"Where is she? She said to meet by the school's entrance…"
I slowly looked around my surroundings for any pink and frilly magical girl outfits. The school day was already over and already tons of students were walking through the gates to go back home. I chose to stick to the side of the path so that I wouldn't get in anyone's way and to have a better view of people coming in and out. But as the minutes dragged on, I didn't sense Sera's presence at all. With her personality, I thought that she would be waiting for me as soon as the school day ended, but there was no sign of her.
It wasn't like she was simply dropping by to say high to me or Sona. If that was the case, she wouldn't give me a head's up. The fact that she called me ahead of time meant that she was being serious for once, which made it even odder that she didn't meet me at the gates.
"Did I mishear something then? Maybe we were supposed to meet the day after or something?"
I looked back at the crowd of students one last time and suddenly, there she was. Standing in the midst of the crowd with her usual clothes of a turquoise button-up shirt and black skirt. None of the students seemed to even notice Sera's presence despite seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Our eyes immediately met each other, and for a brief moment, I found myself lost in her jewel-like blue eyes as if she was studying my entire being. Her twin tails swayed in tandem with the wind, matching its rhythm.
"Ichigo!" Sera exclaimed, breaking me out of my brief trance.
The Leviathan herself pushed past the students in her way and suddenly jumped at me, her body sailing over the ground and on an immediate crash course with my body.
"W-WHOOOA!" I yelped.
I frantically held my arms out and managed to catch Sera and brace myself before either of us could hit the ground. She immediately wrapped her arms around my body and began to squeeze really…really hard,
"Ichigoooooo! I missed you so much!" Sera wailed. "Ah, this scent…I need to refill my Ichigo reserves! Gimme a kiss!"
"H-Hell no! And let go of me! You're crushing me!"
"Grr! This is a direct order from your King! I want a kiss!" Sera pouted, glaring up at me.
"Even if you say that, there's no way I'll obey something like that!" I yelled. "Besides, there's people staring at us!"
"I don't care! I want a kiss, and I want one now!" Sera complained.
"For crying out loud…" I managed to wrestle Sera's arms off of me and grabbed onto her right hand. I very quickly planted a quick kiss on the back of her hand. I heard several gasps and even some chuckles from the students behind me, and I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide until the end of time.
"T-there. Satisfied now?" I asked. I turned my head away so that Sera or anyone wouldn't be able to see how red my face probably looked. Kissing the back of her hand when she made me her Queen was one thing, but it was soul-crushingly embarrassing to do this sort of thing out in public.
Sera stared blankly at the spot where I kissed her and didn't say anything. Her body was motionless and I couldn't even see what kind of expression she was making due to the shadow that suddenly fell on her face.
"...Not enough." Sera whispered.
"Huh?"
Sera's arms shot out at incredible speeds. Her hands grabbed onto my uniform and she pulled, forcing my body to lurch forward due to her literal inhuman strength. Our lips were smashed into each other before I could do anything.
"MMMMRPH!" I mumbled. I tried to break free from Sera's control, but in my non-shinigami form, there was little I could do against Sera's monstrous power. What really made me panic however was when I felt Sera's tongue suddenly barge into my own mouth, coiling around my own and tracing the inside of my mouth like it was trying to leave a mark of some kind.
Our lips separated and I was finally able to swallow in a gulp of fresh air. I finally managed to break away from Sera's grasp and began to fervently wipe my lips to clean away the line of saliva that connected our lips together.
"Y-y-you're crazy!" I yelped in a much higher tone.
"Heehee. I'm all recharged now!" Sera giggled.
"Y-y-y-y-you!" I managed to say through grit teeth.
"Aw, your face is red!" Sera pointed out.
"C-come here!" I hurriedly grabbed onto Sera's hand and ran down the road, ignoring all of the students staring at us as we ran. I ran so fast that Sera's entire body briefly lifted off the ground.
We finally managed to escape the school grounds and ended up in the park in the city. Taking cover behind a big tree, I studied my surroundings to make sure no one from the school had followed us or was spying on us. Once I made sure the coast was clear, I turned to face the smiling Leviathan.
"Ichigo? You look so angry. Shouldn't you be more happy seeing your wife after so long?" Sera asked with an aura of innocence so fake that even a child wouldn't fall for it.
"How can I not be pissed off!? You just kissed me in front of the entire school!" I roared. "And I ain't your husband!"
"Waaaaaah!" Sera suddenly wailed. I recoiled back in shock when I saw tears begin to drip out from Sera's eyes.
"T-the hell!?" I stammered.
"Ichigo, you're so mean!" Sera sniffled. "This isn't how you're supposed to treat your wife! How can you say such things when you promised to never leave my side!?"
"Cut it out!" I swiftly karate-chopped the top of Sera's head.
"Ow!" Sera' whimpered. "You're so mean…"
"Gimme a break. Anyone can see that your crying was fake as hell. Even a baby wouldn't fall for it."
"Teehee~" Sera giggled with a sparkly wink, nearly making me slam my head into the tree out of sheer frustration.
"So? What was that call about last night?" I asked, hoping to change the subject. "You said that Old Man Zangetsu and the hollow within me were trying to get my attention. How did you know?"
