Disclaimer : I do not own anything from Bleach. If I did, Unohana wouldn't have died in the TYBW arc. Seriously, I wanted to see the younger Shinigami and Quincy's reaction to Yachiru Kenpachi. Unohana Retsu was a bit too much motherly for my taste, but Yachiru Kenpachi was just wow...

Before anyone gets confused in this chapter, Zangetsu is Ichigo's Inner Hollow and 'Zangetsu' is Old-man Zangetsu.

(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. Ichigo may seem a little too vengeful for a few more chapters, but he currently feels betrayed and used by them so he doesn't know who to trust at the moment. He's going to at least have a conversation with his friends from his past. Renji and the 12th Division a.k.a. Mayuri on the other hand...

Main Pairing IchigoXGiselle, IchigoXMulti

The Chariot - VII

Ichigo's Personal Quarters in Silbern, the night Ichigo joined the Wandenreich

As soon as Jugram showed Ichigo his new quarters which would be his for a long time and left, Ichigo and Giselle had a conversation about... well mainly why exactly Giselle stores phials of her own blood in her quarters. Ichigo was appalled at her reasons at first, but he schooled his expression fairly quick to not hurt Giselle's feelings. From what he could tell, Giselle was actually terrified at the thought of telling him about her quirks, and Ichigo honestly didn't want to hurt her no matter how much the thought of turning others into a puppet with her own blood bothered him. He also got a brief idea about what the letters each Sternritters were given held. Giselle's epithet 'The Zombie' gave him a lot to think about, but he was almost certain that it would work out in the end. When Giselle told him about the reasons of her schrift holding that particular power, Ichigo really couldn't help but sympathize to her. It also made him wonder what schrift and ability he would receive when he becomes a Sternritter. He honestly had no idea.

After their talk was done, Ichigo politely declined Giselle's offer to take him to one of the training grounds to blow off some steam. What he needed wasn't the time to blow things up to relieve his stress. No, he needed time to think about everything, mainly his current situation, the vile acts of the 12th Division, the way the Gotei 13's Captains were hiding something of this caliber from him for more than a year and a half, how one of his supposed Shinigami 'friend' was actually the one who let his mother die to Grand Fisher. Well Giselle was one of his reasons too, but it didn't really bother him as much as it was supposed to.

"Friend, my ass. I'm going to fucking kill him." Ichigo growled, no one near him to feel the venom dripping off his words. No one was going to stop him from taking righteous revenge on some of the Shinigami, absolutely no one. When he agreed to come to the Wandenreich with Giselle to at least know the intentions of the emperor, he never thought he would actually be looking forward to the war. But now, everything was fair game to him. They say revenge isn't a good motivation to anything, but Ichigo couldn't help really. All those years he had wallowed in grief and guilt, as a nine year old kid he was devastated by the fact that the main cause of his mother's death was him... and it never got any better over the years although he 'seemed' to be getting over it. Alas, it was only for the sake of his sisters that he buried his thoughts about her death deep inside of him.

And then Goat-chin had to put up a poster of his mother, which really didn't help even a bit. When he saw it he felt many emotions, but at the end it was always guilt that came back to bite him. He thought he had finally found some closure about the matter when his old man killed the Arrancar-turned Grand Fisher as it meant her soul would be free from suffering at last, and she'll finally find her way to Soul Society. But no! The Shinigami had to find a way to make her suffer even more than she already had, something a kind-hearted person like her didn't deserve. All the grief and guilt he felt over those years turned into burning fury for the 12th Division, and then it became outright hatred to the Shinigami when he learned about the involvement of Abarai Renji during the events of his mother's death. Learning his true heritage and what the Shinigami had done to the Quincy over the course of history didn't put them in any higher regard. As if it wasn't enough the very events that turned his friends and family against him was orchestrated by the Shinigami, as they actually found some use to their Substitute Shinigami(whom they discarded when he lost his powers) as a bait no less.

He never trusted the Shinigami as a whole, especially when he learned that they blindly followed the forged orders of the Central 46 who were already killed by Aizen's hands at the time to execute Rukia. If the Central 46 suddenly deemed him as a threat the Gotei 13 would've instantly turned into a foe regardless of the alliance they established. The Shinigami were proud of what they were and looked down on everything other than themselves. It was easily shown in Abarai's choice of words in degrading humans when he came to retrieve Rukia for her execution.

They had a sick bastard who only thought of others as a potential experiment material as a Captain, and it disgusted him to no end. The Soul Society was a heaven only reserved for the Shinigami, normal souls be damned. Considering how his mother was taken from the Rukongai by the 12th Division to be used in their experiments, it wouldn't take a genius to know how they thought of normal souls. Ichigo wasn't naive enough to believe that they were doing it on their own. No, they most certainly had the consent of the others or at least some of them. When the time comes, he wouldn't blink an eye while fighting against them. It didn't matter if they were on friendly terms with him or not, for if they got into his way he wouldn't be as forgiving as he wanted to be when he first made the decision to join the Quincy empire.

