Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

Ichigo Kurosaki found himself surrounded by the Gotei Thirteen's strongest Soul Reapers. He cursed his luck, not looking for a potential fight so early. Not before he had to use everything against Yhwach. If he had to use everything in his power to make it to the Soul Palace...

Then he had to end this now. His hand moved to his waist near his Quincy Cross, and his blade appeared by his side. His hair fell over his eyes, covering them in a maniacal fashion as he exclaimed, "If you think you're going to overpower me like the last time, then you have another thing coming! I'll end all of you before you can even-!"

"There's no need for that, Ichigo Kurosaki... I have no doubt in my mind...that you'd make good on your threats... My subordinate has observed everything down below, and we know what you're capable of... I'm not risking the destruction of the Seireitei for such a pointless confrontation."

The 'subordinate' in question, Gin Ichimaru, waved with ear-to-ear grin pasted on his face. On the other side of him, the Captain of the Eleventh Division, Kenpachi Zaraki, scoffed at the Head-Captain's words. With a shrug of his shoulders, the towering Captain complained, "How boring... If he's really as strong as he says he is, then fighting him should be number one on our list."

"Just give it up, Zaraki."

The large man looked down at a white-haired child dressed in the robes of a Soul Reaper Captain. The Tenth Division Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya, stared down the son of his former Captain before turning on his heels and walking away. From over his shoulder, he said, "The Ichigo Kurosaki standing before you...isn't the same one from then... His posture...almost reminds me of Captain Shiba's."

He continued on, walking past a stern-faced woman with crossed arms. Second Division Captain Sui-Feng stared at him as he walked past before her eyes shifted back to the teenager standing with the Head-Captain.

Ichigo's blade disappeared in a flash of blue light before his eyes narrowed at the impassive Soul Reaper. He then asked, "If that's the case, then what are you all doing here? Why did you all come here to meet me?"

Byakuya's stone-cold gaze never changed as he explained, "We are here to escort you to the Soul Palace. That is your destination, right? You are trying to stop Yhwach, aren't you?"

His eyes widened at the Head-Captain's explanation. Byakuya turned around before saying, "The Soul Palace is not my jurisdiction. That belongs to the Royal Squad, and I have no doubt that they will prevent Yhwach from killing the Soul King... But you, Ichigo Kurosaki, have unfinished business with that man. This Quincy business has nothing to do with my subordinates... So I will go against the Central Forty-Six just this once and allow you passage to the Soul Palace."

He glanced over his shoulder at Ichigo sharply before demanding, "After you are done, you will leave the Soul Society and never return... There is no business here for you, and I'd rather you and the Wandenreich not bring your problems to the Seireitei. Is that clear?"

Ichigo's face lightened. He didn't have a reason to come back here... At least, one that wouldn't concern him for a while. He nodded slowly, and Byakuya motioned for him to follow him.


"So the Head-Captain... I mean... Shunsui Kyoraku...is he...?"

The Captain of the Ninth Division, Ikkaku Madarame, looked over at the Fourth Division Captain, Isane Kotetsu, when she asked the question on all of their minds aloud. Both of their eyes were directed at Gin, who stared ahead at the doors of the First Division Barracks. He said nothing for a few moments before finally speaking.

"...Yes."

Several of the Captains sighed solemnly after hearing the news. Particularly Shunsui's former Lieutenant Nanao, who had been holding out hope for the return of her former Captain. Many of them had gone silent, lost in their own thoughts.

Only one had to speak out against it.

"...Did he die...trying to aid Ichigo Kurosaki?"

When Sui-Feng voiced that aloud, Mayuri Kurotsuchi slapped his hand against his forehead and groaned aloud, "Oh, dear me... Don't start this now, Sui-Feng... Haven't you had enough, woman?"

She shrugged and continued, "I'm just saying... At the end of all this...what have we accomplished? We've lost several top-tier Soul Reapers in order to rescue the Quincy offspring of a former Captain... His strength is nigh incomprehensible... We did all of this and for what? To create another one like Yhwach and Aizen?"

No one else had said anything. That was until the current Captain of the Sixth Division finally stepped up. The petite woman stared the Stealth Force Captain and added, "If you'd stop antagonizing him, then we could probably have a potential ally. I understand how you feel, Captain Sui-Feng, but at some point you must let it go."

