Disclaimer : I do not own anything from Bleach. If I did, Shinji and the Visoreds would've been way more powerful than canon. But I still like the way Shinji tried to mess up Bambietta's head with his words and then got blew up by her Schrift. It was hilarious. I'm definitely looking forward to see that scene when the TYBW arc begins in the Anime.
(2021-05-11) I have decided to inform the differences between canon and my story at the start of the chapter. Thanks for the suggestion, Antex-The Legendary Zoroark!
(2021-05-25) The pairing is now IchigoXMulti with Giselle being the main. The other pairings are Meninas, Candice, and Bambietta.
1. Yhwach wasn't the good father of Quincy a thousand years ago, even in this story. He started to change his view after he saw how his children were slaughtered by the Shinigami during the war, and he has become a good emperor after he woke up from his sleep. A thousand years of solitary self-reflection is more than enough to change one's personality.
2. As many of you have noticed from Chapter 1, Giselle's personality will be different from the canon. She still has her sadistic streaks, but when I started to write this story Giselle was the only pairing I had in mind for Ichigo. I had to give certain events and changes to both of them to make it work. For example, even Giselle in this changed personality wouldn't have worked out with Ichigo if say, the Sternritter who was sent to recruit Ichigo was Bambietta. He won't be accepting of Giselle's negative side without that moment where she left an extremely positive impression to Ichigo, in my opinion.
3. Ichigo is the first Echt Quincy of the new Kurosaki line in this story. Ichigo used his Blut Vene on his own after being exposed to Quilge's 'The Jail', so he obviously qualifies as an Echt since only Echt can use the Blut without training it. I can only guess that he needed to come in contact with an Echt to wake his Quincy side, if Uryū didn't have such effect on him. So Giselle, Haschwalt, and Yhwach himself? Definitely enough to wake it up.
Main Pairing IchigoXGiselle, IchigoXMulti
The Tower - XVI
Urahara Shōten, the day Ichigo left Karakura Town.
"Kisuke, are you really sure about this? I've seen how the kid is faring, and if we don't do something he's gonna break!" The black cat growled out while scratching the wall, irritated at the passive measures they were taking.
"Well, Yoruichi-san I'm still working out a way to remove the alterations in their memory, but I'm stuck. This Fullbring really is a difficult issue, so even I'm not that sure when I'll be able to come up with a solution. And you know what will happen should we attempt to restore Kurosaki-san's powers, as we already went through this at least once every day... The Central 46 specifically gave us the orders to leave Kurosaki-san out of the matters of the afterlife, and if we go against those direct orders they gain the excuse to lift the pardon we received. You know that the new Central 46 still doesn't trust us... Plus who knows what they'll try with Kurosaki-san when they do find out? I don't really understand why they are trying this hard to keep Kurosaki-san from gaining his powers again, though. Maybe they don't want the risk of a powerful Shinigami who doesn't take their orders as a member of the Gotei 13? If we consider the fact that Kenpachi was banned from learning any proper Zanjutsu, the idea of an uncontrollable Captain-level Shinigami going rogue or rebelling against them just may be one of their worries. This pardon really has more downs than ups. We really had much more freedom when we were exiles..." Kisuke sighed, while sweat-dropping at the sight of the wallpapers getting damaged by the black menace's claws. 'She really needs to stop doing that... It's not like I can use my Bankai to fix it. Benihime will never forgive me if I do.' Kisuke cringed at the thought.
"Why did we even agree to letting the kid handle the situation on his own in the first place?! You, I can understand to some extent. You are probably thinking about that folklore, Kaiser Gesang was it? The sealed Quincy King would regain his pulse after 900 years. Another 90 years and he would regain his intellect. After 9 more years he would regain his strength. It has been almost 8 years since Masaki's death, and if it really is true then the Quincy King will return in about a year's time." Yoruichi stated, lifting her claws off the wall to show her seriousness on the matter.
"But are you sure that is really the case? It says he would regain his strength 'after' 9 more years. So it means either he didn't return or he already has." Kisuke nodded his head at Yoruichi's rare moment of brilliance. She was more of an instinctual person than a rational person, although that didn't mean her intelligence was lacking in any way. Cats were clever animals after all.
"I'm actually thinking about the possibility that the lines may be not the same as the original used to be. What if it was 'He would regain his strength for 9 more years' and not after? We all know what happened to Kanae-san and Masaki-san, although how Ishida-san and the Kurosaki siblings weren't subjected to it is still a mystery to me. So yes, I am already certain that the Soul Society will want Kurosaki-san's help one way or another soon enough. And I'm also kind of hoping for Kurosaki-san to feel betrayed by the Soul Society so he wouldn't try to help them should the time come. He has already done too much for them, and he isn't even in his twenties yet." Kisuke explained some of his reasons more clearly than he already did before.
"Well, that is actually quite surprising coming from you Kisuke. But have you thought about how Ichigo would feel about us when he thinks that we let all that shit happen to him a few days ago?" Yoruichi asked, and face-pawed when she saw Kisuke's stupid expression. "Oh god, you out of all people really didn't think about it? You IDIOT! I'm gonna visit him tonight and give him some long overdue explanations, and that's final! If you dare say no..." Yoruichi stuck out her claws, daring him to say otherwise.
"Yes I think you are right, Yoruichi-san! Please don't hurt me!" Kisuke cowered at Yoruichi's menacing glare. "Although I wonder what Isshin-san was thinking when he agreed to this?" Kisuke wondered, and Yoruichi face-pawed once more muttering 'men...' under her breath.
"I've had enough of Isshin hiding here trying to avoid his own son anyway. I hope Ichigo kicks his ass for this!" Yoruichi said while thinking about her favorite pupil. While she cared about both her pupils fairly, Ichigo was way more fun since she could tease him all she wants. Soi Fon basically worshiped everything she did except abandoning her, so it really wasn't all that fun anymore.
Little did they know, that the bus had already left when they finally decided to take it.
-line break-
Silbern, Personal Quarters of the Sternritter 'Z'
"Gah! That was fucking freezing Gigi!" Ichigo cried out as he stumbled out of the shadows, which amused Giselle greatly.
"Well there is a reason we all wear this uniform other than to show that we are a member of the Wandenreich! It's unbearably cold, not only when we travel in the shadows, but Silbern itself is freezing all the time considering how it exists within the shadows. Our uniform is embedded with a special type of reishi which is resistant to the shadows, so you'll have to wear one if you don't want to feel that again." Giselle said while moving towards her bed where a set of uniform was neatly folded on top of it.
Giselle continued to speak while picking up the uniform. "This was something I requested before I left for the Human World. It's the standard male Sternritter uniform, and if you want to change the style you'll have to become a full-fledged Sternritter first. The same goes with the cloaks, but it's something only us Sternritter can wear. I thought that a high priority recruit like you will make it into our ranks easily if given time. This was made based on the observation records in the Daten so while it isn't perfect, it'll fit you just enough to feel comfortable. I didn't expect it to be ready... but oh, well!" Giselle giggled while looking at Ichigo suggestively.