Ichigo was always a hot-headed person, whether he liked it or not. There were a few reasons on that aspect of him. For one, his natural orange hair took in a lot of attention to the delinquents of Karakura Town since he was young. They always sought out a fight with him be it because of his reputation being the top dog of Karakura, or the way he usually didn't condone acts of injustice if he could help it. He really was a crybaby and a softie when his mother was alive, but that changed dramatically since her death which was revealed to be at fault of the Shinigami.

Another reason was mainly his father. The way he always tried to catch him off guard, no matter the time or occasion actually gave him a lot of stress. It was a daily routine in the Kurosaki household for years, and the one week his old man actively went out of Ichigo's way to avoid him... It really helped Ichigo to reign in his stress a little, although there was another source of stress at the same time... but when was the last time where there wasn't?

When he lost his powers once more Ichigo vowed to himself, to never leap into situations without thinking again, to think a lot more than he used to. When he realized his Quincy heritage and his Quincy Blood inside him woke up, his somewhat aggressive nature became a lot more easy to control. But there was a limit to all that. If it wasn't for Giselle he doubted that he could've kept his temper through all the shit he heard today. He was on the verge of breaking into pieces before Giselle showed up, and it was only thanks to her that he was out of his week-long depressed state after all.

Then there was another matter that was bothering him. The Final Getsuga Tenshō was supposed to be the end of his powers for good. How did he still have his Hollow and the Shinigami part of him? Ichigo knew that there was only one way to confirm his suspicions. Ichigo took off his uniform and crawled into the bed only wearing his pants, glad that the personal quarters were warm enough to do so. It didn't take long before sleep claimed him, which sent him straight into his inner world as Zangetsu promised.

-line break-

Ichigo's Inner World

As soon as Ichigo found himself lying on the side of a skyscraper, he sighed in relief as he now knew for sure that he still had Zangetsu within him. He didn't really want to use his Shinigami side's power but Zangetsu was a completely different matter. Ichigo stood up and walked up lazily to the top of the skyscraper, feeling nostalgic to be in here once more. He never expected to find himself in his inner world again, even when he learned that he had dormant Quincy powers within him.

When Ichigo reached the top, Ichigo found himself staring at his Zanpakutō spirit and his Inner Hollow. But, he knew that all was not it seemed to be as he believed quite some time ago. The truth that he realized only now was quite different from what he had believed all this time after all.

"Hello Zangetsu-Ossan... or should I say his majesty?" Ichigo asked almost mockingly, but 'Zangetsu' easily accepted that Ichigo deserved to have a go at him. He had hidden many things from him, and at the end it had actually worked out way better than he intended as Ichigo found himself in the servitude of his... improved counterpart, so to speak. But the fact that he had concealed the truth and practically manipulated Ichigo didn't change even if the outcome was more than satisfactory.

"Hey, Kingy! I must say... Ya' really looked pathetic when ya' begged to that motherfucker! And I missed ya' too! Even if ya''ll never admit it, I know it as a part of yer soul ya' know?" It was his Inner Hollow that spoke first before 'Zangetsu' tried to explain himself to Ichigo. But 'Zangetsu' was actually glad as he was somewhat afraid of what kind of thoughts Ichigo would be having about him at the moment. The 'Hollow' was born as a part of Ichigo's soul, so he knew what Ichigo was thinking... but since he was not born the same way the 'Hollow' was, he couldn't do that. Not yet at least. It seemed that the Hollow knew this fact too, judging from the smirk he had on his pale face while he looked at him.

"Well, I must say fuck you. You look as healthy as ever... Zangetsu. I hope you enjoyed the rain at least?" Ichigo deadpanned, at which his white doppelganger made a face that looked like he swallowed a lemon.

"Nah, I fucking hate the rain just like you! And I see that ya finally found out! It's been what, like two years? I've been waiting for this moment, ya' know. But then you had to completely forsake yer Shinigami powers! Thankfully I'm a half Hollow, so it won't really matter anyway if I'm being honest... but I still hate ya for never calling my name properly when you were actually wielding ME all the time!" The real Zangetsu said with a little pout that looked so out of place it made Ichigo chuckle. "But since ya missed me so badly even when you knew me only as yer Hollow I'll forgive ya'." Zangetsu added, which made Ichigo retort immediately in a childish way.

"I did not."

"Ya' sure did!"

"I said I didn't."

"Aww, I'm so touched Kingy! I love ya' too!"

"You're unbelievable." Ichigo said, while facepalming.

"Ya' proved that point when ya' didn't believe me when I said I'm Zangetsu." Zangetsu took a jab at Ichigo which actually made him wince.

"Right, sorry. And I want answers from our resident 'Zangetsu'." Ichigo made a quotation mark in the air to emphasize his point. "So tell me, just why did you fake yourself as my Zanpakutō all this time? And I want to at least know your proper name, not the one that was supposed to be his." Ichigo asked the one he knew as 'Zangetsu' while pointing at the real Zangetsu.

"I... admit that I have kept many things from you, and you truly have the right to be mad at me..." 'Zangetsu' started, which Ichigo interrupted with a small frown.

