Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!
Minato Uzumaki: Heh, truth be told at first I hadn't intended for him to release. But I released that since he started pitying Nnoitra more then hating him. He would pay his final respects to the Sexta by showing him his own release as well and essentially have Nnoitra go down as an equal.
Indeed, the new Espada will be introduced this chapter. You all know them. But no it is not Harribel. She will make her appearance eventually though, that is inevitable. But not just yet.
Lycodrake: Yes, Harribel and her Fracción will be added at one point or another. I can promise you that much. Just, not yet.
DarkJason:I am not exactly certain where on the timeline my story would currently lie. But the truth is that no more then a month or three have passed so I believe it would actually be somewhere at the end of the Bounto arc. Then again, Bounto-arc never happened in my story.
Apart from that I'm glad you saw Nnoitra's demise as a warrior's death as that is in the end what I had intended it as.
James D. Fawkes: I am as of yet not certain if he will have Segunda Etapa. As I have stated before I would first like to know how it is achieved in the first place. Is it random depending on the potential of the Arrancar or is it achieved by hard work such as a Shinigami's bankai?
Nonetheless if I deem it necessary for Ichigo to possess the Segunda Etapa transformation then he will eventually have one. But for now, no he won't, at the very least not yet.
X009: For now I am not yet certain what other abilities Ichigo's resurrección will grant him. Though you can be sure there are going to be more then just that one.
Wether Nnoitra is dead remains to be seen. If I can use him again in the story. I might, I never literally wrote that he died so that makes it quite easy for me.
Grinja: As for Aizen knowing about Ichigo and Nel's visits to his only prisoner. You will find out soon.
mlkoolc86: And that's where you got me. I should've realized I did something wrong. Starrk indeed, is the same person as he is in canon, along with Lilynette. Thus instead of a Zanpakutou appearing it should have been Lilynette. Thanks for paying such close attention, I will edit this rather big mistake on my part as soon as possible.
kazekyuu: Ugh. Thank you for pointing that out as well. If I hate one thing it annoying little grammar mistakes such as that. I will try to edit this as soon as possible as well. Though it might take significantly longer since I'll inevitably have to read the entire story again.
In general: A big thanks to you everyone for your fantastic reviews and positive comments. I truly appreciate the questions, the criticism and ofcourse the praise. I realise this story has grown far faster then I originally intended, as someone just pointed out it is only a little over a week old. But once again, thank you for the fantastic reviews and I hope you enjoy reading the next chapter.
Chapter 9: Replacements.
Ichigo raised his hand to block another pair of swift thrusts aimed at his chest by Ggio. Ggio quickly unleashed a long combination thrusts and swipes at Ichigo but it was once more in vain.
It had been almost a week since the battle between Ichigo and Nnoitra and it was still being talked about all around Las Noches. Ggio for his part, couldn't be happier about it, as he was the sole Fracción of the Espada who beat up Nnoitra effortlessly.
Ever since the battle Ichigo had been training Ggio almost daily. Ggio would be allowed to use anything. He could use any ability he possessed and was allowed to release if he so pleased. Ichigo on the other hand was not even allowed to draw his sword.
This was, as Ichigo had called it, the first part of Ggio's training. They would spar continuously untill Ggio managed to draw blood. Which basically meant managing to break through Ichigo's hierro.
The first few days Ggio hadn't fared well. But after some tips from Ichigo he had gradually begun to improve. So far he had even managed to make some deep scratches in Ichigo's hierro but he wasn't at the point where he would be able to draw blood just yet.
In an attempt to anger Ggio, which somehow always managed to increase his efforts, Ichigo looked over at the edge of the training ground. Sitting there on a bench was Nelliel along with Pesche and Dondochakka. The latter animatedly talking to one another while Nel was currently staring off into space. Ichigo smirked, unsure if he wanted to know what went on inside of that woman's head.
Proving himself right once more Ichigo felt the intensity of Ggio's strikes increase and so he turned his attention back to the fight. Ggio's breathing, Ichigo noticed, was getting more labored with each passing second. And so Ichigo held up his hand, signifying they were done for the day.
Walking over to Nelliel he saw she had now returned to the world of the living and was currently looking at the two approaching Arrancar. Reaching her, Ichigo accepted the two bottles of water she offered him and he quickly handed one to Ggio who nodded his thanks.
It had taken a couple of days before Ggio got the hang of how to act around Ichigo and to an extend Nel and her Fracción. But he had been steadily improving. There were no more kneeling greetings or constant mentionings of the word 'Ichigo-sama'. Ofcourse when Ggio refered to him it was still in that very way but then again that was to be expected. Wether you considered your Fracción your friends, tools or servants one thing that would never changed was that they acted respectfully towards their masters.
"Ichigo-sama,"Ggio spoke up, pulling Ichigo out of his thoughts. "I was wondering, those things you did with Nnoitra last week. The rods of light that seemed to lock him in place, the way his arms seemed to get bound behind his back. What was that?"
