Author's note: Now I am back to writing on this story. However, I am telling to some of you readers who are desperate to know when this chapter was coming out. I am just a normal human being, who only does this for fun. I'm not Tite Kubo whose job was mainly to sit and write down most of the story. I have a real life and some great aspirations that I want to acheive. But I will tell more of that in another chapter. When you saw the last scene of the previous chapter, you may have thought that this scene will continue to that part. The answer to that is no. That scene was only something I did in order to rush to the climax. For now, I will be taking things more slowly. This chapter will now be focused upon Ichigo. And where is he know? While his body his dead, his soul still lingers on. Enjoy this chapter, as it will mostly be focused on our orange-haired protagonist. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 51: Reincarnation of Agony
The story so far….
Several months after defeating the former Substitute Shinigami Kugo Ginjo and his Xcution, Ichigo Kurosaki returned to his role in becoming a trustworthy ally of the Soul Society in the Human World. But little did he know that this would only be the beginning of his own downfall and death. It was something Ichigo and his friends was not prepared for.
It all began when the high number of Hollows vanishing, thus affecting the balance of the world itself. One by one, these lost souls were killed without any slight of remorse. It didn't take long for the 13 Court Guard Squads to realize who could possibly be responsible for the disappearances. A mysterious empire calling themselves the Wandenreich, emerged out of hiding and declared war against the Soul Society and its people. What was even more shocking for the Court Guard was the fact that the Wandenreich were none other than Quincies. They had already conquered Hueco Mundo, enslaved many Arrancars to their cause while slaughtering some Hollows. Led by their ruthless emperor: Yhwach, the Wandenreich launched an invasion of the Sereitei, with their Sternritters leading the frontlines. They almost succeeding in decimating the Sereitei. But the invasion was halted by Ichigo's arrival. However, the invasion had managed to shatter the Shinigamis' morale, as Head-Captain Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto had fallen before Yhwach himself. Furthermore, some of the captains had lost their Bankais as a result of a new invention the Quincies used. While they managed to find a way to regain them, it still wasn't enough to defeat the Wandenreich's growing threat. They even failed to prevent Yhwach from reaching the Royal Realm. Once up there, Yhwach and his devoted followers battled the Royal Guard, who proved to be a challenge for them. But even they could not stop the Quincies and Yhwach made his way to the Soul King's Palace.
But while the Soul Society had been focused on rebuilding and making preparations for the Wandenreich's second invasion, its leaders had failed to notice the rise of the other empires aside from the Wandenreich. In Hueco Mundo, the Imperio de Hierro had emerged to unite Arrancars and Hollows alike under the banner of its emperor: Augustus Zod Allowin. This empire had long desired vengeance against the Shinigamis and Quincies, yet chose not to directly involve themselves in the Wandenreich's second invasion. At the same time, Hell had used the disturbances in the world as an opportunity to expand itself. The Diyu Empire and its Eternal Emperor Wang Yanluo wished to break free of the chains of the world and exact vengeance upon those who had condemned them to dwell in such shameful existence. These Togabitos had managed to even enslave the Kushanadas, thus forcing them to do their dirty work.
While every person was striving to become powerful enough to defeat Yhwach, they all counted on Ichigo to be strong enough to defeat him. But the Substitute Shinigami had himself undergone some dramatic changes both physically and emotionally. He learned that his deceased mother Masaki Kurosaki was a Quincy, as well as how he was connected to Yhwach through blood. He also got to know the true reason why she died that rainy day. Fueled by hatred and vengeance, Ichigo vowed to not rest until Yhwach was murdered. He then started an immense training, as well as finding out the true nature of his Zanpakutou. In the end, Zangetsu was Ichigo and Ichigo was Zangetsu. But in the end, even he was no match for the Quincy Emperor, who in truth was the son of the Soul King himself. More importantly, many powerful Shinigamis had begun to accept Yhwach's rule of the Soul Society, even worshipping him as a messiah. These Shinigamis disavowed the Court Guard and its ideals encouraged by Yamamoto and began embracing Yhwach as their new Soul King. They were called the Sonneritters.
But the Court Guard were not the only force to oppose Yhwach. Rebel Sternritters joined ranks in order to dispose of him, yet they also failed. At this rate, everyone was convinced that Yhwach was an undefeatable God who would change the entire world and remake it in his own image. As for Ichigo, his soul was sent to realm of the unforgiven…Hell.
Inside a dark place, somewhere in Hell
In this tiny space, all that could be seen was nothing but endless piles of skulls and bones. Chains were also hanging in the air. In a way, it almost resembled that of a predator's cavern, let alone a dungeon used to house prisoners. But amongst these skulls and bones lied an almost naked human being. It was a man. As soon as his eyes opened, they were filled with nothing but fear. His entire body trembled as he could feel the skulls lying around him. This man was none other than Ichigo Kurosaki, once the Substitute Shinigami. Ever since his his defeat at the hands of Yhwach…he had become nothing now. But why was he in such a dark and narrow space?
"UUUAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ichigo screamed in fear as he rose up when realizing that there were skulls looking at him from both sides. It was horrendous, given that it was as if the small things were alive and could move. But as soon as he got up, he fell on his backside, crushing some skulls in the process. The young man was filled with terror inside of him. "W-what is all this…...where am I…what the…what the…WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE!?" he then asked loudly, his voice clearly bearing hints of despair.
