(Author's Note)

Chapter 29 finished! This marks the end of the battle and the full progression of the plot again. This means more Hali/ Ichi time for those that have been waiting for it.

(Recap)

The former captain's eyes widened before he felt his back explode with pain.

As he tried to wrap his mind around what had just occurred, he could vaguely hear Neliel's voice coming from behind him.

"Kurosaki Isshin, I am not a prideful warrior, but the difference in our strength was like the difference between night and day… I'm sorry."

Blood sprayed out Isshin wound as he realized that Neliel had managed to slice his back.

'She… cut me…' Isshin thought incredulously as he felt his strength leave him.

Fear weld up inside of him as he realized he had lost.

"Damn… it…"

The former captain managed to turn around, coming face to face with Neliel.

"I want… my…son…back." He whispered weakly as he gripped Neliel's right shoulder with all the strength he could muster.

"I'm sorry…" Neliel whispered back emotionlessly as she removed his hand from her shoulder, letting Isshin fall to the town below. "… You can't have him..."

(Chapter 29)

Isshin gazed up at the Espada, his weakened eyes burning with the intensity of a scorned father.

"Damn it," the former captain repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time, 'Ichigo….'

He clenched his teeth as the wound on his back engulfed him in pain; blood poured out continuously, leaving the wounded shinigami to lie in a pool of his own blood.

'Sorry Karin… Yuzu,' He weakly reached into the right pocket of his shinigami robes, his hand shaking from the intensity of his wounds. 'I don't have a choice…

(The day after the war ended)

"Kurotsuchi, along with myself, will fix the half destroyed pillar by tomorrow. It was Soul Society's decision to keep the real Karakura Town in Soul Society until Aizen has been defeated."

"I see." Isshin muttered as he gazed up at the fake sky in Urahara's training grounds.

Urahara eyed his long time friend before drinking some of his tea.

"Your son isn't a weakling."

"I know that!" Isshin snapped, "but how can he face not only Aizen, but the Espada!"

"Ichigo is smart, he won't give Aizen any reason attack him. Besides, we both know Aizen will not kill him knowing his bloodline… I mean your bloodline. Ichigo is someone who Aizen finds interesting, he won't act rashly." Urahara replied calmly.

"By now he has already told Ichigo about me."

"How long have you known Aizen took an interest in your son?"

"Since the beginning..."

Urahara glanced at Isshin for a long moment before releasing a heavy sigh.

"Your full powers aren't back yet right?"

"Yes, it's taking longer than I thought. If I were in Soul Society, I would be gaining back my power much faster, add in the fact that I haven't spent much time in this form; It may take months for me to regain my full power." Isshin answered.

"I see." Urahara pulled out a black pill from his green cloak. "I made this for you."

Isshin took the pill, "What is it?"

"Enhancer pill."

"And what's it for?"

"It increases your fighting prowess. This pill I made special, only for you. When you take it, your full powers will come back to you. Unfortunately, it won't allow you to activate your shikai or bankai, you must regain that power on your own."

Isshin's eyes widened, "Alright…"

Before Isshin could thank him Urahara raise his hand to halt the thanks, "Be warned, I know not how long the effects will last; I'd say ten minutes, just to be safe."

"Then I'll crush whoever my opponent is in ten."

"I have no doubt you could, but that is the lesser of the two warning accompanying the swallowing of this pill."

"The other?"

"This enhancer pill was banned by Central Forty-Six before I could even reveal it to Head-Captain Yamamoto; this is why you wouldn't have heard of it. It was banned for the after effects of swallowing the pill. The pill allows you to go beyond what your body is normally capable of and in turn damages your body. Think of it like this; consider yourself having currently lieutenant levels of strength, but with the pill your return to your full strength. Think of the difference of power; now convert that power to pain… you could kill yourself."

An uncomfortable silence settled amongst them.

"You can see why I am hesitant for you to use it."

Isshin thought of two things: Who would watch his girls if the worst happened and what would happen to Ichigo if he didn't use the pill when all else failed.

'Hopefully, I won't have to use it and my powers will return before I must fight again…'

Neliel, wanting to see if Isshin had survived, slowly descended from the sky; her eyes never leaving her opponent.

It saddened her to see Isshin lying in a pool of his own blood; it reminded her that no matter her choice, she was still a monster.

'Do it for Ichi…' Neliel halted when she saw Isshin, weakly, reaching into his coat pocket.

She cocked her head to the side when he pulled out a small black pill.

'Candy?'

Before she could ask, Isshin popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed, but not before showing his opponent a guilt ridden expression.

Neliel wondered if something would happen, but she felt no changes; not in his reiatsu nor his condition.

The Septima Espada watched as Isshin seemed to lose consciousness before kneeling down next to him.

"Kurosaki Isshin, you fought bravel…" She made to place a hand over Isshin's eyes, but was shocked to discover her hand slipping right through the body.

The Espada's eyes widen before turning around and bringing her blade up defensively.

