To My Death I Fight

by BahamutReishiki

It's been seven months since Ichigo managed to defeat Aizen during the Winter War. Just recently settling into new life as a normal human, he is shocked when he finds out he has been accepted into the prestigious Honnouji Academy. Unwilling to go, but not having a choice in the matter, he reluctantly decides to attend but wonders just what the next year will bring.

25. Chapter 25: Family Affair

So yeah…this chapter is really late but I think every single one of you will accept my delays based upon how good it is. I spent my time off plotting, thinking and free writing and I do believe this is one of my best chapters yet. I am especially proud of the omake at the end. It actually made me laugh while I wrote it. So enjoy the chapter and make sure you review it at the end so I know if you love it/hate it/or just like reading Kill la Kill fanfiction.

Also note that I'm posting the first updated chapter of my previous story, Rise of the True Death God, as A Shinigami's Journey. After working and writing TMDiF, I noticed that my writing style has improved and I wanted to go back and compare it to my earlier stories, of which this was my favorite. After reading through all 8 chapters, I noticed how...well...badly my writing was compared to my current level so here is the rewritten first chapter. It may look strangely familiar to the original one, but it's much better and i promise that Ichigo's journey will NOT be the same as the original story.

But you didn't come here to read about a second story, did you? You can go ahead and read it after you enjoy what you all came for!

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Chapter 25 – Family Affair

Twenty Years Ago

Isshin didn't like the feeling he was getting from this place. As he watched the incandescent lights lining the passageway flicker and dim in time with their steps, he couldn't help but think about how this day started off so well.

He had been quite surprised when Rei Hououmaru appeared at his small home in Karakura Town last night. The diligent secretary of his friend seemed to have run the entire way with her light purple hair disheveled and frayed. Quickly bringing her inside while Masaki fetched a cup of tea, Isshin gently sat Rei down on the couch and asked her what happened. Rei didn't say anything until Masaki came back but when she was calmed down, she began sobbing as she told Isshin about Ragyo. Something had happened to her boss and she didn't know who else to turn to.

As Rei finished her tale and collapsed against the couch, Isshin had turned to Masaki and told her that he was going to check up on Ragyo. Masaki had been initially reluctant to let him go but Isshin would not hear any of it. Ragyo was his friend and if she was in any kind of trouble he needed to be there for her. After promising Masaki that everything would be all right, he quickly headed out the door and into his car.

The drive to the Kiryuin mansion took a few hours, so when Isshin finally arrived outside the gates he was expecting to either find his friend in a lot of trouble or injured. His skills as a doctor, all of which came from his shinigami training, would be enough to treat most minor injuries but if Ragyo had any serious injuries he would need to take her to the hospital. As Isshin raced up the front steps and used his key, which Ragyo had given to him, to unlock the front door he was quite surprised to find a perfectly fine Ragyo waiting for him.

After quickly making sure she was all right, much to Ragyo's bemusement, Isshin had sighed in relief when he found nothing wrong with her. That relief quickly vanished when Ragyo motioned for Isshin to follow her. There was something in his friend's voice that raised Isshin's suspicion about something being wrong with Ragyo. It was extremely subtle but there was a slightly hollowness to her voice that didn't sound as if it belonged. Turning around to the front door with his car idling right outside, Isshin made up his mind and followed Ragyo deeper into the mansion. If something was wrong with her, he needed to be around to help her.

"Gah!" Isshin shouted as he walked straight into a spider web. As he pulled on the offending substance clinging to his face, he looked at Ragyo, who hadn't stopped or even turned around, and asked, "So you never told me what this thing is you wanted to show me."

"Be patient Isshin," Ragyo answered mysteriously as she walked away from a still floundering Isshin. After he finished cleaning the spider web off his face, he hurried to catch up to her retreating form as she said, "Before you ask, I have yet to see what is beyond the passage with my own eyes."

Isshin found that incredibly suspicious, which only helped his nerves to be put even more on edge. Years of being the head of the Shiba Clan had introduced him to the underworld of politics, brownnosing and other forms of crude behavior. He could tell something was wrong with Ragyo the moment he rushed into her mansion but the issue was that he didn't know what the problem was exactly, "If you haven't seen it, how do you even know if anything is down here?"

"All will be answered," Ragyo answered cryptically and Isshin could sense a sly smile on her face. As the passage continued winding forward, Isshin eventually found himself standing in front of a large pair of metal doors, "We are here."

Isshin looked upward at the imposing doors and muttered, "How ominous."

He didn't like the look of the metal doors looming dozens of feet over his head. He might not be an engineer, in fact he might suck at most sciences in general, but even someone like him could tell that the amount of rust and wear on the doors indicated that they had been down here for a very long time. Stepping forward and pressing a hand against the doors, Isshin frowned when he noticed that the metal was actually buckling outwards and in several places seemed almost on the verge of tearing in two. Isshin had seen damage like this in the past. Something inside the room beyond the doors had tried repeated to escape and he wasn't sure he wanted to see what could cause that kind of damage.

Isshin was distracted when his friend stepped to the side and began inputting a double digit password into a modern keypad. As her hand glided over the keypad in a blur of motion, he gulped and asked, "Do you know anything about what's behind this door and will I even like what I see?"

"What lay beyond these doors is both the end and the beginning," she answered oddly as she finished typing in the password. While the sounds of several massive and heavy locks opening reverberated around him, Isshin turned when he saw Ragyo standing next to him.

"My mother told me when I was but a child and her mother told her many years before that. Every Kiryuin mother had regaled their firstborn daughters with the ancient tale of our family," Ragyo's blue eyes watched as the doors began to creak as the hydraulics hidden in the walls began forcibly opening the rusted structure. As a sliver of orange and red light began permeating the passageway, causing a sickly feeling to well up in Isshin's stomach, she continued with her tale, "She would always tell me that one day after she was gone I would hear a voice whispering to me from deep underneath the ancient Kiryuin home compelling me to journey down into the catacombs. When I was ten years old my mother disappeared, but before she did she said she hoped I would be the one to bring the secret buried underground out into the light of the world."

As the metal doors swung open, allowing Isshin to fully grasp what it was that lay inside, anything he had to say was extinguished by the sight before him. Floating in the air in the center of the room while anchored to the surrounded walls and floor by several spiked protrusions was a glowing yellow and orange sphere. It was seemingly composed of a thread-like material seemed to be gently hovering up and down. Isshin stood in transfixion before the object, his eyes staring in amazement and wonder as its surface seemed to pulsate and bubble before reverting back to normal moments later.

Stepping into the chamber, momentarily forgetting that he was not alone, Isshin's gaze was broken when he felt the ground beneath his feet crumple and flex. Looking down at the floor, he quickly stepped back out of the room when he saw it was covered in the same type of material as the object. While the waves of the thread-like stuff lining the ground didn't have the same glow as the object itself, it still didn't sit right with him.

"Uh, Ragyo?" Isshin felt something in the chamber shift as his voice echoed around him, "What is that thing?"

When he failed to get an answer from his friend, Isshin turned and noticed Ragyo slowly walking past time towards the object with an enraptured gaze. Deciding to not allow his friend to get anywhere near that thing Isshin, against his better judgment, decided to walk with her. While Ragyo's blue eyes stared upon the glowing object with a look akin to that of devotion and reverence, Isshin was feeling something quite different. As he grew closer to the object, Isshin began to feel a horrible sensation of realization set upon his chest like a vice. It was almost as if his mind was purposely failing to make that one final connection that would allow him to fully understand what was going on in order to save his sanity at any cost.

"In my mother's stories, she would talk about this magnificent thing…" Ragyo, now nearly directly underneath the object, raised her hand upwards. Much to Isshin's horror, several glowing tendrils emerged from the object and gently floated down to meet her. With the same passive smile on her face, Ragyo stared at the tendrils and continued, "…she called this creature the Original Life Fiber and told me it was the catalyst for humanity's evolution. It's so beautiful…"

And that was Isshin's cue to act. Ragyo may hate him for this in the morning, but there was no chance in hell that he was going to let whatever the Original Life Fiber was touch his friend. As the tendrils of Life Fibers closed in towards Ragyo's hand, Isshin reached forward and roughly pulled her away. While Ragyo, still transfixed by the Original Life Fiber, struggled to pull herself out of Isshin's clutches, he was already making his way to the exit. As a reverberating and deep growl echoed throughout the chamber, Isshin quickened his pace.

Upon hearing the growl Ragyo stopped struggling as Isshin pulled her away from the Original Life Fiber. Shaking her head and appearing to have just awoken from a terrible dream, Ragyo looked around in confusion as to where she was before gasping when she saw dozens of Life Fibers emerging out of the Original Life Fiber and flying towards them, "Where are we Isshin? What is that thing?"

"I was hoping you could tell me!" Isshin shouted over the roar of the Original Life Fiber as he continued to dodge its attempts to ensnare him. He didn't feel like being the main course for an eldritch abomination. He's read enough books by that author to realize nothing good could come out of touching that thing, "You were looking at it like it was your god or something!"

"I don't remember," Ragyo grabbed the side of her head as she ran alongside him, "The last thing I remember was a soothing voice and then nothing until you pulled me away from that thing."