The former Substitute Shinigami could barely recall where he previously was. He was in Silbern battling Yhwach with all his might, only to lose against him in shame. And when the Quincy Emperor began taking his power away from him…...he saw only pure white. That was what he had seen. Ichigo had expected this to be the afterlife. But instead…...he found the whiteness soon filled nothing but darkness. Why was he still even breathing? Was this a nightmare? Ichigo didn't believe it.
As he looked around, Ichigo could see how there were piles of skulls near him, and chains hanging above him. These things only made him filled with paranoia. This place had no tint of light and Ichigo knew nothing about where he even was. But he soon felt something strange on his chest and neck. What was it? Looking down his naked torso, Ichigo could see his entire body being enveloped in chains. In addition to that, a collar was hanging around the neck. These things caused him nothing but distress, as he had indeed seen them before.
"NO…it can't be…it can't be….IT CAN'T FUCKING BE!" Ichigo was screaming, realizing that he had become something so terrible, perhaps more so than a Hollow. He knew for a fact that he was not alive. But his thoughts were interrupted by a very familiar voice coming to him from a close distance. Ichigo knew who it belonged to.
"What's wrong, Ichigo Kurosaki. You okay?" Ichigo turned around with his fearful eyes to look at someone he had fought in the past. It was lean-built man with white hair chained against the wall of skulls. He was naked and was horribly burned across the right side of his body, extending all the way down past his abdomen. This was no ordinary man. He was a Togabito whom Ichigo had fought against in order to save his sister Yuzu, as well as the Humon World from a big threat. The man grinned at Ichigo. "Long time no see…...my fellow avenger" the man told her, acting in a very psychotic manner.
Ichigo's eyes soon narrowed into that of rage and resentment. "Kokuto…" he scowled when mentioning the name of the man who had almost succeeded in destroying him two years ago. His rage was now in full display, as Ichigo had not forgotten about the actions Kokuto had done, which had resulted in Yuzu almost dying. "You son of a bitch…IS THIS YOUR DOING!?" he angrily yelled towards the chained man.
Despite getting yelled at, Kokuto continued to grin at him in defiance, even laughing by seeing the distress building within Ichigo. "Damned fool…how could I've done that if I'm chained to this shitty place!? I don't even have the power to bring your spirit to Hell itself!" he spat, debunking Ichigo's accusation. Still, he looked at the orange-haired half-naked man in front of him smugly. "That being said…you're one of us now. Tell me, how does it feel to wear that collar and chain around your body? They really suit you, former Substitute Shinigami" he added, still acting so sanctimonious towards Ichigo.
"Don't fucking play with me, Kokuto! I'm not like or any of your ugly…." Ichigo's angry retort was stopped when he could see that not far from where Kokuto was, other Togabitos were seen chained against the wall. He immediately recognized some of them. They were Shuren, Gunjo, Garogai, Taikon and Murakumo. Ichigo and his friends had once fought these Togabitos during their trip to Hell. A couple of these Togabitso were laughing as if they had been driven into insanity. But Shuren was probably the only one still sane.
"This is all of your fault, Kokuto!" Shuren snapped at Kokuto, who didn't seem to take his words for real. "If you hadn't been acting like a selfish cocksucker as you were that day, we might have gotten the chance to walk free from this place! Now, we're all paying for your mistakes and stupidity!" he continued his verbal assault against Kokuto.
Kokuto fixed his maddening expression upon Shuren, his grin never fading away. "Why do you speak to me as if we were allies, Shuren!? You really thought that I was interested in saving your misbegotten friends!? I stabbed your sorry ass, for fuck's sake!" the demented man snapped at the purple-haired Togabito as if he regrets nothing. But Kokuto soon redirected his attention towards Ichigo. "That being said…...I have heard all about your exploits before you came here, Ichigo. I must commend you for your vengeance. Finally, you will now understand the pain of losing someone dear to you..…..and be sent to Hell for simply avenging that dear person. So in a way, you have finally become what I am! An avenger who will stop at nothing to see!" he told Ichigo and laughed so loud, hoping to mentally torture the orange-haired man's mind.
Ichigo felt himself losing his composure. "Stop with this bullshit…QUIT LAUGHING!" the naked man enveloped in chains roared, his eyes starting to feel the despair crawling inside them.
Kokuto, who was taking pleasure in this, decided to torment him more. In his mind, it was what Ichigo deserved after he had ruined his plans. "I don't take orders from a mere Human! After everything you have done to make my life miserable, as well as ruined my plans, I'm gonna make sure that you will suffer as I have! Therefore, I will continue to laugh at your pathetic existence as long as you're here!" the Togabito spat at Ichigo, not hiding his open resentment towards Ichigo.
But when Kokuto did that and was about to insult Ichigo once again, an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure could be felt in the cavern. Ichigo felt himself forced onto the floor of skulls beneath him. Kokuto, Shuren and the other Togabitos screamed in pain. The chains around them tightened, which was explaining the agony they were feeling. Meanwhile, Ichigo was struggling to withstand this powerful Spiritual Pressure. He had not felt this kind of Spiritual Pressure since his fight against Yhwach. As he was forced onto the ground of bones, he could hear an eruptive voice that had plagued his mind once. But this time, it was becoming a reality, since it was loud enough for him, Kokuto and the other Togabitos to hear it.