The exact second she finished her stance, a zanpakto crashed against hers with such force that it sent her crashing into a nearby building in its tenth floor, her attacker following close behind.

Neliel wasn't the type to waste a single second in a fight. The moment she crashed into the building she back flipped in order to regain her balance.

"How did you pull off an after image technique with me mere feet from you… Kurosaki Isshin?" she asked as her opponent appeared at the edge of the hole she had created. She was intrigued; not only by his speed, he was also completely healed, and gained a large increase in power.

He eyed her with a newfound confidence.

"Sorry, no time to explain."

Isshin vanished, and before Neliel even knew what hit her, she was crashing into the ceiling and out the top of the building.

The Espada winced as she continued to soar into the sky, large pieces of destroyed building surrounding her.

'Where is…' Neliel looked over her shoulder and saw Isshin closing in on her.

With the entirety of her power, Neliel swung her blade and met Isshin's in a blaze of sparks.

The Espada felt her arm weaken against the force of her opponent's blade while the Shinigami followed up by bringing his free hand up to rest against the wrist of the hand that held his zanpakto.

Isshin locked eyes with Neliel, as they both free fell, before flicking his middle finger.

Neliel's eyes widened as a powerful force of raw reiatsu smashed against her.

With a shocked cry, she was sent crashing through seven buildings and landed against a pile of steel bars in a construction site.

Neliel winced as she fell to her hands and knees. She swiftly clutched her chest and began coughing up a large amount of blood.

"Will you give up and tell me what I want to know about Ichigo? I only have the leisure of asking you once more."

Neliel ignored Isshin, and focused solely on trying to regain her breath, which seemed to escape her no matter how hard she tried.

"Fine."

Neliel swiftly wiped off the blood on the corner of her mouth before turning around and gathering a massive amount of reiatsu in the palm of her hand.

"Grand Rey Cer ah!!"

Neliel cried out as Isshin grabbed her wrist hard enough to break it.

"I'm not going to kill you. You'll be taken to Soul Society; they'll figure out what to do with you."

Neliel looked at him.

"He will come for me."

Isshin looked at her in confusion, "Who…"

The shinigami swiftly dodged the bala Neliel had abruptly sent at him with her good hand, before turning back to her to find her charging a bright purple cero in her mouth.

She released it and, with a sigh, Isshin batted the cero away before it could get close enough to do damage to him.

Neliel used sonido.

She was immediately stopped when Isshin flash stepped towards her and grabbed her injured wrist.

Neliel cringed, but managed to slash at Isshin with her zanpakto; he let go to escape the attack, but Neliel followed up by successfully landing a kick against his ribs.

Isshin went skidding back a few feet, giving his opponent ample space.

'How did he gain so much power? It can't have been the pill… focus Neliel… I must stop him, for Ichigo's sake.'

"You still have some fight in you then?" Isshin sighed disappointedly, "Too ba…"

Isshin suddenly yelled out when felt as if the muscles in his right arm were being stabbed over and over again.

The pain was so intense that he felt as if he was paralyzed; He dropped his blade, and fell to his knees, all the while gripping the arm that was cramping up.

'What's… going on?' Isshin wondered as the pain ran up his arm into his chest, then spread out to his remaining three limbs.

Isshin could no longer even yell, all he could do was groan as he fell to the ground.

Then, just as fast as it came… the pain left, leaving a breathless Isshin on all fours, his body still shaking from the intense attack.

'It…. wasn't even ten minutes yet?" He thought to himself as he gripped his zanpakto and stood up on weakened legs.

The shinigami locked eyes with Neliel, only to see the Espada staring at him wide-eyed.

"What… was that?" She asked calmly.

Isshin felt the tremors leave him before speaking, "Why would I tell you?"

Even though it was obvious that the pill ran its course, Isshin still felt as if he still had his full powers.

'Did it unlock something in me?' He wondered as he stepped into a battle stance.

"From guessing, I would say that the pill you ate more than five minutes ago gave you your sudden power boost. I think what you experienced was the pills side effects."

Isshin's eyed widened just a fraction, 'She's good,"

"He won't wait much longer…. I can't fail him." She whispered.

Isshin appeared before her the very moment she brought her blade down.

Isshin batted the blade away with the back of his hand before upper cutting her.

Neliel spit the blood that collected in her mouth, onto the floor and back stepped away from him.

'He too fast for me to use resurreccion. He will try to stop me before I can …'

She used sonido once more to flee Isshin's sight, but he tailed her closely.

"Damn it."

All of a sudden a massive wave of raw reiatsu surged throughout the barrier and brought the entire golden barrier down…

Isshin stopped, his eyes widening as he felt terrible reiatsu emitting from Urahara's direction while Neliel used Isshin's distraction to her advantage.

'Thanks… Ulquiorra.' She thought solemnly.

Isshin looked back at his opponent, it was too late.

Neliel was up against the shattering wall, nearly two hundred yards in front of him, too far away for him to reach her in time.