Accepting Ragyo's reason for the time being, Isshin continued to dodge tendrils of Life Fibers as he reached the metal doors and the passage beyond. Just as he was about to pass through them to freedom, he found the air knocked out of him when several Life Fibers wrapped around Ragyo's ankle. Coughing as he gathered his breath, Isshin quickly recovered when he heard Ragyo screaming his name. Getting back onto his feet, he ran after Ragyo, who was being pulled back towards the Original Life Fiber, and managed to grab her just as her feet left the ground.

"Isshin!" Ragyo's terror filled eyes stared at the Original Life Fiber as tendrils of Life Fibers began tightly wrapping themselves around her body as she was slowly drawn into it.

"I'm not going to let it take you!" Isshin's augmented strength, courtesy of the gigai he was wearing, may have allowed him to perform feats of strength no normal human could ever hope to accomplish but even that wasn't enough to stop the Original Life Fiber. As soon as her feet touched its surface the Original Life Fiber seemed to shift and morph into a liquid, allowing Ragyo to continue being pulled inside.

As Ragyo's body vanished within the Original Life Fiber, the glowing orange and red threads wrapping around what was left of her throughout the process, Isshin reached down and grabbed a chunk of the Life Fibers on the floor. With a resounding pull that nearly tore his arms off he managed to halt Ragyo's absorption into the Original Life Fiber. While a reverberating roar shook the chamber, Isshin ignored it as he took one step and then another away from the creature devouring his friend. He hadn't forgotten what happened to Masaki after he confronted that strange black hollow all those years ago and he was not about to let another person he cared about suffer under his watch.

"Don't worry, Ragyo! I got you!" Isshin pulled harder and for a moment Ragyo's body began to emerge out of the Original Life Fiber while the glowing threads did their best to draw her back in. Even if it cost him his life Isshin was not about to let something swallow his friend.

The stalemate was broken when the Original Life Fiber groaned and shot out hundreds of smaller Life Fiber strands at Isshin. Even as the glowing threads wrapped around his limbs and were pulled taut, Isshin refused to let go of Ragyo. Glaring intently at his straining hand, which was losing its grip on the floor, Isshin didn't have time to shout before he lost footing and was drawn into the Original Life Fiber alongside Ragyo.

What happened after he was absorbed by the Original Life Fiber seemed to be a hazy dream to Isshin. He could vaguely remember an all-encompassing blackness surrounding him before hundreds, if not thousands, of Life Fibers pierced straight through his body. He also swore that Engetsu, his zanpakuto spirit, was fighting off a creature that looked to be made up of Life Fibers, which was odd because ever since he put on his gigai he had been unable to speak with his zanpakuto's spirit. Isshin lost consciousness right before Engetsu blasted a wave of fire at the creature, causing it to vanish into the darkness accompanied by a pained roar, but before everything vanished he swore he saw a burst of multicolored light shine up the surroundings around him.

Isshin opened his eyes and immediately sat up.

"What the heck was that?"

Breathing heavily and looking around the chamber, Isshin was strangely relieved when nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Glancing suspiciously up at the Original Life Fiber, he noticed that the creature was floating calmly in the middle of the chamber without a hint of any other strangeness. Sighing in relief, he rubbed his temple and muttered, "What a strange dream. That's the last time I let Masaki try to make jambalaya. I need to remember to warn Ragyo..."

Remembering who it was that brought him down here, Isshin looked around and saw his friend lying unconscious on the other side of the room. Standing on his feet and ignoring the strange feeling from his body, Isshin ran across the chamber and turned her over. Immediately after doing so he froze when he saw that her once beautiful black hair had been transformed in shining silver with a glowing rainbow undertone that shone with the intensity of the sun. With his mouth opening and closing as he tried to say something, Isshin decided to say nothing as he picked Ragyo up and carried her out of the chamber.

The further they got away from the Original Life Fiber the better.

End Flashback

"How generous of you to return something that I thought lost to me so very long ago," Ragyo whispered into Isshin's unflinching ear. As a hint of madness spread across her beautiful face, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and stared into his eyes, "And here I thought my dear little Amu would be lost to me forever…"

Ragyo felt an unfamiliar sensation well up within her body and it took her a moment to realize that it was pride. Sixteen years of fruitless searching for her precious and missing Amu had turned up nothing. She had always suspected Isshin of having a hand in her daughter's disappearance but the man was impossible to pin down. As long as he remained within the borders of Karakura Town he was all but untouchable to her and Revocs, but here he was standing in front of her with Amu. Ragyo wanted nothing more than to introduce Amu into the world of Life Fibers and COVERS that was her birthright. The only problem was, once again, Isshin.

The irony of the situation was not lost to her, but the only sign of the annoyance she felt at having her goal so close and yet so far was the stretching of the manic smile on her face and a widening of her maroon eyes.

"Tell me something," Ragyo stared deep into Isshin's brown eyes and sighed she saw that he was hiding something. While it would have pleased her greatly to tear away the curtains and expose Isshin's little illusion to the world at large, it would be a mistake to do it in such a lonely place. The exposing of her love's illusion needed to be spectacular. Noticing that Isshin's face was a cold expressionless mask, void of any of his familiar warmth, Ragyo sighed once more and raised a delicate hand to her cheek. Tilting her head sideways and letting out a shallow breath, she asked, "Did you think you could have hidden something like this from me?"

"I did it for sixteen years," Isshin answered back and subtly moved between Ragyo and Ururu even further, "The fact that it took you this long to figure things out really says more about you, doesn't it?"

Satsuki expected her mother to punish Ichigo's father for the insult to her intelligence, but after seeing him withstand her slap with nary more than a slight reddening of his cheek she didn't know what to think. As she and Inumuta stood at a safe distance away from Isshin and Ragyo, she could not help but compare the two people to the ancient Greek titans. She had a strange inkling that if they were to fight, it would decimate Honnouji Academy. Even Junketsu was strangely quiet. Ever since Isshin Kurosaki appeared in front of them, the Kamui has stopped all attempts at overwhelming her mind.

Ragyo easily took Isshin's slight insult in stride. She would allow Isshin to have his little jokes while she focused on more important matters. Staring at what little she could see of Ururu behind Isshin's body, Ragyo knew she would feel great pleasure in introducing her to the world of clothing in which she so rightfully belonged. She couldn't begin to imagine how damaged Amu was after spending her existence under the care of Isshin but Ragyo was confident that it wouldn't take more than a single visit for Ururu to come around to her mother. If it took a bit of memory refitting to accomplish it, then that was what needed to be done.

The only thing standing in the path of the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet was Isshin and as she trailed a delicate and manicured finger down his chest, Ragyo knew getting rid of him was far easier said than done. As goofy and loveable as he made himself out to be, and Ragyo loved him for that, Isshin Shiba was the only person that could truly stop her.

"Do you want to know what I admire most about you?" Ragyo's eyes softened as she thought back upon the fond and distant memories of twenty years ago. That day when the world was truly opened to her eyes still vibrated deep within her core and she only wished that Isshin had continued to stand by her side instead of leaving her for that woman. Leaning forward until her chin was just brushing up against the fabric on Isshin's shoulder, she took a breath and whispered into his ear, "That deep down you see things my way. Despite our differences you have done nothing to stop my plans. That is why I know you truly love me."

A clash between Isshin and herself would not be in her best interest. Ragyo was absolutely certain that all of Honnouji Academy as well as most of the surrounding Honnou City would be demolished in the ensuing battle between them. It continued to irk her that since the power bestowed onto Isshin has always been greater than her own and yet he still failed to see the world as it truly was. It was a small consolation that Isshin could not end it all by destroying the Original Life Fiber with his own hands. A twinge of regret and sadness briefly passed through Ragyo's heart before it was quickly suppressed beneath her anger. Her lovely daughter had already shown that she didn't need to fight Isshin to get what she wanted. There was, after all, more than one way to win a war.

"Everybody has a reason for what they do. Perhaps I felt settling down with Masaki and raising a family was more important than standing up to you at the moment," Isshin shrugged off Ragyo's advances and looked around. While Nui was standing back with a knowing and adoring smile on her face, he could easily see the intelligence swimming just beneath the façade of insanity watching his every move for any potential threats. He'd figured out long ago that Nui's happy demeanor was just a cover she used to hide the intelligence she inherited from Ragyo. Isshin didn't know whether Nui truly thought that was how people were supposed to act or Ragyo simply raised her that way, but he would need to make sure she didn't snap.

Satsuki, on the other hand, well she reminded Isshin a lot of Ragyo in her younger days. Now that he could get a good look at her, Satsuki looked nearly identical to a much younger Ragyo. If he wasn't absolutely sure she was Souichiro's daughter he would have placed his bets on Ragyo cloning herself. Glancing down at the Kamui she was wearing, Isshin locked gazes with its eyes and was pleased to see it attempting to pull away in fear.

"Besides, let's be honest," Isshin pouted childishly and folded his arms. There would always be time to deal with Junketsu later, preferably after he managed to take a long hot shower, "You were the one with the international conglomerate and I was just a small town doctor. If I had so much as sneezed in your general direction I would have faced a private army or something."

