Bleach: Why Am I, Kurosaki Ichigo, Not the Harem King?

"Rukia, Senna, are you two alright?" Ichigo knelt in front of them, checking their condition.

"We're fine. Just a few scrapes… I just didn't react in time when my zanpakutō stopped working," Senna smiled wryly.

"I'm okay too. But… where's Sode no Shirayuki?" Rukia asked.

"Sode no Shirayuki? She's really your zanpakutō?" Ichigo was surprised.

"…Yeah." Rukia looked a little downcast.

"What exactly is going on?" Ichigo asked.

Senna explained everything that had happened. She sighed. "My Mirokumaru's the same—it doesn't respond at all."

Ichigo frowned, staring at Zangetsu in his hand. They were all in the World of the Living… So why was Zangetsu perfectly fine, while Rukia and Senna's zanpakutō weren't?

"Let's go to Urahara's shop. I bet Yoruichi and Kisuke will know something." Without waiting for protest, Ichigo picked both girls up and flash-stepped toward Urahara's store.

Coincidentally, Kisuke had already gathered Tatsuki, Orihime, Chad, and Uryū for a meeting.

Seeing the three arrive, he tipped his hat and said, "Kurosaki-san, I was just about to come find you."

Ichigo nodded. "Looks like you already know what's going on, Urahara-san."

Kisuke nodded. "Have a seat. We'll talk. I sent Yoruichi to Soul Society to investigate. We can wait for her to return."

Ichigo sat down. Tatsuki frowned. "The Kasumiōji incident just ended, and now the zanpakutō are rebelling? Soul Society never catches a break."

Rukia gave a bitter smile. There was always something.

Rukia and Senna explained the situation in Soul Society, and everyone listened with shocked expressions.

"What about your zanpakutō, Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked with concern.

Ichigo shook his head. "Zangetsu's fine. I just fought Sode no Shirayuki a little while ago."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, Yoruichi returned.

"Yoruichi, how's Soul Society?" Ichigo asked.

She sat beside him, sipping tea. "By the time I arrived, the fighting was over. But Seireitei was heavily damaged—buildings all over the place are in ruins."

"Don't worry though. The captains and lieutenants are mostly unharmed. Aside from Sasakibe, no one else was injured." Yoruichi shared everything she had seen.

Then she turned to Rukia. "But… Byakuya's missing."

"What?!" Rukia's eyes widened.

"Don't worry," Ichigo reassured her. "If the other captains are fine, there's no way anything happened to him."

"I fought Byakuya myself. Even without his zanpakutō, he's not weak. Senbonzakura alone couldn't defeat him."

Ichigo was more confident than anyone that Byakuya was safe.

Still, he looked at Rukia and said, "Soul Society's in ruins and your brother is missing. I'll go back with you."

Rukia nodded. "Thank you, Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled. "No need to thank me."

Yoruichi chimed in, "I'll go too. With the old man missing, I have to return anyway."

Urahara wanted to go but hesitated. "I'll stay. My zanpakutō, Benihime, hasn't shown any changes yet. But if she does rebel… that'd be dangerous."

He knew very well just how terrifying Benihime's abilities were. It was safer if he didn't intervene.

"Alright. Then Yoruichi, Rukia, Senna, and I will head to Seireitei," Ichigo said.

Of course, he was worried about Soi Fon too—but no way would he say that in front of these girls.

Yoruichi might hit him.

...

Later, in Soul Society.

Rukia wanted to check the 6th Division first to see if Byakuya had returned.

She and the others rushed straight to his office.

Hearing movement inside, Rukia's eyes lit up. "Brother!"

She pushed open the door—only to freeze.

"Renji?"

"Rukia! You're back!" Renji smiled when he saw her.

But Rukia's smile faded. "Renji… is…"

Renji understood. He shook his head. "We've already sent out search teams, but there's still no sign of the captain."

Seeing her disappointment, he added, "Don't worry. The captain wouldn't fall so easily."

He believed in Byakuya's strength. If he had come out unscathed, there's no way Byakuya hadn't.

"Yo, Renji." Ichigo waved casually.

Renji looked surprised. "Ichigo? You came too?"

Ichigo was caught off guard. "Zangetsu's fine. I just wanted to check on Captain Unohana."

Renji nodded. "We haven't seen her zanpakutō. According to that guy Muramasa, it might be involved in sealing the Captain-Commander's Ryūjin Jakka."

Ichigo nodded and left with Rukia.

Senna had gone off with Yoruichi to find Soi Fon, so she wasn't with them.

"Don't worry," Ichigo said, noticing Rukia's continued worry. "Renji said it—Byakuya will be fine."

