Bleach: Stirring Up a Storm

Even though Kōe and Yoruichi’s explanation made perfect sense, Inoue still had a lingering question. ”But why does Renji feel a bit weaker than before?”

”Your senses are correct. The Reiatsu levels of those six are currently estimated to be less than a tenth of their usual output. Otherwise, Jinta wouldn’t be having this much fun.”

”Six? What about Chad?”

”During the first simulation, Chad was on Jinta’s side. However, the task I gave him was to fight Ikkaku with everything he has. Enhancing his personal strength and cultivating his combat awareness are what he needs most right now.”

Inoue nodded. Looking at Chad panting heavily in the center of the screen, she sighed softly, ”He’s really working hard. Everyone is working so hard.”

Kōe smiled but didn’t respond to her sentiment, instead changing the subject. ”I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier, but did you come here for something specific, Inoue?”

”Me? I was actually just taking a walk. I don’t even know how I ended up here,” Inoue said sheepishly. Kōe was so amused by her slightly dazed expression that he burst out laughing. ”And here I thought you came looking for Ichigo.”

Inoue lowered her head in embarrassment. ”Do you know where Ichigo is right now?”

Kōe nodded. It was worth noting that whenever Rukia or Renji had asked about Ichigo earlier, he had claimed ignorance. ”He is currently with some friends of mine and Urahara’s, learning how to control his Hollowfication.” He then abruptly changed his tone. ”However, you can’t go looking for him right now. Trust me, your appearance wouldn’t be a good thing for him at this moment.”

”Why is that, Mr. Chōzuka?” Inoue asked, looking up. Kōe pointed behind him. ”Because unlike Tessai and the others who are merely playing the role of enemies, Ichigo is about to face a true enemy—the terrifying monster hidden inside his own body. He needs to be as focused as possible and cannot afford any distractions, otherwise...”

”Is it dangerous?! Even more dangerous than Renji’s training?” Inoue interrupted anxiously. Kōe spread his hands in response. ”Perhaps not more dangerous, but it definitely won’t be easy. That is a battlefield that belongs to him alone. Neither you nor I can intervene.”

”I see. Then I really shouldn’t go find him right now,” Inoue said, silently lowering her head. She was deeply worried about Ichigo’s current situation, but just like how she had failed to cheer him up before, going to him now would likely yield the same result.

The only thing she could do was silently pray for him in her heart...

Meanwhile, Ichigo, who was staying in the abandoned warehouse with Hirako and the others, was feeling somewhat apprehensive.

He didn’t want to inexplicably join this group of weirdos, so he had come here with the intention of learning how they controlled their Hollowfication through combat.

Unfortunately, controlling Hollowfication didn’t seem to rely on any outward techniques. Perhaps it was because his opponent could also Hollowfy, but during his battle with Hiyori, Ichigo distinctly felt that his own Hollowfication was becoming much harder to suppress.

*’Is there really no other way to learn how to control Hollowfication besides joining this Visored group with their unclear motives?’*

Just as Ichigo found himself caught in a dilemma, unsure of what to do, Hirako actually offered to teach him the method to control his Hollowfication. As for whether he had to join the Visoreds... well, the other party hadn’t explicitly stated it, and Ichigo had no intention of treating it as a prerequisite.

*’What exactly is the method to control Hollowfication? And what kind of equipment is that girl, Sarugaki Hiyori, preparing?’*

While Ichigo was expectant, he was also a bit worried. *’That equipment wouldn’t happen to be one of those helmets covered in tubes like you see in the movies, would it?’*

However, both his expectations and his worries vanished into thin air the moment Hiyori’s prepared equipment finally made its debut.

”This pile of ju—” Ichigo calmed himself down, swallowing the word ’junk’ that had almost slipped out, and corrected himself. ”Is there anything special about this homemade treadmill?”

There was no tube-covered helmet. The treadmill in front of him looked completely devoid of any technological sophistication. It didn’t even have a plug for electricity; it looked no different from the exercise equipment you’d find in a public park.

No, based purely on appearances, it couldn’t even compare to a park treadmill. Ichigo genuinely suspected that she had cobbled it together from a scrap heap.

Hiyori, on the other hand, was extremely satisfied with her ’masterpiece.’ In fact, she was satisfied with every single one of her creations. Just as she was about to properly introduce it to this uncultured brat, Hirako beat her to the punch.

”This piece of junk Hiyori Treadmill...”

”It’s Super!” Hiyori interrupted Hirako, correcting him excitedly. ”The Super! Hiyori Treadmill!”

Hirako nodded with an expression that said *I know, I get it*, and continued speaking to Ichigo. ”Like I told you earlier, controlling Hollowfication isn’t something you can achieve just by thinking about it. And this piece of junk Hiyori Treadmill is the equipment that will assist you in controlling it.”

*’It really is just a pile of junk,’* Ichigo grumbled inwardly. *’Can something even her own people call junk really control Hollowfication?’*

”The method to control Hollowfication is running?”

”Of course it’s not that simple. Using the piece of junk Hiyori Treadmill is just the first step...” Hirako said matter-of-factly, completely ignoring a certain voice that was trying to correct him once again...

”You can’t even get the name right, get lost!” Hiyori delivered a flying kick to Hirako, who had provoked her time and time again, and pointed fiercely at Ichigo. ”Remember this, it’s called the Super Hiyori Treadmill! You damn baldy!”

Ichigo’s temper flared up as well, and he shouted back, ”Is the name really the issue here, you bastard?! Pulling out some baffling contraption like this, how do I know you’re not just messing with me?!”

”Hah? Baffling contraption?! You think I spent an entire afternoon building this machine just to mess with you? Who do you think you are, baldy?!”

*’If it weren’t for Urahara and that bastard Kōe, I wouldn’t even bother with a snot-nosed brat like you!’*

However, the Hollow inside this brat named Ichigo was truly extraordinary. Thinking back to their brief clash earlier, Hiyori still felt a lingering sense of dread. He had nearly killed her Hollowfied state with a single strike. It was no wonder those two baldies valued him so highly.

”You’ve undergone semi-conscious Hollowfication a few times now. Don’t you understand that Hollowfication itself is a process of resisting Shinigamification? If you want to control it, you have to defeat it in that struggle and conquer it!”

”Of course I understand that,” Ichigo said through gritted teeth. He had come to ask for guidance precisely because he didn’t know *how* to defeat it.

”You don’t understand a damn thing!” Hiyori mercilessly shot him down, continuing, ”The prerequisite for victory is to have a struggle in the first place. You can’t just let it all out at once like you did before. You have to draw it out little by little and gradually wear down its spirit. Only through this kind of training can you master Hollowfication.”

Ichigo seemed to grasp a bit of what Hiyori meant and asked tentatively, ”Could it be that this machine is...?”

”Exactly. The Super Hiyori Treadmill is the equipment that provides that kind of environment,” Hiyori said smugly. ”If you don’t believe me, just ask Hirako.”

Hirako, who was still lying on the ground, suddenly heard his name. He sat up, only to be met with Ichigo’s skeptical gaze. It wasn’t Ichigo’s fault for still being suspicious; the idea that running on a treadmill could control Hollowfication simply sounded too absurd to be true.