The Fallen Series: Part I - Victory Falls

by Seth's Kiss

Canon Divergent: 'They made the biggest mistake of their lives. They forgot Aizen always had a back-up plan, with it usually being far worse than the first'. DARK Fic. Rated M (violence, horror, torture, non-con), also has MxM, MxF, FxF and many unstable pairings (for now). Warnings in each chapter for safety. Proceed with caution. BEING EDITED: Chapters may vanish till completion.

9. Part One: Chapter 6 P1

The Fallen Series (a Bleach Fanfiction) by Seth's Kiss:

A/N: Hello everyone! First off, I'd like to genuinely thank all of you who have followed this fic so far (not only this fic has 11 favourites, 26 follows and 22 reviews; there's also an average of 80 views constantly for each chapter posted)! I am so moved and so flattered! So a VERY BIG THANKS to you all (sorry I couldn't make it bigger)! So here is part of Chapter 6 (which I really, really wanted to call 'The Other War', but since I won't be going through with every single gory detail of warfare - as I maintain that I do not know how to write battle scenes - I ended up calling it 'Countdown to Chaos'). On a personal note, I wrote this chapter whilst listening to a lot of remix versions of the song 'Seven Nation Army' (officially belonging to The White Stripes): it was very inspiring. Also, this chapter is actually written down with a countdown for effect: hope you'll like it! Enjoy!

To Enjali: Hi, Enjali! I so sympathized with your reaction as I had a similar one when writing that part, believe me. So yep, the entire Kurosaki family: Aizen needs Ichigo as blackmail to use against Orihime, and Ichigo's family is to be used against the teen himself. Oh poor darling Ichigo what awaits you...but hush: no spoilers... Hope you'll enjoy this chapter! See you in the next one!

To kyoneko87: Hello and thank you for your review! I really appreciate the fact that you took from your time for this review so I'm warmly taking it into consideration. Besides, fret not, nearly everyone you've stated will be safe...uh, nope, wrong word: they won't die, that's it, because them being 'safe' would be a lie (I won't kill off protagonists when it's not a deathfic, especially not Grimmjow, Ichigo and Byakuya or anyone close to them); and just so you know, humiliation, torture and the like you've mentioned are on the future chapters' menu, yes (ready for it?). However, I can't exactly promise that all the Vizards or everyone in Grimmjow's herd to survive this; otherwise I'll have far too many characters on my hands for the fluid flow of the plot. Sorry... Also, don't worry too much about these two (Ginrei and Yamamoto): I don't like them either. Hope you like this chapter! See you soon!

To Guest 1: Thank you for your review! I'm so glad you liked it! Hope you'll like this one!

To Guest 2: Thank you for your review! Yes, Aizen is finally free! Sorry for the wait! I mean, what good would a fic of this type be with our dearest beloved villain behind bars? Tee-hee! I'm happy you liked the previous chapter and I hope you'll enjoy this one! Bye!

Rating for this chapter: In this chapter, we have: Language, Violence, Threats (lots of those), Molestation, Character Deaths... For those of you who don't know Retsu Unohana's secret (the one on her real name), I suggest you trod cautiously: I'll be playing with that, so it'll be a spoiler if you haven't read the 'Thousand Blood War Arc' (the last Bleach Manga Arc). Felt I should warn you as I, for one, really dislike spoilers (unless I'm the one looking for them)...

Part One: Victory Falls:

Chapter 6: Countdown to Chaos (Part 1):

Despite all the times she had participated in battle and despite all the times she had willingly surrendered herself to the enemy, Orihime never fought back this fiercely in her entire life.

As Ulquiorra bowed low and departed to carry out his master's demand, Loly rushed over to hastily restrain the orange-haired girl who let out a shrill scream of bloody murder and tried to run after the Cuatro to stop him in any way she could.

When the black-haired Fracción beat her to it and firmly wrapped her arms around the human girl, the latter desperately lashed out against the one holding her back, hitting her, pounding against her chest and clawing at what she could reach, utterly stunning the youngest of the two Kuchiki siblings to see the usually sweet and meek girl hysterically fighting for another's safety like a lioness would battle to save her cubs.

