Chapter 39

End of Hypnosis II

"Poor kid. Looks like that's one down."

Gin Ichimaru smirked. Through the slits of his eyelids, he peered at the smoldering and unmoving Aaron Higuchi.

"That was rather cruel of you, Captain Aizen," he added. "Using such a high level spell on a kid who had his whole life ahead of him."

"I meant to obliterate him. I suppose that will teach me for neglecting to use the incantation."

"Don't you think it's terrifying you can do all that without one?"

In the midst of their casual discussion, Kana's quivering eyes made their way over to Aaron.

He still wasn't moving.

"C-Captain Aizen can seriously use spells that powerful without…! "

Aizen might have called it a failure, but Kana highly doubted anyone could have survived such an attack.

"N-No! That...can't be! CT is alive! He has to be!"

She had to reach him. It didn't matter that she couldn't use healing Kidou. All that mattered was her reaching his side.

"Are you insane?! Get back here!"

Izumi threw a damper in those plans by wrapping her arms around Kana for dear life.

"Dammit, Izumi! Let me go! Let me go! That's your brother! I have to…!"

"That guy over there will do a lot worse to you if you don't sit still already! If you get caught now, everything we've done will have been pointless! Besides, do you really think my brother would die that easily?!"

Kana calmed down. The tears streaming down Izumi's face did the trick.

"Did you hear that, you useless brother?! Don't you dare die on us! Get up already! Get up!"

Aaron heard her desperate pleas. They roused him from his brief unconsciousness, though he immediately wished he were still out. Glassy-eyed, he couldn't decide which part of his body hurt more. His arms and legs wouldn't budge. Some, if not all, of his bones were likely broken. He was in such a pitiful state, he almost yearned to laugh.

"I guess I am pretty useless right now. Ow…"

"Captain Aizen was...this strong…?"

Rukia, pale faced, did nothing as Aizen approached. There was nothing she could do. She understood that clearly now. No one had been able to land so much as a scratch on Aizen. He might have been a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen, yet, Rukia thought it unfathomable for even one of them to have such immense strength.

"Good," began Aizen. "So, you realize it's pointless to struggle."

Sweat doused Rukia's entire face. She couldn't breathe. Perhaps due to expanding so much energy, the full weight of Aizen's spiritual pressure was finally pressing against her. It was taking everything she had to keep her blurring sights on the Captain.

"You were always smart, Kuchiki. For that reason, I wanted you in my squad as well."

With the remainder of her strength, Rukia reached for Sode no Shirayuki.

"That overprotective brother of yours refused, however. He stuck you with Ukitake. Perhaps he could subconsciously tell something about me was off."

All hope wasn't lost. She still had her Bankai. It would require putting up a Kidou barrier to ensure only Aizen, Gin, and Tousen were her victims, but it was possible.

"Perhaps you would've been more useful than Hinamori."

She couldn't catch her breath. It was like a herd of elephants were sitting on her chest.

No! He'd kill me before I'd even finished the incantation! And his spiritual pressure! I'm...suffocating!

"Sousuke Aizen, was it? I believe you are forgetting someone."

Rukia blinked. Sharpscale hadn't been in front of her seconds before. He formed a wall between her and Aizen, although that didn't deter the Fifth Division Captain from marching toward them.

"Ah. You again. How unfortunate. It seems you have a death wish."

"The only one that's going to die here today is you. The moment you became an enemy of Aaron Higuchi and his friends, your fate was sealed."

"Is that so? You have quite the mouth for a worthless piece of trash."

"Leave him alone, Aizen!" pleaded Kana. "It's me you want, right?! Leave him out of this!"

"I'm flattered you would care for the likes of a mere Hollow." Sharpscale pointed a pair of fingers at Aizen. "I believe it is my job to protect you. That's what a father is supposed to do, after all."

He let loose a gargantuan Cero. It ripped apart everything in its path, basking the area in crimson light. Just about everyone dove for cover.

Aizen was the exception.

"How humorous. You appear to have gotten the order of things backwards." Using only his bare hand, he held the Cero at bay. He didn't budge so much as an inch. "Shinigami are the hunters. Hollows are our prey."

He sent the Cero over his shoulder and toward a far more helpless target.

"Dammit! That idiot!" Forgetting her own advice, Izumi made a mad dash toward her brother. "Get up already! You're about to be blown to freaking pieces!"

She wouldn't make it. She was fast, but the Cero was even faster. A mere human didn't have a chance at stopping it.

But a Hollow did.

With the last of his strength, Sharpscale streaked in front of Aaron. His body might not have been the greatest shield, but it was all he had. Before Izumi could reach him, and before he could hear Kana's pleas for him to stop, he took the full brunt of the Cero. The explosion drowned out Kana's shrieking. It swept Izumi off her feet. Most of the surrounding area was reduced to rubble.

"More fireworks," said Gin, shielding his eyes. "I didn't think this would be so much fun."

Izumi eventually got her wits about her. "I wish someone would start warning me when they're about to go nuking the place…"

Her ears were ringing, and it felt like someone was hammering away on a drum inside her head. Shakily, she got to her feet and checked around for any signs of life in the sea of smoldering rubble around her.

"Bro?! Bro! Say something if you're alive out there! I'm gonna kill you myself if not!"

She gasped, catching a glimpse of two figures. One was her brother, alive and well.

It was hard to same the same about the second individual. She put her hand over her mouth, suppressing the urge to puke.

"Holy…"

Sharpscale's left arm had been blown off. Only a small portion of its right leg remained. Apart of its head was missing. None of this deterred him from laughing like he was having the time of his life.

"Good show, Sousuke Aizen," he said cheerily. "I...made a grave mistake in underestimating you. But as long as...Aaron Higuchi lives...that's all that matters…"

"HEISHIRO!"

There was no stopping Kana this time. She nearly tripped over herself getting to Sharpscale, catching the Hollow as it toppled over. His blood stained her hands and clothing, but she didn't care. She cradled his head in her arms, squeezing onto it for dear life.