"Whoever said that I'm mad at you? Even if you faked yourself as my Zanpakutō spirit, just knowing that little fact doesn't make me instantly distrust you or outright hate you, you know. You were always calm, stern, and rational as expected from you, considering what you really represent. You fought alongside me every single battle I went through, with Zangetsu..." Ichigo once more pointed his thumb at the real Zangetsu, which made Zangetsu smirk at finally being acknowledged by his name.

"What I'm asking you is your reasons that made you to take such measures. I still believe you as I did back then when I had my Shinigami powers, the difference being me also trusting him. I did have a small suspicion that he was actually trying to help me at the end, thinking that if he really wanted to take control over me, he could've done so when my resolve wasn't all that strong. When I tried to learn the Final Getsuga Tenshō, the way you two worked together to stop me from learning it was a giveaway. Now that I know it was the truth all along I have come to trust him completely, and the same still goes for you. So just tell me the whole truth." Ichigo concluded, making Zangetsu grin like a mad-man with glee. To be trusted completely by his wielder was a feeling he yearned for all those years, and it was only second best to his fights with his King. While the way Ichigo feared him was quite hilarious, that didn't mean it didn't upset him after all.

'Zangetsu' truly had no idea how Ichigo could still trust him, even when Ichigo probably knew that he had been manipulating him to his liking. Since Ichigo had to go through the one event that actually changed him even more than his mother's death, he became a lot more thoughtful, perceptive and level-headed. It truly was a welcome situation even if it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, considering the fact that Ichigo was now a proud Quincy, for Ichigo wouldn't have made a good Quincy if he was the same naive teenager he used to be when he was a Substitute Shinigami.

"I never wanted you to become a Shinigami, Ichigo. I had good enough reasons to be against the idea of you becoming one of them... I always wanted you to be safe, and if you were to be involved with the likes of them I knew nothing good would come from it. The very incident that lead you to Yhwach is a prime example of it, and I hate Aizen with all my being for he was the reason you were dragged into it all. But the most important reason was quite simple. I knew that Yhwach would return from the very start, and the confrontation with him in the war would be inevitable if you were to choose to side with the Shinigami. I know how powerful Yhwach truly is as I was born from the very blood that flows in all Quincy which is Yhwach's, but due to your unique heritage I became a separate entity from him. But my name is a different matter in truth." 'Zangetsu' paused for a moment to see if Ichigo was following, and continued when he saw Ichigo nodding to him.

"I never was your Zanpakutō spirit at the start, but as our bond deepened I was given the possibility of becoming your Zanpakutō spirit. So you see, while I never was originally born as Zangetsu, if you choose to acknowledge me as Zangetsu I truly can become one. While you have decided against using your powers as a Shinigami, your Zanpakutō will always be with you no matter what. Whether you acknowledge me as one of your Zanpakutō is completely up to you, and I personally hope that you choose not to as I see myself undeserving to be given the honor of becoming a Zanpakutō spirit of someone like you, Ichigo."

"Please, cut the crap Old-man Zangetsu. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not. I'm going to call you Old-man Zangetsu like how I always did, and I'll call him Zangetsu like he deserved all this time. Did you really think that I would just say 'Fine. You don't deserve to be called Zangetsu.' or something like that?" Ichigo asked in an almost exasperated tone. Just where did the Old-man Zangetsu who told him all those fancy words he took into his heart disappear?

Old-man Zangetsu felt a newfound bond forming between him and Ichigo, now that he truly acknowledged him as Zangetsu. He could feel the trust Ichigo had to both Zangetsu as in literally, as their souls became connected as one. He understood just how painful it would've been for the original Zangetsu when he agreed to his suggestion, which made him actually respect the Hollow-Zanpakutō hybrid greatly at his willingness to protect Ichigo, even if it meant he had to feel Ichigo's distrust and fear of the Hollow side of him directly.

"I guess not..." Old-man Zangetsu admitted sheepishly, which made Zangetsu erupt in laughter. "And I suppose I owe you an apology for the decision you had to make when you agreed to my plan... I apologize for your unpleasant experience you had to go through because of it." Old-man Zangetsu bowed slightly to Zangetsu who replied with a shrug. "Eh, it's no biggie. I would do anything to protect Kingy even if I have to make him come back to life when he drops dead. Oh wait, I already did!" Zangetsu cackled madly, causing Old-man Zangetsu to facepalm while Ichigo sighed in annoyance.

"So I get that you had your reasons... Obviously you never expected me to join the Wandenreich, right? Since your main reason was to stop me from getting killed by his majesty... I can understand that. But why did you think that I wouldn't join him?" Ichigo asked, quite curious of Old-man Zangetsu's answer.