"And pray tell, what do you mean by that...?" Ichigo said while rubbing his temple. He could tell when someone was teasing him or about to do so. He was used to it because of Yoruichi-san after all.
"Well if it wasn't ready then you would've been freezing, so that you really would have had no choice but to join me in my bed..." Giselle giggled perversely while lightly blushing herself. Although red was spreading like wildfire to his neck Ichigo still noticed this little detail, but he wasn't ready to play her game yet. Besides, he wouldn't really mind as long as they didn't do anything overly inappropriate.
"So... Where should I change...?" Ichigo trailed off while averting his eyes. He really didn't want to see Giselle's expression right now.
"Aww... Fine, I'll wait outside. Talk about the tail wagging the dog... If you take too long I'm gonna take a peek!" A giggling Giselle soon left the room, leaving Ichigo alone in her quarters. Ichigo decided to not take any chances and quickly picked up the uniform. Ichigo hastily slipped on the plain white long sleeve shirt with a blue cross running down the center, and matching white trousers swiftly. Then he put on the black leather belt with a white belt buckle and slipped his feet into the white shoes. To his surprise it actually fit more comfortably than the shoes he usually wore.
'Just enough to feel comfortable? It's the understatement of the century.' Ichigo thought to himself, draping the thigh-length double-breasted trench coat which was unsurprisingly white around him. He wondered if he should put on the cap or not for a moment. Ichigo shrugged and put it on with the thought 'Why not?'. As Ichigo checked out his over-all appearance in front of a full body mirror, he admitted to himself that it honestly suited him better than the black Shinigami shihakusho. Although there were some minor changes he would like to add, Giselle did say he needed to join the Sternritters to earn that right. 'If my hair was a bit longer it would look pretty badass...' Ichigo mused to himself. He didn't know exactly why, but the thought of growing his hair was appealing to him.
"But seriously, what's with those red stains on the table...?" Ichigo muttered and picked up a cylinder shaped vial filled with some kind of red liquid. It didn't take him long to realize that it was blood. 'But why would she store blood in a vial?' Ichigo wondered, thinking that something was off about this.
And it was precisely that moment when Giselle entered the room with another person, whom Ichigo obviously didn't know. He was a tall man with long blonde hair that stretched down almost to his waist, about a head taller compared to himself. His light green eyes and blonde eyelashes gave him an exotic look, and Ichigo could easily admit that this man was probably the most handsome man he happened to come across.
"Oh, I see you dressed... Oh." Giselle's smile faltered and her head dropped when she saw Ichigo with the vial holding her blood in his hand. She knew that this was inevitable for her, but she most certainly didn't want it to happen this soon. What would his reaction be when she told him that it was her own blood? How would he react to the nature of her Schrift? Giselle was almost panicking before she heard Ichigo's calm voice.
"I'm not going to judge anything before you tell me your story, Gigi." Giselle's head shot up when Ichigo still called her 'Gigi'.
"I've done enough of jumping to conclusions to cover a lifetime. As I said, until you tell me the full version of your story I won't think any different of you." Ichigo stated calmly, and turned his eyes to the new face.
"I don't think it's proper for an emperor to visit his subordinates or soon-to-be-one personally, so I'm going to guess that you aren't his majesty. I'm not sure if you knew of her mission or not, so I'll introduce myself first. The name's Kurosaki Ichigo with no fancy titles to add. Pleasure to meet you." Ichigo spoke firmly, extending his arm.
Jugram Haschwalt eyed the orange haired teen cautiously. He was on his way to one of the training grounds to see if anyone was up for a spar, when Giselle suddenly appeared from nowhere and grabbed him. She started to drag him to her personal quarters without giving any choice on the matter. The girl rambled on about how she succeeded the mission his majesty assigned yesterday, and how she must have broke the time record. She stated that even he would be surprised at what she had achieved. At that point Jugram tuned out her voice and wondered just what this mission could possibly be, if she was dragging him with such enthusiasm. While his physical appearance was the same as the time when he was a young man, his age was well over a thousand years. There really wasn't anything that could surprise him. He had thought so until now, when his eyes actually widened in surprise as he heard the unexpected name.
"Kurosaki Ichigo...? Giselle Gewelle, If this is some kind of joke..." Giselle narrowed her eyes, and interrupted him before he even had the chance to finish his words. "You of all people should know that I wouldn't dare to joke with anything that is remotely involved with his majesty!" Jugram knew that he had struck her nerve. Giselle rarely showed anger to anyone, and he had made her do so by doubting her loyalty to his majesty. What was worse was that he would've felt the same rage if someone were to say that to him in the same situation. "I apologize for degrading your honor. It was uncalled for, but I was quite surprised to hear that name in Silbern... especially in person. I shall accept one request of any kind within reason to make up for my mistake." Giselle glared at Jugram for a moment, and nodded her head acknowledging his apology. Jugram turned back to Ichigo who was silently watching their interaction, and spoke in his usual collected demeanor.
"I also owe you an apology for leaving you in an uncomfortable position. Forgive me, but no one would've expected to see you in Silbern including myself. I am the Sternritter Grandmaster, Jugram Haschwalt. I do have some titles to add, but I pride myself in my position as the Grandmaster the most." Jugram reached out and shook Ichigo's hand firmly. "Considering your current attire, am I right to guess that you are here to serve under the banner of his majesty? And may I ask your reason if it does not bother you?" Jugram asked with a little suspicion, since if Kurosaki Ichigo had his own agenda that would induce harm to his majesty it was his duty to prevent it before he could start anything in the first place.
"Your guess is partially right. I am joining the Wandenreich under the sole condition that his majesty answers a few questions of mine regarding our future plans. And the reason I decided to join...? His majesty promised his help on my little problem, but if I were to say honestly it would be to follow my mother's footsteps as a proud Quincy." Ichigo replied truthfully, and added another piece. "I understand where you are coming from, but I do not have any reason to oppose his majesty at the moment. I doubt that his majesty would've tried to recruit me should I have any reason to oppose him within his empire, or in the future at that matter."
"I see..." Jugram nodded while pondering about the information he had. 'Does he not know about his majesty's involvement with his mother's death? Or was there a change to the situation that I was unaware of?' Jugram cleared his thoughts and came to the conclusion that if his majesty thought it would be safe to recruit him, there would be a good enough reason for it. He was an advisor, but his majesty was more than capable of making such important decisions on his own. "Follow me if you wish to meet his majesty. There is still some time left before the night comes, so I see no problem on the matter."
As Jugram turned around and started to walk away, Ichigo wondered why Jugram's wording sounded like there would be a problem meeting the emperor if it was nighttime. It wasn't like the emperor needed his beauty sleep, right? Ichigo and Giselle followed Jugram as he led them through the wide halls of Silbern. Ichigo was in awe at the sight of the frozen palace as they made their way to the throne room. The palace was quite beautiful in its own right, although if it wasn't the uniform Ichigo doubted it would've been anywhere near pleasant.