As Loly struggled to maintain her grip and Ulquiorra had halted in his steps to stare on in amazement at the frantic orange-haired girl, Aizen remained as unmoved as stone, regarding the human with condescension and amusement as he chuckled in a sinister way: "Oh my, is our princess throwing a tantrum? Don't tell me that you wish to cause dear Ichigo even more suffering?"

Upon hearing the teen's name, the human girl instantly stilled and shot the immortal a look that was a mixture of indescribable fear and burning anger, as she breathed heavily with exertion before she whispered in a quiet tone of voice that was half-begging half-beseeching: "Aizen-sama...Please, please, please, don't do this..."

The brown-haired immortal raised an eyebrow at her mockingly before he casually addressed the Cuatro Espada: "Ulquiorra? I do believe that you were going somewhere, no?"

"No! No, don't!" cried out Orihime in sheer despair when the black-haired bat-like male bowed yet again and this time definitely left, before she urgently pleaded with Aizen "Please, leave Kurosaki-kun out of this! He's not in your way anymore! Can no longer be in your way! You've been freed from Muken! And there's no one out there to stop you anymore! I am the one who just attempted to take you down! Take it out on ME!"

"Oh, but I will" promised the immortal darkly as he took slow gradual steps to where she was being held steadfastly by a faintly ragged out Loly.

The poor girl was in tears now: "You swore...You swore to leave my friends out of this."

Aizen's smirk widened as he tilted his head to the side: "Oh, but my princess, I gave you my word. And I have no intention whatsoever on turning back on it, believe me."

Frustrated confusion painted itself upon the young human girl's face: "But you just said...!"

"Well, let's be honest with ourselves, shall we?" spoke the immortal in a soft scathing tone as he cupped Orihime's tearstained cheeks "You see Kurosaki-kun as more than just a 'friend', don't you? So, tell me, what is it that I'm doing wrong exactly?"

Face going totally rigid, the orange-haired girl had no words to contradict the wicked immortal who merely chuckled triumphantly at her expression: "Now then, Orihime, should you wish to alleviate what you know will befall him, I suggest you no longer defy me, hm?"

"You're a ruthless, cold-hearted heathen of a devil" blurted out Rukia heatedly, glaring at the brown-haired man before wincing when Menoly tightened her hold on the petite shinigami's wrists in retribution to her words, whilst Byakuya still remained far too shocked by Aizen being fully liberated to pay attention to what was currently occurring around him.

Laughing out low at those words, Aizen turned to face her with a chilling expression as he uttered mysteriously: "If only you knew, little girl. If only you knew."

The immortal then shifted his gaze to the Noveno Espada whilst he gradually headed for the exit, his three underlings quick to follow, brutally dragging their prisoners along: "Avaricia, tell me of the situation."

"Everything is going according to plan, Aizen-sama" asserted the red-eyed female with a pleased grin "Koga-sama, Hinamori-sama and the other Espada have successfully engaged the Gotei and drawn their attention. The Seireitei's defences have been shut down and the 4th Division as well as the Kido Corps, by now, have been obliterated by the 3rd Horseman, drastically lowering any chances at recovery."

"Excellent" voiced Aizen in a pleased tone as his troupe ascended the stairwell that led to the high opening of Muken "What of the communications?"

"They have been damaged with a static interference but not yet cut. The Octavo should be headed for the 12th Division as we speak."

With a faint frown, the immortal paused slightly at that: "He should hurry things along then. True, the 12th Division no longer has either of the two Kurotsuchi but the 3rd Seat, Akon, is well aware of the procedures. He is going to contact Hitsugaya's team within Karakura sooner or later."

"Only, Aizen-sama, the Cuatro's going over there now" pointed out Avaricia carefully with raised eyebrows "I doubt he'd have any trouble overcoming anyone once in that town."

"Ulquiorra's discretion will not bring on any unwanted attention, so I'm not at all concerned by him being there" declared the lord of the Espada steadfastly "However, if Hitsugaya and the others are alerted of what is happening here, they'll rush over."

"And why would that bother you, Aizen-sama? If they come over, it will make things a lot easier, no? Instead of wasting your time going there to finish them, they'll be taken out here."

