c14 - Zanpakutō! Memory Clip!
From the hollowed-out trunk of a twisted tree in the Forest of Menos, Ye Chuan used his long tail to retrieve a pitch-black Shihakushō tattered and battle-worn—and a jagged, nicked katana without a sheath.
"This... is a Shinigami's uniform, and this katana… could it be a Zanpakutō?" he murmured.
Resting the chipped blade in his colossal palm, Ye Chuan immediately felt the resonance of spiritual pressure familiar yet alien emanating from it. It was undoubtedly a Zanpakutō Asauchi, once belonging to a Shinigami, now dormant and scarred by countless battles.
To his massive Adjuchas-sized body, the sword resembled a mere toothpick. Like a nostalgic collector, Ye Chuan fiddled with the battered blade, its notches speaking of fierce combat long past.
A strange curiosity gripped him.
"Can I... connect with this Zanpakutō?"
Driven by impulse, he tentatively poured his own dark-gold spiritual pressure into the sword. The faint remnants of Reiryoku within the blade responded, stirring as if awakening from a slumber. As the two spiritual pressures touched his and the former wielder's a torrent of fragmented memories surged into Ye Chuan's mind like a broken film reel.
He saw a tall man with wild purple hair, wielding a black wind-enshrouded spear, cleaving through Hollows within the Forest of Menos. The spear danced like a tempest, each swing sending a Gillian crashing down.
That man's name was Itokai.
Born in the outermost Rukongai district District 77, North Kusajishi Itokai grew up as a homeless orphan amid rampant crime and desolation. Known for his towering frame and unusually long arms, he survived by theft and fought often, earning the nickname "Gibbon" from local thugs.
One day, Kusajishi was attacked by a swarm of Hollows. The Gotei 13 dispatched Shinigami to suppress the threat. Among them was Kasumi Yunchuan of the noble Kasumi family a 13th-seat of the 11th Division.
Itokai first saw her amidst the chaos, slicing through Hollows with blinding precision. Entranced, he foolishly tried to flirt with her. Her reply was swift: a bakudō spell that pinned him in place.
Her companion, a senior Shinigami, wanted to execute Itokai for his insolence, but Yunchuan stopped him.
"My name is Kasumi Yunchuan, 13th seat of the 11th Division. I only respect strength. If you truly desire me, become someone worthy. If one day you defeat me... we'll talk again."
These words etched themselves into Itokai's heart.
Determined, he enrolled in Shin'ō Academy. Though initially mocked, he graduated after years of intense training and earned a place in the 11th Division—Yunchuan's division. Decades passed, and he rose from obscurity to the rank of Third Seat, earning the respect of his peers and fighting beside Yunchuan in countless battles. Their bond deepened into love.
The Kasumi family, initially disapproving, began to recognize Itokai's potential. They even promised their blessing on the condition that he become a vice-captain.
But fate turned.
Without warning, Kasumi Yunchuan accepted a mission to the Hueco Mundo as part of the Expeditionary Suppression Unit an elite team sent into the Hollow World to monitor and eliminate powerful threats. Her sudden departure raised suspicion. As a noble, she should've been exempt from such lethal assignments.
Itokai sought answers from the Kasumi clan, but they dodged his questions.
Left with no choice, Itokai resigned his position and volunteered for the next expedition into Hueco Mundo, determined to find Yunchuan.
However, their arrival was chaotic. Spatial distortions scattered the team upon exiting the Garganta, and they were ambushed by a swarm of Gillians in the Forest of Menos. Most of the squad perished, but Itokai, burning with resolve and anger, carved a path of destruction alone.
Years passed. His hair grew wilder, and his spear darker with each Hollow slain. He never found Yunchuan, only more blood.
Eventually, his ceaseless rampage attracted two Adjuchas-class Hollows leading their own Gillian legions. A desperate, cataclysmic battle unfolded.
Even facing overwhelming odds, Itokai fought like a demon of vengeance. His spear sang through the air, impaling Hollows by the dozen. The battle raged for hours until finally mortally wounded—he chose death on his own terms, dragging both Adjuchas down with him.
The final image flickered before Ye Chuan's eyes:
"Pierce the storm—Kamikazemaru!"
As the chant echoed, the worn Zanpakutō in Itokai's hand transformed into a cyclone-wrapped obsidian spear. He charged, impaling Hollows in a furious last stand.
Then—the memory faded. The residual spiritual pressure lingering on the blade scattered into the wind, gone forever.
"Oh, Brother Itokai… What a man. Too bad his head wasn't as sharp as his spear," Ye Chuan muttered.
Even without firsthand knowledge, Ye Chuan could guess the truth: the Kasumi family likely orchestrated Yunchuan's deployment to Hueco Mundo, removing her from Itokai's reach. Perhaps they feared his rise, or disapproved of their bond. Itokai, ever brash, pursued love with brute force. But love alone was not enough.
From Ye Chuan's omniscient point of view half instinct, half inherited awareness he knew the Kasumi clan's political maneuvering ran deep.
Itokai was a civilian-turned-Shinigami with the strength to reach captain-level. That potential, more than romance, likely frightened them.
Had he achieved Bankai and donned a captain's haori, things might've been different. A captain's authority rivaled even the Central 46 nobles would have had no choice but to listen.
"If only you had reached that height, Brother Hai... then no one could've denied you."
Although Ye Chuan walked a path opposite to Itokai's, he couldn't help but feel a pang of respect and sorrow.
The tale of Itokai, the man who fought an entire forest for love, ended not with triumph, but with a blood-soaked farewell.
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