"I have a few questions regarding the Sternritter if you don't mind. I heard from Gigi that this 'Daten' holds information about me. Am I correct to assume that these Daten hold information about your... our potential enemies? And if it is, how strong are the Sternritter compared to the Captains of the Gotei 13? In a non-biased manner that is." Ichigo asked, turning his attention to Jugram instead of the surroundings. "Oh, I would like to know the numbers of the Sternritter too, if it wouldn't be a problem." Ichigo added.
Jugram thought for a moment and came to the conclusion that it wouldn't hurt to tell him some information about themselves, especially when he was constantly making the effort to adjust himself into the empire. Also, he didn't seem like the type to use the information against them in his opinion, which meant he didn't look like the backstabbing type.
"Yes, you are correct on the matter. Our Daten holds information about almost every Shinigami above fifth-seat officers. The abilities of the enemy's Shikai and Bankai that could be observed in the Seireitei. Every invention that was made in the R&D department along with their current ongoing projects. We knew what Aizen was doing all those years before he defected, which the Shinigami obviously did not. We've seen what kind of sick experiments were done under the current 12th Division Captain." At this point Giselle's eyes lit up with silent fury. 'Oh, when we start the war I know exactly where and who I'm going to deal with.'
"As for the strength of our Sternritter... I could honestly say that most of them are above Captain-level, although I am unsure if they could deal with the more experienced and stronger Captains such as the Captains of the 4th, 8th, 13th Divisions." Jugram answered Ichigo's question honestly, and Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected member who was included as one of the 'stronger Captains' category. "When you say the 4th Division Captain, you're talking about Unohana Retsu... Right? I didn't even know that she was capable of fighting. She was really kind and sweet when she treated my wounds, and she seemed so harmless with the way she disliked conflicts..."
"There was a time when Unohana Retsu was known as the most blood-thirsty murderer to ever live in the Soul Society. During the first war a thousand years ago, she went by the name Yachiru Kenpachi, the first Kenpachi. I've seen her smile while covered in our soldat's blood with my own eyes. We do not know exactly what event caused her to let go of her sword and learn the art of healing, but we believe that she will raise her sword once more should the time of war comes." Jugram replied, not that surprised about the fact that Ichigo didn't know of the 4th Division Captain's capability. It wasn't really a well known fact in the Soul Society, as even most of the younger Captains didn't know about her past. 'He was a participant in the war a thousand years ago? He barely looks a few years older than me...' Ichigo thought to himself in surprise.
"The first Kenpachi... Yes, I remember hearing about the fact that the title of Kenpachi is a hereditary name... And that every Kenpachi killed the former in battle to take the title. I wonder how she is alive if she's the first Kenpachi." Ichigo voiced his question about the matter which was answered by Giselle. "Obviously it must be something connected with the event that made her to forsake her sword and chose to heal people instead of harming them."
"I knew that." Ichigo muttered under his breath in a pouting manner which made Giselle giggle.
"To further answer your original question, with the exception of those three plus Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni and Zaraki Kenpachi, all the other Captains and Lieutenants won't be able to gain the upper hand against most of the Sternritters if not all. More so when the numbers of our Sternritter outnumbers the Shinigami Captains by twofold. While their Head-Captain is on a whole different level, his majesty will be able to defeat him for certain, especially when he has decided against asking for Inoue Orihime's help to restore his missing limb for his foolish pride's sake. Zaraki Kenpachi can not utilize his Zanpakutō's abilities, so while one of the preparations we have made for the war will be rendered useless against him, one of the stronger Sternritter is assigned with the task to face him in the war. We were not certain about the outcome, but I do not think it will be a problem to us anymore since another Special War Power decided to join us. As another Special War Power, you will be able to defeat him if given enough time for your holy training. The real problem comes in when we defeat the Gotei 13." Jugram grimaced as he thought about the real threats that would prove to be a bigger hindrance.
"His majesty is that powerful, huh... What's this about the real problem?" It didn't take long for Ichigo to figure it out. "Oh, you mean the Royal Guard. Giselle told me about Hyōsube Ichibē, and since we lost the first war badly you won't have any solid information about the Royal Guards... The only thing I actually know about the Royal Guard is the rumor about them being stronger than the whole Gotei 13 combined." Ichigo said, understanding where Jugram was coming from. At the same time Ichigo was worried about another matter. From the name 'Royal Guards' it was obvious that they would only interfere if the Soul King was under any kind of threat. But why would the Wandenreich target the Soul King? It was one of the questions he wanted to ask the emperor.
"Yes, your assumption is correct. But there is also the possibility of the Gotei 13 releasing Aizen Sōsuke from his prison if they feel threatened enough." Ichigo almost cursed out loud at the mention of Aizen's name. "I sincerely hope not. I sacrificed my powers once to save their ass from him, and if they just let him out my sacrifice would've been for nothing."
Jugram almost pitied the misguided Quincy, for he was actually certain that Aizen Sōsuke would prove to be the most dangerous foe in the upcoming war. The Shinigami didn't hesitate to use underhanded tactics, so the older Shinigami would have no qualms in releasing Aizen to fight for them in a true emergency.
"For the last question about the Sternritter's numbers... The Sternritter are each given a Schrift by his majesty, the equivalent of the English Alphabet. Currently, there is no Sternritter 'A', but there are two Sternritters who hold the 'Y'. I am the Sternritter 'B', while Giselle Gewelle is the 'Z'. That makes the number of our Sternritters twenty-six. If you prove yourself enough to join our ranks it will make us twenty-seven." Ichigo's jaw dropped as he thought about the raw power of twenty-six Captain level Quincy along with their emperor whose power is supposed to be on par with the Head-Captain. "Well... shit. And on top of that, the Shinigami have no knowledge about the existence of the Wandenreich, much less our strength... I'd say that really does make our chances extremely high."
"Indeed. For that reason, our concerns were mainly focused on the Special War Powers and the Royal Guards. Your presence here greatly lifts our burden of facing more unpredictable enemies. Also, his majesty will be relieved to know that he wouldn't have to face one of his own children as a foe." Jugram said, glad that Ichigo seemed to be quite willing to fit into the empire. It showed from his usage of words, such as 'our', 'we' and 'his majesty'. Jugram smiled softly at the thought of his majesty gaining another loyal Sternritter under his banner. As a Gemischt Quincy who wasn't subjected to the Auswählen, he would most likely hold more potential than most of the Echt Quincy, so his blood status won't really matter.
"Oi, Jugo. Up for a little spar... Ho? Are my eyes malfunctioning? 'Cuz I see someone who I would've never imagined meeting in Silbern of all places, not even in my dreams? Is he 'the' Kurosaki Ichigo?" A sudden voice interrupted them and Jugram sighed in annoyance, for they had the misfortune to meet 'him' out of all the people they could've met right in front of the throne room.
"I don't really know about 'the' Kurosaki Ichigo part, but if you're asking about my name then I'd say that I am Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo said, while he observed the red haired man wondering why all the people he met who had red hair also liked to adopt a weird hairstyle. Renji's hair looked like a pineapple while this guy's hair resembled a rooster's comb. 'Oh, it's Mohawk style. At least his hairstyle does suit him. Still, weird.' Ichigo thought to himself. He knew better than to voice his thoughts about other people's appearance from experience after all.
