Bleach Fanstory: After the War

Bleach Fan story: After the War

By Michael Xu

Initial Comments:

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo

This is purely a fan story and I don't own any of the characters in it, apart from OC I may create.

Summary

Aizen Sousuke has succeeded in creating the King's key, and has taken his place as God of all Dimensions. The Soul Society is in ruins, with Karakura Town completely obliterated. The survivors of Karakura Town and the Gotei 13 have retreated back to the real world, merging into normal society, in the hopes that one day; they may truly overthrow Aizen for good. The story begins four years later, with Ichigo continuing his double life as a substitute Shinigami.

Story so far: Ichigo, Rukia, Ishida, Renji, and the other members of the Gotei 13 Shinigami hiding in Tokyo, undergo extensive training during the two weeks leading up to the invasion to retake Soul Society. Ichigo trains with his father, Rukia trains with her brother Byakuya, Ishida trains with his father. Renji, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Yoruichi and Soifon, all train underneath Renji's shop. Kenpachi tries to talk to his Zankpato whilst in solitary confinement, and Ikakku and Yumichika train at Keigo's house. The two weeks quickly go by, and all of the shinigami meet up outside Tokyo University, where Captain Kurotsuchi has installed a Senkaimon to the Soul Society. Ichigo volunteers to lead an eight-man team comprised of Rukia, Renji, Ishida, Kenpachi, Yachiru, Ikakku and Yumichika, through the Senkaimon to assault Soul Society. The rest of the Gotei 13 stay behind, anticipating a retaliatory strike by Aizen...

Chapter 10: Intruderz

Sirens rang throughout Soul Society. The sudden appearance of a gate in the middle of Rukongai was quickly noticed by the people in command of Seireitei. In the former 1st division Headquarters, the seven Royal Guards placed in charge of Soul Society by Aizen met to discuss the situation. Each of these Royal Guards was an incarnation of a Shinto god, representative of the Pantheon that protected the Divine King. Being former captains, their powers were formidable. Chimatano, a fat lecherous man who was in charge of security, scratched his balls. Futen, an old man with a white beard, blew hard to keep himself cool. Gama, a toad like man who loved to drink, tried to open a scroll he was holding in his hand without anyone looking. Hachiman, a burly robust man who loved to fight, fondled his giant axe. Uzume, a beautiful black haired woman with a massively bare cleavage, couldn't stop herself from twirling around. Hamori, a skinny looking man with black eyes, snored on his rake. Ajisuke, a loud mouthed kid who couldn't stop speaking, banged on a drum around his waist.

All seven of them were looking at reports that had come in from the Tengu scouts on patrol around the Seirei walls.

"What is the situation, Futen?" Hachiman asked in a rough voice. The commander of the Tengu stroked his beard.

"The scouts detect eight large spiritual pressures coming from the Dangai. I believe they are members of the former Gotei 13," Futen said.

"Shall we inform Aizen-Sama?" Uzume asked. The seven Royal Guards looked at each other, before agreeing to send a report. At once a signal from the central communication station of Seireitei was sent to an unknown destination.

At the same time, in a completely separate dimension, Ichimaru Gin received a message on his call register. The right hand of Aizen, now living a live of comfort in the King's realm, pressed a buzzer to receive the message.

"Yes, who is it?" he asked.

"There's a disturbance in the Soul Society," a voice that Gin recognised as Chimatano spoke. "A gate has been opened in West Rukongai. We believe the source is coming from the real world, and have detected eight spiritual bodies coming through the Dangai."

"I see. Tell the other Royal Guard to deal with the intruders as swift and brutal as possible. I shall report this matter to Aizen-sama." Ichimaru hung up. He got up from the couch he was sitting on and walked along majestic imperial corridors until he reached the throne room. This was an enormous space, with a ceiling many hundreds of metres high. At the other end of this 'room', hundreds of metres away, was a gigantic throne, perched upon a pedestal a thousand steps high. Sitting on the golden throne and wearing a golden crown on his head was the new King of All Dimensions, Aizen Sousuke.

"Yes, Gin?" Aizen asked.

"Aizen-sama, some of the Gotei 13 members we forgot to eliminate are coming through the Dangai into Soul Society," Ichimaru replied.

"Oh those rats," Aizen snickered. "How many of them are there?"