Ichigo smirked. Ggio had been the first one to ask him about that, which proved he was more perceptive then Ichigo had previously thought. Even though he had whispered the incantation of Bakudou #1 in his fight with Nnoitra, it was obvious that everyone had seen the effects and would probably wonder what he'd done.
"It was Kidou, Ggio," Ichigo spoke up, answering Ggio's question. Ggio for his part looked even more confused.
"The Art of Kidou is a bunch of abilities, spells really, that are taught to Shinigami in Soul Society." Ichigo explained. "I once asked Aizen if we, as Arrancar, could learn such techniques. He was positive we could and so I requested to be trained in it." Ichigo lied. Not wanting to show the blatant favoritism Aizen had shown him.
Ggio could only stare at Ichigo. His master had been learning some of the Shinigami arts? Ggio didn't exactly understand, they were Hollow weren't they? Why would they want to learn something that's commonly learned by Shinigami. It appeared as if Ichigo could see the confusion written on Ggio's face as he decided to answer the question for the Arrancar.
"Tell me Ggio, what would you be willing to do for power?" Ichigo asked his Fracción.
"Well, generally I would do a lot for power. But it would depend on what kind of power." Ggio told Ichigo, though the uncertainty could be heard in his voice as if he wasn't sure if his master would approve of his answer.
"My kind of power, Ggio." Ichigo explained.
Ggio's eyes widened. The kind of power Ichigo-sama held? He would do absolutely anything for that.
"I would do anything for that, Ichigo-sama!" Ggio exclaimed.
Ichigo sighed, and turned his head to look over at Nel who sat on his left. She looked at him intently, as if attempting to figure out the meaning of his words. Turning his attention back to Ggio he continued.
"Let me tell you a story, Ggio, of a human Shinigami who died and turned into a Hollow." Ichigo told him before motioning for him to sit down, indicating this could take a while.
And so Ichigo began his story. He told Ggio about how the human boy gained the Shinigami powers one night, transfered over to him by another Shinigami. He explained how they had continued to cleanse the town of Hollow for weeks on end. Untill finally, the Shinigami that had given Ichigo his powers had been forcefully taken back to Soul Society. The human boy, who had tried to protect her, lay broken and bloody on the streets of his hometown.
He told Ggio how the boy appeared in Hueco Mundo as a Hollow. Lost and robbed of his memories but he was tended to by another Hollow and they'd stayed together ever since. He then explained how the two Hollow had been visited by a man who was rumored to be building an army. The man was a Shinigami.
And so Ichigo told him how the Hollow had been molded into a Vasto Lorde by the Shinigami. "He had been forced to fight for his life for four days and nights on end with a mere three hours of sleep every night. And at the end of the four days and nights, he evolved and was subsequently turned into an Arrancar by the Shinigami." Ichigo paused for a moment here before he continued telling his story to Ggio. "The Shinigami decided that he was satisfied with his newest Arrancar, his most loyal soldier but above all his mere weapon and tool. And so he branded the Arrancar with the number #1, just a little to the left of his throat." Ichigo said, while unzipping the collar of his vest. Exposing his Espada tattoo.
Ggio's jaw meanwhile, had dropped a long time ago. And he was openly staring at Ichigo, his eyes wide and an expression of disbelief on his face.
"Gaining power such as mine for nothing more but loyalty to the man who gave it to me." Ichigo said. "It seemed like a golden deal, wouldn't you agree?" Ichigo chuckled lightly.
"But I was a fool, Ggio. Swearing loyalty to a man whose goals are unknown. Swearing loyalty to a man who discards all those he long has any use for." Ichigo exclaimed, his voice gradually having gotten a bit louder.
"The mistake I made cost me dearly but there is nothing to be done about it now." He started again. "I have sworn loyalty and thus am bound to Aizen-sama. If Aizen-sama wants me to be a weapon then so be it. But not while I sit back and watch. I will do everything I can to achieve more power and keep improving myself so that I can be a weapon unlike any other ever before. I will not lose my worth and be discarded as so many others before me." He explained calmly.
Ichigo wasn't sure why he had told all this to Ggio. Truthfully, only Nel and her Fracción knew about the things he had told him just now. Rukia knew about part of them but not all. Ichigo just felt he had to show he trusted Ggio before the Arrancar would ever trust him completely as well. He had after all been discarded as Fracción by another Espada before, Barragan Luisenbarn, to be precise.
Deciding not to give Ggio a chance to reply he stood up and motioned with his hand for Ggio to follow him as they made their way silently back to his quarters.
Nel in the meantime watched at Ichigo's retreating form with a sad and forlorn expression.
=0=
Ichigo and Nelliel sat next to one another on one of the more comfortable couches of one of the standard meeting rooms around Las Noches. They had gathered here today for another one of Aizen's meetings although none of them had a definite answer to the question of what the meeting would be about, Ichigo and Nelliel had an idea.
It wasn't too hard to figure out either. Just last week the Espada had lost two of it's members among which one of them was a senior Espada. Considering the fact that Ichimaru and Tousen had been out and about a lot the past few days it wouldn't surprise Ichigo if they had been looking for powerful Hollow.