"Because…" Sera slowly walked up to me and placed a single index finger on my chest. There wasn't an ounce of the childishness present in her demeanor. "...The moment you became my servant, I knew everything about you."
When she spoke, I suddenly felt an inexplicable chill wash over my entire body. It wasn't a chill that one would get when feeling fear, or something as simple as the cold weather. This felt…different. If it wasn't fear, then the closest thing I could compare it to would be dread.
But why in the world would I feel dread about talking to Zangetsu and the hollow? I thought I understood them enough when they taught me the Final Getsuga Tenshou. So, why am I dreading the fact of meeting with them again?
"E-everything?" I asked. "The hell do you mean by that?"
"Oops! I think I spoke too much," Sera giggled. "If I tell you all the answers myself, nothing would happen. It's up to you to figure it out yourself. So!"
Sera snapped her fingers and a rectangular opening suddenly appeared next to her. I couldn't see what was on the other side, but the energy I was feeling could only mean that this gateway was leading to the Underworld.
"Let's go, Ichigo! Your training arc begins now!"
"We're here!"
I opened my eyes to see…nothing. Literally, it was nothing. I couldn't see any walls, ceilings, or even the floor. What was laid out before me was an endless white space. I couldn't even feel any sort of end to this place.
"What…is this?" I asked quietly.
"It's nothing!" Sera excitedly giggled.
"The hell does that even mean?" I pushed. "You just teleported us somewhere and now you're calling it 'nowhere'? You're not making any sense."
"No, this place is literally nowhere. There's nothing here. This place is a separate dimension that has nothing and no end." Sera explained.
"Okay…" I trailed off. "But why bring me here? If I'm only supposed to converse with my spirits, then why a place with no end?"
"Because I doubt they'll be happy telling you the truth." Sera answered flatly. "Collateral damage is the last thing we need right now."
"The truth?" I felt the clammy feeling of dread once again. "What truth?"
"In these kinds of situations, it requires one going on a personal journey to find out. Everything has a source, and by following the branches, one eventually reaches the root. But your case is different. Unlike every devil here, you're from another world. Your entire being and makeup is fundamentally different from ours."
"Just what're you trying to get at here?" I asked, even more confused than before/
Sera smiled at me again, but it wasn't as cheerful as her usual smiles. It was somewhat wistful and almost sad. Was she reassuring me? To give me courage?
"You know about Balance Breakers, right? A forbidden technique to bring out the full power of a Sacred Gear. When someone uses a Sacred Gear, another soul inhabit the host's soul and through communication, both have the ability to achieve a Balance Breaker. Normally, something like your Tensa Zangetsu would be considered to be an equivalent of a Balance Breaker in this world. But you have more. The thing you call 'Hollowfication'."
"H-how do you know about that?" I stammered. "I never told you what it was called!"
"I told you, Ichigo. From the moment you agreed to become my Queen, I knew everything about you." Sera declared with a sly grin.
"E-everything, huh?" I groaned. "If you really already know everything about me, then you should know that I already conquered my inner hollow."
"Then why didn't you bring out your mask against the White Dragon Emperor?" Sera asked rhetorically. "With that mask, you were able to cut Sirzechs-chan's arm, something even I haven't seen until recently. But instead, the White Dragon Emperor was able to beat you back."
"Well, that's because-"
"Ichigo," Sera abruptly cut off. "What did your inner hollow tell you again when you managed to conquer it for the first time?"
Next time you use my power, don't get yourself killed.
"The mask is strong, but it can be even stronger. You trained with Zangetsu and became one with him to achieve the Final Getsuga Tenshou. But the way to achieve it was a one-time thing. You shouldn't even think about using the Mugetsu any time soon. If we want to prepare for the upcoming battle, you'll need the full power of your hollow."
"Full…power?" I barely whispered.
"Yes. The power that brought down Ulquiorra and kept you locked in fear." Sera affirmed.
"W-why would you need something like that? That thing is too destructive. If I go out of control, then it'll destroy the whole world!"
"Then conquer it!" Sera suddenly yelled. Her sudden outburst threw me back from how loud her voice was. None of her usual cheerfulness was present and the air around us suddenly grew violent, causing Sera's clothes to flare and flutter in accordance to her will.
No wonder she holds the title as the Leviathan and one of the Four Great Satans.
"After everything you've been through, how can you falter now!? You've conquered your fear and battled through many hardships time and time again. Was becoming one with your blade not enough!? Like it or not, that hollow is a part of you! Don't you think it's about time to finally accept it instead of running away from it!?"
All I could do was stare in shock as Sera continued her tirade. For a brief moment, I thought I saw the image of a large serpent materialize behind her for a split second.
"A…part of me…" I trailed off.
Sera huffed and placed her hands on her hips. "Ichigo, you're not a human anymore. Or a Soul Reaper. Like it or not, you're a Devil now. Devils are supposed to chase their desires no matter what. We're selfish creatures and we don't exactly represent the best or purest things. But most of all, we crave power. Don't be disgusted by the urges you're feeling or what you've done in the past. Embrace it. Don't just see the power of your hollow as an obstacle, but as a stepping stone to be true to who you are now. To become stronger just for the sake of it. Accept the indiscriminate and untamed power of the hollow so that none will challenge you!"