"About eight. One of them is definitely Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Is that so? Well, I expect the Royal Guard there will deal with them promptly. However, there is something I want you to do."

"What is it, Aizen-sama?"

"Tell Raiden and Marisha to go to Hueco Mundo and contact the Horsemen. I want them to lead a strike upon the Gotei 13 members who are still hiding in the real world."

"Ah, I see, crushing two birds with one stone. How thoughtful of you, Aizen-sama," Gin laughed and then bowed his head. "I shall go tell them." He exited the throne room. Aizen was left to sit on his throne room, thinking how his enemies would be utterly crushed at last and final victory would be his.

"Aizen-dono?" a female voice asked from behind the throne. Aizen turned around and smiled. It was Inoue Orihime. No longer the sweet and innocent girl who Aizen had abducted and placed as hostage in Hueco Mundo, she had transformed into a vengeful goddess, and began calling herself Amaterasu. She was wearing an elaborate pink robe with a collar that tapered into a disk that resembled the sun. A diamond crown with a ruby set in it adorned her forehead.

"My Queen, what can I do for you?" Aizen asked.

"Has something gone on? Ichimaru-san would never speak directly to you unless it was something urgent," Orihime said. Aizen closed his eyes for a moment and smiled.

"Indeed, something has happened," he walked right up to Orihime and kissed her. "Your former friends have broken into Soul Society again. The one who betrayed you, Kurosaki Ichigo, is among them." Orihime's eyes flashed evilly.

"Kurosaki-kun…I hate him. He should be killed," she said without hesitation. "What are you going to do about him, Aizen-dono?"

"I suppose I could have something special planned for him," Aizen clicked his fingers and someone who had also been hiding in the shadows stepped out. It was Yasutora Sado. He was dressed in a black jumper and black pants.

"What do you want me to do, Aizen-sama?" the one who was called Chad asked.

"Your former friend Kurosaki Ichigo has broken into the Soul Society. I am sending you down to kill him. Do you understand your orders, Yasutora Sado?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama. I will go down there and kill Ichigo." Chad nodded and was directed by Aizen to stand inside the white pentagram.

Ichigo panted heavily. The Dangai passage seemed to go on forever. Rukia, Renji and Ishida were running alongside him. Zaraki Kenpachi, Yachiru, Ikakku and Yumichika were right behind them.

"Darn, how long is this Dangai? It's way longer than the first time I went through!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"It's probably because the Senkaimon we used was much weaker than the one that Urahara owned, hence it takes more time to cross the Dangai," Rukia explained.

"Whatever-hey I can see the opening!" Ichigo saw a bright shining light ahead. He broke through that light and was briefly blinded by a flash. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of what appeared to be a Rukongai district. Only this district looked worse than any of the third world slums he had seen on television. All of the houses were torn down or shattered. Garbage, dead bodies and faeces littered the streets. Rats scurried about like scavengers. The stench was overwhelming. Everywhere they looked there was nothing but devastation.

"I…don't believe this," Renji gasped. "This isn't Nishi Rukongai!"

"Are you serious? Is this meant to be Nishi Rukongai?" Ichigo asked.

"Looks more like Inuzuri or my home district of Zaraki to me," Kenpachi smirked. Rukia got out her soul pager and clicked on it.

"No, this is definitely Nishi Rukongai. Captain Kurotsuchi calibrated the Senkaimon to open at exactly the same destination that Urahara's gate opened at," Rukia said.

"Something must have happened here, I guess," Ishida looked around. "I don't sense any spiritual pressures around."

"The citizens must have all been herded up into camps," Renji gnashed his teeth. "Darn that Aizen!"

"Well, there's no point staying in one spot," Ichigo said. "Let's get moving." He started running in the direction of Seireitei, and the others followed him.

"The Seireimon gate is bound to be closed," Rukia told him up close.

"I know. We've got to find Shiba Kukaku and break in through using the Flower Crane Cannon."

"Knowing her, I doubt we'll be able where she lives that easily," Ishida pointed out.

"Heh, I wish Yoruichi had come with us," Ichigo smiled. "Oh well, we'll know where she lives as soon as we see it."

Just as Ichigo's group neared the Seireimon gate, a figure suddenly fell from the sky. Ichigo stopped just as the ground in front of him exploded. He covered his eyes from the blast.