Looking around he noticed that many Arrancar had begun to gather around the room. Though they noticeably kept their distance from any of the Espada members and their Fracción. Throwing a glance behind him he saw Ggio was still standing on guard behind the coach, Pesche and Dondochakka next to him, although relatively more calm. Ichigo smiled, Ggio should learn to relax some more. Then again, admittedly it had taken Ichigo a long time to get where he was now.
The room fell silent as Aizen entered who purposefully strode towards the throne at the end of the room, a bit to the left of the couch Ichigo and Nel were sitting in.
Sitting down. He raised his eyes and looked at the room at large, before smiling. "My dear Espada," He called out, purposefully ignoring the dozens of Numerós. "As I'm sure you're aware we are currently two members short. So let me introduce to you our two newest members." Aizen voice rang out.
As he finished. The doors opened once more to reveal Ichimaru and Tousen each leading a single Arrancar to the front of the room, towards Aizen and the Espada.
In front of Tousen walked a youthful looking Arrancar with short black hair. Just above his left eyebrow was a row of three pink stars. The remains of his Hollow mask appeared to form a top row of teeth and were located on the left side of his head. He wore a fairly standard Arrancar uniform except he had long sleeves that fell even past his hands, hiding them from view.
In front of Ichimaru walked a tall, muscular and dark-skinned Arrancar with rather large lips. The remnants of his Hollow mask consisted of a row of bony spikes along the crest of his head forming something similar to a mohawk hairstyle along with a pair of skull-shaped earrings and a thick bony necklace. He was bald and had slightly yellowish eyes.
As soon as the two Arrancar reached Aizen's throne they kneeled in front of him, their heads bowed low. "Rise, Luppi, Zommari," Aizen spoke.
Motioning for them to take their place among the rest of the Espada Aizen again turned his attention back to the room at large. "I'd like for everyone to welcome our two newest members of the Espada." Aizen started. "Zommari Leroux will replace Szayel Aporro Granz as the Octava Espada." The announcement was instantly applauded by the majority of Numerós in the room. One would almost think that there was an unwritten rule which stated that the one which could applaud the loudest would get to fill the remaining spot into the Espada.
Aizen however quickly motioned for silence. When the noise of applauding slowly died down Aizen continued. "Luppi meanwhile will take the position of Séptima Espada, replacing Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."
"What?!" Grimmjow's outraged voice resounded through the chamber.
"Silence, Grimmjow. Aizen-sama isn't done yet, I believe. You might even like what is about to happen so shut it." Ichigo's authorative voice rang out. Instantly silencing Grimmjow. It was another advantage of his fight with Nnoitra, he had gained a lot of respect because of it.
Aizen merely smiled at Ichigo. Silently thanking him for silencing Grimmjow. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez will take over the position of Sexta Espada instead of Nnoitra Jiruga." Grimmjow's eyes widened at this revelation before he grinned widely.
After the applause had died down for a third time Aizen dismissed everyone but not before asking Ichigo and Nelliel to stay behind. They, ofcourse obliged instantly, telling their Fracción to go on without them.
As the room cleared out Aizen took a site in one of the comfortable armchairs and motioned for Ichigo and Nelliel to seat themselves back into the couch.
"Ichigo, Nelliel," Aizen started. "I hear you have enjoyed the company of Las Noches only prisoner recently."
Their faces instantly paled at this. They knew that Aizen would find out sooner or later and they'd wondered why he hadn't spoken to them about it untill now. They weren't sure how he would react however. She was a prisoner after all but it wasn't as if they'd let her out of her cell.
Aizen however, chuckled at the looks on their faces. "Not to worry," He started again. "I had expected you to seek her out sooner, Ichigo. She is an important part of your past after all. And while you have vowed to serve me faithfully I did expect you might want to regain as much of your memories as you possibly could."
Ichigo face remained impassive as he gave a single nod. He was quite surprised Aizen had known exactly why Ichigo had been going there. Just how long had he known?
"I particularly enjoyed the scene where you, Nelliel ordered Buerto[1] to go collect a proper meal for both yourself and our dear Rukia." Aizen commented, chuckling silently.
Ichigo and Nel could only look at Aizen with wide eyes. He had known for that long and not said a word? Aizen truly was a patient man, either that or he really didn't mind at all.
"A-Aizen-sama-" Ichigo began. But he was cut off before he could get anywhere.
"It is fine, Ichigo, Nelliel. As I said, I had expected it and so it does not bother me." Aizen explained.
Ichigo was surprised at this and instantly had to think about paying off the debt he owed Rukia. Deciding to risk it all he chose to just ask Aizen.
"Aizen-sama, forgive me but, is there any chance she could be released or perhaps taken back to Soul Society? I feel as if I owe her for returning my memories to me from back when I was still a Shinigami." Ichigo explained. "I'm sorry for showing this much emotion so openly but I feel it is the least I can do to repay her."
Aizen seemed to consider it. He remained silent for quite a while before a small smile formed on his face. "Showing emotion is not a sin, Ichigo. It merely shows how you have evolved from the ordinary Hollow to something much greater." Aizen started. He went silent again for a moment before he asked his question. "So, you have regained your memories then Ichigo, atleast those of your time as Shinigami?" Aizen asked him.