"Perhaps, but then, who will babysit the Arrancars there? Without any supervision...They'll be on the run again. And this time, they'll take upon themselves to take Kurosaki Ichigo, and those close to him, along with them."

"Ah...I understand your concern now, Aizen-sama" admitted the Noveno quietly before she grimaced slightly as the sunlight assaulted her vision for they had finally reached the top.

Sounds of battle echoed around them whilst various explosions, of reiatsu and others of attacks, made the ground shake every now and then.

Closing his eyes, Aizen inhaled deeply, enjoying the sentiment of freedom as well as the sensations of the uprising chaos brought him, before he spoke up steadily, eyeing the dark sky above them with a sinister smile: "Either way, whatever happens from here on out, it'll only be in our favour. Let us go up to the surface of the Tower of Desolation: I desire to have a full view of the events."

"Yes, Aizen-sama."

Little did they know, was that a pair of beady black eyes, widened in absolute horror, had seen them depart, before the owner, a tiny miniature-sized being, scurried off to look for help.

Fifteen

Yawning adorably, Nelliel blinked cutely, rhythmically swinging her feet as she sat perched upon the front wall of the Kurosaki Clinic. She glanced left, then right, and repeated the motion again for a few times, before she rose her large coffee eyes to the night starred-sky and sighed before pouting: Tia-chan wasn't here yet. It wasn't like her to be late or anything...

Suddenly, said female's presence in person drew the cyan-haired female's full attention, leading her to lock her gaze upon the tanned blonde shark-like Arrancar, who had just rounded the corner, heading her way and then waving at her when the youngest of two looked in Tia's direction.

Grinning giddily, the cyan-haired female jumped down and rushed over towards the other, diving in for a hug that the tanned female returned generously, chuckling softly at she did so.

Back in the days where she was an independent Hollow, Nelliel had grown a certain attachment to the lone shark-like lady and, though they had parted ways for a long time - Nelliel joining Grimmjow's herd and Tia leading her own, before the latter was recruited by Aizen not long after Nnoitra cast the former out - it hadn't faded. They had first met on accident, and yet, bonded quite quickly, Tia holding a loving fondness for Nelliel's childlike wonder and Nelliel developing a staunch admiration for Tia's remarkable splendour...

Pulling back, Nelliel beamed up happily at the tanned female who merely softened her gaze at her: "Did I make you wait long?"

"No, not long at all. Come on, Tia-chan" smiled the cyan-haired female as she held the other's hand and led her on inside "How are the others?"

"They are fine. Mostly wondering what is so interesting here for both you and Jeagerjaques to not yet return."

Giggling gleefully at that, the female centaur-like Arrancar shrugged: "Nel doesn't know about Grimmjow-sama but I really like it here, being near Itsugo."

After remaining silently in thought for awhile, Tia questioned: "What do you see in him?"

"Kindness. Selflessness. Warmth...If Nel goes on, she won't ever, ever stop."

"I see" commented the tanned female slowly before she pointed out "But I don't think I should be here."

"Why not?" Nelliel frowned whilst pouting childishly "Itsugo won't mind because he doesn't know Tia-chan or anything. Besides, Nel really, really missed Tia-chan, so I asked you to come over!"

Closing her eyes, Tia shook her head indulgently: "So that way...you have all those you love in the same place, yes?"

"Yes! Nel LOVES Tia-chan!" declared Nelliel loudly, leading the blonde's heart to melt instantly at the other's steadfast declaration, before the cyan-haired added as an afterthought "And Itsugo. And Grimmjow-sama. And everyone!"

Chuckling yet again, the tanned female Arrancar leaned in to whisper in the other's ear: "Nelliel."

Large babyish coffee eyes locked with deep green emerald ones: "Yes, Tia-chan?"

"Please never change. Stay the way you are forever."

"Okay!" radiated Nelliel happily, leading Tia to ruffle at those cyan locks lovingly before the cyan-haired female's eyes glinted playfully "Say, now that Tia-chan is here... Wanna play a game of hide-and-seek with Nel?"