Sui-Feng stared down heavily at the new Captain of the Sixth Division, Rukia Kuchiki. Before either of them could say another word, a masculine voice sounded from over their shoulders, "You're absolutely right, Captain Sui-Feng. You have every right to be displeased with me."

Both of the women had wide eyes at the sound of Ichigo Kurosaki looming over them. He stared down at them sadly, even as the two stared at him completely shocked. His eyes moved towards the ground as he continued, "...Shunsui Kyoraki did die trying help me...and your men did die to me and Haschwalth. What you've done to my friends was completely unforgivable, but I have to admit that much of what I've done was completely stupid as well..."

His eyes moved to Byakuya Kuchiki as he left his sanctum before he added, "...I can't give you back the men you've all lost, and you can't erase the trauma from my friends' memories. I'm willing to put these dark moments behind us...because I can see a future of peace... That man that killed your men... My mentor, Haschwalth... He once said to me..."

"All I want is for my companions to exist without fear of being hunted down...by both Hollows and Soul Reapers... His Majesty's brought us to the light where we don't belong, and brought his vengeance into everyone's world... I want us to stay in the shadows where we can live without being branded targets..."

"From the beginning to his very end, he wanted to create the ideal Quincy safe haven...free from being hunted down by Soul Reapers and Hollows... I want to continue where he left off... Erase the bad blood between these races, and start anew. If that means keeping the Quincies out of your sight, then so be it... I don't want...another situation like yours and mine, Captain Sui-Feng, to ever rise again..."

Sui-Feng stared at him as Byakuya neared the small group, her mouth gaping widely as he placed his hands on her shoulder and beamed widely. With a thumbs up, he cheered lightly, "...So no hard feelings, alright?"

She continued to stare at him, completely shocked, before Byakuya called him away and his hand eased away from her shoulder while he moved to follow him. She watched him walk away with a light red tinge on her face as she dumbly poked her fingers together..

Renji Abarai, the Captain of the Fifth Division, whistled lightly as he complimented, "That guy's got some serious balls if he dared to touch Captain Feng like that... Lord knows what he could be thinking..."

Chojiro Sasakibe, the Captain of the Eight Division, nodded in response with humming sound before he caught sight of Rukia pointing at Sui-Feng's face with a gaping expression. Next to her, Isane cupped her hands over her mouth as she gasped lightly. The Kuchiki woman exclaimed, "C-Captain Sui-Feng!? A-Are you blushing!?"

Isane also commented with, "I've never seen the Captain make such a girly expression before!"

The red-faced woman in question crossed her arms and turned away with a small pout, weakly protesting, "N-No! I don't know what you're talking about! Stop analyzing my face, Kuchiki!"

A loud shout of "You are blushing!" echoed through the room, and Sui-Feng's face became even redder. Off to the side, Toshiro stared at the scene with boredom before commenting, "...I guess all of us were wrong...and we misjudged him harshly."

Both Zaraki and Isane turned to Toshiro with wide eyes, and the female Captain blinked before saying, "Are you...feeling bad for what happened?"

Toshiro never turned to look at them, but he only continued, "...I believed...that he had disappointed his father when he chose to join with the Quincy...but as I see him now..."

At the very same moment, Ichigo Kurosaki and Byakuya Kuchiki exited the barracks, and Toshiro's eyes closed as he finished, "But I think that man would've have been proud of him...since the very beginning. We were just too blind to realize it."

While they were speaking, Gin Ichimaru crept up behind Sui-Feng. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered briefly, "I didn't think anyone other than Miss Yoruichi...could make your loins tingle like that, Captain Feng..."

He was briefly introduced to a roundhouse kick to his face and a shout of, "Shut the fuck up, Ichimaru!"


"So where are we going...? Why did we need to leave the Seireitei?"

Byakuya and Ichigo continued their trek through the Rukon District, though the Quincy was confused the entire time. The Head-Captain briefly turned to him over his shoulder and answered, "The woman who will take you to the Soul Palace resides here. I do not possess the means to send you there myself."

Ichigo shrugged in response. He didn't really care how he arrived. As they entered a brief clearing within some forests, a large shout of, "Get your asses to work! The Head-Captain's gonna be here soon, so don't make him wait any longer than he has to!" aroused Ichigo from his blank state of mind.