Just then, they spotted a patch of ice crystals near a doorway—an all too familiar spiritual pressure.

"Ichigo, it's Sode no Shirayuki!"

"Need help?" he asked.

Rukia shook her head. "No. I want to talk to her myself. I need to know… why she wants to fight me."

Ichigo nodded and stepped aside, silently watching as Rukia stepped forward.

At that moment, Sode no Shirayuki was launching indiscriminate attacks on Shinigami.

"Stop, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia shouted, stepping in front of her.

But Sode no Shirayuki didn't even try to talk.

"Kuchiki Rukia, I won't take orders from you anymore! I've broken free from your control!"

"I'm free now. Whatever I want to do, you have no right to stop me!"

With that, she flash-stepped in front of Rukia, her right hand wrapped in icy reiatsu as she slashed—freezing Rukia instantly!

Rukia leapt backward just in time and drew her zanpakutō.

Sode no Shirayuki sneered, "Trying to fight me with shikai? Your zanpakutō no longer holds my presence!"

Rukia's heart sank. Sode no Shirayuki had truly been liberated.

"You've always used my power without hesitation. I let you, because I had no choice."

"But now it's different. From now on, I'll use my power for myself."

Raising her blade, she declared: "First Dance: Tsukishiro!"

Rukia, well-acquainted with this move, leapt high into the air to dodge.

But clearly, Sode no Shirayuki's Tsukishiro had a much larger range than hers—and she didn't even need to move. As long as she could see her target, she could activate it.

And it barely seemed to drain her spiritual pressure.

Rukia kept dodging, unable to stay in one place for even a second.

"See it now? This is how Tsukishiro is meant to be used!" Sode no Shirayuki mocked as she attacked.

"You never even used my power properly!"

Then she soared into the air, meeting Rukia mid-jump. White snow and ice erupted from her mouth, blasting Rukia into the ground.

"So strong… as expected of my zanpakutō…" Rukia muttered as she stood up again.

Ichigo watched silently from the side. Since Rukia hadn't asked for help, he held back. He trusted her—she could do this.

"Throne of the King! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, crowned with humanity's name! Truth and temperance, dream walls unknown of sin—stand upon it! Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!"

Rukia raised her hand and cast the full incantation toward Sode no Shirayuki.

But she didn't move.

When the flames struck, Rukia saw the unthinkable—Sōkatsui froze completely.

Sode no Shirayuki stood unharmed in the mist of ice.

Rukia was shaken. Her zanpakutō possessed power even she had never imagined.

"Could it be… it was never really my power?" she whispered. "But I worked so hard to master these moves…"

Sode no Shirayuki ignored her.

She flash-stepped behind Rukia and swung her blade. Rukia managed to block—but was sent flying.

Before she could recover, Sode no Shirayuki jumped into the air and unleashed a barrage of ice spikes.

Rukia dodged with flash steps, but Sode no Shirayuki wasn't done.

Her blade shimmered with ice as she slashed. Rukia blocked again, but the air around her filled with freezing crystals.

Panting, Rukia looked around—this was a technique she'd never seen before.

In fact, Sode no Shirayuki had been inspired by watching Ichigo's close-range Getsuga Tenshō.

"If Ichigo can use it at point-blank, why can't I do the same with ice?" she had thought.

With Rukia briefly frozen in place, Sode no Shirayuki landed on a nearby rooftop.

"Second Dance: Hakuren!"

A massive ice blast engulfed everything around Rukia.

That was when Ichigo finally moved.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

The powerful black wave shattered all the ice.

"Your zanpakutō really is something, Rukia," Ichigo said, impressed.

"Ichigo—no! Let me do this myself!" Rukia called out.

"But… Rukia, you—"

"I can't rely on you forever. She's my zanpakutō. I will defeat her."

Ichigo sheathed his blade again and watched from the sidelines.

Sode no Shirayuki and Rukia stared each other down.

"If you must hate someone, then hate me. Don't drag others into this!" Rukia shouted to the sky.

Sode no Shirayuki laughed coldly.

"Yes, Kuchiki Rukia—I do hate you. That's why I'll take everything you treasure: your family, your lover, even your pride as a Shinigami!"

"I'll make you watch as they all disappear—one by one!"

Hearing that, Rukia lowered her head.

"I once took pride in having the most beautiful zanpakutō… but I will never allow someone who wants to hurt the people I protect to exist."

"Even if that someone is my zanpakutō!"

"I'm setting you free. So now—try bearing the weight of your own hatred!"

As she finished, her spiritual pressure surged skyward.

(End of Chapter)

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