The Rise of a Warrior: Dragon Reaper

by The Legendary Dragon Reaper

The well has been sealed, the jewel destroyed. A new adventure begins! New town, old friends and new, and a whole army of Soul Reapers, Hollows and Arrancars to fight through. With Kagome and Ichigo by his side, Kenshiro must rise up to the challenge to become the legendary Dragon Reaper! Sequel to the Rise of a Warrior: Inuyasha. OC x Kagome

11. Chapter 10

In the depths of Hueco Mundo, a terrifyingly familiar Hollow finally recovered from his injuries, ready to pursue his adversary as his mask opened.

His target: Ichigo Kurosaki.

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By this point, 2 weeks had passed since the rescue mission to the Soul Society, and Ichigo was getting used to the antics of his friends again 'Every time, seriously Keigo? Damn, did Kenshiro and Kagome have to go to Tokyo right after we got back? He didn't even come to say goodbye that morning.' he soon met up with Chad, Uryu and Orihime, ignoring the usual antics 'I wonder how Ishida is gonna deal with losing his Quincy powers.' then he met up with Tatsuki after she dealt with Chizuru "Morning Tatsuki."

"Morning Ichigo, how's that report coming?" asked Tatsuki.

"Report?"

"Yeah, the one assigned while you were all on vacation. I told you about it the other day, right?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about it."

"You sure you're alright? It's not my fault if you don't get it in on time."

"Yeah, I know."

"Whatever. If you take too much time off, it really makes things-" that was when she noticed something "What's that?"

Ichigo looked down "Oh, this old good luck charm? My dad gave it to me before I left, he said to keep it. He tried sewing it onto me, so I guess he really wanted me to keep it. In short, my dad's an idiot."

"I figured that out without you telling me."

"How'd you know?"

"It's obvious, who else in your life would do something like that? Anyway, I was asking about that skull there."

Ichigo looked at his Substitute Soul Reaper Combat pass "Oh, this is-" then he froze "Hold on. Tatsuki, you can see this thing?"

"What do you mean?"

Then Kenshiro came in "Hey Ichigo, what's up?"

Ichigo sighed 'Saved by the jackass. Talk you later Tatsuki." then he went to Kenshiro "Listen, we've got a problem."

"What sort of problem?"

Then the sensei came in and told everyone to take their seats, forcing their conversation to break up, and she informed them about a new transfer student showing up that day.

Ichigo looked at his Substitute Soul Reaper Pass 'Ukitake-san said no normal humans should be able to see it..' then it started ringing, and he freaked out.

Kenshiro got the same message and stood "Sorry sensei, Ichigo's got a stomach ache. I'll take him to the nurse, be back in a few." and they took off, with Chad, Orihime and Kagome following.

Keigo tried to follow, but it didn't take.

Tatsuki looked out the window and froze upon seeing both Ichigo and Kenshiro in their Soul Reaper forms.

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Ichigo made quick work of the Hollow, slashing it straight down the middle "Guys, you guys didn't have to come. Either one of us could've handled it on our own, you didn't have to leave school to come and follow us."

"We had to make sure you two were alright." said Kagome "If this Hogyoku that Aizen has really is the Shikon Jewel reborn, then we've gotta keep a lookout for anything that could lead us to him."

"Now that I think about it, Ishida-kun didn't come, did he?" Orihime noticed.

"He can't help it, he's lost his powers so he couldn't help if he wanted to." said Ichigo.

"But we've been back for two weeks already."

"Don't worry, he'll deal with it somehow. Even without his powers, he put up a good fight."

Unknown to them, a figure was watching them in mid-air.

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The group got back in time to meet the new transfer student, Shinji Hirako.

After explaining the Kanji used for his name, he sat near Ichigo and Kenshiro "Looks like the three of us are neighbors, huh? Why don't all three of us be friends Kurosaki-kun, Kamikaze-kun."

Kenshiro nodded hesitantly "Kenshiro Kamikaze, nice to meet you Hirako-san."

Hirako grinned.

Ichigo eyed him suspiciously 'There's something off about him.'

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That night, Ichigo and Kenshiro were called out for a job.

"So Kenshiro, about this Hirako guy. What do you think of him?" asked Ichigo.

Kenshiro one-shotted the Hollow and shrugged "He seems like the typical creepy jackass, every school has one."

"I know, but he seems creepier than most."

"Now that you mentioned it, I sensed a powerful Reiatsu coming from him. Maybe it's best to keep an eye on him."

"Hey!" a Soul Reaper with an afro appeared on the scene "Wh-Wh-Who the hell are you two? All dressed up like Soul Reapers, very suspicious!"

"Who are you?" asked Ichigo.

"Zennosuke Kurumadani, an elite Soul Reaper tasked with watching this are in Rukia Kuchiki's stead, who was pulled out on account of some crime or something. Well? Surprised?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki/ Kenshiro Kamikaze. Substitute Soul Reaper's!" they chorused as they showed their badges.

Zennosuke blinked, then laughed "What the hell is that?! I've never seen or heard of a Substitute Soul Reaper!"

Ichigo and Kenshiro looked at the badge 'The f*ck is with these badges? They're useless.'

"Alright, so if you're gonna apologize now would be a good time."

That was when Hirako showed up and clashed his Zanpakuto with Ichigo's, blowing Zennosuke away with the sheer force.

Ichigo was pissed "Hirako you bastard, why do you have a Zanpakuto?! What the hell are you?!"

Hirako shushed him "Don't make so much noise Ichigo Kurosaki, guys with so much Reiatsu like you two shouldn't create a commotion so easily or it'll echo throughout the world and alert others."

"Like who exactly?" asked Kenshiro.

"Who, you say? Do ya really need me to spell it out for ya, dumbasses?"

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Uryu was confronted by a strange Hollow that emerged from a Garganta.

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At the same time, Kon, who had snuck out in Ichigo's body, was confronted by a newly transformed Grand Fisher, who was looking for Ichigo to get revenge and removed his mask, transforming into an incomplete version of something known as an Arrancar.

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Uryu dodged an attack by the Hollow, also an incomplete Arrancar and started running.

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Hirako noticed a Reiatsu disappear "He's gone."

"Hirako you bastard, what're you up to?" Kenshiro snarled, releasing his Shikai.

Hirako pointed "See guys? I told ya, this is because strawberry over there carelessly let his Reiatsu spill out."

"I asked you who you are."

"What a pain in the ass, do you really want to know so badly what I am? Okay then." he started to materialize a familiar mask "See? What's this?"

Ichigo was considerably more shocked and horrified by the appearance of the mask "A Hollow Mask?!"

"That's right. A Zanpakuto and a Hollow Mask. You both understand, don't ya? I'm a Soul Reaper that stepped into Hollow territory. Didn't I say the three of us should be friends? I am a Visored, and the kin of you both. Come to our side Ichigo, Kenshiro. You don't belong on this side."

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Uryu was still being chased, by was eventually by his father Ryuken, with whom he wasn't on good terms, and whom revealed himself to be a Quincy.

Ryuken easily dispatched the incomplete Arrancar and offered to restore Uryu's Quincy powers, on the condition that he never again associated with Soul Reapers.

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Kon continued running from the Grand Fisher, but was eventually caught.

That was when Isshin arrived to save him, dressed a Soul Reaper.

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Hirako was the first to notice the new Reiatsu.

Ichigo caught on quickly "Wh-What the-? This Reiatsu… But this other enormous Reiatsu is… a Hollow?"