"Now when did this happen, I wonder? The name's Buzzard Black, Sternritter 'H'... The hottest guy in Silbern! But you can call me Bazz-B. I'm gonna look forward to having a friendly spar with you. Seems like you have some business with his majesty, so I'm not gonna hold you guys. See'ya!" Bazz-B left almost as fast as he suddenly appeared, and Ichigo wasn't sure if he should be glad that another Sternritter seemed to accept him easily, or worried that his first words held too much similarity to Zaraki. 'At least he worded it as 'a spar' instead of 'a fight'... right?'
"I wasn't really expecting our residence rooster to leave that easily... The usual Bazz-B would've said things like 'You don't look that strong' or something like that." Giselle said with a thoughtful expression.
"So did I, but it seems that he was in a good mood. It is a good thing for us, as he is usually the epitome of annoyance." Jugram stated while continuing to walk towards the throne room.
"You never refuse when he asks you to spar with him..." Giselle drawled out, knowing that Jugram and Bazz-B were friends even before the forming of the Wandenreich.
"If I refuse he won't stop chasing me around." Jugram closed his eyes to show that he won't take any retorts on the matter.
"More like you enjoy beating the shit out of Bazz-B's annoying ass?" Giselle retorted, completely ignoring his body gesture. Jugram tried to ignore her words in response, but ended up grunting in agreement. At this point Ichigo couldn't help but let out a chuckle. To see the seemingly emotionless man acknowledge Giselle's retort... It was absolutely hilarious that he really couldn't help it.
"We are here. While I will not ask for you to show the same respect as we do, please refrain from acting in a disrespectful manner." Jugram said in a warning manner, which Ichigo saw through easily. He received a salute from a man who was guarding the throne room, which he returned gracefully.
"Please, I'm not that stupid... At least not anymore." Ichigo grimaced as he thought about the event that made him change. Still, the fact that he was able to change a little for the better cut off the depressing memory. "If you really thought that I would dare to show any form of disrespect to his majesty, I really don't want to know my reputation among the Sternritter. I know when I must be respectful and when I don't need to, so you need not worry Sir Grandmaster." Jugram's eyes twitched at Ichigo's small jab at his mention of 'disrespectful manner' by addressing him in a formal way that he last heard a few decades ago. Jugram nodded, acknowledging Ichigo's ability to show proper respect if needed.
Ichigo understood the difference between this situation, and him not addressing the Head-Captain of the Gotei 13 in a respectful manner. He never was a member of the Gotei, and he never would be, which meant he really wouldn't have any problems except earning the ire of a few people. In this situation, he was basically swearing his loyalty to the emperor, and he 'needed' to show proper respect.
"Then follow me." The three Quincy entered the wide open doors, and Ichigo's eyes almost bulged out at the sight of his majesty's appearance. 'Zangetsu...?' Thankfully Ichigo didn't make the mistake of voicing it out loud. But now he was really curious about just why in the hell his majesty seemed to be an older version of Zangetsu.
Jugram walked up to the emperor and knelt down, Giselle following suit. Ichigo mimicked their actions almost flawlessly, to the two Sternritter's surprise. Yhwach raised his brows at this, as he did not expect Giselle to succeed in her mission this soon. He was also mildly shocked that his son born in the darkness would actually show him such respect. Considering his disrespectful behavior towards the Shinigami Captains, he would've let it slide should he show a little disrespect. It seemed that there was no need for him to do so.
"I have come to report the success of the mission I was entrusted with, your majesty. Kurosaki Ichigo has decided to join the Wandenreich on his own will under the condition that he is allowed to ask a few questions concerning our future actions, which are to be answered truthfully. I have kept my words as promised, your majesty." Giselle reported with a hint of pride, which made Ichigo roll his eyes. 'It's not like I was that hard to convince...'
Yhwach eyed the orange haired teen who fit the Wandenreich uniform perfectly in his eyes. He would most definitely make a fine addition to his ranks if he gained his loyalty, and from his earlier show of respect he would prove to be quite loyal too. And he wouldn't have ordered his Sternritter to bring him to Silbern if he wasn't sure of the chances.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, my son born in the darkness. If that is what you want, I shall gladly grant your request. Even if you did not set the request as a condition to join the empire, I intended to have a conversation with you in the first place, considering how you seemed to be unaware of the information that would change your view of the Shinigami..." Yhwach closed his eyes, as he thought about the horrendous acts the Shinigami have done to his children. "We need not drag this matter any longer than necessary. I shall answer your questions without any deceptions, and I swear it on my honor as the Father of Quincy. Do you wish to keep the conversation personal?"
"No, your majesty. I don't mind their presence. My first question is, exactly what is the Soul King? And what are your intentions concerning him?" Ichigo asked, thinking about the words of Urahara said to Aizen. Urahara stated that the Soul King was the Linchpin, and how the world will collapse if he ceases to exist. If that was true, wouldn't anyone who intended to harm the Soul King ultimately be the cause of their own downfall?
"Straight to the most important question, I see. It seems that you do possess the knowledge that if something were to happen to the Soul King the world will collapse?" Ichigo nodded to Yhwach's question. "You are correct about the matter. If the Soul King is killed or freed from his shackles the world will return to its original state, where there were no boundaries dividing the world into three pieces. The world without the fear of death. But it wouldn't last forever..." Yhwach thought of his original goals and grimaced at the thought.
"What do you mean 'freed from his shackles', your majesty?" Ichigo remembered some of the words Aizen spoke to Urahara, about how he could stand to serve under such an abomination, about how a victor should speak not of the world as it is, but of the world as it should rightfully be. Would he finally get the answers about why Aizen wanted to replace the Soul King that desperately?
"The Soul King... He was a god, betrayed by the former Five Nobility of the Soul Society, currently four as the Shiba were on rocky grounds when they became involved with what they call Ryoka, and was finally removed after Shiba Isshin went MIA. And yes, he is your very own birth father." Ichigo gasped at the new information. He did know that his father was a Captain when he served in the Gotei 13, but didn't know that his surname was Shiba. Did that mean he was actually related to Shiba Ganju? The thought was quite disconcerting to him. He now understood why some of the Shinigami commented about his resemblance to the deceased Lieutenant of the 13th Division Shiba Kaien, since they were actually related through blood.
"The Soul King was born in the world before it was properly formed, when everything was in chaos. He is the father of all beings, be it Quincy, Shinigami, or even the ones you know as Fullbringers. He was an almighty being who established order in the world by giving the world the circulation of reishi, who took up the mantle of the protector of the world only to be betrayed by the Five Nobility. As you already know, we Quincy completely obliterate the Hollow's soul instead of purifying them like the Shinigami do. But originally it was the power of the Soul King. When he protected the humans and souls by destroying the Hollows, the balance started to crumble. It was then that the founders of the Five nobility came up with the idea of splitting the world into three parts, by sealing the Soul King as a linchpin to retain the balance of the world. Each had their own agenda. Kuchiki wanted more order in the world of chaos. Shihōin wanted more circulation in the stagnant world, thus ultimately yearning for the separation of life and death. Shiba pitied the poor souls who became Hollows only to be obliterated, and wanted to help their souls by purifying them. The Tsunayashiro..." At this point Yhwach gritted his teeth in fury. The accursed name which was responsible for everything.