"It was based on what I know of the Yhwach during the first war a thousand years ago. I have all of Yhwach's memories, which allows me to understand what kind of man Yhwach was at that time to an almost perfect level. But alas, it seems that Yhwach has changed drastically since his thousand-year slumber. He genuinely cares about his children as of now, and he really wasn't trying to deceive you during your conversation. I would've noticed any attempts since my understanding of Yhwach is almost on the same level as him, if not better. While he has changed greatly, small habits still exist the same after all..." Old-man Zangetsu said with certainty. "And the way you joined the Wandenreich was the outcome of the situation you found yourself in, and the truth you learned. I doubt that anyone would've thought it possible in my place." Ichigo nodded in agreement.

"You know, why didn't you teach me about my Quincy heritage back then? Even if you didn't want me to become a Shinigami, I already was involved in the afterlife at that point. Don't you suppose that you had no reason to not teach me about it? I would have greatly appreciated it, considering that it probably was the only thing left that connects me to my mom." Ichigo said and noticed the clouds gathering at the same time. His mother really was a touchy subject to him, especially today. He tried not to think about it too hard for now, since he hated the rain which was a sentiment all three of them shared. Old-man Zangetsu seemed to be thinking hard about his question while Zangetsu was swinging the Khyber knife-like Zanpakutō out of boredom.

"I guess there really was no reason for me to not tell you about it, but I didn't want my little act as your Zanpakutō to end at that time so if the thought came across my mind I think I would've just waved it off." Old-man Zangetsu said, at which Zangetsu added a piece of his mind. "Bastard, he deserved to know. She is kinda my mom too, ya know."

'Considering the fact that he was born as a part of my soul, I guess it makes sense...' Ichigo wondered how his mother would've reacted to Zangetsu's behavior, which didn't take long. 'Yup, he would've been grounded for a lifetime if not more.'

"Oh, by the way Kingy! I noticed that ya finally took some interest into a chick! While I understand why ya' took a big deal of liking to her, I would've preferred someone more..." Zangetsu motioned his hands as if he was groping something which made Ichigo blush immediately.

"Have some shame you idiot! And what do you mean by understanding why I'm interested in Giselle? How the hell do you understand something I don't?" Ichigo shouted out loud while trying hard not to blush, which failed completely if his reddened cheeks were any indication.

"Nuh-uh, not telling! Besides, I'm basically your somewhat more instinctual side, so your preference is the same as me... and there is no such thing as shame to instincts!" Zangetsu said, making Ichigo's blush deepen in color instead of returning to its normal state.

"If it helps, I have the same preference as well." At this point Ichigo's jaw dropped, making him wonder just what in the hell was wrong with his head if he was seeing things like this! "Did... did you just tease me? With him?" Ichigo waved to Zangetsu in disbelief, while Zangetsu burst out in another fit of crazed laughter.

"Okay, seriously though. How am I able to use Blut as naturally as I can use my hands if it's not something that's supposed to come naturally to Gemischt Quincy?" Ichigo voiced his question while also changing the subject, as he really wasn't all that familiar with Quincy business. Although he was technically an Echt now since his majesty gave him the right, but he was still curious about it.

"I can only say that you are truly an Echt and nothing more. If I were to guess, it must be something along the lines of you being born with all three major aspects of the soul, Ichigo. I doubt that your sisters would be like you, considering the fact that only you were born with all three in the beginning." Old-man Zangetsu stated, which didn't satisfy Ichigo all that much.

"Well, I guess that's the best I'll get..." Ichigo muttered in disappointment. And a second later, his head perked up so fast that he could hear a snapping sound, soon followed by stinging pain. "Oh, my god! Are ya'... trying to make... me laugh to death, Kingy?" Zangetsu choked out the words while barely staying up on his feet.

"Fuck... you! It's something important you moron! What do you mean I was born... with the Hollow part? I thought it was the result of my shattered shaft training?" Ichigo asked, confused by the unexpected information while rubbing his neck.

"Well, I suppose it would be my story to tell. Ya' see, my origin was an artificially born Vasto Lorde class Hollow that was one of Aizen's experiments. Its original target was yer dad, but it ended up infecting yer mom instead at the last moment. I don't know the story of how yer mom survived when the infection would've made her soul kill herself, but I can only guess that it is a story only yer dad and maybe Urahara knows. So that Hollow part came from yer mother when ya' were born, which merged with your Zanpakutō during its forming process, which made me what I am now." Zangetsu tried to explain what he knew of at the best in his knowledge, which earned a growl from Ichigo. "So everything comes back to Aizen. You know what? I'll be damned if I don't see Aizen made the new Soul King with my own eyes."

"Well, he fucking deserves it so I'm all for it King." Zangetsu voiced his support while starting to swing the Zanpakutō again, while Old-man Zangetsu nodded in agreement and closed his eyes.

As Ichigo watched Zangetsu wielding the familiar Zanpakutō, Ichigo wasn't really sure if he was actually doing something very wrong to him. Ichigo asked the two spirits a rather sensitive question, which was bothering him greatly. "Are you two okay with me not wielding Zangetsu in battle? Even if you are half Hollow, your other half is still a Zanpakutō and... Well I'm not entirely sure about your thoughts Old-man Zangetsu, but you are my Zanpakutō too."