"BE SILENT, MISERABLE NÓNG! YOU DARE TO EVEN LAUGH WHILE BEING PUNISHED FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!? I SHALL GIVE YOU ALL THE HELLISH PAIN YOU DESERVE FOR BEING A FAILURE!" the deep voice bellowed in the cavern.
Despite the condition he was in, Kokuto still had the strength to speak up his mind. "SHUT UP, YOU BASTARD! I WAS NEVER YOUR SERVANT! MY GOALS WERE MY OWN! THE ONLY REASON YOU SUCEEDED IN CONQUERING EVERYTHING IS BECAUSE OF…..AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH" the Togabito screamed as he felt the chains go into his naked body.
Shuren glared at Kokuto, feeling that he was at fault for the situation they were in. In his mind, he was more than willing to get his hands on the white-haired man for what he had done to betray him and his comrades. But to his own surprise, Taikon began speaking, as if he was pleading for something.
"Eternal Emperor…...please forgive us! We didn't mean to let you down! It's all because of Kokuto that our plans to bring Hell into the Human World failed!" the obese man pleaded, tears even streaming from his eyes.
Kokuto scowled with what Taikon was saying. "Shut it, fatass! You were in this as much as I…" he was interrupted when Shuren spoke up.
"Exactly! All the more reason why you should punish Kokuto more than us. Certainly, you understand that, don't you, Eternal Emperor!?" Shuren spoke up, even he feeling terrified of this entity that was bringing them fears.
Instead of replying, the Togabitos were rewarded more torture. As the Togabitos continued to feel agonizing pain, the voice came with a growl. But at the same time, it also sounded much lower "Ah, I see. At last, the offering has arrived in my domain. I have been awaiting your arrival, Ichigo Kurosaki" it sounded, taking an interest in Ichigo.
Ichigo looked around, his eyes starting to search for whoever that person was. But he couldn't see anyone clearly in the darkness. Moving around a little, the orange-haired man tried to find out who it was that had spoken to him.
"Who are you…...and how do you know my name!?" Ichigo asked, slightly starting to recall the voice he had heard when he was in Wahrwelt. In fact, he had even heard it during his last moments against Yhwach. Feeling agitated, Ichigo opened his mouth once more. "Quit playing dumb with me! I've heard your voice before! But who are you, really!? Answer me!" Ichigo demanded.
Instead of getting an answer, a deep chuckle could be heard throughout the caverns. "So, you still remember my voice? Impressive recollections you have, Substitute Shinigami. Or perhaps I should say former Substitute Shinigami in your case. Then again, you are no ordinary creature. So many powers dwelling within you. I even sense those of Hollows and Quincies" it spoke up.
Ichigo felt enraged. "You don't know a damn thing about me! Now, answer my goddamn question! Who the fuck are…" the orange-haired man stopped speaking when he could see something happening with Kokuto, Shuren and the other Togabitos hanging against the walls. Somehow, they got sucked into them. The reason, many arms grabbed them and forced these Togabitos to get assimilated into the walls. Seeing this terrified Ichigo.
"ETERNAL EMPEROR, PLEASE HAVE MERCY….." Gunjo was screaming, even a coldhearted Togabito such as him fearing what was happening to him.
"NO! I CAN'T END MY EXCISTENCE LIKE THIS….." Shuren yelled.
Kokuto took one last angry glance at Ichigo, his rage never fading away. "This isn't over, Ichigo Kurosaki! I'll fucking get you back for this! I'll find you and cut your body to pieces! Then I'll come for your sisters and gut them like rabbits! You will fear me! You will fear Kokuto…." Kokuto expressed his last words before disappearing into the wall.
Once the Togabitos were gone, the evil chuckle came once again, but this time, something happened in the environment Ichigo found himself in. The chains above Ichigo in the caverns began moving in a rapid pace. It made him feel cautious, yet he could soon see that the chains around his body was being affected by it.
"I have always been watching you, Human. From the day you stepped into this realm, I knew that you were a creature capable of accomplishing great things. You managed to save your wretched world from Hell's reemergence. But at the same time, your actions only opened a new chapter. The chapter where I would claim everything as my own!" the voice called out to Ichigo.
Before he knew it, Ichigo was lifted up from where he was standing. It caught him completely off-guard, as he couldn't see who it was that was doing this to him. Even so, Ichigo was taken through a narrow opening in the cavern. Quickly, he was out of the cavern, but Ichigo was given a grim view of where he really had been. Beneath him was a canyon of skulls, trees and other kind of desolate objects. But he could also see the skies above him. It was horrendous, as it was black and red clouds while having constant thunders emerging out from them. Ichigo had seen it before, during his first visit to Hell. To see this weather unsettled him greatly.
"No…...I really am in Hell…I really have been condemned…..but why? I'VE NEVER KILLED ANYONE!" Ichigo wondered as his despair grew stronger by the minute.
The voice invaded him once again, but this time, it was louder and closer. "You may have been in Hell before, Human. But it has changed. As has its people. The Kushanadas obey me now, the lesser Togabitos worship me, the Chains of Hell are under my command! That means I alone am the true ruler of Hell itself!" the voice came to him not close.