"W-Why?! I don't want to lose you again, Heishiro! Please, don't die!"

Much to her bewilderment, Sharpscale laughed again. "You...insist on calling me by that name, even in this grotesque form. You...haven't changed one bit, Kana."

Kana hugged him even tighter. Her amber eyes welled with tears. "I don't care about that! You're still Heishiro! That's all that matters! We're still a family!"

Family. The word lingered in Sharpscale's mind. "Yes, I...suppose I did refer to myself as your father without thinking. I am...sorry, Kana. I can no longer protect you."

"That's not important. W-We need Akira! She can…!"

"Keep Aaron Higuchi safe. I...might have been worthless in the end, but he is different. It was thanks to him that I was able to meet you again. I...wonder if our meeting was fate."

"I...don't really believe in stuff like fate. Sorry. Thanks for the save though."

Aaron wasn't sure how he did it himself. He was somehow standing.

"All that Bankai training, and I end up using my Zanpakutou as a freaking crutch. Sorry, Seigetsu."

"A-Aaron?!" Kana wasn't sure whether to hug him or check his injuries. Both required letting go of Sharpscale, so she settled on staring at him in astonishment. "Are you okay?! Thank goodness you and Heishiro are still alive!"

"Define 'alive.'"

Given the circumstances, Kana wondered how he had the nerve to crack a joke. She had to stop herself from smacking him upside the head. "Are you sure you should be standing?"

"...No. Laying there like a log won't solve anything though, so here I am."

Aaron scanned the battlefield. Rukia looked shaken up but more or less okay. Aizen and company still hanging around wasn't anything to celebrate about, though he could at least take comfort in his friends being in one piece.

Most of them anyway.

"Sharpscale…"

"I am fine, Aaron Higuchi. Focus on the enemy in front of you."

"...I'm just gonna have to take your word for it. I still say we're in trouble though."

"You think, idiot?!"

A fuming Izumi punched him in the side, ready to do a lot more.

"W-What was that for?!" he cried. "Am I already not dying enough?!"

"Quit screwing around then! We still have that guy to worry about in case you've forgotten!"

Aaron gave Aizen a piercing stare. Certainly, the man was at the forefront of his thoughts. Ignoring the stabbing pain in his arms, he readied his swords.

"So, you're both still alive," said Aizen. "Come now, Ryoka boy. You really shouldn't be moving around. Consider it a miracle you survived my Kidou. Your bones were already collapsing on themselves from the weight of your Bankai before then. No point pressing your luck any further. right?"

Aaron smacked his lips. Aizen had him read like a book.

"Y-You okay there, Bro?"

Izumi couldn't help but notice how hard Aaron was breathing. He chose not to answer, not wanting to alarm her. Realistically, he questioned if he would even be able to remain conscious for another five minutes.

"Kana. Sis. Stay behind me. And look after Sharpscale."

"I thought I told you not to concern yourself with me, Aaron Higuchi. Just take Kana and…"

"No. I owe you one. Well, I owe you way more than one. Just sit there and be quiet. I'm trying to think."

Sharpscale did just that, won over by the conviction in Aaron's eyes.

"You know, you're starting to sound like that crazy Ichigo guy," said Kana. Blushing, Aaron wasn't sure whether to take that as an insult. "Look, you…"

Kana was standing next to Aaron one moment and gone in the next. By the time the others noticed, she was already in the clutches of Kaname Tousen.

"...shouldn't do anything reckless. Wait. What?"

"Dammit! Flash Step!" growled Aaron. That went beyond his use of the technique. He hadn't gotten so much as a whiff of Tousen.

"S-Sorry," said Izumi preemptively. "I...didn't…sense him."

"Lemme go, you jerk!" As violently as Kana squirmed about, she couldn't free herself. "How the heck is a blind guy so fast?!"

"Good job, Kaname. Now then…"

With Kana taken care of, Aizen could focus on Rukia. Aaron already knew what he had in mind and beat him to the punch.

"Flash Step. You can still use that in your condition?"

Grimacing, Aaron quietly noted that was probably his last time. He wasn't a doctor, yet, he was confident one of his legs would snap like a twig if he tried it again.

"H-Higuchi...you're…"

"I'm fine." Aaron cut Rukia off, waving his hand. "Can you use your Bankai?"

The question caught Rukia off guard. So, he had the same train of thought as me.

"Kuchiki?"

"Yes, I can, but you've seen it in action back at Kagami's place. I'll end up killing you all if I…"

"Then we need to buy you some time. Just tell me it'll work."

Rukia mulled the proposition over. "...You need to buy me time set up a Kidou barrier."

"That...doesn't sound like fun."

" You'll probably die," replied Rukia too truthfully for Aaron's liking. "Only Captain Aizen is fighting right now, but there's no telling when Captain Ichimaru or Tousen will join in."

"Three on one. ...Why don't I just commit suicide right now?"

"How about two on three then?!"

Hihiou Zabimaru came flying over their heads, forcing Aaron to pull the both of them down lest they be torn to shreds. They were never its intended target but Aizen.

"So, even you're still alive and kicking Abarai," he said as he moved his head to dodge. "Don't you roaches know when to stay down?"

"Sorry, I don't!" Renji landed in front of Aaron and Rukia, looking equally ready keel over. "What the hell happened?! I was out for a few minutes, and you let them take that annoying pest over there!"

"Hey! Who are you calling annoying, you red-haired freak?!" snapped Kana, blowing him a raspberry. "For your information, I got captured on purpose!"

"No, you didn't."

"No, she didn't," said Aaron with a sigh.

"Who's side are you on, CT?!"

Kana thrashed about even more, though only in an effort to pound Aaron and Renji. She had honestly forgotten all about Tousen.

"Kill each other after we've killed these guys, alright?" said Aaron, rolling his eyes. "Abarai, we've got a plan."

"He's right. Are you alright, Renji?" asked Rukia.

Renji spat out some blood, replying, "I'll live. What about this plan? Can it actually stop that monster?"

"Oh, just hush up and follow their lead! It's not like you're even smart enough to figure it out even if they told you!"