"I did offer you the chance to stand by my side," Ragyo easily saw through Isshin's childishness with practiced ease. She had known the man long enough to be able to pierce the veil of stupidity he portrayed as his true persona. The man was nearly, if not equally, as devious and cunning as her. While she played up the indifferent and pragmatic CEO of Revocs to the world at large, Isshin did the exact opposite by playing the bumbling idiot, "You would have been the perfect Grand Couturier."

"Hey now, you know I stink at anything involving fashion. You remember how it took me forever to pick out that dress you're wearing? Even after I spent hours looking at all the confusing dresses I needed help in the end. I would have made an absolutely terrible Grand Couturier," Isshin chuckled at what he saw as a joke on Ragyo's end while out of the corner of his eyes Nui momentary had a look of shock on her face.

"Oh?" Nui looked back and forth between Ragyo and Isshin, "Is this true Director?"

"Yes," Ragyo sighed as she reminisced, "At one time I did offer Isshin here the position of Grand Couturier of Revocs but don't worry, my dear little Nui. You have done an absolutely superb job. I dare say your designs are currently worn all around the world by the pigs in humans clothing."

Nui smiled, "Thanks Lady Ragyo! I always make sure to do my best work, you know."

"I expect nothing less from you," Ragyo's attention quickly moved away from the adoration Nui was giving her back to Amu or, as Isshin called her, Ururu. Staring at the girl who was so shyly standing behind Isshin, Ragyo saw what she was looking for as soon as her maroon eyes locked gazes with Ururu once more. With the beginning of a psychotic smirk causing the corners of her lips to curl upwards in pleasure, Ragyo was ecstatic that fixing Amu wasn't going to be as hard as she initially thought. As much as she wanted to tell Amu everything about her birthright, there was one last thing she needed to deal with first.

"Satsuki," Ragyo's voice quickly obtained her firstborn daughter's attention. Staring over her shoulder with indifference in her eyes, Ragyo asked "Did you not tell me that you finally picked out a Vice President for your Student Council?"

"Yes," Satsuki stepped forward and bowed just enough to be seen as respecting her mother, "Yesterday afternoon I extended to Ichigo Kurosaki the position of Vice President. Upon receiving his acceptance I have already begun the formal proceedings. His public induction into the Student Council was to be at the ceremony tonight."

"I see," A cruel smirk slowly adorned the Kiryuin matriarch's face, "Nui if you would be so kind as to retrieve Isshin's wayward son…"

"Oui!"

Noticing Isshin's body tensing up, Ragyo decided to placate the man, "Do not fret Isshin. Nui is only going to retrieve Ichigo. I have expressively forbidden her from having any fun while we are here."

Laughing happily as she spun around on her feet, Nui was ecstatic upon being able to see Ichigo again. Spinning around one final time, she turned and jumped through the nearby wall while leaving a perfect imprint of her body in the process. As her playful laughing died down, Satsuki's grip on Bakuzan only tightened as she wondered what her mother was planning. The last update she had on Ichigo's whereabouts, it was with Ryuko Matoi in one of the lecture halls on the second floor, east wing. When Nui found Ichigo, and Satsuki had no doubt that she would, the Grand Couturier would have needed to pass through crowds of students. Even with the free catering out in the courtyard to keep the majority of the student population as far away from Nui as possible, Satsuki knew there would be a few students in the halls.

While Satsuki's thoughts were turning grim as her analytical mind began calculating the list of casualties sustained from Nui's enthusiastic search for Ichigo, a sudden upwelling of power from a few floors below her quickly drew her attention. Every few seconds the ground beneath her feet would shake and while Satsuki would never accidentally stumble from losing her balance, she nearly did so when she saw Ururu standing still despite the shaking, her eyes focused firmly on the floor.

"Ichigo…"

Ururu was worried about her friend more than even her dreary demeanor could express. She could intimately and accurately sense Nui's movements below and it was clear to Ururu that she was fighting Ichigo. After she found out what Nui tried to do to Ichigo yesterday while Ryuko and Mako were fighting, Ururu had wanted to track down Nui and make her pay. It was only her regard for the welfare of all her new friends and the insistence of Mr. Kurosaki that she enjoy having the old Mako back that Ururu stayed her hand.

"Don't worry about a thing, Ururu!" Isshin chuckled and patted Ururu on the top of her head, "Ragyo promised Nui wouldn't hurt Ichigo and I'm positive she's telling the truth. Besides, if Nui tried to pull any funny stuff while I'm around, I'm just going to have to lay down the law and show her the error of her ways."

Isshin smiled in relief when Ururu's perpetual dreary expression began to melt away. He always knew just what to say to make the frown on Ururu's face turn into a smile. It was really good that she was making friends left and right at Honnouji Academy. Ryuko and Mako will do wonders to permanently bring her out of her shell. She was already well on her way but Ururu still had a while to go.

It was at that moment, either through coincidence or cosmic karma, that Ichigo came crashing upwards through the floor. Fully clad in Mugetsu's released form, he slammed into the ceiling with a resounding thud and hard enough to buckle the metal sheets surrounding his landing into a crater. As he stood upside-down on the ceiling, Mugetsu doing more than her share of keeping him stuck to the surface, Ichigo stared at the hole his body had made and grimaced.

"I'm really starting to hate fighting Nui Harime."

Ichigo did not appreciate having to fight Nui Harime two days in a row. He had been on his way to investigate that strange rainbow light and hopefully run into his dad along the way, when she crashed through the nearby window. Instead of attacking him right away like he expected, Nui had instead twirled about and said that he should activate his Kamui. Seeing no reason to argue with her, especially since he knew he couldn't stand against her otherwise, Ichigo had activated Mugetsu's true form only to find himself constantly on the defensive once more. It was times like these that Ichigo wished he could just live a normal life without super-powered enemies crashing in through windows to attack him. It was starting to get old.

"Love and hate are two sides of the same coin, you know," Nui's peppy voice came from right behind him and Ichigo quickly turned around to parry the strike from her purple Scissor Blade. As the two hardened Life Fiber weapons clashed in a cascading series of rainbow sparks, Nui smiled and her single remaining eye widened with glee as, with one powerful swing, she knocked Ichigo to the ground below. Stepping backwards with her feet glued to the ceiling as if it was the floor, Nui lazily swung her arm and Ichigo immediately pushed Mugetsu to her limits to deflect the lightning fast attacks. Bursts of steam shooting out from the Kamui's vents on his back as Tournesol swung through the air.

"Wow!" Nui said cheerfully as Ichigo managed to parry and dodge almost all of her attacks even while she was upside-down. Sure there were a few stab wounds on his body but he was doing a much better job surviving than yesterday. In fact, Nui was having so much fun fighting him that she was actually considering simply forgetting about killing Ryuko Matoi to play with him. While she still really wanted to bleed her dry for what her dad did to her left eye, Nui thought it would nearly as bad for her to never find out who killed her dad. The constant search for her father's murderer would absolutely drive her insane!

"But what should I do?" Nui thought as she lazily avoided a strike from Ichigo's Tournesol before continuing to attack him, "Just allowing Ryuko to slip slowly into madness won't be enough. I need to make it super fantastic and awesome. Oh! I got it! What if I pin the blame on someone else and then announce that it was me all along? Then she'll have to bear the guilt of killing some poor innocent human!"

Clapping happily, Nui leaned her head to the said and said, "It's super awesome that you're not dead yet, you know. I thought for sure you would have a few more injuries by now, but I'm happy to be wrong in this case!"

"You really think I'll fall for that again?" Ichigo spat angrily as he twisted to deflect Nui's attempt to stab her Scissor Blade through his back. Adjusting his grip on Tournesol, Ichigo forced Nui's Scissor Blade upwards before driving his knee into her chin. As Nui slowly fell backwards through the air from the attack, Ichigo clenched his fist and smashed it into her stomach with enough force to damage the nearby walls and send the Grand Couturier flying backwards.

Ichigo may have thought he had finally done some damage to Nui but as she bounced and skidded across the floor, her head twisting and bending awkwardly to the point that it would have snapped for any normal human, she continued to think nothing but happy thoughts about Ichigo. She was really glad he finally woke up yesterday. It helped to make hanging out with her cousin much more fun and exciting. As her sole remaining sapphire eye stared into Ichigo's brown eyes, Nui was mildly upset that Ichigo did not hate her. Sure there was a lot of anger and frustration in his eyes but none of the hatred she expected.

Rolling her eye wildly around in its socket, Nui focused her attention past Ichigo and Isshin onto the Director. Lady Ragyo was staring at Ichigo with a look that promised many good things in the future. Smiling in pleasure at doing a good job of helping Ichigo show off his powers to Lady Ragyo, Nui decided she should stop playing around. She had promised the Director she would not do anything to hurt Ichigo and for once Nui was keen on keeping such a boring promise.