"This fight is going to take all the longer!"Isshin shouted, his eyes darkening.

'No more, even if she was captured, it's obvious she'd die rather than give any answers. Even if she is a woman… I'll make it quick.'

Neliel raised her blade, horizontally across her chest as the golden shards of the shield fell around her.

"Utae…" Her zanpakto began to glow as hazy smoke began emitting from it, "…Chamois"

Her zanpakto's glow intensified before it burst in a massive explosion of pure reiatsu.

Isshin covered his face as her resurreccion sent wave after wave of pure reiatsu crashing into him, but with even with so much reiatsu crashing into him, it did nothing more than annoy him.

To him, it wasn't impressive in the slightest.

As the smoke finally cleared Neliel revealed herself, now wielding a double sided lance. She took on the form of a brownish-green, ibex-like centaur complete with a black horse's tail. Her hollow masks horns became longer and more curved and also extended slightly, framing the sides of her face, particularly the cheeks. Her shoulders were covered by armored white spaulders that came across the shoulder blade to the neck and she had white armored elbow guards and white armored gauntlets. The parts of the arms that weren't covered by armor were covered with a black material as were her hands.

" A centaur?" Isshin whispered, "That form looks more like a hindrance than anything useful."

Neliel appeared thirty feet from him before lifting her lance, her eyes as hard as stone and her face emotionless.

"Lanzador Verde."

Isshin narrowed his eyes has Neliel threw the lance at him with extreme speed.

As it neared him it began to spin and build up spiraling purple spirit energy.

Isshin swiftly brought the flat of his zanpakto up to defend himself, and as the lance hit the flat of his blade, he hardened his gaze.

The attack was acting like a drill, trying to break its way through the zanpakto that was keeping the lance stalled.

For a full minute Isshin blocked the oncoming attack before it finally began slowing down.

He felt the pressure on his blade lessen and swiftly side stepped the attack.

The lance continued its course before crashing into a nearby building.

Suddenly feeling Neliel's reiatsu rising, Isshin turned and saw the Espada gathering black reiatsu in the palm of her right hand.

Isshin's eyes widened as she released the Espada's full powered cero.

"Cero Oscuras!"

A pitch black beam of intense reiatsu surged towards Isshin, whose eyes widened when he saw the buildings on either side of the cero turn to ruble.

"Bakudo # 90 Dankuseki!"

Isshin slapped his hands together and three spirit-sekkiseki created walls appeared before him.

The powerful black cero crashed into the kido resulting in a massive explosion.

When the noise died down, Isshin released the kido.

The cero hadn't even put a scratch in his barrier, leaving Neliel shocked.

"How did…"

Isshin abruptly charged her, causing her to use sonido.

The first thing she did was find her lance before facing Isshin once more.

"Give up Espada, you have no more tricks…"

"Lanzador Verde!" She shouted once more as she threw her lance at him.

"Sorry." Isshin whispered.

He side stepped the attack, bringing his blade up and sliced clean through the spinning weapon, before vanishing.

Neliel's eyes widened in complete shock, "What?"

"I warned you."

Neliel slowly looked over her shoulder and saw Isshin standing right behind her, his zanpakto covered in blood.

"How did you…"

All of a sudden blood began spraying from a wound in her chest.

The Espada could barely comprehend what had happened as she watched blood spray out of her.

Unable to find the strength to continue standing, she fell to the ground, reverting to her pre-resurreccion state in the process.

Neliel tried contacting Ichigo with her mind, but she couldn't even find the strength to do it.

Isshin sighed sadly as he watched her trying to draw breath.

"I'm sorry it had to end like this."

Neliel locked eyes with him for a quick moment before looking away.

'I'm sorry Ichigo… I've failed you.'

Isshin began walking away, "I do not have time to wast..."

Sensing a sudden spike of reiatsu, the shinigami swiftly looked up.

He had noticed earlier that one Espada was watching the battles below. Isshin guessed that it was the Primera.

'What is he doing?' Isshin narrowed his eyes when the Espada released a massive, dazzling, neon white cero towards them.

'From such a distance?' He wondered curiously.

As the cero neared, Isshin eyed the cero oddly when he realized that the cero wasn't aimed at him.

'His own comrade?'

The shinigami turned to Neliel and was surprised to see a small smile appear on her face.

"Thank you."

Isshin swiftly covered his face when the cero hit, 'Heartless.'

Isshin knew that the cero was at least ten times more powerful than the black cero Neliel had launched at him earlier.

The white cero roared and shook the very ground below his feet, but no explosion followed.

"What the…"

Isshin looked at where the cero was still crashing down; his view from Neliel was obscured by the light, but the cero seemed to be forcing itself into the space where she was laying.

For several moments the white cero crashed into the ground before suddenly dispersing.

The shinigami was taken back when Neliel stood facing him, the wound he had inflicted on her chest gone

"What the…"

"Wah!!!"

Isshin's eyes widened in shock when Neliel released a white cero from her mouth, the same intensity as the one that came down on her.

