Harribel disappeared in a blast of yellow reitsu, and the light threw Aizen's face into shadow.
"Aizen..." Hiyori growled.
"Don't approach him carelessly." Shinji warned. "It's that ability of his. If you approach him without thinking, that'll be the end of you."
Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"We know..." Hiyori growled. "You idiot."
"That was directed at you." Shinji commented. "Relax your grip on your sword, Hiyori."
"Such kind words." Aizen mocked. "Just what I'd expect from you, Captain Hirako."
Hiyori's grip tightened on her sword, and she glared.
"Hiyori!" Shinji snapped.
"However," Aizen continued. "This while 'It's over if you approach him carelessly' business, sounds rather funny. It doesn't matter if you approach me carelessly, or whether you approach me with caution, or even if you approach me at all. All of the outcomes will be the same. I'm not talking about the future; your demise will be due to those events of the past, from which you already have no chance of escaping."
"He's baiting you, don't fall for it!" Shinji yelled.
"What do you have to be afraid of?" Aizen sneered. "You all already died, on that night one hundred years ago."
Hiyori's reitsu flared, and then she ran at Aizen.
"Hiyori!" Shinji yelled.
Aizen's smirked.
Hiyori froze, her sword raised above her head, and then end of the sheath strung across her back clattered to the ground below.
Her eyes fell to Gin, who hadn't gone to get Sanura as he had been told to.
He smile, fox-like, as the lower half of her body fell away.
"One up, aaand one down." Gin chuckled.
"HIYORI!" Shinji lunged for the top half, and landed on a roof top. "Hiyori! Hiyori!"
"S...sorry...Shinji..." She panted. "I...jus' couldn't take it..."
"HACHI!" The Visored leader yelled in panic, his eyes wide. He fell silent and his eyes glazed over for a moment. "That's right...If we have Orihime-chan's power we can still heal her..!"
"ICHIGO!" Shinji screamed towards the sky. "HASN'T ICHIGO MADE IT BACK YET? ICHIGO!"
Sanura bit her lip, debating and then she snaked a hand out and thrust it through the barrier, which crackled around her wrist.
"What are you doing!" Kira hissed.
She ignored him, and used Enshi.
"You are Shinji Hirako?" She asked, her voice whispering next to his ear. He jumped and nodded.
"My name is Sanura. I'm going to find out where Ichigo is. Tell the girl, Hiyori, to hold on just a little while." She assured, and then severed the connection to him.
Sanura watched him nod, and then used Enshi to see what Ichigo was doing, through the Garganta Wonderweiss had used.
-/-
"So it finally ends with you." Yammy grunted. "Thaaaaaat was a pain in the ass. I don't mind doing my Resurrection, but finding and smashing you guys is a lot of trouble when you're all so tiny. Just holding you like this is a very delicate task."
"So, how should I kill you?" He asked the female Shinigami in his fist.
"Soukatsui!" Rukia yelled, thrusting out her hand. A wave of blue flew at the last Espada.
"Uuoooaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh..." He moaned. "That huuuuuuuuuuuurrt! That really hurt! That worked real good! It worked to good and now my hand...FEELS LIKE IT'S GONNA SLIP!"
Yammy hurled Rukia to the ground. A large cloud of dust rose, and when it cleared Ichigo was standing next to an uninjured Kuchiki.
"You...!" The Espada gasped.
"Yo." The teen greeted. "You've gotten pretty big in the time I last saw you. I didn't recognize you."
"Ichigo-!"
"Kurosaki Ichigo!" Yammy cut her off. "I'm gonna kill you!"
The large male opened his mouth and began charging Cero.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed and he let loose a Getsuga.
Yammy moaned.
"I-ichigo...Why are you alone?" Rukia asked. "Didn't you go to rescue Inoue?"
He looked at her over his shoulder, and then turned back to Yammy.
"I did rescue her. Right now she's taking care of Ishida's wounds. It's safer there than here, right?"
"Ichi-" She was cut off my Yammy's fist.
"Quit scurrying around, dammit!" He yelled as they moved to a cube-like structure a ways away.
"Wait here, Rukia. I'll take care of this right away and we'll go to the human world. This is such a pointless fight, I've gotta put a stop to it quickly." Ichigo leapt forward.
Yammy roared and swung a fist, but Ichigo appeared behind him.