Kana was intent on being petty. Unfortunately for Aaron and Rukia, Renji was eager to indulge her.

"I don't want to hear it from the useless woman who let herself be captured! Again! Isn't that three times now?!"

"'U-Useless?!' Coming from the guy who can't do anything but swing around a giant, white snake that you could dodge with your eyes closed! Why's it so big anyway? Compensating much?"

"W-What was that?!"

"I'll have you know my Bankai is a thousand times better than yours!"

"Bullshit! Can you even use Bankai?!"

A red faced Kana chose to leave that question unanswered.

"Ha! See?! That's what I thought!" Renji cackled, far too pleased at 'winning' a pointless argument in everyone else's opinion. "Now shut up and let us rescue your sorry ass! Again!"

"I-I'd rather die than be saved by the likes of you!"

"Really now? You know, if I kill you myself, that would solve all our problems!"

"How about you two just get married already?!" shouted Aaron. He was tempted to murder one of them before Aizen got the chance. "Nobody is getting saved if you don't can it!"

"My, my. It's gotten rather noisy, hasn't it?" chimed Gin, cleaning out his ear. "So many flies buzzing about. Would you like me to take care of them, Captain Aizen?"

"No need. There is no difference between one speck of dust or a couple more."

"H-Hey!" shouted Izumi. "There's somebody else coming! Damn, another enemy?! They're moving fast! They'll be here in…!"

Aizen was on the end of another surprise attack. It came at the hands of a black streak no one but him could make out. He deflected a sword strike that would have cut his head off, sending both him and his assailant skidding back.

"Yo! What's the matter, Renji? I only asked you to take care of Rukia for a little while. It looks like you're having some trouble."

Renji stood in total shock. Grinning at him assuredly, Ichigo Kurosaki added, "Don't worry. I've come to help!"

"I-Ichigo…?"

Hearing Aaron mention that Ichigo was actually alive and there in Soul Society was one thing. Seeing him in the flesh was entirely different. As he crouched down and took stock of her, her mouth hung agape. This was a person she convinced herself she would never meet again. She didn't want to see him again. It meant he must have gone through hell and high water to reach her. The whole point of allowing herself to be captured was to avoid that. She couldn't speak. There weren't enough words to express how she felt. This wasn't a mirage.

The boy dressed in black before her was real.

"I've found you at last, Rukia," Ichigo said, having no difficulties expressing his elation. "I've said it before but…you really made things hard for me, didn't you?"

Yes, this was Ichigo alright. Striving to keep some shred of her composure, Rukia was unable to keep her eyes from growing misty in the end.

"Y-You...imbecile!" she bellowed, nearly rupturing the others' eardrums. "Who in the world told you to come all the way here to rescue me?! Why do you keep coming back?!"

That wasn't the heartfelt response Ichigo expected after their long separation. Aaron, meanwhile, plugged his ears and wished everyone would stop screeching like the damned.

"You even risked your life fighting my brother again! For what?! Why couldn't you have just minded your own business and stayed in your own world?! That's why I…!"

"Shut up."

Rukia never imagined two words could leave her so speechless.

"You've got a lot of nerve complaining after all the crap I went through to get here! One 'thank you' wouldn't kill you, right?"

"I-I already said I didn't ask you to…!"

"It's fine now, isn't it?" Ichigo placed his hand atop her head. It was warm, nostalgic even. "So just pipe down and let me rescue you already! I'm not listening to you saying 'no' anymore. You've already dealt with enough. Just...lean on me for a little while, alright?"

"You're...just as stubborn as I remember." Rukia wiped her tears away. "...Don't expect me to say thank you...idiot. Now that I have my powers back, I'm going to give you a good beating once all this is said and done!"

Ichigo got a good laugh out of that one. Her abrasive speech made a wave of nostalgia sweep over him.

"I ship them so hard," Kana whispered to no one in particular. Tousen heard it though did nothing but turn his head slightly.

With the reunion out of the way, Ichigo took stock of the situation. Without knowing who Aizen, Gin or Tousen were, he could instantly tell they were the bad guys.

"Sorry, Captain Aizen. I saw him coming but spent too much time deciding on what to do"

"That's alright, Gin. As I've said before, it doesn't matter if there's one speck of dust or four." Aizen took a step toward the group assembled against him, his Zanpakutou in hand. "It isn't something one's eyes take heed of."

"That's Aizen, right?" asked Ichigo..

Renji nodded. "We've gotta be careful with this guy. He's..."

"Higuchi and I will take care of him. You look like you have enough energy left, so run away with Rukia and that Mitarashi chick. Whatever this Aizen is planning, it sounds like he can't do it without them."

Renji's eyelid twitched. "W-Who the hell do you think you are?! I can still fight, dammit! While I appreciate you coming up here to back us up, don't start talking like you're in charge!"

"Hey, it's not my fault you look so beat up even with that fancy looking Bankai of yours."

"W-Why is everyone going after my Bankai today?! And aren't you looking a little wobbly yourself, bastard? Shouldn't you be lying down in a fluffy bed somewhere and getting some beauty sleep?!"

"You wanna repeat that, asshole?!"

"You heard me! Speaking of Bankais, what the hell is that supposed to be?! It looks like you're lugging around a black toothpick!"

"What, you think swinging around a giant snake is better?! You can only see it coming a mile away!"

"That's what I was saying!" said Kana, although no one was paying her any mind.

Renji pressed his nose against Ichigo's. "Oh, really?! Maybe I should try it out on you since you've apparently got Zabimaru all figured out!"

"Is that how you talk to the guy who just got through saving your ass?!"

"Saved me from what?! I had the situation under control before your grand entrance! And I already thanked you for coming here to give us a hand! I don't have any problems taking Rukia out of here, but I don't want anything to do with that lunatic over there!"

It didn't take Kana long to realize he was referring to her. "I don't wanna hear it from the guy swinging around his giant snake to impress his girlfriend!"

"G-Girlfriend?" repeated Rukia in confusion.

