Chapter 1: Deicide – A Titan's Collapse
'I've got to stop letting things surprise me' thought Starrk. He did his best to regain his normal, indifferent façade.
Starrk replied, "So I'm guessing that means that Aizen is already here, eh?"
"Correct, but the question is whether we should try to interrupt him for a little longer or not. Aizen seems to have already gone under another transformation thanks to Gin's help"
"Look, over there, it looks like a senkai gate is openi-…"
The were suddenly both overwhelmed by a spirit force from miles away
'That reiatsu!' Starrk thought as he hunched over, almost knocked onto his knees.
"Hmph." Ulquiorra sighed. "So it seems you have arrived…
…Kurosaki Ichigo."
"Kurosaki Ichigo? Is that the name of the shinigami that killed you?"
Ulquiorra paused for a moment to think. "No. I was forced to fight a weaker, hollowified version of him after I thought I killed him. If I were to fight this real Kurosaki, I would be annihilated the moment that I made contact with him. Though, to be fair, Kurosaki's power has transcended miles above what he fought me with. Just to think, this might be a difficult fight, even for Aizen."
Starrk responded "Well then, good for him. I hope that Aizen will come to know fear soon."
[Elsewhere, in the hills surrounding Rukongai]
"Asshole! Why did you hurl your scythe at me after I was wounded already?" roared Grimmjow.
"Tch. Maybe you shouldn't have gotten your ass spanked so badly by a human. Just be thankful that fate decided that it was his wounds that killed you instead of mine," Nnoitra replied.
"You're ignoring the fact that the guy you watched Tesla crush multiple times is now at a reiatsu level that makes that Kenpachi guy's look like that of an ant!" yelled Grimmjow once more.
"I'll give you that. It's scary to think that that kid is ready to fight the guy that made all of us Espada his bitches. I just wish he would have been that way when he tried to fight me."
There was a soothing silence for a little while as they pondered their presence in Soul Society.
"Hey, Nnoitra. Do you feel that? That weird… feeling of joy?"
"Yeah, bud, I do, and it's pissing me off. I mean, Hell, it's nice to have my left eye back but now I have to deal with all this sentimental bullshit. Still, I'm not planning on going back to being a hollow."
"Me neither. Also, what happened to that scythe of yours?"
"What, Santa Teresa? Shit, she got knocked down to size. She just looks like a plain ol' katana now."
Indeed it was: a katana with a cream-colored hilt wrap and scabbard and a tsuba made of four skulls surrounding the blade that appeared to be laughing. A heavily thorned vine ran through the skulls eyes and mouths.
"Do you think we'll ever be able to use our swords like they were again?"
"Well, it'll be a Hell of a damn lot harder to fight, that's for sure. We're sure as Hell not going to be able to transform again. But I think we'll be able to make some use out of these things. New world, new rules, right?"
"Sure, I'll buy it. Do you think any of the others are going to make it?"
"What, to Soul Society? I doubt that Zommari, Szayel, Aaroniero, or Yammy would go anywhere other than Hell. They were evil in their mortal lives before becoming hollow. That's why the aspects of death they represented were centered around sin.
Nope, I'm afraid it's just us six that are watching this right now"
[Elsewhere, once more, on the outskirts of Rukongai]
Baraggan and Halibel are sitting on the rooftop of a small shop in Inuzuri, Rukongai's 78th district. Both are conversing about their satisfaction that their wishes of revenge are being fulfilled. Baraggan's zanpakutou, like Nnoitra's, has been reduced to the size of a normal sword. The only exception was that it was a claymore with a black leather hilt wrap and the same red eye that was present in the middle of his axe was now in the middle of the guard. It was sheathed diagonally with the hilt protruding on the upper right side of his back.
"That bastard deserves what he is getting. I wonder how horribly angered he must be right now: that a mere human is fighting on par with him," remarked Halibel.
"Serves him right for trying to knock kings off their thrones; fate is repaying him in kind for his insolence. He must be so confused after watching Ichigo shrug off a fully-chanted nineties level kidou as if it were a fly on his shoulder," Baraggan responded
"Damn, Aizen's going through another transformation. Is this ever going to end?" Halibel worried.
"Soon, Halibel. He can't hold on to even his own creation forever. The hougyoku is rejecting him at an exponentially rising rate, and he doesn't even sense it. It is driving him insane, making the fight almost easier for Ichigo."
A massive explosion occurred where Ichigo and Aizen were fighting after Baraggan uttered these words. Its blast wave ripped through the heavens.
"See? That was a cero just now. Aizen isn't even in control anymore, and the hougyoku is getting more desperate. It's only a matter of time before it ejects itself from his body," continued Baraggan.
They then felt a sudden and frightening jump in Ichigo's reiatsu.
"What is this reiatsu? It feels like my very existence is being crushed!" cried Halibel.
And then they saw it. Mugetsu: a thin but sky-reaching, miles-long slash of pure, dark spirit energy. Aizen was defeated. They knew it but could hardly believe it. The hougyoku healed Aizen's wounds once more, but it was too late. Urahara's binding spell had finally broken through, and the hougyoku no longer saw Aizen as its master.
"Do you hear that, Halibel? Those are the screams of a whining child confused that his plan to cut God has failed. 'The logic of a loser', 'winners think not of how the world is but how it should be'? Hmph. Ignorant boy, if you really wish to become king, you should first find out what a king does before acting so rashly. Otherwise, you will always arrive at a fruitless throne. That is why we espada 'failed' you. If you really wanted us to disappear, then you would have crushed our existences. If you really wanted to command us, then you would have actually managed your forces better. No, you are still but an arrogant child, and that is why you are crying as you watch your precious toy be sealed away from you."
"Baraggan… what will we do now, now that we no longer need to consume souls? Surely you and the others have felt it too."
"Aye, Halibel. It is quite the experience to have eternity lifted from my shoulders. I almost feel young again. Here's a thought: now that their battle is over, why don't we go greet those who 'awakened' us?"
"What? You mean we're going over there to thank them?"
"Hmph. Halibel, meditate on your situation for a moment. You are still in possession of a zanpakutou yet you are lacking a hollow's mask or hole. Don't try to deny it, even though parts of all of us espada are somewhat repulsed by the idea. The fact that the hollow half of us arrancar are gone yet we still have powers sealed away in our swords can mean only one thing."
Halibel's eyes dilated as she began to realize the truth.
"So you are beginning to understand. Though it is against our choosing…
… we are now shinigami. Therefore, Halibel, we are not going over there to thank them; we're going over there to join them."
CHAPTER 1: END
Alright, That's it for now. If you want me to submit the next two chapters, request them. Tell me ways I can improve the setting or be more verbose in your reviews. Include any other constructive criticism you can think of as well, other than 'You're spelling their names wrong, DURP." I don't care about that, as long as you can tell who the character is, it's fine.