At Ichigo's nod, Aizen smiled again and continued. "I'm glad." He began. "Very well, Ichigo. Here is the deal. In the near future I am in need for one of the Espada to go on an individual mission to Soul Society to retrieve something for me, if you agree to do that for me I will allow you to drop off Rukia on that mission as well, we have no further use for her anyway. The truth is that we haven't had a use for her ever since I extracted the Hougyoku."
Ichigo couldn't help but smile widely at this. "Arrigatou, Aizen-sama." Ichigo said as he bowed his head slightly.
Aizen merely smiled in return before he dismissed the both of them.
=0=
The next morning Ichigo could once again be seen training his Kidou, this time in what Aizen had told him was a training ground reserved specifically for Ichimaru, Tousen and Aizen himself.
Ichigo had completely finished working on Hadou #73 - Soren Soukatsui an Bakudou #73 - Tozansho a couple of days ago. He had immediately been instructed in the use of another useful Bakudou as well as one more Hadou spell. Both of those were pretty easy compared to the two seventy-level spells he had learned previously. Said spells were Bakudou #62 - Hyappo Rankan and Hadou #54 - Haien.
Bakudou #62 - Hyappo Rankan was basically a pole of pure reiryoku which was formed in your hand. This was then thrown at the opponent and while in the air it would multiply into about a hundred poles. Ichigo had to admit he thought it could be a very useful technique.
Hadou #54 - Haien was a spell that would completely incinerate anything it touched untill there was nothing more but ashes left. It did depend on the size of the target though. Something as large as a human body wouldn't have such an effect. It would definitely cause a nasty burn though and could even go as far as to burn a hole through the body.
Those two spells hadn't been too hard Ichigo had concluded. According to Tousen this was the case because he had just learned two of the harder seventy-level spells which required excellent reiatsu control and manipulation. Haien and Hyappo Rankan were merely taught because they were useful spells to know, not much because they would improve his already good understanding of Kidou.
It was then that Aizen stepped forward and told Ichigo that he would learn the remaining spells from Aizen himself again. For while Tousen was proficient enough to instruct the use of the Bakudou spell Aizen was planning to teach Ichigo next, Aizen certainly was far more proficient in it. Other then that Aizen was also the only one out of the three Captains who could effectively use the Hadou spell he was planning to teach Ichigo.
"Ichigo, right now we are arriving at the pinnacle of Kidou abilities. While you have not mastered anywhere close to all of the Kidou spells in existence there are only a handful of spells left that I plan to teach to you." Aizen told him.
Ichigo meanwhile was surprised. It didn't feel like that long ago that he had started with practising in the Art of Kidou. To realise that he had already arrived at which Aizen called the pinacle of Kidou abilities was quite shocking. Though now that he thought of it he should have realised as much. After all, there were no more then ninety-nine Kidou spells per branch. Since he had mastered up to seventy-three he was indeed getting rather close to the pinnacle.
"I will first name the two spells I plan to teach to you next. They are Bakudou #81 - Danku and Hadou #88 - Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho. I believe this will take you a while to master, considering the fact that the Bakudou spell is eight levels higher then the highest Bakudou you have mastered so far. The same goes for the Hadou only this one is fifteen levels higher, though admittedly it is very similar to abilities such as Cero as well as Hadou #63 - Raikouhou. The obvious difference being that when mastered it's power far exceeds both." Aizen explained.
Ichigo nodded at his explanation. He hadn't realized the difference in level of spells would've been this high. He'd expected some upper tier seventy level spells. Not one lower and higher tier eighty level spell. Regardless, he would master these, that he vowed. He was eager to get started on the Hadou #88 though, since it was supposed to be similar to Cero yet far more powerful.
"For the sake of testing my theory I believe we should start with the Hadou. I will show it to you once and then instruct you on it's proper use after which you can try it out on your own for a while. I will interupt and add some hints and tips if I feel it is necessary however other then that you will be left up to your own devices." Aizen explained once more.
Nodding, Ichigo signified he was ready to be shown the technique.
Aizen at Ichigo's signal, held out his open palm and grabbed his wrist with his other arm.
"Hadou #88 - Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho." Aizen calmly chanted.
As soon as Ichigo saw the gigantic beam of bright blue light emerge from Aizen's palm however his head started to burst. He grabbed his head and fell to his knees in the hope of decreasing the pain.
He vaguely registered the crying sound of the kidou blast and the bright blue light still attempting to seek it's way back within his vision. But his eyes soon closed and darkness claimed him.
=0=
Opening his eyes Ichigo noticed he was standing in what looked like an underground basement he concluded as he saw a ladder leading towards the ceiling. It was the oddest thing he'd ever seen though, as far as he could look everywhere around him were rock formations and nothing else. It was obviously some kind of training ground.
Turning his attention back to himself he saw he looking at his hands. Only, they weren't hands, they were claws. Claws he knew all too well. He had somehow returned to his Adjuchas form. It must be another memory, Ichigo thought as he compared the similarities. Perhaps this was the memory that would show him how he ended up in Hueco Mundo.