"Tsunayashiro was the one who originally came up with the idea of sealing the Soul King. He was afraid of the Soul King's almighty powers even in his sealed state, which caused them to cut off the limbs, and rip out the internal organs of the Soul King. The Tsunayashiros spread it all over the world afterwards. Do you see it now? I am the Father of Quincy, but I too was born by one. The Soul King is my father, the God of Quincy, the All-father. The very first sin the Shinigami committed to our kind is the sealing of our god, to shape the world into their own vision. They became the enforcer of balance in the world they shaped to fulfill their own taste. But how could they seal the Soul King when he was the almighty being? This is where the last of the Five Nobility, Urahara finally comes in. The one who had a mind that could come up with the means to trap the almighty being. His reason was to test the limits of his capability, to see if he was capable of outsmarting an almighty being. There is only one of them left, and you are already well acquainted with him." Ichigo wasn't really surprised that one of Urahara's ancestor had a hand in the sealing of the Soul King. The reasoning wasn't all that different from what Urahara Kisuke would've come up with after all. When Urahara explained his reasons that lead to the creation of the Hogyoku, Ichigo didn't believe a word of it. He now knew that in ran in his blood.
"I am going to free him from his humiliating state, even if it means to end my own father's existence with my own hands." Yhwach concluded, which actually made a lot of sense to Ichigo. To see his own father being used like a mere tool by their enemies...
"I understand your reason, but then what was Aizen's reasons to turn his back on the Shinigami? To become a God? If being the Soul King means to be sealed as a linchpin sustaining the world, why would he want to..." Ichigo's eyes widened in realization, as he could finally piece everything together from what he heard from Yhwach and Aizen himself.
The Soul King was the God of Quincy, sealed and mutilated by the very founders of the Shinigami. Aizen wanted to stand above all, in the heavens.
"He couldn't bear the thought of serving a Quincy, who was split into pieces by his own predecessors." Ichigo whispered with the understanding of what kind of man Aizen Sōsuke truly was, a megalomaniac who could not accept to serve under 'such an abomination' by his words.
"You seemed to be much more perceptive than the information we had in the Daten. For your unspoken question, at first I wished to return the world to its original state when I decided to liberate my father. But I realized after seeing my children being slaughtered by the Shinigami during the first war, that I do not wish to see the world collapse for it would mean the end for my children. No, the world will be sustained, even after we free the All-father. Do you know that there are currently three beings who could replace the Soul King?" Yhwach asked, not really expecting Ichigo to come up with an answer. He was pleasantly surprised when he actually did.
"Aizen Sōsuke, and me. The last would be most likely yourself. Am I right in my assumption, your majesty?" Ichigo asked, almost certain that what he spoke was the truth.
"Yes, you're right. I am quite pleased that you actually decided to use your intelligence instead of neglecting it. To replace the Soul King, one must be a transcendent being to sustain the weight of the three worlds. Aizen Sōsuke is already on the verge of becoming one, as the Hogyoku granted his wish to overstep the boundary dividing Hollows and Shinigami. You were one at the time when you used the sacrificial technique to defeat Aizen. Your unique heritage consisting of all three major aspects of the soul allows it. I will become one once more when we commence with the war, as I am the Soul King's consciousness." Yhwach smirked when he revealed his real plan.
"We shall grant Aizen Sōsuke's wish to replace the Soul King, but not as a being above all existence like he wanted to be. He will become the new linchpin of the world where the Shinigami will no longer be the enforcer of the balance. The Quincy will take the mantle of the protector of the world once more." As Yhwach concluded, Ichigo now knew that he could fully pledge his allegiance to his emperor. When he heard the full truth he could feel his Quincy Blood, demanding him to free the Soul King from his eternal humiliation.
"From this moment onward, I shall be yours to command for it is my duty as a Quincy. I am deeply ashamed that I was unaware of my heritage to this day, and I shall prove my worth if only to atone for my ignorance." Ichigo didn't really know what he was saying as it came out naturally, influenced by his Quincy Blood. Ichigo didn't realize it himself, but the two Sternritter and the emperor were quite surprised when jagged lines of red ran through his body at the moment he swore his loyalty. Yhwach understood that his Quincy Blood awoke on its own since he was in close contact with two Sternritter and himself. It did save the trouble of restoring his powers, although it wasn't really that difficult. He only hoped that his Hollow side wouldn't emerge as the two would most likely clash quite violently.
"Blut Arterie... But how?" Giselle questioned in awe, knowing that it just wasn't possible for Gemischt Quincy to use the Blut abilities without any kind of training. Only Echt Quincy were able to utilize the Blut naturally, and it was a fact with no exception in the history of Quincy.
"Being born between a Quincy and a Shinigami doesn't make the child between them Echt, especially when the Quincy was a Gemischt at the time of birth..." Jugram stared with confusion evident in his usually calm eyes.
"Rise, Kurosaki Ichigo. You show great promise, my son who has finally seen the light. The Blut technique, Blut Vene and Blut Arterie is an ability to reinforce our defense or offense by channeling reishi through our veins. Normally, only an Echt Quincy can utilize it without learning it from another Quincy. You truly are unique... I have no doubt that you will prove to be a great addition to the ranks of our Sternritter, and you will be given seven days to learn the ways of the Quincy before the ceremony. Sternritter Gewelle, You will be teaching him in the arts of archery, and Flugbildschritt." Yhwach stated his orders which was answered by Giselle in an instant. "Yes, your majesty."
"Haschwalt." Yhwach addressed his most loyal and trusted subordinate.
"Yes, your majesty."
"Since my son used his Zanpakutō as his main weapon for quite some time, he will need some help in honing his swordsmanship due to the time he spent outside of battle, and who better to entrust the task than the best swordsman in our empire? In addition to swordsmanship, you shall be aiding his progress in the Blut, and his Reishi Manipulation."
"He will become better in his swordsmanship than he ever was when I'm done with him, your majesty." Jugram took the order without any complaints, since he loved swordsmanship with all his being. If he could train a fellow sword wielder then he would never object to the idea.
"You will be bestowed with your own Quincy Cross. Take this medal of Heiliges Silber, and influence it with your reiryoku. Do not worry, as your reiryoku started to return when your Quincy Blood awoke inside you. It will respond to the nature of your reiryoku." Yhwach held out a medal about the size of an electric outlet, which surprised Giselle greatly. The emperor bestowing a Quincy Cross himself was the greatest honor a Sternritter could ever hope for. There were only three Sternritter at the moment who held such Quincy Cross, one of them being Jugram.
