A Taste of A Fake

10 advanced chapters (and some bonus if you become a patron before chapter 5 is released) on my Patreon: Fiction Haven

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Souls are reincarnated randomly. Some of them immediately get to Soul Society after undergoing Konsō, while others become Reishi which is the foundation of matters in Soul Society before gaining a physical manifestation. As such, one's soul may never be original. Our soul may have merged with someone else's during the reincarnation cycle and we, as the dominant one, are the ones taking control.

While the instances where the dominant soul is overwhelmed by the recessive one and then replaced are dismal, such a case happened to the young Kurosaki Ichigo. During his desperate moment, the control of his dominant soul dwindled. The weaker counterpart of his soul fought for control and won. The development caused Ichigo to be born anew.

"I don't get what you are blabbering about. So, are you King or not?"

Clank!

Two Zangetsu clashed, causing sparks to fly out. White Ichigo stared at Ichigo with a wide grin. He might not like Ichigo's wit, but he liked Ichigo's battle desire. Unlike the previous Ichigo, this Ichigo didn't mind losing himself in the battle. He listened to his instinct but didn't shut his logic down. White Ichigo liked him.

"I would like to be your partner, but you can call me King if you want to. If you find it hard to wrap your head around the development, you can just take it as my having a change of personality," Ichigo smiled lightly.

"I guess I will do that. But I feel like there is more to your existence," White Ichigo stated. "Well, who cares? As long as you wield me to my full potential, I will gladly serve you!"

White Ichigo swung Zangetsu powerfully, sending Ichigo skidding to the back. Ichigo let go of his Zangetsu's hilt and gripped its cloth. He twirled Zangetsu and then threw it at White Ichigo. The said Zanpakutō spirit widened his eyes before putting Zangetsu before him. Ichigo's Zangetsu impacted his, causing him to be launched backward.

"Deadly Dart." Ichigo pulled his Zangetsu back and then twirled it idly. "That's what I call that technique."

"Damn, King. You beat me to it!" White Ichigo exclaimed manically.

Ichigo took a glance at the sword he was twirling. He didn't come up with the technique instinctively. He figured it out from the memory he had regained from his past life. This memory told him everything about the world he was in, yet portrayed it as a fictional world. It was absurd, but he had come to accept it.

He had already forgotten his previous self. The only fragment of his past life that he could recall perfectly was about the Bleach Universe which was the world he found himself in. He couldn't understand what happened to him but didn't intend to figure it out. Life is full of mystery and it is not our obligation to uncover it. He had been given the second chance and that was all that mattered to him.

Clank!

"You let your guard down, King!"

Ichigo blinked his eyes before registering White Ichigo's visage before him. He had instinctively blocked White Ichigo's Zangetsu. He was not in time, but a nick to his cheek was better than a gash to his chest. Ichigo hummed before putting his Reiryoku into his Zangetsu. The sword lit up as he muttered, "Getsuga Tensho."

A blue energy wave came out of Zangetsu, pushing White Ichigo away as he frantically blocked it with his Zangetsu. Ichigo grabbed the cloth on Zangetsu's hilt, twirled it to gain momentum, and then sent it to White Ichigo. Just as the blue wave dispersed, Zangetsu pierced through White Ichigo's charred chest.

"Ha-Ha-Ha! You did it, King! You are worthy to wield me," White Ichigo exclaimed, cackling madly.

Ichigo used Shunpō and then appeared before White Ichigo. He looked to the side, just a moment before the cloaked Zangetsu materialized.

"Ichigo."

"Yo, Quincy." Zangetsu's face hardened, causing Ichigo to wave his hand dismissively. "There is nothing to worry about. I am a reborn old soul. I can tell what I am seeing. Besides, I don't hate you for what you did. I certainly don't like it, though."

"Woah. He got you figured out, old man!" White Ichigo laughed.

"Let's talk about it sometime," Ichigo spoke when Zangetsu was about to open his mouth. "We will have a more proper time to talk about it soon. See you later, Zangetsu."

Ichigo's figure quickly disintegrated before disappearing from his Inner World. Zangetsu remained rooted to his spot, ignoring the snickering White Ichigo beside him. The new Ichigo was telling him he didn't need to protect him anymore. He was conflicted. His desire to protect him was still there, yet his confidence in him was at an all-time high.

Ichigo blinked his eyes and then found himself staring at Zaraki Kenpachi's back. He quickly inspected himself and found that all of his injuries had healed. Standing up, he inspected his snapped Zanpakutō. He poured his Reiryoku into the broken sword and then pulled on the signature of his Zanpakutō spirits.