Both Zangetsu eyed each other for a moment before they answered Ichigo's question confidently.

"Nah, as you said I'm half Hollow, half Zanpakutō. If I was a normal Zanpakutō I would've been fucking pissed at ya', but I'm as much normal as you are King." Zangetsu smirked, taking a small jab at Ichigo not being normal at all, but soon pouted as Ichigo didn't seem to notice it.

"I was a manifestation of your Quincy powers first hand. So, no it does not bother me that much."

Ichigo nodded in relief at his Zanpakutō spirits, as he was quite worried that his decision might have made them upset. He didn't really know if he should be thankful that his Zanpakutō was nowhere near normal like himself or not. Ichigo did notice the jab but purposely chose not to retort for the sole purpose of pissing off Zangetsu.

"So, basically as long as I use my Hollow and Quincy powers you two won't have a problem." Ichigo stated to make sure that he understood the situation correctly, which prompted the two spirits to nod in an affirmative manner. "Fine by me. And there won't be a problem for me when I'm using both Hollow and Quincy powers I take it? As far as I know, Hollow reiatsu is poisonous to Quincy." Ichigo asked.

"King, how did ya' think ya' survived all this time with both Hollow and Quincy reiatsu in ya'?" Zangetsu asked, almost feeling nostalgic at the sight of his King questioning something obvious like he used to do. He did like the old Ichigo more as he was more prone to listen to his instincts after all. But the new King was a little more deserving of the title, even if he was serving under an emperor at the moment. Well, some kings did serve the emperors at the time in history... And besides, he would pester him until he fights with his instincts again if he didn't.

"Point taken... and stop giving me that look. I know it was a stupid question." Ichigo sighed in annoyance, causing Zangetsu to howl in laughter again. Ichigo couldn't help but rub his temple, due to a headache caused mainly by Zangetsu. Sure he actually did miss him, but Zangetsu still was the definition of annoying. "So, Old-man Zangetsu. You said that you have all the memories of his majesty, right?" Ichigo asked, receiving a grunt of confirm. "Does that mean I can learn any Quincy techniques that were in his memories from you?"

"Yes, I intended to do so even before you asked. You'll need to be stronger than if you're to participate in the upcoming war as a Sternritter..." Old-man Zangetsu agreed, actually quite eager to teach Ichigo everything he knew. If it was inevitable, he would do his best to keep Ichigo safe.

"Oi, King! I'll teach ya' how to use mine too! Just think about using both Hierro and Blut Vene as your defense! I bet even Kenpachi's gonna have trouble trying to cut through it! And how about a Gran Rey Cero powered by your Blut Arterie? It's gonna be the new definition of fucking badass!" Zangetsu butted in not wanting to be left out, which was surprisingly agreed by Old-man Zangetsu. "Even I must admit, the synergy that would come as the result of combining those skills would be beyond anything each could offer separately. Especially when Gran Rey Cero is basically a Cero reinforced by blood, Blut Arterie would increase its destructive nature immensely."

"Sure, why not? As long as it doesn't kill me during the process I don't see any reason to refuse. But I think I shouldn't use it against or near the other Quincy." Ichigo replied while shrugging nonchalantly, as it was the least he could do for Zangetsu when he was basically refusing to use half of him after all. He wasn't all that comfortable with having a Hollow inside of him back then, but now he knew the truth and found himself not caring about it at all.

"But I must warn you, Ichigo. Yhwach was a man who cared little about his 'children' as he calls Quincy back then. While I know that a thousand years is enough to change anyone, you should still be aware of what he could become at his lowest..." Old-man Zangetsu warned Ichigo, as Yhwach was a man more deserving of the title tyrant instead of a monarch in his memories of the first war.

Ichigo seemed to be deep in thought at the warning, but soon he came to a conclusion and asked Old-man Zangetsu a question. "You said there was no attempt to deceive me back in the throne room, right?" Old-man Zangetsu nodded, understanding where Ichigo was going with this. "Then I'll save my judgement until later. I think I can trust him to some degree at the moment, but I'll keep your warning in mind. And besides, as long as I prove myself to be useful I won't be thrown away, so I'll be fine..."

Old-man Zangetsu couldn't suppress the frown showing up on his face, as he was greatly displeased with what Ichigo had to go through recently. He had disliked the Shinigami since the beginning, considering the little fact that he was born from the blood of Yhwach that flows in Ichigo. But after what Ichigo had to suffer mainly because of the Shinigami... It became more like hate instead of dislike. How could he not? After the whole Fullbring incident Ichigo seemed to change greatly, apparently the change was something seemingly for the better. But as a part of Ichigo, Old-man Zangetsu knew that it wasn't all positive influence to him as Ichigo was broken because of it to some degree.

