Sorry about the delay. I was waiting to have all three of my stories ready, but one of the others has given me a case of writers block. That and my holiday.
This at least begins to address a couple of complaints about Ichigo having too easy a time.
Hope you all enjoy the chapter. I assure you I haven't given up on Savage.
At the edge of the Sokyoku 'hill', though it was better described as a cliff than a hill, in his opinion, Ichigo Kurosaki stood, shirtless, with a scowl on his face. He really did not understand what was happening at this point. His senses, granted not the most reliable, were telling him something... weird. There were more fighters than would be logical; why the Soul Reapers were fighting each other, Ichigo had no idea. And even more than that...
"No. My senses must be on the fritz. Why on Earth would Renji and Rukia be behind me? They were just on the way to 13th Division's Barracks. I... aught to just head there." He murmured; knowing that the pair had no reason whatsoever to return to the site of Rukia's execution.
Yet he didn't go. Something felt... weird. Off. The best he could pinpoint the feeling was in regards to those other three.
It could be an echo of Rukia and Renji. But them... Three other signatures, ones he didn't know, were there with the two.
He didn't recognise them. So why would he be feeling them?
Just then, Ichigo heard something extremely unnerving. A female voice rang through the Seireitei. No, wait. Was it in his head? One that caused 5 blades, of varying sizes, to appear on his left hip as his scowl increased a helluva lot.
"All Captains, Lieutenants and Seated Officers of the Gotei 13, may I please have your attention? Also, the Ryoka. This is Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, from the Fourth Division with an urgent announcement. Please listen closely, as the message will not be repeated. This is an emergency report from Captain Unohana regarding a traitor in our midsts. As unsettling as the following is, I am about to tell you the truth; Captain Aizen, former Captain of the 5th division, has committed high treason to an extent that has never been seen before. Central 46, the most important aspect of our government, has been slaughtered. Sosuke Aizen was assisted in this heinous crime by Captains Gin and Tosen..."
'… Well... Those are three of the names I was given by Yoruichi.' Ichigo reasoned, since he didn't have much else to say on the subject.
'But you have to consider, Ichigo, that this could well be a trap. It seems to be designed to get you to head back to the Sokyoku Hill.'
'Yes, but it seems unreasonable for those three to be so readily available, yet not have been here to witness Rukia's execution. I am sure that those who did attend did so because it was mandatory.'
'Rukia's there.' Ichigo stated, cutting off any potential retort from Zangetsu. 'I'm going.'
He rested his hand, which still had blood crusting it, atop the 5 blades that were now attached to the orange man's hip.
"Savage, born from the chaos of the pierced planets, come forth! Puncture the boundaries between Earth and the realm of Heaven! Flood the heavens with the turmoil of felling fire! Tabigarasu! Zangetsu! Nejibana! Kikoo!"
-()-()-()-()-
'Ya've gotta give it to the Pineapple Head, King. He's tougher than I thought; to still be stood. He's lookin' after Rukia pretty well, too. Even if he failed pretty spectacularly in what he was meant to do.'
'Yep. I agree with that. Impressive. But I guess I should intervene right about now, or the brown haired one with glasses, Aizen I'm guessing, will kill him.'
Not too far from the orange haired man, the three traitorous captains were entirely unaware of their one-man-audience. Ichigo's technique, while ill advised in most circumstances, made him virtually impossible to detect. Especially since Aizen believed him to possess uncontrollable reiatsu; like he would if he only possessed Zangetsu. But he had developed a crude method of Reiatsu manipulation a long while ago now.
"... I won't let him have you, Rukia." Renji growled, as he fought the pain racking his body. "You thought I'd give her up?" The red haired man tilted his head to look back up at Aizen. "Are you that dumb?"
"Very well. Too bad." Aizen replied, as he raised his Zanpakuto to cut Renji's arms from his body. Kyoka Suigetsu descended, and passed through... nothing.
The two were gone.
Aizen raised an eyebrow, and turned to the side to find Renji, kneeling still, several metres to the captain's right. Oddly, the Lieutenant had a more confused expression than the Captain he had escaped from.
Though that might be because the cause was now stood in front of Aizen, just a little out of the range of the man's Zanpakuto.
Ichigo stood, relaxed, in his usual attire minus any upper body clothing, except the remnants of his bandages, in front of Aizen with a very much different weapon to what he had been wielding before now.