"What is that?" Rukia asked. She too was covering her eyes. Ichigo squinted. As the dust began to clear he could make out the shape of a person. From looking at the person's robust shoulders Ichigo immediately knew who it was.

"Chad!" Ichigo exclaimed. The dust finally cleared to reveal the figure of Yasutora Sado, clad entirely in black, and with his right armoured arm activated. As Ichigo looked closer, he noticed there was something strange about Sado. His eyes were different; they cast a murderous glare. Before Ichigo or the others could say anything else, Sado fired a blast from his arm at them. Ichigo barely managed to raise his blade and deflect the blast in time.

"What the hell? How come you're shooting at us Sado?" Ichigo asked. He looked at Sado again, whose face was emotionless.

"Ichigo, I am here to kill you," Sado said bluntly." Ichigo gasped.

"Something's wrong with Sado," Ishida pointed. "His eyes are different than before. He must have been brainwashed by Aizen!"

"No wonder Chad wants to kill me," Ichigo sighed.

"Dealing with him is going to be troublesome…Chad was once our nakama. We can't just kill him," Rukia said.

"Yeah, but knocking him out won't be easy," Renji added.

"I know what to do now," Ichigo said. "Ishida, Rukia, Renji, the rest of you can go and find Kukaku. I'll stay and deal with Chad." After some thought, all of them agreed.

"Alright, we'll go," Rukia nodded. "Take of yourself Ichigo." She waved him goodbye as she and the others headed eastwards. You too Rukia, Ichigo thought to himself as he grasped Zangetsu in both hands. Chad was going to be a difficult opponent.

"Tell me something, Chad. Why do you want to kill me? Were you sent here by Aizen?" Ichigo asked. "Since when did you decide to join up with a guy like…?" Before Ichigo could finish his sentence, Sado fired another blast that just missed his face.

"You want to know the answer? I didn't decide join with Aizen-I was forced to, by you!" Sado exclaimed. "You abandoned me, Ichigo. You told me long ago, that you would fight for me whenever I was in danger, as I would fight for you. Why did you betray that promise?" Chad charged at Ichigo, firing another blast at him. Ichigo leaped a hundred feet backwards to avoid the blast.

"Who says I betrayed that promise? I would have come after you if I knew how!" Ichigo shouted. "How was I supposed to break into the King's realm to rescue you?"

As he walked towards Ichigo, Sado's arms began to change. The right arm expanded into shield with a gaping red mouth. At the same time, his left arm became all whitish and grew a spike on top.

"The time for words is over. My orders are to kill you, and I shall fulfil that objective," Sado said. He lifted up his right arm and shouted, "El Directo!" This time a far more powerful blast shot out, rushing towards Ichigo at supersonic speed. Ichigo made a desperate leap into the air. As he did so, he failed to see Sado had also leaped into the air. Sado punched Ichigo hard in the stomach with his left arm, sending him flying through the air. He crashed into several buildings nearly half a mile away. Ichigo struggled to climb out of the rubble, coughing up blood as he did so. He now had a nasty bruise on his forehead. He saw Sado walking towards him. The sight of his arms confused Ichigo; this was a power-up he hadn't seen before.

"You don't know do you, what my arms can do, Ichigo?" Sado asked. He held up his right arm. "Brazo Derecho de Gigante, the right arm of the giant. This arm is my defensive arm, and this…" Sado held up his left arm. "…is my offensive arm. Brazo Izquierdo del Diablo, the left arm of the devil." Ichigo was stunned. The power and spiritual pressure that Sado was emitting was unreal. He stood no chance with his Shikai.

"I guess I have no choice," he sighed, grasping Zangetsu with both hands. "Bankai!" A black aura engulfed Ichigo, surrounding him with condensed reiatsu. When the aura cleared, he was in his Bankai form. Ichigo wasted no time in attacking. With one single step, he reappeared directly in front of Chad and fired a point blank Getsuga Tensho. Sado was sent crashing through multiple buildings. He jumped into the air, with a large slash across his chest that was now bleeding heavily. Ichigo seized the moment to swing Tensa Zangetsu around in circles. This was the first time he had activated Chouseki Hadou, and he prayed for it to work. Within twenty seconds, the blade had built up maximum energy. Ichigo Shunpo-ed directly in front of Sado again and pressed his blade against Sado's chest. Before Sado could even react, Ichigo discharged all of the energy he had built in the blade in one powerful beam. Sado was sent tumbling towards the ground, creating a huge crater upon impact. Ichigo hovered tentatively over the crater, waiting for the smoke to clear. I should have damaged him a lot already. His power doesn't compare to my Bankai right now.