Boom!

A swirl of Reiryoku surrounded Ichigo, engulfing him. A crazed smile appeared on Kenpachi's face as his soul felt the Reiatsu that was incomparable to the previous one. Turning around quickly, his grin widened upon seeing the amount of Reiryoku swirling around Ichigo. When the Reiryoku disappeared, Kenpachi saw Ichigo holding a new Zanpakutō.

The Zanpakutō was as tall as the previous one but less thick. Colored in white, the blade was straight but the tip curved upward. The edge was black, hiding its sharpness. The hilt was wrapped in black cloth and had a white chain on the tip. The Zanpakutō looked more intricate than before, yet simple nonetheless.

"That's a strong Reiatsu you have there, Ichigo!" Kenpachi exclaimed.

Instead of paying attention to Kenpachi, Ichigo muttered to himself, "Well, at least, this fake will suffice now. I need to get an Asauchi as soon as possible."

Clank!

When Ichigo refocused his attention on Kenpachi, he was forced to block Kenpachi's Zanpakutō. Spark flew out as the two Zanpakutō clashed. Kenpachi's hand trembled, yet Ichigo's remained firm. The scene caused a manic smile to appear on his face. He could immediately tell that he didn't have enough Reiryoku to contend against Ichigo.

"I will take that off for you," Ichigo nonchalantly stated before snatching the eyepatch covering Kenpachi's face.

Boom!

Kenpachi's Reiatsu surged as his Reiryoku flooded the surroundings. Ichigo smiled lightly as he tossed Kenpachi's eyepatch to the side. He put his other hand to Zangetsu's hilt as soon as Kenpachi's hand stilled. He effortlessly held Kenpachi at bay despite the increase of Reiryoku.

"You will need two hands to survive my Zanpakutō, Kenpachi."

"Hah! Make me, Ichigo!"

"Getsuga Tensho."

Ichigo's Reiryoku surged before a bright blue light covered Kenpachi's vision. Before he knew it, he was unceremoniously flung to the back. He managed to block Getsuga Tensho but still suffered a major injury on his chest. Blood poured out of the gash on his chest, causing his consciousness to dwindle slightly.

"I have told you, haven't I?" Ichigo appeared behind Kenpachi. "You may need two hands."

Kenpachi swiveled around and swung his Zanpakutō at Ichigo's neck. Ichigo remained stationary, allowing the Zanpakutō to hit his neck. The Zanpakutō was stopped in its tracks. Kenpachi felt like he had hit an indestructible wall. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"You will never be able to cut me as long as your Zanpakutō is asleep. It is part of you, so ignoring is equal to limiting yourself," Ichigo said calmly. "See you next time when you are stronger."

Slash!

Zangetsu cut Kenpachi's chest diagonally. The ground behind him developed a trench because of the power. His blood spurted out of the gash on his chest, dwindling his consciousness even further. He dropped to the ground, quickly losing his consciousness. The last thing he saw before darkness took over was Ichigo's back.

Ichigo sensed the petite lieutenant coming to retrieve Kenpachi but didn't pay any mind to her. He knew the lieutenant was not going to attack him, so he focused on walking toward the place where his friend, Rukia, was held.

"Thank you for letting Ken-chan have fun, Ichi-chan. I hope you can play with Ken-chan again in the future!" the petite lieutenant exclaimed, stopping him for a moment.

When the two presences disappeared, Ichigo used Shunpō and headed to Senzaikyū. It didn't take him long to reach the bridge connecting to Senzaikyū. He was in time to see Ganju and Hanataro having a discussion near the incapacitated guards stationed there. The duo entered Senzaikyū after their discussion. Ichigo followed suit not long after.

"I refuse! This is the very same Shinigami who killed my brother. Why would I risk my life to save the same person who took my brother away from me!?"

"You are right. I killed your brother. Therefore, you are free to take revenge."

"Rukia-san!"

Ichigo stopped holding back his Reiatsu, announcing his presence to the three. Rukia widened her eyes as she turned to face him meanwhile Ganju and Hanataro swiveled around in shock.

"Ichigo!"

"Ichigo-san, you made it!"

"Is something the matter?" Ichigo asked, ignoring their greetings.

"You didn't tell me she is the person that you want to rescue." Ganju crossed his arms in disapproval.

"There is always more to the story," Ichigo answered simply. "Anyway, get back."

Right after saying that, an intense Reiatsu washed over them. Kuchiki Byakuya, the Captain of the Sixth Division entered Senzaikyū.