"I really want to keep playing around with you Ichigo but I'm afraid I'm here on business," Nui abruptly stopped bouncing along the ground upon speaking and brought her Scissor Blade around to block Ichigo's attempt to behead her. Gasping in mock surprise at Tournesol as it shook from Ichigo trying to overpower her Scissor Blade, Nui leaned forward until her face was barely an inch from his and happily whispered, "Lady Ragyo has been waiting a really long time to meet you and it would be quite rude to put it off any longer, you know."

Spinning around with her Scissor Blade trailing a purple arc through the air, Nui forced Ichigo backwards and away from her. As his heels skidded along the ground to a stop, Ichigo took a moment to spit out a glob of blood before answering, "Do you really think I care about whatever you say?"

"You should!" Nui beamed as she rocked on her heels and stuck out her tongue childishly, "She is standing right behind you after all!"

Ichigo hadn't noticed during his fight against Nui due to being a little preoccupied with not getting the crap beat out of him but there was a bright multicolored light permeating the hallway that was now impossible to miss. Cursing himself for being so oblivious, he turned around while mindful of the fact that Nui Harime would most likely stab him in the back given half a chance, and found himself standing several feet from Ragyo Kiryuin.

"It's been a long time since I last gazed upon you, Ichigo. You were merely an infant when Isshin last permitted me to hold you," Ragyo's smile grew larger as she watched Ichigo leap away before pointing his Life Fiber weapon at her. As her maroon eyes focused on the hardened Life Fibers composing Tournesol, she couldn't help but admire the quality and craftsmanship of the Life Fibers. It was of comparable density and sharpness to Bakuzan, which she spun out of the Original Life Fiber itself for Satsuki in the hopes that the Life Fibers in the weapon would sway her to Ragyo's side, but when Ragyo sensed several Banshi threaded within Tournesol, she had to suppress a manic grin. Whoever created Ichigo's weapon was a genius and while it bothered her that she hadn't thought of doing such a thing herself, Ragyo planned on correcting that mistake the first chance she got. There were so many things she could do with a weapon created from the base of a Kamui.

Ichigo didn't know who this woman was but when he saw a slight tensing of his dad's neck as she spoke, he knew she wasn't to be trusted at face value. After making a mental note to ask his dad about what this woman was talking about when he had the time and patience to deal with it, he reluctantly lowered Tournesol to his side as he asked, "So you're Ragyo Kiryuin. I see where Satsuki gets that backdrop of light. How do you know me?"

Before she answered Ichigo, Ragyo looked at Mugetsu just long enough for the Kamui's eyes to dilate in fear. It was appropriate that clothing should always know its betters and a Kamui was no different. Even if they were made from nothing but the highest standards of Life Fibers Kamui instinctively could sense who she was. Letting out a huff of breath in amusement from Ichigo's question, Ragyo tilted her head around and asked Isshin, "Isshin, I'm hurt that you haven't told Ichigo about our relationship."

Isshin's face looked like he just eaten a particularly sour lemon as he answered, "I told him all he needed to know."

"I'm sure you did," Ragyo propped her hand under her chin. Isshin had no doubt told Ichigo one of the lies concerning their past relationship and if Nui's information was correct, it was the one involving the hotel bombing. Mentally chuckling at the mere thought of a bomb hurting her, Ragyo turned her attention back to Ichigo, "I've known your father for a very long time. As for how I know you Ichigo..."

Ragyo leaned in close enough to make Ichigo uncomfortable, "…it's because I was there the day you were born. In other words, I'm your godmother."

"What?" Ichigo couldn't believe what he had just heard. There was no way that Ragyo Kiryuin, who he hadn't even heard of until he got the letter of acceptance to Honnouji Academy, was his godmother. If she was really his godmother, Ichigo was sure he would have heard his dad mention her at least once. Turning to his dad with a pleading look, he asked, "Is that true?"

Isshin coughed awkwardly and turned away, "It's really complicated but yeah, Ragyo is your godmother Ichigo."

That revelation came as a shock to everyone within earshot apart from Isshin and Ragyo. Even the normally cheerful Nui had adopted an expression of pure confusion as the gears within her mind wrapped around the new revelation. Behind Nui and watching the entire exchange between Ichigo and her mother with a discerning eye, Satsuki subtly motioned for Inumuta to begin recording everything that was said.

"My mother is Ichigo Kurosaki's godmother? Such an act of generosity does not fit her usual motives." Satsuki's eyes narrowed slightly as she processed the new piece of information. The answer to why her mother would choose to become Ichigo's godmother eluded her but the animosity between Isshin Kurosaki and her mother suggested there had been a strong relationship between them in the past.

"If you're really my godmother then why did you send Nui Harime to kill me?" Ichigo was having a hard time believing Ragyo was his godmother even if his dad had said so.

Ragyo smirked and closed her eyes. Folding her arms under her bosom and chuckling, she answered, "I believe you are mistaken, Ichigo. I did not send Nui Harime to do anything. As the Grand Couturier she has free reign to visit any and all Revocs-owned properties. My dear little Nui was simply playing with you because if she really wanted to kill you…" Ragyo leaned in and finished in a whisper, "…you wouldn't even see it coming."

"Focus, Ichigo!" Mugetsu, who had been strangely silent up until this point, shouted to snap her wearer out of his sudden shock and nervousness. She may not have known or understood why the knowledge of who his godmother was would startle Ichigo but he couldn't afford to remain this way. The woman in front of them was dangerous and she would do her best to protect Ichigo from Ragyo Kiryuin, "You cannot afford to let your guard down. This woman is extremely dangerous!"

"So this is Mugetsu…" Ragyo pretended to ignore the Kamui's voice. It was best that for the time being the number of people aware of her true nature be limited to two.

Wrapping her hand around Ichigo's wrist before he could pull away, she rubbed her fingers against Mugetsu's gauntlet and suppressed the shiver that ran through her body. Feeling such exquisitely crafted Life Fibers responding to her touch like this always brought such great pleasure. The fact that Ichigo and his Kamui could converse with each other as they pleased also brought her great joy since it could only mean that the Life Fibers throughout his body were finally coming into maturity or as her lovely Nui puts it, awakening.

"When Nui told me about your Kamui I was skeptical," Ragyo strutted around Ichigo, taking in each and every aspect of Mugetsu in the process, "But I see now that I was mistaken. It makes sense that Isshin's progeny be able to control the marvelous power of a Kamui."

"Isn't that awesome?" Everybody was so caught up in what Ragyo was talking about that they failed to see Nui slide up next to Ururu and wrap her arm around the shy girl's neck in a hug. Pressing her face uncomfortably against Ururu's, Nui's single eye widened in pure glee, "Ichigo's Kamui is so amazing, isn't it Amu? Its craftsmanship is superb and its stitching is nearly perfect!"

"My name is Ururu not Amu."

Irritated at both Nui's insistence at calling her Amu as well as her constant touching, Ururu ducked down in a blur of motion that left normal human eyes wondering what was going on before she stood back up and slammed the palm of her hand flat against Nui's face. As the Grand Couturier blinked owlishly at her actions, Ururu spun on her heel and slammed Nui into the ground with enough force to send up a cloud of smoke.

Squinting to protect his eyes from the expanding cloud of dust, Ichigo felt something grab hold of his hand. Looking down he saw Ururu, who in the brief space of time between her attack and Ragyo turning around to watch it, had moved to his side. Opening his mouth to ask what was bothering her, he stopped when he saw an angry look in her normally droopy and sad eyes. From the way Ururu reacted to her, Ichigo had to guess she had some history with the Grand Couturier.

"Gosh that hurt!"

Floating down gently next to Ragyo, who still possessed a bemused smirk, Nui had a large grin on her face while blood continued to trickle out from her nose. Looking down at her nose with her one sapphire eye, Nui adopted a puzzled look as the damage to her body slowly healed, "But I'm super curious why you can hurt me."

"That's enough Nui," Ragyo placed a manicured hand on the Grand Couturier's shoulder, stopping Nui before she could press Ururu further. Wickedly grinning as she glanced from Isshin to Ururu and finally focusing on Ichigo, Ragyo shut her eyes and turned around, "I think we've taken up enough of Isshin's precious time and we do have business to attend to after all. I promise that once we're done you can play with Ichigo and Amu as much as your little heart desires."

"Okay Lady Ragyo!" Nui twirled around and blew a mock kiss to Ichigo, her wounds already fully healed, "I'll be seeing you around real soon Ichigo!"

As Ichigo watched Nui skip away to catch up to Ragyo he noticed Satsuki walked up to his side. While the Student Council President had her usual stoic and condescending expression on her face, Ichigo could see that she was upset about something. Turning her dark blue eyes to look at him, Satsuki rested a hand on Bakuzan as she asked, "Am I correct to assume that you had no prior knowledge of what my mother just said?"

"That she is my godmother? Yeah, I was just as surprised as you were," Ichigo had a really bad feeling about Ragyo and it wasn't just that she had a rather limited understanding of invading his personal space. Aizen had made him nervous simply because the man's power, speed and intelligence were just so enormous that it took Ichigo everything in his arsenal just to weaken the traitor enough to be sealed. Ragyo, on the other hand, seemed to cause a primal sense of caution that Ichigo couldn't repress. There was also the matter of how his dad actually knew her because Ichigo sure as hell didn't believe the stupid excuse his dad told him and Uryu.