When the smoke did clear however, Ichigo's eyes widened. Sado was now completely different. A white hollow-like armour covered his entire torso, and he was now wearing a white skull helmet, much like the hollow mask Ulquiorra had worn. As Sado stood up, he let out a truly uncharacteristic laugh.

"You are strong Ichigo. I'm amazed that even my two arms couldn't match your power," Sado said. "But, during the time I spent with Aizen-sama, I discovered a new ability. I unlocked the inner ferociousness I had kept hidden ever since my abuelo told me never to hurt other people. That was I kept on getting beat up, since I didn't fight back. Then you came and told me to cover your back as you covered mine…but that only lead to misery and pain. Aizen told me the truth; that sort of philosophy is naïve. We're all foolish beings aren't we? It's better to think of protecting yourself before you can protect other people. The hollow that was inside me thinks the same way, which is why I let him take over my back. Because of this, I've gained a new ability, Armadura del Dioces; armour of the gods." Before Ichigo could even say something Sado flew at him at astounding speed. Ichigo barely blocked a blow from his left arm with his sword.

His speed has increased greatly, and so has his power. I can barely hold him, Ichigo thought, as he pressed against Sado's left hand. Sado smirked.

"La Muerte," he spoke. Ichigo felt an instantaneous blast smash right through his waist. He was sent flying through the air, and crashed into the ground at incredibly velocity. He jumped out of the ground soon after, but was kicked in the face by Sado, sending him skidding along the ground for nearly half a mile before he managed to stand up again. He coughed up a huge amount of blood; his stomach and intestines had nearly been pulverized.

Shit, I'm screwed if I get hit by one of those again! What power! Looks like I have to go Vizard to match him…As he saw Sado charging towards him at breakneck speed, Ichigo quickly pulled out his mask. He was engulfed by another huge black aura, and Sado was momentarily taken aback by the sudden jump in reiatsu. Ichigo seized upon his hesitation. Before the black aura faded away, he Shunpo-ed towards Sado, landing another point blank Getsuga Tensho upon his chest. To Ichigo's surprise there wasn't even a scratch, and that GT was way more powerful than the first one he inflicted. He narrowly dodged another La Muerte strike from Sado and tried to activate Chouseki Hadou once again. Drawing upon his hollow powers, Ichigo filled Zangetsu up to maximum power in less than ten seconds, and Shunpo-ed behind Sado, unleashing a point blank beam directly at Sado's neck. The beam didn't even penetrate. Instead, Ichigo was knocked backwards a hundred metres.

What the hell? His armour is even tougher than an arrancar's hierro! I can't even scratch it with a full blast Chouseki Hadou. This is bad. What shall I do? Ichigo sweated as he saw Sado walking towards him slowly.

"Why don't I help you, king?" Ichigo's hollow suddenly spoke to him in his mind.

"You know something that will work? What is it?" Ichigo asked.

"Gran Rey Cero." Ichigo was stunned.

"How do you know that? Did you pick it up as you watched me fight Grimmjow?"

"Of course! The memory of his attack should have been embedded in your head!"

"Whatever, just show me how to do it. You can take control of my body if you like. But don't go overboard. We need to knock Sado out, not obliterate him."

"Okay, just leave it to me!" Ichigo's hollow laughed. Ichigo felt a weird sensation as a sudden consciousness took control of half his mind. It was like he had two different sets of eyes. As Sado was about to charge him, Ichigo shouted, "Bakudo number 61, Rikujokorou!" Six bright orange triangular rods appeared from nowhere and attached themselves to Sado's waist. The big man was immobilized, and struggle to break free.

"This is it! I'll show you how to cast it!" Ichigo's hollow exclaimed. Ichigo subconsciously placed Zangetsu on the ground with his left hand, then cut his right index finger on the blade. He spread out his right hand and the blood that dripped from his middle finger changed into pure spirit energy, charging into a massive light blue sphere. At this moment, Sado succeeded in breaking out of the Bakudo and resumed his charge.

"Say it with me, king!" Ichigo's hollow shouted. The words flashed in front of Ichigo's eyes.