Looking up, Ichigo could see that he was being dragged to someone standing on a very tall pillar-like mountain, similar to the ones found in China. He was terrified by the appearance of this creature. It was a tall Togabito, yet his appearance was vastly different from average ones. He looked like a red-skinned Chinese demon with three eyes, a monstrous face and both hair and beard covered in flames. Sharp fangs sprouted out from his mouth. He wore black shoulder armor one each shoulder and it reached down to his chest, while wearing a kilt of armor under his toned stomach. But his strong and muscular torso were completely exposed, and it showed everyone a giant hole where chains were sprouting out, almost as if this was his navel. He wore black sandals and even his feet were showing signs of burning on the ground. From the looks of it, it was him who was holding the chains and dragging Ichigo up to him.
Ichigo was filled with fear, yet the creature simply laughed in response. "Welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki. Welcome to MY Hell!" he told his captive.
"Who…who….JUST WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" Ichigo yelled at the top of his lungs. But he soon felt pain as the chains around his body clenched themselves. This was due to his captor's actions. Still, Ichigo had the strength to listen what was being said to him.
"Do not speak to your master with such disrespect! I am Wang Yanluo, the Eternal Emperor of the Diyu Empire! And the true ruler of Hell!" the creature spoke up, finally introducing himself. Yanluo loosened the grip on the chains, this unable Ichigo to breathe. Still, he was now his hostage and prisoner. "You may have not committed a sin, but I can still hold you entrapped in my empire forever. When you fell before Yhwach, it enabled me to finally get in possession of your soul" Yanluo explained as he held Ichigo by his chains.
The orange-haired man's eyes widened in shock. "So, it was you…...you were the one who goaded me into taking such reckless moves! Bastard! How were you able to infiltrate my mind!?" Ichigo demanded an answer.
Yanluo smiled evilly. "I simply cannot ignore such powerful hatred! Simple mind such as yours or Kenpachi Zaraki's are easy to infiltrate! Each of you crave nothing but bloodlust or vengeance that only strengthens me! Your rage towards Yhwach is powerful! I have heard Masaki Kurosaki's screams" the entity then revealed, thus bringing back a horrible episode in Ichigo's life.
Hearing his mother being mentioned only fueled the fire within Ichigo. "You motherfucker…DON'T MENTION MY MOTHER TO ME, EVER….." Ichigo was trying to verbally assault his captor, he soon noticed something strange. His blood suddenly began floating towards Yanluo. "What the…WHAT IS THIS!? MY BLOOD IS GETTING DRAINED!" he demanded while being in shock in seeing this.
"Pathetic worm! I hold the over to bend hellfire and blood to my will! By only being near me, your blood is easily siphoned! You have no hope of withstanding it! No creature is!" the imposing Togabito informed Ichigo, deciding to let Ichigo know more about the reason he was in Hell. "It took only to regain the powers stolen from me by that misbegotten Shigekuni Yamamoto to consider bringing your soul to my domain. And now, here you are! That arrogant fool Yhwach made good on his promise!" Yanluo boasted pridefully.
Ichigo was in deep thought, as he remembered how Yhwach had murdered Yamamoto after stealing his Bankai. And truth be told, Yhwach had never even used it against Ichigo during their battle. Was it because he had given it to Yanluo? He was slowly beginning to see the picture.
"So Yhwach gave you Yamamoto's powers…..and in return…..you would bring my soul to Hell….for an eternity" Ichigo said those words with no emotion, except for sadness. "But that means I…I…." tears started to drift from his eyes endlessly.
Yanluo responded by laughing sadistically at the agony he was seeing in Ichigo. "A perfect ending for a creature once so promising. Banished to live in my realm for all eternity and to serve me. Quite a fate for you, Human" he said, and fixed his fiery eyes closer to Ichigo's. "That being said, you can only forget about ever trying to escape from me. I hold every leash on you. Henceforth, I shall make you the Diyu Empire's ultimate weapon. Your soul is mine!" he added and moved to the other side of the mountaintop while holding Ichigo. Apparently, the emperor no wished to show Ichigo where his home was going to be from now on. "Gaze upon this world, Ichigo. I alone hold every power in it. From now on, this will be your home…and your future" he added with a monstrous grin, realizing that his captive was indeed looking at the horrendous view.
Ichigo faced the landscape before him as he was filled with terror inside of him. He just wanted to scream in seeing all of this. But before he knew it, he was suddenly let go, by Yanluo himself. As such, he fell from the high mountain and down towards the desolate landscape. He screamed as Yanluo stood and laughed at his captive falling.
"Until we meet again, make yourself at home from now on, Ichigo Kurosaki. You will be my key to destroy Yhwach and Augustus Zod Allowin! The upcoming battle will determine this world's fate. And I intend on bringing justice of the unforgiven to this unfair world! Together with our hellish hatred, we will burn it to cinders and remake it in our image! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" those were the last words of Yanluo as Ichigo fell towards the ground.
