The moment Tsuna sensed Ichigo about to Hollowfy, he had already prepared to use White Blade.
The best way to counter Hollow power… was Hollow power itself.
The blade stabbed into his chest like a key, unlocking the Asura-like Hollow power sealed within him.
The release phrase he shouted determined the attribute of that Hollow power.
Tsuna chose the Storm attribute.
It was a Hollow modeled after a Tyrant Dragon.
Crimson, spiked Reiatsu wrapped around his body like a sphere, concealing him as the Hollow transformation completed inside.
The Horned Hollow Ichigo had no patience for this.
Tensa Zangetsu came crashing down toward the red sphere.
Crack.
A sharp claw emerged and caught the blade.
The Reiatsu sphere dispersed.
Tsuna's new form appeared.
His hair and eyes had turned crimson.
Half his face was red.
His entire body was covered in dark-red skin marked with fang-like patterns.
His hands and feet had transformed into Tyrant Dragon claws, and a thick tail swung behind him.
This was Tsuna's Storm Attribute Resurrección — Tyrant Dragon.
He grinned, revealing rows of vicious fangs.
At the spot where White Blade pierced his chest, a burning emblem shaped like crimson wings blazed, supplying him with endless Reiatsu.
The moment Tsuna and Ichigo clashed, the ruined ground beneath them shattered.
The earth simply couldn't support their strength.
"Let's change battlefields," Tsuna rasped.
Flames burst from his shoulder blades like crimson wings, propelling him forward.
Bit by bit, he forced Horned Hollow Ichigo upward into the night sky above Seireitei.
Before leaving, Tsuna glanced toward Yoruichi.
She understood immediately.
Turning to Byakuya, she said:
"You block the shockwaves with Senbonzakura. I'll intercept the stray attacks."
When two monsters fought, shockwaves and stray attacks were inevitable.
If nothing was done, the entire noble district would be destroyed.
Byakuya replied coldly:
"You deal with the shockwaves."
His pride wouldn't allow him to rely on an outsider to handle the more dangerous task.
"Still acting stubborn?" Yoruichi muttered.
Her shoulders erupted with Kidō-enhanced Reiatsu.
"Shunkō."
Byakuya paused for a moment.
In his memories, Yoruichi had always been playful and teasing.
But now—
She felt like a reliable senior warrior.
He said nothing further.
Senbonzakura Kageyoshi spread into a sea of petals covering the entire noble district.
Yoruichi smiled faintly and stepped into the air with Shunpo, ready to intercept anything falling from above.
High above Seireitei—
Tsuna and Ichigo clashed fiercely.
Even though Ichigo wielded Tensa Zangetsu, Tsuna fought him evenly using only his dragon claws.
But Ichigo had lost all reason.
After failing to defeat Tsuna in several exchanges, the horns on his head began gathering crimson energy.
The pressure was even more terrifying than a Cero.
A red beam fired straight at Tsuna.
Cero.
Tsuna grinned.
Storm flames wrapped around his body.
Instead of dodging—
He charged directly into it.
The Cero couldn't break through his defenses.
Instead, Tsuna pushed forward through it with brute force.
Not only did the blast fail to harm him—
It felt almost comfortably warm, like soaking in a hot spring.
This was the strength of Tsuna's Storm Resurrección.
The Tyrant Dragon Hollow possessed extremely thick skin—tough enough to survive in molten lava.
That was why Tsuna had chosen this form to face Horned Hollow Ichigo.
Against this body, Ichigo's Cero was almost meaningless.
Unless Ichigo used something stronger—like Gran Rey Cero.
But Tsuna would never give him that chance.
As Tsuna forced his way through the beam and approached, Ichigo realized Cero was ineffective.
His figure suddenly vanished.
Tsuna's attack struck empty air.
A terrifying presence appeared behind him.
Sonído.
In his Horned Hollow state, Ichigo had instinctively learned the advanced Hollow movement technique.
The near-teleportation speed gave him the advantage.
Tensa Zangetsu rose—
And came crashing down.
Tsuna's arm was severed instantly.
Even as a monster, Ichigo's battle instincts were perfect.
If Cero didn't work—
Then cutting attacks would.
Without hesitation, he sliced Tsuna's arm off.
Tsuna wasn't surprised.
That opening had been intentional.
If he truly wanted to stop Ichigo, he could have driven him away with the Storm flames from his back.
