Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and the late Monty Oum (rest in peace you saint of a man). Please support the official release.
Chapter 36: The Affairs of Heaven Come to Remnant
(Que Story OP – Hello Sleepwalkers "Hyakkiyakou")
The plan to get to Atlas. Weiss walks to the Atlas base accompanied by Saph and her baby with Maria stuffed in the Ice Princess' luggage. Saph would create a distraction to allow Weiss and Maria to high-jack one of the aircraft. The rest of the party would wait at a cliff to await pickup, and Blake and Yang would go to disable their radar system.
A good plan if one wanted to be discreet. Ruby offered to storm into the base and basically manhandle everyone in the base and steal one of the aircraft herself. Not that it wasn't in her ability to do so, but Ren was adamant to not allow Team SIRR to reveal all of their powers unless the situation calls for it. Even Yang had to berate Ruby on her being a bit "trigger-happy".
Perhaps Cristina was having a bit too much influence on her.
However, Ruby was feeling uneasy about the plan. Her greatest worry was Senna who wasn't seen in the time she went to explore Argus. If she ever was in danger, Senna could spike her reiatsu to alert the rest of Team SIRR and shunpo to her position. What irked Ruby was the fact she hadn't sensed Senna's reiatsu at all, like it was being masked. If worse comes, she could always catch up with shunpo and there wasn't anything on Remnant that could hurt shinigami, at least not of their level.
Glancing to Ichigo, Ruby could also tell that her boyfriend was a bit skeptical about all this, evident by the flicking of his tail and the his fingers tapping on the hilt of Zangetsu. Ren was the most composed with his perfect mask of complete calm. There were only brief glimpses of his emotion mostly around Nora.
Ruby's cut off her own musings and focused on her task. She looked at her Scroll to see Weiss bar signal was empty as according to plan. If there were any Atlas military staff on the aircraft, they would be unable to communicate to the base to intercept.
"Alright guys, this is it." Ruby announced, bringing her finger to her ear comm, "Blake, you're up."
Ruby waited a few seconds, but quickly became unnerved when she didn't hear a response. "Blake?"
She looked to her friends to find some explanation to her unasked questions and to somehow give a reasonable answer to her fears for Blake. Unfortunately, Ruby was receiving equal looks of trouble.
Ruby switched her comm to Yang. "Yang, we have trouble. Blake isn't responding."
"On it." Yang said with through the comm.
"Ruby," spoke Weiss into Ruby's earpiece with the sound of Maria's cackling, "we have trouble. Cordo's onto us and Maria is not helping. Why is the radar still up?"
"W-We don't know." Ruby said, her voice cracking a bit, "Blake isn't responding."
Oscar started to panic as the plan was falling apart. "What do we do?"
"I'll tell you to do." said Ichigo, "We keep our wits sharp and our doubt minimal. We can't turn back now that we've come so far."
Yang spoke through the comm. "Keep the ship in one piece. I'll go."
The last Ruby heard was the roar of Yang's cycle before the feed cut off. Nora looked uncharacteristically nervous and proposed some of them should go to help her. But Qrow cut off whatever panicked improvising she was coming up with.
"Dammit!" Qrow cursed, "Cordo's going to scramble their fighters. We've got maybe ninety seconds before they are in the air all over Weiss and Maria. This is my fault. Every choice I've made-"
Qrow was cut off when Ichigo used shunpo to get in front and slapped the drunk across the face. There was an eerie silence as the implication of what Ichigo just did sinking into their head. Even Ruby was shocked, and Cristina might have made a lewd comment on the right choice of a man. Ichigo grabbed Qrow by his shoulders forcefully as the latter was getting back to reality.
"D-Did you just slap me?" Qrow said.
"Old coot, let me tell you from someone who has an overgrown baby for a father that attacks me every five seconds." Ichigo said with a stern gaze and serious tone, "Grow. Up. You think you can just blame everything happens to you because of your power, and that everyone has such perfect lives without you. That is the largest piece of bullshit I have ever heard because everyone has their own bit of suffering. Everyone right here has lost something and I'm pretty sure you were never around. Yet we're all still fighting while you are cowering away behind that excuse of bad luck. I've lost my own mother. Saw her die right in front of me yet here I am ready to fight at a moment's notice."