"I told you to quit scurrying around!" Yammy snarled, back-handing Ichigo who blocked it with his sword and held it there.
"Damn you're annoying." He grumbled. "I'm not flying around to get away from you, I'm doing it to pull you away from that spot! If it's just you and me..." Ichigo lifted his head, displaying his new Hollow mask. "I can beat you down with raw power."
Ichigo swung out a Getsuga and it knocked Yammy to the ground.
The orange-haired teen then tossed away his mask.
Ichigo jumped down to a ledge and stared at his hand, when Yammy got back up and roared.
The giant Espada bit down on the ledge Ichigo was standing, and he sprang out of the way.
Yammy spat out some rubble, and Ichigo sliced at his neck.
"Shit." Yammy pressed a hand to his wound. "You cut me a little. Damn you!"
Ichigo stared.
"What're you shakin' about? Take a good look at my number, Punto Quinto. I'm the Punto Quinto, Espada, Yammy Rilago. I'm the strongest of all the Espada you've fought so far."
"GRIMMJOW, NNOITRA, ULQUIORRA! THEY'RE ALL GARBAGE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED!" He yelled. The massive male punched both his fists forward, and Ichigo was blown away.
"How'd you like that, huh? That's not a Cero, that's a Bala! That's why it's got so much force! Does a filthy little bug like you have any way of dealing with me?"
"A way of dealing with you?" Ichigo asked. "I haven't had a way of dealing with anyone so far. I just defeated them because I had to defeat them, that's all there is to it. You may be a different level than the other Espada, but I don't give a shit...It's all the same. If I have to beat you, then I'll beat you. That's all there is to it."
"That's some big mouth you got, you damn kid!" Yammy snarled, firing off another Bala. "Are you gonna make up for our difference in power with your tough guy bullshit! Take this!" He fired another.
"Ichigo!" Rukia cried in concern.
Ichigo slashed through it.
"It's a strange feeling. I wasn't expecting you Arrancar to have a normal sense of camaraderie or anything and I don't regret cutting them down, but even so, hearing you talk shit about the ones I've fought so far," He lifted a hand to his face. "Just doesn't feel right!" Ichigo tried bringing his mask out.
It failed.
"Wha..?" He looked confused and shocked.
Yammy snatched him into a fist. Ichigo swore.
"I dunno what's going on, but it looks like you can't put on that pain-in-the-ass mask anymore!" He laughed. "Well, whatever you did pretty well compared to those pieces of shit lying on the ground over there. Now die, you piece of shit."
"Hadou Number Thirty-Three: Soukatsui."A voice called out and a beam of blue reitsu flared and then sent sand and dust flying at Yammy.
"Guah! Wha-What the hell? Get out here, dammit!" He growled.
One of Yammy's legs was suddenly severed off.
"What. The. Hell!"
"Son of a bitch!" Another voice snarled. "The hell're you doing jumpin' in first! Get back!"
"What are you talking about?" The other voice sighed. "I arrived here first. You are the one who should learn his place."
The two figures became visible; a tall male with long black hair and a silk scarf, and the even taller male who had knocked Sanura out, Kenpachi Zaraki.
"Ha! Don't come cryin' to me if you accidentally get cut to pieces!" Zaraki snorted.
Yammy tossed Ichigo away as he fell. Ichigo screamed.
"Ow. What was that explosion and tremor just then?" He pushed himself up. "I couldn't see down below all that...Wha...?" His eyes widened as he saw the two newcomers.
"Byakuya! Kenpachi!"
Yammy shifted back up.
"He's back up already?" Ichigo growled, pushing himself upwards.
"Fall back, Ichigo Kurosaki." Byakuya ordered.
"Huh?"
"No, not 'huh'." Kenpachi growled. "We're telling you to get the hell out of the way...cause you're a disgrace that gets his ass kicked every where he goes, shithead!"
"Huh?"
Ichigo screamed as Zaraki nearly cut off his balls, and dove out of the way.
"W-w-w-what the hell?You really tried to slash me right now! That was close! Are you trying to kill me!"
"That's right," The Captain gave a shit-eating grin. "Cowards should die." He ran forward.
"W-wait! Kenpachi, now isn't the time to be doing stuff like this!" The substitute was 'saved' by Yammy punching Kenpachi, who flew into a tower and it crumbled.
