The landscape trembled as droves of explosive shockwaves shot outwards. One strike. Two strikes. Three strikes. Each strike carried the impact of a million zanpakuto and the colliding steel was forcibly felt throughout the entirety of the soul society.
As the blades continued to parry, multiple mountains were instantaneously dismantled, turning to dust as fast as lightning could strike the earth. Suddenly, the thunderous shockwaves that brought forth demolition nonchalantly ceased.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, you must be shocked." Aizen began with an upwards tug from his lips. "Even now, a single swing from my zanpakuto causes the landscape to alter. I'm grateful. Thanks to you, I can test these powers that transcend those of hollows and shinigami to my heart's content."
Without delay, Aizen charged towards Ichigo, the earth before them vaporizing as their blades once again met. Each sword clash became increasingly easy to ward off, and Ichigo displayed zero signs of struggle. Aizen smirked, believing his advances were beginning to affect him, before charging once more.
This time, Ichigo vanished before their blades could clash. As if time bowed to him, he reappeared on a ledge that was directly above Aizen. Caught off guard, he expressed slight shock by the speed in which Ichigo moved. He cleared his distress as the Hogyoku rang out a high solid note. Instantaneously, he teleported above Ichigo.
"Did you believe I couldn't follow your moves?" Aizen questioned before flying downwards. Ichigo leapt sideways, avoiding collision as Aizen demolished the ledge with a single strike. Unfazed, he landed a short distance away. When the debris started to clear, Ichigo turned to his left, impeding Aizen's next blow with his zanpakuto. They stood there, pressing hard against each other's blades.
"As I suspected, your evolution and mine are on completely different levels. If I so wish, I can shatter your zanpakuto with a single swing!" Aizen swung with immense force and Ichigo responded by lifting his left hand; immaculate restraint obvious by the bored expression plastered across his features. His sword might as well have been a stick since Ichigo caught the blade with his bare hand. The force generated by the strike destroyed the ground behind Ichigo, creating a deep abyss of darkness.
Impossible! Dodging a strike like that would be more plausible. Even so, he decided to catch the blade instead? Ichigo allowed a smug smirk to grace his lips before it vanished as fast as it was there. He found the look on Aizen's face to be hilarious; after all, it isn't everyday that you see a humanoid butterfly get trolled by his own machinations.
"Why are you so surprised? Is it so unbelievable that I caught your sword? Does it scare you that something you can't comprehend happened right before your eyes?" Ichigo addressed with a questioning tone. The shock expelled from Aizen's face, a dark gloom replacing it as he chuckled.
"Interesting, Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen leapt backwards, his reiatsu skyrocketing as a sneer graced his face.
"Something I can't comprehend, you say? Don't talk as if you've already won. It was nothing short of a miracle that you were able to catch my blade. Miracles like that happen from time to time. Dismissing that fact, I will see to it that miracles like that never happen again by crushing your bones with kido!"
"The oozing crest of corruption! The arrogant vessel of madness! Deny the urge to let things stun and flicker! Disrupt the sleep! The crawling princess of iron! The eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill the earth and know your own powerlessness! Hadō #90: KUROHITSUGI (Black Coffin)!" As these words left his mouth, a devastating force of darkness shined and encased Ichigo.
He gazed upwards, noticing how his figure was becoming overshadowed by a monstrously oversized black cage. The cage rose high into the air, appearing like a skyscraper of death.
"A complete incantation Kurohitsugi (Black Coffin) performed by one who transcends both hollows and shinigami is capable of unleashing enough gravity to warp time and space! The likes of you could never comprehend it! Now perish, Kurosaki Ichigo!"
The last chunk of daylight was removed from Ichigo's peripheral view. He remained stoic despite his desire to chuckle—everything was beyond humorous at the moment. The once collected and powerful Sōsuke Aizen, was now yelling and making a scene… all because he was failing to prove his strength. This thought process caused a devious plan to be cultivated, a plan that would be both funny and smart.
With little to no effort, he swung his arm at the darkness, shattering the rectangular skyscraper into thousands of tiny pieces. Aizen's face shrank in shock while he glared at the unharmed Ichigo.
"You still haven't realized it, have you? The power I have is greater than the power you possess, even right now." Ichigo walked towards Aizen. "That enormous force that was erasing those mountains, that was from my sword, not yours."
Aizen's eyes widened in horror as he looked at Ichigo with a puzzled yet jarred expression. "Now it's my turn, Aizen."
Ichigo launched forwards with enough strength to disintegrate the ground below himself. Aizen felt pain course throughout his body as a deep gash opened up on his shoulder. This gash expanded from the top of his collarbone straight down to the midsection of his stomach. Blood gushed out violently, splattering all over the ground.
There was a brief moment of silence before a bright flash of light consumed Aizen. An eerie ringing noise followed the flash of light when Aizen reappeared far away on a high cliff. Immediately after appearing, his expression contorted into disgust.
"What an odd reaction. When I backed away from you in our last battle, you stopped and asked me why. Now you are doing the same thing. Let me ask you the same question, Aizen. Why did you back away just now?" He glanced at Aizen, his hair being brushed by the warm breeze.
"I get it now…"
There was a brief moment of silence, Aizen's brow beginning to contort with overwhelming rage.
"You're pleased you stopped my sword, aren't you? I assume then that you're also pleased that you overcame my kido? I suppose you're equally pleased that you put a scar on my body?! DON'T BE SO FULL OF YOURSELF, HUMAN! AHHHRRGHH!"
The moment those words left Aizen's mouth, a slit on the center of his forehead shattered, revealing a third eye. The eye contained a black sclera with a pure white pupil. Said eye pulsated rapidly before a thin stream of crimson blood leaked from the bottom, dripping down the bridge of his nose to the base of his jawline. His eyes rolled back and then his head snapped to the side limply.
The pupil within his third eye started to convulse violently as his face unexpectedly cracked. No more than a second later, an enormous pillar of purple reiatsu broke through the clouds, releasing shockwaves that stormed the terrain. Ichigo remained still, the power from the shockwaves having no effect on his body, but his shihakusho blew violently.
His eyes darkened, becoming aware of the situation—knowing he has to finish up soon or Aizen will evolve to a point where he'll become cannon fodder again.