"Who am I? Where am I?" He heard his Hollow voice call out. Though it wasn't exactly him talking either.
Looking up he could see two people standing in front of him. The first was a large, muscular, dark-skinned man wearing square-shaped glasses. He apeared to have some sort of braided hairstyle and a large handle-bar mustache. Said man was wearing a white shirt with a blue apron.
The other man had messy, pale, blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He wore dark green pants with a matching dark green shirt and a dark gray-green coat along with a striped bucket hat on top of his head.
Looking over to the larger man once more he noticed the man seemed to be silently chanting. Inwardly Ichigo's eyes widened and he willed his body to move, not realising it wasn't something he could control. He was afraid he knew what was going to happen. As if on cue his worst fear was realized.
"Hadou 88 - Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!" The large man cried out.
And just as Ichigo noticed his eyes widening he was engulfed in a large flash of blue light at near point blank range.
When the light was over he felt himself raise onto one knee and focussing his reiatsu into his index finger. His body looked battered, bruised and broken but he appeared to be healing and was still moving.
Looking over towards the place where the two men were supposed to be, he found that they had their backs turned to him and were walking away. He could only hope they wouldn't turn around to prevent him from leaving. As if reading his thoughts the blonde man turned his head around and his eyes widened.
As the Hollow Ichigo opened the Garganta and stepped inside he could just make out Urahara standing there with an expression of horror on his face. As soon as the Garganta closed, so did Hollow Ichigo's eyes and his world went black again.
=0=
Slowly opening his eyes he noticed he was still lying on the training ground. Tousen seemed to be checking his vitals as Aizen and Ichimaru merely watched him proceed.
Groaning he pushed himself up and leaned his back against the wall. Silence reigned among the three Captains and the Arrancar as no one spoke a word. Finally deciding to break the silence Ichigo spoke up.
"I know who caused me to end up in Hueco Mundo, as severely wounded as I was." Ichigo stated plainly. Getting right down to business.
"Oh?" Aizen merely asked, but Ichigo could tell he was interested. But perhaps not because he didn't already know though. Knowing Aizen he merely wanted his theory comfirmed.
Explaining the appearance of the two men Aizen eventually smirked. Causing Ichigo to frown.
"Urahara Kisuke and Tsukabishi Tessai, former juunibantai-taicho[2] and former Kido-Corps Commander respectively." Aizen started. "They caught me conducting illegal hollowfication experiments. Myself, Gin and Kaname retreated and left Urahara and Tessai to clean up the 'wounded'. The next day they were arrested and sentenced for the crimes I committed. However they were rescued by Shihouin Yoruichi former nibantai-taicho[3] and all three went into exile in the real world." Aizen explained.
Ichigo was shocked. He had been lucky to come out of that encounter alive. Two Captain-level Shinigami would've had no problem with an Adjuchas no matter how strong it may have been. He had been lucky indeed. But he vowed he would return the favor. When the war finally started, they would be at the top of his list of targets.
Thanking Aizen for the information he requested to be done early today. As his request was granted he turned around and made his way back to his quarters.
=0=
Later that night, Nelliel and Ichigo entered Rukia's cell for what Ichigo assumed would be one of the last times.
As Nel sat down against the wall Ichigo took a seat next to her and instantly locked eyes with Rukia. Rukia for her part could see the seriousness displayed in them. And couldn't help but wonder what had caused it.
"Rukia," Ichigo started. "I will soon repay you for what you did for me."
He left the statement hanging in the air for a short while before he continued.
"I will soon return you to Soul Society, your rightful place. Aizen-sama has no further use for you." Ichigo told her, and as he finished he smiled at her. It was a happy smile but at the same time it displayed some sadness.
"I see," Rukia replied, uncomfortably. It was what she'd wanted ever since she had arrived in Las Noches. And she wasn't lying when she said she still wanted it. But she was going to miss Ichigo, despite everything, she enjoyed being in his company.
"I..." Ichigo started but seemingly was unsure of how to continue. "Rukia," He tried again. "I want you to know that next to Nelliel," which caused Nel to look up, "you are my dearest friend and I will always treasure the bond we share." Ichigo explained her.
Rukia smiled at him. It was ironic that as a Hollow Ichigo was far calmer and less violent then he'd been as a human. But she had a feeling his words were preparing her for something. "I appreciate it Ichigo and you know the feeling is mutual." She started. "But I sense a but incoming..."
Ichigo closed his eyes briefly and nodded weakly at her statement. "Ah." Ichigo answered. "We are on opposite sides of a war, Rukia." He told her.
She looked away as Ichigo said that. It wasn't something she had wanted to think about but it had come up in her head before. From what Rukia could gather, if they wanted to defeat Aizen, they would have to go through his Espada. Ichigo and Nel were both part of the Espada and they were both dear to Rukia. She didn't even want to think of having to face any one of them in battle.
Ichigo, sensing her inner turmoil decided to help her out a bit. "Rukia. If there is any way that I would wish to fall in battle. Then it would be by your blade." Ichigo told her.