Folding his arms and releasing Mugetsu's transformation in a cascade of blue stars and lights, Ichigo huffed and asked, "Is it too late to take back my offer of being your Vice President?"

"Your official coronation will be tonight at the ceremony," Satsuki appeared to ignore his question as she walked past him with Inumuta trailing right behind her. Throughout the entire meeting the Information and Strategy Committee Chair had not stopped typing into his handheld computer and gave Ichigo a friendly little wave as he walked by.

"I must thank you Ichigo Kurosaki," Inumuta said amiably from beneath his collar, "Thanks to your timely appearance I was able to collect a lot of valuable data although it would be appreciative if you used had used your Gufū configuration. My data on that particular mode of your Kamui is sorely lacking."

"The dress code for the ceremony is strict, Ichigo," Satsuki said before Ichigo could threaten Inumuta. Turning her head around and staring at him with one eye, a slight haughty smirk adorned her face as she finished, "I expect you to dress properly for the occasion."

"Hey! What do you mean by that?" Mugetsu was absolutely livid by Satsuki requiring Ichigo wear anything else but her. While she had come to an agreement with him that sometimes other clothes are better suited than a Kamui, she was enraged by the notion that Satsuki would force Ichigo to wear something else!

Ichigo ignored the outburst from his Kamui and huffed, "I don't own a suit and I'm sure as hell not wearing any of my dad's clothes."

"You misunderstand," Satsuki's heels clicked loudly against the floor as she walked away, "You are already wearing a Kamui. To my mother there can never be anything as grand as a Kamui. I will be wearing Junketsu and Matoi will most likely wear Senketsu. I expect for you to show up an hour early in Mugetsu. Anything else would be tantamount to spitting in my face."

Ichigo said nothing as Satsuki disappeared into the distance after her mother. He still couldn't get the bad feeling that something was off out of his mind. If it was as simple as dealing with someone insane like Nui Harime than Ichigo could figure out a way to solve that problem. The fact that Ragyo Kiryuin not only knew she was here at Honnouji Academy but found no fault in allowing Nui to kill at her leisure sent up many red flags. There was also the matter of Ragyo being his godmother that needed some explaining.

"I know what you're going to ask Ichigo," Isshin said with a loud sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Out of all the things he expected Ragyo to say or do he hadn't dreamed she would come out and admit that she was his godmother. Isshin had wanted to tell Ichigo later on after everything was dealt with but since Ragyo forced his hand, he saw no reason to hide it, "Yes, Ragyo is your godmother. Masaki and I both agreed to let Ragyo be your godmother because back when she was pregnant, Ragyo promised Masaki to take care of you financially if anything were to befall us. I know she may not seem to be the most…normal…person but I'm pretty sure Ragyo would never intentionally hurt you."

"Fine," Ichigo grumbled and rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to alleviate his rising annoyance with the whole situation. He had a nagging feeling that everything had just become a whole lot more complicated, "But there is one thing that's been bugging me."

"What's that?"

Before his dad could blink Ichigo rushed forward and grabbed him in a headlock, "Why the hell did you send Kon here?"

"I thought it would be a good idea!" Isshin argued as he struggled to free himself from Ichigo's surprisingly tight grasp.

"You thought it was a good idea?" Ichigo's eye was beginning to twitch as his mind failed to comprehend the sheer level of stupidity coming from his dad's mouth, "He wasn't here five minutes before he tried to hit on Ryuko! You sent a perverted mod soul to a school where every single girl's transformation involves them losing most of their clothing? What the hell were you thinking?"

"Ichigo, what's a mod soul?"

"I'll tell you later," Ichigo brushed off Mugetsu's curiosity to focus on more important matters such as beating the tar out of his dad for doing something as stupid as sending Kon to Honnouji Academy. Allowing Kon to get anywhere near Ryuko or Satsuki when they released their Kamui was a disaster waiting to happen although now that he thought about it, Ichigo probably wouldn't stop Satsuki if she tried to kill Kon. The little bastard would probably deserve it anyway.

"Umm…"

Ichigo and Isshin stopped fighting as Ururu made her presence known. Ever since Ragyo arrived and began taking an interest in her, Ururu had done her best to stay out of the way until everything settled down. Giving his distracted son one last punch to the face, Isshin stood up and dusted his jacket off, "What's the matter Ururu?"

"Well…" Ururu twiddled her fingers and looked gloomily off to the side. She didn't know how to explain the weird feeling that suddenly shot through her body upon seeing Ragyo and Nui but the fact of the matter is that she hated it. It felt completely wrong to the normally depressed girl and she never wanted to feel it again, "It's just that everyone keeps calling me Amu but that's not my name. Do you know why they call me that, Mr. Kurosaki?"

"Oh boy…" Isshin knew this moment would come and, to be frank, he wished he never wished it would. What he was about to say would most likely make Ururu very upset and he didn't want to give the normally sad girl even more stress to deal with but he really had no choice. It was either he tell her now when he could comfort her afterwards and explains things clearly or allow Ragyo to tell her. Isshin didn't doubt Ragyo would put such a spin on the truth that Ururu would subconsciously begin believing the woman, "Ok, you really want to know Ururu? It's rather complicated and but Ichigo, you must first promise me one thing."

Ichigo's eyebrows rose in confusion, "What?"

Isshin pouted childishly, "You must promise to not hit me! Got it?"

Rolling his eyes sarcastically, Ichigo nevertheless mockingly waved his hand. He was curious about what his dad was going to say, "Yeah, yeah, I promise not to hit you."

"Alright then," Isshin took a deep breath and prepared for what was to come, "The reason Ragyo and Nui call you Amu, Ururu, is because that was your name before Kisuke took you in and adopted you. The truth of the matter is that you're Nui Harime's twin sister."

"Hang on a second!" Ichigo grabbed his dad by the front of his jacket. He could hear Ururu begin sniffling as the weight of what his dad said began to sink in, "Are you out of your mind? There's no way in hell that Ururu is related to that insane little psychopath!"

"Ururu…" Isshin ignored the subtle threat from Ichigo to focus on what was important. It seemed that he was correct in his assumption that Ururu would not deal well with the revelation that she and Nui were twins. Easily pulling himself free from his son's grasp, Isshin knelt in front of Ururu and placed his hands on her shoulders, "Ururu, look at me. Just because you and Nui are twins does not mean you are anything like her. Just look at my adorable little girls! Yuzu and Karin couldn't be any more different and yet they live under the same roof! If my cute twins aren't alike at all, what are the chances you are anything like Nui Harime?"

The tears in Ururu's eyes threatened to fall as she sniffled, "L-Low?"

Isshin grinned goofily and pulled Ururu into a one-armed hug, "You and Nui may be twins but you're your own person. Don't let something as stupid as genetics tell you what to do. Make your own decisions in life and deal with the consequences of your actions. If Nui or anyone else tries to convince you otherwise you either ignore them or convince them that they are wrong. It's as simple as that!"

A small smile graced Ururu's face as she began to calm down, "Do you really mean that Mr. Kurosaki?"

"Of course I do!" Isshin gloated with a chuckle, "And If that's not good enough, Ichigo will be more than willing to threaten those who won't leave you alone. The scowl on his face should be more than enough to scare away even the likes of Nui!"

"Go to hell, old man!"

With an angry shout Ichigo kicked his dad in the back of head. Giving an angry aside glance to the smoking crater Isshin's head was currently stuck in, Ichigo turned to Ururu and nervously sighed, "My dad actually has a point. Even if you are related to Nui Harime there is no chance in hell you are anything like her."

"But if we're twins…" Ururu seemed to struggle to articulate her thoughts. For all her strength and power she was nothing more than a sixteen year old girl who just had perhaps the most devastating news of her life delivered to her, "…if that's true, what does that make me?"

Instead of answering Ichigo gently hit the top of Ururu's head with his fist, "How many times do I have to say it? You're Ururu and Nui is Nui. That's all there is to it. Now come on, I need to find Kon before Ryuko ends up killing him."

"Ok," Ururu started to follow him before turning around to look at Isshin, "But what about your dad?"

"He'll be fine," Ichigo answered with a lack of concern. The man was withholding a lot of information about Ragyo and how she knew him and Ichigo wasn't about to let his dad get away with that, "Now come on. If we're lucky we can get some of the catering before Mako eats everything."

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Dusk fell quickly over Honnou City as the chilly air of the autumn night forced anyone outside to seek the comfort of warmth. Up at Honnouji Academy, which would normally have been empty due to the students going home for the weekend, there was a constant hustle and bustle as students brought their families to the Parent Student Day ceremony. It was here that every parent will receive an update on the current situation of Honnouji Academy as well as an in-depth review of their child's progress in the year. Satsuki Kiryuin had initially started Parent Student Day as a way to weed out those too weak to stay in Honnouji Academy and thus every year those at the border between passing and failing became more and more nervous as they contemplated whether this would be the year they would be expelled.

