Fracturing Skies

by ShilaMazeri

Two parallel universes collide with devastating consequences for both. Magic, Beasts, Vampires, Werewolves, and several OCs. See summary within. AU Bleach with some canon material that diverges (things are not always as they seem *hint* *hint*) OP Ichigo that is earned. biggest divergence begins in CH10 at the end of Shattered Shaft. Romance and Hurt/Comfort themes.

11. Chapter 11

61

Fracturing Skies: Chapter 11. Draft 1

Chapter Eleven

-Lesson 3-

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Welcome back to Chapter 11 of Fracturing Skies!

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Thank you to the one person that has followed the story and favorited it. It really means a lot and I hope you enjoy it!

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NOTICE! This story is being listed as a Mature Audiences story due to impending dark themes, blood and gore, swearing, and maybe, later on, some sexual themes/limes/lemons.!

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XXX!Note: There is talk about male-male sexual interaction and being gay or coming to terms with one's homosexuality or rejecting it entirely. This will be a topic that comes up from time to time in the storyline, whether implicitly or explicitly, along with an acceptance and hatred of such behavior. I will do my best to be respectful of the topic and anything that results in it. And while the story itself will not be focused on such behavior, there is a possibility of such storylines expanding while the timeline diverges from the Bleach universe.

There is also a possibility of multiple partners/bisexuality that may or may not be explored (depends on where the characters go. I haven't mapped these specific details out because it wasn't the entire focus of the story, just meant as background noise, but here is a warning just in case it does get expanded so you all know my thoughts going forward.)

There is also some depression and suicidal thoughts/ideation (beyond Rukia's own in the story although I am expanding on some of this). One of the genres of this story is Hurt/Comfort and dealing with conflicting emotions and realizations about who someone is and who they want to be (they are teenagers, after all) will be covered as this story continues on. Just a warning in case anyone is triggered by these sorts of things. (everyone that has watched/read the anime should already know about Rukia's issues between Kaien and Ichigo but now I am adding other characters and expanding on some of the stuff that wasn't expanded on a whole lot in canon. Seemed to me that Rukia just…moved on after she was saved, and I felt that it didn't do the premise justice. After holding such guilt and self-loathing for so long—and even though she was a strong woman—it should have taken a little while longer to work through all of those negative self-thoughts and set herself straight again). !XXXX

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I have seen people put disclaimers at the beginning of their stories. So, I will do the same.

***I do NOT own Bleach, nor any of the characters associated with that universe. *****

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Speaking guide:

Normal text.

Thinking.

"Spoken out loud."

'Weapon speaking. White Zangetsu speaking.'

'Old Man Zangetsu speaking.'

Spoken/felt through an Imprint. Primary Wavelength. Blood Imprint.

'Spoken/felt through an Imprint. Secondary Wavelength.'

"Spoken/felt through an Imprint. Tertiary Wavelength."

Essence ribbon/Spirit ribbon sensing.

'Essence Aura/Spiritual Pressure sensing.'

Mental communication outside an imprint.

'Mental communication through a connection. Not a spell or Imprint. Blood Tie communication is marked like this. Miseanu Meizerai communicates like this.'

"Recalling what someone else said."

I think they are thinking this with their face.

I am recalling something I read to myself. Blood Memories are written this way.

"I am reiterating what I read or heard about out loud. Blood Memories are talked about out loud this way."

I am dwelling on what happened or how I felt.

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*Name* is indicating the character the following passage is told from.

*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*

*Chapter 11: Lesson 3*

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*Ichigo Kurosaki*

The tail attached to his tailbone was white and black, split lengthwise with the white on his left and the black on his right. Down the white side was a red line and down the black was a white line. It shifted and twisted easily, reminding him of a lizard's tail—or even a cat's tail. It danced to his thoughts, moving as he directed like it was part of his own body and always had been. Giving it a gentle tug made him hiss in pain, the appendage shrieking in stabbing agony when he pulled. Okay, so that's attached and not coming off. What the hell else is different?

Setting aside the tail issue for a moment, he glanced cautiously at the rest of his body. While he had acknowledged all the necessary appendages as existing, he decided to inspect each part to ensure there were no more surprises. Both his legs appeared fine, scuffed but fine. His back twinged painfully and felt like it was bruising, the skin throbbing in silent protest. His arms were scratched all to hell, with both of them bearing thin gashes where the bleeding had already stopped.

His hands were an entirely different story. While the right hand was almost normal—although it sported a black glove that felt more like armor and was apparently impossible to remove, his left hand was pale, the normally tanned skin bleached white. And his fingernails were replaced with short, black claws. W-what the hell is this?! He just stared at his hands, mouth agape in panic and brown eyes blown wide.

What the hell happened to me?! Why do I look like a hollow?!

Oh my God… Ichigo pressed his hands to his face, feeling the hardened mask adhered to his skull. Panicked, he found the bottom of the mask and gave it a gentle tug, somewhat surprised to discover it pop off his skin and land easily in his palms. He flipped it over, nearly fumbling it as his hands shook, staring at it in silence. He didn't know what to think. What to feel. Panic, shock, and confusion rolled through his body and distantly he felt himself start to gasp and sweat, trembling in place as he just stood there, freaking out.

Oh my God…this is a hollow mask. Am I a hollow?!

How the hell is this possible?! I got out of there in time!

…didn't I?

Ichigo?

Ichigo heard a voice. It sounded like Jonas's. The orange-haired teen spun around to see that his silver-haired twin had gotten to his feet and seemed just as shaky as he was, his limbs trembling with overexertion. He had wiped the blood from this face with a torn piece of fabric, but Ichigo could still see the prominent canines poking between his lips. And Jonas wouldn't meet his eyes, staring instead at his sword that was still on the ground. Ichigo's eyebrows shot up into his hairline and he ran his left hand across his neck, wincing as his claws tugged at his skin. When he pulled his hand away, it came away bloody, but not before he felt the puncture wounds in his neck.

Ichigo slipped the mask into his shihakusho and grabbed the front of Jonas's shirt with his right hand, somewhat pleased when the other teen flinched. "What the hell did you do to me?!"

What I had to, a voice responded. Again, it sounded like Jonas's. But he was certain his twin hadn't spoken. His mouth never moved.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Ichigo growled, his jaw tense and belying the apology. He was pissed, furious, and couldn't understand how someone could do something like this to another person. How could someone force another to turn into a hollow? A monster?! He narrowed his eyes as Jonas finally met his gaze and pushed him back.

"I said that I did what I had to do!" Hurt. Pain. Anger. Rage. Confusion. Ecstasy. Disgust. Satisfaction. Sorrow. Apprehension. Nausea. All the emotions hit Ichigo like Jonas had slapped him. Felt like his own feelings but somehow, he knew they weren't. They were reflected in his twin's eyes, dark blue shimmering with unspoken emotions, tears collected at the corners of his doppelganger's eyes, yet Ichigo felt them all the same. And suddenly he understood what he had heard. The voice. It wasn't speaking aloud. It was inside his mind.

Jonas had connected mentally with him somehow. Through a sacrifice on his own part, embracing the monster within.

Ichigo hung his head in shame, the sensations pounding through him that were his own, yet they weren't. A lifetime of hatred culminating in confusion, a cruel twist of fate that turned one into what they hated most of all. "I'm sorry," he croaked. It didn't feel like enough. He wanted to hate Jonas for what he had done. For turning him into a hollow. For drinking his blood and creating some link between them like he had with two of the others in his group. But he could feel his twin's emotions like they were his own and realized that Jonas never wanted this. Never wanted to do this.

And that he hated himself for it.

Ichigo pulled his doppelganger into an awkward hug, feeling shock course through his body as he did. But it wasn't his own. It was Jonas's. Surprised to be so readily accepted, the silver-haired teen stiffened in response. "I'm sorry," Ichigo whispered again, feeling Jonas slump against him. And if the expanding wet feeling in the crook of his neck was because of tears, he wouldn't tell anyone, allowing the other teen to shake against him for a short time. Eventually, the other boy's sword shimmered and disappeared, and he separated from Ichigo, clearing his throat as he did.

Before Jonas could speak, however, Kisuke and the others were approaching them. Kisuke was clapping, flapping his fan in front of his face, his cane balanced on an arm, "Congratulations!" He announced happily. "You succeeded in becoming a soul reaper!"

B-but I'm not a soul reaper…am I?

Just play along, Ichigo heard Jonas's voice. A subtle glance in the other teen's direction showed his blue eyes flickering between him and the blonde, but his mouth was closed.

He spoke in my mind?

Yes, I did. I'll teach you how to do the same. For now, listen to what he has to say. You are still a soul reaper, I'm pretty sure. Just with a few…enhancements?

Gee, thanks. That's what I'd call this. Ichigo grumbled internally, dubiously deciding to 'play along' with what Jonas suggested. At least, for now. Just that most people would probably freak out when looking at me.

What would my friends think? Jonas knelt down and picked up the hilt of a sword before passing it to him, jolting him out of his musings. He took it, shocked for a moment that it appeared similar to the one he had drawn at the old man's suggestion.

But it's broken. Is that because I couldn't hear his name?

"Hooray! You passed lesson two!" Kisuke praised, his voice far too cheery for Ichigo's state of mind.

In his frustration, Ichigo slammed the butt of his hilt into the shopkeeper's face, retorting, "Screw you!" Did the blonde forget that they had threatened to kill him? Had cut his chain of fate and left him to die without any real pointers on how to escape the Shattered Shaft? Oh, he had a whole mountain of payback to dish out. His tail swished behind him in anticipation, the movement unconscious.

"My eye!" Kisuke cried, bending over and cradling his face with both hands.

Ichigo crossed his arms, satisfaction shuddering through his body, his instincts pleased at his dominance. He blinked the thought away and growled, "Hmph. You should've been praying I'd never come out of that hole alive. 'Cause I swore that if I ever made it out of there…I'd kick your ass!"

Kisuke pulled his hands away from his face. "Wow…that's perfect." He didn't seem all that upset, nor truly harmed in any way, his voice flat and even. Ichigo hadn't noticed when Jonas had pulled away, but he saw his twin making his way back toward the others, leaving him alone with the shopkeeper. The blonde stood, continuing, "Let's carry that spirit right into lesson three, shall we? Lesson three has no time limit! If you can knock my hat off with your sword, you pass."

Ichigo knelt down, the hilt in his gloved right hand, before swinging upwards, the resulting instinctive burst of energy clipping Urahara's hat, causing a split to appear in the rim.

"Hmm," he remarked, gray eyes glancing toward the damage. "Not bad. You got this close with a broken zanpakuto."

"That's right!" Ichigo declared, confident. This was going to be so easy; he could just feel it. "And I wasn't even trying! Forget the time limit! I think I'll finish this in five minutes!" He knew he was boasting, but he had to set aside his new appearance for a few minutes. Give himself time to think. And he thought best in a fight. It would allow him a chance to come to terms with what had happened and would hopefully let him calm down so he could think rationally.

"You think so?" Kisuke remarked, gray eyes narrowing in challenge as he shifted his cane into his grasp. "All right, let's see you do it," he commented as he pulled a sword from his cane.