"I…see," I mumbled. And then, I laughed. Not a full blown laughing fit, but a small one that managed to escape my mouth. Why did I laugh when Sera was being so serious for the first time? Maybe…I needed something like this.
"Sera, thank you."
Sera immediately beamed and gave me a smile that was much more characteristic of her and honestly, suited her the best. I expected her to give me another hug and try to plaster my face with kisses, but she remained calm and still.
"That's my hero. But be warned. Because of your circumstances, getting your hollow to cooperate with you isn't going to be easy. One way or another, you must succeed. Our last hope is on you, Ichigo. The battle is coming, and our enemies are drawing closer. Farewell, Ichigo."
"Wait, what battle? What enemies?" I asked.
Before I could say anything else, Sera tapped my forehead with her index finger, pushing me back. As I fell, I expected my back to hit the ground. But I didn't. Instead, I continued to fall into an endless abyss. For a brief moment, my vision went black and lost any sort of feeling. Why did Sera bid me farewell? Was this going to be the last time I would be seeing her?
…No. I won't let that happen. I have to win. No matter what it takes, I have to return to Sera. To pay her back for helping me when she didn't have to. I have to win. I have to!
"Yo…King."
I opened my eyes, and I was in my inner world. Coming back to this world of sideways skyscrapers after a long time felt off yet nostalgic at the same time. This was where everything began after all. Where Zangetsu taught me how to awaken my own Soul Reaper powers and where I first beat the hollow.
Speaking of…
Standing just a few feet away from me was my inner hollow. He looked exactly like how I remembered. His white shihakusho was the opposite of mine and in his right hand held a white Tensa Zangetsu. The black hollow mask he wore completely covered his head with a pair of horns jutting out. His clawed and bare feet crushed the skyscraper we were on as he slowly made his way to me. From behind him, his long white hair flowed down past his waist.
"You got some real nerve, coming in here again after a long time. You always ran away from me. And then you'd get your ass handed to you. Over and over. Even after getting dragged into another world, what happened? You got your shit kicked in and came right back to me. Funny how that works."
"Why didn't you let me use the mask?" I asked. This seemed to throw the hollow off guard. Even if I couldn't tell what kind of expression he was making under that mask, the slight head tilt from him gave me the impression that he was actually thrown off by my question.
"This is new. I expected you to barge in here and start screaming about where the old man is. You're wondering why I didn't let you use the mask? It's amazing just how mind-numbingly stupid you are."
"The hell're you talking about?" I demanded. "How can I understand what you're trying to tell me when you're not saying anything!?"
"I'm sick and tired of trying to talk with someone who won't even bother listening to my voice. It's obvious that you can see the signs and hear my words, but you're not really listening to what I'm saying. It's like I'm talking to a damn wall!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm not here to play games."
To illustrate my point, I unsheathed Zangetsu from my back, allowing the white cloth that was wrapped around its edge to unfurl. I aimed the tip of my blade at the hollow, who didn't move a single inch from where he was.
"Bankai!"
My body was surrounded by black spiritual pressure, and I quickly swept everything aside with my Tensa Zangetsu. I bet the hollow only had that same psychotic smirk underneath that mask.
"I'm not here to talk. The power that defeated Ulquiorra…I'm taking it for myself!"
"Ha! Come and take it, if you can!"
We both readied our swords and flew at each other. My eardrums nearly exploded when our blades met, causing the building we were on to become completely demolished from the sheer strength of the shockwave.
"Kh!" I grunted. I knew the hollow was strong, but this was on a completely different level of strength from our first encounter. So this was the power that defeated Ulquiorra. It felt like the difference in our power was like the distance between Heaven and Earth. Every strike felt like it could tear the world apart and the shockwaves from hitting my sword cut every skyscraper around us clean in half. My head felt like it was going to explode just trying to keep up with his speed with my eyes alone. Even though I was gripping my sword with both hands and putting all of my power behind it, the hollow looked completely unfazed, holding me back with just one arm.
Could I really tame this kind of raw power? Even though I got the enhancements from being reincarnated as Devil and having a Queen piece used on me, I was already on the backfoot the moment our blades met. The only reason I could see being a possibility why I was even alive in the first place was that the hollow only wanted to toy with me.
"I thought you were better than this."
"...That so?" I managed to reply through grit teeth. "Don't think you've won just because you're a bit stronger. I will catch up sooner or later."
"That's not what I mean."
"Huh?"
The hollow dislodged his blade from mine and quickly slammed his palm into my face. Before I knew it, my body was thrown several feet back and through a skyscraper.
"Damn!" I growled as my back tore through the large structure, not believing that I fell for the same attack again. I quickly stopped my momentum in the air, but quickly put up my sword to block the flying white katana that was thrown right into my face. I batted it away before it could skewer my head, and the white Tensa Zangetsu went flying away.
"The difference in our power isn't because of my form or the devil powers you got…" the hollow explained. He opened up his right hand and his sword automatically flew back into his hand like some kind of boomerang. "You're thinking too damn hard about all this. I thought that the answer would become obvious the moment our blades met, but you just keep on ignoring me!"
"Then why not just tell me outright instead of these damn riddles!?" I demanded.