"Too late!" Isshin exclaimed before the cero hit. "Agh!"

Neliel watched as her opponent was engulfed by a massive explosion before looking up at Ichigo, who suddenly vanished.

"He must have been tired of waiting. This should be over soon." Neliel touch the area that Isshin had cut her, she had used a technique that few Arrancar knew about. It was a technique that allowed one to use reiatsu to speed up the regeneration process. 'Thank you…' she repeated in her mind.

After another moment of gazing up into the sky Neliel returned her gaze to her opponent as the explosion and smoke died down.

Though he managed to stay on his feet, Neliel could tell his body was broken. His clothes were nothing but torn pieces of cloth, and blood covered his entire body.

"To still be standing." Neliel whispered sadly.

Isshin made to speak, but nothing came out. Within moments he began coughing out large amounts of blood and finally fell.

"You won't be able to get up after that..."

Isshin was not able to even look up at her nor could he even form a thought.

"Your body is broken. The battle is done."

Neliel made to leave but felt pity for Ichigo's father.

"Ichigo is safe; Aizen's keeping him with Orihime. Aizen does not want them dead or tortured."

Hoping that she set his mind at ease, she used sonido.

Ichigo had one more task for her…

(Zommari VS Ryuken)

Both fighters locked eyes with one another before Ryuken charged, fully intent on ending this battle with his next strike.
'Kid… I'm sorry.' Ryuken thought sadly he poured all of his reiatsu onto a single spirit arrow.

"You cannot defeat me!" Zommari shouted angrily. "Aizen-sama has gifted me with…."

*Bang!*

Shock marred Zommari's face when he suddenly felt an odd pain grip at the center of his body; the look of absolute confusion on his opponents face didn't escape him in the slightest.

"What…."

The former Espada slowly looked down, his eyes widening at massive hole in his chest.

With a trembling hand, Zommari brought his hand up to the profusely bleeding hole before slowly looking over his shoulder.

When he saw who was responsible, his eyes widened.

Neliel was standing behind him, her arm crackling with energy from the recently released bala.

"What is… the meaning… of this… eh?! Neliel?!" Zommari cried out.

"I'm sorry Zommari, I'm afraid you are no longer needed…"

Neliel looked at him with guilt filled eyes before raising her hand and charging her bright purple cero.

"Who's Orders? *cough* Who's…" The dark skinned Arrancar coughed out as he reverted to his base form, barely managing to remain up on one knee.

Neliel's eyes shifted away as she remembered her orders.

(Flashback)

Within moments a Garganta closed behind each of the Espada until only Neliel and Ichigo were left.

"Aaroniero spoke to me through his broadcast sight. He told me that you wanted to speak with me." Neliel explained, she noticed that Ichigo face was deadly serious.

"I need you to do something for me."

Neliel blinked, "What do you need?"

"Zommari is a threat that we cannot have in Las Noches, not when we are on the verge of rebelling against Aizen. When we get to Karakura Town, I want you to kill him."

Neliel's gaze fell to the floor.

"Can you ask one of the others?"

"No, I do not trust the others I'm bringing and I will be overseeing the battles. You're the only one I trust."

Neliel frowned.

"Why would you ask this of me? You know I hate killing, yet you know I can't deny you."

Ichigo cupped her chin in his hand, Neliel's face grew hot, "I understand you don't like to kill, but I'm asking you. Just this once, will you do it for me? I'll never ask you to take a life again, but this is necessary."

"Okay."

Ichigo smiled, "You will?"

Neliel looked at him sadly, 'His death is necessary for Ichigo to live peacefully…'

"For you…"

(Flashback ends)
******************************************************************************

"Did you… hear? Who's orders… were they Aizen-sama's?" Zommari asked weakly.

Neliel shook her head.

"No, my orders come from someone who is far more worthy of leading us."

Zommari opened his mouth unnaturally wide and cried out in absolute anguish as Neliel released her cero, point blank, causing the former Espada to disintegrate under the intensity of its power…

(Nnoitora vs. Love)

"What a bother." Love muttered as he landed next to Nnoitora's burnt corpse.

"You caused me way more trouble than you should of. I was fool not to go into shikai the moment this battle

started."

Love glance at Nnoitora once more before looking into the sky.

'The barrier's down. Reinforcement should be…"

Love was suddenly interrupted when the echoing sound of sonido filled his ear. His eyes widened as he made to turn around.

He was no where near fast enough.

Love didn't know what had occurred, but instantly found himself staring at a blood cover blade that was sticking out of his chest.

'What the…'

He had been stabbed directly in the center of his heart.

His vision blurred as he began trying to gasp for air.

"Who…ack!" Love felt the blade twist in his heart.

He tried to look over his shoulder, but the act was too much for him; losing all of his strength, he fell.

"Tch, you took out an Espada like he was nothing, you're defiantly something else."