Whether he heard everything Yanluo said or not was undetermined. Ichigo was already filled with so much emotions that he was conflicted. How did he end up getting himself into this endless nightmare? Ichigo couldn't find the answer he was seeking. He was stuck into the darkness. As a matter of fact, his eyes were closed as he knew that this fall alone would not kill him. He was in Hell after all. But what would become of him? And what about his friends? For now, Ichigo was at a crossroads.
Inside a room, a certain place in the Diyu Empire, Hell
Ichigo was asleep. But not for long. Slowly, his closed eyes began moving. In time, they were opened, but he could see bright light instead of the darkness he had seen earlier. Ichigo eve began moving his arms. Unlike before, he felt not hard objects being placed around him. This only confirmed that he was no longer in a cavern filled with skulls and bones. But as he woke up, he heard a voice calling to him nearby.
"Wakey, wakey, Ichigo" the voice made Ichigo snap and he immediately rose up to see that there was someone in the room he was sleeping in. But Ichigo had been sleeping in a traditional Chinese bed, which stunned him to say at least. Even so, he was mostly concentrated on the three people before him. From the looks of it, they were all Togabitos. The first one was a baldheaded man with pointy airs, as well as having some earrings in them. He was dressed like typical Chinese thug or bruiser, with a black tank top and black pants. He also wore chains around his neck. That man simply waved his hand at Ichigo in laidback manner. "Whazzup, carrot-top? Slept well?" he asked him.
The other Togabito was a man had his light brown hair shaved. He had really big ears, almost like that of a monkey. His black outfit was that of a Chinese monk, with white belt and socks. "You've no idea much you've slept. We found you lying on the ground kissing it, so we thought about taking you to a place where you could rest. Gotta admit tough, Zhong was THIS close to taking a dump upon you!" he said, even looking at his friend while mocking him.
The Togabito named Zhong was furious with what he heard. "That's complete and utter bullshit, Ling! And you know that fully well!" Zhong spoke up while aggressively retorted to his friend.
The third Togabito was a female. She was a red-haired woman dressed like a Chinese princess. Her dress was black with white markings, while her hairpins were white. She seemed very youthful and beautiful for being a Togabito. Truth be told, this was the first time, Ichigo was seeing a female Togabito.
"We're humbled that you are awaken. We couldn't bring ourselves to leave you on the dusty ground, so we took you to this tavern" the woman politely told Ichigo.
The orange-haired man had started to get off the bed, yet he was still wary about these strangers before him. "Who are you?" he asked, realizing that he still had chains wrapped around his body.
Zhong faced him in a sneaky manner. "Who are we? Duh! We're Togabitos, of course! Can't you tell it by looking at our chains…..but then again, it may varies from one to another" he spoke, although he was a little confused at the end of his sentence.
"But we're not just any ordinary Togabitos. We're of the Fahai, the Eternal Emperor's favorite soldiers in his Yíngpán, which is of course his imperial army" Ling spoke up, although he was filling in too many details.
The woman shook her head slightly. "You two are giving him too much info. He may be confused" she told them and faced Ichigo with a pleasant expression. "It's nice to meet you, Ichigo Kurosaki. My name is Xiaodan, the Psychic Swallow" she introduced herself.
"The name's Zhong, the Void Rat" the sneaky man introduced himself.
"And I'm Ling, the Wood Monkey" Ling introduced himself.
While he was intrigued to hear their names, Ichigo couldn't help but to remain skeptical about the fact that they knew his name. "Hold on a minute. How do you know my…" Ichigo was then realizing the fact that these three were servants of Wang Yanluo. To moment he did that, his mind was filled with fear of that entity. "You're with….that monster?" Ichigo asked, feeling very uncomfortable right now.
Xiaodan felt concerned for him. "Boy, he seems very distressed" she remarked.
"Tch, can't say I blame him. Anyone who gets too close to the Eternal Emperor will have nightmares about him for the rest of their days" Ling responded before taking a glance at Ichigo. "Even so, I still don't get how someone like you can catch his interest. Why was he too fixated upon you that he even went to pick you up in the boneyard? I mean, that place is where the outcasts and disgraces are sent" he wondered aloud, mentioning the place where Ichigo had first arrived.
Zhong grinned smugly. "He probably does because he's interested in this bozo's name. Hey you, doesn't "Ichigo" mean strawberry or something in Japanese? Not that I'm a fan of that language, but I assume Yanluo brought you here so that you could pick strawberries for him!" he insulted Ichigo's name and laughed at him in the process.
When Ichigo heard that, he angrily darted his eye on Zhong. "You shut up! I'm nobody's servant!" the orange-haired snapped at the baldheaded man.
"Really? Well, your chains tell us otherwise" Zhong pointed out to him.
Ichigo, feeling enraged in what he heard charged directly towards Zhong. He couldn't sit idly and let someone like Zhong insult him with such manner. But as he ran, he suddenly slipped and fell on the floor. This was due to Zhong, who had used his void powers to place his foot before Ichigo, thus tripping him. Both Zhong and Ling laughed out loud in seeing this while Xiaodan viewed this with concern.
"You saw how he tripped? He was like: Woah!" Ling said while bowing raspberry at the end of the sentence, continuing to laugh with his comrade.
Ichigo gritted his teeth in anger by hearing this sort of mockery. But as he was trying to get up on his feet, he felt his entire body already getting exhausted. "Damn it! Why the hell is my power so weak!? I don't understand any of this!" Ichigo felt distressed as he got up.