Ichigo grinned, a savage desire to pummel the blonde settling in the forefront of his mind as he adjusted his stance, thinking, Bring it on, Hat and Clogs.

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*Jonas Mazeri*

Ichigo was lurching from one extreme emotion to another. Panic. Fear. Rage. Hatred. Disgust. The other teen mirrored his own feelings, the sensations pouring out of his twin without censure. Jonas supposed that he couldn't blame the other boy for his reaction. Not when he felt the same way, although he was sure it was for different reasons. As he stumbled toward Neil and Shila, making his way away from Ichigo and Kisuke, he found that he couldn't raise his head to look at them. Couldn't meet their eyes.

He knew they had felt everything he did. He was too distraught and raw to keep it from flowing away from him. And while their silence would have been a blessing just days before, now he wished he could hear the murmurings of their voices across his mind. Subconscious thoughts flitting between them, whispers of feelings and half-formed ideas that shifted in the dark. But now, he felt alone in his own mind. Even Tasha Rein and Miseanu were quiet, allowing him to think without their distraction.

I can't believe I did this. I Force Submitted him. Drank his blood like some kind of monster. I drained his power and formed a Blood Imprint. I'm a monster.

He wasn't sure how he felt about the process. It was different than when he had Force Submitted Neil. More intimate. His vampiric instincts had sung in delight as he had pinned the other teen, draining away his power until he submitted. It had felt so good, the colors of his world sharpening and brightening around him. His skin had been hyper-sensitive, each part of his body tingling. He was more alive in those few moments that he had felt previously, and he was loathe to admit it, but that sensation was fading, the colors darkening as the adrenaline fled his body. Now, his skin felt too tight, like it was stretched taut over his frame. His throat tightened and he realized that he wanted to feel it again.

It was so…addictive.

Jonas shook his head. He wasn't like that. And he would be damned if he had to do it again. Never again. The whole experience had come far too close to what he had never entertained before, and if Ichigo, in his feral state, hadn't resisted him and had instead reached for him…Jonas shuddered, unsure of what would have happened. But part of him was nearly certain that it was something Ururu and Jinta had no business watching.

But it wasn't that he had something against guys that sought other males for companionship, no. It was just that he was quite certain he wasn't interested in that. At least…he was pretty sure he wasn't… He loved Sheila. And had never told her. Never admitted it until she was gone and now, he couldn't find her. It was like her presence was erased. So, was this kind of longing a way for him to project his desires for her onto Ichigo? Or…was this his subconscious reaching for a compatible partner that was within reach? One capable of standing up to him even though he was the stronger vampire, thus triggering his other instincts?

Jonas blinked. While he could separate himself from Neil and Shila now, his vampiric side was still proving to be difficult to handle. And now, with Ichigo's presence added to his mind, he was in upheaval once more, the confused echoes of scattered thoughts flowing from the orange-haired teen shattering what little vestiges of control he had once had. Gritting his teeth in determination, he resolved himself to settling his mind once more. He nestled himself between Shila and Neil before sitting down cross-legged, his back to Ichigo and Kisuke, and closed his eyes.

He was going to tame his turbulent thoughts and figure out a way to separate himself from Ichigo. And his vampiric instincts.

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*Neil Agamon*

It was Shila's idea to share their powers with Jonas through their Blood Tie, and while the dual wielder initially shied away from such a thought—feeling that having more power at his disposal would make him more likely to survive a confrontation with Ichigo—Shila had made a good point: neither one of them would survive as they were now if they fought Jonas's twin. Neither separately nor together. They were both too weak. All of them, really. Well, maybe except for Michael, but planning on the blonde to fight at that level wasn't really an option since most people hadn't seen him fight seriously. Shila certainly hadn't, and while Neil could have told her, he chose not to. To place that kind of burden on a single person's shoulders wasn't fair to them.

And he should know it. Although he had accepted the promotion, becoming the leader of his gang wasn't a goal of his and wasn't a position that many others vied for nor would succeed in. It was simply the result of a vampire attack and a vote by the survivors that put him in that role, and he had accepted it, despite the hardships and overwhelming responsibility it had thrust upon him. But he had ultimately embraced it. Michael hadn't done any such thing. And Neil knew a thing or two about the power of accepting a state of being.

He had done it with his new vampiric abilities, although he hadn't admitted as much to Jonas. While Neil hated the bloodsuckers, he hadn't had to watch his parents die before his eyes and then watch others suffer around him. He had always had some way to defend himself or others, whether with a blank Magic Weapon or his fists. And he—and those he was protecting—always managed to escape. Until his gang was nearly wiped out, he had had a better track record of protecting the weak people around him than Jonas had. So, it was easier—although nerve-wracking—to accept the Change into a vampire and all the instincts that came along with it.

But he knew that Jonas had lived for eight years, suffering and powerless because his parents were murdered. According to his old man—and Michael had confirmed it—the silver-haired teen had blown off the top layer of his powers in the attack, killing most of the vampires that had struck down his parents, before his power had retreated into the core of his being, waiting to be released once his power had stabilized. So, Jonas had had eight years to hate. Eight years to savagely kill any vampire that had dared to attack their town with a sword forged with his own hands. In fact, it had also been a vampire attack that had given rise to his own powers, allowing them to awaken eight years after they were seemingly lost.

And it had been that very same attack that had doomed Jonas to become a creature of blood.

So, when the cacophony of overwhelming and contradictory sensations had permeated their Blood Tie, Neil couldn't say that he was surprised. He understood the hatred and loathing Jonas felt, the fierce desire to not be a monster facing the fact that he had become a monster anyways—through no fault of his own. The reluctance to draw another into the fold was evident as well, and again, Neil could relate. He would never willingly give his gang members vampirism, knowing that they would never truly accept such an offer.

Then came the confusion and the ecstasy, the tingling pleasure that ran from one's toes to the top of their head, rushing through their body in currents of joy and utter delight. And the confused whispers of thoughts that questioned why the transfer of power between two individuals felt so good. His brown eyes glanced at Shila. His memories were murky, the images coming to him during daydreams or when he slept, but he vaguely remembered the intense pleasure that came with drinking Shila's blood. With starting the imprinting process and feeling her icy power flow through his veins. Part of him wanted to try it again, this time when he was in full control of himself, but he had hesitated.

The disgust that had promptly followed, however, had caught Neil off guard, and he wasn't certain where it stemmed from. Was it the fact that Jonas had Ichigo pinned to the ground, the latter teen writhing underneath him in a mixture of pleasure and fury? Or was it the fact that he was forming a Blood Imprint on Ichigo, using his vampirism to calm the out-of-control boy using his own misbegotten powers? The firebrand was almost certain that it was because of the vampire abilities that Jonas had grown nauseous, and not the fact that it was essentially boy on boy action.

Because there were two guys in the gang that they were all certain were together and no one—especially not Jonas who had actually used some of his earnings from the smithy to buy materials and make them matching bracelets—had objected to their behavior when he saw them. And while it wasn't typical for people to cause a scene when same-sex couples displayed their love—for the idea of denying any companionship in a harsh world had never been decreed by the Goddess—there were a few that thought it in bad taste. Of course, those same people had also objected to male-female couples physically announcing their affections, so maybe it was just a behavior thing?

So, it had to be due to the vampirism. Which, once more, Neil could understand, although this one didn't strike as close to home as it obviously had with Jonas. Deciding to lay the issue to rest, he had basked in the pleasure permeating the Blood Tie, despite his friend's misgivings about the sensations mixing with the ecstasy, half-tempted to act on his own burgeoning lust when Jonas's essence aura rose, signaling the beginning of him Force Submitting Ichigo and ending the wave of heart-pounding pleasure that had him fidgeting despite Shila's hand on his arm, keeping him in place.

His vampiric instincts purred in delight when Jonas successfully forced Ichigo's vampirism to submit, the satisfaction causing his body to relax as his friend succeeded in ending the threat. His instincts had screamed when Ichigo had pinned Jonas at first, the weaker bloodline somehow managing to overpower the stronger one. He didn't have the Blood Memories that Jonas had, but everything in his being told him that Jonas losing the fight would end badly for them all, resulting in him gladly parting with some of his strength upon Shila's suggestion, knowing that while he couldn't physically get involved, he could empower his friend to win.

And, as Sheila would have said if she were here, thank the Goddess that Jonas had won. Because the amount of energy the silver-haired teen released was far greater than anything any of them had felt previously, and it was evident that some of that power that he had been using had only recently belonged to Ichigo.

And it far rivaled anything any of them could bring to bear.

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*Shila Mezere*

Jonas stumbled toward them, clearly exhausted from his effort in Force Submitting Ichigo, his jumbled feelings bouncing around through their connection. While Shila's tie to the silver-haired teen was not as close to Neil—since it was through the dual wielder that they were bound—she could still sense Ichigo's presence on the other end of Jonas's bundle of energy, almost like he was at the far end of a shared rope. Despite the ultra greatsword wielder's turbulent emotions disturbing her senses.

So, when he gently brushed between her and Neil and then sat down, she didn't move from her position, sensing that he needed some physical reassurance while he struggled to steady himself. Even though she was not a touchy-feely kind of person, nor was she raised by parents appealing to tactile affection, she tolerated it for him. His mind and heart were not in good places, and while his disconcerted ripples echoed across the Blood Tie as he settled into a cross-legged sitting position, she gently laid a hand on his shoulder, offering what little physical comfort that she felt secure in giving.

Neil raised an eyebrow at her but turned his attention toward Ichigo. While she was not a vampire herself, she felt some of the instincts and sensations of one from Neil and Jonas—mostly from Neil because of their own Blood Imprint. So, she watched Neil follow Ichigo's movements and sensed his satisfaction at the new vampire's combat abilities. Even though she felt it was far from refined, apparently Neil saw it from a different perspective, the raw power appealing more to him than the technique did to her. And Ichigo was sorely lacking in the technique department.

He had started off confident. Boasting even. Releasing a power from the hilt despite the lack of a blade. But then he had begun running, playing a strange game where he dodged Yretro's strikes while taunting the blonde repeatedly. And the shopkeeper had played along for a while, that was until Ichigo faltered, a sudden 'realization' shining from his mind across their Blood Tie, bright and convinced of its own correctness.

Yretro slashed him, his left shoulder taking the brunt of the swing while a small cut ran through his hairline. She didn't have to see his face to notice the 'shock' and 'dismay' that shuddered through him, his 'disbelief' curbed by the pain gripping his body and the blood running down his arm. Shila smirked, stifling her amusement from his loss of innocence. He handled himself like he had never fought before. So, why did he think he could suddenly win? She concentrated on his far away presence, closing her eyes to focus on him.

'…me?'

Shila felt Neil's eyes on her. She had made a connection to Ichigo, her mind reaching his. His thoughts reaching hers, although she was quite certain he was oblivious at the moment. She casually brushed Neil with an icy caress through their imprint, keeping the communication between just the two of them for the moment, knowing that Jonas was busy settling his own mind and didn't need the distraction. I just established a link to him.

