Author Notes: It might a little rushed for Ichigo to learn Bankai this early, but it's to move the story along quicker.

Chapter 33: Nature of Man


"What fuckin' shame. A man that could cut me, hear my bells and fight me over an hour...and one serious cut finishes him off...what a disappointment.," the eyepatch wearing Captain spoke in disappointment.

Kenpachi took a few steps forward until he noticed that Ichigo had stood up from his blow earlier. As he turned around, he felt a slash on this left shoulder, the first time in the entire fight that a strike happened without him expecting it.

"Heh, you got back up quickly..let's continue the fight, Masked Fighter!," Zaraki told Ichigo as he observed the slash on his shoulder. Ichigo did not respond sarcastically like he would during the fight before, he was silent for a moment until he decided to speak.

"Oh, if you're thinking I'm the regular Ichigo right now...you're dead wrong you bastard!," said Ichigo now with a distorted voice of lunacy as white Spiritual Particles formed around his face, solidified into his Visored mask form.

"Oh, you're not the one I fought from earlier, your Spiritual Pressure's different. What's your name then?," Zaraki asked with keen interest to this sudden change in his opponent's presence.

"I don't have a name...I just want to destroy everything!," Ichigo replied as the horned mask formed over his face, the eyes under the mask had black sclera and white irises deformed into a lucid oval shape. He took his Zangetsu as he swung the blade in a wide arch towards the 11th Captain.

Kenpachi suddenly felt a concussive blow to his stomach, except this time, the strike caused him to slide several feet backwards as he looked in stunned astonishment for what had just occurred. He watched as this masked Ichigo spiraled towards him like a maddening tornado with his Zangetsu having a Getsuga Tensho trail behind him. The Spiritual Energy slash moved to the front as this masked Soul Reaper pulled the blade towards his crazed foe.

Kenpachi raised his sword and swung it down to block the black strike with a slash of golden Spiritual Pressure. As the colors mixed and faded away to reveal the two warriors having clashed their Zanpakuto by the bladed edges with the stiff pointed haired Captain being pushed back by the masked form by a few inches on the skeletal covered ground.

"This isn't exactly how I wanted you to release that power, but its now God Damn Fun Now that you've shown up!," Kenpachi yelled as he billowed even more yellow Spiritual Pressure from his body than before as it caused the skeletons on the ground to crumble away. He struck at the sword harder than he did before, creating sparks from the strike. The masked Ichigo would scrape the face of the Captain who brushed off his new bloodied scar to strike at his opponent's chest- only to find it bounce off as if it had just struck pure iron for a reason that the Captain couldn't explain at the moment.

"Now you have hard skin to block my sword? What other tricks do you have up your sleeves? Doesn't matter, let's enjoy this act of carnage while we can!," Kenpachi shouted towards the masked Ichigo as he lunged forward.

"You like fighting that much? To the point that being cut or dying don't scare ya? You're crazy..., but right now so I am I!," the horned masked Soul Reaper replied back in a demented tone. The white coated man then stopped suddenly and decided to raise one hand over his eyepatch for some reason that the Visored mask Ichigo couldn't explain.

"Let's have even more fun! Death and pain are the prices of that enjoyment! This is the best! The best! The Best! THHHHE BESSSTT! An even fight, though you're having the advantage at the moment! How long has it been since I've had this joyous emotion- I don't have to take this off to force you to be serious- I can finally take this off for myself to Go All Out!," Kenpachi screamed as he pulled off his eyepatch to reveal his left eye.

As he took his ornate eyepatch off, his Spiritual Pressure skyrocketed to the point the dimension warped and changed the space to a red colored battleground with barren brown earth underneath them.

"I-Impossible, he can affect my powers by just his Furyoku?," Turbine said with a stunned wide eyed expression.

"Much bigger than when you did it against my Shikigami...if I faced that, I doubt I'd come out unscratched if I faced that.," Hao calmly observed with a tiny bead of sweat on his brow as he looked on at the fierce duel. He then decided to close his eyes and meditate in a cross-legged position on the carpet. His followers narrowed his eyes as they knew what he was about to do as they repeated the same meditation process as Hao.

"Your ace in the hole? Your eye has a special ability or is it finally releasing your full power?," the masked Ichigo inquired in a confident tone.

"The latter, Masked Fighter. I had Mayuri's flunkies make this for me to restrain myself at all times- a monster that feeds off my Spiritual Power. I'm using all of it to beat you.," Kenpachi explained as

"Restraint is nice, but what's really needed to unfettered strength...something like this!," The masked Ichigo declared as he let go of his Zangetsu and decided to hold the cloth of the sword and swing it like a flail, creating a cyclone shaped torrent of Spiritual Pressure of black color with red outlines as he twirled it around.

This got the full powered Kenpachi's attention as the torrent headed towards him at full force.


"Bankai.," said the sunshade wearing man with the flare ended clothing to Ichigo as he looked with puzzled confusion as he raised his left eyebrow.

"You mean those giant things those zombies used on me last night? I have a feeling that it usually takes a longer time to use that kind of power- time that I'm certain that I don't have.," Ichigo replied as he recalled the undead Soul Reapers' Zanpakuto using another larger transformation in addition to their first alteration of their weapon

Zangetsu then pointed his right hand forward and called forth two shadows that solidified into a daitō with a black blade, a cross guard with four prongs bent out to form the shape of a manji and a short length of chain with a broken link at the end that dangled from the base of the hilt. In addition to this sword, was a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining, which closed at its chest and left to flare out into ragged ends, much like that of the old man's coat ends.