The pillar of energy continued to pulse with magnificence, its potency piercing the heavens and parting the clouds. The only thing to be heard throughout this process besides the rustling of the wind was Aizen's scream. Whether the scream was in anger or in agony was a mystery.
After the dust cleared, Aizen was revealed to look nothing more than a monster. His white wings grew hideous looking mouths at the end of them while his face looked more hollow than anything. Aizen stood up confidently as Ichigo could see the Hogyoku resting neatly in the center of his chest. It glimmered faintly as if it were talking to Aizen.
A glint appeared in Ichigo's eyes, and his determination skyrocketed - a small smirk remained hidden behind thin lips, his excitement almost palpable.
Aizen's humanoid form, if it can be called that anymore, stood up slowly, a deathly amethyst aura surrounding his being. "Yes. This is an inexcusable breach, isn't it, Hogyoku? That I let a human get the better of me."
One of the mouths opened to reveal a glowing orb of purple energy. Seconds later, it leaned back and tossed the orb directly at Ichigo. First came the foreboding brightness, and then the landscape burnt away faster than paper in a raging fire; it was instant.
The spectators within Karakura Town were struck with awe and fear when they witnessed all the surrounding mountains melt to nothing, completely vaporizing.
They weren't dumb, they knew even a nuclear explosion wouldn't be capable of flattening all of those mountains… and yet this villain could? Their fear turned to bubbling worry. Can Ichigo beat this person? If he can't, what would happen afterwards? A shiver ran down their spines as they envisioned the destruction of the world, all of their loved ones being melted by the same attack that reduced those mountains. They were knocked from their thoughts when a shockwave blew them backwards.
Before the blast could hit Aizen, he vanished from his location, and moved to the center of the destruction. He stood waiting all the while the flames danced in anticipation. The fire slowly parted and revealed Ichigo's torched left arm, his expression still flat and determined.
"I see you took my attack with so little damage." Ichigo held out his burnt arm in defiance, Aizen's eyes narrowing angrily. "However, that left arm of yours is no longer usable."
Ichigo remained silent, an action that infuriated Aizen more as he flew towards the burnt strawberry, his left hand grasping Ichigo's throat before moving out of the firepit. The heads attached to Aizen's wings created a ring of energy that encompassed Ichigo's perimeter; the same ring exploding outwards a moment later causing the sweltering fire to completely vanish.
"Can you hear me, Kurosaki Ichigo?" His grip tightened. "For a moment, you broke the boundary between hollow and shinigami to become a transcendent being. But that power is no more. Not a trace of it remains!"
"You're not even worth trying to understand anymore! I, a true transcendent being, will kill you. By killing you, I will completely break free from both insignificant shinigami and hollows alike. IT'S OVER, Kurosaki Ichigo!"
Ignoring the pain from his blistering burnt arm, Ichigo repositioned his head so he was staring down at Aizen. "Over, you say?"
Aizen gasped, not wanting to believe that the boy was still moving, still unyielding. "Is this all you've got?"
Faster than Aizen could follow, Ichigo swiped his arm sideways, crushing the energy ring while also releasing his hold on his throat. His body flickered in front of Aizen's, his sword swinging downwards, and his burnt arm moving towards his chest.
Escaping by a hair's breadth, Aizen leapt backwards, his face expressing complete bewilderment. "Did you think you still had the strength to pull off an attack that could actually hurt me?"
Ichigo's eyes shifted down to his clenched hand, a shining vibrancy emitting from behind his fingers.
"Aizen, weren't you the one who preached about having a boundless intellect, second to Urahara?" He mocked. "From our recent fights, I learned to look behind the picture to find the real meaning behind an action. When I attacked you just now, I wasn't aiming to hurt you, I was luring your attention away from the main target."
He held out his clenched burnt hand, a vibrant purple aura swirling through the cracks of his fingers. "Does this look familiar?"
Aizen looked confused for a minute before looking closer at Ichigo's hand. His eyes widened, his mouth agape before he clenched his fist angrily.
"HOW DARE YOU? A mere HUMAN touching the Hogyoku?! Preposterous! GIVE IT BACK!"
No matter how hard he tried, Ichigo couldn't stifle back the smug smirk that appeared on his face, his lips trembling to prevent himself from laughing. An image of five-year old Aizen manifested in his psyche, envisioning him having a tantrum upon having a toy taken.
He bit his lip, a thin line of blood seeping down his chin. He really was trying to hold back his laughter, but he just couldn't.
"Hahahah! Do you see the look on your face right now? What are you, a child?" Ichigo remarked with a huge grin, tears threatening to spill from the edges of his eyes. His plan had succeeded. He managed to screw with Aizen one last time.
Aizen was about to explode with fury but the entire atmosphere vanished, Ichigo's face becoming guarded and cold.
"As fun as that was… I've grown sick of your arguments." Ichigo's hair overshadowed his honey brown eyes, and his sword was then held out in front of himself.
Aizen mentally arched an eyebrow at the sudden change in attitude.
"This is… the Final Getsuga Tenshō."
An enormous arch of blue energy burst forth from Ichigo's body, sprouting high into the heavens. Throughout the potent blue energy, wisps of dark black sparked across the surface. Compared to Aizen's earlier energy output, this easily surpassed it.
"What is that form?!" Aizen questioned out loud, his rage carrying each letter of every word.
Standing in the middle of the god-like energy was Ichigo, or well now…Getsuga himself. Gray bandages wrapped across his upper body, enveloping his chest, stomach, collarbones, and even his entire right arm. Black tendrils of energy emitted from his right hand while his left hand gripped the Hogyoku tightly - additionally his arm was now healed from the transformation.
The most shocking development was his hair. It was no longer orange and vibrant. It was now as dark as the black tendrils emitting from his hand, and said hair extended to his lower back.
Aizen took a hesitant step backwards, his arm held up in front of himself to prevent the harsh reiatsu from slamming into his face.
"The Final Getsuga Tenshō… is me becoming Getsuga itself. If I use this technique, I will lose all of my shinigami powers. That's what 'final' means."
I still can't sense his power. I have evolved into a being far beyond that of a shinigami. Just as two-dimensional beings can never interact with three-dimensional beings, no shinigami or human could detect my reiatsu unless I deliberately brought down my powers to their level of awareness. Aizen gazed at Ichigo until his eyes widened drastically. Realization dawned on him.
