A.N: The first chapter has been reuploaded with the grammars being corrected by my new Beta Tester. Hopefully the second chapter will be reuploaded by the next week.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners.

Beta Tester: ekaterina016


Recap: "Use that time and learn it."

"Learn what?" Ichigo asked.

'I have a bad feeling for what he has in mind,' Artoria thought.

'He better not suggests what I think he will,' Altria thought.

"Learn how to release the forbidden attack of your Zanpakutō," Isshin said, as Artoria and Altria's eyes widened. "Every Zanpakutō has a forbidden attack which gives them ultimate power for some time."

The girls looked at him in shock.

"Ultimate power…" Ichigo whispered.

Isshin nodded. "But in return, it may forever damage your soul. You see-" Isshin stopped talking as he noticed Ichigo was now asleep… or he was pulled into his inner world.

"Y-You, how dare you say that!" Altria roared.

"Do you have any idea what would have happened if he had fully heard you?!" Artoria glared at Isshin.

"It is the only way," Isshin said in a low but serious tone.

"So, you would have him chose between us and using that!?" Artoria asked.

"The forbidden move is the only way to defeat him," Isshin replied.

"Don't assume things on your own! We have more powerful techniques then… than… using that thing!" Altria sneered.

"So, do you have techniques which can defeat Aizen?" Isshin asked.

"Yes! You should know better than anyone else how different we are from other Zanpakutōs!" Artoria narrowed her eyes at Isshin.

"We will teach Ichigo something else which will defeat that madman. This is your first and last warning; if you ever tried to tell him that again… then even if you are Ichigo's father, I will not hesitate to kill you," Altria glared at him with hateful eyes.

Artoria put a hand on Altria's shoulder. "We should go now. Ichigo is waiting."

Altria looked at her for a few seconds, and gave her a nod. Then, she disappeared into the inner world.

"You should keep stopping the restrictive current. The technique we will teach him will take time," Artoria instructed. "One last thing…" She then looked at Isshin in the eyes. "You should not take her words as warning… because it was a threat." She then also disappeared.

Isshin sighed. "It seems I made a really big mistake. Ichigo… I really hope they are right…"


Chapter 9: Seals and Release


Inside his inner world, Ichigo tried to leave the place and go back to the real world and finish hearing what his father had to say. But all his efforts to leave his soul was in vain. After a minute of trying, Artoria and Altria also followed him inside. Ichigo turned to look at them for answers.

"I can't seem to leave this place. Do you know why?" Ichigo asked them.

"You can't leave… because we aren't letting you go." Artoria replied, surprising him.

"W-Why would you do that? I have to go back and hear what he had to say about the ultimate pow-"

"FORGET ABOUT THAT!" Altria yelled, shocking and silencing him. She and Artoria looked at him sadly. "Please… forget that you ever heard about it."

"Ichigo… you love us, right?" Artoria asked in a low tone.

"Of course, I love you two more than anyone else in this world!" He replied instantly.

"Then, please, I am begging you, forget about it," Artoria said desperately.

"Please don't ask what it is, either to us, or to your father," Altria pleaded.

Ichigo slowly walked to them and lovingly embraced them. "I have my complete trust in you two. I don't know why you two don't want me to know about it, but if you two had decided so strongly, then I will never ask about it," Ichigo said, and released the hug as the two spirits smiled at their Master.

"Thank you, Ichigo," Altria said.

"You have no idea how much that means to us for you to not ask about it," Artoria said, relieved.

"It is as I said just now. If you two don't want me to know about it, then I won't ask. Besides, I am certain you are doing it for my own well-being," Ichigo said, and smiled as the girls also smiled warmly at him. "But now, we have to find a way to defeat that power-hungry fool."

"That is why we are here." Altria said, as Ichigo looked on, confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"We are here to tell you about our seals," Artoria answered.

Altria sighed. "Ichigo, do you see how our Shikai and Bankai have 13 seals placed on them."

"13 seals?" Ichigo asked.

"And while the seals are placed, you can't use all the powers of the Zanpakutō," Altria said, shocking him.

"S-So you are saying I have been fighting all this time without using our full power?" Ichigo asked shocked.

"That is right. Normally, we would have trained you to remove the seals gradually in 6 or 7 years, but it seems now we have to teach you remove the seals of your Shikai… or at least some of them," Altria said.

"Why not teach me to remove all of them?" Ichigo asked.

"It is as Altria said; you are not ready to remove all of them. To be honest, it will be a miracle if you will be able to remove even 5 of them. And don't even begin asking us about the seals on Bankai," Artoria said.

"There is something I want to ask you two," Ichigo said, as Artoria gave the nod. "Does all the Zanpakutōs have these seals? Or is it specifically only in my case?"

"It is neither… or perhaps, it is closer to the latter," Artoria said thoughtfully.

"What does that mean?" Ichigo asked.

Altria sighed. "You see, Ichigo… The seals are something that weren't placed by us."

"Then who put them on anyway?"

The two Zanpakutō spirits shared a glance. "It was… the Soul King."

"Soul…King? Who is that?" He asked, confused.

"It is as his title said. The person who put the seals on was the Soul King. He is someone whose only job is to regulate the flow of souls into and out of Soul Society, and keep the flow stable. Without the Soul King, the balance is lost, and everything which is linked to Soul Society, or made in it, as well as Hueco Mundo and the Human World, will fall apart," Altria explained.