"What is it?," Ichigo asked as he looked on.

"Your Bankai's true form, it is currently the ultimate state of a Soul Reaper's power at their zenith- though once you master it, it could alter significantly.," the old man stated as he then pointed three fingers at Ichigo to his wide eyed bewilderment.

"Depending on their ability to utilize their Zanpakuto, a Soul Reaper can utilize three forms, the sealed state and two transformations that upgrade its powers based on the user's unique traits. The forms vary on the individual, but learning both is needed to become a Captain in the 13 Court Guard Squads...and to beat this opponent.," the old man explained as he kept up the three fingers.

"Yeah, that white haired guy who looks like me left to fight him a while ago. So it was to stall for time while I activated this Bankai thing? I feel I know him from somewhere.," Ichigo replied with a calm voice as he scratched his head.

"He is the true identity of the Hollow mask that tried to devour you when you had died yesterday before the woman who now shares half of your Soul rescued you. But, he is also a remnant from your mother's contact with a Hollow, embedded into your Zanpakuto's power...making you technically a Full-Bringer as well- having been conceived with the Hollow traces of Spiritual Particles coming from your mother.," the old man responded as his sunshades glowed with a white light to obscure his eyes.

"What about my mom? I'm a Full-Bringer what the Visored were talking about? I-," Ichigo raised his voiced as he inquired what the middle aged man had meant by that statement.

"It was merely the truth of what you needed to know about him. Back onto the Zanpakuto forms...," the old man spoke as he changed the subject.

Ichigo nodded in a quiet nod as he listened in.


The sealed form is usually a katana with slight variations, some are wakizashi, nodachi or tantō in shape. Some are hidden in other dimensions until called forth for battle or the form of objects before unleashing their weapon state. On average, the majority of Zanpakuto are Asauchi (Shallow Hit), nameless swords given to the average Soul Reapers who must remain with them at all times in order to activate the second form if they are capable of such a feat.

Second is the Shikai (Initial Release). One must learn its name by harmonizing and communicating with the spirit of the Zanpakuto in its inner world. Once one has done so, he/she is now capable of chanting a Kaigo (Release Call) to change its form. It is crucial to memorize this phrase as it varies from single verbs to short poems, which relate to the sword's power. Once called out, the sword alters to fit the users abilities that vary with on each individual. One can bypass this step once one learns of Bankai. All seat officers have the ability to use Shikai, signifying that one knows their Zanpakutō's powers, especially if one were to become a lieutenant.

And finally, is the Bankai (Final Release). It is known as the final form of the Zanpakuto as far as the Soul Society knows. Prior to the Soul King's birth, it was known as a Shinuchi (Headliner) and possessing it meant you achieved the first step of an Evolved Zanpakuto before a famous Soul Reaper altered it for the sake of keeping with the theme of the Shikai form. To achieve Bankai, one must be able to manifest and defeat their Zanpakutō Spirit by dragging them out of the inner world into the Physical Realm. It usually requires a decade to master, but there are ways to shorten the amount of time needed. Once mastered through subjugation, it allows the Soul Reaper to reach extraordinary levels of power- varying from 5-100 times stronger based on the individual's potential. And it grows as one learns to master its power over time.


Ichigo looked at the sky as he came to grips of what his power could be capable of once he could master it.

The old man crouched on the surface of the sideways building that they were standing on as several shadows rose from the ground. They solidified as hundreds of swords stacked around the surface, each resembling Zangetsu's blade, but each slightly different from one other in terms of design. The black clothed man proceeded to grab one of these swords and took a battle stance towards his master. Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he figured that this would be the method of subjugation to activate his Bankai.

"So on top of fighting that cactus head outside, I have to do training here...what a pain.," Ichigo complained about his circumstances as he took one of the swords as well and took a battle position to face off against the old man.

"You may say that, but the nature of man is inherently corrupt. Some live to protect their lives, social status/ reputation, desires/loved ones, beliefs- in doing so they ignore the earth around them as they pervert it to an artificial domain to suit their needs. Like these building, empty replacements for the wonders of natural greenery. I read your heart, thankfully theres a hidden nature to love both battle and the ones you care about underneath your pitiful excuse to use your mother's death to justify protecting people when you're always keeping them at a distance.," said a calm, youthful voice behind Ichigo. the words ringing deep into Ichigo's soul.

He turned around to see that somehow the impossible had occurred- Hao and his followers had managed to come into the inner world for reasons he couldn't explained. Ichigo's eyes widened with shock while the old man remained stoic.

"This makes it four times that I've seen you as that man. Though, I admit your orange sunglass and black ragged end outfit is cooler than your mutton-chop mustache and military outfit with the cape...Yhwach...I wonder if you're more inclined to have me call you Juha Bach to differentiate between the two of you?," the dark brown haired boy said with a closed eyed smile that made the old man's eyes widen with shock when he mentioned the word Yhwach.

"Yhwach...what does he mean by that?," Ichigo asked the middle aged man seeing for the first time, that something had managed to break his stoic composure.


Chapter 34: Firebird Discord