This caused Rukia's eyes to widen. And Ichigo let out a loud chuckle at the priceless expression on her face.
"Don't mistake me though. I won't make it easy on you. But if I were to fall by your hand, I wouldn't mind at all. You'd have to get stronger though, truth be told you don't stand much of a chance against me now." He said, smirking.
Now that remark caused a vein in Rukia's forehead to throb. Ichigo instantly noticed this and help his hands in front of his body as if to defend himself.
Rukia instantly deflated but she was curious though. Just how strong were the Espada. "Ichigo, just how powerful are the Espada?"
Ichigo sighed, he'd been expecting that question for a long time now and it had taken her far longer to ask it then he had expected. "I can't really tell you Rukia." He told her causing her eyes to look down at her lap in dissapointment. Ichigo chuckled at this. "I could tell you, but I'd have to have your word on the fact that you will not pass on this information to anyone else. I'm sorry for asking that of you but if you want to know that's the only way you're getting it out of me." He said with another one of his smirks.
Rukia looked thoughtful at this. The information would've been valuable to Soul Society but it's obvious Ichigo, despite how much he liked her did want his side to win. The condition was fair and if she agreed with it she vowed to herself she would keep her word. Slowly, she nodded to let him know she agreed.
He smiled at her warmly before he started to talk. "The Espada consists of ten Arrancar. With the number ten being the weakest of the Espada and the number one being the strongest." Ichigo explained.
"Now to give you a bit of a realistic overview of the power of the average Espada I'll have to explain some other things first. As you know a Vasto Lorde class Hollow, is a Hollow that is significantly more powerful then the average Soul Society Captain." Ichigo explained, Rukia nodded, letting him know she knew. "In the Espada, there are five Arrancar that were created out of Vasto Lordes." Ichigo stated, flatly.
Rukia gasped. Five? That was half of the Espada that was created out of Vasto Lordes. The Shinigamification Aizen performed on them would also significantly increase their powers and thus each of these five Arrancar would theoretically be more powerful then perhaps almost any Captain in Soul Society.
"Four more were created out of Adjuchas level hollow and they are all at about the level of a Shinigami Captain. Some are slightly stronger, others perhaps a bit below the average Captain's strength." Ichigo said.
"And one was created from a Gillian class Menos. He too I would rank just a little bit below the average Captain. But still strong enough to be more then a match for them." He said.
"Then on top of that each Espada is allowed to take as many Fracción under their wing as they please. A Fracción can basically be any Arrancar they choose. They are often used as bodyguards, servants or in a very rare case, friends." He added with a wink at Nelliel.
"And lastly ofcourse there are your three traitorous Captains. Ichimaru Gin, Tousen Kaname and Aizen Sousuke." He finished.
Rukia could only stare at Ichigo with wide eyes. These Arrancar were that powerful? Ten Captain level Arrancar of which five were likely far above the level of the average Captain. Now, she wasn't so sure anymore if the whole incident with Aizen would be resolved so smoothly. Nonetheless, she had a few more questions left.
"And these normal Arrancar, Numerós you called them when you explained them to me I believe. What level are they at?" Rukia asked.
"That differs greatly but I would say their power varies between the average Shinigami 5th seat and the average Shinigami Vice-Captain. Some are even a bit more powerful then that." He explained.
Rukia nodded absent mindedly. From what she knew Aizen had at the very least an army of fifty Numerós-classed Arrancar at his disposal. Along with the ten Espada and their Fracción as well as the three Captains themselves it was a very impressive army. It's power could very well be greater then that of the Gotei 13.
"Anything else you want to know, Rukia? Since I trust you will keep this for yourself you might as well ask anything you might still want to know." Ichigo said.
"Uhm..." Rukia started, a bit nervous about asking and perhap more importantly, hearing the answer to this question. "What numbers do you and Nelliel bear?" She asked finally.
Ichigo and Nelliel smiled at this. It was about time. If it were Ichigo it would've been the first question he asked.
Getting up, Nelliel first turned to Ichigo. "Close your eyes Ichi," She basically ordered him, leaving no room for negotation, not that Ichigo would've considered negotiating about it in the first place.
When Nelliel saw him close his eyes she unzipped her jacket and proceeded to take it off, causing Rukia's eyes to widen. Just as she was about to protest however, Nell turned around. Rukia's eyes, if possible, widened even further at seeing the large number three tattooed on her back.
Putting her jacket back on and turning back towards Rukia she smiled softly. "I'm the Tercera Espada, Rukia."
Rukia meanwhile was speecheless. Nel, the Tercera Espada, the number three Arrancar in Aizen's army? She couldn't comprehend it, Nel was such a kind and gentle soul. To think she was this capable in battle was shocking. Before she could get any further in her thoughts however, Ichigo stood up, catching her attention.
As he walked over to her he motioned for her to stand up as well, which she did. As he unzipped the collar of his vest she once again got to see the face of the boy that she finally made peace with. The one person apart from Shiba Kaien and Abarai Renji that would always hold a special place in her heart. Before she got a chance to examine him any further however he grabbed her hand softly put it down on his neck, as if to cover something.