The large ballroom in which the venue was to take place this year was perhaps the least used room in all of Honnouji Academy. The room, usually empty apart from the weekly dusting and cleaning, was now packed to the brim with every single amenity that money could buy. Apart from dozens, if not hundreds, of tables that stretched across the extraordinarily large room there was a band playing German waltzes and classical songs in one of the corners. Up on the stage that dominated the far side of the ballroom, Rei Hououmaru held up one hand to her ear as one of her men updated her on the situation.

"Everything is in order then?" The petite woman seemed pleased by what the man on the other end said. She had apologized to Lady Ragyo for being late due to some last minute work at Revocs but now that she was here, Rei was going to make sure everything went off without a hitch. While Lady Satsuki had done an almost perfect job on accommodating for her mother's presence, there were a few things that Rei had to alter or replace. Lady Ragyo was fickle about several things that she hadn't informed her daughter about and as much as Rei did not look forward to Satsuki's verbal displeasure, she was looking forward to Ragyo's disappointment even less.

"I see…" Rei stared out over the ballroom where students and their parents were filing in and noticed Isshin just walking in, "Lady Ragyo wishes to know if the final seating arrangements been updated."

Rei Hououmaru fully understood why Lady Ragyo wanted the location Isshin Kurosaki's table but she was confused about why she wanted it moved. She had no idea why it had to be the table two rows away from the stage and eighth from the right but Rei would never complain. If Lady Ragyo wanted Isshin Kurosaki to sit at that particular spot then Rei was going to comply without argument.

"Oh wow!" Mako Mankanshoku looked around the ballroom with stars twinkling in her eyes. In all her time at Honnouji Academy she had never been to this particular room. Even though she had been to Parent Student Days in the past, none of them involved the use of this very special and forbidden room. Satsuki had expressively forbidden any student from entering this room under penalty of death and expulsion, in that order. Twirling around in her fancy new dress, her brown eyes taking in as much detail as they could without exploding from the excitement, Mako grabbed a silent Ururu's hand and began running away.

"Let's go find our seats Ururu!"

"Humph," Ryuko had her hands placed squarely on her hips. As she looked over the crowd of men and women in suits and dresses she had the distinct feeling that she was a tad bit underdressed for the occasion, "Hey Senketsu, you think I'm underdressed?"

"Of course I don't!" Senketsu was insulted by the idea he wasn't as fashionable as the boring clothes he was forced to surround himself with. A Kamui was the epitome of fashion and everything else was just plain boring! Huffing indignantly, he rolled his eye and stared up at Ryuko, "As a Kamui I am the best piece of clothing in the world. Everything else is but an attempt to reach my level of perfection. That is why I refuse to allow you to wear anything else besides your pajamas!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Ryuko quirked an eyebrow in annoyance at her Kamui's snooty attitude, "If that's the case, I think next week I'll go back to wearing my old uniform and blazer. Perhaps five days of hanging on the wall will teach you some respect."

"Y-You wouldn't!"Senketsu began shaking in fear and nervously around Ryuko's body at the thought of being separated from his friend for so long. He didn't know if he could last five days without being worn and that single thought made him start blubbering incoherently. "I thought you cared about me, Ryuko!"

"Uh…there, there," Ryuko awkwardly rubbed Senketsu's lapels to calm him down. Why did her Kamui have to be so emotional all the time? At least it was better than Mugetsu, who seemed to be overly jealous of Ichigo to the point of tearing up his normal clothes. Ryuko still remember hearing that argument all the way from the Slums, "I was kidding Senketsu. Can't you take a joke? Of course I would never wear anything but you. You are by Sunday best after all."

"Yeah man, grow a pair why don't you?"

Kon stood on Ryuko's shoulder with a completely miserable look on his plushie face. While Ryuko had stopped trying to kill him on the sole condition that he not peek on her changing, his humiliation had not ended. As soon as she could, Ryuko had given him to Mako and told her that he was a 'magically talking plushie that was wished into life.' Mako, like the simple minded girl she is, had fallen for the lie instantly. It was to his eternal horror that Mako had dressed him in a miniature version of a girl's One-Star Goku Uniform and proceeded to call him Bostov.

"Shut it!" Ryuko squeezed Kon's neck, causing the mod soul to exaggeratingly choke, "You're supposed to keep quiet. What if someone hears you?"

"Listen lady, everyone already knows I can talk," Kon pulled himself free from Ryuko's clutched and hopped to the floor. Dusting his body off and wishing Mako hadn't stapled the stupid dress to his body, he turned around and pointed an arm at her, "If you remember our little chase earlier I ran past nearly half the school trying to get away from you. I think by now the entire school knows I can talk, which is a problem because now I can't hide in the girl's locker room and – "

Kon was cut off when Ryuko stomped down on his face with her sneaker several times before picking him up and throwing him away in the nearest trash can. Huffing in embarrassment, Ryuko folded her arms and followed after Mako. She felt like she needed a shower just from being around Kon and hoped she never met anyone else as perverted as the plushie.

Some distance away from where Kon was trying to pull himself out of a trash can, Barazo Mankanshoku laughed jovially as he shook Isshin's hand. He had come to Parent Student Day with Sukuyo but unfortunately had to leave Mataro at home with Guts. Actually, it wasn't that bad of a situation. After they were kicked out of the Two-Star Residential District back to their old home in the Slums, Barazo had noticed that they needed several things. So while they were seen in public at the ceremony, Mataro could go out and steal what the family needed. It was the perfect alibi.

"So you must be Ichigo's dad?" Barazo shook the equally enthusiastic Isshin's hand, "I've heard good things about your clinic in Karakura Town. Is it true you were labeled the third best family clinic in northern Japan?"

"That's right. I've been in the top ten for nine years running now," Isshin laughed alongside Barazo while they compared their individual practices. Out of all the parents and students attending the ceremony, Isshin's white suit and bloodred tie made him stand out the most, but he didn't care. He may have gotten this suit nineteen years ago but what really irritated him is that Ragyo stole his fashion sense for her COVERS design. Couldn't she have at least asked him first before using his suit pattern?

"I noticed," Barazo folded his arms and nodded at something, "Hey, I was wondering if you could hook me up with some extra packets of blood? As a Back Alley Doctor my clinic is kind of short on some vital supplies and I'd rather not get caught stealing blood again. The last time I got caught Sukuyo had to pay my bail! I was forced to sleep outside for a whole week in the middle of winter!"

"I only did that because I love you," Sukuyo hugged Barazo's arm tightly causing the man to scream in pain, "A Back Alley Doctor such as yourself should know better than to get caught."

"Some extra blood you say? I suppose I could scrounge up some extra supplies if you really need it…" Isshin scratched at his chin as he contemplated whether or not he should bother Ryuken about this. The man might be a ruthless businessman who always stuck to the rules and laws but he was a doctor before any of that. If he explained to the man what the situation was, Isshin was sure Ryuken would somehow mysteriously send several crates of refrigerated blood to the Mankanshoku Clinic.

While Isshin and Barazo were discussing the best way to transport blood into Honnou City without getting caught, Ryuko had already found her assigned table. As she stared at the placard on the table with her name on it, she glanced up at the stage looming just a dozen feet away. Ryuko should have known Satsuki Kiryuin would make sure she had a front row seat as she made Ichigo her Vice President. Satsuki was really being underhanded if she was trying this hard to make her mad. Lazily sitting down in her chair with one leg propped up on the table, Ryuko let out an irritated huff as she imagined what the ceremony was going to be like.

"Since when were you invited, Transfer Student?" Ryuko's eye started twitching as a familiar voice mocked her, "I thought this was Parent Student Day. Didn't you say your dad was dead?"

Tilting her head backwards over the chair, Ryuko frowned when she saw Nonon Jakuzure in her old Three-Star Goku Uniform. Actually, strike that. Unlike her original uniform, Nonon's new uniform had three golden yellow stars instead of black ones, "Screw you! I see you finally shown your true colors, you Snake."

Nonon actually looked surprised by that as she blinked owlishly in confusion, "What are you talking about, Transfer Student?"

With the advantage on her side, Ryuko waved off the pink haired girl's question with a haughty chuckle, "Please, did you really think Ichigo and I were convinced by your little show about getting revenge on Satsuki? We would have to be really stupid to fall for such bad acting. Thanks for the help against Sanageyama though. I really couldn't have beaten him without your super awesome advice."

Nonon snarled and slammed her forehead hard against Ryuko's, her majorette's hat falling over her face while sparks shot between their eyes. As pink eyes glared daggers into Ryuko's blue ones, Nonon scoffed and placed her hands on her hips, "While I really dislike Strawberry for defeating me, I'm going to make sure I humiliate you when Lady Satsuki allows me to fight you. I'm going to kick your ass so hard you won't be able to sit down for years, stupid Transfer Student!"

"Ryuko! Nonon!" Mako slid up between the two girls and brought them into a big group hug. With a large smile on her face, Mako looked back and forth between them and asked, "Isn't it awesome that we're all sitting at the same table? It must be a coincidence or something!"

"Don't lump me in with you Underachiever," Nonon growled sarcastically as she pushed Mako off her body. After wiping her Goku Uniform free of any germs Mako might have given her, Nonon began walking away before stopping and turning around, "Just to make things clear Underachiever, I'm not your friend and I have never been your friend. In fact, I will never be your friend! I am Lady Satsuki's best friend and nothing will ever change that!"

