CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Orihime had spent fifteen minutes rejecting the weakened state of the tiny artifact. She could sense it was gaining strength this time, unlike in the past, and it only made her happier. She was sure it would make Ichigo happy to see her accomplishing such a thing for Aizen, and she frequently looked back at him for reassurance. After all, they had become rather close since he'd arrived peacefully in Los Noches, giving up his attacks on the Espada and willingly accepting Aizen's ideals. They'd spent almost every moment together since then. Inoue felt whole for the first time.

Once she felt it couldn't regain any more strength and that it was definately at its pinnacle, she backed away and let Aizen inspect it. He looked impressed and thanked her, then dismissed himself and left the room with the relic in hand. Two days passed and Aizen wasn't seen or heard from. Gin was confidant things were going well because of it. He often went to tell the girl that her efforts were appreciated and thanked her on Aizen's behalf, saying nothing to Ichigo despite his being right there by her. Inoue didn't notice.

Aizen finally returned and called an important meeting. The four remaining Espada took their usual seats in the empty hall and waited. Inoue and Ichigo stood at the opposite end of the table from where Aizen finally appeared. His chair was moved to the side, and the doorway behind him was still slightly cracked open. He put his zanpakuto on the table and smiled, calmly glancing at each individual in the room, keeping his hands firmly on the hilt and scabbard as he did so. Finally, his eyes rested on Inoue, and his expression changed.

"I would like to announce the final shift in our advantage over Soul Society." He said, looking very serious, "In one week I will be able to replace all those who have fallen in battle, and with the Hougyoku, I can increase the power of those who still remain."

Stark looked a bit disinterested, though he glanced at Halibel, then back at Aizen.

"Allow me to present the fruit of my labors." He took a step to the side and raised his hand towards the door, "Please enter...Ochigi Shirosaki."

There in the entrance appeared a ghostly white, pale figure. Inoue's grip on Ichigo's hand tightened as she brought her other hand up towards her mouth in confusion.

Clad in an Espada's attire stood, in the flesh, the very spitting image of Ichigo's inner Hollow, exactly as he appeared in Ichigo's soul. Pitch black eyes accented by striking gold irises, and a grin as malicious and sadistic as a ravenous psychopath. The difference between him though and the other Espada wasn't just in the fact that his eyes remained Hollow-like...it was the fact that there wasn't a single piece of his mask anywhere to be seen. It could only be guessed where the traditional Hollow-hole was located, as most of the newly born Arrancar was covered in cloth, and unlike in Ichigo's soul world, it wasn't just an inversion of the Shinigami uniform. The jacket wasn't tucked into the hakama, and extended almost to the ground like Ulquoirra's.

"An Arrancar born from the corrupted spirit of a powerful Captain-level Shinigami." Aizen explained, "One that had evolved so far as a Hollow that it become a Vasto Lorde."

Still, none in the room looked that impressed. Perhaps this was only due to the fact that they were the only Espada who never seemed to show any emotion whatsoever beyond expressed laziness.

"This time next week we invade Karakura and Seireitei. Please be ready. You'll recieve your orders from my Vice-Captain soon." Aizen reached for his zanpakuto on the table and gleened at Orihime, holding it out horizontally towards her, "And Miss Inoue, your services are no longer required." The hilt and scabbard clicked shut. No one but Gin noticed it had been slightly open since Ichigo's surrender. As the echo dissipated, Inoue's hand could feel the figure next to her beginning to fall apart. She dared not look directly, but she could see out the corner of her eye well enough that Ichigo's body was turning pale, to sand, and then falling away. Within moments, all that remained of her companion was the dust that clung to her skin where she'd been holding his hand.

"It was all a lie..."

Isshin and Neliel saw the small white figure standing completely still in the smoke. Long orange hair flowed around it, and it didn't take long for Isshin to realize who it was.

"Inoue Orihime!" He called out. She reacted only by lowering her head in immeasureable guilt.

"I've done the most unforgivable thing." She said, all present barely able to hear her. She fell to her knees and burried her face in her hands, starting to sob. No one dared approach her for fear of what trick it might be to use this defenseless girl as bait. Everyone looked around cautiously. "I'm so sorry...for everything..." She fell even further forward, until her elbows and forehead were against the ground, her hair dirtied by the earth. Her figure didn't budge an inch as a massive broadsword struck completely through her, sinking two feet into the ground, its blade so sharp that the white fabric adorning her body didn't start shedding red for a full four seconds. Her hands twitched slightly, then fell still.

Inoue Orihime was dead.

From afar in the sky, a sinister laughter sent chills down the spines of all present. It started slow, then picked up in intensity and volume as everyone saw the face behind it.