'Woah woah woah, he just now noticed?' Hirako mused 'Is this guy really okay? The Soul Reaper Reiatsu that just appeared, I don't recognize it. Who can it be?' then he got pissed when he saw them taking off "Hey, dammit! Where the hell ya two going?! I'm not finished talking yet!"

"We'll pass!" Ichigo called.

"I said I'm not finished yet!"

"Whatever it is, neither one of us wants to hear it! We don't care what kind of organization your so-called Visoreds is, neither of us have any desire to be friends with you. We are Soul Reapers, nothing more and nothing less, and we're not your friends!" and he took off.

Hirako sighed "Jeez, this ain't gonna be easy."

"Ichigo's not the easiest guy to persuade, tell him something he actually wants to know and he might consider it, and the same goes for me." and Kenshiro took off after Ichigo.

Hirako sighed and pulled out his cell phone "Hello? It's Hirako, is this Sarugaki-san's cell phone? Sorry, wrong number. I couldn't help it, ya don't have to shout in my ear! It's just a matter of time, let's be patient."

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The Grand Fisher drew his Zanpakuto, taking on a more powerful form, but Isshin, identifying him as something known as an Arrancar, killed him in one strike, avenging the death of Masaki.

That was when Urahara showed up, and he and Isshin discussed the Arrancar under the command of Aizen, and the fact that the Hogyoku, or Shikon no Tama reforged, would take a full year to re-awaken and reach its full potential.

Kon was sworn to secrecy.

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Toshiro and the other captains were called in for a meeting by Yamamoto.

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Next morning, Ichigo was more serious than usual "So who the hell was that other Reiatsu?"

Kenshiro shook his head "I haven't the faintest idea."

"I mean, when we got there it was gone without a trace. It's probably because of that bastard Hirako."

Then Orihime rushed in "Good morning Kurosaki-kun!"

Then Kagome came in calmly "Morning Kenshiro, Ichigo-kun."

Then Hirako came in and mimicked Orihime "Morning Ichigo-kun, Kenshiro-kun!"

Ichigo eyed him with distrust 'Hirako just shows up at school like nothing happened!'

"Morning, let's see… Hirako-kun, right?" asked Kagome.

Hirako grinned "Yes, you remembered my name!" he hugged both girls "Good morning Kagome-chan, Orihime-chan!"

"Hirako-san." Kenshiro suddenly appeared beside him, along with Ichigo "We need to have a word with you outside." and he dragged him out by the shirt, with Ichigo following.

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Ichigo watched the scene unfolding 'Moral of the story: Never mess with Kagome.'

Kenshiro slammed Hirako against the wall "You little shit!"

Hirako pouted "You don't have to get so mad, it's not like Kagome-chan is your girlfriend!"

"It's exactly like that, you ass!"

"There's no way a hottie like that would be your girlfriend!"

"Well she is, pull a stunt like that again and no amount of Hollow will save you!"

"You've no right to talk to me like that."

"Do you want me to hurt you?! And more importantly, why the hell are you in our school?!"

"Don't act stupid, it's the duty of a student to go to school right?"

"Wasn't you wanting to recruit us into your little boy band?"

"It's not a boy band."

"Sure it's not. Anyway, if that's the case, then you've got no reason to be here!"

"Why is that?" asked Hirako, shutting him up "Surely you guys don't think I've given up just because of what happened yesterday, do ya? I don't give up so easily, I'm gonna follow you guys around 'til I get a yes. Besides, it's too late. Visoreds cannot become normal again once the symptoms appear. No matter what you think, you guys are on our side now. Kagome-chan and Orihime-chan, the big one, glasses, you both believe them all to be friends don't you? Well you're both wrong, they're only friends for the time being. If you both keep on being Soul Reapers, at some point you'll both lose your sanity and be swallowed up by the Hollows inside. When that happens, it's all over. The combined power of the two of you will destroy everything. Your friends, as well as the future, will all be swallowed and smashed to pieces. Don't tell me you guys haven't already noticed? The fact that the Hollows inside the two of you are already so powerful that you can't control it. Come with me Kenshiro, Ichigo, I'll show you both how to maintain your sanity.

What they didn't know was that Tatsuki was watching from afar.

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Ichigo was rather distant for the rest of the day, and Keigo was freaking out over it.

Mizuiro took advantage of this and just added fuel into the fire that was Keigo's mind.

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Hirako sighed "Man I'm tired, I guess it's cuz I'm not used to this kind of activity. And what's with the stupid test right after we get back from summer break? Ridiculous! And why do I have to go to school and be the recruiter for Ichigo and Kenshiro? I just don't get it."

Then a certain foot rammed him into the wall.

Upon seeing the figure, Hirako went from pissed to pale "Hi-Hiyori…"

Hiyori then slapped him across the face with her sandal "What the hell are you wastin' time for here, ya dumbass?!"

"Sorry…"

"Where are Ichigo Kurosaki and Kenshiro Kamikaze?!"

"They're still…"

"Whaddaya mean 'they're still…'?! You convince them right now and bring them here!"

"It can't be helped, they won't listen to me!"

"Then use force to bring them here!"

"That's not what you said the other day!"

"There he is." Kagome, Chad and Orihime suddenly appeared behind them.

Hirako blinked "Kagome-chan… Orihime-chan…"

"Shinji." Hiyori motioned for him to come closer, then head-butted him, HARD "You were followed dipshit!"

"Even if we asked Kenshiro or Ichigo-kun what was going on, I know they'd just say that it's nothing." said Kagome.

Orihime nodded "So we thought we'd ask you directly Hirako-kun, who are you and what do you want with Kurosaki-kun and Kenshiro-kun?"

Hiyori smirked "You think we're just gonna tell you?"

There was a pause.

"Hiyori Sarugaki." she introduced "Tell me yours."

"Orihime Inoue."

"Kagome Higurashi."

"Yasutora Sado."

Hiyori smirked "A birdcage, a princess and a tiger, huh? Such excessive names. Our names mean monkey and lewd, so I'm jealous!"

"What do ya mean lewd? I'm the only living one here." Hirako muttered "Don't drag me into this asshole."

Hiyori then proceeded to break Hirako's nose through disturbing means "But she's got such smoothe hair and a killer rack, and the other chick's not bad either. They really piss me off, these girls."

"That's no normal inferiority complex, that's no way to talk about Kagome-chan or Orihime-chan's attributes."

She then broke his nose even further "Well whatever, I have nothing to tell you." she gripped her Zanpakuto "So if you'll just die here…"

Hirako suddenly carried her away "Excuse us!"

Chad stopped Orihime from pursuing "Let them go Inoue, you realize that we'd never catch them at their speed. And even if we could catch them, it would only end with the three of us getting killed."

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Uryu approached his father in his office, and agreed to Ryuken's terms.

It was time for the training to begin.

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Isshin, Yuzu and Karin noticed that Ichigo wasn't himself when he came home.

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Kenshiro came into Ichigo's room through the window "So what's the deal with your Inner Hollow?"

Ichigo sighed "After I drove him out during my fight with Byakuya, that mask would came back even if I threw it out, and now it's suddenly disappeared. Ever since then, I've been able to hear it, his voice inside of me calling out. Hirako didn't even need to mention it. At this rate…" he suddenly spaced out, then came back after a few minutes "It's getting stronger. So what's the deal with yours?"