"So… he is like a god?" Ichigo asked skeptically.

"In a way… Yes, he is a god," Artoria confirmed.

"What was the reason he put the seals, and when did he even do it?" Ichigo asked another question.

"He did it the moment you were born. And the reason why he did that was because of our powers," Altria answered.

"Of your powers..." He muttered.

"Just think about it, Ichigo; what kind of Zanpakutōs have abilities like us? Have you seen any Shinigami who have even half of our type of abilities?" Artoria asked.

Ichigo began to recall all the Zanpakutōs he had seen, as he blinked. "You are right… I haven't seen any Zanpakutō who has even 2 abilities. And I certainly haven't seen a Zanpakutō whose sheaths also have abilities, or even names."

"We have 13 seals on us, and you have defeated strong opponents without our full power easily," Altria said.

"Now… imagine us being 13 times more powerful. What do you think will happen to your foes?" Artoria asked, as Ichigo didn't even had to think.

"I could finish them off with my eyes closed. Even Ulquiorra wouldn't have stood a chance against you two in your sealed state," Ichigo said.

"That is right. So, think what will happen if you were like Aizen. What would you do with that kind of power… with Aizen's personality?" Artoria asked.

Ichigo had a thoughtful expression. "If I was like him, I would have destroyed the world long ago…" Ichigo muttered.

"That is the reason why the seals were put by him. To ensure our immense power would not be abused," Altria said.

"But without the full release of your powers, how can I defeat him? I think even with my Resurrección, it will not be possible." Ichigo frowned.

"You don't have to worry about that. With things how they are, you can release already some of them," Artoria said, surprising him a bit.

"There are two ways to remove the seals," Altria said.

"Two ways? What are they?"

"The first is to train slowly and release them steadily. This will take around 10-15 years to completely release all of them," Artoria explained the first way.

"We don't even have 1 year! What is the second way?" Ichigo urged.

"The second way is to be powerful enough… and for the situation to be right," Altria answered.

"Powerful enough… and 'situation'?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"The way Soul King designed the seals are so you can temporarily release them if you are powerful enough, and if the situation involves the world being threatened to be destroyed," Artoria explained.

"The world is certainly threatened by Aizen, but am I powerful enough to remove all the seals?" Ichigo asked himself.

"Even if only seven seals are released, it will be enough to release our true power," Altria said.

"Ichigo, come with us," Artoria asked.

"To where?" He asked.

"Somewhere you can release the seals," Altria answered, as she and Artoria began to walk.

After following them for a minute, Ichigo saw a big blurred building afar. Then, when the three of them reached the place, Ichigo carefully studied the view in front of him. The big blur was a White Castle which looked like it was made during old days, using the appropriate ancient techniques.

"I didn't know there was such a beautiful castle in my Inner World..." Ichigo muttered, visibly admiring it.

"We wanted to show it to you when the time is right," Artoria said.

"Let's go in," Altria said, opening the big front gate and walking inside, as the other two followed.

After they went inside, Ichigo followed Artoria underground via the stairs. As they reached the end, Ichigo saw what looked like a secret chamber. Artoria opened the door as she and Altria went inside. Ichigo followed them unhesitatingly. There, he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Are… they what I think they are?" Ichigo asked in disbelief.

"Yes, you are not seeing things," Altria replied.

Ichigo once again looked back at the scene in front of him. There were what looked like Excalibur and Rhongomyniad… made of stone, pinned onto the ground, and wrapped in chains.

"As you can see, they are us, but those chain and stone represent how most of our powers are sealed," Artoria explained. "Now, get ready, Ichigo."

"For what?" He asked, a bit nervous.

"To show him you are worthy and ready to release the seal," Altria answered.

"Who am I supposed to show it to?" Ichigo asked… but he soon got the answer in the form of a shadow forming in front of him.

"To him… the one who put the seals," Artoria answered.

"None other than the Soul King himself," Altria finished.

The shadowed figure formed a humanoid shape, sans limbs.

"I knew you will come someday to remove the seals," The shadow spoke.

"Are you really the Soul King?" Ichigo asked.

"What you are currently seeing is my shadow," He replied. "Right now, I am in my palace, being guarded by my trusted guardians." The shadow said. "But let's talk about you."

"About me?" Ichigo asked.

'So, he is about to begin,' Artoria thought.

'It does seem so,' Altria said to her though their mental connection.

"What is the reason you want to release the seals?" The shadow asked.

'Ichigo… answer carefully,' Artoria thought.

'If he gives even one wrong answer, then…' Altria thought nervously.

"So that I can defeat Aizen," Ichigo answered confidently.

"Aizen is more powerful than you right now. Do you still want to fight him?"

"Yes," Ichigo replied without thinking.

A 'clank' resonated in the room, but Ichigo failed to hear it.

"Even if you will face him alone without any help from others?"

"Yes."

Another 'clank' resonated.

"Do you really think what Aizen doing is evil?"

"Without a doubt."

"And what do you gain from fighting him? What is your reason?"

"Nothing at all. All I want is to protect my family and friends."

"If you get this power… do you not want to mutilate and tore him to pieces for kidnaping your friend and hurting your father?"

