No Cheat in Bleach ? Watch me help Aizen then.

The busy Thames River churned around the fragile wreckage of a cruise ship, barely afloat.

Moments ago, Kisaragi Shūsuke's Falling Flame Fang had missed Higashi Shuuichi—

But it succeeded in isolating him on a shattered segment of the shipwreck.

"Shūsuke, be careful. This Quincy, who calls himself Tōno Takuya, is dangerous. Rangiku didn't even get to release her Zanpakutō before he nearly killed her."

Crouched behind Shūsuke, Nagasawa Satomi cradled Rangiku gently in her arms, grateful to feel a faint but steady heartbeat.

"…Got it." Shūsuke's eyes locked onto Shuuichi.

"I don't care who you are. Laying a hand on Sayako-sama and Satomi while I was away—

I won't forgive you."

"Heh… good.

Let's see what your unforgiveness looks like."

Shuuichi grinned, raised a hand, miming a pistol gesture.

A pristine white Heilig Pfeil formed at his fingertip—and shot forward.

"Flame Rift!"

Shūsuke channeled reiryoku into his Bakuōtō, its temperature spiking, air shimmering from the heat.

He slashed downward—

Sparks cascaded through the air, then gathered rather than dissipating, forming into a roaring wall of flame that surged toward Shuuichi's arrow.

The Heilig Pfeil collided—

And was completely consumed, vanishing into the inferno.

He's already mastered that move?

Shuuichi narrowed his eyes.

That ability wasn't meant to show up until much later in the storyline.

And the technique Shūsuke used when he first appeared wasn't in Shuuichi's memory at all.

Good. Unlike lazy Rangiku, he's grown.

Shūsuke had actually put in the work during Shuuichi's absence.

It proved something:

Shūsuke may lack kidō talent, but in developing his Zanpakutō's power—he had real potential.

Still, to Shuuichi—now wielding the body of Tōno Takuya—that alone wasn't nearly enough.

"Lesser Sanrei Bow."

Balancing atop the drifting wreck, Shuuichi summoned reishi into his palm, shaping it into a longbow.

Drawing an invisible string with his right hand—he loosed it.

Arrow after arrow, pure Heilig Pfeile, streaked toward Shūsuke—

Endlessly.

Even without redrawing, the Lesser Sanrei Bow continued to fire autonomously.

This was a downgrade—

A mimicry of the Great Sanrei Bow used by future Yhwach, recreated by Takuya under Shuuichi's design.

The barrage lacked Yhwach's apocalyptic force, of course—

But Shūsuke was no Royal Guard, either.

The flame wall faltered.

Though it swallowed the first arrows, its structure buckled—

Pierced over and over by the relentless onslaught.

The wave never even crossed the river between them—

It unraveled midair, shredded.

"…That power…"

Shūsuke finally understood what Satomi meant.

He'd met Quincy before in the World of the Living—

But none like this.

Not one who could casually overwhelm a Zanpakutō's full output with just a few arrows.

"Then… Flame Jet!"

Shūsuke pointed the now Bankai-released Bakuōtō at Shuuichi.

Flames didn't form a wave this time.

Instead, they coiled around the blade—spiraling like a living vortex.

With a thought, he released them—

A twisting inferno swallowed the oncoming arrows, barreling toward Shuuichi's position.

"Good reaction," Shuuichi muttered.

"If I were an ordinary Quincy… that might've worked.

Too bad."

He admired the move.

Shūsuke had clearly gained battlefield experience.

Unlike before, he now met attacks head-on, not just dodging.

Hirenkyaku.

Heilig Pfeil: Scattershot!

With near-spatial blink speed, Shuuichi appeared right in Shūsuke's face—

Almost matching sonido.

"Humans can move this fast?"

Instinctively, Shūsuke raised his blade in defense.

But Shuuichi's hand was already moving—

Targeting his chest, same as with Rangiku.

Only this time, the blade blocked him—

Forcing Shuuichi to release the scattershot at a distance.

The impact left only shallow cuts on Shūsuke's chest.

And then—

Alpha.

The mechanical hound, unseen until now, crept into position—

As Shūsuke prepared a follow-up attack, Alpha inhaled the output flame in one gulp.

Shūsuke blinked.

The dog burped.

"…What the hell is that?"

Same reaction as everyone else.

But unlike Rangiku, Shūsuke didn't freeze.

He pressed forward.

"Bursting Flame Fang!"