"Well, my situation is a lot more complicated than yours. While I've got an Inner Hollow, it's evolved into an inner demon from the Shikon Jewel mission. It's honestly become a real problem, it's almost hurt Kagome at least half a dozen times and I can't risk that again."

Then there was a knock at the door "Ichi-nii, can I come in?"

Ichigo blinked "Sure Karin, come on in."

Karin entered, looking serious "Ichi-nii, Kenshiro, I want you guys to tell me what you're so worried about."

"What're you talking about?" asked Ichigo "We're not worried about anything."

"I know… I know about it!"

"About what?"

"Ichi-nii, Kenshiro… I know that you two are Soul Reapers!"

They froze.

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At the same time, two Arrancar known as Yammy and Ulquiorra landed in the park in Karakura.

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Ichigo looked at Kenshiro, then back at Karin, and gave a fake smile "What're you talking about? Are you-"

"Don't mess with me." Karin cut him off "I can see them, I've been able to for a long time now. At first I didn't know what was going on, but old man Kanonji…"

"Wait Kanonji? Oh god, what did he-"

They were cut off by a massive Reiatsu shaking the entire city.

Ichigo looked at Karin "Sorry, I don't have time for this." he turned to Kenshiro "Let's go." he grabbed his badge and entered his Soul Reaper form, then took off out the window, with Kenshiro following.

Karin just watched.

She had a bad feeling about this.

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Yammy sighed "I came here many times when I was still masked, but man this place is as boring as ever. There are so few spirit particles that it's hard to breathe!"

"Don't complain, I believe I said that I could handle this on my own." stated Ulquiorra "You're the one who wanted to come here Yammy."

"My bad, my bad." Yammy made his way out of the crater, but found that no one there could see him "What's with these guys? Don't come over here if you don't have any spiritual power." he then sucked out their spiritual energy.

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Orihime went to check on a guy that collapsed from Yammy draining him "Wait Sado-kun, Kagome-chan!"

"It's no use Inoue, they're already dead." Chad told her "You can see it, can't you? Something is sucking out people's souls."

"Who could do this? Why are they doing something like that?"

"Let's hurry." Chad led the girls towards the seen "I'd like to ask you a favor Inoue, Higurashi. When we get there, would you two please stay back and take care of anyone who is still alive?"

Kagome quickly protested "But Sado-kun, on your own you'll-"

"I understand your desires to fight, but you two need to heal those who are injured. You two are the only ones who can save the survivors. I'm counting on you two."

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The bodies collapsed.

Yammy finished sucking out their souls "Nasty!"

"Naturally, there's no way thin souls could be tasty." Ulquiorra stated.

"But you see, I did it because these guys were looking at us like we're some sort of freak show!"

"These people can't see us, it's not like they were looking at you."

"I know that, but it still makes me mad! So, how many people should we kill?"

"Just one, there is no need to kill anyone else."

"We're only killing one out of this whole herd?"

"I've heard that there are at most five people in the real world with Reiatsu levels high enough that they could actually put up a fight, everyone else is just trash. Finding them is going to be easy." then he noticed Tatsuki struggling "This is unexpected, there's a survivor."

Tatsuki's mind was racing 'Wh-What happened? Just what… are they?'

Yammy stomped over to her, leaving Tatsuki unable to look away "For my Gonzui to fail at tearing out your soul, you must have a bit of spiritual power hiding in you somewhere, right?! Ulquiorra, is this one!"

"Take a better look you idiot, her soul is about to break simply by you being close to her. She's merely trash."

"So she was just lucky that she survived my Gonzui, what a joke." he aimed a kick meant to finish Tatsuki.

But Chad appeared and blocked the kick with his armored arm.

"Who are you three?" asked Yammy.

Chad braced his arm 'This guy, his kick was so powerful! It looks like he isn't someone Inoue could take on after all, Higurashi probably can't take him either. Inoue do just as we discussed, take care of Arisawa and stay back. Higurashi, stay back and assume the attack formation."

Kagome stepped back and prepared to summon Tsubasa, while Orihime took Tatsuki away.

"Hey Ulquiorra, is this him?!" Yammy called.

"Yammy, you really must work on your investigative powers so that you can determine that on your own." Ulquiorra stated "You should be able to tell with just one glance, that guy is trash."

"I see!"

Chad prepared a blast from his arm.

Yammy stopped the attack and backhanded Chad away effortlessly, seriously injuring his arm in the process.

Kagome was by his side immediately "Sado-kun, just hold on!"

"Ulquiorra, is this woman trash as well?" asked Yammy.

"Yeah, she's trash." Ulquiorra stated.

Yammy smirked "I see!" he aimed a finger.

"Mamoru Hana." Kagome summoned Sakura, shielding herself and Chad, with the shield cracking not long after.

"What is she?" Yammy mused.

"Bara, Iyashino Hana!" Kagome's spirit of healing got to work on fixing Chad's arm.

"What, you're healing him?" asked Yammy "Or rather, is that guy even alive? He's pretty stubborn.

Ulquiorra observed 'A healing technique? No, that's not it. This isn't a healing technique, she's either reversing time or dimensions. Whatever the case may be, it's different from a healing technique. This is something that I've never seen before. You're a strange human, woman."

Kagome stood "I won't forgive anyone who hurts my friends. Tsubasa, Utsusu Hana!" she summoned her spirit of reflection 'I can't rely on Kenshiro or Ichigo-kun all the time, I have to stand up for myself! Tatsuki-chan, Orihime-can, Sado-kun, Ishida-kun, Ichigo-kun, Kenshiro, I will protect all of you!'

Yammy smirked and aimed another attack, but Tsubasa's shield suddenly began radiating with Reiatsu, blowing Yammy back aways.

Then Tsubasa collapsed and suddenly de-materialized.

Yammy came back, but now he was pissed and had some small burns "What the hell was that? Hey Ulquiorra, what should I do? Should we take her back to Aizen-san since she has some unusual techniques?"

"No, there's no need." Ulquiorra stated "Kill her Yammy."

"Alright!" Yammy aimed a fist.

But then Ichigo's blade was pointed at his hand "Kenshiro get Kagome out of here, the every other agreement."

"Who the hell are you?" asked Yammy.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, but you can call me your executioner." he held out his Shikai and placed his hand on his arm "Bankai!" and he unleashed his Bankai "Tensa Zangetsu."

"Kick their asses Ichigo." Kenshiro then took Chad and Kagome and left.

Yammy blinked "Did you say Bankai?! Hey Ulquiorra, is he the guy?"

"One of them yes, who would have thought that your flailing about could smoke him out so easily?" Ulquiorra stated "Orange hair, black Bankai, there's no mistaking it. This is one of our targets Yammy."

"So he saved us the trouble of looking for him! I'm lucky!" he aimed a fist.

Ichigo stopped with his blade "Are you the one who did that to Chad's right arm?"

"What about it?"

Ichigo leapt over him, lopping Yammy's arm clean off.

'The fool, he went at him without even evaluating his opponent's strength. This is why I told him he should work on his investigative powers. But that brat, to think that he cut through Yammy's steel skin and cleaved off his arm just like that. I heard that he just recently obtained Bankai, yet his Reiatsu is so tempered. However, at this level, I don't think he or the other one represent much of a threat to Aizen-sama.'

Yammy was furious "Damn you you brat!"

Ichigo raised a brow "You can still stand? You're as tough as you look."

"You're having quite a time here, aren't you?" Ulquiorra offered.

"Shut up!" Yammy barked, then gripped his Zanpakuto.