"STOP ARGUING! ALL OF YOU!" Aaron proclaimed. Besides scaring everyone half to death, his voice echoed across Soukyoku Hill. "We already have a plan, Kurosaki. We just need to buy Kuchiki enough time to use her Bankai."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Wait. Rukia can use Bankai?"

"Worry about the details later," she said. "Listen. Just keep Captain Aizen distracted long enough for me to finish my spell. Once that's done, get Mitarashi and that Hollow, as well as yourselves, behind the barrier."

"And what about you?" Skepticism brimmed in Ichigo's words.

"...It doesn't matter. Once I'm finished, Captain Aizen and the others shouldn't be in your way any longer."

"That's not what I'm asking about! What happens to you once we're gone?!"

"I just told you it doesn't…"

"What's the point in all this if you die, Rukia?! That's the whole reason we came here!"

"I didn't ask you to come here, Ichigo! I didn't ask any of you to come here!"

Silence fell over the group. Rukia took a deep breath and got ahold of her anger.

"...Listen. This is the only way to stop them from taking Mitarashi. They apparently need both of us for whatever they're planning, so even if they capture me, it's fine. You're just going to have to trust me Ichigo."

"No."

Rukia was taken aback. "W-What do you mean no?!"

"Hell no!" answered Ichigo with even more force. "We came here to save you! Mitarashi and you! And that means we're bringing you back home! I'm not going along with any plan that involves sacrificing yourself!"

"T-This is no time for you to be stubborn, Ichigo! We…!"

"Actually," said Renji, "I agree with him. Screw that plan."

"Not you too, Renji…" Rukia wasn't sure what had gotten into them. "There's no other way to stop Captain Aizen!"

"You don't know that!" Ichigo snapped back. "Who's to say your master plan is so damn foolproof?!"

"Well, I guess I veto that plan too," said Aaron. Rukia gave him a imploring look that said 'not you too!' "Sorry, Kuchiki, but they're right. Call us selfish if you want, but the plan was to save Kana and you. If we're leaving this place, we're leaving with you. It's not much, but have faith in our abilities."

As irate as she was, Rukia saw no point in arguing any further.

"...If you fools want to die that badly, so be it," was all she had left to say about the matter. Aaron had to cover his mouth to mask a snort.

I didn't know she was such a sore loser.

"New plan then," said Renji with a toothy grin. "We'll just have to immobilize the Captains. I figure we can't outrun them, so that's our only option. Aizen's pretty much figured out how my Bankai works, so I don't think there's any point attacking him head on with it again. However, there's another technique I can use, one that might give you an opening to strike."

"'Might?' I'd prefer one-hundred percent success personally," remarked Aaron.

"It's better than one of us sacrificing ourselves," said Ichigo.

"If we attack him three on one, that might do the trick," suggested Rukia. "We'll need to strike before the other Captains get involved."

Renji nodded. "Look, Captain Aizen is strong. I'm not even sure this is going to work. I can only use this move once. After that, I won't be able to use my Bankai again for awhile, so you have to make it count. The opening might only last a split second. You three have to move fast."

"Well, it's gonna hurt like hell, but I think I got one more Flash Step left in me," said Aaron. He still had his reservations about this plan. Admittedly, he couldn't cook up anything better.

"A split second," repeated Ichigo. "You up for this Rukia? This is the first time we've gotten the chance to fight side by side."

"I should be asking you that, Ichigo. I'm counting on you. Don't slow me down."

Ichigo whistled. "Fair enough. I guess you've been doing this a lot longer than me."

Renji, staring at his Zanpakutou, muttered, "This is going to hurt, Zabimaru, but I need you to hang in there."

Each section of his Bankai began to glow. Then, the segments broke apart.

"Higa Zekkou!"

They encircled Aizen, who seemed humored by their presence. As they converged on him, it gave Aaron and the others their cue to attack. Words weren't needed. Ichigo and Aaron opted for a frontal attack. Rukia took Aizen's back.

Their opponent might have been strong, but they were confident he couldn't stop three attacks at once. It would work.

It should have worked.

But Rukia couldn't move. Her Sode no Shirayuki was mere inches away from piercing the back of Aizen's neck. Six rods of light were preventing her from finishing the job.

A-A binding spell?!

That couldn't be. There shouldn't have been any time for Aizen to cast one. She hadn't even heard him utter an incantation.

Though alarmed, Ichigo and Aaron opted to continue the assault. They swung their blades, putting every last drop of energy into them.

And yet, a single finger was all Aizen needed to stop them.

With the flick of his wrist, he slashed the two across the torso.

"Interesting. I meant to cut you both in half. Was my swing too shallow?" he pondered as a shower of blood flew past him.

"T-That's not…!" Renji didn't understand. His plan was by no means full proof, but he never imagined it failing so spectacularly. How could one man effortlessly dispatch three Captain-class opponents? "How the hell is that even possible?!"

He made the mistake of taking his attention off Aizen. That split second was all the Captain needed to close the gap between them. Ichigo and Aaron hadn't even finished falling to the ground by the time Renji noticed. Blood burst from his uninjured shoulder, telling him exactly what was going on.

"D-Dammit..." he muttered, toppling over.

Kana, struggling to breathe, fearfully leered around. Ichigo. Renji. Rukia. Aaron. Even Heishiro. None of them had been any match for Sousuke Aizen. His strength was incomprehensible. Now she saw why Tousen and Gin were content with simply watching. They already knew what she and her friends were only just discovering.

Sousuke Aizen's power was unmatched.

"Get up, Kana Mitarashi."

Aizen snatched her from Tousen's grasp, hoisting her tiny, trembling body by her collar. She was unable to form words. She didn't even have the strength to pull herself free.

"Oh, you can't stand, can you? I see. My spiritual pressure has caused you to become limp. That's fine. It just would have been easier on me if you could walk."

"Maybe having three Captains gather here wasn't such a great idea," mused Gin. Dragging Rukia over, he dumped her at Aizen's feet. "Well, at least this one is in one piece."