"It's simple…"
The hollow's spiritual pressure suddenly vanished and my entire body froze. I moved automatically purely on instinct, spinning around to block the attack meant to stab me from behind. The high-pitched scream from our swords meeting seemed even louder before, like an anguished scream from someone in terrible pain.
"...It's because you refuse to hear the truth."
"So I've been told." I sarcastically remarked.
"This is everything I've needed to understand." the hollow started. His sword once again pushed me back and sent me back. Instead of capitalizing on the opening and attacking me, the hollow instead aimed the tip of his sword at me. "...It's everything you need."
His sword is…what makes him understand me? Was that brief scream from our swords coming from him then? If so, why was his blade screaming out so loudly? Why would a hollow who's just after my soul be screaming that much to get my attention?
"Like I said, the answer's real simple. Whether or not you'll accept it though…that's up to you."
The hollow flew towards me once again and we continued to exchange blows. But as we did, I couldn't get rid of the myriad of questions, even with death constantly mere moments away. Whenever our blades met, I was constantly washed over by an enormous wave of sadness and anger. Was the hollow this frustrated over me not completely understanding him? Why would he be? He's always constantly going on about the king and the horse, and how he's going to devour my soul if I ever let my guard down. Why would someone like that try to be understood instead of taking every advantage he could get?
Is the answer that I'm looking for that terrifying? Am I really that scared? Or, have I been refusing to find out the truth? The hollow said it, and Sera said it. I'm just constantly running away, lying to myself that I conquered my fears long ago.
His sword is all I need to understand. He said so himself. If he really didn't want me to get the full power of the hollow, then he would've just stabbed me in the back without a word. Like what Tensa Zangetsu would've done if he really didn't want to teach me the Final Getsuga Tenshou. There was no way the same trick would work again. It would be too obvious. But there was no other option.
If I couldn't hear what his blade was trying to say to me when we fought…
My grip around my sword slackened until I finally let go, letting the black sword fall out of my hand. As the hollow flew towards me, I heard a slight gasp from within his mask as his blade flew straight through my heart. Despite the sword clearly going through my heart, I felt absolutely no pain.
"...Didn't think the same trick would work twice." I grunted as I stared at the white sword that impaled me.
"Really now?"
"Yeah. I prepared myself to fight to the death to try and get your full power. But your actions proved otherwise."
"Well, aren't you a bright one." the hollow sarcastically remarked.
I let my arms fall to my side and stared at the hollow right into the soulless eyes of his mask.
"From what you said during our fight and what Sera said, I think I understand what you're trying to say. You're…not just regular hollow, aren't you?"
"And what gave it away?" the hollow asked.
"Now that I think about it, a lot of things…" I trailed off. "I thought you were just something forced onto me when I trained with Urahara before first entering the Soul Society. You've saved me countless times by protecting me with the mask, and brought me back when Ulquiorra killed me. The technique that's yours -the Black Getsuga-was the only reason why I was able to keep up with the Arrancars. Everytime we fought or you took over, it felt like you were trying to lead me somewhere. You showed me how much stronger Zangetsu is compared to a normal Soul Reaper's sword. You showed me how to properly use my Bankai against Byakuya. Whether I like it or not, you have a strong correlation with my powers. You're not some intruder. You were with me from the very start."
"Well, you're not as stupid like I thought. Well done."
"And there's one last thing…"
"Oh, and what would that be?"
"The moment you stabbed me, it felt similar-no. Exactly like when I was stabbed to learn the Final Getsuga Tenshou. That means that part of that sword was yours, wasn't it?"
At my explanation, the hollow slowly reached up with his free hand and removed his black mask. I could finally see that he still had that maniacal grin, but there was no actual malice behind it.
"So, have you finally found your answer?"
"Yeah. You're a part of me and the sword that I wield. It's as simple as that."
For a brief moment, the large smile the hollow had fell slightly, but his full smile quickly returned as he let out a quick laugh.
"Well, that's close enough. At least you got the most important part down. Some of it at least."
"If I missed something, why not just tell me what it is?"
"Because you're clearly not ready yet. Besides, it's not my job to tell you the whole truth." the hollow explained. As he let go of his sword, his body began to slowly disappear into motes of white particles.
"H-hey!" I blurted out.
"Oh don't worry. I ain't nowhere near done with you yet. That sword will finally let you use my full power. Next time you see me, you better be ready to finally find out who you really are. And remember not to get yourself killed before that happens!"
With that, the hollow finally disappeared, leaving just me and the white sword stuck in my chest. As I stared down at it, I couldn't help but get slightly annoyed at his final words.
"Why does he always say that? You'd think he'd have more faith in me by now."
"...Hello? Hello?"
"Damn…five more minutes…" I groaned.
"Hm…maybe giving you another kiss will really wake you up?"
"Alright, I'm up! I'm up!" I yelled out in annoyance. I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was Sera's mischievous grin. Judging from the soft sensation I was feeling on the back of my head, it was safe to assume that Sera was currently giving me a lap pillow.
"Come on, at least act like you're interested…" Sera whined.
"Not gonna happen," I replied. "And what're you doing anyways?"
"Giving you a lap pillow, obviously!" Sera grinned. "Well, how is it? Is your heart racing by the prospect of such a beautiful girl giving you a lap pillow? Are you enjoying the magnificent view of my boobs over your face?"