"Are you going to use your Zanpakuto on a run like this?"

"I told you to shut up!"

Ichigo froze "A Zanpakuto? That thing on his hip was a Zanpakuto after all? A broken Hollow mask, a hole in his chest, a Zanpakuto? I thought I felt a strange Reiatsu before even coming here, but just what are these guys? Are they related to Hirako… and me and Kenshiro?' then he felt his Inner Hollow fighting again.

Yammy smirked and easily sent Ichigo flying with one kick, then he slammed him to the ground and began beating him, then grabbed Ichigo by the head "I don't know what's going on, but he's suddenly stopped moving!"

Ulquiorra observed this 'That's strange, all of a sudden that brat's Reiatsu started fluctuating. However, it's not fluctuation that widely. When his Reiatsu is low, it's inconsequential. But when it's high, it's greater than mine. What's going on here?'

Yammy threw Ichigo to the ground "It's over brat, I'm gonna crush you!"

His fist was blocked by Kenshiro "Sup? Hey Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san, leave this guy to me!"

Yammy looked at Kenshiro "You're that other guy, people just keep popping up and getting in the way! Butting in like this means you want me to kill you first, right?"

Kenshiro grabbed his fist and threw him to the ground, then began pummeling him without mercy.

For an instant, Ichigo swore he could see Kenshiro's eyes flickering from brown to red with black sclerae, then back to the usual brown.

"This is it, scum." Kenshiro growled, his voice much lower and warped, as he raised his sword and brought it down, but stopped.

Yoruichi grabbed him by the arm "That's enough Kenshiro." and she knocked him out with a chop to the neck.

Then Yammy got up, even more pissed, and he fired a blast known as a Cero, resulting an explosion "Take that, they were blown to bits! There's no way he could've dodged my Cero at this distance!"

"I didn't have to." Urahara appeared and revealed his Shikai, Benihime.

"Who are you?! What did you do?! How were you able to do that to my Cero?"

"It's just as you saw it, it would've been dangerous for everyone around me if I simply repelled it so I just negated it by hitting it with a similar attack."

"What did you say?"

"How about I show it to you again if you don't believe me? Sing, Benihime!" he unleashed a blast of crimson Reiatsu.

Ulquiorra blitzed in front of Yammy and deflect it, then swiftly struck Yammy in the gut, much to Yammy's ire "What're you doing?!"

"You idiot, you're getting in over your head." said Ulquiorra "This guy is Kisuke Urahara, and the one hiding amongst the trees is Yoruichi Shihoin. At your current level, you wouldn't be able to defeat them. We're leaving." he opened the Garganta "We've completed the assignment, now we're going to report to Aizen-sama. I'm going to tell him that the Soul Reapers he had his eyes set on are trash that aren't even worth killing." and they disappeared as the Garganta closed.

Ichigo stayed still for a moment, then stood.

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Nightfall came, and with it came rain.

Urahara brought Ichigo to the shop and found that Yoruichi was stuffing herself.

"So I guess Yoruichi-san is recovering pretty fast." Ichio commented.

Urahara chuckled "Seems that way." then he turned serious "If only she used Shunko from the start, then this wouldn't be a problem."

"What's Shunko again?"

"It's a power up technique, boosts all physical attributes."

"You mean like the Kaio-ken from Dragon Ball Z?"

"What do you think inspired it?"

"Who pitched the idea?"

"You're looking at him."

Ichigo high-fived him "Nice." then he got back on topic "Still, I would've beaten him if it wasn't for my Hollow messing with my head."

"I know, but I never thought they would be so strongly tempered with Reiatsu."

"These guys are strong Urahara-san, I'm not sure if Kenshiro and I can beat them as we are."

"I'm fully aware of that Kurosaki-san, at the very least they're considerably more powerful than either of us ever thought they were. But keep in mind, your Inner Hollow is nowhere near as dangerous as Kenshiro-san's."

"Because of his Inner Hollow evolving into an Inner demon born from the Ryuuga?"

"Precisely. If his inner demon should become too powerful, and Kenshiro should lose himself, I fear all of our powers combined may not be enough to stop him. I need you to keep an eye on him Kurosaki-san, make sure he doesn't lose control like he almost did today."

"Right. By the way, what's the deal with you and Yoruichi-san?"

Urahara blushed lightly "What're you talking about?"

"Come on, you see her naked all the time."

"So do you."

"Not by choice! Anyway, how're Chad and the others?"

"They're recovering, but Inoue-san seems a little bit hyper."

"That sounds about right. What about Chad?"

"He'll be fine physically, but this might have shaken his resolve."

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Kenshiro laid in his apartment covered in bandages, his mind racing 'Dammit, it almost happened again. If it hadn't been for Yoruichi-san and Urahara-san, my inner demon would've gotten the better of me again. At this rate… Dammit!' he slammed his fist into the ground 'I can't keep going on like this. I haven't told anyone, not Kagome or even Ichigo, but my inner demon has been getting stronger ever since I awakened my Bankai. I have to do something. Hell, I might actually have to take Hirako-san up on his offer.'

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Next morning, Kenshiro met up with Ichigo "Hey."

"Hey." was all Ichigo said 'Kenshiro's having the same problem as I am. Chad got hurt, Inoue and Kagome were put in serious danger, and Tatsuki almost died, all because I'm not strong enough! I don't know what to do other than apologize.'

Then Kenshiro noticed a ruckus in the halls "What the f*ck is going on out there?"

Ichigo was surprised by who showed up "Okay, if there's one time I'll say this in my life, it's now. What. The. F*ck?"

Kagome blinked "Ikkaku? Yumichika? Rangiku-san? Renji? Koga-kun? Toshiro-kun?"

Toshiro sprouted a tic mark "That's Captain Hitsugaya to you Higurashi."

"Why are you guys here?" asked Kenshiro.

"Orders from above, we're preparing for the upcoming battles with the Arrancar by entering the World of the Living and joining forces with the Substitute Soul Reaper's, or so we we've been told." explained Toshiro.

Ichigo blinked "Arrancar? You mean those things we fought before?"

"Idiot, how could you not know that?"

Ichigo turned to see the figure standing in the window "Rukia!"

"It's been awhile you guys."

"Alright Kuchiki, you take Ichigo while I get Kenshiro." Koga then forced Kenshiro out of his body "Come with me." he dragged Kenshiro's Soul Reaper form out the window, leaving Toshiro and the others to deal with the new reputations they were getting from the students nobody gave a crap about.

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"So Koga, where exactly do you plan on taking me?" asked Kenshiro.

Koga checked his Soul Pager "Just shut it and keep running, Rukia-chan and your jackass friend got the one on the south side so we've got the one about a mile away from here. Let's move."

Kenshiro looked down "Not so bad, Shikai can probably handle it." and he leapt down and drew his Zanpakuto, awakening his Shikai upon drawing it, dodging a strike "Alright asshole, let's get this done." he got swept aside into a wall.

"What the hell are you doing? Get up and beat him!" Koga barked "Have you really gotten so weak that you can't even beat a Hollow as pathetic as that?!"

Kenshiro then morphed his Shikai into its staff form and whacked Koga into a wall "500 years and you still haven't learned how to shut up." then he turned to the Hollow and morphed his Shikai into the standard katana "Alright, let's go."

"We're getting so much closer to you now, and we'll just keep getting closer and closer!"

"Dammit, get out of my head!"

"We'll devour you!"

"Stop it!"

Kenshiro suddenly snapped out of it, barely defending himself against an attack.