An obsidian staff, 6 foot long, was resting against Ichigo as he spoke to Renji, flicking his eyes to the pair.
"Are you really that weak Renji? That Rukia's too heavy for you to carry without looking like you've run a fucking marathon? I guess I was right about you needing my help." He turned his focus back to Aizen for a moment.
"Excuse me for just a second... whoever you are." Ichigo vanished, in a flash and the sound of static, before reappearing 3 seconds later in the same position. Though, this time, there were only 4 people on top of the 'hill'.
Ichigo had, combining the speed techniques of both Shinigami and Hollow in Shunpo and Sonido, moved Renji and Rukia as far away as he could in a single 'step'.
"There we go." Ichigo said, as he smirked at the hint of shock on his otherwise unemotive opponent's face. Obviously, Aizen had not expected a combination of the Hollow and Shinigami techniques. "Now; who the hell are you guys?" His eyes flicked from the brown haired, to the teal, and then to the longer darker brown.
"Kurosaki Ichigo... you are much further along than I had predicted you would be." Aizen commented. "In fact, I do believe that it is necessary that I engage you to find out the extent of... this." The traitor twisted his Zanpakuto in his grip and stepped forward quickly, swiping Kyoka Suigetsu across the orange haired human's torso. The staff blocked it, and the resulting clang let Aizen know that it was made of some kind of metal. Not that that made sense; such a staff would, logically, be too heavy to wield efficiently. Obviously though, since Ichigo was wielding it like it weighed nothing at all, that was not true for its wielder.
The brown haired man raised an eyebrow, and raised a single finger from his Zanpakuto.
"Hado #31: Shakkaho." A large ball of red energy slammed into Ichigo's chest, and sent him flying back. The orange haired man recovered mid flight, and Ichigo vanished again and appeared back on the ground, a slight burn on his chest. Ichigo lunged forwards, in a blur, and drew back the staff with both hands gripping one end of the pole. Blue Reiatsu gathered in the black staff.
"Getsuga..." Ichigo swung the staff in an overhead, vertical blow. "Kureata!"
And his target was gone. The end of the staff slowed upon realising this, but still tapped the rocky ground below. It cratered, reaching the feet of Gin and Kaname, and Ichigo dropped a little, since the ground was now significantly lower than it had been before. The Ryoka scowled, and swung his staff once more.
"Gah!" A wave of boiling water roared towards the other two men there, since Ichigo was annoyed with all three. They vanished from its path, and the wave moved by harmlessly. "Tss." He hissed; annoyed even further. It wasn't much fun fighting more than one person at once. Especially when all three were obviously skilled.
The action of taking his eyes from the 3 was unfortunate, however, when he knew nothing about the capabilities of his opponents. A blade skewered him, and blood sprayed.
Ichigo stared down at the vastly extended blade that was sticking through his back and out of his chest. What in Kami's name...
"Sorry, Lord Aizen. I was getting bored." The grinning, teal-haired man said, not sounding guilty whatsoever.
"*Sigh* That's fine, Gin. It would have been the inevitable ending no matter who dealt the blow." The blade retracted, turning back into the short, Japanese sword, and Ichigo dropped to one knee. "I suppose I should put him out of his misery." Aizen walked to the now kneeling man, and prepared to remove the head from his body.
"No..." Ichigo leapt at him, ignoring the blood that trickled from his mouth, and poured from his gut, and swung the staff at the traitor, aiming at Aizen's neck in a vicious strike. It connected, just barely, as Sozuke stepped away quickly. The tip grazed the front of his throat, and the traitorous Captain was shocked to find that it, somehow, drew blood.
"Hmm? How did a blunt weapon draw blood? Especially when wielded by one that I had calculated to be too weak to even draw blood from m-ugh!" The butt of the combined weapon slammed into the man's stomach, and Ichigo gave a grunt of exertion as a blade formed on the end of his staff and stabbed into the man he was against and seemingly outclassed by.
"Batsu... Sur-uh." His attack was interrupted, in a rather effective manner, as Gin's Zanpakuto stabbed through his gut once more, retracted in the blink of an eye, and Ichigo dropped to the ground, very nearly unconscious and bleeding heavily. The staff faded away and a single, black hilted and sheathed katana was left in its place.