"No, I will never fall that low. It is something I will never do to anyone."

"What if you die in your battle? You will leave behind your family and friends. Not to mention… your precious lovers will also die with you."

"I will fight him because I want to live a life where I can spend every day waking with Artoria and Altria in my arms, and have breakfast with my family and spend my day leisurely with my friends."

"Why do you want to defeat him? You have no reason to fight him. If it is about your family and friends, why not take them with you and leave Karakura?" The shadow suggested.

"I can do that, but if I leave, then Aizen will destroy Karakura. That is why I will defeat him," Ichigo retorted.

"Why fight him yourself and not let the Shinigamis do their job?" The shadow asked.

"Because they are already defeated!" Ichigo replied back.

"Not the Shinigamis in the Soul Society. Let them fight," The shadow said.

"They aren't strong enough. If they fight him, he will kill them all!" Ichigo explained.

"So, you will fight in their stead? Why is that?" The shadow asked.

"So that I can protect them," Ichigo answered.

"What if he escapes and went to another city, and tried to create an Ōken from the souls in that place?"

"I will protect them too."

"But he can create an Ōken as long as he can find souls… and the entire world is filled with souls."

"Then I will protect the entire world!"

The seventh 'clank' resonated.

"You gave me the answers I expected from you."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.

"What he meant was he was testing you by asking those questions," Artoria answered him.

"One seal was removed each time when you answered him correctly," Altria said, surprising him.

"You have successfully removed seven seals," Artoria pointed out.

"Really?" Ichigo asked shocked.

"Which means… some of our true powers can be released now," Artoria declared.

"You are right… but there are still six more seals to go," Ichigo retorted.

"Perhaps some other day." The shadow said.

"Why not release them all now?" Ichigo asked.

"Because you are about to wake up."

Ichigo got confused by his answer. "Wha-"


Dangai

Ichigo rolled back on the ground in pain as he nursed his forehead. He looked up and saw Isshin had headbutted him. A second later, Artoria and Altria had also materialized in the real world behind him.

"Y-You old goat! Why did you do that!?" Ichigo roared. "I was so close to-"

"Whatever you were doing caused the restrictive current to go haywire. Because of that, the time here has sped up even more," Isshin interrupted him.

"What?" Ichigo asked confused.

"It's probably because of that shadow," Artoria said.

"Maybe him coming here had some effect on this place," Altria said.

"Did you learned the technique to defeat Aizen?" Isshin asked in a low tone.

"I did," Ichigo replied.

"Good… I will leave the rest…" Isshin finally passed out as nearly all his Reiatsu was used up.

Ichigo broke those ropes from Isshin's wrists and carried him on his shoulder. "Let's go, we can't stay here any longer."

"You are right; with the restrictive current started again, we shouldn't stay here any longer." Artoria agreed.

The three of them left the Dangai by using their movement techniques and headed to face Aizen for the last time.


1 Hour Later…
Karakura Town


The group of Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, Chizuru, Don Kanonji and the Shinigami Zennosuke were down on the ground. Their bodies were unable to withstand the enormous amount of Reiatsu emitting form Aizen. He spent an hour chasing them around the town just for fun. He also went into another transformation because of Gin's attempted murder. His former subordinate lied in a heap before him, dying from the severe wounds he inflicted on him. Rangiku was too busy crying over Gin to pay attention to Aizen, when suddenly three figures landed on the ground behind them.

Ichigo was standing with Artoria and Altria, who looked a little older after spending almost a month in Dangai. Ichigo was also carrying his father on his right shoulder who now had sported a beard, before putting him down on the ground.

"I-Is that Ichigo, Artoria and Altria?" Keigo asked. "Maybe it's because of the hair, but they look a little taller as well…"

Ichigo turns towards them. "Keigo, Mizuiro, Tatsuki, Chiziru, Kanonji… Imoyama-"

"Who is that?! It's Kurumadani! Kurumadani Zennosuke! If you don't know, then ask! Don't just name people based on who you think they are!" Zennosuke yelled, huffing from exertion.

"Stay right where you are. All of you." Ichigo said.

"W-What do you mean, Ichigo?" Keigo asked.

"Artoria, Altria… take care of them, please."

"Don't worry about them," Artoria said.

"Just take care of him. So, we all can go home," Altria said, as Ichigo nodded.

"Are you truly... Ichigo Kurosaki?", Aizen said gaining Ichigo's attention.

"What do you mean?", Ichigo said showing no emotion.

"If you are truly Ichigo Kurosaki... then I am disappointed. You have the same amount of Reiatsu as before. Even if you were suppressing it, I could have easily sense it. You have failed to evolve. You have thrown away the last chance I bestowed upon you," Aizen said.

Aizen stuck out his left hand towards Ichigo. "Such a pity, Kurosaki-"

Aizen was cut off by Ichigo. "Aizen."

Aizen's eyes narrowed.

"Let's move away somewhere else. I don't want to fight here," Ichigo said, looking at everyōne.

"A meaningless proposal. Such words are reserved for those word the strength to challenge me. There is no need for concern. I will leave Karakura Town's destruction until after I-"

Aizen was cut off by Ichigo suddenly grabbing Aizen's face with his left hand and jumping away. As they flew over the distant town below, Aizen could only mutter "What?!" before being thrown forcefully into a deserted gorge.