Everyone present felt a pinch at their hearts when Ichigo shared his tragedy of his mother's death. It affected Ruby the most since she knew how Ichigo was so sensitive to the topic. She pushed the pity back with a steel glare and approached Qrow with her own piece to add.
"We're all still here fighting." Ruby said, "That's all we can do. It's what you've always aimed for. We would've done this with or without you, so stop talking like we are your responsibility. Right now, I need Qrow Brawnwen, not my drunk uncle who can't let go of his past mistakes."
There was a moment of silence with only the wind whistling in the air. Qrow hanged his head, momentarily glancing between Ichigo and Ruby. He was quite lucky that they didn't decide to change into their Hollow eyes or the man would probably be pissing himself. A smile marked his face as he straightened himself up and loosened from Ichigo's hold.
"Why did you grow up so fast?" Qrow humored, "You're going to give me the same headaches your mother did to me."
Ruby smiled. "Someone has to chew you out."
Qrow let out a full-hearted laugh before he set an arm on Ichigo's shoulder and looked to him. "I take back what I said. Kid, you are the best thing that has ever happened to Ruby. I can fully trust you with her after slapping some sense in me."
Ichigo smirked. "Please, I've been growing up putting a foot in my dad's face. I'm a natural."
"Your old man and I should meet at same time and share a few bee-"
The dialog was interrupted when Weiss spoke through the calm to everyone. "Uh guys. She's not sending fighters."
Confused, the party turned to the Atlas base of what really Cordo was doing. To their shock, the side of the mountain at the far edge opened up revealing the whole thing to be a giant set of blast doors. It only increased with Ichigo almost tripping on his own feet when the doors fully opened to reveal a sixty meter tall giant mech made out of brown steel with a cannon for a right arm.
'What... the... hell?' Zangetsu said, too stunned to speak normally. It wasn't out of fear, but general surprise. Cause to Ichigo coming from Earth, what the hell do they need a giant robot for?
'This is certainly... unique.' Juha Bach said.
"Ruby... I get your world has a monster problem," said Ichigo, "but why are they sending a giant mech after us!?"
Instead of a straight answer, Ichigo found Ruby's eyes dazzling with the same innocent gleam of wonder and awe. "I know. It's sooo cool!"
'Okay it's official, Queenie is crazier than I am.' Zangetsu confessed.
'...Is it weird that I find that great about her?' Ichigo wondered reluctantly when he was looking at Ruby in a new light.
'King, I'm proud of you.' Zangetsu praised.
'Urusai!' Ichigo bit back, accidentally letting out a hiss.
Everyone was either shaking with apprehension or sweating bullets in the incoming fight of a giant robot. On the other hand, the shinigami seemed more complacent and didn't as much bat an eye of worry at the prospect.
"This isn't the first time we've faced something this big." Ruby said, glancing to Ichigo, "On to Plan B. Ichigo, would you mind taking care of the robot?"
"Getsuga Tensho?" Ichigo asked.
Ruby nodded. "Getsuga Tensho."
Ichigo formed a smirk a ghost that was of Zangetsu's. His hand gripped his giant zanpakuto. Upon contact the bandages unraveled and Ichigo swung it forth like it was as light as a feather. The non-shinigami made a few sweatdrops at the blatant calm mood they had, especially when Ruby seemed she was allowing Ichigo to fight the mech alone.
"Let's get this over with." Ichigo declared, ready to step into a shunpo.
However, a sudden pulse of powerful reiatsu stopped him in his track. All those present could feel it, like a chillwind rushing down their throats. Out of nowhere, a blast of red light roared through the air and struck the mech in its torso. The chasis didn't even last a second as the blast seared through it and the mech. Wide eyes from the cliff, aircraft, and Argus watched as the seemingly super mech collapsed into the sea from one attack.
Then they felt it. The merciless crushing spiritual pressure that washed over all of Argus. It forced even the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and the people to their knees struggling for breath. Ichigo, Ren, and Ruby could feel themselves having a cold sweat at the massive level that weighed down on them. It was easily captain-class, but unlike a shinigami's this one was laced with intense killing intent.
"This spiritual pressure." Ren gasped, "It's a Hollow."
"A Hollow!?" Ichigo exclaimed, "W-What kind of Hollow has that kind of spiritual pressure? Damn, it's even stronger than Byakuya!"