"I know all about it, ever since the fight with those Arrancar you haven't change into your Soul Reaper form once!" Koga barked "What the hell are you so afraid of?! This is just the Band of Seven all over again! Sado was one-shotted, Kagome and Inoue barely got out of that, your buddy Ichigo is in the same shtick as you, so what?! Are you so easily beaten?! Is your will really that weak?! Are you afraid of losing? Are you afraid that you can't protect Kagome from these guys? Or are you afraid of the monsters inside of you?! If you're afraid of losing, then get stronger! If you're afraid you can't protect Kagome, then get stronger and vow to protect her by any means necessary! If you're afraid of the demons inside of you, then keep getting stronger until you can crush it! You have no right to say that you love Kagome if you don't have the resolve!"

Kenshiro gripped his Shikai to the point where his hand bled.

"Even if you don't believe in anyone else, stand tall and shout it! That's the Kenshiro I've grown to know as my friend and greatest rival!"

Kenshiro smirked "You never did know how to shut up." he held out his Shikai and spread two blades across the blade "Bankai!" he summoned his Bankai and won the battle with one blow.

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Ichigo got the same pep talk from Rukia.

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Keigo was doing his usual thing, being more of a freakout than usual.

That is, until he ended up pissing off Ikkaku.

Lucky for him, Rangiku calmed down Ikkaku by threatening to tell Yachiru. Then subdued Keigo's pervert nature with one backhand.

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Ichigo was less than thrilled to find that Yuzu and Isshin were eavesdropping at the door.

"Your family is as happy as ever." Rukia commented.

"Shut up!" Ichigo barked "More importantly, what the hell is the deal with these Arrancar? What are they, and why are they after me and Kenshiro?"

"Wait up!" Renji suddenly dropped in with Rangiku and the others through Ichigo's roof "Hey."

"What. Did you guys. Do to my light?"

Rangiku grinned "We tried to put in a new light bulb!"

"With what?" asked Ikkaku, earning a smack from Rangiku.

"Putting that aside, what the f*ck is an Arrancar?" Kenshiro appeared in the room via Flash-Bullet.

"The Arrancar are Hollows that remove their masks and are able to gain the powers of both Hollows and Soul Reapers." explained Toshiro, cue Rukia's crappy drawings "Up until now, there were few of them and they were all incomplete. But complete Arrancar have been created due to their contact with Aizen and his use of the Hogyoku." he pointed at Rukia's crappy depiction of Yammy and Ulquiorra "Those were two from the other day. You understand all of this, right?"

"We would if Rukia wasn't so bad at drawing." Ichigo dodged the drawing Rukia through "So how have you guys been dealing with this?"

"At first the Soul Society just planned on quietly watching Aizen until he started to make his move." explained Renji "Then we suddenly lost three captains to the enemy, and on top of that, we're still a mess after the whole Bount affair."

Kenshiro blinked "The what?"

"It happened while you and Kagome were away, I'll explain later." Ichigo told him.

"Anyway, they're achieving complete forms quicker than we anticipated." Renji went on "Once they were sent to the real world, we couldn't just hang back any longer. And we're the ones they selected."

"Kind of a weird set up, don't you think?" Kenshiro pointed out.

"Rukia and I were selected since we knows you two the best." explained Koga "Abarai is the closest to Rukia out of all of the available fighters, so he was chosen. And then we were told to pick out some trustworthy fighters below captain class, so we asked Ikkaku-san to come with us. Then Yumichika-san insisted on going. When Rangiku-san heard the commotion he was making, she said she wanted to come too. She wouldn't be left behind, so Captain Hitsugaya had to come along as the leader. Or something like that."

Toshiro made himself known in the windowsill "At any rate, Aizen has definitely developed an interest in you two."

Rangiku grinned "It's Captain Hitsugaya, the poor sport who was the only one against coming in through the ceiling."

"Have you been waiting by the window this entire time?" asked Renji "You shouldn't do that, a silver-haired elementary school student stands out enough without you doing something like that."

"Shut up!" Toshiro barked, then got back on topic "Arrancar are certain born when a Hollow removes its mask, but the resulting maskless Hollow isn't much of a threat. If he was really going to go to war with the Soul Society, then his objective in creating Arrancar is to come up with something even greater than the Menos."

Ichigo paled slightly "Greater than the Menos? What's with that? It sounds like you're implying that there's an even higher level than the Menos."

"There is. Well more specifically, there are three categories amongst the Menos. The first are the Gillian, the lowest level, foot soldiers as humans would put it. You fended one off not long after you gained Soul Reaper powers. Though they're big, their movements are slow and they've got the intellect of a beast. Beating one isn't difficult for a captain-class, which is where the problem lies. The second one is the Adjuchas, smaller than the Gillian and fewer in number, but they're highly intelligent and several times more capable in battle than the Gillian. They look after the numerous Gillian. The third class is the Vasto Lorde, they're the greatest of the Menos, the same size as humans and they're very few in numbers. It's said that there are only a few of them in all of Hueco Mundo. Bluntly put, a Vasto Lorde's battle abilities are even greater than a Captain's."

Ichigo froze.

"By changing the Menos into Arrancar, they come into possession of an incalculable amount of power. With three of our captains now on their side commanding all those Menos, all we can say is this: If Aizen manages to bring 10 Vasto Lordes under his control at this point in time, then it's the end of the Soul Society."

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At the same time, Ulquiorra and Yammy returned to Hueco Mundo.

Once there, they reported to Aizen and several other Arrancar.

Once they finished, one of the Arrancar, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, questioned Ulquiorra's decision to keep Ichigo and Kenshiro alive, but Aizen assured him that he trusted Ulquiorra's judgement, much to Grimmjow's fury.

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"So when are you guys going back?" asked Ichigo.

"What're you talking about? We're not going back, we're going to be here until the fight against the Arrancar is over." explained Renji.

"Well where're you guys gonna sleep? And before you answer, there's no way my house has enough space for all of you!"

Rangiku pouted "Not even for me?"

"You're the last one I'd let stay here. Besides, why do you think it would be okay for you to stay here?"

Rangiku started unbuttoning her shirt.

"What the f*ck are you doing?! You can't stay here even if you unbutton your shirt!"

She lifted her skirt a little.

He covered his eyes, but opened his fingers a little "You still can't stay here even if you lift up your skirt a little! Dammit, seduction like that isn't going to work on me! I'm definitely not that type of guy!"

"Then close that gap in your fingers." Kenshiro said dryly

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"Well for the time being, I'll stay with the girls." said Rangiku.

Ichigo blinked "Did Inoue and Kagome say it was okay?"

"No, but those kids can't say no once someone asks them a favor, especially Orihime."

"Alright guys, I've got this all planned out." said Kenshiro "Rangiku-san is staying with Kagome and Inoue-san, Renji can freeload off of Urahara-san, there's no way in hell he's staying in my apartment again after trashing it the last time. Toshiro-sensei and Koga can crash with me. Ikkaku and Yumichika, let me know when you guys come up with something."

They shrugged and left.

"So where's Rukia staying?"

Rukia ran inside and made a beeline for Ichigo's closet, with Ichigo hot on her heels.

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Nightfall came.

Keigo and Mizuiro were walking home, when Keigo noticed a Hollow in the sky.

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Rukia somehow cleared up staying at the Kurosaki household, but Karin felt like she'd seen her somewhere before.