"...Your legs are hard."
"H-how rude!" Sera gasped. "Is that really something you should be saying to your King?"
"Whatever…"
As I willed my body to get off of Sera's lap, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. My entire body trembled as I tried to move to no avail.
"The hell?" I mouthed.
"Feel tired, right?" Sera asked. "Well, that's no surprise. Even though you were fighting in your inner world, you were taking pretty considerable damage to your physical body. And you were fighting for several days."
"That long?" I mumbled to myself. The fight in my inner world felt like it happened in just a couple of minutes. Or was I so preoccupied in trying to understand Sera and the hollow's words that I completely lost track of time?
"Well, at least it finally gave me the perfect opportunity for me to pamper you!" Sera cheered. She suddenly began to pet my head and placed a hand on my cheek, her soft yet cold touch causing my body to slightly jolt despite my apparent exhaustion. "So, I take it that everything went well?"
"All good. And you planned something like this to happen, didn't you?" I questioned.
"Maybe~" Sera sang.
"Wait, you said that I was fighting for several days…" A sudden feeling of dread quickly replaced my tiredness as my mind began to catch up. "Wait, what about Parents' Day? And the peace conference?"
"Hm, I think the school day's already over. But the conference should be starting in a couple of hours." Sera said.
"W-wait, then we have to get moving!" I yelled. I finally managed to muster up enough strength to get my head off of Sera's lap and stand up, albeit a bit shakily. "You're one of the representatives! There's gonna be hell to pay if you're not there!"
"But I'm already from Hell." Sera simply stated.
"Gaaaah! Dealing with you is more difficult than dealing with my hollow!"
Thankfully, it took us only a few seconds and a snap of Sera's fingers to open a portal straight to Kuoh Academy despite the meeting only being minutes away from starting. Sera's poertal took us right behind the door, and already she was fretting about her appearance.
"Geez, I should've worn my best 'Magical Girl Milky Spiral Seven' cosplay!" Sera fretted. "Why'd you rush me so much?"
"You look fine. And there's no way I'd ever let you wear something like that to a peace conference!" I scolded. I reached for the doorknob to open it for Sera, but not before dusting off my own shihakusho so that I wouldn't look too disheveled.
I opened the door and immediately I was greeted by s surge of power that briefly made me stop. Inside a spacious and fancy room was a big table the shape of a circle. Sitting around it was Sirzechs, who wore his usual armor and had his Queen Grayfia behind him. To his left was Michael, the archangel that served under God before his death. Even though I never met the guy in-person until now, the yellow halo above his head and the holy light he passively emitted was enough to make my skin itch. Combined with his long blond hair and looks that looked like it came straight out of a painting, there was no doubt that this man was Michael.
And sitting across from Sirzechs was who I assumed to be Azazel, leader of the Fallen Angels. He wore a long and overdramatic black trench coat, and the yellow highlights in his hair reminded me of a chicken. Behind him was a tall man with silver hair and brown eyes. His outfit consisting of a green V-neck shirt and the black jacket and pants he wore kinda made me envious of his clothing. It looked like something I would wear if I ever had the chance. Though I never saw this person, the magical energy I felt was exactly the same as the Vanishing Dragon that I ran into after I fought Kokabiel.
As I followed behind Sera, I immediately felt a piercing gaze from Albion. He gave me a condescending smirk and I glared right back at him. One look at him gave me the impression that he was one of those battle-crazy types, and the way he was looking at me reminded me of Kenpachi somewhat when I first ran into him. I couldn't let my guard down around someone like him.
All three leaders turned their attention towards me as Sera and I made our way to the last remaining seat to Sirzechs' right. Once Sera sat down, I leaned my back against the wall behind her. As I surveyed the room, I noticed Rias and her entire Peerage behind Sirzechs along with Sona and Tsubaki. The student council president seemed somewhat surprised at my appearance, though I couldn't blame her given my apparent absence according to Sera.
"Hello! I'm Serafall Leviathan, and this is my Queen, Ichigo!" Sera greeted.
"Seems like we got everyone here." Azazel said. "Now, shall we start this meeting?"
"Serafall Leviathan, and Ichigo Kurosaki. Thank you for joining us. As I'm sure everyone knows, Sera's Queen was instrumental in stopping Kokabiel."
"Yes. We appreciate your effort." Michael added slight bow and a smile.
"Heh. Sorry about that," Azazel chuckled. "My guy went out of hand. Thanks for reigning him in."
"You don't look that sorry, asshole." I quietly grumbled. from how Azazel's smile grew instead of being offended, I knew he heard what I said and that pissed me off even further. Is he taking this entire conference as a joke? Does he even intend on making peace if that's how he reacts to a massive war nearly starting?
"Now, if you don't mind, would you please recount your version of what happened prior and during your encounter with Kokabiel, Ichigo?" Sirzechs suddenly asked.
"Huh?" I pointed to myself out of confusion. A giant screen suddenly appeared behind me and now everyone's focus was on me. A new wave of pressure hit me, and it wasn't from the power of the leaders here.
"Do your best, Ichigo!" Sera quietly cheered on.
"W-well, it kinda started when I was helping tracking down this rogue exorcist and some shady priest. When we cornered them, Kokabiel showed up and started going on about reigniting the war between all three sides and he brought an army to stop me. So, I beat his army and stopped him before he could do anything. After that, the White Dragon showed up and took Kokabiel away."