"Thank you, Gin. Now then, I think we've wasted enough time."

"W-Wait!"

Izumi spoke without thinking and immediately regretted doing so when Aizen and his cohorts turned to her.

"Oh? You're still there. I thought my spiritual pressure would have crushed you already. You're not a normal human, are you?"

Aizen took a step forward, and Izumi backpedaled. If he got any closer, she really would be toast. She couldn't stand by and do nothing though. Everyone else was down for the count.

She had to stall.

"W-Why are you doing this?! What do you need those two for?!"

Much to her surprise, Aizen stopped in his tracks. Even more shocking was him humoring her question.

"I'm not sure what you hope to gain by playing dumb," he said.

"...What? What are you talking about?"

"Oh? How curious. You and the rest of these Ryoka were sent here by Kisuke Urahara, were you not? No need to fret any longer. Your mission is over."

Izumi didn't have a clue what he was going on about. It made her all the more apprehensive.

"W-What mission?! I don't get it! What does Urahara have to do with any of this?!"

Aizen raised an eyebrow. "...So, he didn't tell anything."

"We came here to rescue Kana and that Kuchiki girl! If that's what you mean…"

"No. Urahara must have ordered you to take back the…"

Ragged breathing interrupted their conversation. Not only was Ichigo attempting to stand, but so was Aaron.

"How pitiful," said Aizen. "So, you're still breathing."

"S-Sort of…" wheezed Aaron. "That one really hurt…"

"Put Rukia down!" roared Ichigo. "And that isn't a request!"

Aizen replied, "You two must hate how your strength doesn't match your resolve. If you value your lives, I suggest you stop moving. Your spines are the only thing keeping your bodies together. It's not a matter of spirit; it is physically impossible for either one of you to resist any longer. But look on the bright side—you lot have been helpful in bringing me Kuchiki and Mitarashi, so rest quietly until you pass on."

"Y-You're saying you hoped all of this would happen?" asked Izumi with bated breath. On second thought, she wasn't sure she actually wanted the answer.

"No. This is exactly how I planned things to unfold." Aizen sheathed his Zanpakutou and headed back toward his captives. "I knew Ryoka would come from the Human World, and I even knew the point of entry: Western Rukongai."

"I-Impossible..."

"On the contrary, there was only place your group could have entered Soul Society. Therefore, I dispatched regular patrols in the vicinity so the Seireitei's defensive walls would be lowered soon after your arrival. Then, I stationed the Third and Ninth Divisions there while also sending Gin to make sure you didn't get in. If your group knew there was a Captain patrolling the wall, the only option left to you in terms of entering the Seireitei was Kuukaku Shiba's cannon. This would lead to a very dramatic entrance for the Ryoka who somehow managed to survive a battle against a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen. All the Shinigami would be forced into capturing you. I must thank you all. Your actual invasion was phenomenal, even better than I anticipated. Because you caused so much chaos, no one batted an eyelash at a Captain being murdered. It was...rather simple to make our move afterward."

"Bullshit!" cried Aaron. "You're saying all this, everything we've done, has been nothing more than your plan?!"

"Believe whatever you want. The results should be apparent enough."

To that, Aaron had no reply. He clenched his teeth.

Have we...really been playing into this guy's hand the entire time?!

"W-Wait! How did you know we would arrive in Western Rukongai?!" asked Ichigo.

"What an odd question." Aizen appeared genuinely perplexed. "As I stated, there was only one possible place for you to enter Soul Society. Kisuke Urahara's portal corresponds to Western Rukongai, meaning it was the only place it could have taken you. ...Why are you all making those faces? Did you not come here to take back Kana Mitarashi and Rukia Kuchiki? I'm certain Kisuke Urahara must have ordered you to as his subordinates."

"S-So that's why he mentioned Urahara earlier…"

The color drained from Izumi's face. Even if Aizen's story sounded too fantastical to be true, her instincts told her it was exactly that.

All of them had been nothing more than puppets moved about to further his scheme.

"I see. You really knew nothing. No need to worry. Since we've arrived at the climax, I can fill you in. Consider it a reward for your efforts."

Aizen headed for the center of Soukyoku Hill, dragging Kana and Rukia with him. Izumi hadn't the nerve to go after him.

"Do you know about the four basic combat styles of Shinigami? They are sword skills, hand-to-hand combat, footwork, and Kidou. All of them a very important for an up and coming Shinigami, but they also have the same flaw—no matter how much natural skill you possess and training you do, you can never overcome the limitations of your own body. That is where growth stops. In other words, even we Shinigami—literal gods of death—have our limits. You must wonder if there is some way to break that boundary."

"Are you telling me a guy like you wants to get even stronger?" said Izumi. "For what?! Why?!"

"It is as I've stated—as a Shinigami, even I have my limits. I have no interest in settling on this level of strength.

"I have discovered a way to break the boundary. In fact, there is only one way. And that is to become a Hollow-Shinigami hybrid. In other words, Hollowfication."

That was a word Aaron yearned never to hear again. Hearing it come out of Aizen's mouth made it about a thousand times worse.

"It's pointless," he said. "Even if what you're saying is true, that's a power you can't control! No...it's a power you wouldn't want to control!"

He could still picture his Inner Hollow as clear as day. It really did feel like having a curse.

"That is where you're wrong," said Aizen. "It can be subdued.

"When the boundary between Hollow and Shinigami is removed, you can create new life that transcends both entities alone. This is an old concept but an important one. I focused on modifying Hollows and Shinigami. In the process, I created several Hollows that are very close to what a Shinigami is. Others were...failures, so to speak."

"...Now I see why Arashi was so keen to work with you." Aaron snarled, wishing he had enough strength to smack the grin off of Aizen's face. "You two are the same. You even talk the same. As if having Hollow powers is something special. Is that where he learned everything? From the likes of you?"

"Yes. Arashi Mitarashi had a hunger for researching about Hollows that admittedly surpassed my own. He was quite desperate to add their powers to his own. With his aid, I was able to create a type of Hollow that could destroy a Zanpakutou and even fuse with a Shinigami."

