NOTAKING
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Chapter 30
🕑 Added 2025-04-07 05:22:25 +0000 UTCIchigo arrived at the scene, his steps slow but deliberate as he took in the sight before him. A small girl stood at the edge of the hill, her tiny frame trembling under the weight of the rain that had begun to drizzle. Her back was turned to him, her dress soaked and clinging to her frail figure. Something about her presence felt wrong.
The girl remained still for a moment before turning around, a sinister smirk curling on her lips. Her eyes gleamed unnaturally.
"A Soul Reaper," she said in a sickly sweet tone, her voice distorting as her body began to warp. Her flesh twisted, bubbling like melting wax as it peeled away in unnatural spirals. A grotesque mass emerged from beneath, expanding and reshaping.
Rukia’s eyes widened as she took a step back.
The girl’s form ripped apart, revealing the hulking figure of Grand Fisher. His elongated mask twisted into a grotesque grin, and atop his head, a fleshy lure—now resembling the very girl he had disguised himself as—quivered as if laughing. His body was monstrous, covered in patches of rough fur, and his talon-like feet dug into the muddy ground.
"Well, well," Grand Fisher sneered, his bait shifting its expression to one of terror as if mocking its former guise. "This is quite the surprise."
Rukia narrowed her eyes,
"Grand Fisher," she muttered, her tone edged with disgust. "That’s his code name. The bait decoy that sprouts from his head disguises itself as a person. When someone falls for it…" Her grip tightened. "He preys on those with exceptionally strong spiritual energy, absorbing their power. He’s managed to evade Soul Reapers for fifty-four years—a notorious lowlife."
Grand Fisher tilted his head toward her, his grin widening.
"You’re hurting my feelings, girl," he rasped mockingly, his massive claws flexing. "Hehehe… but what a day. So many delicious souls who can see me. A regular feast." He opened his jagged mouth wider, counting each person before him with sick glee.
Ichigo simply stared, unfazed.
A low hum filled the air as the pressure around him thickened, the weight of his spiritual energy warping the space around him. The steady drizzle halted midair before touching his skin, repelled by the dense aura that now surrounded him.
Rukia swallowed hard as she felt the raw force emanating from him.
'He's grown so strong in such a short time. Who really are you, Ichigo Kurosaki?' she thought, watching him intently.
Grand Fisher’s grin faltered for a moment as he felt the weight pressing down on him. His muscles tensed instinctively.
Then, Ichigo moved.
He vanished from sight, reappearing at Grand Fisher’s side before the Hollow could even register what had happened.
POW!
A single, devastating punch connected with Grand Fisher’s ribs, sending a thunderous shockwave through the air. The Hollow’s massive frame rocketed off the hill’s edge, crashing violently through the canopy of trees below.
Branches snapped like twigs, the earth trembling beneath the impact of his landing. A thick cloud of dust and shattered bark filled the air as Grand Fisher groaned, staggering to his feet, his entire body screaming in pain.
‘What the hell was that?!’ he thought, panic flashing through his mind as he frantically searched for Ichigo.
A shadow descended.
THUD.
Ichigo landed right in front of him, sword in hand, his expression cold.
“I won’t kill you,” he said, his voice calm but heavy with intent.
Grand Fisher snarled, his fury bubbling up.
"But I will hurt you," Ichigo finished, raising his blade as the real fight began.
Grand Fisher bared his fangs, the rain soaking his furred body as he hunched forward, his massive claws digging into the damp earth. He let out a guttural growl, his bait shifting and contorting into a variety of faces—women, children, all of them twisted in terror, mimicking desperate pleas.
But Ichigo didn’t flinch. His gaze remained locked on the Hollow, his grip on Zangetsu tightening. His spiritual pressure continued to pulse, thickening the air between them.
"Heh… you act all tough, boy." Grand Fisher’s voice slithered through the rain. "But you’re still just a kid playing Soul Reaper. You think you scare me? I’ve slaughtered countless fools who—"
Ichigo disappeared.
FWISH!