I knew my explanation was rather short, but with the screen hopefully replaying the events, it was a good enough for the time being.
"I, Sona Sitri, testify that Ichigo Kurosaki has said nothing but the truth." Sona spoke up from her spot.
"As do I." Rias chimed in.
"Thank you. You three may step back now." Sirzechs said. "Now, I'd like to hear the General of the Fallen Angels' opinion in Ichigo's report."
"Well, there ain't much to say. Kokabiel acted of his own accord.
"Then it has nothing to do with you?" Michael asked.
"I was waiting to find out what he was up to. Looks like he never expected me to come to the city personally. I like this place." Azazel explained.
"Please stay on topic." Sirzechs calmly requested.
"Hey, at least Leviathan's Queen stopped him. Kokabiel's a bit overcooked, and he's locked up in an ice prison for eternity. He's not going anywhere anytime soon."
"Then why did the White Dragon, who's currently allied with you, attack my Queen?" Sera asked.
"I did it out of my own accord. I live top fight only strong opponents, and I wanted to test my skills against the renown Queen of Leviathan." Albion dismissively said with a wave of his hand.
"Bastard..." I muttered.
"Anyways, our primary concern is Kokabiel's motives," Michael interjected to change the subject. "He said he was not content with your decisions concerning the last war."
"Yeah. He was pretty mad that I decided to pull back when we were on a roll during that time. I ain't got an interest in war anyways."
"So, he's just a rogue actor? That's it?" Sera put forward.
"Still, I was quite surprised at the state Kokabiel came back in. Your Queen's Sacred Gear sure is something." Azazel pointed out. "Kokabiel's quite strong. Whatever his Balance Breaker is, I'd sure like to study it.
Sera's frown grew deeper and her eyes slightly shone, surprising me. I've never seen her get this angry, and I knew I had to do something before this entire room blew up. Even though I began to hate Azazel the more he spoke, I had to make sure both of our emotions wouldn't cause unnecessary damage.
"Sera," I put a hand on her shoulder and her posture immediately relaxed. Her scowl was still present, but at least her eyes didn't glow.
"What you're saying has nothing to do with this conference." Sirzechs firmly reminded.
"Yeah yeah, enough small talk. Let's just sign the peace treaty already." Azazel offered.
At this, I heard several gasps from around the room from Rias' Peerage as well as from Sona. Even I was surprised. After hundreds of years of fighting, the leader of one of the main factions was going to agree to a peace deal that easily? I knew very little about politics, but even I found something about Azazel's offer. There had to be a catch, something hidden within the fine print.
"Well, that's what everyone was going to do, am I fight?" Azazel asked.
"...The ones who started the war, God and the original Satans, are no longer here." Michael added.
"Well, that's why we have two guys here who, although not a part of our stand-off, have the power to change the world," Azazel began. "The Red Dragon Emperor and the White Dragon Emperor. I'd like to hear both of your thoughts."
"Hmph. I just want strong guys to fight." Albion plainly stated.
Azazel chuckled a bit at Albion's answer. "You don't need a war to find tough guys."
"...Thought you'd say that." Albion said with a smirk.
"Well, what about you, Red Dragon Emperor?" Azazel asked.
"Eh!?" Issei gasped. "W-well, that's a little bit too much to process, but I think having peace is way better than war. I mean, if we're at war, then I wouldn't be able to achieve my dream of becoming the Harem King!"
It too everything in my power to not slam my head through the wall after hearing that. Was this guy being serious? How could he be talking about that kinda crap when the entire world's fate is being decided right now? This guy's either extremely brave or a colossal dumbass, but I was willing to assume that he fell under the latter category.
Before anyone could say anything, I suddenly felt a surge of energy wash over the entire room. Everyone else seemed to react to it. Our surroundings turned dull in color and the entire place felt stagnant and cold.
"Sera!" I exclaimed. My hand was already reaching for Zangetsu and I placed myself in front of her.
"W-what happened?" Issei exclaimed. He turned towards Rias, but her form was completely devoid of color and she was standing motionless.
In fact, everyone else but the two dragons, representatives, Irina, Kiba, and Xenovia seemed unaffected by whatever happened.
"Hm...seems like someone stopped time." Azazel calmly noted.
"Stopping time?" I asked out of bewilderment.
"Looks bot us and you were unaffected due to our immense power. And those guys were protected by their holy swords." Azazel explained as he motioned towards the representatives, me, Kiba, Xenovia, and Irina.
"And we have our dragons." Albion added, glancing at Issei.
The building we were in suddenly started to shake, causing all of us to run towards the window and look outside. In the dark and foggy sky were several enormous magic circles producing hundreds of robed individuals. Once out, they began to fire beams of magic at the frozen guards made up of the three factions outside, causing their bodies to disappear into motes of light. all of the guards were gone, they quickly concentrated their attacks on the building itself. Their attacks were blocked by a defensive seal place on the building itself, but that didn't stop the entire place from shaking to its core.
"The hell are those guys?" I asked.
"Magicians..." Sera began. "Wait a minute, I'm the magical girl here!"
"Sera..." I groaned.