Could it… possibly be that he is at an even higher level than myself? He clenched his jaw tightly, and then leaned forwards in rage.
"Absurd! That couldn't possibly be! A mere human cannot surpass me!" Ichigo rose his arm high, the black energy condensing into a thin-like blade. "Mugetsu."
Ichigo replayed the words of Tensa Zangetsu in his mind. "If you use this technique, you will lose all of your shinigami powers. Farwell, Ichigo."
With bated breath, he watched as Mugetsu tore through the landscape in a mere second, barely catching the sight of Aizen being torn in half.
The last remnants of the black energy dissipated as Ichigo landed on the ground with a graceful touch, the balls of his feet touching before the soles. He sighed when he felt the gray bandages across his body disintegrate.
In the distance, a loud crash was heard, and he turned his head to see a plume of dust. He attempted to relax his body, but something told him this wasn't over just yet. When the dust cleared, he saw Aizen's prone form… but what surprised him more was the wound on his back stitching itself back together.
Even without the Hogyoku, he is still capable of regeneration?! He wasn't lying earlier when he told Urahara that the Hogyoku bonded with him. This isn't good. His brows furrowed while narrowing his crimson eyes towards his nemesis. In a whoosh, he vanished and appeared in front of Aizen.
Ichigo watched as Aizen attempted to stand up, groaning in pain while doing so. A look of disbelief was engraved on his face.
As he was gonna say something, his long black hair dispersed into reishi, and reverted back to his orange color. Exhaustion took hold of him and he collapsed to the ground. His frown deepened when he saw Aizen standing up - but he was quick to tighten his hold on the Hogyoku to prevent him from retrieving it.
Dammit, my shinigami powers are leaving me! I need to keep the Hogyoku hidden until someone arrives to help. He was cut from his thoughts when he heard Aizen groaning, his neck crunching before turning to stare down at Ichigo.
"Kurosaki Ichigo. You lose. Observe." Making his point clear, he raised his dissolving sword, a chunk of it detaching itself from the blade before falling to the floor. "My zanpakuto is fading away. You should know what that means."
"The Hogyoku you stole from me has determined I have no further need for a zanpakuto! Like you, I have become one with the zanpakuto and its powers." He smirked. "In fact, you no longer have that power while I will reach a level far beyond that of yours!
"It's time to take back what is mine, KUROSAKI ICHIGO!" Aizen shouted with a devious grin while staring at Ichigo's clenched hand. Before he could advance any further, a red spike erupted from his chest, followed by many more spikes.
"What is this…? Kido?! But when was I attacked?!" Panic gripped Aizen as he frantically studied the glowing crimson spikes.
"Seems it's finally taking effect." A new voice spoke, revealing themself to be none other than Urahara himself.
Ichigo felt the knot of anxiety unravel when he saw Urahara landing with his usual wooden sandals.
"Urahara Kisuke, is this your doing?!"
"Yes. Before you were able to completely transform, when you were most vulnerable, I planted that kido within another kido and shot it into your body." Aizen grimaced.
"It's a seal. I figured once you fused with the Hogyoku, killing you would be nearly impossible. Even with Kurosaki-san stealing it from you there's still a high possibility that your immortality will remain." Urahara paused to give Ichigo a knowing look before returning his gaze to Aizen. "With that said, I invented a new kido to seal you off. Once the seal is complete, the bond between you and the Hogyoku will break."
Aizen looked shocked for a moment before gaining his typical smirk. "Is that so? I hate to disappoint you! See!" He lifted his dissolving zanpakuto. "At this moment, I am about to evolve even further! You can't seal me off with this level of kido!"
As he spoke those last words, the chrysalis shell around his skin shattered into reishi particles, leaving a petrified Aizen in complete denial. "W-What… what's happening?"
He lifted his shaking arm with a look of confusion.
"It is the Hogyoku's will. The reason the seal I shot into your body is only taking effect now is because your powers have weakened." He shifted his stare to Ichigo. "It was thanks to Kurosaki-san. It was able to take effect because he fought this hard and pushed you to your limit."
Aizen narrowed his eyes dangerously, shifting his gaze back and forth between Ichigo and Urahara.
"The Hogyoku is saying that it does not recognize you as its master." Both Aizen and Ichigo felt their eyes widen, and Ichigo promptly gripped the gem a tad tighter.
"That's absurd! That can't be… there's no way!" Just then, he hunched over as multiple cross-like spikes ripped through his back. From his feet, a spiraling fortress of white and red matter inched itself up his legs.
"Urahara Kisuke! I despise you! With your great intellect, why won't you take action?! Why do you subjugate yourself to that thing?!"
Ichigo would be lying if he said his interest wasn't piqued. That thing? Just what the hell is he talking about? For some odd reason, he was starting to feel regret about his victory over Aizen. He wasn't sure if it was the loneliness and despair he felt when clashing with Aizen's zanpakuto… or if it was because of something else. Regardless of the reason, he shook his head of such thoughts and continued to listen.
"That thing? You mean the Soul King? I understand now. You saw, didn't you?" Aizen's response was his continued glare. "Without the existence of the Soul King, the soul society would split apart. The Soul King is the keystone. Without the keystone in place, it would fall apart easily. That's how the world is."
Aizen trembled with rage as he started to tear the sealing matter with his bare hands. "That's an argument a loser would make!" The crosses on his back solidified more.
"THE VICTOR MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OF HOW THE WORLD SHOULD BE RATHER THAN HOW IT IS CURRENTLY! I…" Aizen began but was cut short when the sealing engulfed him entirely, silencing him for good.
Ichigo looked away in guilt, his hand gripping the Hogyoku as he slowly rose to his feet. Before fully standing, he noted a small piece of metal glistening on the ground. He stretched his arm out and grasped it. He instantly realized it was a chunk of Aizen's zanpakuto. Sadness. Regret. Unimaginable loneliness. Boiling rage. Many emotions swarmed his subconscious before the piece of metal dispersed into reishi.
"Kurosaki-san, I'm pleased to see that you are okay." Ichigo remained still, his eyes crestfallen.
"Why the long face? Is it because you lost your powers…?" No response. "If it helps you at all… you ensured the lives of both your family and friends. You truly are a protector."