The Head Captain's eyes narrowed lightly as he murmured, "It looks like we are here."

The teenager gaped in surprise as they came upon a large, Japanese-styled mansion with the symbols for "Kukaka's Place" on its heading. He also gaped at the gigantic cannon pointing directly at the sky. He blinked at the out-of-place home before another shout of, "Stop complaining, you dipshits! After I went through the trouble of saving your asses, this is how you repay me!? Fuck off!" resonated through his ear.

"Kukaku."

The Quincy stopped when the Head-Captain called out a name. He stopped as a buxom woman in red-and-white robes appeared at the doorstep and peeked out at them. Her dark hair was wrapped with bandages, and he noted that she was missing her right arm.

Her eyes widened as she noticed that her expected guests had arrived, and went back inside the house before screaming, "Hurry the fuck up, they're here!"

A series of groans echoed through the home before the woman jogged back outside to meet them. She stopped in front of Byakuya and began rubbing the back of her head awkwardly before she started, "S-Sorry about this! I was trying to get them to finish as fast as possible, but they're just... You know-!"

"It's alright, Kukaku Shiba. We are not in any sort of rush. If we do not arrive in time, I'm sure the Royal Guard can handle the situation."

The name "Shiba" briefly poked at his mind for a second, causing him to wonder where he might have heard it. Kukaku blinked as the Head-Captain said that, and questioned, "Is there an issue of some sorts within the Soul Palace?"

With a calm gaze, as if the issue never bothered him at all, Byakuya responded, "The Quincy King has infiltrated the Soul Palace in order to assassinate the Soul King. The Royal Guard maybe able to handle the situation, but I'm sure Ichigo Kurosaki would prefer to be the one to deal the killing blow."

Her eyes widened and were set on the orange-haired teenager next to the Head-Captain. Ichigo let out a very surprised noise before her left hand was gripping his right cheek tightly, and a feral grin formed on her face as she laughed, "Well, hot damn! You must be old Isshin's son, am I right!? Of course you are! The way he was pining for that human girl, I knew he'd go to the human world and knock her up eventually!"

That was when he finally realized that his father was once a Shiba.

"...Y-You're...related to my father...?"

Kukaku grinned widely before she threw her arm around his shoulder and began pulling him away, adding, "Of course! He was family to me! Come on, I can tell you all about him inside! Let's not just stand around out here!"


"...that sounds just like Isshin! He was just as goofy when he was younger!"

She continued to drag Ichigo by his neck into the deeper rooms of the mansion. The top of his brow sweated in embarrassment, but a small part of him found refreshing to meet someone who was close to his father. Kukaku clapped him on his shoulder before they arrived in the basement of the house. He stared in awe at the bottom of the large, towering cannon that he noticed earlier.

Was...this cannon his way to the Soul Palace!?

"Hey, you fuckers! You better be finishing up! I'll give you break for now, but you better get back to it when you're done!"

Ichigo noticed several dark-haired men working on the cannon's base, clearly setting it up for his departure. The one closest to him stood up, his white shirt sticking to his skin due to the sweat. He stretched his arms out as he yawned and turned around while complaining, "Goddamnit, woman... You work us like slaves... Why the hell are we doing this anyway-?"

He stopped and stared. Ichigo stopped and stared back. Dark eyes widened as they stared into equally widened brown eyes. Then those same pairs of eyes narrowed at the same time. The owner of the dark eyes suddenly growled, "You've got to be fuckin' kidding me."

Just as he spoke, another of the men, quite younger than the first, stood up from his spot. His dark suspenders fell aimlessly to his sides and he wiped the sweat from his brow. He turned to his companion and began, "Oi, Ginjo...? What's the matter? You know we have to finish this before that bossy woman flips her shi-"

Then he stopped. And Ichigo glared at him too. From behind the younger man, an elderly man stared with wide eyes at him from between an opening on the cannon. Ichigo scowled deeply at the trio of Fullbringers standing around the cannon, each of them staring with their own expressions of surprise.

It was then that Kukaku noticed the building tension in the room, questioning aloud, "Do... Do you all know each other...?"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed darkly as he responded, "...You could say that."