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Kenshiro led Ichigo, Toshiro and Koga into his apartment "Alright guys, make yourselves at home."

"You're still out of it." Ichigo noted.

"What're you talking about? I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

"Yeah I am."

"I will go Bankai on you if you don't start talking."

"Fine. It's my inner demon, it keeps getting stronger every time I fight, and it got a major boost in power after fighting against the psychotic bastard Zaraki when I used my Bankai. It's like the more power I unleash, the stronger it gets. And now that I have to deal with my Inner Demon, I don't know if I can handle it. Honestly, if Sesshomaru-dono were still around, he'd know what to do."

Toshiro froze "You said Sesshomaru?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because Sesshomaru used to be the captain of Squad 3, but he disappeared along with several others about 100 years ago, including the former captain of Squad 5 before Aizen."

"Really?"

"Really."

"So out of curiosity, what was this Squad 5 captain's name?"

"Shinji Hirako."

Ichigo walked out the front door without a word, but started screaming the moment he hit the streets.

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A Garganta opened in the sky, and several Arrancar emerged, among them being Shawlong Qufang, Edrad Leones, Ilfort Grantz, Nakim Greendina, Hiten and D-Roy Linker.

"Is everyone here? No one saw you, right?" asked Grimmjow.

"Of course not." replied Shawlong "Grimmjow I felt several strong Reiatsu on the way here, that doesn't match up with Ulquiorra's information."

"Start a full-blown search." Grimmjow then scanned for strong Reiatsu "It's just as I thought, they're really multiplying. So they called for backup from the Soul Society? If he wasn't so full of shit and just killed them to start with it wouldn't be such a pain in the ass now, that's why you're stupid Ulquiorra. D-Roy, Shawlong, Edrad, Ilforte, Nakim! Hiten! Let's take over this area, kill everyone no matter how little Reiatsu they have!"

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While dealing with how Rukia was put with Karin and Yuzu like a normal person, she and Ichigo both sensed it.

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Among others being Renji and Ururu at the shop, Ikkaku and Yumichika on a rooftop, Kagome, Orihime and Rangiku at their apartment, and Kenshiro, Toshiro and Koga. Hell, even Keigo.

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With their targets insight, the 7 Arrancar scattered.

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Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Ichigo prepared to enter his Soul Reaper form.

Rukia checked her Soul Pager and saw that both Chad and Kenshiro had one heading towards them.

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Sensing a familiar Reiatsu, Kenshiro took off on his own.

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Shawlong appeared with Nakim in front of Toshiro and Rangiku "Nice to meet you."

He blitzed away.

Toshiro used his Zanpakuto to block the attack.

Rangiku found herself dealing with Nakim 'This guy…'

"I am Arrancar 11, Shawlong." said Shawlong.

"I'm the Captain of the 10th division, Toshiro Hitsugaya."

They took their clash to the roof of another nearby building.

"Captain of the 10th division." Shawlong noted "My my how wonderful, it looks like I hit the jackpot."

"No." Toshiro flared his Reiatsu "You're probably the biggest loser of all."

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Chad regained consciousness, despite not being fully healed, and went to confront the Arrancar.

"What's this? Aren't you a Soul Reaper." D-Roy appeared before Chad "My loss!" he blitzed forward.

Then Ichigo suddenly appeared and grabbed D-Roy before he could strike "You're supposed to decide whether or not you lost after the fight."

D-Roy smirked "Fair enough, then I'll just say it again after I kill you two! I'm gonna say that everyone is a big loser!"

Ichigo drew his Shikai "Chad, stay back."

"W-Wait a second Ichigo!" Chad protested "If you're worried about my injury, it's already-"

"Chad! Look, just leave this one to me."

Chad recalled his defeat by Yammy and realized that he wouldn't be of any help "I understand, I'll leave him to you Ichigo." and he ran off, not responding to Rukia 'Ichigo, you're not gonna let me watch your back for you anymore? I can't fight beside you anymore, can I Ichigo?'

He knew what he had to do.

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D-Roy smirked "Now, how should I kill you?"

Ichigo removed his bandages "Rukia."

"Yeah, I met Sado on the way here." she told him "What did you say to him?"

"Nothing, I just told him to leave this to me and stay back."

Rukia sighed "Fall back Ichigo." she took out a Gikongan dispenser.

Ichigo blinked "Huh?"

"I'm telling you to fall back and leave him to me, you're way too tense." she entered her Soul Reaper form "People who get like that before a fight end up dying when they shouldn't."

Ichigo gaped at her "Rukia, you have your Soul Reaper powers?"

"Surprised?"

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Ikkaku and Yumichika were confronted by Edrad.

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Kenshiro found a relatively unpopulated area of the city "You know Koga, you didn't have to follow me."

Koga appeared behind him "I know, but I noticed you were incredibly tense about this one."

"Because I've met this guy before when he was alive, not to mention the fact that I was the one who killed him."

"And now is the perfect opportunity for me to exact my revenge." a familiar-looking Arrancar made himself known "It's been a long time Kenshiro Kamikaze."

"Hiten of the Thunder Brothers." Kenshiro snarled, summoning his Shikai, blocking a strike from Hiten's Zanpakuto, coated with Reiatsu emitting electricity.

Hiten retreated into the air and smirked "You're even more powerful than before but you have even less style, this will be even more interesting than our last encounter."

Kenshiro raised his sword "And your last."

"You wish for me to draw out this game I see, fine. I shall relish in your prolong suffering."

"The only one who will suffer here is you, you'll die slowly and painfully for hurting the woman I love." Kenshiro snarled, his eyes flickering to crimson with black sclerae.

Hiten didn't notice this and gave an arrogant smirk "Enough fooling around, time for you to meet your own long overdue demise!" and he charged.

Kenshiro swiftly dodged the strike "You really think I can be defeated by the likes of you?"

Koga tensed 'That voice… Oh shit, his inner demon has taken over again.'

Kenshiro smirked "This is your end scum. Ryuuga Shinshou: Kaji!" he fired the blast of fire-coated Reiatsu.

Hiten emerged with serious burns and stabbed Kenshiro in the shoulder "Fool, did you think an attack of that level would stop me? Pathetic, you weren't this weak during our last encounter. Compassion will prove to be your undoing human."

"Who said I'm human?" Kenshiro stood, smirking maliciously "The pain, the excruciating pain! Give me more of it, make me feel alive!" held out his sword and spread two fingers across the blade "Bankai!" and he unleashed his Bankai "Shinsei Ryuuga. Get ready scum, time to die."

Hiten tried not to show any fear "So you have a way to achieve maximum power? I suppose that makes two of us." he rose his blade "Strike me, Raigekijin!" and he was suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning.

When it subsided, Hiten had taken on a more muscular form, having armor from his lower torso reaching to his neck, and his Zanpakuto took on the shape of a lightning bolt "Now, it's time for me to dole out some long overdue vengeance for my brother! Prepare to die!" he fired a massive Lightning Bolt from his blade.

Kenshiro smirked "Ryuuga Shinshou: Kaze!" and he fired the blast of Reiatsu infused with the wind properties of the Ryuuga, cancelling out the lightning attack "Is that all?" he was faced with another lightning attack, but swept it aside with one hand "Pathetic." he grabbed Hiten by the neck, his nails digging into the skin "See you in Hell, tell Naraku I said hi." and he pierced Hiten in the chest, then incinerated the body with a Ryuuga Shinshou "A fitting end for such trash." then he suddenly felt a burning pain in his back, and found Koga standing behind him, panting heavily as he grabbed his Bankai "Damn you…" then he collapsed, his Zanpakuto reverting back to its original form.