Ichigo sighed. He knew Urahara was trying to lessen the mood, but he couldn't find it in himself to feel happy. He just lost a huge part of himself.
"I know Urahara-san. It's just that Aizen is giving me mixed feelings. His words spoke of hatred and arrogance… but his zanpakuto showed the opposite." This reply caused a small frown to appear on Urahara's face.
"And what exactly did you feel from his zanpakuto?"
"Minus the feelings of rage, I felt loneliness, sadness, despair… and regret."
Urahara allowed his eyes to open a smidge more than necessary. He didn't want to admit it but those emotions pointed towards a false persona. In other words, he might've been playing the villain for an alternative purpose. But why?
In the end, he could be overthinking things but that's unlikely due to Aizen's nature. He's never respected the weak, nor the type of people who feel any semblance of regret. If he's been feeling said emotions this entire time, doesn't that make it likely that he's been suppressing his true self? He rubbed his temple subtly.
"That is indeed troublesome." He replied and placed a hand underneath his chin.
"You think so?" Ichigo questioned.
"Aizen has always been the type of person to openly belittle and manipulate the weak." He turned and shifted his stare to the sky. "So I find it very peculiar that his sword radiates everything he despises. I'm sure you overheard our conversation regarding the Soul King?"
Ichigo nodded his head. "...and just who is the Soul King?"
"I thought you'd never ask!" Urahara exclaimed while pulling out his fan, waving it in front of his face. In most situations, a typical tick mark would appear on Ichigo's forehead… but this time, he wouldn't allow himself to feel agitated.
"He is the ruler of the Soul Society and is responsible for regulating the flow of souls into and out of the afterlife. Without his power, the Soul Society, the Dangai, Hueco Mundo, and the Human World would collapse in on itself; becoming a single realm where death wouldn't exist."
Ichigo remained silent, implying he had nothing to add yet.
"If my suspicions are correct, Aizen has some form of knowledge that we aren't privy to… and it must correlate to the Soul King. Everything points to that." He closed his fan with an audibly loud slap noise. "From the very start, he's been adamant about becoming the ruler of all three worlds, but the Aizen I've come to know via battle of minds is that he's never shown his true hand."
"For all we know, he could've predicted your ability to sense emotions through another's zanpakuto. If that is the case, he expects you to do something, but what…?" His mind raced, thousands of scenarios and plots running through his intellectual mind.
Minutes went by in complete silence, the only sounds being heard were the light rustling of leaves and the calm breathing of student and teacher. A lightbulb clicked in Urahara's brain, his eyes showing concern.
Unfortunately for him, he was too late to predict what would happen next. The Hogyoku started to lightly hum before exploding outwards with a deep amethyst glow. Before either Ichigo or Urahara could respond, the gem shot forwards and pierced Ichigo's chest.
"Kurosaki-san!" Urahara shouted. Ichigo collapsed to the floor with his mouth wide open, a silent scream escaping his throat all the while his body convulsed in tremendous pain. He couldn't believe the amount of pain he was feeling, it felt like he was being burned alive by rivers of magma.
His eyes rolled into the back of his head and streams of blood flowed from his parted lips… and then there was darkness.
When Ichigo came to, his eyes were welcomed by the sight of his inner world; it was still a sunken representation of Karakura Town, something that greatly irked him. This time around, he didn't freak out when he realized he was submerged at the bottom of the pseudo-ocean. He breathed steadily, casting his attention around himself until his eyes landed on his home. Warily, he floated towards the building before landing on the roof.
He bit his lip, the feeling of losing his inner spirits still hurting him immensely. That brought forth another thought. "Why am I in my inner world?"
"That would be my doing." A multilayered feminine voice spoke. Ichigo felt his heart jump out of his body as he twisted around swiftly. He froze up when he came inches away from a pair of violet eyes.
He inspected the floating person's form, their outfit eerily similar to his bankai's shihakusho—but instead of black, it was replaced by ethereal violet reiryoku. The obi belt around her waist was made up of bright crimson energy, and her feet were bare yet still in pristine condition.
Moving away from the clothing, he shifted his attention to her face… his face heating up from how close they were. He took a single step back before continuing his inspection. Her skin was silky white and her head was heart-shaped, almond eyes beaming towards him. Lastly, and what stood out the most, was her pure white hair which extended to her lower back.
He took the initiative by backing up slowly, noticing her brow raise ever so slightly.
"You brought me here…? No, wait!" His scowl deepened. "Why are you even here?! This is my inner world!" Ichigo shouted, pointing an accusing finger towards the mystery woman.
"Ichigo…"
He shifted nervously by the way she spoke, it was both ominous and serious.
"...stop playing games. You know exactly who I am. What is the last thing you remember before entering your inner world?"
Ichigo facepalmed. He was too focused on his thoughts to even humor the idea that whatever happened on the outside is the reason he is here now.
I was speaking to Urahara and then the Hogyoku started to pulse and then it… w-wait… that couldn't be, right?
"Actually, you are correct. I am… the Hogyoku."
He acted before thinking and leapt backwards, his eyes glaring daggers at her. "You are that rat-bastard's crystal! Why are you here?"
A sneer etched itself onto her face, her nose wrinkling in dismay. "Listen here! I am not that rat-bastard's crystal! I am your damn crystal!"
"The hell are you talking about? I've only just met you!" Even though he spoke these words, a pang struck his heart. He frowned even harder.
"From the moment of my creation, my soul was linked to yours. You must be wondering how that is possible, right? It's quite simple! My very existence broke through time-space in order to attach itself to the entity with the most potential, and you were that person. You are my Master!"
If it was anyone else, he would've told them to drop the 'master' immediately, but he'd allow it for now. Something in his core told him it was right. "Then why did you offer Aizen power when you knew it would harm your master? Hm?" He questioned in a mocking tone. The Hogyoku felt a vein bulge on her forehead before leaping onto his back. He didn't even see her move as she started to bite down on his shoulder, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck.
"Ouch! Cut it out shorty!" That comment earned an even more aggressive bite, his hands attempting to pry her arms away from his neck.
"Don't call me a shorty, stupid strawberry!" He started jumping up and down, attempting his very hardest to rid the girl from his back.