But he needed to catch Ichigo's position.
Sonído made pursuit difficult.
So Tsuna deliberately exposed a weakness.
Twisting his body, Tsuna slammed his remaining hand onto Ichigo's mask.
Flames roared from his back.
Both of them crashed down into a plaza in the noble district.
Ichigo tried to retaliate—
But Tsuna's dragon legs stomped down on both his arms, pinning him.
White fluid gathered where Tsuna's arm had been severed.
Within seconds, his arm regenerated completely.
High-Speed Regeneration.
A Hollow ability.
And Tsuna could use it too.
Tsuna pinned Ichigo's arms with his feet.
One hand pressed against Ichigo's head.
His newly regenerated hand grabbed one of Ichigo's horns.
Normally, destroying the Hollow mask would restore Ichigo's consciousness.
Tsuna had already tried crushing the mask earlier.
It hadn't worked.
So now—
He targeted the horn.
Crack.
The horn began breaking.
Ichigo struggled violently, collapsing multiple layers of ground beneath them.
But Tsuna held firm.
Suddenly—
A bright red light illuminated Tsuna's mask.
A Cero fired straight upward.
Ichigo's final desperate attack.
But against Tsuna's lava-resistant dragon skin—
It was nothing more than a fresh volcanic eruption.
Just a bit of pressure.
More cracks spread across Ichigo's head.
Piece by piece, the Hollow mask peeled away.
When Ichigo's human face finally appeared—
The Hollow Reiatsu began fading.
The white Hollow armor dissolved into Reishi particles.
"Tsuna…" Ichigo murmured faintly.
He recognized Tsuna's Reiatsu—
But the overwhelming pain quickly dragged him into unconsciousness.
"Fast work," Yoruichi said as she appeared beside Tsuna.
"Of course," Tsuna replied.
"If we took any longer, that old man would've arrived."
He canceled his Resurrección and tossed the unconscious Ichigo to her.
Then he glanced at Byakuya approaching.
"Let's move. Time to get out."
Tsuna and Yoruichi vanished with Shunpo.
Byakuya didn't attempt to stop them.
Their actions had prevented far greater destruction in the noble district.
At the same time—
Inside Squad 1 Headquarters.
The Captain-Commander's cane slammed heavily against the floor.
The temperature in the room rose from his anger alone.
"Two Hollows appearing inside Seireitei!"
"This is an insult to the Gotei 13!"
"Chōjirō! Issue the order!"
"Conduct a full search across Seireitei. If a Hollow is found, report immediately to Squad 1."
Yamamoto's eyes burned with fury.
"I will personally eliminate them."
"Yes, sir!"
Lieutenant Sasakibe Chōjirō knelt and relayed the order through Tenteikūra to all captains.
This was exactly what Tsuna had feared.
He had no intention of fighting Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni yet.
Even Ichigo's Horned Hollow transformation had been unexpected.
Who would have thought Masked Ichigo would be completely outplayed by Byakuya's experience?
"Kid," Yoruichi said.
"That old man is probably furious."
After nearly a thousand years of peace, Seireitei had been invaded by Ryoka.
And now two Hollows fought inside it.
That was a direct slap in Yamamoto's face.
"And that's why I took the risk," Tsuna said, poking Ichigo's cheek.
"If we stayed any longer, the Gotei 13 would've surrounded us."
"With more time I could've subdued him without losing an arm."
"So you already knew this would happen," Yoruichi said.
"That's why you stopped me from saving him earlier?"
"If you'd rushed in," Tsuna replied calmly,
"the punch Byakuya took would've landed on you."
"Don't worry. Normally Ichigo's power won't let him die."
Yoruichi sighed.
"You understand the power inside him better than he does."
"That's because," Tsuna said without modesty,
"I copied my talent from him."
"Of course I understand it."
They soon arrived at the room Yoruichi had arranged.
Orihime was already treating Ichigo.
"How is he?" Tsuna asked.
"Good news and bad news," Yoruichi said.
"The good news is that Ichigo hasn't lost his Shinigami powers."
"The bad news is… he won't wake up anytime soon."
Orihime withdrew Sōten Kisshun.
Ichigo's wounds were completely healed.
But he remained unconscious.
"That's fine," Tsuna said.
"Let him talk with his power for a while."
"Not a bad thing."
He could already imagine it.
Inside Ichigo's inner world—
Ichigo was probably meeting Zangetsu again.
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