Kugo Ginjo's eyes had clouded over the same, and Kukaku quickly grabbed Ichigo by his shoulder and began pulling him out of the room, ignoring his protesting with a shout of, "Like hell are you two going to fight in my place! Especially after you dumbasses ruined my last one! Now hurry up and take your break, so you can get back to fixing this cannon for my cute little Ichigo! Get to it!"


Ichigo now sat on one of Kukaku's comfortable cushion chairs, a contemplative expression locked on his face as he stared out of the window. As big as a surprise that was, he didn't have the time to focus on some Fullbringers that he gave up on a long time ago...

He'd find himself at the Soul Palace in just a few hours, ready to confront Yhwach for the last time.

So deep in thought, the young Quincy didn't realize that he had company until the weight of another sunk deep into the cushioned chair, and the smack of an arm draped on the headrest had alerted him. His eyes had widened as he looked to his left, staring at Ginjo plopped down next to him comfortably... As if they didn't just have that stare-off moment just minutes ago. While Ichigo gazed at him incredulously, Ginjo glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and began, "Hey, Kurosaki..."

His head slowly turned in the direction of the Fullbringer, and he briefly noted that he had recovered his trademarked black leather jacket. The man turned to Ichigo at the same time and said, "...Do you hate me for what I did...?"

Blink. Ichigo pulled back away from him and retorted harshly, "Well... I can't say that I'm a big fan of yours..."

No. Not a chance in hell. Despite being only months since then, he never forgot the nights in Kagamino... When he would wake up panting, only to have Tetsuo throw a pillow at him to keep it down. When he'd dream of the night that this man sitting here so calmly stole his powers, and when his mother let him.

...It's no use... This is goodbye...Ichigo Kurosaki...

Or when he sees the man standing in front of him, leaning against the wall without a care in the world. As if he didn't strike down his friends and turned them against him, causing him to never look at them the same... What had been the catalyst in his departure from Karakura...

In the end, he could most definitely say that Kugo Ginjo and Shukuro Tsukishima were not people that he'd be very fond of meeting again. After this, he'd probably never see them again.

A sound of amusement emerged from the Fullbringers mouth as he sighed and rested his head back on the top of the chair. He smirked and jested, "Well, I expected that. I did take my powers back after letting you rent them... I'm sure you would've liked to keep them a bit longer."

Ichigo's eyes had narrowed but he didn't want to any action, despite Ginjo's goading. Kukaku would get on to him if he did.

"...Actually. I'm glad...that you took your powers back."

Both Ginjo and Tsukishima's eyes widened and they turned to Ichigo. With his hand clasped together over his knees, he continued, "...I spent many nights in Kagamino frustrated...because I lacked power and strength because you took that from me... I hated you both more than anything... I couldn't stand the memories, so I tried to leave the afterlife behind."

Ichigo's eyes had eased up from their stern, narrowed state as he added, "But I realize too little, too late...that you can't leave all that behind. I was just running from something I couldn't escape... And then..."

"Disappointingly weak, Ichigo Kurosaki... But that was to be expected."

"...Then, I had the chance to recover what I'd lost... What you've taken from me... I look at myself now, and then I look at myself from a year ago...and I often weighed the positives and the negatives..."

With a contemplative expression, he stated, "Despite the hardships I've gone through, dealing with the memories in Kagamino... Despite losing so many comrades in the Wandenreich...in the end, I've found people willing to depend on me. People who reside from within me, and those who chose to follow me."

His gaze moved to the open window again as he finished, "...I...wouldn't take any of that back if it means I could have kept my Fullbring. So I'm very glad, Kugo Ginjo, that you presented me with this chance... I'm glad that you chose to keep me alive, so I could be who I am today."

Ichigo turned back to a stunned Ginjo and Tsukishima, both blinking in utter surprise. Ginjo's eyes narrowed as he dug his body deep into the cushions and murmured, "You're...not the same little bitch crying outside of Tsukishima's mansion, are you...?"

Tsukishima, with a particularly lazy smirk, added, "No, Ginjo. I don't think so. I think...you may have created a monster."

Another amused noise was made by Ginjo. Bringing his hand to his neck, the Fullbringer turned to Ichigo before saying, "So for what reason...are we trying to help you get into the Soul Palace, huh? I don't see...what kind of business you would have with the Soul King..."