After a minute of struggling, he managed to throw her off, however, not before receiving five more bites. S-she's crazy. Maybe she is telling the truth? I doubt Aizen would want a nutjob around! He figured she could read his mind since she answered him earlier when he was guessing who she was—and because of that, he gave a knowing smirk in her direction.
Her expression once again darkened. "I didn't become autonomous until after the Sōkyoku hill execution. I'm sure Urahara has told you but there were always two Hogyoku. Urahara was the original creator, and then Aizen created his own."
Ichigo nodded his head. "Go on."
"When both halves were merged, it allowed for me to obtain consciousness… and by default, allowed me to reach out to you. This entire time, I was feeding Aizen power, making him believe he had ownership… when in reality, he was merely delivering me to you. He never even heard my voice or saw my form… yet he thought he was the master? Laughable." She started to giggle which earned a slight twitch from Ichigo's lips. Maybe their connection was real? After all, they both found amusement in messing with Aizen.
"...on another note, I also assisted him because he was attempting to help you. You may not remember, but earlier before you fought Gin, Aizen was moments away from telling you about your lineage. Then you were interrupted by your father. I hope you didn't think that was a coincidence because he fully intended to stop you from learning."
This stopped Ichigo in his tracks, a scowl forming on his face. So he wasn't just trying to help me, huh? Now that I think about it, I do find it a bit strange that he was so reluctant to tell me anything. Damn old man.
She sighed. "Listen Ichigo, what I am about to tell you might change your opinion on both your father and your inner spirits… are you sure you want to hear?"
Without hesitation, Ichigo replied. "Damn the consequences, tell me now!"
She nodded happily. "Where to begin. Let me think. Oh yes! I will start from when your father met your mother."
By the time she was done explaining everything, he felt his body go slack against the building.
If he didn't trust the Hogyoku before, he definitely was starting to now. She was upfront and honest about everything. She even asked him if he wanted to know before forcing the information onto him.
While she explained everything, he learned that his mother was a quincy who saved his father from a hollow that Aizen created. She used herself as bait and allowed the hollow to bite her, and then she shot it point blank with her bow. Unfortunately, she was infected by the hollow causing hollowification—which Urahara 'cured' by connecting his father's soul to her own, thus stabilizing her condition; albeit at the loss of his father's powers.
Then there was Grand Fisher. When the Hogyoku was explaining this part, Ichigo had asked her why his mother didn't just kill it with her quincy powers. It was all because of a person called Yhwach, the Father of all Quincies. Apparently he waged war against the Soul Society a thousand years ago. After his fight with Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, he lost his powers and was referred to as The Sealed King. She explained that he had regained his pulse after 900 years; he retained his intellect after another 90; and after 9 more years, he absorbed the power of every impure quincy and made their abilities his own. In the end, his mother had drawn the short stick and was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Now that he knew this person was still living, he swore he would utterly annihilate any trace of their being, no matter what.
From there, she explained his familial connections. This part left Ichigo none the wiser as his jaw hit the ground in utter shock. He was cousins with Kūkaku Shiba and Ganju Shiba!? Old memories surfaced of when Rukia mentioned someone called Kaien Shiba, which led to him asking the Hogyoku.
He was informed about how Kaien Shiba was killed by a hollow called Metastacia, a hollow who could take over the body of a person. To his relief, she informed him about how Metastacia was consumed by the Espada called Aaroniero Arruruerie, and then destroyed by Rukia Kuchiki before he left Hueco Mundo.
Eventually, the Hogyoku landed on the most fragile of topics. His inner spirits. He wasn't ready for the bombshell of a revelation when he learned that Zangetsu wasn't Zangetsu… but he was in fact a fragment of Yhwach, his quincy powers. He was then hit by a huge wave of dread when he learned that his hollow was the true Zangetsu and that the hollowification from his mother transferred to his soul upon birth, causing Zangetsu to hollowfy.
He was honestly hurt.
First, Urahara decided to seal the Hogyoku into Rukia's soul, all but expecting the Sōkyoku to destroy her soul, along with the Hogyoku. If that came to pass, he and his friends would no doubt follow. Then it was the substitute badge. People may think he is stupid, but he isn't ranked top fifty in his school for no reason. If he really put his mind to it, he could easily rank in the top ten. With that said, when he first received the substitute badge, he knew it wasn't true to its name. When it comes to the Soul Society, nothing is ever true to its calling…. and based on Urahara's and Yoruichi's reaction to it—he knew there was something up. Since they never warned him, he decided there was no point in voicing his concerns.
Then there was his father. All this time, Ichigo has been scraping by just barely. If it weren't for his immense learning capabilities, he'd surely be dead by now. If his father had just warned him in advance, he'd be a lot stronger by now; strong enough to defeat Aizen without the unfortunate deaths of the Espada. He knew some of the Espada deserved death, but then his mind traced back to individuals like Nel and… surprisingly Grimmjow. After having Ulquiorra's hand stabbed into his chest, it was none other than Grimmjow who brought Orihime to heal him. Even though it was only to have a rematch, he still had the decency to restore his enemy… something he isn't sure he would do himself.
…and now his own spirits have been lying to him… well technically, it was only the quincy half of his powers since the true Zangetsu was being subdued. No wonder he felt constant hatred from Zangetsu. It wasn't that he was angry at him, he was angry at the fake Zangetsu for preventing him from being whole.
Before his thoughts could go haywire, the Hogyoku explained the reasons behind the fake Zangetu's actions.
"He never wanted you to be a shinigami because he didn't want you to get hurt, to be injured. He thought if you continued down this road, he'd eventually have to kill you since the true Yhwach would reabsorb him and then cut you down. Over time, his thoughts left that line of thinking and he started to help you in hopes of strengthening you. When he allowed you to utilize the Final Getsuga Tenshō… that's when all of his debilitations left, and he started to feel proud of you. I don't believe his actions were the right course, however, I do know that he was just trying to help you. You shouldn't forgive him immediately, but you should give him another chance to prove himself. If he lies or betrays you again, I can forcibly remove him from your soul!"
He was angry at first, but as she continued to explain his actions, his soul became somber. A while back, Urahara had explained to him that a zanpakuto is the manifestation of their user's mind and heart. Even if the zanpakuto seems different at times, they are still a mirror copy of what makes them, well them. No matter what happens, both his spirits are a representation of himself, and he considers them both Zangetsu!