In the blink of an eye, he was gone from Grand Fisher’s sight. The Hollow’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could react—
BAM!
A knee slammed into his stomach, bending his massive frame inward. Spit and Hollow bile erupted from his mouth as his body recoiled violently. Before he could process the pain, a fist hammered into his jaw.
CRACK!
His head whipped to the side, the sheer force sending him crashing through a row of trees. Wood shattered like glass, debris exploding into the stormy air as he tumbled, his massive form rolling through the mud.
"You talk too much," Ichigo said, standing exactly where Grand Fisher had been, his knee still raised from the opening strike.
The Hollow groaned, his vision blurring as he tried to push himself up. His bones ached from the sheer power behind those blows.
‘What the hell is this kid?!’
He barely had time to think before Ichigo was on him again.
WHOOSH!
Ichigo appeared above, descending like a reaper from the sky. His sword came down in a blur of steel—
SHHHK!
A deep gash split across Grand Fisher’s shoulder, spraying blackened Hollow blood into the rain. He howled in pain, stumbling backward.
"You bastard!" he shrieked, swinging his massive claw. His talons gleamed under the stormy sky, aiming straight for Ichigo’s torso.
Ichigo didn’t move. He stood firm, waiting until the last second—
Then, with a casual sidestep—
SWOOSH!
The attack missed completely, Grand Fisher’s claws swiping through empty air.
"Too slow," Ichigo muttered.
Before Grand Fisher could retract his arm, Ichigo grabbed it—
TIGHTEN!
—and with a flick of his wrist, flipped the massive Hollow over his shoulder.
BOOM!
The ground ruptured as Grand Fisher’s body slammed into the dirt, cratering the earth beneath him. Rainwater pooled into the newly formed pit, steam rising as Ichigo’s spiritual energy continued to radiate in waves.
Grand Fisher gasped, his body twitching as he struggled to rise. His breath was ragged, his body screaming in agony. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This brat—this human—was toying with him.
‘I… I can’t win.’
Panic set in.
"No… No! I refuse to die here!" Grand Fisher roared, his bait twisting into the visage of Ichigo’s mother. "You won’t kill me, boy!"
Ichigo’s eyes narrowed.
"That trick won’t work on me."
He vanished once again.
Grand Fisher spun, desperate to track him—
SLASH!
His right arm severed clean from his body, flopping into the mud with a sickening splat. His agonized wail pierced the sky as he reeled backward, clutching the stump where his limb used to be.
Ichigo stood behind him now, Zangetsu dripping with Hollow blood.
"You said you’ve been running for fifty-four years, right?" Ichigo’s voice was calm, but laced with steel. "Then I think it’s time you learned what it feels like to be the prey."
Grand Fisher turned to flee—
But Ichigo was already in front of him.
THWACK!
A boot slammed into his knee, snapping it backward. The Hollow collapsed, his entire body crumbling under his own weight.
Ichigo raised his sword, the tip aimed straight for Grand Fisher’s mask.
"Don’t worry. I won’t kill you." His voice was barely above a whisper, drowned out by the rain. "But I’ll make sure you never forget today."
He swung.
CRASH!
The mask fractured, deep cracks forming as Grand Fisher’s entire body convulsed from the sheer force. A scream unlike anything before erupted from his lungs.
Ichigo pulled his blade back, the damage done.
Grand Fisher lay there, his entire body shaking, his breath uneven. His mask was broken, his pride shattered. He couldn’t fight. He couldn’t run.
‘He… he was never my prey.’
Ichigo turned his back on him.
"Get lost. And if I ever see you again—"
He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes filled with nothing but cold, merciless rage.
"I will kill you."
Grand Fisher didn’t need to be told twice. He scurried away, disappearing into the trees, his broken form vanishing into the night.
Rukia, who had been watching from afar, let out a slow breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She had seen Ichigo fight before, but this… this was different.
He wasn’t just a Soul Reaper.
He was something else entirely.
And she had no doubt in her mind—
Grand Fisher would never forget this fight.
TO BE CONTINUED