Hearing this made Rukia connect Aizen's claim with something very haunting from her past. She wished it wasn't true, but after learning what type of man Sousuke Aizen really was, all the pieces fit.

"Other researchers are bound by stupidity and morality, so none of them have made any breakthroughs either. That's what I admired about your brother, Mitarashi. He was willing to get the job done no matter the cost. We had to sacrifice many lives in the midst of our research, but he never backed down."

Kana was happy Aizen's overwhelming spiritual pressure made it so she couldn't speak.

She would have screamed otherwise.

"There was another like him, someone far more brilliant. HIs intelligence even surpassed my own. His name was Kisuke Urahara. He is at the heart of everything, you see.

"He created something beyond the logic and even imagination of those in Soul Society. It is an object that can instantly dissolve the boundary between Hollows and Shinigami. The name of that object is the Hougyoku. It is an extremely dangerous substance. Urahara likely thought so as well since he attempted to destroy it. However, he couldn't find a way to destroy his own creation, so in desperation, he did...something else."

Aizen set his sights on Kana and Rukia.

"It caused me quite the inconvenience. He not only put a barrier around the Hougyoku to protect it, he also split the orb in two. Afterward, he hid the pieces in two separate individuals. He buried it within the depths of their souls. It was quite ingenious actually. It took me some time to realize what he had done. Even if I had captured only one of them, it wouldn't have been enough."

"N-No..." said Aaron, his eyes widening more and more.

"Good. You're beginning to figure it out."

"No! Urahara...h-he wouldn't…!"

"But he did," Aizen countered. "The place Kisuke Urahara chose to hide the Hougyoku wasn't a box or a vault. He chose Rukia Kuchiki and Kana Mitarashi."

A more deafening silence fell over Soukyoku Hill. Each person's face looked more stunned than the last.

"W-What did you say…?" said Ichigo slowly.

"He's lying, Kurosaki!" screamed Aaron. "Don't listen to him!"

"As I've already said, feel free to believe whatever you want," said Aizen. "You may wish to hear the rest of the story before dismissing my claims, however.

"By the time I had figured out what Urahara had done, both Kuchiki and Mitarashi had gone missing in the Human World. I intuitively knew this was Urahara's doing, though Arashi Mitarashi further complicated things. He was the one who caused his sister to lose her Shinigami powers, no doubt in an effort to confuse me even more."

Kana shuddered. Aaron, meanwhile, closed his eyes, craving nothing more than to pretend all of this was a bad dream.

"So, you're...saying the first Hollow I fought in that forest…"

"Indeed. It went exactly the way Arashi desired. You ended up with Kana Mitarashi's Shinigami powers, forcing her to use a Gigai. And that's when Kisuke Urahara saw an opportunity."

Aaron felt sick. He honestly wanted to throw up.

"A Gigai is made up of high density spiritual matter and is used to temporarily shelter a Shinigami that has lost their powers. As such, it is usually incredibly easy for Soul Society to locate these individuals. However, they somehow lost track of not one but two Shinigami after they entered Gigai. This should be impossible."

"I don't get a damn thing this guy is saying," mumbled Izumi.

"I'll ask you to be patience, miss. I'm nearing the end of my tale."

Izumi froze. She didn't think Aizen had heard her, nor did she expect him to seriously acknowledge her complaint.

"Urahara somehow managed to create a special type of Gigai, one that's untraceable because it lacks spirit energy. That was the reason he was exiled from Soul Society. However, there was one other reason for his exile—these particular Gigai caused the spiritual abilities of the Shinigami that used them to deteriorate over time. That Shinigami would never be able to recover their powers."

Aaron declared, "Look, Mister Hat and Clogs is crazy, but he would never…!"

"The person in the Gigai would eventually lose their spiritual powers entirely, becoming nothing more than a human."

What he was saying couldn't be true. It just couldn't be. And yet, everything that happened in the Human World was beginning to make sense to Rukia and Kana. They had thought their spirit powers were just coming back slowly. They couldn't deny they had been growing weaker rather than stronger while in their Gigai.

They had put their complete faith in Urahara.

"Do you two see now? That man wasn't trying to help you. He was making the two of you human so he could hide the Hougyoku within you both forever. You've never been nothing more than walking vaults."

It was an offer they couldn't refuse. Even at the time, it had seemed to good to be true.

"Fortunately, you two were discovered within a few months. As soon as I got word, I went to Central 46's chamber and immediately..."

"AIZEN!"

A shadow large enough to block out the sun fell over Aizen. With no sense of urgency, he moved his head to see a sword three times his size about to fall on him. It came down with a deafening thud.

"W-What the hell is going on now?!" wondered Izumi as she braced herself. "And was that a...giant dog man just now?"

"T-That's Captain Komamura!" declared Kana. "A-Are we...saved after all…?"

She had spoken too soon. Not only was Aizen still in one piece, he held back Komamura's blade as if it weighed nothing.

"H-His bare hand?!" Izumi slapped her forehead. "What the hell is this guy?!"

"Now that's nostalgic face," the Fifth Division Captain said, far too delighted for a man under attack. "You're usually hiding behind that mask of yours. Did you perhaps have a change of heart, Komamura?"

Enraged, Komamura roared, "How can you still laugh, Aizen?!"

Swinging his arm, he launched another attack. His target swiftly dodged, Flash Stepping a healthy distance away.

"For all your lies and betrayals, I will not show any mercy, Aizen!" Komamura zeroed in on Tousen."And you! Do you have anything to say for yourself?! What happened to the peace you sought since long ago, Tousen?!"

A gust of wind swept past Tousen. Remaining tight lipped, it was hard to tell if he had even heard his old friend.

Komamura's spirits dampened. "...Nothing at all? How unfortunate, Tousen!"

The Seventh Division Captain paused. With a heavy heart, he came to terms with what he had to do.

"BANKAI!"

Komamura froze like a statue. Aizen stood in front of him, despite there already being an Aizen next to Tousen.

"Way of Destruction Number Ninety: Black Coffin."