"You don't even have to tell me that! Of course I will give him another chance. He is… Zangetsu, after all." He paused. "Though, what you are saying doesn't make sense. I used the Final Getsuga Tenshō, so shouldn't they be gone?"
A smug smirk appeared on the Hogyoku's face. "If it weren't for my intervention, their souls would surely be lost in the deepest parts of your soul. However, I used a bit of my power…" She started while blowing at her fingers with an uncaring expression. "...to restore them. In fact, they've been listening to us talk this entire time."
"W-wait, really?"
"Pfft, of course. They've been giving me a headache for the past hour. I've been holding them back so they didn't attempt to stop me from explaining the truth to you. Do you wish for me to allow them access to your inner world?"
He nodded his head, watching as her eyes lit an eerie amethyst before the world started to shake. In a flash of explosive light, both Zangetsu and 'Zangetsu' were in front of him, his shinigami half seemingly calm while his quincy half was downcast.
"Eyy Kingy, it's about time you pulled your head out of your ass. I was beginning to think you would never understand who I truly am." Zangetsu muttered with a tone of sarcasm, a light cackle exiting his lips.
"W-well, what counts is that I now know… Zangetsu." He finished the last part silently. Zangetsu's eyes widened, the corners of his eyes prickling before warm tears broke past the barrier and cascaded down the length of his face. Ichigo was shocked by the sight of his "inner hollow" crying. He subtly placed a hand on Zangetu's shoulder before pulling him into a warm embrace.
"You have nothing to worry about anymore. I accept you."
Zangetsu froze and a smile found its way on his face. After a moment of reconciliation, their hug broke off and their bond was stronger than it has ever been, and with that, his sword has become even sharper.
Ichigo turned his attention to the other Zangetsu and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I won't lie, I was pissed off when I learned the truth of your betrayal… but you were just trying to protect me, no?"
This response seemed to surprise the fake Zangetsu, his head nodding immediately after the question was asked. "It was all for you, Ichigo."
"Then that's all that matters. Next time, don't hide things from me… we are all a part of the same soul, and we need to be honest with one another. You once told me that a shinigami is strong when they fight with their zanpakuto… and you were right. All of our battles so far have been determined by the strength of our bond, we can't falter now, right Zang—…. Ojiisan?"
The old man gazed at Ichigo before smiling. "You've become strong Ichigo. I couldn't be any happier than right now. Thank you for giving me another chance."
"As lovely as this reunion is, we have greater things to worry about." The Hogyoku interrupted with a serious expression.
Ichigo along with his two inner spirits turned to look at the Hogyoku, each of which were waiting for her to continue. "Your soul is currently being ripped from this space/time and being forced into another. I didn't realize it until now… and it's regrettable that I didn't, but it would appear that Aizen planned for our eventual meeting, I guess I wasn't as sneaky as I thought."
The old man's face darkened and Zangetsu seemed to frown. The only person who was confused was Ichigo. "Ripped from this space/time? What do you mean?"
She rubbed her chin in thought until her mind finally understood what was going on. "I understand now. That's why he destroyed the cleaner… by destroying it, he absorbed the spatial reishi that holds the cleaner within the realm and that permitted him to manipulate and form a kido that controls the aspect of time." She paused as if she was trying to understand the topic herself. "The only way someone could travel back in time and survive the harsh force of having their soul torn apart is by having an immense amount of reiatsu equivalent to a transcendent being."
"He must've planted that kido on my soul and planned for you to steal it… and then it would forcibly activate causing us all to be sent back in time. When I was supercharging his soul, I could never get a read on his thoughts, I could only see his memories. So… I don't know his reasoning for sending us back in time." Ichigo finally understood what she was saying, his mind racing in panic. "T-There isn't a way to stop this? What about all of my friends and family?" She merely shook her head in a negative manner.
"Unfortunately, it is too late to stop the process… however, if we are capable of surviving the transfer process, I'll eventually be able to restore their memories with my power." She seemed hesitant to continue as she sighed. "Although, I won't be able to restore their memories until a few hundred years after our arrival. This transfer period is gonna utilize all of my strength to keep your soul together. After which, I am gonna fall into a comatose state."
Ichigo frowned. He shouldn't be upset, but knowing he'd not be capable of talking to his 'true' friends for a few hundred years definitely hurt. Even the Hogyoku wouldn't be there due to her predicted comatose state.
"You said we'd only be able to survive this transference if we contained a massive amount of reiatsu comparable to a transcendent. If you haven't forgotten, I lost the powers of a transcendent after using the Final Getsuga Tenshō. So how is this gonna work…?"
Before the Hogyoku could reply, the quincy half of his powers spoke. "Ichigo, you seem to have forgotten something yourself. The Final Getsuga Tenshō is nothing more than a fake representation of your true bankai. This entire time, you've been utilizing a fake zanpakuto, a sword that was flimsily put together by reishi and hollow reiryoku."
"It's like the old man says. You haven't been utilizing the true power of Zangetsu, you've been relying on a fake weapon and borrowing small amounts of getsuga." The true Zangetsu spoke. "Your friend Rukia explained the fundamentals of a zanpakuto once before… she said an asauchi is required to create a real zanpakuto."
"I figured I haven't been using a true zanpakuto but what does that have to do with having enough reiatsu? We don't have an asauchi to manifest my true bankai so we can't achieve the status of transcendent throu—"
"I am glad to know that you aren't using your brain even after learning about the truth. You are destined to be clueless." Ichigo's hand twitched as if he were trying to grasp his sword.
"We'll do what we should've done from the very start. We can't manifest in our true form until you acquire an asauchi but you should still be capable of drawing on our full combined power if we merge with your soul."
The Hogyoku decided to interrupt. "Before you decide to make a decision, I must warn you that if you merge with both of your spirits, your personality may be altered a bit. After all, you aren't just absorbing their powers, you are absorbing their entire souls. That includes their memories and personalities too. Before you start worrying, you'll still be capable of talking to them… if anything, your bond will grow even stronger as they'll be able to communicate with you at a moment's notice. So the choice is yours."
Ichigo rubbed his forehead in agitation. "I mean, it's not like I have a choice, right? If I don't do this, we'll certainly perish. What do I have to do for this to work?"