Sure, Ichigo had looked back at his actions and decided to learn from it and vowed to never let the same thing happen again. Ichigo became more perceptive and thoughtful, finally using his natural smarts at its fullest. But Ichigo's pride suffered greatly when he had to beg to Tsukishima. He gained an insecurity due to the Shinigami breaking off all contact with him when he was no longer useful to them, and it became worse when he found out that he was used by them as a mere bait when he wasn't useful. While all the actions his friends and sisters took against him weren't theirs to blame, it hurt him all the same and broke his heart, a lot. Old-man Zangetsu was sure that Ichigo still wanted to solve the situation with his hands, but Ichigo probably knew that everything wouldn't go back to the way it was like he first thought when he accepted the Wandenreich's offer.

At the same time, Zangetsu gritted his teeth in anger. The Shinigami were the cause of the biggest grief in his King's life, and his involvement with the afterlife started from the plot of a Shinigami turned traitor. Almost every event that happened during his time as a Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo had to constantly fight for his or other's lives. Ichigo even died once in the process, and lost his powers twice. And then it turns out that they were concealing a very important information about one of their divisions dishonoring their mom after her death, as if what they did to her when she was alive wasn't enough! He himself was one of the cause she had suffered which was a result of Aizen's schemes, and he knew just how fucked up Ichigo's family was due to the Shinigami. He would be damned if he let Ichigo be hurt by them more than they already did.

"Alright, so lets start with the training. Since you seem to be itching to do something, you're going to teach me first Zangetsu. And I suppose I should use Zangetsu in here when I'm learning from you..." Ichigo closed his eyes and concentrated, and a moment later his Zanpakutō appeared in his hands... vastly different compared to the Zangetsu in his memory. "Since when did my Zanpakutō look this cool... and became a dual-wield Zanpakutō?"

In his right hand Ichigo held a completely white Khyber knife-shaped sword which was about the size of the original Zangetsu in its Shikai, while an arm-length Trench knife-shaped sword was held in his left hand, a full black colored one that contrasted with the other blade. He also noticed that the right one had a hollowed-out portion which he understood its nature instantly, due to the reiatsu it emitted.

"The white one is obviously yours, Zangetsu. I can feel the Hollow reiatsu in it, while the other one gives off the feeling of a Quincy's reiatsu. So what brought this change other than the fact that I acknowledged you as one of my Zanpakutō spirits?" Ichigo asked, curious at the change of his Zanpakutō.

"I believe I can explain about it, Ichigo. You see, the old Zanpakutō you knew as yours was a faux Zanpakutō. It was never properly formed from an Asauchi, so it's only natural that it never really was your true Zanpakutō... Since I withheld most of your powers during that time it was an incomplete one, and a fake at that." Ichigo stared in disbelief at Old-man Zangetsu's revelation about him suppressing most of his powers. "Seriously? Now I get why you seemed to be so worried that I would resent you..."

"Yes, and I believe I've already told you my reasons in my actions... I always wanted you to be safe, and we always allowed just enough power for you to use when you were truly in danger. Although there was a miscalculation one time, which actually resulted in your death." Old-man Zangetsu sighed in shame of himself, only to be interrupted by Ichigo.

"Whatever, I don't really care about what you two did in the past at this point. It's the same reason that I don't hate my dad about how he hid things for me. Am I a little mad about what you did? Sure. But I don't hate either of you, so just suck it up and get over your guilt. Got it?" Old-man Zangetsu nodded hesitantly. "Good. So, this is what my real Zanpakutō is huh? And this smaller blade represents you since you actually became one of my Zanpakutō, right?" Old-man Zangetsu nodded, which made Ichigo laugh to the two spirit's surprise.

"Well, at least I get to wield my real Zanpakutō when I'm learning from you two. I highly doubt that I could get my hands on an Asauchi, and I'm still not sure if I actually want to either. Anyway, let's get started Zangetsu. Don't go easy on me even if I'm way out of practice right now. I always did learn faster when I was fighting a losing battle, didn't I?" Ichigo asked with a small grin, which Zangetsu returned with his own full-blown one.

"Ya' sure did, King! Get ready to get yer ass whooped, cuz the first thing I'm gonna teach ya'... is how to form your Hierro!" Zangetsu swung his blade at Ichigo with a gleeful expression, overjoyed with the fact that he was finally going to get his long overdue fight with Ichigo.

"And you didn't feel the need to tell me the instructions?" Ichigo answered, blocking Zangetsu's slash with ease.

"Hollows are all about instinct, Kingy! If you don't want to get hurt, you'll learn how to use it!" Zangetsu cackled with glee, slashing madly which Ichigo did have trouble following. Ichigo grimaced as he found himself nowhere close to his fighting skills before he lost his powers. Ichigo winced as Zangetsu slashed his left arm, only to be blocked completely by Ichigo's Blut Vene. "You know, Zangetsu... You'll need to do better than that if you're actually going to cut my Blut!" Ichigo taunted while ducking to avoid a slash aimed for his neck, and then kicked Zangetsu in the gut.

"Oh... Getting cocky are we King? Well, it's your funeral! Getsuga Tenshō!" Zangetsu released a white burst of energy with the reddish light of a Cero which was cut in half by a smirking Ichigo.

"Let's up the game, shall we? Bankai!" Ichigo called out with his two blades overlapped, but soon blinked in confusion as nothing happened.