I felt that, Neil responded, his mental voice clouded with worry. She could see the flickers of light blue flames swirling gently around her presence in his mind and she smiled in spite of that.

It'll be fine. Besides, we all have to work on connecting to him through the Blood Tie, now that Jonas has Force Submitted him. It won't do us any good if we fail to do that, Shila pointed out even as her mind shifted outwards to hear Yretro speak. Neil's acceptance of the situation wrapped her mind in dark green flames.

"You let your guard down," the blonde scolded, mirroring her own thoughts. "You think this can't be a zanpakuto because I'm not a soul reaper. So, you think it won't hurt you to be cut by it, eh?" The shopkeeper paused for what she assumed to be dramatic tension. "How incredibly naïve. Awaken, Benihime." The blonde's power skyrocketed, a crimson light bathing the training ground, and Shila suddenly realized that his power was unlike theirs. Not Essence Aura. This must be the spiritual pressure Yretro explained earlier.

'What?!' Ichigo's shock rattled Shila's mind and she had to take a minute to steady herself against his ensuing panic. Apparently, he had thought that he couldn't be cut by Yretro's Weapon and then was promptly slashed by it. Shila shook her head. It was never a good idea to make assumptions in the middle of battle. Especially with Magic Weapons. Or not Magic Weapons. The silver-haired archer frowned to herself. Zanpakuto, she slid the word over her mind. Similar but not the same. She pondered the similarities and differences as the fight continued.

"This blade is very much a zanpakuto," Yretro revealed.

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*Ichigo Kurosaki*

This can't be happening! His sword is a zanpakuto?! How?! He just pulled it from his cane!

A memory rose in his mind. From just a few days ago. He had faced Renji. And the red head had said the same thing. "I knew it, you can't even ask your zanpakuto its name! You think you can fight me as an equal? Come back in two thousand years! Now, Roar! Zabimaru!" "The zanpakuto's…name?" Ichigo murmured under his breath, brows furrowing in confusion.

"Yes. Each zanpakuto has a name. And that…is her name: Benihime, the red princess," Hat and Clogs replied, his gray eyes narrowed at Ichigo. "Ready…Benihime?" he murmured mostly to himself, then the blonde launched himself at Ichigo with stunning speed.

The ensuing attack blasted Ichigo through a rock formation, sending him end-over-end out the other side. As he slid across the ground, his left arm and elbow scraping the dirt as his claws struggled for purchase, Kisuke came flying through the dust cloud toward him, his blade raised to strike him down. Ichigo hastily stood and blocked with his broken sword's hilt, Benihime coming dangerously close to his gloved right hand.

"I applaud you for not running away, and for stopping my blade with that broken sword. Most courageous. But… Benihime is too fierce to be restrained by a zanpakuto like that."

Ichigo watched as Hat and Clogs sword bit into his own's hilt, the sharpened edge deftly chewing through the cloth there. He pulled his hand back, desperate to not allow any more damage to happen to his blade, swiping at Kisuke with his clawed left hand. The blonde slipped passed him to his right and he fled like the hounds of hell were on his heels. This is bad! I don't have a blade to stop him! And he'll destroy what little I have left!

Panic and desperation clawed at his throat as suddenly Kisuke was behind his right shoulder, speaking in his ear, "Your sword was too big." Ichigo swiped backwards with the hilt, Urahara easily leaning back to avoid the clumsy swing. "But it wasn't filled with spirit energy. It was just a bloated, bag of fluff that happened to be in the shape of a sword. Which was why Jonas could shatter it so easily."

Ichigo spun, thrusting outward with the hilt, but Kisuke simply leaped out of his range. He panted, his tail swaying behind him, eyeing the hilt with a worried look. He couldn't remember fighting with Jonas. But it sounded like he had. So, between the time when he met the Old Man until he woke up to Jonas speaking his name, he had no idea what had happened. Part of him was wondering why there was no blade on the hilt, but he had just assumed it was because he never heard his zanpakuto's name.

But what if Hat and Clogs is telling the truth? That Jonas cut through my sword? Because it had no spirit energy?

Kisuke held his blade out by his side. "So, now what will you do? Come at me with that?" The blonde cocked his head as if he were considering the ramifications of that act. "Well, all you have to do is knock my hat off. Maybe you can do that with only a hilt. But I warn you…" the shopkeeper adjusted his stance, gray eyes narrowing, the sandals clacking across the ground, "This isn't about courage anymore. Before you go on, know this… If you try to fight me with that inferior weapon…I will kill you."

Ichigo blanched before he spun on his heel and ran away, panic clenching his chest. I'm dead! He'll kill me! For real this time! Kisuke appeared out of the dust trail he had left in the wake of his panic, swiping at him with Benihime. How pathetic. He ducked, narrowly dodging the Red Princess before he continued fleeting. What am I doing? Kisuke was hot on his trail. Why am I running away? Hat and Clogs grabbed a hold of his shihakusho, throwing him to the ground.

Is this all the resolve I've got? Pathetic. He rolled over, seeing the blonde's arm swinging downwards. Pathetic. He rolled, tossing himself free of the attack, his tail thankfully avoiding injury.

'Shameful. A coward beyond all redemption… That's you,' A deep voice reached him once again. The voice of the old man from before. His face was creased in a frown, his disappointment in Ichigo clear by the downward turn of his lips.

"Old Man!" Ichigo greeted, relief flooding him at last.

'Why do you run, Ichigo?' He asked, enveloping Ichigo in a white haze that seemed to separate the teen from reality. 'You still haven't called me.' Suddenly he was behind Ichigo, and the teen glanced over his shoulder. 'Face forward, Ichigo. You should be able to hear it now.' The orange-haired teen was looking at him intently, his eyes wide. 'What's plugging your ears is only fear.'

Outside in reality, his body stopped running. Kisuke paused, waiting to see what he would do.

The old man appeared at Ichigo's right side. 'There is only one enemy and one of you. What is there to fear? Abandon your fear. Face forward. Advance. Don't give an inch. Retreat and you will age. Hesitate and you will die. Now shout out my name!'

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*Jonas Mazeri*

In reality, Ichigo spun to face Kisuke, his spiritual pressure rising in a torrent of air around him, shouting, "Zangetsu!" The incredible wave of power pulsed from the orange-haired teen, causing most people to dive for cover while Kisuke simply side-stepped a wave heading for him. Jonas opened his eyes, his mind settled once more, and stood, unfazed by the rush of power and wind that buffeted his body. Neil and Shila shifted around him nervously but didn't move, determined to shield his body if they needed to. Slowly, the dust settled, revealing Ichigo kneeling on the ground and his new blade in his grasp.

It was an ultra greatsword, with a hilt wrapped in white bandages nearly the length of Ichigo's forearm. From there, it went straight into the blade, with no guard or hilt, a straight black dull edge stretching its entire length while a long white curved edge rose from the handle in a gentle arc only to taper toward the end. But as he stood and the others voiced their awe—and seriously, when did Tessai climb out of that pit? He must have missed that—Jonas furrowed his brows.

Something wasn't right with that sword. It didn't feel…real. And the power felt off, like it was trying to masquerade as something else and somehow succeeding, as if Ichigo were oblivious to the energy surrounding and permeating him and others. It feels kind of like…a Magic Weapon…but that isn't quite right, either. What is this sensation?

And Ichigo was staring at it, a sensation of awe permeating their imprint before it was overcome with worry. Did he figure it out already? But Jonas quickly squashed that thought when he felt Ichigo's spiritual pressure rise, far too quickly, and completely out of control. Ichigo's reason for his growing concern was immediately apparent as his entire body seized with tension, muscles tightening in response to an imminent release.

"Now that you've managed to draw your zanpakuto, we can really begin lesson three!" Kisuke was apparently happily oblivious to the rising power in Ichigo's body, but Jonas wasn't.

Something isn't right. What's wrong? Ichigo?!

"Sorry, Mr. Urahara," Ichigo apologized, his jaw clenched as his body tensed, the cords in his neck standing out. "But you'll evade as best you can, right?" Jonas's eyes widened in alarm and disbelief as he watched some power funnel into his twin's blade.

The blonde stared at him, his confusion clear, "Umm, why?"

"Because…I can't control it yet." The final bit of the bandages from Tessai's spell covering Ichigo's right shoulder—which Jonas admitted to disregarding earlier—burst from his body and his arm raised his blade to the sky. The silver-haired teen watched Urahara's eyes widen in alarm as spirit energy condensed into Ichigo's blade, the effect familiar, similar to the attack he had just learned from Tasha Rein before they were all sent here.

Kisuke swung Benihime down, the hilt pointing up as he shouted, "Scream, Benihime!"

Ichigo swung the blade and then all Jonas saw was white. And maybe a ruined striped bucket hat flying through the sky.

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*Renji Abarai*

He couldn't believe what he just heard. To the point that his mind simply erased everything that was said. It couldn't be true. Not for Rukia. There's no way… "What did you just say, Captain Kuchiki?" Renji gasped, looking at his captain with a wide-eyed look that spoke of disbelief. "What do you mean?" All that joking around with her about her being killed for giving that boy her powers was just that—joking. The kind of jokes the two of them had shared long ago in Inuzuri. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that it would actually become true!

"You heard me," the stoic captain repeated. Captain Kuchiki eyed him with flat gray eyes that betrayed no emotion. "Must I repeat myself?" He flickered his eyes to his sister. "Rukia Kuchiki, you have been found guilty of a capital offense. Twenty-five days from now, you will be taken to the central execution grounds to suffer the ultimate punishment." Renji still couldn't believe what he was hearing. Even though it was his captain saying the words, it felt so surreal. "That is the decision of the Soul Society. This is the last time I will speak with you, Rukia. The next time I see you will be at your execution." Then, the Captain of Squad Six spun on his heels and left them there in stunned silence.

Renji swallowed his apprehension and spun toward Rukia. Her back was turned toward him so he couldn't see her face. But surely…surely she couldn't be okay with this? "Hey!" he shouted, feeling the need to do something to lift his old friend's spirits, the ones that had been down for so long that she seemed lost to him, "Don't be sad! They could still change their minds!" The possibility of that was remote, but he wouldn't voice that fear. Wouldn't burden her with the weight of his own doubt.

"I'm not…sad," she murmured. Her voice warbled slightly, caught by his ears only because he knew her so well.

"Don't lie! You're obviously disconsolate!" She ignored him, continuing to face the back wall. He pounded on the cell bars with his right foot, the loud clanging echoing harshly through the mostly empty room. "Hey! Eyes over here!"

"That ruling came from Central 46. It can't be overturned." She paused for a moment to let that sink in before she added, "But it's all right. I knew this was going to happen from the beginning. There's no use…" Her voice was so small and meek, lacking the boisterous self-confidence she once had. She sounded depressed, like she was wallowing in her sadness but trying to pass it off as nothing more than resignation and acceptance.

"Rukia…" he muttered under his breath. She sounded nothing like he remembered her. None of her prior attitude shone through, just a calm and depressed front that shuddered through his heart like a knife. It hurt him to see her like this. To see her so thoroughly broken and hopeless.