"Whenever you're ready," He said with what Rukia thought was a hint of sadness in his voice. As soon as he had laid her hand on that spot in his neck her interest was piqued and she slowly removed it.
As she removed her hand completely she openly gasped. She instantly held a hand in front of her mouth and her eyes started to tremble. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. On Ichigo's neck, a little to the left of his throat a big number one was tattooed.
"Primera Espada, Kurosaki Ichigo, nice to meet you!" He exclaimed with a wide smile, holding out his hand.
Rukia couldn't help but chuckle at that. It appeared she'd gotten a little carried away. It's not like it changed anything. Still, she couldn't fathom the fact that Ichigo was apparently the strongest Arrancar in Aizen's army.
"I want to warn you though, Rukia. Ichigo is the Primera but not only that." She started. "his power is on a completely different level then that of any of the other Espada, believe me when I say that. And I have seen each and every one of the Espada fight except for the two newcomers, Luppi the new Séptima and Zommari Leroux the new Octava." Nelliel explained.
"So I strongly advise you that if you don't want to lose any of your friends from Soul Society that you warn them to stay out of his path." Nelliel almost pleaded with her.
Rukia nodded resolutely towards the girl. She knew the Espada meant it well. If Ichigo killed one of her friends she would be devastated.
"I-Ichigo," Rukia began again. "Just, how strong are you?" She asked seriously.
At this, Ichigo took on a thinking pause, which Rukia believed looked completely out of place on his face and she almost burst out laughing. In the end however she luckily managed to control herself.
"Well, uhm..." He started, unsure of how to word it. "A while ago. I fought our Sexta Espada, a man going by the name of Nnoitra Jiruga. Basically, from what Aizen has told me, he should be on par with your infamous Zaraki Kenpachi." Ichigo explained.
Rukia nodded, although she would hardly even want to think about what an Arrancar like Zaraki Kenpachi would possibly be like.
"I beat him. And the only wound I received was a small scratch on the top of my cheekbone." He finished.
Rukia's jaw dropped once again. Ichigo, her very own unofficial substitute Shinigami, had defeated an opponent of Kenpachi's caliber and received no more then a scratch on the cheek? Was this the same boy who had almost died against Grand Fisher that night? The same boy who, despite how impressive it had been, had barely managed to drive away a Gillian, let alone kill it. Well, she surmised, he wasn't exactly the same but still. He remained Ichigo and over the weeks he'd become more and more like the Ichigo she used to know. Nonetheless, she was once more broken out of her thoughts as both Ichigo and Nel stood up.
"We've got a meeting to be at sometime soon so I'm afraid this is where we part for the day, Rukia," Ichigo said walking over to her.
Rukia for her part, wrapped her arms around his waist and Ichigo responded by putting his around her neck and shoulders.
"Thanks for telling me all this Ichigo. And thanks for helping me get back home, despite how much I dislike leaving you here. Atleast you've got Nel to take care of you and kick your ass into shape every now and then." She finished with a smirk which Ichigo mimicked.
When Ichigo and Nel closed the door behind them, Rukia had to admit she couldn't wait untill she was back in Soul Society again.
=0=
Later that very same evening Ichigo, Nelliel and the new Espada Zommari Leroux were making their way to the Espada meeting room. Ichigo had been instructed to lead the way for Zommari as he was new to Las Noches and had not been in the Espada's meeting room before.
Zommari wasn't the best of company but at the very least he could actually converse with people without adding in insults and swear words in between every few words.
"I heard you had a fight with the former Sexta Espada not too long ago, is any of this actually true or is it mostly rumors?" Zommari asked, genuinely interested.
"The majority of what you heard is true. Ichi fought and defeated the former Sexta Espada. About half of Las Noches was present for the event so I suppose that for a change they actually know what they're talking about." Nelliel's high pitched voice answered for him.
"I see." Zommari said. "But I imagine you must've gotten injured pretty badly? Am I right? Rumors tend to get out of hand generally and I've heard people say that you didn't receive a single injury. Surely, that must've been a lie."
Ichigo smirked behind his collar. "Yes, it was a lie." Ichigo stated, and Zommari appeared to let out a sigh of...relief? "I had a scratch on my cheekbone and my clothing was ripped and burned. Other then that, I can't recall any injuries though." Ichigo stated flatly.
Zommari's eyes visibly widened at this which didn't go unnoticed by Ichigo. Zommari too, realised it hadn't gone unnoticed. "My apologies. I merely imagined that the majority of the Espada would've been around the same level of power. It appears I was mistaken." Zommari stated.
"Not necessarily," Nelliel's voice rang out again. "The numbers Sexta untill Décima are relatively close to one another, powerwise. Everything below the number of Sexta is on a completely different level however." She stated.
"So, what are your-" Zommari started but was instantly cut off again.
"We've arrived," Ichigo interupted him as he opened a door on his right.
=0=
The Espada sat gathered around a large rectangular table in their meeting room. On the right of the chair reserved for Aizen sat Ichigo with on the left of the same chair Starrk, who was looking as bored as ever.