Black energy swirled in Aizen's palm and then wrapped its way around Komamura in the shape of a massive box. It first lacerated every inch of its victim before sending the giant Shinigami crashing to the ground. Aaron, watching on in horror, assumed he had seen it all until now.

"That's a...level ninety destruction spell! And...h-he did it without an incantation?!"

"Hey, isn't one of those Captains too?!" Izumi hollered at her brother. "Shouldn't they be on even ground then?! That guy...he got slaughtered in only a couple of seconds!""

Aaron wasn't sure what to say. It was no wonder he had been thoroughly beaten. Even Aizen's own contemporaries couldn't do so much as touch him.

Aizen headed back toward Gin and Tousen, sweeping his brown hair out of his eyes. "Kyouka Suigetsu's Complete Hypnosis is flawless. Even those that are aware of its abilities can do nothing to resist its influence."

Gin, clapping, said, "You're embarrassing us over here. You can even use level ninety spells at full power without an incantation?"

"No. It failed. It didn't even reach a third of its full power." Taking hold of Kana and Rukia, he put his free hand on his chin. "So, level ninety spells are as difficult as they say.

"Now then, if all the interruptions are done with, I believe I was explaining how we got here. Forgive me, Kuchiki. Mitarashi. I didn't mean to ignore you two."

"And he's back to shooting the breeze. He's...not taking this seriously at all…" mumbled Izumi. She guessed someone who was strong enough to butcher anyone stupid enough to cross his path had that luxury. "We are just specks of dust to him, aren't we?"

"Try not to inflate his ego anymore than it already is." Grunting, Aaron willed every muscle in his body to help him stand. They either weren't listening or had been torn to shreds. "K-Kurosaki!"

"I know! I...can't get up either though!"

"Just great!" Aaron knew they were running short on time. He just wasn't good at coming up with last minute plans. "The one time I need Sasune…!"

"The second I located you two," continued Aizen as if Komamura had never shown up, "I assassinated all the Central 46 members. You likely heard Isane Kotetsu say something akin to 'Sousuke Aizen faked his own death to slip into the shadows before murdering the Central 46 members.' That isn't true whatsoever.

"Let me reiterate that I assassinated all the Central 46 members right after I discovered your whereabouts, not before or after faking my demise. Afterward, I used my Kyouka Suigetsu to make it appear as if it was business as usual in their chambers. More importantly, we needed to make sure that in the off chance someone broke in, no one would notice anything amiss.

"Despite this, even Captains cannot enter the chambers without permission. It would be strange if we were seen coming in or out, so one of us always stayed behind to play the part of Central 46. That way, orders were continually only time we left the chambers unguarded was during the few hours in between the two Captain meetings.

"To ensure your capture, Kuchiki, I assigned Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai of the Sixth Division to track you down. They had the closest ties to you, after all. I had planned on having Akira Akiyama haul Mitarashi back here soon afterward, but you ended up being with Kuchiki at the same time she was apprehended, so that saved me a bit of time.

"Then again, using Akiyama wouldn't have worked anyway. I was aware of your brother's efforts in the human world to thwart me from finding you, Mitarashi, but he also couldn't make it seem as if anything was out of the ordinary. He couldn't approach you personally. He had Akiyama keep an eye on you instead. Those were my orders, but he twisted them for his own gain. Given their relationship, Akiyama would have taken any orders he gave her over mine, including capturing you. However, Arashi's haste to move one step ahead of me was how I ended up tracking you down in the first place. It's also how I learned that Urahara had split the Hogyoku. Perhaps I should be thanking him."

Hatred burned in Kana's eyes. Never did she imagine wanting to kill anyone so badly. Even one finger around Aizen's neck would do.

"To keep you both from becoming human, I had your Gigai destroyed as soon as you were brought back to Soul Society. Finally, I set you two up to be executed by the Soukyoku."

"Seems like a lot to go through just to get rid of two people." Izumi felt it was a mistake to keep speaking up. There was no telling when Aizen would drop his friendly air and kill her. Nevertheless, she found her fear slowly but surely being replaced by anger. "Why this Soukyoku or whatever? Why go through so much trouble? It's clear you're strong enough to kill anyone you want. Do you just have a fetish for drawn out plans?"

"While I'm flattered by your words, you didn't allow me to get to the heart of the story. Executing them via the Soukyoku had a specific purpose. I needed to evaporate their souls. Regardless, that failed. I never imagined your group would be able to destroy the Soukyoku. Still, I did consider it a possibility. Thus, I had insurance."

Aizen reached into his robes, pulling out a small vial filled with a substance no one could readily identify.

"There are two ways you can extract a foreign object implanted in a soul. One can either use an object with high intensity heat such as the Soukyoku to evaporate the outer shell of the body. The second is to use a special procedure that causes the spiritual body to break down, thus creating an opening. It's a bit complicated, so I won't go into the details on how it works."

"...If you don't mind me asking, what is that?"

"This," replied Aizen, all too happy to explain, "is what I referred to when I said 'insurance.'

"Another reason I wished to enter Central 46's chambers was to gain access to the library of important information pertaining to Soul Society. You see, I've carefully studied every detail of Kisuke Urahara's research material. After all, implanting foreign objects within a soul was something he invented."

He cracked open the vial.

"Naturally, the extraction method would have been there as well. Perhaps he forgot to destroy it in his haste to escape Soul Society. Whatever the case…"

Spikes sprang up from the ground around Aizen and his horrified prey. The liquid from the vial, meanwhile, spread around Aizen's arm. It changed shape, resembling tree bark. Stretching his new appendage, he nodded his head, pleased with the result.

"And that procedure...works a little something like this."

"W-Wait!"

But Aizen ignored Ichigo's declaration, stabbing his hand right through the center of Rukia's chest. A hole gradually grew at the spot, revealing a small, shimmering object. Aizen helped himself to it.

"W-What the hell...did he just do?" asked Izumi, sickened by the proceedings but unable to look away.