"Ya' can't use that Bankai yet, King. Yer body won't be able to withstand its power. On the other hand, I have no such qualms! Bankai!" Zangetsu released a pillar of red and black reiatsu, while Ichigo merely gaped at his new Zanpakutōs. His body won't be able to withstand its power? Just how powerful was he at his fullest when Old-man Zangetsu wasn't purposely keeping his power at bay? He was brought out of his thoughts when he 'knew' Zangetsu's attempt to cut him from behind.

"Hmm? Ya' weren't supposed to be able to react to that speed, Kingy!" Zangetsu said with a small frown, which caused Ichigo to chuckle lightly.

"It's simple really, Zangetsu. Instincts! My body knew you were attacking on its own, and I just followed suit. You thought I would be fighting with my brain again, didn't you?" Ichigo smirked as he saw Zangetsu's expression which was somewhere between being proud at him, and wanting to strangle him. "I wouldn't forget the lessons you two taught me over our fights. And I said don't go easy on me! If you aren't gonna do your best to beat me down, I will! Getsuga Tenshō!"

"Ah, shit! Getsuga Tenshō!"

Zangetsu was barely able to overpower Ichigo's blue Getsuga with his own as he formed a black mask with two horns pointing frontwards, and two white lines running down vertically over his eyes, his hair now reaching his waist. Ichigo recognized it as Zangetsu looked exactly the same when they met the last time in his inner world during his training to learn the Final Getsuga Tenshō.

"Well, now I understand why I thought I would look real badass if my hair was longer..." Ichigo muttered.

"It does look badass, but it's annoying as hell! Don't tell me yer going to grow it, cuz mine will grow the same if you do..." Zangetsu whined in reply causing Ichigo to roll his eyes.

Ichigo wondered if he could still form a mask like Zangetsu did, so he decided to see for himself. Ichigo raised his hands up to his face and dragged it down, just like how he did when he formed his mask. He wasn't all that sure about its success since he couldn't use his Bankai now, but to his surprise he felt the mask forming instantly on his face with his hair now reaching his waist like Zangetsu. The only difference other than their color was that he was wearing his old Shihakusho while Zangetsu was in his Bankai form. Ichigo checked out his reflection on his longer blade, and couldn't help but comment about his appearance.

"I think mine looks a little more menacing, Zangetsu."

"Fuck you!"

As Zangetsu disappeared with a buzz, Ichigo recognized the technique as an Arrancar's Sonido and tensed his body. Zangetsu used his Sonido at full speed to try and catch Ichigo off-guard, but was blocked easily in the same way a little while ago. But this time Zangetsu simply kept using Sonido to strike from different directions without holding back. Zangetsu had absolutely no idea how Ichigo was wielding two blades so naturally, but it was annoying him to no end since the one actually receiving clean hits were him, due to Ichigo's method of blocking his attacks with his longer blade while counter-attacking with his shorter one. Zangetsu used Sonido once more to put some distance between him and Ichigo, and lowered his head, a red flaming Cero forming between his horns.

Ichigo instinctively mimicked Zangetsu's actions, as he knew that nothing short of a Getsuga Tenshō would be able to negate it completely. Ichigo's own Cero formed instantly, right on time as Zangetsu fired his Cero.

"Cero!" The two Hollowfied voices shouted at the same time, the two beams of energy clashing to show their dominance over the other which resulted in an explosion that engulfed the whole area. Ichigo took the initiative and used Shunpo to close the distance and slashed down with both his blades, but he gasped as his Zanpakutō cut through the air while Zangetsu's blade found its way to Ichigo's torso, and succeeding in overpowering Ichigo's Blut Vene. The gash left on his flesh was covered in white foam, and soon disappeared as if he was never cut in the first place.

"Ah, yer learning everything out of the order I wanted to teach ya'! Cero and instant regeneration... But ya' still need to get a grasp on Hierro, and I suppose ya' need to learn Sonido too, since ya' ain't gonna use yer Shinigami powers other than our fights. Hirenkyaku, Shunpo, and Sonido all have each of their ups and downs so even if yer gonna learn Hirenkyaku from the Quincy chick you should at least know how to use Sonido, efficiently if possible. We have almost a year to learn everything ya' need before the war, and considering how ya' completely wrecked the Soul Society when ya weren't even trying that hard... The Shinigami won't know what hit them!" Zangetsu cackled madly, and Ichigo agreed with his thoughts.

"Yeah, I suppose I could use something like Sonido in my arsenal since I'm still not all that sure about whether to use my Shinigami powers or not. It does seem like a stupid idea to not use something I can, you know... And I think a year is going to be more than enough to learn new skills, but the more important part is to make them my own and refine it. So, up for round two?"

"Ya' bet, King! Bring it!"

The Hollowfied Quincy and his half Hollow-Zanpakutō clashed once more with matching grins under their masks, while Old-man Zangetsu was observing their fight from a distance with a faint smile. 'You are going to become greater than anyone other than you could only hope to be, Ichigo. I... we'll make sure of it.'