The dust cleared slowly. Crouched down, Aizen could only touch his face where Ichigo had grabbed it, completely taken aback.

'Impossible! There's no way he could force me like this!'

Aizen's breathing was slowing. He had to regain his usual composure.

"Let's do this, Aizen," Ichigo said, unsheathing his Zanpakutōs which were in Shikai state. "I'll end all of this in an instant."

"End it in an instant?" Aizen smiled, "What can you do with that little Reiatsu you may have gained, along with some physical strength, but that's it…? But, do despair." Aizen continued, his grin growing wider. "I will teach you… that the physical strength you were counting on is in comparable to my own power."

And with that, the Hōgyoku planted in Aizen's chest rang out a high solid note, emitting an eerie glow. Aizen had disappeared and suddenly reappeared behind Ichigo, preparing to deal a deadly blow. But Ichigo met him head on, and their swords clashed. As Ichigo deflected Aizen's thrust with Morgan, the mountain beside them exploded into dust from the sheer, raw power.

Both took a few steps back from each other. Aizen was still smiling with his all-knowing attitude.

"You parried that well," he complimented. "How shocked you must be though. The landscape changes with the single swing of my sword. That is how powerful I am now. To tell the truth, I didn't think my abilities had improved to this extent. I'm happy, Ichigo Kurosaki. Thanks to you, I can test these powers which transcend those of Hollows and Soul Reapers to my heart's content."

Ichigo remained silent and stony faced. Aizen charged him again and again, but Ichigo continued to ward off all of his attacks. All around, the ground kept exploding each time their blades met. "I'm not done yet, Ichigo Kurosaki…" Aizen said, rushing forward for the seventh time. Yet this time, Ichigo had disappeared, using Shunpo to dodge Aizen's brutal onslaught. He reappeared on a ledge above.

"Did you really think I couldn't follow your moves?" Aizen's voice said from the sky. Ichigo leapt sideways and Aizen crashed into the earth and demolished the ledge with his Zanpakutō. Not at all fazed by this, Ichigo landed a short way away in the now clearing dust. He looked to his left. Aizen came from that direction with great speed, swinging his sword hard. Ichigo blocked it and they both stood there, swords pressing hard against each other.

"I realized during our clash just now. If I so wish… I can shatter your precious Zanpakutōs with a single swing!" As Aizen swung his sword back, Ichigo with incredible ease stopped Aizen's sword between his elbow and knee. The force generated from the strike destroyed the ground all behind Ichigo, creating a deep pit.

'Impossible!' Aizen thought, wide eyed and stunned. 'He caught it? Dodging it, I could understand; though he shouldn't even be able to dodge at that speed to begin with…! He caught my blow?'

"Why so surprised?" Ichigo asked, as calm as ever. "Is it so unbelievable that I caught your sword?"

'What?'

"Does it scare you?" Ichigo asked, looking as if he barely noticed he was still holding Aizen's blade. "That something you can't comprehend happened right before your eyes?"

At this, Aizen laughed. "Interesting, Ichigo Kurosaki…"

He leapt back, a good distance away from the boy who had just let go of Aizen's sword.

"Something I 'can't comprehend', you say? Don't talk as if you've won. It was simply a case of your physical strength momentarily exceeding mine. Miracles like that happen from time to time. But I am a being who surpasses even that. In that case, I will see to it miracles like that never happen again… by crushing you to pieces with Kidō!"

Aizen then raised his finger high into the air and began to chant, "The oozing crest of corruption! The arrogant vessel of madness! Deny the seething urge… Stun and flicker…disrupt the sleep! The crawling queen of iron! The eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill the earth, and know your powerlessness! Hadō No. 90: KUROHITSUGI!"

At once, a great, horrible blackness shined and encased Ichigo in a box-like cage. Blocking out the sky, it raised high like a tower.

"Now that I transcend both Hollows and Soul Reapers, this is Kurohitsugi with a full incantation!" Aizen shouted at Ichigo, who was disappearing from sight beneath the darkness. "It unleashes enough gravity to warp time and space! The likes of you could never comprehend it, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

Ichigo did not look the least bit concerned as the last chink of daylight was blocked from his view.

Laughing, Aizen lowered his arm and admired his now completed Kidō, feeling invincible and composed once more.

But it was not to last.

Just as he thought it was over, the unthinkable happened.

Aizen's entire Hadō shattered into powder, as if it was nothing but thin glass.

And there stood Ichigo in the center of the now-broken cube, with Morgan's hilt raised, as if he had just batted something made of eggshells with it.

Aizen was bewildered. It was impossible. How could the boy have destroyed it?

"You don't seem to realize, do you? My power is greater than the power you have right now," Ichigo said, starting to walk towards Aizen, looking him directly in the eyes. And Aizen could not look away. "The force which erased that mountain…was my sword. Here I come, Aizen."

And before Aizen could do anything more than take a step backwards, Ichigo had appeared directly in front of him.

Blood splattered onto the ground. Ichigo had neatly sliced up the latter's right shoulder. If Aizen had not stepped back in time, he would have lost his entire arm.

There was silence for a brief second, then a bright flash of light as Aizen disappeared and reappeared far away from Ichigo on a high cliff.