"What a shock," said Aizen, ogling the strange orb while Rukia crumpled at his feet. "It's a lot smaller than I imagined. But of course..." He set his sights on Kana. "This isn't the whole thing, is it? Remarkable. To think Urahara even had the power to..."

"S-Stay away!"

"So, you can still move, Mitarashi. I guess I should've restrained you with Kidou like Kuchiki. No matter."

"N-No! Please, Captain Aizen! D-Don't..."

Her cowering like a trapped rat brought Aaron's blood to a boil. It also gave him just enough vigor to reach for his twin Zanpakutou.

"I thought I already explained why you shouldn't try to move, Ryoka boy. If you're in such a hurry to die, perhaps I should…"

"W-Wait!" cried Kana. "Leave him out of this! Just...do whatever it is you have to do! I won't try to run! Just don't hurt him!"

If possible, Aizen smiled even more. "Good girl. This will only take a moment."

"Kana, no!" shouted Aaron at the height of his voice.

Too late.

Aizen pierced Kana's chest the same way he did Rukia's, garnering a similar result. Another glittering orb came to be. Kana toppled over next to Rukia, leaving Aaron in the dark about their fates.

"Oh? The victims are unharmed after the process? What an incredible technique this is," Aizen remarked, observing the gaping holes in their chests gradually closing. "There must be some other process for combining the Hogyoku again. I suppose I can discover it later."

Pocketing the pieces of the Hogyoku, he then picked up the motionless Kana and Rukia.

"Unfortunately, the two of them are now worthless to me. Gin...kill them."

Gin drew his Zanpakutou and sighed. "I suppose it can't be helped..."

"H-Hold on a sec!" hollered Aaron.

"Stop it!" cried Ichigo.

Ignoring them, Gin aimed his sword. "Shoot to kill, Shinsou."

His sword grew at an alarming speed and headed toward his soon-to-be victims. It was too fast for Aaron to track. Even if he could get up, he knew there would have been nothing he could do to stop it.

Blood splattered right before his shaking eyes.

It neither belonged to Kana or Rukia.

"B-Brother!"

Cradling his sister for dear life, Byakuya Kuchiki ignored the searing pain in his chest and his lungs struggling to take in air. Having received Gin's attack in Rukia's stead, his hand was the only thing preventing Shinsou from piercing his heart.

He didn't care. He peered at Rukia and was simply thankful she was still alive.

"No fun." Gin sighed and withdrew his Zanpakutou, sending more of Byakuya's blood all over the place. "His spiritual pressure is so low, I didn't sense him coming. Sorry, Captain Aizen."

"...It is of no concern, Gin. It would appear we won't have to worry about Captain Kuchiki for much longer."

Suddenly, Byakuya dropped to his knees.

"Brother?! Brother! Answer me, Brother!" sad Rukia. "Why did you save me?! Brother!"

He wasn't moving. She wouldn't dare question if he was merely sleeping or…

"I told you not to be so hasty, Captain Kuchiki. You didn't need to go that far."

"Eh?" Kana moved her head about in confusion. She was floating in midair, a byproduct of someone holding her. "What the…?! Who the…?! How the…?!"

"Sorry I took so long, Kana. That friend of yours really did a number on me…"

It couldn't be. Hesitantly, Kana looked up. A smile, one she was certain she would never glimpse again, greeted her.

"Arashi…"

"More or less." Battered and bloodied, Arashi's face was resolute nonetheless. "...Forgive me, Kana. Your cowardly brother has returned. No. I've long since lost the right to be called such a thing. You may have never wanted to see me again, but…"

That wasn't it at all. Kana wrapped her arms around him as hard as she could. Astonished, Arashi's arms rose to return the gesture. He couldn't. They fell at his sides as he reminded himself he had no right.

"Arashi…?"

"Don't worry, sister. This will be the last time you see my face. For once, I'm going to do something deserving of referring to me as your brother."

"W-What does that mean?! Hey, Arashi!"

"The calvary?" asked Izumi anxiously.

Aaron felt himself pulling a muscle on account of frowning so fiercely. "...I sure hope so."

The people who had come to their aid were also ones he and his friends had been fighting up until this point. It was hard to place any faith in them. Then again, if the devil himself had saved Kana, Aaron would have found it hard pressed to complain.

"Well, isn't this a surprise. So many familiar faces today," said Aizen cheerily. "Finally crawled out of whatever hole you've been hiding in, Arashi?"

"It's been awhile, Sousuke. You're looking well. ...How unfortunate. And here I was hoping someone would have killed you by now."

"My sentiments exactly."

"I-I don't mean to interrupt, but…" said Kana. "You're really hurt! You can't fight Captain Aizen right now, Arashi! He'll…!"

"I believe you have something I need, Sousuke." Arashi let Kana down, intending to face Aizen on his lonesome. "You did me a big favor extracting the Hogyoku. And without killing either my sister or Kuchiki. Nice and clean. I had my own method, but it would have been a lot...bloodier."

Aizen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you suggesting I played into your hands?"

"No. I'm telling you. You've lost, Sousuke."

From the corner of his eye, Aizen saw another Arashi standing by Gin, and a third by Tousen. His cohorts were encased in some kind of water sphere.

"Whoops. Looks like we got captured," said Gin with a shrug. "He's pretty crafty, huh?"

"I would advise you to tell them not to try to escape, Sousuke. Those spheres will flood with water and drown them the second they do. Not that I expect the likes of you to give a damn about one of your subordinates, but I would like to keep this as bloodless as possible. Of course, you're the exception. I've been waiting a long time for this chance…"

"The balls on this guy…" A bit relieved, Izumi nonetheless questioned if Arashi was barking up the wrong tree. "Can we really trust this guy?"

"We don't have a choice," said Aaron. "He might be total scum, but if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that he'd do anything to protect his sister."

"It's hard to find good help these days, isn't it, Sousuke?" noted Arashi. He licked his lips. There was a fine feast before him, one that would be rude to pass up. "But don't worry. I'll make all your concerns disappear. It's the least I can do…considering you were such a fine errand boy. "

END