Rukia spun to face him, her face bright with mischief, a complete one-eighty from her earlier downtrodden behavior. "Gotcha!"

"What?!" Renji's face twisted in confusion. She was just talking about accepting her fate…wasn't she? And now, she's playing? What the hell is going on here?

Rukia stood, her arms crossed over her chest. "Ultimate punishment? You think I'd be upset by that?! It just makes escaping more interesting!" Her voice…she sounded so much surer of herself again, just like the Rukia he had known. But he couldn't help but to eye her with growing annoyance. It was just like her to play him like this… Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. "Huh? What's that face for? You seem awfully worried about me, but what you should be worrying about are…your eyebrows."

"Huh?" Renji ground his teeth in frustration. Are we back to this again?!

"Mr. Goofy tattooed eyebrows man," Rukia continued.

Renji's frustration snapped, and he shot back, "I could care less about you and your problems!" It's not true and she knows it. "Just sit here and rot! I can't wait for your execution!" Internally, he cringed after he said it, momentarily worried that maybe she was truly upset about it all and was just trying to dissuade him from worrying about her in return, but her giggling solidified his belief that maybe she really was okay, and not just saying it. She certainly sounded like the old Rukia he had known. And with his heart settled, he slammed the door to her cell and stalked off.

I'm going to make you pay for making fun of my eyebrows! Just you wait! I'll find a way to get you out of the mess you got yourself into and then put you in your place!

Just you wait!

Part of his deep concern over Rukia faded. She had seemed so out of sorts after Lieutenant Shiba's death that he had worried about her state of mind. Worried from afar because he couldn't get too close to a Kuchiki as a regular soul reaper, which he had been until just before she had left to the World of the Living. But…this just proved that she was okay. She was okay and she was going to be okay, and everything would be fine.

Escape?! Idiot! There is no escape! You're getting the ultimate punishment, the worst! "Hmph", Renji scoffed under his breath. It was just like her to laugh and joke in the face of danger, but he had no doubt that the danger had passed. At least, she was mentally fine, and he didn't have to worry about her anymore. Not for a while, anyways.

Will you…really allow this to happen, Captain Kuchiki? Rukia had said that he would. That he would kill her himself if it came down to it, but Renji couldn't believe it. Wouldn't believe it. There's no way he would do that…

Would he?

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*Rukia Kuchiki*

The door slammed and she stopped laughing, staring back at the closed door with a crestfallen expression. It had hurt to lead Renji on, to put forth the front that everything was okay. It wasn't okay, nor was it going to be. But soon…soon she would atone for her sins. She had killed Lieutenant Kaien Shiba with her own sword. And she might as well have done the same to Ichigo, leaving him to die as she had. And then…there was that strange doppelganger with silver hair, and she found that she was glad to have been returned to the Soul Society. It was one less life she would be responsible for ending. One less person she could hurt with her existence.

She had done the unforgiveable. With Kaien. Ichigo. And she knew that she had hurt Renji when she was adopted by the Kuchikis, walking away from him as he had done with her. No matter how she justified it. That she was a noble now and had to act like it. That he had let her go, encouraged her to go, and so he deserved whatever pain he had for allowing it to happen. But twisting his heart just now felt wrong in a way she couldn't explain. Like it was a betrayal of the tallest order.

But…it had been necessary. She had prepared herself to let go and the decree from Central 46 had solidified her need to accept the inevitable. She couldn't let Renji think that she was deep in a depression because he wouldn't leave her alone if he did. And he would most likely do something stupid trying to save her and she couldn't let that happen. Couldn't allow her oldest friend, her best friend, to throw his life away when it would be better for everyone if she were just gone.

She would continue with the lie until she was certain he wouldn't interfere. It would be her last act, an attempt before her existence was ended to prevent anyone else from dying or getting hurt because of her.

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*Byakuya Kuchiki*

He had passed on Central 46's decree, as duty dictated that he should do. The prisoner was currently in his squad's custody and such duties fell to him as the Captain of Squad Six. The fact that the criminal was his sister—adopted—had nothing to do with how such orders and decrees were handed out. And Rukia accepted the ruling as a noble ought to—especially a Kuchiki, one of the four great noble houses—bowing to the law and allowing justice to be meted out.

But still…he had promised Hisana, his late wife, that he would protect her sister with all his power and strength. He had adopted Rukia into the family, despite the objections, because of his vow to her older sister, the one she never got to know. His dear, sweet wife that had passed much too soon. He had done all he could to keep Rukia from being placed in much danger, working behind the scenes to prevent her from being given dangerous assignments, all to keep his promise.

But in keeping his promise to Hisana, he had to vow to never again break the law. The law that he had broken accepting the two sisters into the nobility despite their origination as commoners. He vowed on his parents' graves that he would never again break the law. And he kept his vows, believing that a man speaking falsehoods could not be trusted to behave honorably.

But now…she was condemned to die, and he was conflicted. He didn't know what to do. Central 46's power over the Soul Society was absolute and above reproach. And not bound by two vows that now came into direct conflict with each other. He had never once believed that Rukia could draw their ire in such a manner, but she had managed it and now he was left without any options. Now, he just had to accept her fate and hope that something changed their minds.

As he wandered the edge of the squad barracks, he felt two presences trailing behind him, fellow captains.

"You seem awfully calm, Captain of Squad Six. Excellent!" Gin Ichimaru, the Captain of Squad Three, stated in his usual light manner behind him, a man known to walk the line between seriousness and playfulness with no regard to the gravity of a situation. The man always rubbed him the wrong way, acting improperly for a captain in his eyes. While the man did perform the duties of his rank adequately from what he could surmise, the silver-haired captain did not hold himself in a manner befitting his position.

Byakuya stifled the intense desire to roll his eyes for the head of the Kuchiki Clan could not be seen acting so immaturely, as well as knowing that the two following him were without their lieutenants, which indicated that this was not official business. He did not feel like dealing with whatever stupid antics these two would come up, but courtesy dictated that he turned to face them and not display the irritation he felt. Slipping on the apathetic Kuchiki mask was second nature to him as he slowly turned around.

"Imperturbable, even though your sister is going to die," Gin began. Byakuya smothered the desire to grind his teeth, knowing that if he gave the other man any belief to the contrary that he would be relentless in trying to break his calm façade. "You're an example to us all, Captain of Squad Six. The ideal soul reaper!" Byakuya didn't know what the man was getting at. Was he trying to irritate him by saying the obvious?

"Are you joking?" the other captain muttered in a deep voice, the sound rumbling like the beast that he was. Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of Squad Eleven, scoffed, "The only soul reapers who are scared of dying are you and the captain of squad nine."

Keeping his voice flat despite the rising annoyance of dealing with these two buffoons, Byakuya inquired, "What do two adjutant-less captains want with me?" As he turned slowly to face the two men, he noticed that Gin was sitting on the railing to his right and Kenpachi was leaned against the wall on the left, the eyepatch covering his right eye obscuring part of his face.

"Well, we thought perhaps the Captain of Squad Six would be sad about his sister's impending execution," Gin remarked. The man's eyes were nearly completely closed, nothing more than slits on his face that hid his true intentions. But it wouldn't have mattered if he could see his fellow captain's eyes to know that his words weren't trustworthy. Gin had never before spoken plainly about anything and Byakuya was certain that remained the case.

"It has nothing to do with either of you," he responded, careful to keep his tone neutral and not let his frustration with Gin's antics shine through.

"Why should you be sad?" Kenpachi Zaraki mused, "The blood of a criminal only dishonors a distinguished family."

He eyed Kenpachi with a flat stare, internally surprised that the barbarian understood anything regarding nobility, "Hmm…How surprising, a commoner who understands the ways of nobility."

"Not really," Zaraki replied and the Kuchiki heir felt offended that the man made the claim. "I've always been observant." After a slight pause, he continued, "Perhaps I can be of assistance to you. If you wish…I'll behead the criminal before the execution."

"Hmm…" Byakuya pretended to consider his offer before retorting, "I'm not sure that one with your skills could actually manage the job." Kenpachi Zaraki was nothing more than a brute of a man with no finesse at all. And to let his sword anywhere near his sister was unfathomable.

But you're going to let her die anyways, a dark voice challenged from within. Why not let her die this way? At least she would be able to reincarnate then.

"Want to test me?" the brute challenged, a grin expanding across his face, full of teeth and a thirst for battle.

"Do you want to be tested?" Byakuya felt some of his tension release as he stood toe-to-toe with the other captain, confident in his ability to easily crush the brutish man and go about his day. Not exactly the act of a Kuchiki Noble, but he wasn't going to turn his back on a blatant challenge. It would serve as a form of stress relief while giving him a cover that would justify his actions. And protect Rukia.

But you're going to allow her to die.

However, just as the noble was preparing himself, Gin and Zaraki disappeared in a flash of Shunpo, the Captain of Squad Three dragging a squirming Kenpachi wrapped in bandages. "Sorry about that, Captain of Squad Six! It wasn't my intention to provoke you!" As the silver-haired captain spoke, Zaraki pleaded with him to free him so he could attack Byakuya. Ignoring the ruckus that the captain of squad eleven was making, Gin added, "Well…give my regards to your little sister." And then the two were gone, leaving him alone.

Byakuya turned his head away, his thoughts in turmoil, before spinning on his heel and continuing about his day, the trail of his scarf fluttering in his wake.

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*Yoruichi*

A huge burst of spirit energy exploded from Chad's transformed right arm, destroying the wall to the warehouse they were in. All her fur stood on end, and she eyed the gigantic hole in the wall, stunned. They were progressing so much faster than she had expected, perhaps due to the extreme power released during the Menos attack and then afterwards, but she wasn't sure.

"I-I did it!" the boy exclaimed in shock.

Orihime grabbed his armored appendage and lifted it to the ceiling like the boy had won a boxing match, "Yay, Chad, yay! Now we can go to the Soul Society!"

Trying to hide her shock at the level of destruction the human displayed, she shouted at them, "You fools! You've made a mess! Run! Out the back door!" Sirens could be heard in the distance, alerting her to the authorities being called. Unsurprising, really, but if she had truly known what his powers would manifest as, then perhaps she would have appropriated part of the underground training area for herself.

Maybe she still would. The two of them were coming along nicely and needed experience fighting with the other group of kids that had arrived. As she followed Orihime and Chad out of the warehouse, she took a moment to think about how much time had passed since Kisuke had told her Ichigo's training was starting. With a nod to herself, she acknowledged that her timing in bringing these two to the training grounds would be perfect.

With that thought settled, she guided the two toward Urahara's shop.

*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*

Terminology

My Universe:

Beasts:

Dark Severiin: think of a Deviljho from Monster Hunter when you think of this thing. Physically, it is a bit different, but I am using a lot of comparisons to describe characters and things. This is the thing I am vaguely describing at the beginning of the chapter that Jonas and his friends were fighting. The characters from my story are being pulled from their timeline during the Dark Severiin fight in Arc 1 of Chronicles of Seraphia (the book series I am working on).