Xiaodan faced Zhong with a dispassionate glance. "That was completely uncalled for, Zhong. You could have use used a different method" the red-haired woman told the baldheaded man.
He stopped laughing and scoffed at her statement. "Don't get your panties in a twist, Xiao. I was just trying to teach this fool a lesson and remind him where he stands in the food chain" Zhong pointed out while facing Ichigo.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Ichigo snapped.
"He's right, strawberry-boy. There's no point in getting all aggressive towards us. At this rate, you're so weak that even the lowest of the Togabitos could best you. If Yanluo hadn't taken that much of a interest in you, we could've easily disposed of you as it was easy" Ling reminded the young man, supporting Zhong's statement.
As Ichigo stood and heard those words, he looked at the collar and chains around him. He now knew how he currently was in a great disadvantage. "They're right. Even now, I feel like I've grown weaker since I got to this place. But not only that…Zangetsu…..he's also gone…..as are the powers I inherited from mom. This means I'm completely powerless. How the hell am I gonna reclaim my powers now that I'm stuck here!?" Ichigo had his head filled with so many questions and given that he had no answers, it filled him with despair.
"Uh oh. Looks like our guest is breaking down in tears" Zhong spoke up, when realizing how Ichigo was on the verge of crying.
But before he could even let tears fall from his eyes Ling put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. This made the orange-haired man surprised and he looked at the monkey-eared man dressed like a monk. "Quit quitting, ya lousy twerp! Instead of lamenting how you got here, how about you start seeing what Hell truly is with your own eyes?" he suggested to Ichigo.
In response, Ichigo gently shoved Ling away and moved towards the exit door. "Not a chance! I've already been to Hell before! I know what it looks like! Nothing but pain, suffering and fucked up people! No way I'm wasting time sightseeing!" he retorted and proceeded towards the door.
Zhong crossed his arms while snickering. "Judging a book by its cover, I see" he remarked, not pleased with seeing Ichigo's attitude.
"But are you planning on going outside half-naked?" that question from Xiaodan made Ichigo stop. The female Togabito was holding what appeared to be a set of clothes, which consisted of a black shirt with white stripes. The shirt also had a white slash strapped around the waist. "Honestly, the way you look now almost reminds me of the lesser Togabitos that are slaves. Why don't put these on. Trust me, they're much preferable than to walk around like this" Xiaodan told him.
As much as he wanted to refuse, Ichigo couldn't deny how it would be beneficial to put on some clothes. Without protesting, he grabbed the clothes and got dressed. While they didn't hide his collar, the clothes did in fact minimize the chains. The set of clothes was even accompanied by a pair of white gloves and shoes. At first, Ichigo thought it reminded him of clothes worn by Shinigamis. But suddenly, his mind snapped as old memories came back to haunt him. The clothes he currently wore was nearly identical to the one worn by Kokuto, except for the change of colors and the shirt having both sleeves.
Still, Ichigo knew that from now on, these would be his clothes while in Hell. "Alright. It's better than nothing" he noted while observing his clothes.
Ling rolled his eyes. "Oh please, you should consider yourself lucky that Xiaodan had some spare clothes. In the Diyu Empire, only few get to walk around with clothes like yours" he pointed out to Ichigo.
This caught Ichigo's attention and he eyed Ling warily. "The Diyu Empire? What are you talking about?" he asked him.
"It's the place you're in, genius! This may be a little tavern, but everything outside is under the domain of the Diyu Empire. That's just how things are!" Zhong pointed out to him.
Ichigo could see that the room he was standing in had a balcony, and he rushed to open the doors, hoping to get a clear view of where he was. The moment he stood on the balcony, the orange-haired man was given a terrifying view of where he was.
He was a village with buildings that looked awfully similar to Chinese ones. But what really caught his attention was the enormous mountains in the background, which looked identical to those in Guilin, China. But still, the skies above were darkened and filled with thunders rumbling. Somehow, this looked incredibly different from what Ichigo was used to with Hell.
"This can't be….is this really Hell?" Ichigo wondered, his eyes never leaving sight of the landscape he was seeing before him. "The last time I was in Hell…...none of these mountains even existed!" he added to his disbelief.
"Not what you expected, eh?" Zhong arrogantly asked Ichigo, with him, Ling and Xiaodan joining Ichigo on the balcony. "Well, believe it or not, this is what Hell looks like…...well, maybe not for you, that is" he added.
"But I don't understand! Where are the different levels of Hell? And the Kushanadas? How did they all vanish all of a sudden?" Ichigo was still unable to come to terms with what has happening with Hell.
"Everything here has changed. We Togabitos no longer serve under the Kushanadas. It was said that no Kushanada could ever be killed. But the Eternal Emperor and his allies proved that theory wrong. In time, they managed to enslave all Kushanadas. Now they are being used for all kinds of things in the Diyu Empire, including as labor force" Xiaodan explained everything to Ichigo, who was surprisingly listening to her. "After enslaving the Kushanadas, the Eternal Emperor proceeded to completely change Hell into his own image. He remade everything and abolished the different levels that Togabitos were used to dwell in" she continued informing Ichigo about how Hell became this unfamiliar place.