"Kenpachi!" Ichigo yelled in concern.
"That hurt..." Yammy moaned. "That hurt, you shithead. Unforgivable, un-fucking-forgivable. How dare you cut off my leg! I'm gonna murder you, you shitty little bug!"
A large chunk of rock hurtled toward his head, and Yammy punched it, shattering it.
"What the hell? So you can throw a good punch." Kenpachi stood back up, and growled. "That tickled. You probably thing I'm some giant fly or something. But if you're gonna hit me, hit me with all your might, you caterpillar bastard."
"You've got one helluva mouth on you for a little fly!" Yammy drew back his fist and sent it flying forward.
"Kenpachi...!" Ichigo made to move forward.
"I though I told you to fall back, Ichigo Kurosaki."
"Byaku-!"
"You have no business here. Hurry and disappear to the human world."
"I will go to the human world! But this guy comes first! Besides, I can't just go back that easy!" Ichigo protested. "No, unless Urahara-san opens the way from the other si-!"
"I swear..." Another voice cut him off. "Enough with Urahara already!"
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi...!" Ichigo glanced over his shoulder shock.
"A lowly half-Shinigami addressing me without my title?" The newly arrived Captain sighed. "Hmph. Well, I suppose it's fine since you didn't address me only by my first name like those two."
"Such leniency would be related to this wagon?" Byakuya asked.
"Indeed it would. I'm in a very good mood right now, because I obtained some valuable spoils of war." He grinned. "And also, at the same place where I obtained those spoils, I also analyzed the structure of the Garganta."
"Analyzed the Garganta?" Ichigo go to his feet.
"Correct! Without any failures, I might add! It's also semi-permanent! I can almost see his look of chagrin!" The painted man laughed. "So there's no way I could possibly be in a bad mood! So much so, that I can ignore the cries of this impudent monkey! Begin preparations, Nemu! We're going to send this half-Shinigami to the Human World!"
"Yes, Mayuri-sama." The female pushing the cart bowed and set it down.
"Wait! I still-"
"Quiet." Mayuri snapped. "Test subjects shouldn't run their mouths so much. This is an experiment and you are test subject number one; you don't have the right to refuse or make any decisions!"
"Experi-" Ichigo was cut off again.
"There is no need for concern. I shall go along with you."
"Unohana-san..." Ichigo gaped.
"Volunteering to be a test subject, that's a rather capricious thing to do, Division Four Captain." Mayuri gazed at the female Captain.
"Not at all, I have confidence in you Captain Kurotsuchi." She smiled. "It will be fine. This experiment will undoubtedly be a success. After all, if you came all the way to Heuco Mundo and used an Arrancar scientist's materials to analyze a Garganta only to have it fail, Kisuke Urahara would have a laugh at your expense."
"Think carefully before you speak." Kurotsuchi hissed. "The fact that I've 'analyzed' it means if can close it midway through!"
"As I would expect from you." She turned for her fukutaicho. "Isane!"
"Yes ma'am!" The grey-haired woman ran forward.
"You shall remain here and assist Captain Kuchiki and the others. Now, let's go Kurosaki-san." She peered over her shoulder at the half-Shinigami.
"Wait, Unohana-san!" Ichigo protested. "That Yammy bastard is strong! I know that Byakuya and Kenpachi are strong too, but I should stay and the three of us should fight him!"
"Do not think so highly of yourself, Ichigo Kurosaki." Byakuya warned. "One such as yourself does not possess the skill to be of use to the Taichos of the Gotei Thirteen. What is your duty?"
Ichigo was silent.
"Your duty is to protect that town." The cold captain answered for him. "Go. You are the Substitute Shinigami of Karakura Town."
"Yeah, that's right." Ichigo sighed, and a Garganta opened up behind him. "I'll be off then."
"I'm going to explain about the inside." Mayuri spoke up. "If you proceed in the opposite direction then the one you took when you came here, you'll arrive in the Human World."
"Yeah..."
"Just pay attention to your footing." The Twelfth Division Captain sighed. "If you miss your step in there, you'll fall into the void between the Human World and Heuco Mundo and end up who-knows-where, unable to return. Well, that would make for interesting research in its own way, though."
Ichigo looked up at him with an odd expression.
"What?"