"Gran Rey Cero!" Ichigo yelled, and fired a truly massive cero directly at Sado. Sado's eyes widened in shock. The immense light blue beam smashed into him, and he barely blocked it with his right arm. Ichigo maintained the pressure, continuously pouring his spirit energy into the beam, Sado was constantly getting pushed back. Sensing he was loosing it, Ichigo seized upon the opportunity to mount one final effort, increased the cero's power one more time. This was enough to completely consume Sado, who let out an inhuman scream. The blast thundered right across Rukongai and exploded in a huge shower of sparks.

Ichigo panted heavily. The attack had taken nearly all of his remaining spirit pressure. His mask shattered and his blade reverted to its Shikai state. When the dust cleared he saw that the cero had carved a gaping trench through miles and miles of Rukongai. Lying in the middle of the trench was the figure of Sado, now unconscious. His armour had been completely blown off, and his arms had gone back to normal. His clothes and skin were singed and smoke rose from his body. Ichigo bent down and checked his pulse; Sado's heart was still beating. He lifted his former friend over his shoulder and walked out of the trench. Just then he realized he had no idea where he was. His battle with Sado had taken them far away from the Seireimon. He wandered through the abandoned houses, searching for any clues of his location.

As he walked out of a small forest, he beheld an amazing sight. In front of him was a gargantuan crater. It was so vast that Ichigo couldn't even see the other side, but he estimated its diameter to be more than five miles wide. Inside the crater was nothing but blackness. It wasn't necessarily a hole but rather a void of darkness, and it was sucking in pieces of rubble. Ichigo had never seen a crater like this before, but then again, he wasn't familiar with the physical geography of Soul Society. He tried going close to the crater to inspect it, but he was suddenly stopped by a loud voice.

"HEY, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'R GOING?" someone shouted from behind him. Ichigo turned around, and gasped. It was Ganju. He was wearing the same black vest and white pants he had worn when Ichigo first met him.

"Ganju!" Ichigo exclaimed. "It's great to see you again!"

"Long time no see, Ichigo," Ganju smirked. 'So, what are you doing back in the Soul Society? Going on another heroic rescue trip again?"

"Yeah, sort of."

"Then you can rule me out of it. I've already had the shit beat out of my by Nee-san twice because I failed to keep up with you guys." Ichigo laughed.

"Ah well, at least you tried. So, is this where you currently live?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, my abode is in a cave a short distance away," Ganju replied.

"I see. Then tell me something else. What is that huge crater?" Ichigo pointed to the crater right in front of them.

"You don't know what that thing is? What the hell's happened to your memory? That's the remnants of Karakura Town!" Ganju shouted. Ichigo froze. He remembered the giant explosion four years ago, the expanding white dome that covered half the sky, followed by the mushroom cloud. He had fled to the real world before he could witness the aftermath of the explosion; and he was grateful he did. If had seen this crater four years ago, his heart would have shattered.

"So that's where Karakura town once stood," Ichigo said. He tried walking close to the rim of the crater, but was stopped by another voice, followed by a stomp. He turned around again, and saw the towering figure of Jidanbo, the former gate guardian of West Rukongai, still wearing his gatekeeper uniform with two axes strapped to his belt.

"Don't go any closer to the crater," Jidanbo said. The giant picked up a large boulder from the ground and threw into the crater. Before the rock could even descend below the crater rim, it disintegrated into nothing. Ichigo flinched back.

"Yikes! I would have been annihilated if I had fallen in. So the fallout from the explosion is still incredibly strong, right?"

"Yeah, this is the reason why districts 69 to 80 have been completely deserted and emptied of people. Those who hung around the vicinity of the crater developed a mysterious disease never before seen in Soul Society, and died soon after. The virus spread everywhere and everyone fled to neighbouring districts. Those who were infected were left to die painful deaths," Ganju explained.

"If that's the case, then why are you here? Aren't you danger of being infected?"

"Nah, I managed to find out the right distance from the crater where the spiritual aftermath doesn't affect you. However, if we stay here any longer we might be in danger of catching the virus. Let's go back to my abode."

"Thanks for the offer, but I can't afford to tarry around here. I have to go back to my friends soon. They've likely broken into the Seireitei by now. There is something I want you to do though," Ichigo placed Sado, who had been on his back the whole time, on the ground.

"Isn't that the big guy who came with you the first time?" Ganju. "Why is he knocked out? Did he and you have a fight?"