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Magic (General):

Magic Core: the core of an individual's magical ability. No Magic Core means that the person cannot wield Magic AT ALL. All Magic Essence that an individual can manipulate originates from their Magic Core. It is located in the chest just behind the heart along the spine. The Essence Ribbon for a person is tied directly to this place.

It is possible to transfer powers from one person to another through a technique referred to as a Spark Transfer. This can be done to awaken a person's dormant Magic Core, grant a Magic Core to an individual with no Core, or replenish the receiver's magic essence at the expense of the giver (giving energy directly from one person to another so the receiver can continue fighting, for example).

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Magic Wielder: an individual capable of manipulating the magic essence within and beyond their body to produce magical skills and abilities. Just because a person has a Magic Core does not automatically mean that they can use magic. Some people must have their Magic Core activated in order to use magic.

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Magic is divided into 6 Divisions: Spellcaster Magic, Weapon Magic, Incantation Magic, Spiritual Magic, Elemental Magic, and Ritual Magic.

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Magic Class: One of ten major classifications of various magics.

Mental, Arcane, Holy, Unholy, Nature, Dark, Light, Fire, Water, and Earth Magics.

Mental Magic is the ONLY recognized Class without a definite subclass.

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Magic Subclass: one of several magics that make up a magic class.

Space/Time Subclasses are part of Arcane Magic.

Holy/Angel/Blessing Subclasses are part of Holy Magic.

Unholy/Demon/Curse Subclasses are part of Unholy Magic.

Plant/Animal/Poison Subclasses are part of Nature Magic.

Dark/Death/Summoner Subclasses are part of Dark Magic.

Light/Life/Conjurer Subclasses are part of Light Magic.

Fire/Lightning/Chaos/Sun Subclasses are part of Fire Magic.

Water/Ice/Wind/Moon Subclasses are part of Water Magic.

Earth/Metal/Magma Subclasses are part of Earth Magic.

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Primary Wavelength: there are many different levels of magical communication. The space in an individual's mind directly below the Weapon Wavelength is this layer where communication through Blood Imprints, Dragon Imprints and Plant Summons exist.

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Weapon Wavelength: the layer in a person's mind near the top of their consciousness where a Magic Weapon of some sort communicates with their wielder. This is the level Engeta Zanu, Tasha Rein, and the other Weapons communicate on.

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Tending to a Wavelength: a mental process where an individual concentrates and focuses their efforts on increasing the bond between two sides of a connection (such as a Blood Imprint or Blood Tie), making the connection more stable. Needs to be done periodically to keep imprints etc. smooth. If not done, can lead to a lot of mental hardships. Must be done when adding to the existing connections or making new ones on the same wavelength to prevent signals from getting tangled. (think of it like untangling a ball of yarn and keeping it separated while continuously moving the string around and adding to it).

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Magic (Weapons):

Blank Magic Weapon: a basic summon of the primary form of an individual's Magic Weapon. Granted by the Weapon Essence when a person gains basic access to their magical abilities. Replaced once the wielder learns their Weapon's name and Summoning phrase.

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Magic Weapon: a magical Weapon bound to an individual from birth. Magic Weapons are created from Weapon Spirits that choose a child as it is born and meld with the newborn's spirit to become their Magic Weapon later in life. Weapon Spirits are reincarnated whenever they choose a new wielder (after they are separated from their current one). Typically wielded only by living people in either the Light World or the Dark World. Used to send spirits on to the realms.

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Weapon Magic Wielder: Weapon Magic Wielders are able to manipulate the Magic Essence in their bodies to summon powerful Weapons and communicate with the Weapon Essences to gain new powers and abilities.

If one can only use Weapon Magic, then they are also referred to as Guardians (this term can also be used for someone that uses a Spirit Weapon or Hell Weapon if the Weapon is the only magical ability they have).

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Weapon Spirit/Weapon Essence: the personality and appearance of a Magic or Spirit Weapon within and beyond the wielder's inner world. Each one has a unique appearance and powers. They choose to bind to an individual's spirit (typically at birth) and help to shape their wielder's development. In the end, it is hard (sometimes) to distinguish the two from each other (what is the natural state of the wielder and what part of the wielder's personality and traits were influenced by the Weapon kind of question).

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Tasha Rein: Jonas's Magic Weapon.

Humanoid Form: 5'5". Long black and silver hair and black eyes. She wore a black, form-fitting kimono with dark blue accents along the outer edges and dark blue cloth on the inside. Dark blue threads held it all together. While the body of the kimono was form-fitting, the arms and legs had plenty of room and were quite baggy.

Lore: Means 'Ultimate Darkness/The Black Dragon'

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Engeta Zanu: Neil Agamon's Magic Weapon.

Humanoid Form: looks like Neil except he is all white. Wears a dark orange kimono with a crimson inner liner and dark red stitches. Wears a pair of baggy red pants that flare at his feet with matching crimson socks slipped into a basic flat black sandal. There is a red flame design etched into the bottom of the robe's top half.

Lore: Engeta Zanu also means Twin Flickering Flames. The idea that a flame reflects the spirit of a person (hence why he is Neil's duplicate), with different colors indicating different moods and the color white representing the complete balance of all that power (since it is said that white is the conglomeration of all color whereas black is the absence of color). Engeta Zanu is a pair of dual long swords.

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Kisi Ri: Magic Weapon belonging to The Matriarch and, by extension, the feral vampires under her control.

Lore: functions by inserting vampire magical abilities into a person's Magic Core, thus transforming them into a vampire. High success rate.

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Juka Reyno: Shila Mezere's Magic Weapon.

Humanoid Form: 5'4". Long white hair tossed behind her head in gentle curls flowing to the center of her back. Stunned bright blue eyes. Wears a floor-length white and blue dress that shimmered as she walked, now streaked with lines of red and black.

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Weapon Release (Weapon State): Similar in nature to a Shikai or Bankai release. However, there are 10 Mortal Tier Releases (as opposed to the 2 levels that Soul Reapers can use).

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Kogomosa/Shikai: The 1st Weapon Release in the Mortal Tier of Weapon Releases. Equivalent to Shikai state, with fighters on average becoming twice as strong as their initial summon state. X2 Initial Summon.

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Magic Weapon Classes: Magic Weapons have classes which determine how exactly they are used, along with describing total size of the Weapons etc. Basically, a dual longsword class is different than a dual short sword class and indicates the length of the blades. There are also dual classes which will be explained later.

Weapons are Melee (up close), Ranged (far away), Defensive (which falls under the melee class), or Dual Form (two different types of weapons that are part of one weapon. Think of the weapons from Bloodborne and how almost every single one had 2 forms.)

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Sword Lengths- Daggers are between 5 to 10 inches long. Short swords are between 10 and 18 inches long. Long swords are between 18 and 30 inches long. Greatswords are between 30 and 48 inches long. Ultra greatswords are between 48 and 72 inches long.

Curved swords mean that the flat side of the blade (the part that is not sharp) is curved, along with the bladed edge. Regular swords are straight here, regardless of whether the blade itself arcs into a curve. (for a comparison, Zangetsu would be considered an Ultra Greatsword class.)

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Melee Classes- Single Form

Dagger

Dual Dagger

Short Sword

Dual Swords (2 short swords)

Long Sword

Dual Long Swords

Greatsword

Ultra Greatsword

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Curved Short Sword-

Dual Curved Swords- (2 curved short swords)

Curved Long Sword-

Dual Curved Long Swords-

Curved Greatsword-

Curved Ultra Greatsword-

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Sword and Shield-

Greatsword and Tower Shield-

Spear-

Lance-

Shield and Lance-

Shield and Spear-

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Claws-

Knuckles-

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Ball and Chain-

Scythe-

Dual Scythes-

Trident-

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Club-

Great Club-

Hammer-

Great Hammer-

Axe-

Greataxe-

Mace-

Tonitrus-

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3 Part pole-

Twinblade-

Vibratory Axe-

Saw-

Staff-

Whip-

Num-chuks-

Chains (Chains are called melee Weapons but they can be thrown and used as a combination melee and ranged Weapon. Chains are also typically used by Sinners and other Hell Realm denizens, but not exclusively.)

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Ranged Classes- Single Form

Wand-

Magic Staff-

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Boomerang

Throwing Star (shuriken)

Throwing knife

Throwing fans

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Short Bow-

Long Bow-

Greatbow-

Crossbow-

Ballista-

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Pistol-

Rifle-

Shotgun-

Sniper Rifle-

Rocket Launcher-

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Defensive Classes (considered melee)

Small Shield- A light shield mostly intended for parrying and not blocking. Cannot block heavy attacks but can block most light attacks.

Medium Shield- An average-sized shield for typical use. Allows the Wielder to move around freely while offering the most protection.

Tower Shield- A huge and heavy shield, capable of blocking the most devastating attacks.

Reflective Shield- An average-sized shield that reflects magic attacks. As competent as a medium shield with the added magic reflection.

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Miscellaneous Weapon Classes (dual form weapons)

Staffblade- (staff/longsword)

Staff Rifle- (staff/sniper rifle)

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Switchaxe- (longsword/greataxe)

Swordblade- (longsword/dual swords)

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Clawhands- (knuckles/claws)

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Clawblades- (claws/dual daggers)

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Sawblade- (saw/longsword)

Saw Cleaver- (saw/greatsword)

Saw Spear- (saw/spear)

Sawbow- (saw/short bow)

Sawwhip- (saw/whip)

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Swordlauncher- (ultra greatsword/rocket launcher)

Axeblade- (ultra greatsword/greataxe)

Great Swordblades- (ultra greatsword/dual long swords)

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Axelauncher- (greataxe/rocket launcher)

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Crossblade- (dual swords/crossbow)

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Vibratory Axeblade- (vibratory axe/ultra greatsword)

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Swordwhip- (short sword/whip)

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Scytheblade- (scythe/curved longsword)

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Bowblade- (long bow/long sword)

Bowblades- (long bow/dual swords)

Bowscythe- (long bow/scythe)

Bow staff- (long bow/staff)

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Great Bowblade- (great bow/ultra greatsword)

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Sniper Sword- (sniper rifle/greatsword)

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Staffsword- (magic staff/longsword)

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Hammerfists- (great hammer/knuckles)

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Twin Dual Scythes- (twinblade/dual scythes)

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Weapon Summon Spell: each Magic Weapon has a specific phrase or word that allows their wielder to bring them into the world (summon their weapon). This is similar to the phrase used by a soul reaper to awaken their zanpakuto to Shikai.

Initial Summon: The basic summon and first form of a Magic Weapon. Each Initial Summon has an activation spell (summoning spell) to summon the Weapon into existence.

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Kisi Ri summon spell: Turn Them

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Engeta Zanu summon spell: Burn

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Tasha Rein summon spell: Descend

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Juka Reyno summon spell: Pierce

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Weapon Dispel Spell: each Magic Weapon has a specific phrase or word that allows their wielder to disperse the magic essence forming their weapon, allowing it to disappear (dispel their weapon). Currently, there is no known way for a soul reaper to do something like this, since their zanpakuto is a physical creation and not summoned out of reishi.