"Nothing." Ichigo answered. "I was just thinking that Urahara-san also stood up someplace high and talked when he sent us off."
"What...?" Mayuri's eyes narrowed.
"You're the second director of the Technology Development Bureau, so that means you were Urahara-san's student or something, right? You guys have some similarities, naturally."
"You swine!" He yelled.
Ichigo jumped into the Garganta.
"Mayuri-sama..." Nemu spoke.
"I see. Interesting. You're an interesting man, Ichigo Kurosaki!" He sneered. "I thought it would be interesting to shut you up inside the Garganta, but no..! After this battle if over I will slowly and carefully immerse you in terror. It will be a terror so great that it will make you think of this battle as a pleasant memory."
"Understood, Mayuri-sama." Nemu nodded. "I will think of a strategy."
-/-
Sanura shook her head, clearing the self-induced fog in her mind.
She opened up the link to Shinji again.
"Ichigo is on his way, with Captain Retsu Unohana." She informed, although it probably went unheard.
She shut down the Enshi link, and then pulled her hand back into the barrier, wincing slightly.
Crimson blood trickled down her wrist and she hid the injury in her sleeve.
Shinji glared up at Aizen.
"Such a nice look." The copper-eyed Shinigami mocked. "I feel as though, I'm looking at eyes that have returned to life for the first time in one hundred years, Shinji Hirako."
"Do you despise me? If you do then, come face me." Aizen smirked. "I will make an exception and take you on with my sword."
"Hachi..." Shinji murmured.
"Yes?" The pink-haired man landed on the rooftop.
"Sorry to trouble you when you've only got one arm, but look after Hiyori. Do what it takes to keep her alive, until Ichigo gets back."
"Understood." Hachi nodded, as the blond used Shunpo to rise to Aizen's level.
"'Until Ichigo gets back'? You place a great deal of trust in that boy."
"It's not like you could understand, since you're not capable of trusting even your allies." Shinji replied.
"Trusting someone is the same as depending on them, that is what the weak do. We have no use for it."
"That's quite a thing for someone who totes around so many henchmen to say, but you've probably tricked them into trusting you with some fancy words."
"Not at all. Never once have I told my subordinates to trust me. I have told them to come with me, but I never said anything like 'Trust in me and come with me'. I have always told them to never trust anyone, including myself. But sadly, there are not many who ware strong enough to follow that through to the end. All living creatures place their faith in someone more powerful than them, and they cannot survive unless they blindly follow that person. The recipient of that faith then seeks out someone in an even higher position in order to escape from the pressure. That person then seeks out someone even more powerful that he must put his faith in. In this way, all Kings are born and in this way, all gods are born."
"Do not believe in me yet, Shinji Hirako. For now I shall slowly teach you who the god is that you will put your faith into. Believing in me comes after that."
"How surprising..." Kaname hummed, turning his head toward his leader. "To think that Aizen-sama himself would stand on the front line. The fact that he has done so, means that it's finally time for me to face you using my true power."
"Bankai?" Komamura asked. "I look forward to it. I, too, shall-"
"Bankai?" Kaname scoffed, cutting him off. "Don't make me laugh."
"Aizen-sama has graciously gifted me with a power far more incredible than Bankai."
"Tousen, you don't mean..." Komamura growled.
Kaname lifted his hand to his face, and there was a release of spiritual pressure that the two opposing males shielded themselves from.
When it cleared, Tousen had donned a Hollow mask.
AN- Translations
Bala- Bullet [Spanish]; Hollow Bullet [Japanese]
Soukatsui- Blue Flame Crash
Reviews:
xXxMentalPancakesxXx: [Keep on writing! The awesomness convinced me to review :P But seriously its really good. Your writing style is neat and not confusing. The formats really good to compared to other fanfic's. Story line is actually going somewhere and its really engaging. Flawlessly done :) ] Awwwwwwww, thank you! -hugs to death- I'm planning for after the battle is over, the seventeen months where Ichigo doesn't have his powers. It shall be fun! Thank you very, very much!
ookamikage14: [excellent writing. I love the chapter on Grimmjow and his ranting. I can't wait to read more.] My dearest Ookami, I thank you. -bows- But i can't take the credit for the rant, i 'borrowed' it from a very clever youtuber...So I thank them.
Anything else?
I don't think so...
TTYL, Singer!