Ichigo glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and stunned the two of them with his answer of, "I don't. My business lies with the Quincy King infiltrating that palace...and killing him before he can have business with the Soul King."


"Alright, Ichigo! The cannon's up 'n ready! You can leave at any time you want!"

A brief smile appeared on his face as he thanked Kukaku for offering him passage up to the Soul Palace. Next to her, Byakuya stood by with his traditional expressionless visage. His eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "Be aware... As I said, I don't want to see any of this Wandenreich business within the Seireitei again."

Ichigo clapped the older man on his shoulder, much to his surprise, before giving a thumbs up and saying, "Don't mention it! I'll do everything possible to keep the Quincy out of the Soul Society!"

Byakuya and Kukaku watched as the boy continued on past them and closer towards the brightened entrance of the Cannon before stepping in. Kukaku looked over at the Head-Captain as he continued to stare before asking, "What's with the look, Head-Captain? You seem pretty deep in thought."

Byakuya didn't answer immediately as the door closed behind Ichigo. It wasn't until he turned around that he responded, "...For a second there... I saw why Captain Ukitake and Kyoraku spent so much time trying to save him... The way he walked off...reminded me of Isshin Kurosaki before he left Hueco Mundo to confront Aizen."

Kukaku looked up at him with a small smirk before she turned over her shoulder and yelled, "Neither of you want to say goodbye!? You probably won't ever see him again!"

She glanced behind her at the group of Fullbringers standing around idly. It was then that Ginjo scoffed and turned on his feet, murmuring, "Hell no... Tsukishima, Kutsuzawa, let's go before she makes us work some more..."

Kukaku laughed as the three Fullbringers shuffled out of the room one by one. As Ginjo left, his eyes narrowed slightly in thought.

'...I swear to God...you better not lose, bitch ass Kurosaki... I'm not a big fan of being a slave for this woman, but I'm not interested in having the whole world screwed over either.'


Black boots clapped against the sacred pillars of the Soul Palace. With tired, wearisome eyes, Yhwach trudged along slowly with his right hand clasped around his missing arm. His time...it was running out...

He needed those Fragments...!

He had enough strength left to defeat the Royal Guard and kill that pathetic being known as his father... With this, he will bring the end to everything and create a new world of peace... But he had to work quickly. He didn't have the time to spare for pleasantries and the like, but he must strike rapidly... He has to fix this war-abiding world...

Even if it was the last thing he was able to do...

He had hoped that Ichigo Kurosaki would rise to his challenge and stop him... He had enough strength to demolish him if necessary, and take back the Fragments of the Stern Ritter to recover his own body... But of course, Ichigo Kurosaki knows of his power, and is probably too afraid to fight back...

By being a coward, Ichigo Kurosaki would condemn him to invalidation...

"...Damn you...Ichigo Kurosaki... You coward..."

However, he was stunned when he heard the words, "That deceptive trick back in the throne room...that was very clever... But I've never known you to run, old man. You can't protect anything while you're running."

A wide, maniacal grin formed on Yhwach's face. How ecstatic he was! Here he was, fretting over his loss of fragments, and now Ichigo Kurosaki has so graciously brought them back to him...!

Now, he would consume every being of Ichigo Kurosaki's soul, and death will be but a passing friend in the distance!

Ichigo watched as a dark chuckle resonated from the man who slowly turned around. His shoulders heaved up and down as he began laughing outright at the thought of finally killing the one to whom his followers have embedded their false hopes within.

His eyes widened to extreme proportions as he shouted, "Finally, Ichigo Kurosaki! I thought you were too afraid to fight me! Now, you've finally come here to die as a proper Quincy should!"

With dark eyes, Ichigo glared back at him and responded, "Sorry I kept you for so long... But I'm here now..."

While reaching near his sides, he manifested his blade of Reishi and crouched slightly in a stance before saying, "I hope you've brought your "A" game, old man."

A dark look of glee formed on Yhwach's face and he laughed again. Ichigo watched as his irises began splitting apart, glowing with the color of Reishi as he repeated, "My..."A" game...? Well...that was some poor choice of words, Ichigo Kurosaki."