Koga sighed as he re-sheathed his Zanpakuto "I can see why he was worried, I had to pour every last ounce of my power into that strike just to knock him out. If he wasn't already injured, I wouldn't have been able to subdue him." he slung Kenshiro over his shoulder.

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At the same time, Rukia had used her Shikai and easily defeated D-Roy.

However, Grimmjow showed up to fight them, and Rukia quickly realized that his power was vastly superior to that ot D-Roy.

Grimmjow then introduced himself as Arrancar #6.

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Edrad smirked "Whoever went up against D-Roy was lucky, D-Roy was a failure of unbelievable proportions for an Arrancar. But you two have the worst luck of all! For bumping into me here, all you get to do is wallow around a bit and then die!" he flared his Reiatsu.

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Keigo felt Edrad's Reiatsu and heard him laughing "What the-?! This is scary, I hope that's not close by. Really, making such a ruckus at night like this! What a bunch of hoodlums." he went on his way, grumbling about his sister "That wench Mizuho, go buy your own damn juice, seriously! I'm sick of this."

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As he got the juice, he thought about how he'd been seeing lots of ghost-like things.

Hearing something, Keigo turned to see Zennosuke running towards him "It's that dude who's always fighting the monsters! Evening Af-san, you filming a scene again today? Af-san is short for Afro-jisan, I just came up with that."

"What the hell? Shut up you, there's no time for your nonsense!" Afro barked "If you stay here, then you aren't going to live for long!" and he took off, leaving Keigo very confused.

Then there was a sudden burst of Reiatsu.

Keigo immediately freaked "Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What the hell?! What? What? What is this? What's happening?" then he saw Ikkaku "You're that guy I met at school this afternoon! What're you doing here? Why are you covered in blood? What's with the sword?"

Ikkaku looked at him "You're that kid from this afternoon."

Then Edrad blitzed in front of Ikkaku and smacked him to the ground "What's wrong, is that the best you've got Soul Reaper?"

Keigo was terrified 'Wh-What? Soul Reaper? What the hell is he talking about?"

"Hey kid." said Ikkaku, scaring Keigo "I've got something interesting to tell you, you wanna hear it?"

"Well, I, um… That depends on what you have to say."

"Actually we have no place to stay tonight, and just now you got caught up in this battle and are about to get killed."

"W-Well actually, it looks like you're the one who's about to be killed."

"So here's the deal!" he pointed at Edrad "You let us stay at your house for awhile and I'll protect you from these guys."

"Eh?"

"No, not eh! I'm asking a yes or no question!"

"Y-yes!"

"Alright, it's decided." Ikkaku stood and turned to Edorad "Hey, I didn't catch your name yet big man."

Edrad smirked "Who me? I am Arrancar 13- No, never mind. There's no point in telling my name to someone I'm about to kill."

"Oh yeah? It seems we have different ways of doing things." Ikkaku drew his Zanpakuto "We let our opponents know the name of their killers as a final courtesy, if you're a person who's prepared to die in battle then you should want to die knowing the name of the person who defeated you." he got into a stance "11th division, 3rd seat, Ikkaku Madarame. You don't need to tell me your name, just remember mine. It's the name of the man who's about to kill you!" he began attacking Edrad with his sword and sheath, with Edrad blocking each strike with his forearms.

Ikkaku leapt back to dodge a kick "What's your problem, why don't you use your Zanpakuto? Don't tell me you just wear it for show/"

"We Arrancar have iron skin that no sword can cut, it acts as our armor. With a sword like yours, I can take you barehanded."

"Is that so?" Ikkaku blitzed forward and attacked with both his sword and sheath.

Edrad drew his sword to block the strike.

"I see, you can at least tell when you're about to to lose an arm."

They broke away.

"Having to draw my Zanpakuto against a mere Soul Reaper, how disrespectful." said Edrad.

Ikkaku smirked "Don't say that, next time I'll make you release it."

They blitzed throughout the street, clashing their blades repeatedly faster than the eye could see.

Keigo watched in awe and fear "What the- Who are these guys?"

"Weren't you listening just now?" Yumichika appeared beside him "He's 3rd seat Ikkaku Madarame of the 11th division. The 2nd strongest man in the 11th division, the strongest squad in the Soul Society."

"You're from this afternoon. Aren't you going to help him? You're his friend, right?!"

"Don't you see what's going on? Look how happy he is, Ikkaku's having fun. It's been a long time since he's fought someone this strong. It's not 'I must help him,' but instead 'I must not help him.' You understand, don't you?"

"N-No I don't! Having fun? Must not help? Then is there some guarantee he'll win?"

"No.

"What the hell's wrong with you?! What if he dies?"

"That's obvious, he'd be satisfied."

Ikkaku leapt at Edrad and brought it down, but Edrad blocked the sword with his own, resulting in them trading even blows.

'His form is rough, but his skill is undeniable.' Edrad thought 'Just enough to be annoying. However, he keeps his sword in his left hand to attack, and his scabbard in his right to defend. Very simplistic and easily figured out.' he used his Palma Plancha to send Ikkaku skidding backwards 'And since I know which arm he'll attack with, I can discern his attack and defend the instant he starts to move! So punching through his opening should be easy!' he advanced towards Ikkaku and attempted to use his Palma Plancha.

Ikkaku dodged the attack at the last second and thwarted Edrad's attack by using his scabbard in his left hand, and attacked using his sword in his right, then broke away from him.

Ikkaku smirked, alternating his sword and scabbard between each hand "Damn, I missed? I was trying to chop off your head.

'What a guy.' Edrad thought, sporting a deep gash across his face 'He intentionally used simple attacks to make me thing I'd figured out his attack pattern, he left himself open and switched his sword right as I hit him. What a messed up way to fight. His attacks are full of unnecessary moves, but if they hit, they cause serious damage. But if he's unlucky, he's dead. He's not fighting to win, he's fighting for fun! At first glance, his fighting style looks to be well thought out, but it isn't. He acts like a fight to the death is just a game, so that means his life is nothing more than a toy for his game?'

"That slap move with all the Reiatsu focused in your hand hurt like hell." said Ikkaku "You even knocked out a couple of my molars. Whatever, I'll just get that Akon guy to give me a deal on some new ones." he began stretching "Alright then, let's get back to our business. I've got you all figured out now." he got into a stance "You're going to release your Zanpakuto whether you want to or not within the next 5 or 6 attacks!"

Edrad smirked "Really? It seems that I've misjudged you. There's no point in holding back against people like you."

"So you figured out how tough I am then?"

"No, for an idiot like you who loves battle. I thought it unnecessary to carve a fear into your bones that won't disappear no matter how much you struggle, so that never again do you feel like it would be fun to pick a fight with an Arrancar. Erupt, Volcanica!" and his blade disappeared, the area being engulfed in intense heat and Reiatsu, Edrad himself being covered in lava, which then took on the form of armor, altering his appearance drastically.

Ikkaku blinked "What the hell is that thing?"

"A simple 'What is that?' would have sufficed. This is what happens when an Arrancar releases his Zanpakuto! You said it was a courtesy to tell your opponent the name of his killer, right? I'm Arrancar 13, Edrad Leones!"

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Grimmjow was indeed leagues beyond D-Roy's level.

He dispatched Rukia in a single shot, then he prepared to fight Ichigo.