"This place here is called Huina. It's a fine village in this barren vale. A perfect place to chill if you catch my drift" Zhong explained the name of the village they were in.
Ichigo took those words to heart as he looked out to the landscape. But a part of him was feeling emotionally traumatized by the mention of Wang Yanluo. Even so, he still had enough courage to ask these Togabitos something.
"Who is Wang Yanluo? Is he even a Togabito?" Ichigo questioned them, admitting he wished to learn more about the so-called Eternal Emperor that he had briefly got to know.
"Sorry, man. But that's a question not even we of the Fahai know the answer to. That guy's origins…..is a mystery to all of us" Ling replied.
The orange-haired man nodded his head in understanding. "Alright. So you don't know. But does any of you at least know where he lives?" Ichigo then asked Ling and his comrades.
"He lives in the Diyu Empire's capital city: Youdu. Specifically, he lives in his palace: Shēnyuān" Xiaodan answered, yet she was not yet finished speaking. "However, I recommend you not to go there, Ichigo. That city is not only crawling with lesser Togabitos. It is there where the most powerful ones lives, including the Eternal Emperor's closest advisors: the Liántōng" the red-haired woman told Ichigo.
He was still listening, yet he decided that enough was enough. As such, he entered the room, only to exit it through the door. The three Togabitos followed suit, wondering why he was leaving all of a sudden. Ichigo walked down some stairs, noticing how this building's interior resembled that of what Chinese ones had. Still, he had to be careful. Regardless of these changes, Ichigo was still in Hell. Perhaps he had to see it for himself with his eyes. The moment Ichigo had reached the end of the stairs, he was speechless with what he was seeing.
Apparently, he had entered the tavern's main hall. It had everything, from a bar to many tables. Like the rest of the tavern, the main hall's interior was also Chinese-inspired. But what had really left Ichigo speechless was the ones infesting it. Many Togabitos sat by these tables, each of them coming in different sizes and appearances. Some of them wore similar clothes like Zhong, Ling and Xiaodan, while others were either dressed like they were scavengers or half-naked slaves. As Ichigo stood by himself and watched, all those Togabitos turned to look at him.
The way the Togabitos looked at him made Ichigo feel uncomfortable. The majority of these people seemed hostile towards him. He was expecting them to rise up from their seats and confront him like the petty criminals they were. Yet for some reason, the Togabitos didn't. As the orange-haired man slowly took a step forward, he was soon joined by the three Fahai monks. It was at that moment the Togabitos, who had previously faced at Ichigo suspiciously, resumed with what they were doing before he had come downstairs. This left him confused.
"Yo! What's the big idea walking away from us like that!?" Zhong demanded an answer out of Ichigo, yet he proceeded to continue walking towards the tavern's exit, much to Zhong's irritation. "Tch, talk about some lack of manners" he remarked.
But as Ichigo was on his way out, he was interrupted when someone called out to him. "Well, I see that your guest has awakened, esteemed monks" it came from none other than the bartender himself, who was a small and eccentric man with chains all around his neck. He was specifically addressing the three Togabitos, yet he took an interest to Ichigo as well. The orange-haired man approached the bartender. "Ah, can I help you with something, stranger?" he asked Ichigo.
Knowing that this Togabito could be spoken to without getting glared at, Ichigo decided to try. "Yes. I need to ask something of you. Is there anyplace I can get a weapon or something?" Ichigo asked.
The bartender took his time to think. "Oh goodness, I think this must be your first time visiting Hanui" he replied.
Ichigo was dumbstruck, yet the three members of he Fahai seemed to have the answer he was seeking. "He's right, tough-guy. This village isn't exactly the place where to find a weapon" Ling spoke up his mind.
This made Ichigo irritated at Ling. "Oh yeah, do you know where to find one, monkeyface?" he hit back, much to the Togabito's outrage.
"Monkeyface!? Oh, you're five seconds from getting your sorry ass schooled!" Ling spat out, yet he soon restrained his anger.
Zhong couldn't help but to snicker, given that he found Ichigo's statement hilarious. He even looked at Ling smugly. "Heh! How does it feel to get called what your animal aspect is, asshole!?" he taunted Ling, yet the shaved-haired man was not so quick to anger.
Xiaodan stepped beside Ichigo. "If you want to find a weapon, you should get out of this vale head to the town called Huangfeng. It's a town that lies outside this barren vale. If you just follow the lava river until it's end, you will surely….." as Xiaodan was explaining this, Ichigo had already taken off. He ran out of the tavern and into the village's street. Xiaodan snapped and tried to stop him. "WAIT! I HAVEN'T TOLD YOU WHERE THE WEAPONSMITH SPECIFICALLY…..." the red-haired woman was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. It belonged to Ling.
"Just let him go, Xiao. There's no point in chasing after him. We made sure that he awoke from whatever trauma the Eternal Emperor caused him. What happens next to that punk now is for him to decide" Ling informed the woman, who was immediately reminded about her duties in the Fahai. "Besides, Yanluo frankly wants that guy to be left on his own. On that way, he may be able to gain his strength and become whatever the hell that perfect weapon is" he added to his observation of Ichigo disappearing into the village.
Xiaodan smiled when hearing this. "Yeah…...I guess you are right" she remarked, realizing the truth in Ling's words.