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Tasha Rein dispel spell: Disappear

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Magic (Incantations):

Incantation Magic: Magic that manipulates the magic essence in one's body to cast powerful spells which are formed and guided by chants and body positioning. While divided into 14 subcategories (7 Mortal Tier and 7 God Tier), they also adhere to the basic class/subclass mentality introduced by Spellcaster Magic, giving their spells magic types.

This type of Magic is also referred to as 'True Magic'. Could be compared to Hado/Bakudo spells from Bleach or even the spellcasting from Charmed. Each spell has a specific name and number, along with a specific chant that allows the user to channel the proper amount of energy into the spell and guide it into the correct form.

Those that can ONLY use Incantation Magic are referred to as Witches.

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Magic (Spellcaster):

Spellcaster Magic: Magic that manipulates the magic essence in one's body and surroundings, allowing a Spellcaster Magic Wielder to influence their surroundings and environment on a basic level. It is separated into 4 sub-categories, which are then broken down into the ten major classes and their numerous subclasses.

This type of Magic is also referred to as 'Basic Magic'. Could be compared to the Bending Arts from Avatar in that there are no specific names that are exclaimed when certain attacks are used (although some signature spells have unique names). While all uses of the magics have basic names, many spellcaster spells are not special enough to have a specially designated name and the 'names' given to these basic spells is just so one can differentiate different levels of attack.

Those that can ONLY use Spellcaster Magic are referred to as Wizards.

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Cosmic Magic: 1 of 4 sub-categories of Spellcaster Magic. Represents Mental Magic, Arcane (space/time) Magic, Blood Magic, and Transmutation Magic.

Only Mental Magic and Arcane Magic are considered Magic Classes. Blood Magic and Transmutation Magic are considered separate types of Magic and are NOT recognized by the Dragon Clans.

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Godly Magic: 1 of 4 subcategories of Spellcaster Magic. Represents Holy (holy/angel/blessing) Magic and Unholy (unholy/demon/curse) Magics. Both Holy and Unholy are considered Magic Classes.

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Worldly Magic: 1 of 4 subcategories of Spellcaster Magic. Represents Nature (plant/animal/poison) Magic, Dark (dark/death/summoner) Magic, and Light (light/life/conjurer) Magic. Nature, Dark, and Light Magics are considered Magic Classes.

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Elemental Magic: 1 of 4 subcategories of Spellcaster Magic. Represents Fire (fire/lightning/chaos/sun) Magic, Water (water/ice/wind/moon) Magic, and Earth (earth/metal/magma) Magic. Fire, Water, and Earth Magics are considered Magic Classes.

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Magic (Spiritual):

Spiritual Magic: Magic that manipulates the Magic Essence within and around an individual's spirit to cast powerful spells similar to spellcaster magic. These spells are empowered by the strength of one's spirit and are solely used by the dead or those influenced by the dead. There are 5 subcategories of Spiritual Magic: Dark Spirit Magic, Hell Spirit Magic, Hell Spirit Weapon Magic, Light Spirit Magic, and Spirit Weapon Magic (although, really, the Weapon Magics fall under the purview of general Weapon Magic for the most part, even though there are a few differences between them all).

This type of Magic is also referred to as Dead Magic or Magic of the Dead. The basic idea could be compared to the spirit magic in Bleach in spirit (pun intended), but they have no chants or anything like that. It would probably be closer to the hollow skills if one insisted on the comparison.

If one can ONLY use Spiritual Magic (and they are still alive), then they are also referred to as Spirit Guardians. (Infusers also fall into this category if Spirit Magic is all the magic ability they have.)

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Magic (Elemental Spirit):

Elemental Magic: Magic that manipulates the Magic Essence within and around an individual's body to make themselves more compatible with a desired Elemental Spirit. These wielders are capable of physically/spiritually binding to an Elemental Spirit, borrowing an Elemental Spirit's power for a set amount of time, or subjugating an Elemental Spirit. There are 3 major ideologies (Druidism, Shamanism, and Subjugation) for Elemental Magic users, and none of them get along.

This type of Magic is also referred to as Ancient Magic because it is the basic premise of returning to magic's roots and working with the elemental spirits governing certain magical abilities.

Druids operate much like the Avatar in which an Elemental Spirit enters the body of a person and lives within them, strengthening their body and allowing their magic to pass through them.

Shamans borrow the power of an Elemental Spirit by gaining favor with an Elemental and getting a portion of that spirit's power.

Warlocks subjugate an Elemental Spirit and force that spirit to do their bidding.

If one can ONLY use Elemental Spirit Magic, then they are referred to as Elemental Spirit Guardians.

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Magic (Ritual):

Ritual Magic: Magic that manipulates the Magic Essence within a person's body and from their surroundings using special rituals and ceremonies to cast powerful spells or create magical artifacts. They use combinations of otherwise powerless objects to craft special spells for numerous purposes. They are known as the group packrat and typically either have lots of control using magic, or next to none. Rarely, are they average in their controlling abilities.

This type of Magic is also referred to as Object Magic because it is based around items and ceremony, oftentimes relying heavily on both to form the magic as opposed to any input from the caster.

If one can ONLY use Ritual Magic, then they are referred to as Mediums.

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Vampire Specific:

Vampire: A subspecies of humanoid. Draws magical power by draining the magic from a target's bloodstream. Very good users of ranged magics. Known for their usage of Blood Magic. Predominately female-led society.

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Blood Imprint: a type of magical connection through blood. Made between a vampire and someone else. On the Primary Wavelength.

This type of connection allows the imprinter and imprintee to use each other's magical abilities and Magic Weapons.

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The Change: the process of transforming into a vampire.

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Primary Bloodline: Bloodlines named after and descended directly from the vampire offspring of those that wielded the 10 Dragon Champion Weapons in ancient times. They are well known for their mastery of their particular Magic Class.

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Secondary Bloodline: Bloodlines named after the specific matings of the Primary Bloodlines. Known for their ability to wield two Magic Classes related to their names.

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Tertiary Bloodline (trash bloodline): unstable bloodlines. Too numerous and diverse to be able to name them all. Not known for anything special. Fall to feral status easier because of their magical instability.

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Forced Submission (vampire): This is something that can ONLY be done by a Primary or Secondary Bloodline on a vampire going through The Change that is in their feral state. Primaries can ONLY be force submitted by other Primaries. Secondaries can be force submitted by either primaries or secondaries. While Tertiaries can be force submitted by any primary or secondary but are unable to force submit anyone except other tertiaries. (this is due to the strength of the bloodlines involved.) When a Primary or a Secondary force submit a Tertiary, they are essentially birthing their target into their bloodline.

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Blood Tie: a magical connection between two vampires where one force submitted another. This loosely connects all that are directly connected with the two involved in the Blood Tie (includes any imprints on both sides. For example, Jonas force submitted Neil. Neil is Blood Imprinted with Shila. Therefore, through the Blood Tie, Jonas is connected to Shila.)

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Blood Memories (genetic memories): Primary Bloodlines and Secondary Bloodlines pass on genetic memories and abilities through their blood, gifting subsequent generations with the same skills and memories of days long past. (this is possible even though magical ability isn't technically passed on this way.)

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Rein/Mazeri Vampires: Descended from Miseanu Meizerai/Rein. They are masters of the Dark Magic Class and specialize in stealth, summoning, and raising the dead to fight again (necromancy). Jonas's particular bloodline is spawned from Bequaki Mazeri, who was once known as Bequaki Rein, but she changed her name and began the Mazeri bloodline when she disagreed with the other primary vampire bloodlines and their decision to attack the werewolves.

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Lore:

When a vampire first begins The Change, they have a brief period where they 'go feral' (i.e. go insane, lose themselves to bloodlust and instincts, etc.). Most vampires turn back toward the light shortly after their body full changes, but not all. There is a higher chance of someone with a tertiary/trash bloodline of staying feral than someone belonging to a primary or secondary bloodline.

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In the canon storyline, the Matriarch, while powerful, is simply a strong Mental Magic user from a tertiary bloodline. In fact, her Weapon, Kisi Ri, should work far better than it does in controlling her victims, but it doesn't because of her lineage. Because my characters are now in the Bleach universe with no ready means of returning home, they are cut off from the majority of her mental influence. Therefore, Jonas was able to defeat the portion of her power struggling for dominance easily whereas Neil (and by extension, Shila) had to struggle and required Jonas's aid.

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Okay, so Ichigo had a tertiary bloodline (because he got his vampirism from Neil who got it from The Matriarch and Neil had stabbed Ichigo with Kisi Ri before Jonas Force Submitted him). But, as Jonas realized, while he was a tertiary bloodline, he was rapidly becoming a powerful trash vampire. To the extent that, while he normally wouldn't be able to Force Submit Jonas (because Jonas is a primary and tertiaries can't normally force a primary to submit), he would have been able to had Jonas failed to repel him. This, of course, would have had drastic consequences, which thankfully, we don't have to worry about now.

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Werewolf Specific:

Shini/Light Spirit Specific:

Shade/Dark Spirit Specific:

Sinner/Hell Spirit Specific:

Demon Specific:

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Essence Ribbon Specific:

The color of the Essence Ribbon is determined by the individual's spellcaster magic aptitude. Ribbons only demonstrate the powers the individual is aware of and capable of wielding.

The color of the Essence Ribbon is also affected by whether or not they are a Weapon Wielder or an Incantation Wielder and they also change depending on their vampire/werewolf status and spiritual status.

Those that do not wield any Magic whatsoever have pure WHITE ribbons. This means no spellcaster magic, no incantations, and no Weapons—no magic anything. Ritual Magic users also show no magic potential due to the nature of that magic and are the ONLY ones capable of using spells without affecting the appearance of their ribbon.

Vampires have a red aura surrounding their essence ribbon. Werewolves have a blue aura. Werepires have a purple aura. Light Spirits have a light gray aura. Dark Spirits (otherwise referred to as Shades) have a black aura. These auras are only sensed when the individual is blatantly showing off their subspecies abilities or if the person sensing their essence ribbon has great detection abilities.

Those that wield Weapon Magic have a black outline to their ribbons. If the ribbon is also black, then there is a white line separating the outer edges from the main body of the ribbon to denote the two abilities within. If the individual does not wield spellcaster magic, then a silver line separates the outer edge from the main body of the ribbon to denote the lack of other ability.

Those that wield Spellcaster Magic have the entire body of the ribbon as a specific color. If the individual is capable of wielding Magic from two different classes, then the body of the ribbon will be striped with the corresponding colors. If the wielder does not wield incantations or Weapons, then the outside edge of the ribbon is pure white. If the ribbon is white, there will be a black line separating the outer edges from the main body to denote the lack of incantation or Weapon abilities.

Arcane Magic Class wielders have translucent white ribbons. Specks of black represent Time Magic and specks of purple represent Space Magic.

Mental Magic wielders have amethyst ribbons. There is no subclass and so there are no specks in the ribbon.

Fire Magic Class wielders have red ribbons. There will be specks of ruby representing fire, gold representing lightning, orange representing chaos, and black representing sun.