Ichigo pulled his black, blood covered, blade out of Love's body before kneeling down. As he began wiping clean his blade with Love's green jogging jacket, he studied Nnoitora's burnt body.

Love tried with all his might to speak, but do to shock and the intensity of his pain, the ability to form words escaped him and his vision failed him; he was completely at the mercy of this unknown Arrancar.

"No mercy, eh shinigami? I knew I would have to finish you off the moment you first made contact with Nnoitora. I was annoyed at the thought, but then you go and pull of something like changing your reiatsu composition from a shinigami to a hollow. When you did that, I looked forward to finishing you off."

Love vaguely heard the Arrancar's words, but he knew the voice sounded distantly familiar.

Ichigo turned his gaze to Nnoitora and back to Love.

"You were fighting an Espada yet you…" Ichigo eyed Love's face for a long moment, "Do I know you?"

Ichigo felt as if he had seen the man before, yet no memories of Love assaulted his mind.

"If I did, you must not have left a large impression. As I was saying, your power is incredible. How many of your kind are there?"

'If there are enough, they could prove to be a threat to us.'

He didn't wait for an answer before standing up and glancing at Love once more, "I'd say you only have a few more minutes to liv…"

The Primera grew silent before narrowing his eyes as a vision passed across his mind; A vision of an abandoned warehouse, with eight shadowed figures hiding within it's confines. All of a sudden Hichigo's maniacal laughter filled Ichigo's mind.

Ichigo shook his head before walking away.

"Hmph…"

(Ulquiorra vs. Urahara [recap])

"For here on out…" Urahara began as he started to release a huge amount of crimson reiatsu that even engulfed his zanpakto. "… No more games."

"Sing: Benihime, Version 2…. Symphony!"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened in shock as Urahara, by making an arcing motion with his zanpakto, summoned a literal fifty foot wave of blood red, concentrated, reiatsu.

The wave burned with crimson fire as it neared the Espada. It had only one purpose… crush the enemy under its mass.

Seeing no other choice, Ulquiorra cut into the tip of his right index finger before pointing towards the incoming wall of reiatsu.

'Grand Rey Cero.'

The massive, neon green, Espada exclusive, cero roared to life as it charged fully.

Within seconds the Grand Rey Cero crashed into Benihime's wave of reiatsu, resulting in a massive shockwave that spread through the entire barrier….

(Ulquiorra vs. Urahara cont.)

"My, oh my." Urahara began as he watched the massive cloud of debris, from the collision of both powerful attacks, died down. It had been such a long time since he had used such a high level technique. "You still alive? Espada?"

The dust fully died down revealing Ulquiorra, staring up at Urahara in absolute shock; his entire right was side covered in blood, and a large bone was sticking out from his arm.

Urahara's gaze darkened, 'Those injuries and he's not even flinching…'

'It almost completely disregarded my Grand Rey Cero, and hit me dead on, breaking my arm, three ribs, and my leg. So this… is Urahara Kisuke.' The Espada thought, as if for the first time truly "seeing" the type of man his opponent was.

"Now you're going to say, 'I underestimated you, it won't happen again,' am I right?" The former captain asked.

The Quinto Espada's face became indifferent.

"Such provocation is unlike you."

"I believe you do not know me well enough to decide what is unlike me. Now, would you be inclined to answer a few of my questions?" the shinigami asked darkly.

"No."

"What a shame." Urahara made to move but stopped when his opponent spoke once more.

"You base attacks; they aren't unlike Kurosaki Ichigo's Getsuga Tensho. The only difference I see is the color and your ability to control the intensity of the attacks."

"I guess they are similar, but as you can see…" Urahara swiftly swiped his blade to the right, creating a burst of bright red light.

Ulquiorra watched the shinigami solemnly when the seven-story build next to him spilt in half.

"…unlike Kurosaki, I've had years to practice."

"I see." Ulquiorra abruptly raised the arm with the broken bone sticking out of it before it suddenly began contorting as the bone shot back into his skin.

Urahara watched closely, 'High speed regeneration, that question was to buy time…'

"Are you ready, Shinigami?" The Espada asked as he stretched out his healed arm.

Both fighters abruptly charged one another at incredible speed.

"Cero!" Ulquiorra whispered while raising a finger.

Urahara skirted around the green beam of reiatsu before swiping his blade, "Sing: Benihime!"

A crimson, crescent shaped, wave of reiatsu shot out of his zanpakto at tremendous speed.

The attack was too fast to side step, so Ulquiorra lifted his blade. As the beam hit his blade, he was pushed back;

unable to redirect it, he decided to use sonido.

Urahara abruptly ducked, barely dodging his opponent's blade, before swiftly turning around and bringing his palm right up to Ulquiorra's face.

The Espada's eyes widened as electricity surged around his opponent's palm.

"Hado #63: Raikoho!"

Ulquiorra scarcely managed to sonido away as the massive wave of yellow energy surged out.

"Sorry, you won't be able to sneak up on me again." Urahara stated as the kido ended and he turned to the

Espada.

