last with just your own strength. Turns out, this is all you've got.]

In a flash, something happened. From somewhere within Ling Qing's body, a powerful force overflowed. In a single instant, this power completely replenished the spiritual pressure Ling Qing had exhausted from killing the Gillian.

In fact, it even surpassed his previous peak.

It was as if this power had been hidden somewhere in Ling Qing's body all along, and he had simply never been aware of its existence, nor had he ever thought to use it.

Something Ling Qing had never encountered before was mixed into the spiritual pressure that refilled his strength. But strangely, Ling Qing did not reject this unfamiliar element. On the contrary, he found it incredibly familiar.

He could even... command it as if it were an extension of his own arm!

[You still need me.]

The voice said.

[For now, I'll just lend you my power.]

The world, which had seemed to slow down, returned to its normal speed. The saber-toothed tiger's claws, now right before his eyes, tore through the rushing wind, surging forward with terrifying power!

But Ling Qing no longer felt the pain of his organs being squeezed. He no longer felt his limbs as heavy as lead, nor did his arms tremble from the immense force.

He, who had just been barely holding onto his sword, now gripped the blade tightly in an instant. At the same time, he redirected the blade towards the saber-toothed tiger Hollow, which was now at arm's length. With a flick and a vibration of his wrist, the blade became an extension of his arm, a conduit for his power.

The blade clashed with the Hollow's claws. A sharp clang of metal on metal rang out, and amidst the flying sparks, this time it was the saber-toothed tiger Hollow that was sent flying!

The Hollow, knocked back, did an agile flip in the air and landed steadily on the ground. When it looked at Ling Qing again, its gaze had finally changed. In its eyes, Ling Qing's spiritual pressure had undergone a drastic transformation. In a way, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was like a completely different person.

It wasn't a change in the quantity of his spiritual pressure, but a change in its quality.

If Ling Qing's previous spiritual pressure felt incomplete, now it finally had a sense of fullness.

"You—"

The saber-toothed tiger Hollow started to say something, but it immediately realized there was no need for more words. Its mission hadn't changed, and no matter what had happened to Ling Qing, from its personal perspective, this was far better than the previous situation where it felt like it could kill him in a single blow!

"Ha!"

Words turned into a low growl. Instead of retreating, it charged forward towards the attacking Ling Qing!

There was no need to be afraid. Even if Ling Qing's power had increased, compared to it, he was still far too weak!

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