With just a glance, Ichigo could tell he was in for a tough fight.

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"The Zanpakuto of an Arrancar is the very core of their power, sealed into the form of a sword. It's practically the opposite of a Soul Reaper's sword. In other words, we Arrancar reach our full power and take on our true forms when we 'release' our swords." explained Edrad "Do you understand? This is my true form, and Volcanica is my true power!" he fired a blast of fire from his fist, engulfing Ikkaku and scorching a large amount of the area.

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Yumichika made a call on his Soul Pager.

"Yes Yumichika Ayasegawa-sama, what are your orders?"

"The destructive power of the enemy has vastly exceeded our predictions, please put a special freeze with a radius of 300 units around Ikkaku Madarame."

"Roger."

"I'm afraid that a number of souls will be caught within, the cost of the buildings will come out of the mission's budget as always. The protection of souls is our top priority."

"Understood."

"I also predict a similar increase in power in the other enemies, put additional special freezes around Toshiro Hitsugaya, Rangiku Matsumoto, Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, Koga Kiba, Kenshiro Kamikaze and Ichigo Kurosaki. Also, please start preparations for Ikkaku Madarame's military funeral."

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Ikkaku was slammed upward, shredding the wall of a building, and was launched into the air.

Edrad laughed "How's that? The power of an Arrancar increases exponentially once their sword is released, a buffoon with almost no Reiatsu like you doesn't stand a chance!" he charged upwards.

Ikkaku quickly recovered "Extend, Hozukimaru!" he summoned his Shikai and got into a stance.

Edrad attacked with a blast, engulfing Ikkaku in flames as he was sent crashing to the ground.

Edrad then lowered himself to the ground "Done already?"

Ikkaku slowly struggled to get back on his feet.

"You should give up, a truly virtuous warrior knows when to admit defeat. Though you didn't win you fought well, if you don't surrender now I'll be forced to destroy you." he prepared another fire blast.

Ikkaku smirked.

"Oh well." Edrad launched the attack, engulfing them both in flames.

When the blast subside, Ikkaku was revealed to have locked the attack "Man, I never would've guess there'd be this much of a difference in power. No helping it I guess, since everyone else is busy fighting as well no one'll notice. I didn't wanna use it in a place like this. Watch closely, but don't tell anyone." he re-linked his Shikai "Bankai!" and he was engulfed in a cloud of smoke and Reiatsu.

Edrad was stunned, to say the least "Did you say Bankai?"

"Did I stutter?" Ikkaku emerged from the smoke with his new power "Bankai. Ryumon Houzukimaru!"

"That's pretty impressive." Edrad admitted.

"Don't bullshit me, I haven't released enough Reiatsu to impress you. Decide whether it's impressive or not after you're dead!"

Both took the battle to the skies.

Edrad released smoke from a hole in his shoulder, the flames igniting in his fist as he launched the attack.

Ikkaku cut through Edrad's fist using the giant ax-blades of his Bankai.

'Impossible!' Edrad thought 'He cut through Volcanica!'

Ikkaku then pierced Edrad's forearm very deep, nearly cutting it clean off.

Edrad quickly threw Ikkaku away 'Power! His Bankai doesn't augment his Kido, nor does it increase his speed or defensive abilities. It's just a huge mass of power, pure destructive force! However, it's an ability that leans too heavily on power, so it's resistance to my attacks is weak!'

Ikkaku began swinging around his Bankai.

'He's not crazy, he's fearless.' Edrad concluded 'I just need to overpower him before he can cut an arm off!' he began releasing flames from the holes in his shoulders 'He'll never beat me in a battle of pure strength!' then he noticed something off 'Hold on… His Zanpakuto… His reiatsu is increasing?!'

Ikkaku smirked "Looks like you've noticed, huh?! Unlike me, Hozukimaru's a lazy bum. I finally force him to go Bankai and he's still half-asleep. I gotta force him awake to use his real power by slashing up my enemy or letting him slash me up! The dragon crest turns red as he starts waking up. When the dragon turns completely red, then Ryuumon Hozukimaru's destructive power will truly be at its greatest!" then the dragon crest turned completely red "Let's do this."

Their attacks collided.

When it was over, Ikkaku's Bankai had shattered "Dammit…" he fell to the ground first, heavily wounded.

Edrad smirked, despite the gaping hole in his torso and lack of left abdomen "Ikkaku Madarame, huh? I'm glad I asked what his name is." he coughed up blood and fell to the ground.

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Ikkaku regained his awareness.

Yumichika walked over to him "I knew it, I knew you were alive Ikkaku."

Ikkaku smirked and rolled onto his back "Of course, luck was on my side today, big time."

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The others, however, weren't having so much luck. Despite using their Bankai, Toshiro and Renji were overpowered by Shawlong and Ilfort, respectively. Ururu had been sent by Urahara to help, but had been defeated and badly injured.

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Ichigo fought against Grimmjow, being encouraged to use Bankai.

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Ilfort and Shawlong both released their Zanpakuto, and Shawlong explained to Toshiro about the rankings of Arrancar.

That is, until Rangku got the authorization "Captain! Renji! We've got permission to break the restriction!"

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Toshiro smirked "Finally."

"What's this?" asked Shawlong.

"Limit release!" Toshiro's Reiatsu flared multiple times higher than before.

Shawlong found his arm frozen by Toshiro's Bankai.

"In order to avoid unnecessarily influencing spirits in the real world, captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 have their Reiatsu drastically limited by means of a seal unique to their squad before we come here. The total amount of power sealed is 80% of our maximum. In other words, we're all 5 times stronger now!"

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Renji's Bankai lunged at Ilfort, who was badly wounded by the attack.

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Rangiku easily blocked a fist by Nakim, then easily cut him down.

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All in all, now that their limiters were released, the three easily eradicated their opponents, but Toshiro was badly wounded.

Renji knew that he probably wouldn't have won if he'd been at full strength from the start.

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Keigo brought back Ikkaku and Yumichika back to the apartment he shared with his older sister Mizuho, who had a thing for Ikkaku for his shaved head.

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Despite using his bare hands, Grimmjow overpowered Ichigo easily.

Ichigo used a Getsuga Tensho, slightly damaging Grimmjow and landing a scar across his torso, awakening Ichigo's Inner Hollow in the process.

Before Grimmjow could release his Zanpakuto, Tosen arrived, claimed that he violated Aizen's orders by attacking the World of the Living and took him back to Hueco Mundo.

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After taking Grimmjow back to Hueco Mundo, Tosen asks Aizen for permission to execute Grimmjow.

When Aizen denied this request, Tosen sliced off Grimmjow's arm, then incinerated it.

However, while discussing with Gin Ichimaru afterwards, Aizen implied that he planned for it to happen.

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As this happened, everyone was stepping up their training methods:

Uryu was training with Ryuken in an underground training area underneath the Karakura Hospital to regain his Quincy powers.

Chad requested that Urahara train him.

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Ichigo found Kenshiro at the Karakura Park "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Kenshiro nodded "I can't keep going like this. I'm worried that if my inner demon takes over one more time, I might end up losing myself completely. Should that happen Ichigo, you'd have to kill me."

"I'm not so sure if I can."

"There lies the problem. If we don't do something fast, we'll both be devoured by our inner Hollows. I don't think we have a choice. We've gotta find Hirako-san and convince him to help us."

"F*ck convincing him, let's just beat the crap out of him until he agrees to help us."

"You really think that'll work?"

"We'll find out soon enough."