"Why do you continue to fight? We both know you won't achieve victory. Even if by some miracle you managed to

defeat me, the Primera is stronger than every single Espada here combined. You will fall."

"Don't count me or my friends out. You think too highly of the Primera, and of yourself."

Ulquiorra eyed him from the building he was standing on.

"Do I? Perhaps I will start to show you why."

The Espada appeared above his opponent, bringing his zanpakto crashing down.

Urahara parried the blow with his own blade before aiming a round house kick to Ulquiorra's head. The Arrancar

blocked the leg with his forearm.

Both fighters pushed away from one another before immediately locking blades again.

Ulquiorra swiftly jumped back and shot two bala's.

Urahara carelessly dodged them before seeing his opponent the cut the tip of his right index finger with his blade.

"Grand Rey Cero."

The massive cero roared to life within seconds and surged towards him.

Urahara was immediately engulfed by the massive explosion that followed, even the ground far below shook for its might.

Ulquiorra focused in compete silence as he waited for the smoke to clear, and his eyes widened when it finally did.

'Impossible…'

Urahara was standing behind a twelve foot, diamond shaped, crimson wall.

"You didn't forget about my blood mist shield did you?" The shinigami asked.

'At my current skill level… I haven't even touched him…'

"That was quite an attack. My turn…" Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. "Shred: Benihime!"

All of a sudden, thin bullets of energy, coming from the shield, began firing at the Espada.

Ulquiorra started displaying his mastery of sonido by dodging the attacks.

"He's fast…" Urahara observed before he watched Ulquiorra get hit by one. That seemed to throw him off because he was immediately buffeted with a barrage of the energy bullets.

"Why hasn't he…."

Suddenly the former captain was stabbed through the abdomen by a zanpakto.

"Your guards down, shinigami."

Urahara unexpectedly popped causing Ulquiorra to turn around a block the blow the real Urahara had aimed at him.

"This is getting rather tiring. We're done here." Urahara stated in a darkened tone as his reiatsu began to rise.

Ulquiorra gathered reiatsu in his fist and made to shoot a full powered bala at his opponent, but as he began to launch his arm, Urahara placed his palm up against the Espada's fist.

"That attack won't work on me."

Ulquiorra released the attack and was suddenly rocketing down towards the fake town where he crashed into a small office building.

The Espada slowly stood up from amongst the rubble.

'He was able to withstand my bala, and forced it back to me instead, his powers are dangerous… and I've lingered in this form far too long.'

"You should focus on the fight."

He swiftly turned around, but Urahara, who had been standing behind him, already moved in and had charged him.

When the crossed blades, this time, a massive shockwave broke out between them; the building they were in began collapsing around them.

They locked blades for the longest of moments, Ulquiorra found himself using all of his strength to stay Urahara's blade, when suddenly a crack formed in the middle of his weapon.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened just a fraction before Urahara channeled enough reiatsu into his zanpakto to send his opponent flying through the buildings walls and outside onto the street.

"I will go all out…" The green eyed Arrancar whispered before he began hearing a cracking noise. It didn't take him long to figure out It was coming from underground.

'So that's how he plans to attack?'

Ulquiorra swiftly began running down the long street he was on, he heard Urahara following underground.

'He even has the ability to travel underground...'

The Espada felt the ground rising up before he jumped high into the air and prepare to shoot a cero at Urahara the moment he showed himself.

The cracks underground began to quiet down before suddenly the street cracked.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed when, instead of Urahara, a bright golden chain shot out from the ground.

'A trick!'

The chain moved faster than he could dodged them so they swiftly wrapped around him, trapping him in the air.

"It's over…"Ulquiorra looked up, his eyes widening. Urahara was charging him straight down "Sing: Benihime!"

The crimson energy wave shot out of the arc Urahara made with the zanpakto and crashed into Ulquiorra, who was sent crashing down into the street; creating a massive crater where he landed.

The explosion engulfed several blocks around them and large column of smoke settled over them.

Urahara let out a sigh before flash stepping to the edge of the crater his opponent had caused.

"Still standing?" Urahara asked, mildly surprised.

Ulquiorra was standing up, but now had a massive gash in his left shoulder that lead diagonally to the center of his stomach.

Ulquiorra shakingly clutched his wound, and began coughing blood.

"Just because you see me like this… doesn't mean you will win." Urahara raised a curious eyebrow. "My orders were to bring you in and I haven't even begun to show you the extent of my power."

Unable to stand any longer, the Espada fell to his knees.

"Enclose…" Urahara eyed him indifferently "…Murcielago."

All of a sudden black and green reiatsu engulfed Ulquiorra and burst out of the massive crater.

Urahara's eyes suddenly widened at the intensity of his release. The ground began trembling violently, and the sky above began to darken as the black reiatsu shot higher up before it began raining down upon him.

"What… Is this rel…"

Urahara stopped speaking when the golden barrier surrounding them, shattered against Ulquiorra's potent reiatsu.