"Ok then!" Mako waved goodbye to a frustrated Nonon as she added, "I'll make sure to stop by during lunch with lots of croquettes my mom made! She just went shopping so be ready for anything!"

As Nonon's frustrated shout echoed throughout the ballroom due to Mako's innocent question, Isshin was in the midst of telling Barazo about his adorable girls when his phone went off. While that would normally not be a cause for concern, the fact that the ringtone was a recording of him singing a song really badly caused Isshin to rapidly fumble around his pockets. Once he managed to find the offensive device and turn it to vibrate, he gave Barazo a nervous chuckle, "Sorry about that but I need to take this call. I made the ringtone really embarrassing so I can't just ignore it. I'll be back in about five minutes.

Quickly walking out of the ballroom before he could embarrass himself further, Isshin soon reached what appeared to be a deserted hallway. Pulling his cellphone back out and checking to make sure he was completely alone, Isshin stopped before proceeding any further and opened a nearby door on the off chance Nui Harime was standing right behind it eavesdropping on his conversation. Once he was completely certain the coast was clear, he redialed the number and brought his phone up to his ear, "What did you want?"

"How goes the party?" Aikuro Mikisugi answered in a nasally tone. A teacher coming down with the flu would normally be a really bad thing but for a nudist like Aikuro it was the perfect excuse to work undercover since no one would be watching him. As he blew his nose into the last tissue from the box, Aikuro threw the now empty box across his apartment into the trashcan and asked, "I would be there but I'm sick."

"I don't need to be a doctor to know that," Isshin answered sarcastically, "But that's not why you called, is it?"

Aikuro smiled, "Ah, you know me too well. So what's the answer?"

"Well…" Isshin paused momentarily before finishing, "There's no doubt they are both definitely here. I ran into Ragyo and her little helper not five minutes after they landed in order to check if they sent a pair of decoys to throw everyone off. They are the real deal."

"That's all I needed to hear. You should probably get back to the ceremony before anyone notices you're missing."

"Good luck, Aikuro."

Isshin snapped his cellphone shut as he contemplated what he was doing. He knew that he had to stop Ragyo's plans before they could come to fruition but he didn't know just how wide his old friend's grip on the world had become. When his ears picked up the sound of polite and loud clapping coming from the direction of the ballroom, Isshin turned and ran back. He needed to get to his seat before Ragyo started her speech. It's a good thing he had gone to the bathroom beforehand. Ragyo's speeches could last for hours if she was on a roll and he had a feeling this was going to be one of those nights.

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"Good luck, Aikuro."

Aikuro stared at his phone for a few seconds before pursing his lips as he began dialing a new number. The opportunity that Isshin was giving Nudist Beach was perhaps a once in a lifetime chance. Up to this point Nudist Beach had always been wary about going after high class international targets due to the likelihood that the Grand Couturier would be waiting for them. With Isshin confirming that both Ragyo Kiryuin and Nui Harime were here in Honnouji Academy, Aikuro needed to make some calls on his private phone. To pass this up would be a costly mistake not only to his organization but to every single human on Earth.

Across the globe and in a different time zone, Kinue Kinagase stood on the top of the Eiffel Tower in the midst of rainy Paris morning. With her black and red hair matted down against her face by the heavy rain, she stared through a detached rifle scope at the high security Revocs facility more than two kilometers away across the Seine River. This particular facility was vital for Revocs's control of the apparel market for Western Europe. It was from here that every single Life Fiber was distributed to the unwary public. Upon hearing her phone ringing, she scoffed angrily but nevertheless picked it up. As a clap of thunder echoed in the background, she scolded Aikuro, "You know I'm on a mission. Why are you calling me? Do you know how dangerous this is for the both of us if I get caught?"

"You won't get caught. What do you take me for, an idiot?" When Aikuro didn't hear anything but the sound of heavy rain through the phone, he quickly added, "Never mind. Don't answer that. I'm calling you because Isshin has just confirmed the presence of Ragyo Kiryuin and Nui Harime at Parent Student Day. They will be forced to remain in Honnouji Academy for at least a few more hours. Operation Paris Fashion Week is to proceed."

Kinue's eyes widened for a moment before a relieved smile adorned her face. She knew this day would come eventually but for it to come so soon was a complete surprise to the older Kinagase. Crouching down on the Eiffel Tower with her phone still pressed firmly against her ear, Kinue lowered the scope away from her eye, "I see. What are the specifications of the operation? Has anything changed?"

"The operation remains as intended," Aikuro answered, "You are to get in, set the Anti-Life Fiber charges and get out before it blows. With any luck we can cripple Revocs's chokehold over Western Europe for years."

That was both the good and the bad about having a dedicated facility like this. Inside the wall tens of tons of raw Life Fibers were stored, just waiting to be sewn into every piece of Revocs clothing. If Kinue could destroy it all, Ragyo Kiryuin would be forced to ship out an entire new shipment of Life Fibers, which Nudist Beach could then harass and stop.

"Finally we can get down to fucking business!" A crass voice called out as Kinue hung up her phone, "This spy crap was getting really boring!"

Kinue sighed and shook her head, "What have I don't you about language, Danketsu?"

"Go to hell," Danketsu's eyes swiveled up to look at her wearer. In the weeks since her fateful battle against Ururu, Kinue had noticed a slight diminishing in her Kamui's animosity and insatiable bloodlust. That did not mean Danketsu's behavior had changed. The Kamui still cursed up a storm and was rude and obnoxious, which made Kinue glad that no one but a few people could hear her voice. Blinking once and then twice as she looked over her form, Danketsu gave a satisfied huff, "But I am happy you stopped wearing clothing over me. As a Kamui being touched by those pieces of crap was an insult. When are you going to get rid of the pants?"

"You know why I wear military fatigues," Kinue had already gone over this line of thought with Danketsu several times in the past. Her Kamui may be powerful and allow her access to a level of strength no normal human could dream of but she lacked pockets. There was no way that Kinue could carry all her Nudist Beach equipment on Danketsu's form. So while she had foregone wearing anything from the waist up apart from Danketsu's transformed state, Kinue constantly wore a pair of military fatigues simply for the pockets.

"I do and I don't care," Danketsu paused as her eyes focused on something in the distance. When she spoke again, her voice was full of anger and hate, "There someone at the Revocs facility with a large concentration of Life Fibers. I want to fucking kill them."

Kinue frowned, "How strong are they?"

"You have to be kidding if you think they are a match for us!" Danketsu exclaimed proudly before answering, "They are stronger than the mockery Three-Star uniforms at Honnouji Academy but nowhere close to the power of a true Kamui like me!"

There was only one group of people on the planet that Danketsu could be talking about. Kinue stood up and stared out over the dreary Paris morning before letting out a huff of annoyance as her mission just became more complicated and risky, "Xcution."

Xcution, the most powerful group of men and women under the employ of Ragyo Kiryuin, was a name that struck fear into Nudist Beach and was one of the reasons why they had been mostly forced to remain within the borders of Japan. They were the crème of the crop in terms of power. While they most certainly did not possess Kamui, since all but a handful of humans would be devoured by the Life Fiber clothing, they did have uniforms that made them nearly unstoppable.

Kinue had yet to fight them herself since in the past she had been more worried about losing control over her emotions and allowing Danketsu to transform into a monster. Yet from the vague and minimal reports headquarters received, Xcution had no qualms about killing their operatives. Unlike Nui Harime, who preferred to play around for a while before killing them, Xcution would move in right away for the kill. This meant that Nudist Beach had no idea what powers their Life Fiber outfits possessed. The only information they had indicated Xcution's power was above that of the Three-Star Goku Uniforms Aikuro had reported at Honnouji Academy.

"You're going to kill them right?" There was no hiding the excitement in Danketsu's voice as she mentally salivated over the thought of completely destroying Life Fibers.

"Does it look like I have a choice?" Kinue sarcastically asked her Kamui as stared at the Revocs facility before taking a single step off the Eiffel Tower. As she fell through the rain-filled air, her eyes narrowing slightly in the process, she flipped around in midair and shouted, "Danketsu Funsha!"

Kinue's body was surrounded by a burst of purple and blue light before she rocketed up into the sky over Paris. Hovering in midair in her newly discovered flight configuration, Kinue allowed the feeling of the Life Fibers in her body to envelop her. As much as Danketsu still did not like her, she could not help but appreciate the fact her Kamui was willing to allow her access to a greater portion of her strength. Silently thanking Ichigo Kurosaki once more for helping her move on with her life, Kinue spun around and allowed a stream of dark purple exhaust to shoot out of the jet engine her legs had morphed into.

While twin contrails trailed behind the two wings arcing away on either side of her back, Kinue pulled out her Genji blade and held it in her armored hand. She knew that using her Funsha configuration would undoubtedly make the Xcution member aware of her presence but Kinue was counting on the fact Danketsu was a Kamui to shift things in her favor. She might be unaware of the XCution member's ability but the same could be said about her.