Kurosaki Clinic, the day after Ichigo joined the Wandenreich.

"So, you couldn't find him? You of all people couldn't? How is that even possible, Yoruichi!" A middle-aged man with a goatee yelled at Yoruichi in her cat form, which annoyed her greatly.

"Oh? And do tell me, what's with your tone when I was the one who searched everywhere in Karakura Town to find out the whereabouts of your son...? Kisuke and I were practically forced into our position in this mess, but you have no such excuse Isshin. You were the one who made the decision to avoid your own son, to give him some time to cool down as you put it! You should've dealt with the situation with your own hands when your daughters were involved! Ichigo is a selfless person when it comes to the people close to him, and you of all people should've known that he would be affected deeply by this more than anyone!" Yoruichi directed a glare at Isshin as she was having her own problems about the whole incident. She could've put a stop to it as easily as any Captain from the Soul Society could, and it wasn't like they could find her again even if she was declared an exile once more, since if she didn't want to be found by anyone she could stay that way.

"I... I'm sorry. I'm just worried about Ichigo. I made a mistake trying to avoid him, but I thought he wouldn't be ready to talk about why everything happened the way it did." Yoruichi snorted at Isshin's reply.

"More like you were afraid to face him when his own sisters became involved with the matters of the Soul Society, and you allowed it to happen. I'm not even sure why you let the Soul Society use your son as a bait... I'm honestly a little disgusted at that. Get real, Isshin! You aren't a part of the Gotei 13 anymore, and your obligation belongs to your family first, not the Soul Society." At Yoruichi's harsh words Isshin could only look down in shame, as he knew that it was the truth.

"Before I leave... I'm going to keep my efforts on the matter, but I won't make any promises. There is a possibility that Ichigo may have been taken to Yhwach, and in that case it's practically impossible to find him. Just pray that he isn't with the Quincy, Isshin. If Ichigo found out that his mother was a Quincy, he might not trust you anymore with everything you hid from him." Yoruichi jumped out of the open window, leaving Isshin to his own thoughts.

'Karin and Yuzu are back to their usual selves now that you aren't here, Ichigo. I made a mistake, and I'm not sure if you'll ever forgive me for what you had to suffer because of it...'

Isshin turned his head to the poster of Masaki, his eyes moist from the guilt and anxiety. Masaki probably would've kicked his ass so hard for what he did to Ichigo if she was still alive. He no longer wished for Ichigo to forgive him for his actions, or rather inaction to be precise. He could only hope for the safety of his son, and prayed that Yhwach didn't have his hands on Ichigo. For if he did, their family reunion wouldn't be remotely close to a joyful one if it actually did happen.

Another chapter done, albeit a bit short! Will be revised in a day's time for minor spelling and grammar errors.

The reason I'm using Tarot cards as the Chapter title is because it's way more convenient than thinking up a title with my poor creativity...

'The Tower' was used in Chapter 2 as Ichigo's view of the world changed drastically, since most of the truth that were hidden from Ichigo was revealed at last. The tower Ichigo built on the beliefs of his past life crumbles to dust and he'll start to rebuild it from scratch, and it will be obviously for the better since in this fanfic the Wandenreich isn't the bad guys. I don't think the Quincy were the evil ones even in the canon. Yhwach was evil to some degree in the canon, but the novel CFYOW changed my view on Bleach a lot, and that was why this fanfic was born with a better Yhwach.

'The Chariot' is used in this Chapter's title. Ichigo set his sight on becoming a Quincy that his mother would've been proud of, and taking his rightful revenge. He is determined to overcome any kind of obstacles that might get in his way, even if the said obstacle has ties with his past. How the half Hollow Zangetsu and Quincy Zangetsu came to balance within Ichigo is also another reason I chose that one. I wasn't sure if 'The Moon' in reverse would've been the better fit or not, since even though I'm using Tarot cards in the titles I'm no expert at it...

This Chapter ended up shorter than my liking, considering the time I took from my last update. If I'm to be honest, I was spending a lot of time on Youtube and playing The Binding of Issac - Repentance. I think I'll put some more time into writing this story from now on, so feel free to expect the next chapter soon enough with the usual 10k+ words.

I said I was going to use a different term for Hirenkyaku in this story, but I thought Hirenkyaku would fit in better for the dialogue between Ichigo and Zangetsu. It's going to be referred as Flugbildschritt between the other Quincy so I hope no one gets confused because of it.

My little fight scene between Ichigo and Zangetsu was so unsatisfactory, that if my future fight scenes won't improve I might have trouble on continuing to write this story. I'll try to to write the fights better when the real war part starts.

And I'm currently having second thoughts about the pairings. The main is Giselle and will stay Giselle. It won't change until this fanfic ends up discontinued or complete. I did say I'll stick to the single pairing and may write a separate story with the others, but I think the Ichigo in my story would get along with them really well... If I do choose to go for the multi pairing, I'll try my best to make it somewhat reasonable. Not that a polygamous relationship is something even remotely close to reasonable in reality...