"What's causing time to be stop then?" Issei asked.
"It's probably because of the half-vampire's ability. I take it that they forced him into a Balance Breaker state." Azazel suggested.
"Half-vampire?" I asked.
"Gasper, our remaining Bishop. He has the ability to stop time." Kiba explained.
"You guys had someone that powerful in your group?" I questioned.
"Very few people have the ability to stop time. He is most likely in the hands of the enemy."
"Then we gotta save him! Gasper's a part of our Peerage!" Issei argued.
"That is easier said than done. The enemy has also disabled our transport magic circles." Grayfia noted.
"They got us good. Not only is their timing impeccable, but their tactic of using that half-vampire is already putting us in a disadvantage." Sirzechs sighed. "We must do something. If Gasper's power grows too strong, then everyone would be affected."
As the enemy's attacks continued to pelt the protective barriers, the magic circles began to break one by one. It would only be a matter of time before the barriers failed and make us vulnerable.
"We have to do something about that half-vampire. It'd be too risky to fight back with his powers on the loose."
"I'll go!" Issei volunteered.
"That's all well and good, but at your level, you won't make it far. Unless you can enter your Balance Breaker state easily, you'll be nothing more than deadweight." Azazel explained.
"But I-" Issei stopped himself from saying anything else and his face fell. I felt sorry for him for being told that he was weak and would only get in the way.
"Or you could kill the terrorists and the half-vampire in one shot," Albion suggested with a malicious smile. "Want me to do it?"
"Read the mood here, Vali." Azazel sighed. "We're trying to make peace here, y'know."
So his name is Vali, not Albion.
"Then, my queen will go instead." Sera declared.
I turned to Sera, not quite believing what she was saying. "Sera, I-"
"Ichigo, this is an order," Sera ordered with the same firmness and determination from when she pushed me to obtain the full power of my hollow. "Don't worry about me. Find the half-vampire and free So-tan and everyone here!"
From the tone of her voice, I knew there was no talking her back from her decision. I sighed and scratched the back of my head.
"...Yeah. I'll bring this half-vampire kid back safe and sound."
"Vali, why don't you go out there and mess up the intruders?" Azazel suggested. "They ought to panic a little when they see the White Dragon Emperor."
"Sure thing." Vali said with a smile. A pair of blue wings suddenly appeared from behind him and his body vanished form inside the building into the outside.
The magicians immediately took notice of Vali's presence and began to focus some of their fire on him. He raced past them and flew up into the air.
"Balance Break!" He yelled.
Bright blue light covered his entire body until it quickly dispersed, revealing the white armor of the White Dragon Emperor.
"That easily!?" Issei gasped. "I had to sacrifice my left hand to do that for just ten seconds!"
"Sera, I'll be off." I said with a nod. She gave me a reassuring smile, Zangetsu already drawn and ready.
"Wait!" Azazel suddenly exclaimed. I saw that he threw something at me, and I quickly caught it. It looked like some kind of metal bracelet with a purple jewel on it.
"When you find it, put it on him. It'll keep his power under control." Azazel explained.
As much as I didn't like the leader of the Fallen Angels, I pocketed the bracelet and ran out. At our current situation, we had to use every advantage we could get.
Thanks to Vali attracting the attention of the invaders, there was no resistance from the enemy as I flew towards the building where the Occult Research Club was located. I flew over the roof of the old building and concentrated on where I felt the strongest surge of magic. Settling on a certain spot, I reached back with Zangetsu and swung down with a moderate enough strength. The roof of the old building ripped apart, revealing the entirety of the interior and allowd me more than enough room to fall through.
"W-who's there!?" a female voice demanded though the smoke.
"Ichigo..." Koneko said.
"Koneko. Gasper. You guys alright?" I asked.
As the smoke from my attack began to clear, I got a better understanding of the situation I was in. Koneko and the second girl who I assumed to be Gasper were pinned against the wall by some kind of seal. They were surrounded by ten or so magicians, and Koneko was hanging upside down for some reason, revealing her white underwear for the entire world to see.
"...Please don't look." Koneko softly requested.
"A devil!? But we disable their transport spells!" one woman exclaimed.
"It's only one. We can take him!" another said.
"Koneko! Gasper! Brace yourselves!" I grabbed the white cloth that was wrapped around Zangetsu's handle and began to spin it over my head. The winds generated from it as well as my growing power forced the enemy magicians to fall down and not able to move from my pressure.
"Wait, that hair and sword! He's-!" someone yelled.
After spinning Zangetsu for a bit, I stabbed the ground and unleashed the stored up energy within my blade. The ground beneath me erupted and the walls of the old building vanished along with every enemy magician as a bright blue light covered my surroundings. I made sure to aim my attack away from Koneko and Gasper so that they wouldn't be hurt by my attack.
As the light from Zangetsu faded and the dust settled, I was relieved to see that both Koneko and Gasper were okay, being feed from their seals.
"You guys alright?" I asked.
"Yes. But you destroyed the club room. Dummy." Koneko pouted.
"S-sorry about that."
I made my way over to Gasper, who was knocked out due to having so much of her magic being forcefully drained. I clasped the metal bracelet over her arm and the purple jewel glowed brightly. I immediately could feel the effects of the time-stop begin to reverse.