"...I...Ichigo..?" Isshin stuttered, completely in disbelief.

The Arrancar descended, landing one foot at a time, approaching the body and ruthlessly pulling his sword free from her corpse. Mercilessly, he kicked her aside and set his zanpakuto across his shoulder like he'd just done nothing at all.

"You know, I don't think I'd have any fun beating them all senseless." Ochigi started, as if only speaking to himself, "Destroying Seireitei would be Hella fun though!" The sonic boom was all that they heard, and Ochigi was gone. Immediately, but fairly far away, more explosions sounded.

SoiFon rushed to where Inoue's body finally came to rest. She wanted so badly for the girl to still be alive but she knew there was no hope. Instead of retrieving the bloody figure, she returned to Komamura and the others. All but Isshin and Neliel quickly agreed on what they should do, and they disappeared from the destroyed cliff, hoping to catch the rampaging Arrancar somewhere else. The two remaining looked sadly towards Orihime.

"She was the one they were trying to save." Isshin said, "I should've never allowed Ichigo to seek out his Shinigami power again after I first noticed they were gone. If I'd done anything at all, his friends would've been spared this harsh reality."

"But then there would be no one to try and stop Aizen." Neliel noted, "Everything must happen for a reason. I don't think this is the last time we'll see from this girl."

Isshin nodded and reached down to pick the body up, shaking his head and looking back to the Privaron, "I'll give her over to 4th Squad for now. Her life is over but they can at least keep her safe for a proper burial when this is all over...if there are any of us left to do so for her.." He quickly hurried from the cliff's edge and down towards the greater part of Seireitei. Neliel was about to follow suit when something caught her eye down below. Something pink and black.

"You're not a shinigami."

"Huh?" She replied, crouching down to see none other than Yachiru standing there looking at her. "Aren't you usually on that big guy's back?"

"He told me to stay here for a while." The girl answered, "Kenny will be able to have more fun if I'm not in his way."

The Arrancar wasn't sure what to tell her. She stood upright and used sonido to get away before the feeling of guilt could settle in. Perhaps her Captain was right anyway.

"Hyeah!!" Ochigi yelled, sweeping his zanpakuto through the air and unleashing a massive black and red Getsuga Tenshou. Buildings crumbled in its wake and scars streaked across the scorched earth. Denizens of the outer districts were entirely unable to fight back against the Espada and ran in terror all around him. For fun, Ochigi started picking them off, stabbing any that got too close, or ramming his hand through them if he thought they weren't scared-looking enough.

Kenpachi, Renji, Ikkaku and Yumichika converged in the 78th District, not far from where the initial destruction was taking place at the time. Slightly distracted by being back in his and Rukia's original home, Renji soon took off to head off the relentless Espada and hopefully cut off his escape to 79th District. Setting up shop within the gateways between sections, Renji took a deep breath, then commanded one word.

"Bankai."

The word was repeated a moment after, as Ikkaku appeared at Renji's side. Either he was going against orders to go to 80th District or Kenpachi had changed his mind, either way, Renji and he grinned at one another.

"This is going to be one Hell of a fight."

Yumichika and Kenpachi themselves headed for where they knew the Espada was still loitering. There were hardly any buildings standing by this point, most everything reduced to rubble, smoldering and smoking. Kenpachi growled as he realized the pale bastard had already escaped, and he'd no idea where he'd gone off to.

"Crap," He growled, "Go tell the other two to get to the 65th District."

Ochigi had alread bypassed them and was tearing a new one through the 40th District. Renji and Ikkaku made their way after him as quickly as they could. Destruction was easy to trail at any rate.

At the southern gates to Seireitei, Ukitake and Shunsui gathered together. Ochigi apparently had cut down all four Gate Keepers as he was leaving the main inner city.

"At this rate, we won't have a city left to protect." Shunsui said dryly, "What sort of monster did Aizen create?"

"It's far stronger than any of us," Ukitake said, "I don't know if any of us could hope to beat him. I'm starting to doubt Yamamoto could either."

"That's pretty shitty, I'd say." Shunsui rubbed the back of his head. "I really dislike all this fighting. Why couldn't Aizen want to change the world through having the most women or a sake contest or something."

"Only you would attempt it in that way, my friend." Ukitake smirked at his partner, "Let's hope we can still enjoy such jokes in the future. For now, we must stop this destruction."

"Indeed.."

"So let's not waste time with weak attacks. I don't think they'd be of any use anyway." Ukitake said flatly, then taking a deep breath, hoping his health would hold up throughout the fight, "Bankai."

"Kanpai!"