"It's a long story. I'll explain it you once I get a chance to. For now, take him back to your abode and let him recover. Once Seireitei has been retaken, I'll come back to get him."

"Don't worry about it. I'm planning on going back to Nee-san in a few days' time. I'll bring your friend along on Bonnie."

"Well, I'll leave you to him, Ganju," Ichigo said. He then turned to Jidanbo. "Hey, Jidanbo, you think you can do me a favour?"

"What is it Ichigo?" Jidanbo asked.

"Think you can open the Seireimon gate for me? It must have been a long time since you were a gatekeeper. I'm sure you want your old job back." The giant smiled.

"Of course. I'm happy to open the gate for you. When I first met you, I became so depressed after Ichimaru Gin cut my arm off. I started to think I was a worthless gatekeeper. But now I know that he lied to me. I'll carry you all the way to the wall to the Seireimon gate and then I will open it all the way up!"

"Thanks a lot Jidanbo," Ichigo turned to see Ganju again. "See you later Ganju. Take care of Chad for me will you?"

"Of course! Take care of yourself!" Ganju gave Ichigo the thumbs up sign as Jidanbo lifted him up onto this shoulder. The giant started running in the direction of the Seireimon, creating shocks in the ground with every step.

Notes: The assault on Soul Society has begun! This is the first chapter of a new arc, one focused mainly on the Soul Society. There are many new characters and ideas which may confuse readers, so I shall explain them.

The Royal Guards: This is the major development in this chapter. They will be the main antagonists for the rest of the story. Since Kubo hasn't specified what the Royal Guards look like, I took it into my own hands and developed the Royal Guards based on the most popular gods of Japanese Mythology. I figured that once a prominent captain of the Gotei 13 gets promoted to the Royal Guards, he or she loses her individual identity, and assumes the title and nature of the god whose position they are given. The nine Royal Guards mentioned so far are:

Ajisuke: Full name, Takakihone Ajisuke . A child-like Royal Guard who's the same height as Hitsugaya. Has spiky yellow hair. Is the son of Raiden. Based on the Shinto god of the same name.

Chimatano: Based on the Japanese Signpost god. Is in charge of the security forces. The god he is based on is represented by phallic images, so naturally enough he is lecherous and his powers are ahem phallis-based.

Futen: An old man who looks like Yama except with hair on his head. Is one of the four 'elemental' Royal Guards, and is based on the God of Wind. Is in charge of communications and lookouts.

Gama: A Based upon the Japanese God of Longevity. Full name Konsensei Gama. Like the god he's based on, he is very close to toads and frogs. Carries around a secret scroll that nobody can open.

Hachiman: A burly man who likes to fight. Wields a full-time release Shikai in the shape of an axe. Is based on the Japanese God of war.

Hamori: A somehwat older version of Hanataro, except he's not as hopeless. Is in charge of healing and cleaning. Carries a rake all day. Based on the Japanese God of Leaves.

Marisha: Full name Ten Marisha. An aggressive female dominatrix. Is based on the Japanese Goddess of War. More about her in later chapters.

Raiden: Based on the Japanese God of Lightning. Father of Ajisuke. More about him in later chapters.

Uzume: Sort of like a black-haired Matsumoto, with similar dimensions. Is extremely hyperactive. Based on the Japanese Goddess of Dancing.

Aizen, Gin, Orihime and Chad: Aizen has obviously become the new Spirit King. Gin remains his loyal Right hand man. Orihime has completely changed. She is now Aizen's 'queen'. The name that she calls herself now, Amaterasu, is obviously based on the Japanese Sun Goddess. More of about her will be revealed in later chapters.

Chad: Chad has gone back to the violent nature he had before he met his Grandfather. In addition to his two arms, I gave him a new power up, Armadura del Dioces, the Armour of the Gods. It's a fititng name for a new ability that covers Chad in a skin that is much tougher than Hierro.

Ichigo's Gran Rey Cerob: This is his ultimate hollow ability. He can't perform it without the help of Shirosaki. I figured that Shirosaki picked up how to do the technique from Grimmjow during their final battle. Ichigo doesn't know of course, and this is the only time he will be able to use the technique.

A lot more exciting developments are going to happen in the upcoming chapters, with a lot more exciting fights! Keep the reviews coming! The responses so far have been very helpful.