The rain of green and black reiatsu lasted only a moment longer before Urahara saw a black figure shoot into the sky, from out of the crater; with a flap of its wings the rain dispersed and the sky brightened revealing Ulquiorra in his new form.

He now had large black bat wings on his back, his hair grew longer and wilder, and the remains of his hollow mask centered atop his head, with two large horns extending outward to the sides towards the front. The lines on his face became black, broader, and more triangular and his fingernails lengthened. His Arrancar attire changed as well, becoming more form fitting and closed at the top, and more like a robe towards the bottom.

"I will tell you…" The Quinto Espada began emotionlessly. "The same thing I told Kurosaki… Don't lose your composure…" Urahara narrowed his eyes. "Don't break your stance… or let your guard down for even a second."

Ulquiorra summoned green reiatsu in his hand and, to Urahara's shock, appeared directly in from of the shinigami, with a long green javelin to his throat.

"I am the Quinto Espada, and you will learn to fear my power…"

A large explosion engulfed the two causing them to be surrounded by a large column of debris.

With a flap of his wings, Ulquiorra cleared away the smoke.

"So you'll take me dead or alive, is it?" Urahara asked, blood trickling down the right side of his face.

"Are you not afraid? You barely managed to escape that last attack with your head still attached to your body." Ulquiorra replied calmly.

"You just stepped up your game… so shall I…"

All of a sudden Urahara vanished.

"Where did he…"

"Sing: Benihime!"

Ulquiorra glared when his right arm was sliced off of his body.

His eyes narrowed in frustration.

'Even in my released state?'

The Espada turned around and swiftly threw his lance at his opponent.

Urahara erected his shield, but this time, it did not hold. The shield shattered on impact and Urahara was sent crashing into a neighboring building.

"I did not expect such a drastic change in your power…" Urahara began as he reappeared before the Espada, perfectly unharmed, "Still, it's nothing I can't handle. You on the other hand…"

An entirely new arm suddenly shot out of Ulquiorra's shoulder to replace the one that was just cut off.

"I am the Espada with the greatest regenerative powers. Wounds like this are nothing to me."

"I see, yet I'm sure you won't be able to recover internal organs or a beheading."

Ulquiorra remained silent before generating another lance and throwing it at Urahara, who immediately used shunpo to evade it.

"You're going to have to do a lot more than that to bring me down."

"You're right."

Urahara's eyes widened when Ulquiorra began charging black reiatsu at the point of his finger.

"Cero Oscuras."

The massive cero roared to life and engulfed the entire area in darkness.

"Black!" Urahara exclaimed before the cero engulfed him in a massive explosion.

Ulquiorra shot into the massive cloud of debris in an attempt to finish his opponent off.

"I have to admit, if that had caught me a second sooner you might have had me…"

The Espada narrowed his eyes as Urahara calmly walked towards him, it was becoming frustrating that Urahara managed to escape him all the time.

"Urahara Kisuke, shall I show you what true despair is like?"

Urahara raised an eyebrow.

"Another technique? It sounds like you think victory is still within your reach. Do not forget that I still have bankai... Fortunately I won't use it. We're done…"

Ulquiorra readied his lance when Urahara vanished.

"Sing: Benihime!"

The red wave of energy screamed to life as the shot towards Ulquiorra from his right.

The Espada's eyes widened, the attack was too fast for him to dodge, and it was aim at his head. If the attack connected then Ulquiorra was done…

"Wha…"

All of a sudden someone appeared before Ulquiorra and, with only his hand, redirected the wave into the sky.

"What's the matter Ulquiorra? You took far too long…"

Ichigo appeared and had defended Ulquiorra.

"Kurosaki…" Ulquiorra whispered calmly.

"I got tired of waiting."

The Quinto Espada turned to Urahara.

"You aren't supposed to show your face."

Urahara stared at the scene before him in shock; it was as if he was staring at a ghost.

"Ichigo?" He asked, wondering if this was really who he thought it was.

Ichigo looked at him.

"Urahara Kisuke… You're coming…."

Ichigo suddenly clutched his head as a vision flashed in his mind.

"There is nothing but fear reflected in your sword. When you dodge, you're afraid of getting killed. When you attack, you're afraid of killing someone. Even when you try to protect someone, you're afraid of letting them die. Yes, your sword speaks to me only of absurd fear. What's necessary in a fight isn't fear. Nothing can be born of that. When you dodge, "I won't let them cut me." If you protect someone, "I won't let them die." If you attack, "I will kill them." Well, can't you see the resolve to kill you in my sword?"

Ichigo shook his head before turning to Urahara, slightly shaken. That memory seemed to affect him more than others did.

Urahara took a step towards him, Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"What happened to you?" Urahara asked inquisitively, staring at the hollow portion of him face.

"You're to be taken before Aizen."

Ichigo made to attack Urahara, but found that his heart urged him not to.

'What?' Ichigo wondered angrily.