"What an odd feeling…" Ichigo murmured; his eyes following Aizen's every move. "During our last battle, you said I should attack you with everything I have. But now when I haven't even used half of my power, you have backed away. So, let me ask you, Aizen: Why did you back away just now?"

Aizen glared at him as he seemed to be getting angry; he was gripping his sword so tightly in an effort to control his rage that it was shaking.

"I see," he said, his voice getting louder as he went on. "You're pleased you stopped my sword? Are you pleased you overcame my Kidō? Are you pleased you put a scar on my body?" As he said this, the place where Ichigo had cut him started to regenerate. "DON'T BE SO FULL OF YOURSELF, HUMAN!"

The moment he said these words, Aizen temple cracked. Blood was oozing from his forehead; his body had frozen stock still as his eyes rolled back. His head tilted limply to one side as if he were unconscious. Just as Aizen's skin cracked open, a huge blast of blood and purple light filled the sky. The only thing to be heard was Aizen's scream – whether in anger or in agony, Ichigo could not tell.

After the smoke cleared, he could just barely make out Aizen. But Aizen looked nothing like he had before. A Hollow-like mouth with white eyes, with wings growing hideous mouths, still dripping with blood, horrible to behold – he was a monster.

As Aizen stood up, Ichigo could make out a hole in his chest, like a Hollow, but in its center rested the Hōgyoku, glimmering faintly.

"Yes…" Aizen's voice came, which was more like a growl than anything. "This is inexcusable, isn't it, Hōgyoku? That I… let a human get the better of me."

One of the mouths on the wings opened, and a small purple, glowing thing appeared there. The mouth then lent back and tossed it directly at Ichigo.

There was a deafening sound… and everything exploded.

Down in Karakura town, a shock wave hit the huddled group of humans, watching a massive burst of flame hit the sky.

"Can you hear me, Ichigo Kurosaki?" said Aizen, taunting the limp form who was Ichigo. "Indeed, for a moment, you broke the boundary between Hollows and Shinigamis to become a transcendent being. But that power is no more! Not a trace of it remains! You're not even worth trying to understand anymore. I, a true transcendent being, will kill you. By killing you, I will completely break free from both insignificant Shinigamisand Hollows alike. It's over! Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"Over, you say?" Ichigo said, bored. "Let's end this already, Aizen," Ichigo lowered his Zanpakutō as he said this, "I've grown sick… of all your arguments and logic."

He then raised Excalibur, pointing it directly at Aizen, who for some reason could not think of anything to say.

"Allow me to show you the true Excalibur Morgan," Ichigo said. Aizen watched as Excalibur and Morgan began to disengage in front of him. Soon, Artoria and Altria also came there and were standing with Ichigo. He looked at Artoria and Altria who nodded.

"Seal thirteen, decision start."

"Is the enemy more powerful than you?" Artoria asked.

"He is," Ichigo answered.

"Approved," Altria replied.

"Is the battle one-on-one?" Altria asked.

"It is," Ichigo answered.

"Approved," Artoria replied.

"Is this battle against evil?" Artoria asked.

"Yes," Ichigo replied.

"Approved," Altria said.

"Do you gain anything from this?" Altria asked.

"No,"

"Approved," Artoria replied.

"Is this battle fought inhumanely?" Artoria asked.

"No,"

"Approved," Altria said.

"Do you wish to live through this battle?" Altria asked.

"Yes,"

"Approved," Artoria replied.

"This is a battle to save this world!" Ichigo exclaimed.

They said together, ""Approved.""

Aizen watched as new blade appeared in front of Ichigo. The blade appears to have a black hilt on one side and a blue hilt on the other. It has a silver blade with black squares etched on the blade. (1)

Ichigo raised his new sword at the sky and brought it down. "Excalibur Morgan!" All of Ichigo's Reiatsu was poured out of the sword, striking Aizen precisely in half. It was a massive, golden-and-black force which savagely cut down everything laid in its path.

They watched as Ichigo's attack faded away up in the sky with a deafening, grinding noise. After that, the sword reverted back to two swords like before. Ichigo and the girls landed neatly on the ground, but then they heard a thud at a distance away.

It was Aizen, and his body was healing from Excalibur and Morgan's attack.

"He is still able to regenerate?" Ichigo asked.

Aizen was standing, still holding his sword which was disintegrating slowly.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, you lose. Observe," he said softly, holding out his Zanpakutō for Ichigo to see. "My Zanpakutō is fading away. You should know what that means," His voice grew more victorious as he went on, excitement causing him to lose his cool, usual manner. "The Hōgyoku has determined I have no need for a Zanpakutō! Like you, I have become one with the Zanpakutō and its powers. In fact, you no longer have that power, while I will reach a level far beyond that of yours!"

"It's over! Ichigo Kurosaki!" But Aizen's smile turned into a grimace. A red glowing spike appeared from his chest, as if he was impaled. Then a second, third, fourth, and fifth had appeared in a cross-like shape.

"What… is this?" He gasped and stumbled backwards. "Kidō? But when was I attacked?"

"It seems it's finally taking effect," A new voice said, as a figure appeared suddenly a little way away. Ichigo, his girlfriends, and Aizen looked up in shock at this new arrival.

"Kisuke Urahara, is this your doing?!" Aizen snarled, taking another step backwards.