"Sorry, Aizen-sama. I panicked." Gin said, grin not fading.
"No. No, you were right to intervene. Thank you, Gin." The brown haired man said, with a prominent frown on his usually slightly smug face. "Kaname; please remind me, once we get to Los Noches, that I need to keep an eye on Ichigo Kurosaki."
"Of course, Lord Aizen." The blind man nodded and the two walked off to the side, leaving Gin next to the 'unconscious' Rtoka.
The teal haired man heard an almost silent groan from the grounded figure, and his grin grew.
"Ah, ah, ah, Ichigo. You need to keep quiet and learn what you can 'bout what'll happen next. Ya don't stand a chance against Aizen like you are, after all." He wandered off to join his comrades, and Ichigo couldn't help but agree, largely, with the snake-like man's summary. But he still had a couple of tricks he'd use if he had to in order to save Rukia.
All of a sudden, Ichigo saw that the African-American man had vanished, and now a strange rope-like kido appeared in the spot he had just been standing. As the spell vanished, Ichigo was treated to an unpleasant sight. Renji's body, still alive but barely, dropped like a sack of potatoes and the orange haired man's brown eyes locked on to the violet orbs of Rukia Kuchiki, who gasped.
"Ichigo!" Tosen was replaced by Aizen, and Ichigo snarled as he lifted the girl, with ease, by her collar-thing.
"Oi, Aizen-sama. I think that Ichigo'll fight again if ya're too rough with her. I was under the impression that you'd want 'im alive to see what 'appens next with 'im."
"You're right, Gin. It would be a shame to see such... potential wasted. What do you propose I do?" He asked, diplomatically.
"Eh, I'd say let the girl live. 'S not like her death matters, right?" The brown haired man pondered this for a few seconds.
"Huh. I suppose you are correct, Gin. But I will, in this case, make things more interesting. Tell me, Ryoka, do you know why Kisuke Urahara helped you with this endeavour? Do you know why I am targeting Rukia Kuchiki?"
Ichigo grunted a negative.
"Did you know that there are 4 basic fighting methods of Shinigami? Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hoho and Kido? In those four, there is a limit for each in regards to how strong you can possibly grow. Once a Soul Reaper reaches that limit; he will have mastered it. That will be the end of his growth in that area. Once he reaches mastery in all four? He has reached his limit as a Soul Reaper. I cannot accept that, and so I must go past that limit. To do that, there is only one way. The Soul Reaper has to become something more; a Hollow." Ichigo gave a slight twitch of recognition, and Aizen smiled. "Either that, or a Hollow can become a Soul Reaper. Either way, I must remove the barrier between those two opposing forces. That is the key to making the Spirit's power even greater. I began my research on this subject.
"I focused mainly on turning Hollows into Shinigami. I came close, but never truly succeeded. One such example, I believe you are familiar with, based on the Zanpakuto I saw you wielding earlier. It was able to break Zanpakuto and combine with other Soul Reapers." Two growls came in return, but Aizen ignored their anger. "It was a shame that all I got back was the Hollow's corpse, he was ever so promising after all. But even with that, I was able to find a use. Even with that, it appeared that the theory was destined to be only that. Never a reality. But another succeeded where I had failed. Kisuke Urahara.
"I assume you remember the fact that the Gigai Rukia wore for so long was provided by him, yes? I thought so. He created a device that would turn one to the other, instantly removing the barrier between Hollow and Shinigami. Hogyoku. The man tried to destroy it, knowing it could be extremely dangerous, but he was unable to do so. Instead, he reluctantly turned to another solution. He built a shield around the Hogyoku, and embedded it deep inside a Gigai. Rukia's Gigai. When she entered, the device was transferred into her soul, and became tied to her energy. When hers faded, so would the Hogyoku. And then he set to work on the Gigai. Changing it to sap the Spiritual Pressure instead of restore it was simple for a man such as Urahara. It had to devour the Soul Reaper's energy in order to function; as he built it without Reishi. Eventually, the Shinigami would be reduced to a mere Human, and the Hogyoku would vanish." He turned to the girl in his grip.