Ichigo carefully took the medal into his hands and poured his reiryoku into it while holding the medal in his fist. It felt much more easier than before, when he didn't know about the Quincy side of his powers. Ichigo felt the medal shifting its shape under his fingers, forming a cross connected to chains. When Ichigo opened his fists, Yhwach hummed in understanding, while Giselle seemed to be almost... drooling? Jugram seemed to be interested in what caused his Quincy Cross to take this particular shape.
Ichigo fingered his first and very own Quincy Cross with curiosity. It was a cross, but unlike the one Uryū used, there was a major difference as Ichigo's was an inverted cross. The four ends were shaped like a crescent, although the tips were more round than sharp. There was a smaller cross with the same shape overlapped in the center, the color of the inner cross being black while the outer cross was red. All in all, it wasn't really something traditional for the Quincy.
"It is the result of the inner conflict with your determination and your Quincy Blood with the traces of your Hollow side. Your Quincy Blood thinks that it is unworthy to wield the holy powers due to the taint of the Hollow, but your determination to be acknowledged as a true Quincy made it to bend to your will. The cross being inverted shows that while it thinks of its tainted self as unworthy, it doesn't reject the idea of wielding the power. The inner black cross represents your Shinigami powers, but you yourself decided to forgo that side of you. Alas, it is still a side of you that you were born with, so it has become dormant while balancing out the two opposite sides. The outer red cross is your Hollow side showing its current supremacy over the Shinigami side, but also shows that it is under the control of your Quincy side. If you didn't have the Shinigami powers within you, your Hollow side would've eventually brought on your soul's death. But as I said, your Shinigami side is acting as the middle ground between those two." Yhwach explained to the curious soon-to-be-Sternritter, which made Ichigo to grimace at the thought of still having an Inner Hollow within him. He would never openly admit the fact that a small part of him actually missed his Inner Hollow after all.
"I thought I would be finally free of that..." Ichigo muttered when he saw a spark of red and black from his hand holding the Quincy Cross.. Ichigo was about to ask about how to form a bow with reishi, when something inside him urged him to focus on his Quincy Cross. When he concentrated onto the cross, nothing really happened at first. Ichigo wasn't really disappointed, but the same something seemed to chastise him and try it again. This time Ichigo closed his eyes, and focused on pulling the reishi around him into a solid shape instead of bringing out the reiryoku within him, purely out of instinct. He felt some of his reiryoku reaching out, enveloping the forming reishi.
"Holy shit!" Giselle exclaimed, only to immediately cover her mouth in embarrassment of her outburst in the presence of his majesty.
Ichigo opened his eyes when he heard Giselle's voice, to see his very own Reishi weapon which took a form of a long bow that had a red frame with spirals of black framing it. Ichigo stared at it for a moment, unsure of the unusual feeling of holding a bow, rather than his Zanpakutō.
"Heilig Bogen... But, how?" Even Jugram seemed to be flabbergasted at Ichigo's progress, which was something he would've never thought possible. A Gemischt Quincy using Blut on his own without proper training, and now forming a Heilig Bogen on his own? It was almost ridiculous.
"Interesting... Do you think you can fire a Heilig Pfeil? If so, take a shot at myself. You need not worry about injuring me." Yhwach said, almost eager to see what his son could do. Ichigo nodded and brought up his bow, and concentrated on forming an arrow out of reishi. This time Ichigo actually heard a voice within him, a familiar voice he hadn't heard for more than a year and a half.
'Pull the reishi and compress it. This isn't about pulling out your reiryoku like Kido, so your lack of control over your reiryoku due to your immense reserves won't matter at all. When you're done, your reiryoku will coat it without even trying. Your reserves won't hinder your growth as a Quincy, unlike the way it didn't allow you to learn Kido properly.'
'Zangetsu?'
'I will explain everything when you fall asleep. For now, concentrate on the task Yhwach gave you. Your stance needs adjustments. Open your feet and shoulders wide with one of your feet facing your target. Also, loosen your grip on the bow. You're holding it with too much strength. Pull the string until it touches your face and align the arrow at your target.'
'It's not like I have any experience with a bow to know the stance...' Ichigo complained, which simply went ignored.
Giselle was almost drooling at the sight of Ichigo's somewhat awkward but acceptable stance. 'He really is HOT in that uniform...'
Ichigo felt the power pulsing through his fingers as a solid rod of red formed in his hand, waiting to be released. Black sparks were shooting out from the rod, and red lines traced his veins signalling that his Blut was active. Yhwach realized that it wouldn't be wise for him to take Ichigo's Heilig Pfeil which was powered with his Blut Arterie, when he only had his Blut Vene active. He was still a few steps away from recovering his full strength, and the Hollow reiatsu that coated it might hinder the progress he had made. Yhwach made the decision, which would've hurt his pride if it was a thousand years ago. But now, it only gave him pride for his son's raw potential that could even surpass his own someday. Yhwach's blood dripped down and stretched out in the form of jagged lines, into the shape of a circle.
"Blut Vene Anhaben."
As Yhwach muttered the words the circle soon became a blue barrier protecting him from any kind of attacks from the outside.
Ichigo released the arrow at the same time the barrier formed, and a streak of red struck the barrier like lightning. The Hollow reiatsu was disintegrating the Blut of the Quincy Emperor, but it wasn't enough to destroy a Blut Vene Anhaben which was immensely stronger compared to the average Blut Vene. As Ichigo's Heilig Pfeil dissolved into sparks of reishi, Yhwach had to grudgingly admit that it could've actually broke through his Blut and injured him.
"I must admit that your Heilig Pfeil holds great advantage against your fellow Quincy." Ichigo scowled, as he wasn't that pleased with Yhwach's evaluation. What kind of Quincy needs advantage against his own kind? Ichigo only hoped that he wouldn't be rejected by the other Quincy because of it.
"Had you fired more than one Heilig Pfeil, I would've been forced to dodge them. But do not be disappointed in my words. You show great promise, and if given time to improve you will become a powerful Quincy in your own right. Also, I give you the right to be called an Echt Quincy, with how the Blut technique comes naturally to you like any other Echt. The Kurosaki will stand proud as one of our own once more." At Yhwach's declaration Ichigo was overjoyed. While he didn't know exactly what was the difference between Echt and Gemischt, his majesty's proud expression was enough to convince him that it was an honor.
"I am most grateful, your majesty." Ichigo bowed with gratitude, which brought out a grin from Yhwach.
"Before you retire to your new personal quarters which Haschwalt will show you, there is a matter of great importance that must be discussed with." Ichigo was confused at first, but soon remembered his words earlier and nodded. "I am truly curious about what you wished to tell, or wanted to ask of me, your majesty."
"Yes, before we start our discussion I shall have to ask you to refrain from any outbursts before I am done with my tale. It is heavily involved with your mother, after all." Yhwach requested, which made Ichigo's eyes widen visibly. He understood why his majesty would want him to keep his temper in check. Anything about his mother was a sensitive topic to him after all.