"You don't have to do anything. You merely have to accept our blades." The old man explained.
"So it's just a repeat of our dangai training, huh?" Ichigo questions while looking at the old man.
"Precisely. Now prepare yourself, Ichigo!" The old man shouted before appearing in front of him with a quincy-like blade. The blade pierced his heart and just like last time, there was no pain. "It's nice to see with my own eyes that you trust me with your entire soul. Even after all the trouble I've caused, you still put so much faith into me. That's why there is no pain."
And just like that, he vanished into reishi particles which got absorbed into Ichigo's body. The feeling of strength gained was instant as a flood of memories from the old man entered his brain.
"Well Kingy, it's my turn now!" Without warning, he used sonido to appear in front of Ichigo, piercing him through the heart just like the old man did. A content smile appeared on his face before he shattered into reishi and got absorbed into Ichigo's body.
Ichigo placed a hand on his forehead as he adjusted to the feeling of having memories forcibly planted in his head.
A moment passed until a familiar black sword appeared in Ichigo's hand, a chain wrapping up his arm and tightening. He recognized this form. It was the same as the one he acquired after exiting the dangai. That's what they meant by becoming one. But this time… he wouldn't have to utilize the Final Getsuga Tenshō, so he'd be safe.
Now that I think about it, the old man compared my true bankai to what the Final Getsuga Tenshō is… does that mean my current form is a lesser form of my true shikai? Ichigo pondered to himself.
"Mhm, you are looking good Ichigo~!" Moaned a hungry looking Hogyoku. Sweat dripped down the side of his forehead as he slowly backed up. "You deserve a goodbye bite before the transition begins."
Ichigo paled and was preparing to make a mad dash but was stopped by the sight of the Hogyoku laughing on the floor. "You should've seen your face! Hahahaha!" She hysterically laughed while rolling around on the floor. His face heated up in embarrassment. "There's nothing wrong with my face! You are seeing things!"
"Pfft, whatever you say strawberry." She replied with a cheshire grin, her gaze moving to the sky as the entire world started to glow a deep white.
The light was blinding and lit every darkened corner of the inner world. "This will be the last time we see each other for a few hundred years. Don't forget about me, promise?"
She had a few tears rolling down the side of her face, his eyes staring in concern before narrowing. "I swear I won't forget you Hogyoku. I will forge this new world and create a place where we can live without fear. I haven't known you long but I know I will miss you from the bottom of my heart!"
Her tears glistened and her lips stretched to show a sincere grin. "Oh~! I'm glad you are such a romantic!" This caused a blush to appear on his face.
The blinding light engulfed more of the world as their figures were the only things visible. "Oh, I almost forgot! I managed to swipe Aizen's knowledge regarding kido and implanted it into your brain. I thought it would be useful since you won't be capable of using your real zanpakuto until you gain an asauchi. If you run around with that merged blade attached to your arm, you'll gain way too much attention… so you should probably learn how to seal that blade when you enter the new era. Good luck, Ichigo!"
The light encompassed the entire landscape until there was nothing but endless darkness… and just like that, time marched backwards.
It was an average night and the streets of the Rukongai districts were completely void of life… well that's actually not entirely true since the homeless rate far exceeds that of the sheltered but nevertheless, the streets were bare. That all changed though when a certain portal opened up in the sky and released an exhilarating pillar of dark purple and black reiatsu.
No matter where you were, the brilliant mix of dark colors glimmered eerily in the night and even managed to make the sturdy walls of the Seireitei vibrate in awareness.
When the reiatsu pillar dispersed, it left a half-mile crater that was luckily placed between the districts thus managing to prevent a mass calamity of deaths. In the middle of this crater, Ichigo laid with his body crushed against the earth, seemingly unconscious until his eyes slowly began to open.
Upon awakening, he was more or less shocked by the extensive damage caused by his entrance. As he tried to pry himself from the ground, he found that he couldn't do that was because he was unknowingly releasing all of his reiatsu. He struggled to breath and desperately grasped handfuls of dirt. Tendrils of dark red and black energy wisped from his body, exploding outwards in an unmanageable fashion.
"You idiot! Reign in your reiatsu before you kill us all!" Zangetsu shouted in panic.
Ichigo grimaced and attempted to pull in his massive reservoir of potent energy, his teeth gritting ever so painfully as blood escaped his lips. More reiatsu exploded outwards, his body pressing further into the earth.
"H-How am I supposed to pull in all of this energy?! I've never been good at sealing my reiatsu and you know it!"
Zangetsu facepalmed in annoyance. "You absorbed our memories! You should easily be capable of searching for the answer on your own!"
Ichigo gawked at the obvious answer and proceeded to search deep within his mind. No less than ten seconds later, he found the answer and forcibly started to seal his reiatsu. Before he knew it, his presence was completely unreadable, showing he was at a level that surpassed both shinigami and hollow—a transcendent being.
It dawned on him that if he was at the level of a transcendent being only in his feigned shikai form, how powerful would he be when he achieved his true one, and don't get him started on his true bankai.
His eyes shifted to his hands, both were bare and swordless, something that wasn't the case before. "Where'd my sword go?"
"When you sealed your reiatsu, you unintentionally sealed away the merged blade as well. If you wish to summon the blade once more, all you need to do is will it with your mind. A note of advice, you shouldn't manifest the blade while in the presence of other people. If anyone were to find out about your merged 'zanpakuto', you'd definitely end up the subject of experimentation." The old man warned.
Ichigo's nose wrinkled in disgust when he thought of the twelfth division's captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
"You're probably right." He agreed while mentally summoning his black nodachi. The sword manifested in his hand, black chains wrapping up his arm before tightening. He nodded his head affirmatively before expelling the sword.
Multiple reiatsu signatures appeared, his stare shifting to the north as he gave a quizzical smile. "I didn't realize that sealing your reiatsu could lead to enhanced sensing capabilities. Even from this distance, I can feel the signatures of multiple captains approaching. If I am feeling this right, it would appear they just left the southern gate of the Seireitei."
He pressed his lips together in thought. Oddly enough… I don't recognize one of these signatures. From the three signatures I sensed, I've only discerned Yama-ji and Unohana-san. I should've asked the Hogyoku how far back I was being sent because I get the impression this is gonna be more tedious than I anticipated.