Ichigo locked eyes with his former master before Ulquiorra appeared, and slashed Urahara's back before he could even blink.

Urahara's eyes widened as blood sprayed out of him.

"Ichi…go?" He asked in partial confusion at what had just occurred.

He lost consciousness before he hit the ground.

"We're done." Ichigo whispered as he lifted Urahara over his shoulders, he was extremely troubled by what just occurred, "Gather the others. I sense several powerful…"

The sound of shunpo filled the air behind Ichigo causing him to stop. Ulquiorra turned to the new arrival.

"Unhand Urahara Kisuke."

'The reinforcements… They're here…'

"Damn it, Love." Shinji whispered as the vizards appeared one by one, next to their fallen comrade.

"It will take time, but he may yet be saved." Hachi whispered as he encased Love in a barrier to sustain his life.

"Byakuya and some of the others just arrived, we should help. I believe they are converging on the strongest Espada present." Rose stated calmly as he sensed the reiatsu of the different Espada.

"Let's go. We'll do what we can…" Shinji ordered.

All of a sudden the vizards spilt into different directions…

Ichigo narrowed his eyes; the reiatsu he felt behind him was very familiar.

"'Our pride', you said? So that pride you're saying to be so precious is that connected to killing Rukia? Is it? Then I should stomp on it as you said. 'Cause that's why I obtained this Bankai!"

"Step aside…" Ichigo began as he looked over his shoulder; a name appearing in his mind, "Byakuya Kuchiki."

The Primera was in no mood to receive anymore visions as was ready to take out anyone that stood in his way.

The captain glanced at both Espada standing before him. Ichigo had looked over his shoulder in a way that only showed Byakuya his hollow side.

"Do we know each other, Espada? Never mind, hand over Urahara Kisuke."

"I refuse."

Byakuya's reiatsu began to flare up causing Ulquiorra to summon a green energy lance.

Ichigo shook his head.

"Lower your weapon, this requires a subtler approach."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes.

'That voice…'

The captain shook his head before raising his blade in front of him and suddenly letting go of the hilt.

"Ban…"

All of a sudden Byakuya's eyes widened when his zanpakto vanished before his eyes.

"What?!"

"Looking for this?" Byakuya swiftly looked over his shoulder and saw the back of the orange haired Espada, Senbonkazura raised in his hand.

"How did he…"

"I'd rather you not release your bankai. We're in the process of leaving and I would hate to forgo our departure any longer."

Ichigo stabbed the captain's zanpakto on the ground before walking away.

"Face me Espada, I have not fallen yet…."

"Byakuya Kuchiki… you fell moments ago. It's just that your body has yet to realize it." Ichigo whispered.

Byakuya's eyes widened when two streams of blood suddenly sprayed from his chest.

'Senka!' The captain thought in shock as he felt his reiatsu leave him. 'I didn't even see… How does a hollow know…'

The captain grew weakened and began to fall.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes as a vision of a similar situation appeared in his mind, he spoke the words his heart compelled him to, "You're slow… even when you're falling…"

The captain's eyes narrowed in confusion as he fell to his knees.

"Nothing personal." Ichigo whispered before he shot of wave of concentrated reiatsu crashing against Byakuya's head, knocking the captain out immediately.

Ichigo, for some reason, felt a pang in his heart as he crushed the captain.

"You dealt with that quickly enough."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"Let's go, we have to take him to Las Noches quickly. This isn't the only captain here…"

Ichigo also wanted to leave because of all the familiar reiatsu he felt approaching them; they might bring back more memories.

'Memories litter this town; it's already affecting me…'

As if to back up his claim, Ichigo once more gripped his head as visions of Byakuya swarmed into his head.

'Get out…' Ichigo thought tiredly as he fixed Urahara on his shoulder.

'Never…Ichigo.' His hollow whispered in the back of his mind causing Ichigo to narrow his eyes to the ground.

"Hurry Up, Ulquiorra."

"As you wish."

Ulquiorra snapped his fingers and suddenly the sky above them ripped apart to reveal massive amounts of gillian's, looking down, before several beams of yellow light shot down on, two fell upon Ichigo and Ulquiorra.

The ground below them shifted and began to rise under them; it was at this time that he saw Neliel and Aaroniero being lifted in their own negacion.

All of a sudden five figures wearing captain robes appeared next to Byakuya's body, staring up at him and Ulquiorra as they ascended into the sky. Ichigo was too high up for anyone to recognize him.

No words were pasted between anyone, nothing could be said. Aizen had gained another victory, and a great one at that. Right under their nose, Urahara the greatest mind on Soul Society's side was captured.

'Mission accomplished…' Ichigo sighed as he began to have fleeting visions of his time training under Urahara.

(Author's Note)

How was it? Ichigo's memories are affecting him bad now, and Hichigo is taunting him. Ichigo will grow darker as he life seems to crumble. The capture of Urahara is affecting him, we'll see how bad next chapter. And we'll get some inside to Soul Society's most recent loss. Much will happen next chapter. Please review!