"There is an old Quincy folklore, the Kaiser Gesang. The sealed Quincy King shall regain his pulse after 900 years. Another 90 years and he shall regain his intellect. After 9 more years he shall regain his strength. After 9 more days, the Quincy King shall regain the world. It isn't just a folklore, but a prophecy that was left by my ability when I fell into a millennia long slumber. A little after one more year, my strength will return to it's fullest. But there was an unforeseen event that occurred almost 8 years ago. In the process of regaining my conscious, my ability acted on its own and forcibly ripped out all impure Quincy's strength to start the process of regaining my strength. Earlier on, Your mother was infected by a pet project of Aizen Sōsuke, which should have caused her soul to kill herself. The exact method of how she sustained her life, I do not know. But she became a Gemischt, impure Quincy that day." Yhwach spoke in a somber tone, saddened from the way everything had to happen. At this point Ichigo had the gist of where this story was heading towards.
"8 years... I had wondered about why she would die to a Hollow which wasn't even on the level of a Menos... I see." Ichigo stated, calming himself in the inside. He wouldn't show the lack of self-control now, when his majesty asked him to keep his calm. Ichigo couldn't understand why his mother had died to a Hollow like Grand Fisher which wasn't all that powerful. Its trickery may prove to be a problem as he himself lost to Grand Fisher because of it, back then when he didn't even know his Zanpakutō's name. But he doubted that it had enough strength to get through his mother's Blut Vene. As far as he knew, Uryū didn't know how to use Blut, and Uryū is more than capable of easily destroying a Hollow that isn't even a Menos. His mother was born as an Echt Quincy, and she obviously could use the Blut since it comes naturally to the Echt. If she had her powers back then, the Hollow would've never stood a chance. But...
"It was unintentional." Ichigo said, causing Yhwach's eyes to widen.
"It was unintentional, and if I were to blame someone it would be the Shinigami. Ever since the Shinigami massacred the Quincy in the Human World, they should've been doing their job properly after they killed off the people who could defend themselves and other humans on their own. And before I even dare to blame you, it should be placed on the very reason of her death, Aizen Sōsuke. So I understand, your majesty." Ichigo calmly stated, while actually directing his anger mostly to the Shinigami for neglecting their duty. He knew his father was powerless at the time and the Visoreds, or Urahara and Yoruichi-san were keeping a low profile since they were exiles. His Substitute Shinigami Badge could alert him when a Hollow appears, so the Grand Fisher being an exception to their methods of tracking down Hollows? It was a ridiculous thought.
"I am quite thankful that you have taken that well. But I'm afraid the next one will be much more harder to keep your calm." At this point Ichigo really didn't want to hear what would come next. He didn't want to hear something like the Shinigami left his mother to die, like Uryū's grandfather. Ichigo knew that if he heard something along the lines of that, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from loathing the Shinigami as a whole.
"I do not know when the Hollow that consumed your mother's soul was purified..." Ichigo knew. It was his father who cut down Grand Fisher who became an Arrancar after all. "Your mother's soul was found in one of the lower district of the Northern Rukongai, the 67th district to be exact. She was found by the 12th Division."
"No..." Ichigo knew what was coming next. He knew it too well, that he wanted it to be nothing more than a lie.
"She was later confirmed to be a Quincy, who lost her powers after her soul was completely dissected..." Yhwach grimaced as he eyed the sight of his son's heartbroken expression, his son shedding tears of grievance. Giselle knew all this, as she had read the recently updated Daten of Kurosaki Ichigo. She silently vowed once more to kill those bastards of the 12th division in the most painful manner. Jugram now understood exactly why his majesty decided to recruit Kurosaki Ichigo. It would be more cruel to let him stay on the Shinigami's side when they were hiding a secret like this to him. And he knew there was more coming.
"The matter was revealed in a Captain's meeting sometime after Aizen's defeat with the report of her death 8 years ago. It was from a Shinigami who happened to be replacing the one who was originally stationed in Karakura Town, as he was needed in Soul Society due to a personal matter. The reports stated that when he saw a Quincy that was supposed to be wiped out a long time ago, instead of interfering and doing his duty he merely observed the situation to see if he could take down both the Quincy and Hollow on his own. There was an explanation of how she seemed to be struck by an unknown attack when she was engaging the Hollow, and how she was in danger of being consumed by the Hollow. The Shinigami didn't interfere and let the Hollow consume her, for it would be more 'convenient' to purify the Hollow when it consumed all the Quincy at the scene, which includes you. He was going to wait until it was done consuming you, but he retreated quickly when he felt the reiatsu of another Hollow that surpassed him easily by tenfold." Ichigo gritted his teeth. He didn't give a damn about the Shinigami now. The Captains knew of this. The Shinigami left both him and his mother to die, only because his mother was a Quincy!
"I think I know exactly what that other Hollow was... Was there the name... of this Shinigami?" Ichigo all but demanded the identity of this Shinigami that left his mother to be consumed by a Hollow. It was because of him that she had to be dissected by the 12th Division in her afterlife when she should've found the peace she deserved, after finally being purified by her own husband.
"It was the 6th seat of the 11th Division at that time, currently the Lieutenant of the 6th Division... His name is Abarai Renji." Yhwach stated, waiting for the outburst that never came.
"I see..." Ichigo said, his voice not showing any trace of anger. "To think that I actually considered him as one of my friends, when he condoned my mother's death, and condemned her to a fate worse than death." Ichigo was actually keeping his head cool, not submitting to the burning rage that was demanding to be released. Or more like compressing the rage inside him, waiting for the right time to fully release it.
Ichigo didn't explode in rage nor did his reiatsu went completely out of control. His reiatsu was actually calmer than ever. For when one was truly furious, the rage would cool down to a freezing numbness. Ichigo felt that it was a lot more easy to keep his cool, since his Quincy Blood within him awakened. It didn't mean that he wasn't burning in the insides, though.
Ichigo knew that he could never be able to see his 'friends' of the Soul Society in the same light as he once did. If they tried to stand in his way he will put them down, hard. If his friends dared to take their side even after they hear about what they have done to his mother, they were no friends of his. Ichigo wondered what his father would say when he learns about the sins of his once comrades.
"Now I see why they distanced me from them, they didn't want to risk any chances of me finding out about it. If it was revealed in the Captain's meeting, would it be right for me to assume that every last one of the Captains were present, your majesty?" Ichigo asked with an icy edge evident in his voice. Giselle could easily see that Ichigo was trying hard to keep his boiling rage contained deep inside of him, and noted to herself to take him to a training ground to vent some of his anger.
"Yes, with the exception of the vacant seat of the 3rd, 5th and 9th Division every Captain was present during the meeting. If you wish it, I shall place an order to leave the 12th Division Captain and Abarai Renji untouched as they should be rightfully yours to deal with." Yhwach suggested, which Ichigo accepted gladly. "I am most grateful at your generosity, your majesty."
Yhwach nodded and waved his hands in dismissal. "Nighttime is nearing, so I'm afraid this meeting has come to an end. Haschwalt, return to your duty after you show Ichigo his quarters. You are all dismissed."