Water Magic Class wielders have blue ribbons. There will be specks of sapphire representing water, white representing ice, green representing wind, and gray representing moon.

Earth Magic Class wielders have brown ribbons. There will be specks of bronze representing earth, specks of silver representing metal and specks of ruby representing magma.

Nature Magic Class wielders have dark green ribbons. There will be specks of emerald representing plant, specks of black representing animal and specks of purple representing poison.

Light Magic Class wielders have white ribbons. There will be specks of silver representing light, specks of yellow representing conjurer and specks of green representing life.

Dark Magic Class wielders have black ribbons. There will be specks of gold representing dark, specks of purple representing summoner and specks of silver representing death.

Holy Magic Class wielders have yellow ribbons. There will be specks of gold representing holy, specks of white representing angel and specks of red representing blessings.

Unholy Magic Class wielders have dark gray ribbons. There will be specks of silver representing unholy, specks of black representing demon and specks of red representing curses.

The Matriarch's 'thralls' (for lack of a better term—those The Matriarch turns into feral vampires and then controls) have iridescent essence ribbons (the colors are always shifting and never settle).

All living and non-living things have Essence Ribbons.

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Humanoid Characters:

Jonas Mazeri: main character in Chronicles of Seraphia. short, spiky silver hair. Dark blue eyes. 5'7". Skinny and toned. 16 years old. Wields Tasha Rein.

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Neil Agamon- 5'7". Short and straight brown hair. Brown eyes. He appears average build with clothes on but is physically fit. 16 years old. Wields Engeta Zanu.

Neil's Flames: so, there are different colors for different emotions/states of being, with colors having multiple meanings. He is a character that tends to speak without a 'filter' and got the nickname Firebrand for being such a pain in the ass. But despite how he behaves normally, he doesn't always intend to come across as rude/insulting as he does. He just doesn't convey what he means very well.

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Shila Mezere- 5'4". Long silver hair that reaches between her shoulder blades. Light blue eyes. Thin. 16 years old. Wields Juka Reyno. Uses Ice Subclass Magic.

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Casey Urdoni- 5'4". Long black hair. Dark blue eyes so dark they are almost black. Impassive face. 15 years old. Wields ?

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Kienan Urdoni- 5'8". Short black hair. Black eyes. 16 years old. Wields ?

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Michael Koto- 5'7". Brown eyes. Short light blonde hair. 16 years old. Wields ?

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Sheila Emetere- ?

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Sirta Mazeri- 5'5". Long silver hair. Dark blue eyes. Jonas's mother. (deceased).

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Miseanu Meizerai/Rein: looks just like Sirta Mazeri (except maybe a little more muscular. Long silver hair. Dark blue eyes.

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Maku and Sima Mazeri: They are fraternal twins. Maku is a boy. Sima is a girl. They are younger than Jonas by a few years and were there with Jonas when their parents died before their eyes. They are not present in this timeline.

*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x

Extra Notes/General Seraphia Worldbuilding:

Jonas Mazeri's appearance: So, I never fully describe exactly what his face (or anyone else's face really) in my universe looks like. I give the basic hair and eye color, heights, and builds but I leave the faces open to the imagination (unless there is a specific scar I wish to address). So, I thought, how cool would it be if Jonas looked like Ichigo? (guess you can figure out which character I like the most, eh?)

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Light World/Dark World: two different worlds that exist as copies of each other. This is where all life lives before it dies. (think of them like the World of the Living in Bleach.)

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Realms: There are actually 12 realms where spirits live after life. 10 of them exist where their specific magics are prominent (and each of these 10 have a light side and a dark side to them). Then, there is Hell (realm of Sinners). Finally, there is the Otherlands (which is the realm of ALL Weapon Spirits).

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Betweenlands: The dimension that keeps all the realms and the worlds connected. (kind of like the Dangai).

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In my universe, all things give off essence ribbons. Everything has a small amount of magic essence which then strongly or weakly gives off an aura of power. So, Jonas has the ability to see these ribbons (all ribbons) and since there aren't that many Essence Ribbons in this universe (because the only ones currently belong to him and his friends), it is far easier for him to search for his missing friend this way.

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In my universe, before the kids got sent to the Bleach universe, both Neil and Jonas were attacked by vampires under someone's control named The Matriarch. The Matriarch is a person with the Magic Weapon, Kisi Ri, and she can use it to transform people into vampires. Those that she initiates the change with, can use her Weapon to varying degrees.

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Primary School: the equivalent of High School in my universe.

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Trade School: the equivalent of college for people without magical powers.

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Magic School: the equivalent of college for people with magical powers. The graduates enter the Magic Squads (similarly to how those that go to the Soul Reaper Academy join the 13 Court Guard Squads when they leave the school).

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There are 10 Dragon Clans which represent each of the 10 Magic Classes. They do not recognize the existence of Blood Magic or Transmutation Magic, which is why those two are not considered Magic Classes.

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I mentioned earlier in this chapter that homosexuality is deemed as okay in my universe. This is because of my own personal beliefs on the matter (I'm not but don't have any problem with anyone that is). I added this information in because I wanted to explain Neil and Jonas's reactions to what was happening between Jonas and Ichigo (to clarify in case anyone misunderstood: it was NOT because of the boy/boy intimate interaction that caused Jonas's disgust. His disgust rose from him not wanting to be a vampire and then having no choice but to use his vampiric abilities to stop Ichigo's feral rampage.)

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And the people in my world do not use glasses. This is why Jonas has no clue what they are.

*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x

Bleach Universe:

Magic:

Kido: The over-arching classification of spells used by soul reapers. Divided into Bakudo, Hado, or Kaido.

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Bakudo Spells: Way of Binding. Spells used to restrain or restrict movement or spells.

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Bakudo #1 Sai: a weak binding kido spell that forces the target's hands behind their back.

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Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro: Six-Rod Light Restraint.

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Bakudo #99 Part 1: Restrict

Bakudo #99 Part 2: (Ban-kin) Constriction Band.

First Incantation: Shiryû! Bandage

Second Incantation: Hyaku Ren San! The hundred gate bolts.

Final Incantation: Ban-Kin Tai-Ho! Constriction Seal.

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Inemuri: Forced Slumber spell. User holds their hand in front of their victim's face, the victim's pupils dilate several times before they pass out.

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Hakufuku: White Concealment: a spell that causes the target to see the illusion of purple cherry blossoms falling around them, sometimes also along with the smell of sweet flowers. Then their vision blurs and their mind becomes disoriented and confused before they fall unconscious. Target has an unclear memory once they awaken.

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Tanma Otoshi: Time-Out Drop. The kido spell that Shinji used to knock Ichigo unconscious before his struggle with his inner hollow with the visoreds.

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Hado Spells: Way of Destruction. Spells used to inflict damage.

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Kaido: Healing Spiritual Arts. The spells and abilities used by soul reapers to heal injuries.

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Quincy Specific:

Quincy: A human that can manipulate spirit particles in the air to form a bow and arrow. When they kill hollows, they destroy their souls.

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Soul Reaper Specific:

Gigai: an artificial body

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Mod Soul: An artificial soul designed for combat. Project Spearhead.

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Gikon: Substitute Souls.

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Gikongan: Substitute Soul Pills. Contain Gikon or Mod Souls.

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Shihakusho: Garment of Dead Souls. The uniform that all soul reapers in the 13 Court Guard Squads are required to wear.

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Soul Reaper (Death God/Shinigami): A dead spirit that guides lost souls to the afterlife via Konso.

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Zanpakuto (Soul Cutter): a weapon born from a soul reaper's soul. The fragment of their soul that is forged for battle.

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Shikai: the first true release of a zanpakuto. Considered the second form of a zanpakuto since all normal soul reapers wield sealed swords.

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Release Shikai: To release a zanpakuto to Shikai in the bleach universe, each of them has a unique call phrase that causes the sword to transform into its shikai release.

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Seal Zanpakuto: Soul Reapers can seal their zanpakuto after releasing it and finishing their battle. Those wielding Magic Weapons can do the same thing.

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Bankai: the second and final release of a zanpakuto. Considered the third form of a zanpakuto since all normal soul reapers wield sealed swords. The achievement of Bankai can increase a fighter's power by 5 to 10 times and oftentimes takes up to 10 years to master its usage.

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Shunpo: the high-speed movement belonging to soul reapers.

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Konso: Soul Burial. Allows a Whole (Plus) to pass onto the Soul Society.

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Gotei 13 (13 Court Guard Squads): the military force that keeps the balance of souls. Divided into 13 squads that oversee the Soul Society and the World of the Living.

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Captain (taichō): the leader of a squad.

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Lieutenant(vice-captain, fukutaichō): the second in command/adjutant in each squad.

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Head Captain (captain commander, sōtaichō): The leader of all the Gotei 13.

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Secret Remote Squad (onmitsukidō): the stealth force.

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Hollow Specific:

Hollow: A spirit being that ate out its own heart in its suffering and one that continues searching for spirit energy and souls to relieve its never-ending hunger and desire to fulfill the emptiness of its existence.

(You all should read 'On the precipice of defeat' by MissFlesh. Holy crap! I loved the unique perspective of a Hollow that this writer gives. So many fanfictions skip over the gruesome aspects of existing as a hollow and portray it like some sort of glamorous existence that downplays how horrible being a hollow really is (they romanticize it, not that I am saying the other stories are bad by any stretch. They aren't, but they don't fully immerse you in the terrible state of being a hollow like this fanfiction does) and this author got into the nitty-gritty of life as a hollow and truly captured how bad life as one is. Truly a magnificent read and gives a whole new perspective of life as a monster.) It isn't completed and I don't think it ever will be, but there is plenty of story here to sink your teeth into that it fully captures the hopelessness of that life.

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Menos Grande: A classification of the three most-powerful forms that hollows can take. Gillian is the lowest. Adjuchas is the middle. Vasto Lorde is the highest.

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Gillian: that monster hollow that Ichigo and Uryu fought at the beginning. The lowest of the class of Menos Grande hollows.

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Hybrid (Visored/Arrancar) Specific:

Resurrection (Resurrección): Returning Blade. The first release of an arrancar that allows them to regenerate any damage they have sustained and return to their original hollow form.

Resurrection Segunda Etapa: Second Stage. The second release of an arrancar beyond the initial Resurrection that grants power far beyond the first release. Could be considered equal to, or greater, than a Soul Reaper's Bankai state.

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Characters:

Ichigo Kurosaki: Main character for Bleach. Wields the zanpakuto, Zangetsu.

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Uryu Ishida: He is a Quincy. Calls himself the Last Quincy.

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Rukia Kuchiki: The Soul Reaper that gave Ichigo his soul reaper powers. Member of Squad 13.

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Orihime Inoue: a classmate of Ichigo's. has the Shun Shun Rikka ability and with it, the powers of Rejection.

*Santen Ketsuhun: Three-God Shield. The defensive shield Orihime has. Formed from the spirits Hinagiku, Baigon, and Lily.