His flat expression remained present. "Ichigo, you should probably get out here before the captains arrive. It would be in our best interest to remain off the radar for at least a hundred years so we can polish our skills and master kido, don't you agree?" Ichigo nodded his head in agreement. Ever since he merged with his inner spirits, he found that agreeing with their decisions was much easier than ever before. In a burst of shunpo that would leave Yoruichi impressed, he vanished from his location and headed south. If he was gonna stay in hiding for a hundred years, he needed to figure out the current date—after all, he learned a decent amount of history from the Hogyoku and he wasn't gonna stay in hiding while some life ending event was occurring.
At the first division's barracks, the head captain sat idly, occasionally sipping on some tea while completing paperwork. As the head captain, he completes triple the amount of paperwork that a normal captain would and that's because the majority of the documents can only be read by himself. Since the creation of the central forty-six via the soul king's orders, he has been the only shinigami representative ever—and since that is the case, he is responsible for any and all documents regarding decisions from the governing body.
As he was about to start overviewing another document, he was stopped by a massive pressure pushing down on his body.
Off to the side, his lieutenant, Chōjirō Sasakibe, collapsed to the ground and was struggling to breathe. His eyes opened a bit wider than usual and just as he was about to start pressing his own reiatsu against the opposing force, the pressure vanished.
To say he was impressed by the mystery person's reiatsu would be an understatement since he was more than just a little interested in their identity.
When that reiatsu was crushing down on his body, he felt as if his bones were bending despite his cool demeanor saying otherwise. He would be surprised if anyone aside from the captains and lieutenants were conscious.
Two flickers appeared at the entrance of his office, both of which were sporting a captain's haori.
"Head Captain Yamamoto…"
An elder-like voice spoke, a silver-white scarf wrapped around his neck symbolizing that he is the current head of the Kuchiki Clan. He is also the captain of squad six, Ginrei Kuchiki.
"...that pressure that weighed down on our shoulders vanished completely. There isn't even a sliver of their presence anymore. From what I could gather, they were between the seventy-ninth and eightieth districts. It's not my place to impose…"
This information caught the attention of the other captain, her calm stormy eyes blinking ever so casually as she struggled to keep her smile back. An air of bloodlust warped her figure, her right hand twitching ever so slightly—so slight that no one aside from a seasoned veteran could pick up on it. She is the current captain of squad four, Retsu Unohana.
"...but I believe it's prudent that we head there immediately. We need to know if that person is an ally or enemy… and if they are neither, we can institute them within the academy. I don't dare hope for it but that pressure left a majority of the shinigami unconscious… this entity might be on your level of strength, Captain Yamamoto."
Before Yamamoto could respond, Unohana cut in. "I second Captain Kuchiki's opinion. That person's reiatsu had a very dark nature despite being an obvious shinigami."
Her elegantly put together braid swayed gingerly when she turned to look out the window. "It's as if their presence was that of a shinigami but also a hollow. It's very strange." And exhilarating! I wonder if I'll be able to cut such a strong opponent without having to use my shikai or… even my bankai.
Yamamoto huffed mentally, his eyes squinting visibly. "Very well. It is my understanding that this person could be a threat. We will leave immediately!" And their reiatsu feels very similar to 'his'. I must check to be certain…
A wooden cane appeared in his hand, his sharp eyes darting towards the southern gate before his body vanished—followed by the other two. Since they were amongst some of the fastest captains, it didn't take them long to reach the site.
What was there left all three of them shocked, even the battle-hardened Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who was two thousand years old and going. There was a massive crater that spanned the distance of a half mile, and within the center of the crater was reishi residue that sparked midnight black with hints of deep crimson.
"What type of person could leave this size of a crater with just their reiatsu alone?! This is unheard of…" Ginrei spoke with a hushed tone.
Off to the side, Unohana allowed for a dark smile to replace her once soft one, using a few long-reaching shunpo to travel to the center where she extracted some of the leftover reishi. She used a few medical vials known as quiescent seals (Seishi Shīru) to keep the reishi dormant; to prevent deterioration. Her body warmed up in admiration. I gave up on fighting a long time ago but I can't resist this experience. I must fight them.
Yamamoto appeared beside Unohana in a silent shunpo, his eyes darkening as he observed the reishi residue. There hasn't been a single person aside from Yhwach who had this color of reiatsu. Despite knowing this, there was something much different about it. It was vastly dark like a hollow, specifically a Vasto Lorde—but it also contained a bright feeling, something akin to a shinigami.
"It would appear we were too late." Unohana began with a still voice. "But I have a sample of their reiatsu so it shouldn't take more than a few months to gather results. Additionally, we'll instantly be capable of recognizing their reiatsu if they attempt to join the academy."
Yamamoto didn't give any indication of listening, however, Unohana knew he had by the visible lightening of his sharp eyes.
"Captain Unohana, you are to send notice to the other captains for an immediate investigation of the southern rukongai districts. As for your squad, I want all of you to preoccupy your time by inspecting those reishi samples. Dismissed."
Yamamoto allowed for a dark smile to stretch his lips as he watched Unohana's bloodlust grow even wilder. Her past weaknesses were being removed right in front of himself—and all due to this mysterious being with immense strength. Whoever they are, he hopes they enjoy to fight, because it won't only be Unohana that fights them.
He doesn't plan to retire from the position of head captain anytime soon, however, finding a potential candidate with that level of strength is quite the stretch of luck.
Hello, it's the author! There won't be a specific schedule of upload, however, I will make sure to update as frequently as possible.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to drop them below. Additionally, some characters might not feel entirely true to their calling, and that's because I altered them in that way. Whether it is OOC or bashing, it is what it is.
As for a designated pairing, I haven't decided yet. I highly dislike harem stories so there won't be more than a single person for Ichigo, if even that. I could potentially go down the Hogyoku route, but personally, OC pairings have never connected with me since they don't corelate to the canon story. Despite that, the Hogyoku route could still occur, it's just unlikely.
You can leave a recommended pairing with a reasoning and I might consider if the explanation is decent enough. Remember, the friends he used to know won't have the same knowledge as himself, so it wouldn't make sense for Ichigo to be with Orihime unless he decided to wait a few hundred years, which he could... but probably won't unless defended enough.
Anyhow, that's all I have to say. See you next chapter!