As they stood up to leave the throne room, Yhwach spoke once more, addressing the Sternritter.
"Sternritter Gewelle, I was most impressed at how you carried out the mission with such efficiency. You shall be rewarded greatly in the near future."
"I, I am honored, your majesty!" Giselle almost squealed out with stars in her eyes. Ichigo inwardly thanked Giselle, as his fury which was barely being contained inside cooled down a little at the sight of her happiness. It was really obvious that Giselle worshiped his majesty with all her being, and hearing such words from him would've meant a great deal to her. 'I think... I'll bury my anger inside to be released at the right time, and just feel happy for you at the moment.' Ichigo wondered if Giselle knew just what kind of effect she had on him. It was actually scary to Ichigo, considering the fact that they had known each other for less than a day. It was his first crush so everything he felt was something he had never experienced before, and it scared him to no end.
The three Quincy left the throne room deep in thought about different matters.
Giselle was in a chipper mood from receiving such praise from his majesty, evident from the way her footsteps were almost skipping. But at the same time she was worried about how Ichigo would react when he learned about her Schrift and the part of her personality she hadn't showed him.
Jugram was confused as hell with how Ichigo could use Blut Arterie when he was born as a Gemischt, although his status was an Echt now as his majesty gave him the right to be called one. But just how did he form a Heilig Bogen on his own? Not even a day since Kurosaki Ichigo arrived at Silbern, and he was having a headache because of him, although the thought of how Ichigo would show progress as a Quincy intrigued him at the same time.
Ichigo's mind was in a relatively peaceful state compared to how it was earlier that day, even with all those unpleasant revelations. He now had a purpose and a goal, even if he also developed a stupid crush on a girl he met today. He looked forward to becoming a proper Quincy like his mother, and gaining the power to take his revenge.
While each had different thoughts occupying their head, the same thought crossed their minds at some point. Their life in Silbern was going to become interesting.
I received a lot of positive reviews and PMs on the first chapter, and thank you all for the support.
There was a review stating that I was being quite rude and trans-phobic on the AN of the first chapter. I removed most of it and wrote an apology on the matter. I'll also be careful in my wording in the AN from now on.
I think I wrote the second chapter of the story in a fairly short amount of time, and I hope the quality isn't all that bad due to my hasty work. Especially when I'm not that confident in my writing in the first place. I'm grateful for you guys' reassuring words and all, but I know my work isn't all that great considering the fact that English is my second language.
As far as I know, the TYBW arc starts a month after the end of Lost Agent arc. But I'm giving a gap of a year between them. If you think of the day Auswählen stole Masaki and Katagiri's powers as the start of Yhwach's 9 years of regaining his strength, Masaki died 6 years before the start of canon, meaning it is past 7 years at the point when Ichigo confronts Grand Fisher at the graveyard, and he loses his powers in early November. Lost Agent Arc starts 17 months after, which is 8 years and 11 months past the point so the TYBW arc is supposed to happen in June. Can I build a good enough relationship between Ichigo and the Sternritters in 1 month? I wasn't really sure so I decided to give them a full year. But don't worry, there will be time skips so it won't take too long for the war to start. Just think of Masaki's death happening a year late... I might be making everything a bit too convenient for me... But hey, what's the point in writing a AU fanfic if I don't take advantage of it?
Ichigo's Quincy Cross' motive is the Cross of Saint Peter. I'm not Christian, but I thought it would fit perfectly as Ichigo's Quincy Cross. Well, more like my imagination couldn't bring up something good enough, if I'm being truthful. My initial thoughts were on the kanji-like shape on Tensa Zangetsu's crossguard, but its similarity to the Hakenkreuz made me reconsider it. It actually was changed along with Tensa Zangetsu's blade when Ichigo gained his Fullbring-Bankai, and the only reason I can think of is... Oh well. Since everything involved with Quincy is in German, I really didn't want to bring that into this.
The Soul King part relies heavily on the information released in the novel Can't Fear Your Own World, and the Aizen part is how I interpreted the character. He was an egoistical megalomaniac, so when he found out the truth of the Soul King the thought would've bothered him until he decided to 'Stand in the heavens'.
Urahara being one of the Five Nobility came out from one of my suspicions about Urahara Kisuke. Kisuke was friends with Yoruichi since they were kids, and the Shihōin actually took care of him. If you know how the Four Nobility is treated in canon, Kisuke has to be a noble or it makes no sense with Yoruichi being called a princess and all. Renji couldn't even hang out with Rukia like he used to when they were in the academy after she was adopted into the Kuchiki. So I thought, maybe one of the Five's identity isn't a public knowledge, and only known between the other Four Nobility.
Since the founders of the Five Nobility actually trapped the supposed almighty Soul King, if one of them had a mind on the level of Kisuke it actually maybe have been possible. And Kisuke's connection with the Royal Guards is quite suspicious if you read the comic again...
So Urahara being one of the Five Nobility isn't really all that far-fetched, although the possibility became a lot lower with the involvement of Tsunayashiro...
Q. Why are you giving him Hollow powers?
A. It is a part of Ichigo he was born with, and unlike his Shinigami side it will never accept to be completely cast away. Zangetsu's Hollow side won't accept that. It will serve as a key piece later on. I think it's quite obvious and I'm sure most of you guys will guess correctly about what I'm going to do with it.
Q. What's with this Quincy Blood shit?
A. It actually made Ichigo kill the Soul King in canon, so I thought it was an acceptable reason.
Q. Why did you make Renji the bad guy?
A. I wanted it to be someone who was friendly with Ichigo to push Ichigo's hatred towards the Shinigami, as it really won't give as much impact as I would've wanted if it was just a random Shinigami. Rukia is a definite no, since she showed no sign of knowing Karakura Town before the start of canon(I'm not going to deny that I'm afraid of being flamed if I actually did it). Other than that, Ichigo's friendship is mostly with the Visoreds and Captains or maybe Ikkaku. Ikkaku didn't seem like the guy to do something like that, based on his first appearance at the Soul Society Arc. Renji on the other hand actually left a bad impression when he came to retrieve Rukia. Byakuya was a noble who felt obliged to uphold the law as a part of the Four Nobility, and it was involved with Hisana. Renji was an asshole the whole time, and the way he lost to Ichigo and begged him to save Rukia didn't impress me a bit. So Renji was chosen out of necessity, and the fact that he was the only one I wouldn't lose my sleep if I actually made him the bad guy. Sorry Renji fans, but at least he got a nice role in the TYBW arc and married Rukia in the canon right? I think he already got more than he really deserved. Seriously, Rukia huh...
Since every Quincy skill is named in German in the Wandenreich, Flugbildschritt is what I will call Hirenkyaku for now. Obviously I don't know German so I used the translator, but so does Kubo so I don't think there'll be any problems... Hopefully? Mayuri actually suggests that probably only Ryūken and Uryū uses the term Hirenkyaku after all.
Heiliges Silber : Holy Silver. As I said I don't know German so every non-canon term written in German is from the translator.
I won't bother with the terms that were in the canon.