"How is this possible?!" Ruby exclaimed, "How is there a Hollow here?!"
"Ruby, what the hell is that?" Jaune said.
"A Vasto Lorde, the peak of a Hollow's evolution." Ren briefed, "They are even stronger than captains."
'If a Vasto Lorde is here, then that means Hollows really can come to Remnant!' Ruby thought, 'I may have to take up on that offer, Yamamoto-sotaicho.'
They almost lost balance when the earth suddenly shook violently. A deep rumbling came from Argus itself. Suddenly, a great spire thrusted out of the earth the size of a mountain and continued to grow until Argus was under a pale white tree. Jaune looked in horror knowing his sister and nephew were still down there while most of the Remnantie's couldn't believe what they were seeing. Ichigo was giving a furious scowl while also feeling a bit of guilt of indirectly bringing his own world's problems to Ruby's home. Ruby herself gritted her teeth showing her canines and her hand tightened on her zanpakuto.
"Ren," Ruby said with a serious tone, "go find Yang and Blake, make sure they're safe, and come back with us. Ichigo, you and I are going to get rid of this. No one comes barging on my home!"
"What about us?!" Nora asked, "Maybe we can-"
"NO!" Ren snapped, "This is beyond any of you. Only we can handle this."
"That doesn't mean we can just leave you behind!" Oscar retorted.
Ruby ignored Oscar as she activated her comm. "Weiss-"
"Ruby, what is going on down there?!" Weiss yelled through the earpiece.
"The kind of trouble that I am telling you - no, ordering you to not land." Ruby said with a raised voice.
"What has gotten into you?" Weiss asked nervously.
"Just do as I say right now if you want to stay alive!" Ruby shouted.
Ruby cut off the feed leaving no room for argument. With that out of the way, Ruby put her entire focus to the bone tree in the distance. She whipped out her zanpakuto and flash stepped across the expanse of water followed closely by Ichigo. The closer they approached the thicker the spiritual pressure seemed to be till the point anyone lower than captain-class would be frozen still.
'So much destruction, it'll cause a panic.' Ruby thought with a frustrated look, 'And panic will bring the Grimm.'
"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!" Ruby cursed.
"It's okay, Ruby." Ichigo assured, with a determined look, "We're almost there, then no one is going to die."
Ruby wanted to respond but she silenced herself when she heard the panicked screams of the people of Argus. Where people would only see the couple as a blur in the sky, Ruby could clearly see the citizens running in the streets trying to get away from the danger. A cero fired in a random direction lighting a few blocks. It only served to make Ruby snarl and even Ichigo was on the verge of roaring with anger.
The two hybrids stopped in their shunpo once they arrived at the base of the bone tree. A jut in the 'trunk' formed a platform where they saw a tall humanoid covered in jagged bone chasis all in pale white. Yellow eyes stared back at them with not just killing intent but also maniacal joy. A hollow hole was clear in his chest just below his sternum. In his left hand was Senna, battered and beaten.
"Found you, shinigami." The hollow hissed, "I believe this fledgling is yours."
"LET HER GO!" Ruby outraged, disappearing in shunpo with Mazarozu unsealed.
The giant blade of the scythe was merely caught in the hollow's free hand. The steel grinded against his pale fingers that didn't even bleed. Ruby was too shocked to see a foot planting in her gut. She held in coughing spittle and flipped herself higher to place herself between the Vasto Lorde and Senna.
Ichigo flanked from the left with Zangetsu glowing blue as he brought it down. "Getsuga Tensho."
Whether the Vasto Lorde even minded the attack of pure reiatsu didn't matter. For a moment, his grip on Senna loosened just enough for Ruby to free her and quickly retreat to relative safety. Her jaw clenched seeing how utterly wounded and beaten she was.
"Ruby, what's going on?" Ruby twirled her head to see Jaune, Qrow, Nora, and Oscar running down the street. She wanted to curse but at the same time thank the heavens that at least Jaune was here.
"What are you doing here?" Ruby demanded an answer.
"We just want to help." Oscar said rather timidly.
Ruby sighed. "You want to help. Okay. Jaune, Senna is badly wounded. I need you guys to get her to safety and heal her while Ichigo and I handle this."