He stabbed the deck, channeling energy downward—

Flame pillars erupted, even from the river itself, piercing toward the sky.

They surrounded Shuuichi—

Columns forming again beneath him, aiming to drag him into a personal hell.

Shuuichi jumped back, avoiding the inferno.

It wasn't just evasion—Shūsuke had another goal:

To split the battlefield again.

Divide the already-broken cruise ship, cut off Sayako and Satomi entirely.

"Oh? Getting serious now?"

Shuuichi smirked.

Strange, wasn't it?

Shūsuke made more progress away from him than he ever had with him.

Creating isolated combat zones…

That had always been Shuuichi's tactic.

"Hmph. I don't need to get serious to deal with you."

Shūsuke's words were stubborn—

But his body told the truth.

Bursting Flame Fang: Ignition.

He didn't say the name aloud, but Shuuichi saw through it immediately.

Sure, sure. Not serious. Then why pull out your strongest normal move?

Even the feints were familiar now.

The flame pillars shifted—

Redirecting into a massive net of fire, descending on Shuuichi from all sides.

Even the gaps were filled with flickering sparks—no escape routes.

Worse, new flame jets kept erupting beneath him—ready to plug any holes.

Only one way out, Shuuichi thought.

Break through. Instantly.

"…Challenging. But good.

To push my Quincy form this far—even without my Shinigami abilities—

Few enemies will ever match this."

Heat slammed against his face—

Yet his gaze was calm.

Outside the fire cage, Sayako stared in silence.

She'd wanted to tell Shūsuke the truth.

That Tōno Takuya was really Higashi Shuuichi.

But then—she saw Shuuichi's eyes burn with excitement.

He wanted this duel.

He needed it.

So she said nothing.

Instead, she checked on Rangiku—

Whose heartbeat now pulsed stronger.

A smile touched Sayako's lips.

"Shūsuke's grown so much.

Shuuichi-kun… you'd better reveal yourself soon.

Otherwise, he might actually beat you~"

She wasn't entirely joking.

She almost wanted to see it happen—just to watch Shuuichi's smug mask crack.

But that hope was short-lived.

Blue flame.

It ignited within the fire net—

And Shūsuke's eyes widened in disbelief as his web, crafted with such care, crumbled like tissue paper.

You call that fire?!

If only this were a game, he'd hit the report button.

But no—it wasn't fire.

It was Reishi Compression Flame Cluster.

A specialized form of reishi ignition Shuuichi created, inspired by future Yhwach.

Not real flame—

But densely packed spirit particles, ignited in a thin thread, exploding from both ends.

A pure pressure spike—

Targeted directly at the structural nodes of Shūsuke's flame net.

It shattered instantly.

Gone in a heartbeat.

Just like back then, Shūsuke thought, grip tightening.

Ten years ago—

No Zanpakutō, only clumsy kidō.

Useless in most battles.

Only after mastering Bakuōtō Raika did that change.

He'd thought his story was finally beginning.

But now—

He regretted never polishing his kidō and zanjutsu.

Now, with Raika nullified—he had no fallback.

"Bursting Flame Fang!"

One more time.

No choice.

Even if it failed—

He had to try.

"That's enough."

Shuuichi raised his hand.

"I've seen enough, Shūsuke. I understand your strength now~"

Even if Shūsuke wanted to continue—

Shuuichi had no reason to.

This wasn't a death match.

And Shūsuke had already used every move he had.

There was nothing left.

Besides—this Quincy body was cheating.

Any other Quincy would've struggled.

And Shūsuke's strengths were tailored to fight Hollows and Arrancar, not other Quincies.

"…You know me?"

Shūsuke narrowed his eyes.

"Of course.

This body was specially crafted for mastering Quincy techniques.

As for my true Shinigami self—it's still in Soul Society. Couldn't make the trip."

He said it plainly.

And even Shūsuke couldn't miss the implication.

"Wait… you're—

Shuuichi-sama?!!"

Shock, then joy.

Sayako, beside Satomi, just smiled. Called it.

Satomi blinked between them, baffled.

Then down at Rangiku—who now wore the faintest grin.

"Unbelievable. You all knew?!"

"Rangiku, you traitor!

Sayako-sama—you too!

Worst of all—Shuuichi-sama, you're the worst!"

She glared at all of them, indignant.

Shuuichi just smiled.

"…It might be a little late to say this now—

But I wanted to tell you all…"

"I'm back~"