"Yes," Urahara replied. "Before you were able to completely transform, when you were most vulnerable, I planted a Kidō into another Kidō and shot it into your body. It's a seal. I figured once you fused with the Hōgyoku, killing you would be nearly impossible. So, I invented a new Kidō to seal you off."

Aizen, who had been scowling all the time Urahara was talking, grinned unexpectedly.

"Is that so?" He laughed, "I hate to disappoint you. See!" Aizen held up his sword which had almost dissolved to the hilt. "At this moment, I am about to evolve even further. You can't seal me off… with this level of Kidō!"

But the moment he said those words, Aizen's protective form broke away from his right arm, crumbling into dust along with his sword.

"What?" He looked at his arm in shock. He was losing power, and fast. "What's happening?"

"It's the Hōgyoku's will," Urahara answered simply, "The reason the seal I shot into your body is only taking effect now is because your powers have weakened." He then looked gratefully at Ichigo. "It was thanks to Kurosaki-san. It was able to take effect because he fought this hard and pushed you to your limit,"

Aizen looked from his hand, to Urahara, not wanting to believe what he was saying.

"The Hōgyoku is saying it does not recognize you as its master," Urahara stated, looking back to Aizen who was glaring at him.

"That's absurd. That can't be. There's no way!" Aizen was hunched in pain; the red spikes were now sticking out of his back as well. Then, from the feet up wards, Aizen was slowly being increased by a red covering. It was the seal.

"Kisuke… Kisuke Urahara!" He spat, his voice raising with each syllable. "I despise you! With your great intellect, why don't you take action?" Aizen's arms were now being sealed, "Why do you subjugate yourself to that thing?"

"'That thing'… you mean the Soul King? I understand now… you saw, didn't you? Without the existence of the Soul King, the Soul Society would split apart. The Soul King is the keystone. Without the keystone in its place, it would fall apart easily. That's how the world is."

"THAT'S THE ARGUMENT A LOSER WOULD MAKE!" Aizen roared, now fighting the seal, breaking his hands free and pushing it away from himself. "A VICTOR MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OF HOW THE WORLD SHOULD BE, RATHER THAN HOW THE WORLD IS!"

Aizen then turned to where Ichigo was.

"ICHIGO KUROSAKI!" Aizen yelled, as the seal began solidifying up his legs, stopping the boy in his tracks. "With all your power, why do you do nothing with it!? Why do you still pretend to be a Shinigami when you could rule them all!?" He asked while glaring at the back of a head of orange hair.

Ichigo kept looking at Aizen without blinking an eye.

"Aizen, there's something I think never occurred to you with all your intelligence," Ichigo began. He wanted to get his point across before the man was sealed away. "This world isn't shaped by gods and transcendent beings; it's shaped by the people who live in it, and I would much rather be one of them, than a lonely king ruling everything."

Whether or not he understood Ichigo's words didn't seem to matter.

"THAT IS MOST CHILDISH…!" Aizen screamed, attempting to claw at the seal which almost completely covered him. "…IMMATURE!" More solid Reishi formed to replace the bit he pulled off, and merely reinforced it. "…RIDICULOUS EXCUSE I HAVE EVER-"

The seals finally covered his mouth and face, moulding together until a skinny cross seal sat where Aizen once stood. When the seal had covered him completely, it stretched and thinned into three spiked poles. Ichigo turned his head at the very last second. To think a person could be sealed away in something like that!

The clouds parted and sunlight poked through. Slowly, but surely, sunlight appeared back over Karakura Town.

"It is finally over…" Ichigo said, nodding off and falling asleep.

"Ichigo!" Urahara exclaimed. "Is he alright?" He looked at his lovers.

"Don't worry, he's fine…" Artoria replied.

"After all has happened, the exhaustion finally kicked in," Altria stated.

"Let's get him to everyone else," Urahara said, looking at the girls.

Urahara kneeled down and carried him as they vanished using their speed techniques. They went to where the wounded Shinigamis were.

"So he actually succeeded where we failed?" Captain Yamamoto said, looking at the fast asleep and snoring Ichigo, whom Artoria and Altria held onto when they arrived a few minute later. "This young man truly is a unique individual."

"You got that right, Old Man Yama," Captain Kyoraku agreed with a grin as he stood beside him.

"Aizen is defeated, but we still have his aftermath to deal with…" Yamamoto stated looking around the area. "The 4th Squad medics have already spread out to help the wounded. Captain Unohana, I will trust you to go deal with those who're more injured then the others. Lieutenant Kotetsu, you will take Ichigo Kurosaki back to the Soul Society and remain there, to make sure he gets better as soon as he can,"


The Next Day

Ichigo opened his eyes slowly while yawning, and adjusting to his surroundings, which he was sure was the 4th Squad medical barracks. He also noticed someone was snoring and curled up against him, and looked to find Artoria and Altria… who, in his opinion, both looked really cute.

"So your finally awake, Ichigo," A gentle female voice said, getting his attention. "It certainly is about time."

"Captain Unohana?" Ichigo asked, looking over at the doorway. "How long have I've been here, exactly?"

"Only for one day, so you don't have to worry," Unohana replied, walking into the room. "You were quite exhausted,"

"It does seem like that," Ichigo said, and noticed groans coming from the two girls.

"I see you have finally decided to wake up, sleeping beauty," Altria said, rubbing her eyes.