"Guess he wasn't bullshitting..." I mumbled to myself.
"Ichigo, is the President and the others alright?" Koneko asked.
An explosion going off in the distance drew both of our attention back towards the school. The bright flashes from the enemy's attack lit up the dark and murky sky and I could hear the yells from the fighting even from this distance.
"They should be okay now that they're not frozen in time. But we better hurry."
I carefully picked up Gasper with my left arm and knelt down so that Koneko could hop onto my back. Once I felt her body latch onto mine, I aimed Zangetsu up into the sky and flared up my spiritual pressure.
"Bankai!"
Once I was fully enveloped by my bankai's shihakuso, I used my bankai's speed to instantly flash towards Sera and the others. We arrived right in front of them, though the building where the peace negotiations were being held was now completely demolished. Sirzechs, Michael, and Azazel were standing in a circle creating a protective barrier around Sera and the other students who were now freed from Gasper's abilities.
"Ichigo!" Sera gasped out in joy.
"Koneko! Gasper!" Rias cried out as Koneko entered the barrier and I gently laid Gasper down inside the barrier. "Are you two okay?"
"Yes. Ichigo helped us. Ga-kun is taking a nap. That's all." Koneko replied.
I looked above at the sky to see Vali still wreaking havoc on the enemy magicians. "Sera, mind if I cut loose for a bit too?"
"I don't think I'll allow you to do that." an unknown voice declared behind me.
"Huh!?" I spun around to see a woman that I never saw before. She was a tall and bespectacled woman. Her brown hair was tied up into a bun and the purple dress she wore revealed a good part of her cleavage.
"Katarea!?" Sera gasped.
"You know her?" I asked.
"Katarea Leviathan. She was a leader of the old Satan Faction and a descendant of the original Leviathan." Sirzechs explained.
"Katarea, why would you do this!?" Sera demanded.
"My motive is none of your concern," Katarea cackled. "Today, I'll kill you and take back the title of-"
I flashed over and slammed an open palm onto Katarea's face, carrying her off with me as I took off into the sky. Once we were far away enough, I threw her like a baseball and sent her flying back.
"Y-you! How dare a filthy half-demon lay your hands on me!" Katarea growled.
"I don't give a damn who you are. If you want to get to Sera, then you'll have to get through me." I challenged.
Katarea spun her staff above her head, and several orange magic circles formed above her. They fired simultaneously, launching several shots of black energy at me. They may be fast, but to me, they might as well have been moving at a snail's pace.
I easily dodged the first few shots by simply flash-stepping around Katarea and flew up to lead the last few shots at me. With two quick swipes with Tensa Zangetsu, I deflected Katarea's attacks with little to no effort.
"I got some questions for you," I began. "First, who are you people and why did you attack during the peace negotiations?"
"I have no reason to answer you!" Katarea howled. She opened her palm and a magic circle formed, though this one was different. There was a clear infinity symbol in the center of the circle and black tendrils emerged in the clear form of snakes. They wrapped around her body and the magic I felt from her suddenly skyrocketed.
"What-"
A double-layered magic circle formed in front of Katarea and a large blast of dark energy rushed towards me. I simply held my free hand out and the magic dispersed over my body, completely negating it.
"...Fancy trick." I commented, studying the remaining energy around my hand before disappearing.
Katarea couldn't even express her surprise at me due to her left arm suddenly flying off her body. Tensa Zangetsu cleaved right through her flesh so easily that the pain didn't even register in her brain for the first few seconds.
"GYAAAAAAH!" Katarea screamed, clutching her stump as blood gushed out like a broken fountain.
"Last chance to answer my questions." I offered once more.
"D-damn you!" Katarea's free arm suddenly stretched and elongated like a rubber band, with it splitting off into smaller arms. They all latched onto my left arm and squeezed so hard that even I found it briefly difficult to move my arm.
"If it means killing that faker's beloved Queen, that I'll gladly give up my life to take yours!" Katarea howled.
"...Do you really think something like this would work on me?" I quietly asked.
I tossed Tensa Zangetsu into the air and caught it by slipping my index finger through one of the openings in the chain that extended from the bottom of the handle. Once I caught it, I began to spin my sword like a helicopter's blades, allowing it to build speed and momentum the more I spun it.
"I take it all back. The moment you threatened Sera, your death was sealed! Strong or not, I'll always protect her!"
I let Tensa Zangetsu go, and the black sword streaked across the air like a meteor. My foe couldn't even blink as my sword pierced right through her skull. With a painful wail, her body disintegrated along with the tentacles that held me in place.
As I watched her body go, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. While she may have some history with the Underworld, she was clearly not the leader of this attack party. the enemy magicians were still attacking even after I killed Katarea. They knew the precise moment to attack and take Gasper's powers to use against us. That means that the only person who could coordinate such a plan was someone who knew the meeting was taking place. If that's the case, then-
"Gah!" I gasped as a heavy impact collided with my back. The force was so strong that I fell all the way down and crushed the ground under my feet. The pain continued to echo and throb in my back as I looked up to see my attacker. My suspicions were confirmed as I locked eyes with the traitor above me.
"Hmph. Throwing away your weapon. Your overconfidence will be your downfall." Vali taunted from his white armor.
"Vali!" I growled.