Somewhere outside the village of Hanui, Diyu Empire
While Ichigo had been struggling to come to terms with where he had been. Someone had managed to observe him from a far distance in the nearby forest. That's right, despite the vale being desolate, the mountains did have some form of flora. Therefore, they were perfect places to use for lookout, especially the branches on the trees. And right now, three Togabitos had seen Ichigo while he was standing on the tavern's balcony. The female one was a pale-skinned and black-haired Togabito, who wore a black Chinese cape with some markings on it. She seemed to have a gothic appearance, as she even head eyeliners and mascara. But what was also noticeable was the couple of white snakes that hung around her neck like a scarf. In addition to that, this woman even had a snake's tongue and she hissed as well. Who was she.
"Well, what do you know? Looks like the poor Human the Eternal Emperor likes so much was in Hanui. Xiao, Zhong and Ling treated him well. But I can't help but to wonder where he will be going next. What do you think, Ping and Zhen?" the woman wondered while asking her fellow Togabitos, even addressing them by their names.
Ping was the light brown-skinned man with a wild, brown hairstyle orange eyes and a very round and obese body. This indicated that he was indeed fat and he even had a potato nose, as well as piercings on his pointy ears. It made him look like a pig. He wore a kilt of armor, with a large belt holding up by his stomach and black spiked gloves.
"Bah! Why are we even bothering taking an interest in that miserable creature!? After all, he's nothing but a mere Human. And Humans are weaklings!" Ping spoke up, not hiding his distaste for his female comrade taking an interest in Ichigo.
Zhen, the Togabito who stood beside Ping, only shook his head. He was a man wearing black outfit, and a bag akin to that of a wanderer. He held the staff of a monk, and even wore a straw hat. The straw hat made it impossible for anyone to see the Togabito's eyes, but his mouth and chin could be seen.
"I wouldn't underestimate this Ichigo Kurosaki if I were you, Ping. You know what he truly was. He was perhaps the most powerful military asset the Soul Society and the 13 Court Guard Squads had. But yet, even he was not strong enough to defeat Yhwach. And thus, he is here in Hell completely powerless" Zhen spoke up, trying to bring some senses into Ping. But the Togabito with the straw hat turned his attention towards the woman. "From what I can gather, he seems to be heading towards Huangfeng. Shall we play with him, Daiyu?" he asked the pale-skinned woman, who was playing with her snakes.
"Tempting, but no. Why would I fight someone who's incredibly weak and unable to even sense a Spiritual Pressure? Yes, that would be easily boring to me" Daiyu answered, yet a smug smile crept on her lips. "Still, I just have this feeling in my gut telling me to help him in getting stronger. Yes, perhaps that could be beneficial. After all, it is what the Eternal Emperor wants: to make Ichigo Kurosaki his ultimate weapon, similar to how the Soul Society did" she then remarked, thinking about a mischievous plan.
Ping snorted at her in return. "Oh please, as if that wimp will wanna date a demented woman such as…." Ping stopped once he could see Daiyu glaring daggers at him. "Okay. I was only being sarcastic towards ya!" he insisted to her, much to Daiyu's satisfaction.
"Now then" Zhen spoke up as he held onto his straw hat. "If we are so determined to go and see this boy becoming a weapon, why don't we go and observe it with our own eyes?" he suggested to his comrades.
Daiyu seemed very pleased with that question. "With pleasure, Zhen" she told him in return.
And so, the chapter of Hell began. the part where Ichigo, now trapped in a world of agony, needed to come to terms with this new life of his. But would he be stuck in this place forever? Something would never last forever.
To be continued…
Author's note: That was the first chapter after taking a hiatus from the series. In this story, Hell and the Togabitos have a Chinese motif. And the culture of the Diyu Empire is inspired by Ancient China and its dynasties. Some of the places, villages and towns will have names similar to real-life locations in China. But bear in mind, that I plan on writing the chapters of this story in the pace I want to. No one else will get to decide what I will do. Now as for the next chapters, they will be focused on Ichigo, especially on how he copes with being sent to Hell. I haven't forgotten his vendetta towards Yhwach. That will be one of his main motivations for staying alive in Hell. I don't know how to begin with Ichigo's friends. But all I can tell is that Uryu is with his father Ryuken in Wahrwelt. Orihime and Chad are with the Shinigamis, but where they are specifically, I will not yet reveal. And of course, I want to give Yhwah almost much as the attention, but I also plan on delving into some of the Sonneritters, such as Toshiro, Kensei and Rose. I will write down their motivations for rejecting the Court Guard and accepting Yhwah as their Soul King. And as for Aizen, he will also have a role to play. But bear in mind that since there are more powerful characters like Yhwach, Wang Yanluo and Augustus Zod Allowin, Aizen is no longer the powerful villain. But I want him and Yhwach to have a duel. Until we meet again, thank you for reading this chapter.
Now here is a new term that we learned while reading this chapter.
Nóng – That's a Chinese (Mandarin) slur for people with lower status, specifically towards those born into poverty. Given that the Diyu Empire are driven by people who claim themselves to be of nobility, other Togabitos, like Kokuto and others, are considered to be nothing but peasants. As such, they are referred to as nóng.