"What she means to say is that we were a little worried," Artoria said, making her counterpart red as she huffed and turned around.

"You can talk about that later, but for right now. You have some friends who will no doubt be happy to hear about you waking up," Unohana said.

Ichigo nodded before speaking again. "Are they in the waiting area?"

"Not at the moment, though they were here for as long as they could," Unohana answered him. "Your friends are staying with Captain Kuchiki. I'll inform them of you waking up, of course."

"Oh, alright... Thanks Captain Unohana," Ichigo said, stretching his arms. "Can I… uh... When can I leave here?"

"Hmm…? Oh... You can leave now if you wish," Unohana replied, softly. "You seem to have fully recovered from your exhaustion of the battle against Aizen, so I see no need for you to have to stay here... You may leave."

"Thank you for taking care of me." Ichigo bowed.

"You don't have to thank me; I was just doing my job," Unohana said with a warm smile. Ichigo and the girls made their way to Byakuya's manor in Seireitei.

After meeting up with his friends, Ichigo, Artoria and Altria went to the 1st Squad as they reported to the Head Captain about their battle with Aizen.

"IMBECILES!" Yamamoto yelled at the three captains already present, loud enough to force Ichigo and the girls to shield their ears from the shout. "How dare you lose your captain's Haori?! I might be able to overlook tearing them, but to lose then altogether?! And then you have the gall to look at me as if nothing had happened!"

"Please do not be concerned, Head Captain. I am quite happy to pay for replacements for such cheap Haori," Byakuya said calmly, which made Ichigo, Altria and even Artoria chuckle.

"That is not the point! And they're not cheap either, you witless fool! Now listen to me... There's more to a battle than just winning it at all costs! Just what do you knaves think a captain's Haori is?!" Yamamoto yelled.

"A pain," Zaraki said, bored.

"Cheap cloth," Byakuya said emotionlessly.

"Fashion?" Shunsui said, already drunk.

"Protection from cold," Ichigo said, tilting his head to the left.

"To show-off," Altria said with a snort.

"Showing your status as Captain," Artoria said seriously.

Yamamoto gets a big tic mark on his head. "Except for that blue Zanpakutō spirit, all of you are… A PACK OF MISERABLE BUFFOONS!" Yamamoto yells, and Altria looks at Zaraki.

"So how many heart attacks has he had?" Altria asked, as Kenpachi smiles at that, and Yamamoto gets even more pissed.

"YOU IDIOT CHILD!" Yamamoto yelled again.


Evening

After a long lecture from Yamamoto about respecting the elders and traditions, he let them go. Ukitake informed Ichigo and others that Aizen was imprisoned for 20,000 years. Everyone was celebrating the victory, as there was a big festival going in Rukongai, as most of the Shinigami were enjoying themselves with getting drunk. As for Ichigo, he was currently waiting for his partners. The two girls had decided after the battle it would be good to relax a little by enjoying the festival.

Ichigo was currently sitting on the hallway, which was connected to the garden of the Kuchiki mansion, waiting for the girls – Rukia and Orihime were dressing them up. Ichigo was wearing a black Yukata with purple sash and a purple Haori, swinging his right leg forward and backward being bored waiting for them, as he looked up at the night sky and sighed.

'Just how long will they take?' Ichigo thought.

"Sorry for the wait, Ichigo."

His wish was soon granted as he heard a voice from behind. When he turned back, his eyes widened as large as a plate, and for some good few seconds, he even forgot to breathe because of the incredible sight in front of him.

Artoria was wearing a white kimono with blue flower designs on it, along with a blue obi. Her hair was in her usual bun, but she had a same flower on the right side of hair as the ones in her kimono. She was also wearing some light pink lipstick.

Altria was wearing a black kimono with red flower designs on it, along with a red obi. Her hair was also in her usual bun, and she also had a same flower on her right side of hair as the ones in her kimono. Just like Artoria, she was also wearing some light pink lipstick.

"Will you say something, or just stare at us all night?" Altria said.

"I don't like dressing up too much, but I would also like to hear your thoughts about our clothing," Artoria said.

"Y-You two look really beautiful. I was completely surprised at how gorgeous you two are," Ichigo said with a huge blush on his face. His compliment made them blush as well.

"T-Thank you Ichigo," Altria said with a blush, twirling her hair nervously.

"I-I am h-happy to hear that," Artoria said with the same blush.

"Well, then, you three love birds… enjoy," Rukia teased.

"Have fun, you three!" Orihime said.

"We will see you two later," Ichigo said.

The three of them left the Kuchiki manor and headed to the festival. As expected, the place was brawling with crowd. Everyone were enjoying themselves. Most of the men were looking at the Hero of the Winter War and his partners as they passed. All of the men, and even some girls, were charmed by the Zanpakutō spirits as to how beautiful they looked.

"Now that I think of it, this is the first festival you two have come to, right?" Ichigo asked.

"We have seen through you what happens in these festivals," Altria answered with a thoughtful look.

"But this is our first time coming to one in reality," Altria continued.

"Well, then, I will do my best to make it memorable for you two," Ichigo said.

"We will take you on it then," Altria replied.

"So, is there something you two want to do first?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't know… What about you, Sister?" Altria asked and looked to Ichigo's other side, but saw no one.

