A Fourth of Myself

Chapter 5: Entering My Inner World

Try listening to "never meant to belong" while reading this :3

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Chapter 5: Entering My Inner World

"Over here."

He looked behind him to see an old man dressed in a long, black coat and wearing a visor.

To Ichigo's surprise, he managed to enter his inner world. He didn't know whether to ask Zangetsu who he was or tell Zangetsu he knew him. His body acted on its own making Ichigo ask:

"Who are you?"

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"It's me…"

                                ***

"It's me, [▇▇▇▇▇▇]."

Ichigo looks at Zangetsu who is on the other side of the building. It was the same as before; his words were blocked by an outer force, it was painted over by black.

"I wasn't able to hear it… again." He thought to himself, then sighed.

Zangetsu looked at Ichigo slightly disappointed then looked down at the pole he stood on.

"Oh. It still can't reach…"

"Too bad. How many times do I have to shout for my voice to reach you?"

"..!!"

Ichigo immediately realizes that he could tell Zangetsu that he knows the truth about him. The problem he had was if he should tell him now or find the right time instead.

But wait, wouldn't Zangetsu already know? As his inner spirit, it could be possible that he already understood what Ichigo wanted to say. Although, that was just Ichigo's speculation.

He never really asked White or Old man Zangetsu about it. But what he did know, it's that they had an idea of what was happening on the outside of his soul.

Just before he could get the words out, Zangetsu broke the silence between them.

"There's no one in this world that knows me better than you do!"

Ichigo looked up to see Zangetsu right in front of him with the pole he was standing on, pointing at Ichigo's face.

"Hm…"

"Huh?" Ichigo looks behind himself and notices a solid box behind him.

"Interesting. It seems that you weren't aware of the solidified reishi behind you."

He realized that he had unconsciously already solidified a small wall of reishi behind himself so that he wouldn't fall.

While thinking about when he did that, he remembers the passageway between the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo.

"I didn't realize… I guess my mind remembered the times when I went through the Garganta and made my body adjust to the area I'm in."

The reishi wall slowly breaks apart.

"Well, I wouldn't fall anyway. This place was falling apart cause I was turning into a hollow before."

As he was lost in thought, Zangetsu spoke again.

"Ichigo."

"Za…" Ichigo stops speaking before he finishes his sentence.

"It seems like you have something to tell me."

The moment he heard Zangetsu's words, he clenched his fist and looked at Zangetsu with a solemn expression.

"Old man Zangetsu."