"Do you understand? You would have soon lost all of your Shinigami powers, and become that which you masqueraded as. Kisuke Urahara gave you no strength. He used you, Rukia Kuchiki. He effectively turned you human, just so that he could hide his own invention. It is fortunate you were brought to the Soul Society when you were. In a way, you could say that I am saving you. You will be able to recover soon once I remove the Hogyoku from your body, and you will be able to fight as a Soul Reaper once more. Do not worry." He said, in a reassuring tone. "I won't harm you." His hand raised to the inside of his Haori, and...
"AIIIZEEEN!" A... Soul Reaper, for Ichigo wasn't sure he could be called a man, roared as he appeared behind the Traitorous Captain, and a massive blade crashed down on the unsurprised man.
-90-90-90-
"It has been a long time since you have shown your face, Sajin." Aizen commented to the wolf-faced man. "Why the sudden change of heart? Does something ail you?" He put on a faux-concerned tone as he asked the second question.
"Aizen... How dare you stand there, nonchalant like that, Aizen?" Komamura growled at his ex-comrade as the man held his Zanpakuto steady with a single hand. "You have betrayed all of us! You cannot be forgiven!" He turned his focus to the blind Soul Reaper behind Aizen. "Nor will you... Kaname!" The man drew back, and held his blade steady.
"Bankai!" A massive samurai rose above the Captain, as Ichigo watched Aizen walk to stand in front of the Wolf-Man, who didn't react whatsoever, until a look of shock came over his face, and Komamura froze.
"Hado #90: Kurohitsugi." A massive, black box appeared around the massive Captain, and spikes seemingly formed. stabbing into the coffin that now encased Sajin. The tomb vanished, and the, now bloodied, wolf fell to the ground. "Kyoka Suigetsu's hypnosis is flawless. But even if it had a flaw, you would stand no chance against me."
'Woo..." Gin began, with a grin. "Hado #90; that's some scary stuff. Especially without incantation."
"But it is incomplete." Aizen replied. "That was but a third of its destructive power." He walked to Rukia. "Now the, I do need to finish this rather quickly." The man drew an odd-looking green tube from his pocket. "This is another of Urahara's inventions. It makes sense; he is the master of storing things in souls, after all." Ichigo didn't see what Aizen did, but a cloud of smoke rose from the object, and wrapped around the man's arm. When it dissipated, the skin was covered by dark green scales, and Aizen looked at it with a look of slight interest. "Hmm. Well, Rukia, I would recommend holding still. I wouldn't want to make a mistake."
Aizen's hand thrust forwards, passing through Rukia's torso before it was quickly pulled back out. A hole, caused by the hand, instantaneously closed, and Aizen nodded, expecting as much.
"How fascinating... I didn't expect it to be so small." He looked at something in his hand, and continued. "The Hogyoku." He looked on the kneeling girl with what seemed to be a sad frown. "I am sorry, but as I was doing that... something occurred to me. I need young Kurosaki to visit revenge on me. If it is only a matter of his own health... I cannot be sure." He spoke softly to her, and turned to face Ichigo.
"Bakudo #30: Shitotsu Sansen!" A triangle of light pinned Ichigo to the ground, as Aizen continued. "Relieve Rukia of one of her limbs, Gin."
"If I must." The man continued to grin, and raised his sword. "Shoot to kill, Shinso!" The blade extended in the blink of an eye, as Ichigo gave a yell of shock and anger; his struggle to escape the Bakudo confines only leading to blood rushing from his gut, and shot at Rukia, aiming to maim the short Soul Reaper. With a gasp, the blade hit, and stabbed into the body of a Shinigami, but an instant later everybody saw that it was not the one the snake had intended.
"Onii-sama... No..." Rukia gasped, as she saw her rescuer.
'Heh. I guess he's got some good in 'im after all.' Hichigo, along with his fellow spirits, was glad that the Reaper-girl wasn't hurt. Ichigo would shoulder the blame himself if she had indeed lost a limb. That began to redeem Byakuya in their King's eyes.
Aizen watched with a mild expression of shock, until his attention was drawn upwards by a strangely shaped shadow rapidly growing larger.
"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hado #62 Raikoho!" Ichigo's mouth twisted into a, slightly pained, grin. He would have recognised that voice anywhere. Unfortunately, he was a little preoccupied at that moment, and so their reunion would have to wait.