Flying high enough that the ground-based defenses surrounding the facility were unable to lock onto her, Kinue spun around in the air and flew downwards. As the rain of anti-aircraft bullets flashed past her, Kinue crashed through the reinforced roof of the building with ease before landing in a crouch on the floor.

As the smell of pure and raw Life Fibers assaulted her senses, causing Danketsu to shift and morph around her body in anger and disgust, Kinue tried to mentally calm her Kamui down. While she may not have liked the smell of Life Fibers any more than Danketsu, they could not afford to show weakness. Once Danketsu managed to get herself under control, after much coaxing from Kinue and another promise to defeat the member of Xcution, Kinue finally had a chance to get started on her mission. Patting the Anti-Life Fiber charge in one of her pockets, Kinue began walking towards the main storage room of the facility, her purple heels clicking ominously against the bare concrete floor. All she needed to do was place the charge in the storage room and get out within ten minutes before it detonated. It was simple enough except for the fact that someone was rushing towards her back at speeds much greater than a human should possess.

Spinning around and raising her Genji blade, Kinue blocked the armored kick that would have either broken her neck or killed her instantly. As sparks flew off her blade as her opponent continued to try and overpower her, Kinue felt the jets on her back burst into life. As power coursed through her body, she let out a determined shout before she managed to throw her opponent off and into the catwalks above. Letting out a sigh as steam shot out from Danketsu, Kinue gripped her Genji blade tightly as she looked around in the shadows for her opponent.

"So I was right," Kinue took a few steps forward as she attempted to sense her opponent. With all the Life Fibers in the building as well as the air it was nearly impossible for Danketsu to pinpoint their location, "You're a member of Xcution."

"Is that a Kamui?" A distinctly French and feminine accent echoed all around her as Kinue finally saw her opponent. With one armor-covered leg propped up on a railing, the woman on the catwalk moved a lock of dark hair out from in front of her eyes, "It's no wonder you were able to sense and block my attack. Lady Ragyo knew you Nudists would come here eventually but she had no idea one of you actually had a Kamui. A long lost work of the late Isshin Matoi, I presume?"

"You can keep on presuming," Kinue shifted her leg back and raised her Genji blade, "It won't help you."

"Let's just calm down for a moment," The French woman casually leapt off the catwalk before landing just in front of Kinue, allowing her to see just who it was she was dealing with. The woman's body was covered in a distinctive white armor with glowing gold trim with the Revocs logo superimposed with the symbol for Xcution on her chest right over her heart. As the dark skinned woman's eyes took in all of Danketsu, she could not help but whistle in appreciation, "So that's what a Kamui looks like, huh? I've seen some of the work by the Grand Couturier but I never thought I would see an actual Kamui in battle. It's really something."

"Are we going to talk or fight?" Kinue couldn't afford for her opponent to keep talking. Every second wasted was another second a silent alarm could be sent out informing Ragyo Kiryuin of the situation. Charging forward towards the woman, Kinue attempted to stab her Genji blade through her gut only to find the woman quickly shifting to the side and out of the path of her blade.

"I had hoped to kill you quickly so you wouldn't feel any pain." The woman seemed almost remorseful as she stared at her clenched fist, "I detest drawn out violence but Lady Ragyo gave me the order to kill all intruders so that's what I'm going to do. Je suis désolé. Jackie Tristan's the name. Let's see how your Kamui stands up to the power of my Sanguinaire Raiment!"

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Kamui Tales #13 – Meeting the Boss

Ichigo and Ryuko stood on the outskirts of Honnou city with annoyed expressions on their faces. They had no idea why Aikuro Mikisugi had dragged them out here on a Sunday but as they stared at their teacher, who seemed to be doing his best to not look back, Ryuko had finally reached her breaking point. Storming across the road and grabbing Aikuro by his tie, she pulled down hard until the Nudist was at eye level with her.

"Are you going to explain why the hell you dragged us out into the middle of nowhere?" Aikuro wilted under Ryuko's angry gaze as beads of nervous sweat began running down his face. Raising his hands in a placating gesture, he managed to coherently say, "Now Ryuko, I brought you and Ichigo out here for a good reason. It's been quite some time now and the leader of my organization wants to meet you two."

"Wait a second," Ryuko glanced away before scowling. Shaking Aikuro's body like a ragdoll, she shouted, "You're saying that the nonsense you told us about Nudist Beach was all true? I thought you were just being a pervert!"

Ichigo would have said something if not for the truck barreling toward them down the road. Just before the vehicle could run them over, it abruptly spun to the side and skidded to a halt as the smell of burning rubber tires assaulted their noses. For a moment the truck, painted in a nondescript color to prevent drawing any unwanted suspicion, was silent apart from the creaking of the engine cooling down. The silence was shattered when the driver's door swung open and an immensely massive man stood up.

"I see that your mission at Honnouji Academy is coming along nicely. Well done Aikuro," The man walked forward and patted Aikuro on the shoulder. While it appeared to be nothing more than a friendly tap, the force behind it was enough to cause Aikuro to stumble forward.

While he was initially put off by the man's large size, he was bigger than Kenpachi for crying out loud, his seemingly normal behavior and dressed state calmed Ichigo down. Perhaps Aikuro was the only member of Nudist Beach who actually liked to be nude. That belief was broken completely when the man, upon spotting Ryuko staring at him with her mouth slightly agape, got down on one knee and began crying tears of joy.

"Please accept my sincerest apologies for not introducing myself to you as soon as I arrived! It has been quite some time since my eyes have been able to look upon the beautiful visage worthy of belonging to Isshin Matoi's daughter! While I can never hope to equal the sheer majestic charisma and authority belonging to your late father, I will do my best to emulate the greatness that he possessed in life."

"Who…I…what…" The sheer ridiculousness staring her in the face had temporarily caused Ryuko to lose the ability to form complete and coherent sentences. Even Senketsu was affected by the man's exuberance. The Kamui's multicolored eye had taken the form of a swirl as he temporarily passed out from the man's nonsense.

"Oh dear, in my haste to apologize for my rudeness I have forgotten to introduce myself." The man flexed and in an instant his shirt was torn off his body, exposing rippling muscles and a virtual constellation of purple stars sparkling around his body, "Allow me to take this moment to do so. I am Alex Louis Armstrong, leader of Nudist Beach and your father's former second in command. Under my caring and well-defined arms the organization shall free humanity from the throes of Life Fibers and allow each person to live the life they please! Now please look upon my sculpted body and accept my sincerest apologies!"

Ryuko's mind, already pushed to the brink, abruptly collapsed in a desperate attempt to save itself. With white foam leaking out from the corners of her mouth, Ryuko collapsed to the road in a twitching heap, her mind unable to comprehend the existence of someone who is even more of a Nudist than Aikuro.

Alex Louis Armstrong failed to see the impact his body and mannerisms had on Ryuko since he had already turned his attention to Ichigo. While Aikuro dragged Ryuko's body away in the background, Armstrong firmly clasped Ichigo's hand within his own and stared into his eyes.

"It is good to finally meet you, young Ichigo!" Even though he was giving a friendly handshake, Ichigo felt as if his hand was being crushed to dust, "Your father has said many good things about you and I am looking forward to working together for the good of humanity!"

Ichigo was nearly on the verge of unconsciousness himself before something Armstrong said caught his attention, "Wait a second. How do you know my dad?"

Armstrong's blue eyes widened before the sparkles reappeared around his face, "It appears that I have spoken too soon. Your father wanted to explain things himself but in my haste to introduce myself I have failed to heed his words."

Abruptly stepping back and flexing his body in front of Ichigo, Armstrong leaned in and declared, "Please accept my sincerest apologies for spilling your father's secret! If you seek to punish someone for hiding this knowledge, please make me the sole focus of your righteous fury. I deserve no less for breaking the sacred oath your father bestowed upon me!"

"Uh…Sir?" Aikuro appeared at Armstrong's side before he could say anything else, "Satsuki Kiryuin has started to mobilize her Elite Four. At the current rate she will be here in three minutes."

That would complicate things. Armstrong had an entire list of things he needed to say to Ichigo and Ryuko and with the latter unconscious he needed to find a place to lay low. Coming to the conclusion that going back to Osaka would be a terrible idea, Alex Louis Armstrong reached over and picked Ichigo up with a single hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ichigo shouted as he tried, and failed, to free himself.

"I apologize for my rude behavior but I will explain everything once we reach the nearest Nudist Beach safe house. Please save all subsequent questions for the presentation later on."

Picking Ryuko's unconscious form off the ground, Armstrong gently placed her in the back of his truck before throwing Ichigo in after her. Getting into the driver's seat, he quickly turned the engine on, spun the truck around and shot off into the distance. While Ichigo was quick to untangle himself, he was forced back in his seat as the truck accelerated into the triple digits while Armstrong explained where they were going.

"This safe house is someplace where no Kiryuin would dare to defile. It has been in the Armstrong family for generations and it will remain as such until the Earth is safe once more!"

Aikuro awkwardly waved goodbye as Armstrong drove off. He knew Ichigo and Ryuko would be really pissed off at him when they got back. Hopefully he could find a place to lay low until their anger settled down.