She and Ichigo looked around, then turned back, and saw Artoria looking at a ring tossing booth. The two of them went to her.

"What are you looking at, Artoria?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh, it's that," Artoria pointed at a pair lion stuffed animals.

"Stuffed animals? Do you like them?" Ichigo asked.

"I find it very charming… Those ones resemble lions!" Artoria looked at Ichigo and her counterpart. "Do you two find it odd?"

Ichigo giggled a little. "Actually, lions fit your image perfectly. Do you want it?"

"If it is not too much of a bother," Artoria said, blushing slightly.

Altria pulled Ichigo's right sleeve as he saw Altria was also blushing a little.

"Do you want one as well?" Ichigo asked. She replied with a small nod while looking away to hide her blush.

"How much?" Ichigo asked the booth attendant.

"1 ring, 100 ryō, and 5 rings, 400 ryō," the attendant replied.

"1 ring, please." Ichigo handed the attendant the money.

Ichigo lined up his shot, and tossed the ring with a lazy, almost carefree swing, watching as it slides on the pair of the lions.

"Wow, you did it with only one try," The attendant said with amazement as he handed Ichigo the lions, and he in turn handed them to the girls.

"Thank you, Ichigo," Artoria said, holding the lion close to her chest.

"Thanks." Altria mimicked Artoria's actions.

"It was nothing." Ichigo combed a hand through his hair. "We should try some of the food stalls,"

"You are right," Artoria agreed. "I want to eat Ikayaki and Okonomiyaki."

"I want to try those things called Takoyaki and Yakisoba," Altria said.

"Then let's go! What are we waiting for?" Ichigo smiled and started to walk.

After having their share of food, they were ready to see the fireworks Kūkaku was in charge of. Right now, the three of them were walking thought the forest.

"Ichigo, where are we headed to?" Artoria asked.

"Well, Kūkaku told me a great spot to see the fireworks, so that is where we are going," Ichigo answered.

"You met her recently?" Altria asked curiously.

"I ran into her this morning in Rukngai. She said we will get a really good look from the place we are heading to," Ichigo explained. "And here we are."

With that said, the girls looked at the sky and saw they indeed had a clear view, away from all the crowds. Soon the fireworks started as the three of them looked at it with excitement and awe.

"We should thank Kūkaku for telling us about such a good place," Artoria said.

"For once, I am glad I know that psycho woman," Altria chuckled.

"You shouldn't call her that, you know," Ichigo also chuckled a little.

"It really is beautiful," Artoria said looking at the fireworks.

"I agree," Altria said.

"Yeah... really beautiful…" Ichigo said, but he wasn't really looking at the fireworks. Instead, he was looking at the girls as multiple colors from the fireworks bathed them with a beautiful glow.

Then, at the same time, Ichigo and the girls turned their heads to each other, staring into each other's eyes.

When Ichigo looked at them, it was like love at first sight, again. The glow from fireworks made them breathtakingly beautiful, even though they were already beautiful enough normally. It seemed they just couldn't get any more beautiful. He felt some heat rise to his cheeks as he stared at them.

When Artoria and Altria looked at him, the same could be said with their emotions. His brown eyes were their favorite part about him, physically at least. His eyes, which could look right through someone's soul, and was always seemingly glowing. They could get lost in them for so long, They really could. They also felt heat rising to their cheeks.

Ichigo brought Artoria closer as their faces grew closer to each other. With Ichigo being taller, he leaned his head down. With every inch they moved closer to each other, their eyes slowly closed… until finally, their lips met. Her soft lips pressed against his. Her hands trailed up his chest then wrapped around his neck pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. His hands trailed down her waist and wrapped around it pulling her closer also. Both of their eyes closed shut, their bodies pressed against each other. After a while, they separated as a trail of saliva was linked to their lips.

Ichigo then pulled Altria closer and started caressing her intimately and passionately, like he did with Artoria. He moved toward her and immediately gave her a passionate kiss, with Altria immediately answering back. They weren't taking any breaks, and after a while, Altria felt his tongue exploring the insides of her mouth. She felt a little weak after that, while he only wanted more and more of her taste. After a minute of kissing, they had to separate reluctantly because of the need for air. Like with Artoria, she also had a trail of saliva conned to his lips.

Forgetting the things around them, nothing else mattered right now, their focus was just on each other. Staring each other, taking in the passionate moment they had just shared.

"It seems… the fireworks are over," Artoria said, breaking the silence.

"It ended when we were busy… doing that," Ichigo said blushing.

"You mean when we were tasting each other?" Altria said, making him and Artoria blush.

"A-Altria!" Ichigo yelled.

"S-Sister… you shouldn't just say it like t-that!" Artoria said, blushing like Ichigo.

"Calm down, you two. Besides, it's not like this was our first kiss," Altria said chuckled.

"Ichigo and I are just not comfortable showing affections in public places," Artoria retorted.

Altria chuckled at her embracement. "I had a really great time, Ichigo," she said with a small smile.

"Same for me," Artoria said.

"I did too," Ichigo agreed. "We should go to another date like this someday again,"

"Hmm, it would be fun," Altria agreed.

"I agree, it will certainly be enjoyable experience like we had this evening," Artoria said.

After a moment they headed back to the Kuchiki Manor as they enjoyed the silence with each other.


Next time: Old life and New trouble

See you all in the next chapter