"Don't move, Aizen." Another familiar tone came from where Aizen appeared to avoid the colossal yellow blast, and Ichigo saw a dark-skinned, purple haired woman and a smaller, black haired and light skinned Soul Reaper both positioned to attack Aizen. One with a drawn back foot and leg, the other with a small-ish Zanpakuto placed against his throat.
"Or we're going to cut off your head." Soi Fon finished Yoruichi's statement, pressing Suzembachi against the traitor's throat for emphasis.
"Yes, I can see that." Aizen said in response, still wholly calm.
"Kukaku!" Yoruichi called, with a grin. "Good to see you got my message."
"That's right! Now. where's this Ichigo-guy you were bragging about?" Wait, Ichigo saw her at an angle. Had she... lost an arm? No. No way.
"Bragging? I wouldn't call it bragging, I just thought you two aught to meet."
"It sounded a lot like braggin' to me."
"Lady Yoruichi; do you not think there could be a better time for you to have this conversation?"
"Yeah, I guess so, Little Bee."
"Wow. That was flashy." Gin grinned. "Now what should I do?"
"You shouldn't even move." The Lieutenant of Squad 10 hissed, appearing behind the teal-man and placed her blade under his chin.
"Sorry, Captain Aizen. It looks like I got caught." At the same time, a different Lieutenant, who Ichigo didn't know, appeared behind Tosen, and had him in a similar position.
"You're done, Aizen." Yoruichi growled.
"Hmm? Did you say something?"
"You're caught. There's no where left for you to run." More appeared, including the 'big three' captains, gathered around Aizen's still form. "It's over, Aizen." The 'trapped' man chuckled. "What's so funny?"
"I am sorry to have to do this, but the time has come for us to leave." Yoruichi's eyes widened as she sensed... something.
"Soi Fon, move!" The two vanished in flashes of Shunpo, as a yellow light enveloped Aizen. Above the battlefield, a tear opened in the sky, showing dozens of giant Hollow masks. Three Menos Grande looked down, and a golden light shot down at each of the traitorous captains, forming a tube, of sorts, around the three.
"No way..." The fat man that Ichigo had defeated twice now mumbled.
"How many are there?" A sunglasses wearing Reaper uttered.
"What is that?" The man that had been holding Tosen asked, spying what looked to be a purple, closed eye.
The three captains were very effectively cut off from the others present, but Gin had to make one last comment to his ex-captor.
"Well, that's a shame. I was having fun being your captive. So long, Rangiku." He said, not turning to look at the girl as he did so. A chunk of rock beneath each of the traitors rose, carrying them upwards towards the tear in the sky.
"You're just going to run away?! That's it?!" The Lieutenant of the still downed wolf-captain exclaimed as he drew his Zanpakuto.
"Don't!" The oldest being present barked. "That light is from the Negacion. It is a technique used by Hollows rescue their comrades from any situations they cannot win. It is impenetrable, and any attempt will backfire spectacularly on the one that tries. As soon as they were surrounded by that light, it became impossible for us to reach them." The end of his teaching was punctuated by a thump as Komamura, now kneeling, slammed his fist into the ground with frustration.
"Kaname! Get back here, Kaname! Have you forgotten?! You once told me why you became a Soul Reaper! Was it not for the sake of your friend? The one who died! To carry out your justice? Where is your sense of justice now?! Because I cannot see it!"
"My eyes can only see one path. That path is the one with the least bloodshed. My path is justice." Their conversation ended there, as Ukitake stepped forwards, and spoke to the ringleader.
"You have joined with the Menos? Why?"
"I must continue to improve. To evolve. This is the only way that I can."
"You cannot have become that... insane, can you?"
"You are blinded by your self-righteousness. Since the beginning, nobody has truly stood at the top. Not you. Not me. Not even the gods. Soon, though," He removed his glasses, and swept his hair back in a sleek style. "That vacancy will be filled. From now on, I will climb higher than any before me. I will stand at the top." He looked down at them, his eyes resting specifically on Ichigo. "Goodbye, Soul Reapers. And goodbye... Ryoka boy. Even I must admit that, for a human, you are rather fascinating." The three vanished through the hole.
"Now that that arrogant Bastard is gone, is somebody going to get this blasted thing off me?!" Ichigo exclaimed, growing more and more annoyed with being pinned to the ground and wanting, very much, to be free again.