Off to Ichigo's right sat Nelliel, her face looked impassive as she sat next to Ichigo but Ichigo could see she was just as bored as the others.
To the right of Nel, three other Espada were seated. They were Ulquiorra Schiffer, Zommari Leroux and Aaroniero Arruruerie.
On starks right, another four Espada were seated. They were Barragan Luisenbarn, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Luppi and Yammy Rialgo.
Most of them were looking as bored as Starrk was. Grimmjow and Luppi however seemed to be arguing and a fair amount of insults were thrown about.
Ichigo thought Luppi had quite some guts. This being the first meeting he had ever been at and already causing such a ruckus. The worst part was all the noise was getting on his nerves and no one else seemed to be intend on saying something.
"Oi, new guy." Ichigo spoke up calmly. Surprisingly Luppi's head turned around almost instantly. " Can't you take a hint when everyone around you isn't saying a word?" He continued. "Now, be quiet." Ichigo finished.
Luppi was just about to retort when Grimmjow's palm slammed itself against his mouth. Luppi instantly turned to look at him with an angry expression. Grimmjow however, just shook his head silently as he took his hand of Luppi's mouth and turned to sit in silence.
As if on cue Aizen entered the room and took a seat in the chair designated for him between Ichigo and Starrk. "Dear brothers and sisters of the Espada," He adressed them. "Let us have tea."
And so their meeting began. Not too much was discussed. Ulquiorra announced that he had found another Vasto Lorde however said Hollow had not been willing to join Aizen's cause. If Aizen was dissapointed at this it didn't show.
Next they had to discuss an issue concerning Szayel Aporro Granz. The former Espada had been demoted and should thus be moving into the quarters designated for the Privaron Espada as his number was now onehundred-and-eight. The problem with this however was that Szayel's lab couldn't simply be moved to the quarters of the Privaron Espada nor could his research and test subjects. And so Aizen concluded that since the research Szayel conducted was important to their cause he could remain in his quarters. Zommari would move into the quarters located in another wing instead.
And then there was the impending search for Nnoitra Jiruga. After the battle a week prior everyone had turned their backs on Nnoitra's broken body and made their way back to Las Noches, assuming he would follow as soon as he was able to. Fact of the matter was however, that Nnoitra's body had completely dissapeared when someone was send to check if he was able to walk yet a couple of hours later. A couple of small search parties had been send out but they had returned with no news. They concluded that Nnoitra must be dead but if he were ever to be found alive he was to be executed immediately.
And with that, it brought Aizen to his last issue for the evening. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have one final issue to discuss." He stated, but seeming changed his mind. "No, scratch that. I have one final announcement to make."
That got everyone's attention as the Espada all looked up at this. Even Starrk seemed to raise his eyes. "Tomorrow, Kurosaki Ichigo, our Primera Espada," This bit of information caused Zommari's eyes to widen. "Will attempt to infiltrate Soul Society. While there he will drop off our only current prisoner Kuchiki Rukia." Aizen stated.
The eyes of the remaining Espada widened slightly at this. Few of them had even known they had a prisoner in Las Noches. Aizen however was not yet finished.
"And he will capture and bring to me, the Shinigami that goes by the name of Hinamori Momo."
=0=
[1]Buerto : That is how I named the guy who brought Rukia her food.
[2]juunibantai-taicho : Twelfth Division Captain
[3]nibantai-taicho : Second Division Captain
=0=
And another chapter done. Once again, let me know what you thought of it. It's relatively shorter then the last one (thank god!) but I don't mind because I had some serious trouble writing such a big ass chapter and I just didn't want to cut it short.
As you have probably read by now. The Espada has changed significantly. I have heard your desperate pleas for Harribel and don't worry she will make her appearance in my story, eventually. I personally am quite intrigued by her character and so I definitely will not forget about that.
And before you start. Yes, I absolutely despise Luppi! I hope he is going to die a brutal and painful death at one point or another. *Wink wink*.
Last but not least, as I promised if the Espada would ever change at one point or another in my story I promised to list the new ranking at the end of the chapter. As a small favor I will also add their aspects next to their names. I have agreed with many of the reviewers that have voiced their opinion about it, that the Aspect of Sacrifice is certainly a fitting one for Nelliel. Luppi I have given the aspect of madness because I believe he is just that. Besides I couldn't care too much about Luppi's aspect anyway to tell you the truth, I'm not likely to ever even mention it in the story itself.
10. Yammy Rialgo. - Aspect of Wrath.
9. Aaroniero Arruruerie. - Aspect of Greed.
8. Zommari Leroux - Aspect of Intoxication.
7. Luppi - Aspect of Madness.
6. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez - Aspect of Destruction.
5. Ulquiorra Schiffer - Aspect of Nihilism.
4. Barragan Luisenbarn - Aspect of Time.
3. Nelliel Tu Oderschvank - Aspect of Sacrifice.
2. Starrk - Aspect of Loneliness.
1. Kurosaki Ichigo - Aspect of Life.
That's it for another chapter, R&R!