No More X Something

Karin exhaled, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly as Tengokuken's flames dimmed. She glanced at her opponent, who was struggling to rise, her face etched with disbelief and defeat.

"I told you not to underestimate me," Karin said, her voice cold but not devoid of respect.

Jackie grimaced, clutching her injured side. "You got me, kid. So, what's next? You gonna finish me off?"

Karin looked at her, her eyes unyielding. She had won, but this was not a victory to celebrate; it was a necessary step, a lesson in the brutality of conflict. Her eyes met Jackie's one final time as she raised her sword, the blade now calm but still aglow with blue embers.

"The fight is over," she stated.

And with that, she swung Tengokuken one final time, not to strike Jackie, but to dispel the remaining flames, as if sealing her victory and closing this chapter of violence. Jackie collapsed, fully defeated, her eyes clouding over with a mix of regret and reluctant acknowledgement.

Karin sheathed her Zanpakutō and turned away, her face a mask of solemnity. The battle had taken its toll, but it had also fortified her resolve.

Outside the building where the rest were confronting Kūgo and his gang, Kai arrived on a rooftop where Shūkurō Tsukishima sat reading a book. The very air seemed to stiffen as their eyes met. Tsukishima's gaze hardened, his aura flaring menacingly.

"Kai Kurogami," he uttered, closing his book with a thud. He'd been monitoring Ichigo and the others for months, and the sporadic appearances of this Kai figure had not gone unnoticed. Each encounter had served as a reminder of Kai's extraordinary power. And here he was, standing before him.

Kai sighed. He really didn't want to do this, but circumstances had led him here. There was a palpable tension as both understood that words were futile—this would end in a battle, a battle to the death.

Tsukishima was the first to act, his Fullbring activated, his blade gleaming. He lunged at Kai with deadly precision. Kai dodged, but just barely, and in the corner of his eye, he noticed the trace of a smile on Tsukishima's lips.

"So, you're not entirely invincible," Tsukishima mused, swirling his blade in an intricate pattern.

Kai merely shrugged. No point in discussing it, he thought. The less Tsukishima knew about his capabilities, the better.

A burst of speed and Kai was behind Tsukishima, a flick of his wrist aiming to disarm. But Tsukishima was quick too, parrying and counterattacking. Kai dodged again, seemingly toying with him.

With a flash step, Tsukishima was suddenly at a distance, a smirk on his face. "Do you think you can beat me without using your true abilities?"

Tsukishima thrust his blade into the air. "Let's see if you can handle this!"

Kai felt the tug but nothing happened. He shook his head, "I wanted to see if your ability was really that powerful, but seems like it's not." With a subtle wave of his hand, Tsukishima was instantly transported to the Mirror Realm. There, Kai could study his Fullbring without interruption.

Kai stood on the rooftop, his eyes narrowing as he felt the battles unfolding in the distance. Ichigo and the others were each locked in their own battles.

In a realm of endless mirrors, Tsukishima found himself entrapped. The mirrored surfaces reflected his every move, every breath, his frustration starkly visible. What he didn't know was that the Mirror Realm was Kai's domain—a place where his rules reigned, where Kai was not just invincible but god-like.

Outside, Kai studied Tsukishima through one of the mirrors. His eyes focused intently on the Fullbringer who was trying to make sense of his new surroundings. In this isolated place, he had the luxury of examining Tsukishima's Fullbring capabilities—exceptional and threatening, yet not strong enough to affect him.

Soon, the others were done with their battles. Yuzu, Karin, Ichigo, Isshin, and Urahara made their way toward Kai, their faces marked with fatigue but also relief. Some of their opponents were apprehended, others lay lifeless on the ground. As they neared Kai, they noticed the lack of any signs of a fight.

"Done already?" Ichigo asked, scratching his head. His eyes darted around, looking for some evidence of combat.

Kai shrugged lazily, "I didn't want to make a mess."

Yuzu looked puzzled, "Wasn't Tsukishima supposed to be really strong?"

"He was," Kai said, barely disguising his disinterest.

Isshin, scratching his beard, added, "You make it look too easy."

Before Kai could respond, Urahara chimed in. "Well, if Kai dealt with his opponent this easily, it means we can focus on other matters. Excellent work."

Kai smirked, "Glad I could save you some trouble."

Ichigo rolled his eyes but said nothing. He knew how powerful Kai was, but it was still hard to accept that he could dispatch a formidable foe like Tsukishima so effortlessly.

With the tension of the battles lingering in the air, Kai sauntered over to Yuzu and Karin. They were holding onto the amulets he'd given them earlier. Yuzu's amulet was nestled on her bosom, and as he reached to touch it, she blushed a soft pink. Meanwhile, Karin clutched her amulet in her hand, her cheeks reddening as she snorted in mock annoyance.

As Kai's fingers made contact with the amulets, they melted away. A brief vision flashed before his eyes—scenes from Yuzu and Karin's respective battles. Yuzu's clumsy moves and hesitant strikes showed her inexperience. Karin, though more adept, had her own weaknesses in her technique.

"Good job, you two," Kai said, softly ruffling Yuzu's hair, eliciting a happy giggle from her. He then ruffled Karin's hair, who let out an exasperated sigh but couldn't completely hide a smile.

"You still have a lot to learn, but for today, you did well," he added, turning his attention back to the rest of the group.

"Let's go. For now, we're done here," Kai announced, his eyes meeting Ichigo's, then flicking toward Isshin and Urahara.

Ichigo looked a little uncomfortable, clearly still trying to reconcile Kai's overwhelming power with the struggles they all had faced. "Yeah, let's wrap this up."

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