*Soten Kishun: Twin-God Reflection Shield. The healing barrier. Formed from the spirits Shuno and Ayame.

*Koten Zanshun: Lone-God Slicing Shield. Orihime's attack power. Formed from the spirit, Tsubaki.

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Tatsuki Arisawa: friend of Ichigo and Orihime.

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Yasutora Sado (Chad): a classmate of Ichigo's. his powers manifest in both of his arms, giving him powerful attacks and defensive capabilities.

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Tessai Tsukabishi: an employee of Urahara Shop and a childhood friend of Kisuke and Yoruichi. He is also the former Kido Commander in the Gotei 13.

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Yoruichi Shihōin: former captain of squad 2 as well as former commander of the stealth force and the 22nd head of the Shihōin clan. Can transform into a black cat.

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Don Kanonji: star of Spirit Hunter. A human capable of perceiving spirits. He inadvertently turned a spirit into a hollow and then worked with Ichigo to defeat it.

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Ururu Tsumugiya: Employee at Urahara Shop. Has black hair and keeps her hair in pig tails as a little girl.

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Jinta Hanakari: Employee at Urahara Shop. Has red hair. Picks on Ururu a lot.

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Mahana Natsui: one of Ichigo's classmates in school. She asked if Rukia had a crush on Ichigo.

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Gin Ichimaru: Captain of Squad 3.

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Renji Abarai: lieutenant of squad 6

Zabimaru: Renji's zanpakuto

Roar: The release phrase for Zabimaru's shikai.

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Byakuya Kuchiki: captain of squad 6. Adopted Rukia into Kuchiki clan.

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Kenpachi Zaraki: Captain of Squad 11.

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Extra Notes/General Bleach Worldbuilding:

Hueco Mundo: The world of the Hollows.

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Soul Society: the place where spirits pass onto (heaven).

Rukongai/Rukon District/Wandering Soul City: the residential area surrounding the Seireitei. Divided into 320 districts (80 in the north, 80 in the west, etc.) with the lowest numbers sporting the highest quality of living and being the closest to the Seireitei and the highest numbers sporting the lowest quality of living and being the furthest from the Seireitei.

Inuzuri: 78th district of the South Rukongai. Also known as Hanging Dog.

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World of the Living: Earth. Where humans live out their lives and die.

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Urahara Shop: the candy store belonging to Kisuke Urahara. Based in the World of the Living. Home to Kisuke, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu.

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Chain of Fate: a chain that binds a soul to a body, allowing that soul to return to their body if separated from it before death. If this chain is severed, then the body dies and the soul is free to pass on to Soul Society (or get eaten by a hollow/turn into a hollow)

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Encroachment: the process in which the chain of fate dissolves and the hole in a spirit's chest opens and they become a hollow.

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Konpaku (Soul): The basic term referencing the spirit of a dead person. All-encompassing term that references Plus spirits, Hollows (Minus Spirits), Shinigami, and Arrancar.

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Hakusui: the source of spiritual power

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Saketsu: the booster for spiritual power

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Central 46: the ruling body of the Soul Society. Made up of 40 sages and 6 judges that made final legal decrees. Cannot be overturned by anyone, not even a Captain and serves as the Soul Society's version of the Supreme Court in the U.S.

*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x

Close Similarities/Similar Skills:

Magic Weapon/Zanpakuto/Spirit Weapon: Magic Weapons and Spiritual Magic Weapons are similar to zanpakuto in that they are Weapons unique to an individual. However, their origins are different.

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Weapon Release (Weapon State): Similar in nature to a Shikai or Bankai release. However, there are 10 Mortal Tier Releases (as opposed to the 2 levels that Soul Reapers can use).

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Kogomosa/Shikai: The 1st Weapon Release in the Mortal Tier of Weapon Releases. Equivalent to Shikai state, with fighters on average becoming twice as strong as their initial summon state. X2 Initial Summon.

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Essence Ribbon/Spirit Ribbon: In Bleach, Spirit Ribbons turn red if a person is a soul reaper, otherwise they are white. This is how Uryu said that he figured out about Ichigo and Rukia. They are visible rays of spirit energy.

In my universe, Essence Ribbons change color and pattern based on the magical abilities the person has demonstrated to be capable of using. They can also have auras. They are visible rays of magic energy and get their name from magic's base term: Magic Essence.

In this fanfiction, one can detect how someone is feeling (emotionally or physically) by touching their ribbon. This is a more advanced technique than simply feeling someone's pressure/aura.

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Divine Sight/Seeing Spirit Ribbons: In Bleach, Rukia states that the ability to see Spirit Ribbons (rays of spirit energy) is something that only high-ranking soul reapers can use.

Divine Sight is the special ability to see Essence Ribbons.

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Essence Aura/Spiritual Pressure (Reiatsu): In Bleach, Spiritual Pressure is the pressure that a person's spiritual power (Reiryoku) exerts (described like reiryoku output).

Essence Aura is the pressure that a person's magical power exerts. It gets its name from magic's base term: Magic Essence.

In this fanfiction, one can detect how someone is feeling (emotionally or physically) by feeling their aura. This is typically a beginner technique, but the more advanced sensing requirements put it more in the intermediate category.

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Energy/Spiritual Power (Reiryoku): In Bleach, a person's spiritual power/spiritual energy is referred to as Reiryoku. It is their personal wellspring of power that is all their own. Each person has a certain amount and a limit they cannot surpass.

In my universe, this is referred to as Energy. In my universe, Energy can be divided into 2 categories: Magic Energy and Spirit Energy (with Spirit Energy being a mere subset of Magic Energy).

In this fanfiction, when one's spiritual power/energy is exhausted, the person collapses from lack of remaining energy.

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Magic Essence/Reishi (spiritual matter): In Bleach, reishi is what makes up objects in Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. The concentrations there are higher because they are the two spirit worlds of Bleach although some does exist in the World of the Living.

Magic Essence: the basis of ALL magical happenings in my universe. My entire world is formed from Magic Essence (which broken down is called Essence Elements, which we won't touch on until much later). Therefore, nearly all magic skills have some part of their name coming from one of these two words.

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Essence Elements/Atoms (Kishi): Kishi is like the World of the Living version of Reishi and makes up nearly all objects in the World of the Living and is a term to describe atoms as a whole.

Essence Elements are my universe's version of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The term as a whole can be used interchangeably with magic essence while referring to a single element cannot. They are further broken down into Sub-Elemental Essences (which are basically subatomic).

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Inner World/Mindscape/Realm of the Zanpakuto: this definition is basically identical between universes. Regardless of what phrase one wants to use, they all mean the same thing. Inner World. Inner Mind. Mindscape. Landscape of the Mind. Realm of the Weapon Spirit. Realm of the Zanpakuto. Literally all refers to the place in a wielder's mind where the Weapon resides and where they go to commune directly with the Weapon that is a part of them.

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Magic Weapon Auto-Dispel/Zanpakuto Auto-Seal: Just like how zanpakutos revert back to their sealed state when their wielder is knocked unconscious, a similar thing happens when a Magic Weapon Wielder is knocked unconscious (their Weapon dispels).

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Yretro Kosuka- is Kisuke Urahara.

Benihime- Kisuke Urahara's zanpakuto.

Awaken- the release phrase for Benihime's Shikai.

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Shini (Light Spirits)/Plus (Whole): spirits of those that have died. Equivalent to a Plus (whole) soul in Bleach universe.

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Final Notes:

I want to thank Andygoesrawr from Reddit for the amazing breakdown of the differences between the terms Reishi, Reiryoku, and Reiatsu that he posted nearly 8 years ago on the Reddit page: The Difference between Reishi, Reiryoku and Reiatsu. He also covered the concept of Kishi. I found this page and read it to make sure I wasn't messing up the distinction between the three too badly (turns out that I really was and, in my confusion over the terms when I was laying the foundation for the magic in my world, I ended up doing the same thing as this here was. Go figure).

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Also, I am editing how I am doing the terminology, etc. and how it will all be organized. Hopefully, it is better than previously. I am also planning on including all the definitions etc. at the end of the chapters (as opposed to stating which chapter I defined them at the beginning of the chapter and pushing off the start of the story each time).

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I know I stated that Kisuke is Yretro from my universe. So, based on the above information, one would be correct in believing that he should have an Essence Ribbon. However, the reason why this is not true is because he was essentially reborn in the Bleach universe. Therefore, he follows their natural laws not mine.

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I am also aware that I am repeating the terms, etc. at the end of the chapters, but I felt it would be easier on the reader than if they had to search a different chapter each time they wanted a refresher.

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I have to say that I love the Bleach Wiki. Here's a shout of thanks to everyone that made that website into the brilliant resource that it is. I would never remember all the specific spells otherwise.

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Jonas is a Mazeri/Rein vampire by birth which is a Primary Bloodline. Neil was transformed by The Matriarch's power, and she came from a tertiary bloodline. So, when Jonas forced Engeta Zanu to submit, he was birthing Neil into the Mazeri bloodline. Basically, Neil is a Mazeri vampire now with all the bloodline skills etc. that come along with that with the exception of the Blood Memories which he does not have. Blood Memories can only be passed on from ancestor to direct descendant, not through a forced submission.

Jonas force submitting Neil's vampiric side is also why Jonas can feel what Neil is feeling. And he can sense Shila through Neil because Neil and Shila are imprinted. (normally, Neil biting Shila for that short period of time would not have caused an imprint. However, because she broke the barrier between them in her inner world and went to him in his, she cemented their connection.) This connection between the three is ONLY because Jonas force submitted Neil's vampire side. (this connection works similarly to an imprint in that they can sense each other's feelings. However, power sharing is NOT included in this.)

Engeta Zanu made the comment that he was 'back now' to Jonas when Jonas force submitted him. This is because of how the transformation took effect on Neil. Because Neil was not born from, nor ever descended from a vampire, he was not meant to become a vampire. The Matriarch's power had infiltrated his spirit and tried taking over Engeta Zanu (which she could because he had no natural bloodline to resist her). Once Jonas forced his bloodline onto Neil, it caused the hold on Engeta Zanu to disappear, allowing the Weapon's regular personality to reemerge.

The fact that Jonas is a Mazeri vampire is the entire reason why the transformation went differently for him than it did for Neil. This is why it took the shape of his mother and acted more like an outside force attacking rather than a possession.

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Okay, so I am being kinda lazy (ish). I was watching the anime (English dubbed) version of Bleach to get the dialogue right for the canon stuff when I decided that it is too much of a pain to watch each section of episode half a dozen times (since I can't type nearly as fast as they talk). Therefore, the dialogue will now be a mixture between the anime and the manga, along with a few word changes because I preferred something phrased a different way.

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Several of the canon events will remain the same in the upcoming arc while several things will be drastically different. I plan on following the current timeline (including flashbacks as necessary) to help keep my place as I work in my other characters and their character-building arcs.

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I vaguely mention a parallel between Ichigo's bloodline and Jonas's for being possibly why the two look the same as each other here. This information plays a part in why the two will get to be OP later :D

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Hope you enjoyed! Please review and let me know what you all think! Thanks for reading!