"And how is that working out?" Jaune asked.
To answer, Ichigo came barreling and digging into the asphalt. He was littered with fresh black bruises and cuts and blood was dripping from a corner of his mouth. The non-shinigami felt a bit of hope leave them seeing a 'death god' bleeding when they seemed so invincible.
They glanced down the street where Shao Kin appeared with sonido without any injuries whatsoever. The non-shinigami shivered under the gaze of bloodlust staring them down from those burning golden orbs.
"This... This thing is a monster." Nora whimpered, her hold on her hammer shaking.
"Just - what kind of monstrosity is he?!" Qrow gasped.
A subtle twitch in his neck was the only sign he even heard them. A dark chuckle muffled behind the oni mask, making the non-shinigami even more tense.
"So you can see me." Shao spoke, "What an interesting world you have. Be fortunate, ningen, that you are under the majesty of Shao Kin, the Grave King. The true god of Hueco Mundo. And you are my personal cattle."
"C-Cattle?" Jaune stuttered.
Before they could react, Shao pointed a finger and fired an ultra-powerful cero. Only Ichigo and Ruby had the reaction time to dodge it, but they also knew none of the others would survive it. Ruby steeled herself as she lifted Mazarozu over her head and planted it down on the ground like she would a flag.
Qrow and the others could only see the red flash for a second and they thought their lives were about to end. One thought went through the Huntsman's head as the beam got closer to disintegrate them.
'I'll be home soon, Summer.'
But it was not meant to be when Ruby's cried out a word. "BANKAI!"
Red was replaced by brilliant silver and when no pain came, Qrow willed himself to open his eyes. Despite the harsh glare of light, he could clearly see a person standing in front of him erupting of so much of the light. He saw the flowing silver hood that seemed to protect him. Promising sanctuary in her light. Just like her.
"S-Summer?" Qrow gasped out in a whisper.
The silver light dimmed down to reveal Ruby standing before them protectively in her Bankai outfit of her silver hood. Her scythe was replaced with a white and blue glaive that was splitting the cero in two. One blade glowed silver light before shooting a wave of reishi that knocked Shao back down the street. From his right shoulder to the middle of his torso was a bleeding gash. The ancient Vasto Lorde touched the wound and examined his bloody talons. Ruby could feel the vicious smile matching his oni mask.
"Good, you can make me bleed." Shao said.
"Bankai!"
Red-laced black reiatsu erupted off of Ichigo's form. When the energy cleared off, it revealed Ichigo's Bankai form, but a little bit changed. His black jacket now covered a shirt with two black straps making an X across his chest. His neck was now adored with a black scaled collar. Tensa Zangetsu was slightly longer with three prongs on the blunt side of the blade.
'This your doing, Zangetsu?' Ichigo said.
'Glad you like it, King.' Zangetsu said, 'Queenie seems to enjoy it.'
Indeed, Ruby was staring at Ichigo with glazed eyes. Somehow, this new Bankai outfit seemed to hug his figure even tighter, and her cheeks were heating up. Both shinigami snapped to attention from a pulse of reiatsu from Shao.
Ruby glanced back to the Remnanties. "You want to fight? There's bound to be a lot of Grimm coming our way from all this panic. Don't let anyone die."
Jaune nodded and picked up Senna. "We won't let you down."
The Remnanties retreated away from the battlefield, leaving the shinigami and Vasto Lorde alone. As Shao's spiritual pressure threatened to crush them, Ruby and Ichigo let off all restraints and clashed with his own. The clash of opposing powers caused to ground to quake and shake and some of the nearby buildings ti crumble. Shao put a hand on each of his shoulders where a white protrusion extended. He grabbed onto it and Ruby felt a little bile rise in her throat when he pulled out two dueling bokkens made out of bone.
"Ikuzo, Ichigo." Ruby said with a bit of accidental Japanese that became second nature.
"Hai." Ichigo said with a smirk.
They readied their weapons in their respective stances. The world stood still before the inevitable start of a godly battle. Like a silent bang went off, Ruby, Ichigo, and Shaos launched off and clashed in the middle, a crater made on impact of their clash.
This was no longer a battle between humans.
Sorry it's been a while. Made a new story that you can check out on my profile. Hope you like this chapter.
Up next is Chapter 37.
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