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In the kitchen, Yuzu was humming blissfully to herself as she leisurely prepared a late dinner: the menu for tonight was spiced rice with curry and paprika, along with a mint yoghourt sauce and another of mashed and cooked cherry tomatoes drenched in soya sauce. She was also preparing roasted chicken wings coated in breadcrumbs with a tang of mustard - she had decided to cook an extra batch when she noticed that Grimmjow took a profound liking to chicken in general - and a varied vegetable salad, along with a homemade lemonade. The lovely aromas wafting from the young girl's cuisine was quite heavenly, needless to say.

As she moved around to the set the table in the adjoining dinner lounge whilst her meal was reaching its peak, she gauchely caught her feet in the carpet and struggled to stand her ground, letting out a startled gasp because if she did fall...she'd be crashing down with a set of plates.

Desperately trying to steady herself, Yuzu clutched the plates tightly against her chest as she began falling backwards, gravity pulling her head to the floor.

Brown eyes squeezing shut, she waited for the impact to come with dread, only it never came, instead she heard an alarmed deep voice rise up: "Whoa! Watch it, kid!"

Blinking, she looked around to the see that she was half-hovering above the ground, her heels still on the floor and her shoulders caught in Grimmjow's strong hands, saving her head mere inches from a nasty thud.

Raising her eyes to the Arrancar's own, she beamed at him gratefully: "Thank you!"

"Careful, kid" sighed the blue-haired feline, half in exasperation and half in relief, as he carefully helped her to her feet and took the plates from her. After placing them on the table, he focused back on her and poked at her forehead with gentle chastise: "Too much clumsiness can be terminal."

"I'll keep that in mind, Jaeger-san!" mentioned the little Kurosaki adorably as she did a little salute and pulled out her tongue, making him laugh quietly at her and gently pinch at her nose in retaliation for her cheekiness. Giggling, she then dashed off back towards the kitchen, calling out over her shoulder: "Thanks again!"

Shaking his head at the girl with a soft snort, Grimmjow turned around to leave when he stopped midway as he found the young girl's brother gawking at him with wonder, eyes and jaw wide ajar. Raising an eyebrow at him, the blue-haired feline snapped defensively: "What?!"

"Nothing! I...Uh...I mean, I've noticed this before with the snuggling cat thing and all...It's just...You're like, really good with children" stated Ichigo softly with a stunned expression, genuinely bewildered by the fact "Gentle even."

Grimmjow stared unblinkingly at the teen in front of him for a moment before he looked away and wrinkled his nose in disbelief: "You think?"

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't think it" said the other as he rolled his eyes before he slowly neared the blue-haired as to regard him with raised eyebrows, teasing suspicion glinting in his brown eyes "Were you...a babysitter in your previous life?"

"Ha ha..." snarled the Arrancar as he half-heartedly kicked the teen's leg in retribution whilst his lips twitched into a smile when Ichigo burst out laughing at the very thought of his joke "Very funny, kid."

"Nope: That's hilarious" corrected the orange-haired teen as he clutched at his sides before he shot the other a thoroughly mirthful look "Now I can't imagine you any differently."

Scoffing at the other whilst they exited the dinner lounge heading for the hall, the Arrancar raised an eyebrow at the teen in all seriousness: "Still...I remain dangerous. Don't forget that."

Exhaling evenly in what seemed to be a loud sigh, Ichigo then turned his full attention upon the blue-haired feline, pure and unwavering sincerity filling both his eyes and voice: "I'm not afraid of you, Grimmjow."

At those words coupled with the teen's expression, the feline Arrancar's face closed up completely as he snarled in a low tone: "That's where you fuckin' got it wrong. Remember, Kurosaki, I'm an Arrancar. Not too long ago I was your enemy and nearly killed you as such."

Not understanding the sudden change in the other's demeanour and deciding to ignore it, the orange-haired teen shrugged easily: "And then you were freed from the Hogyoku and later on you saved me from my coma. And now, we're...What are we anyway?"

"Don't try to fuckin' name whatever relationship we have...or rather don't have."

"Well, I consider you as a fri..."

"Don't" cut off the feline firmly, his blue eyes wide as he rigidly shook his head "Don't call me that. I'm not."

"Grimmjow..."

The Arrancar didn't let him finish, swiftly walking away, brow deeply furrowed as he came to a rather startling revelation: he was getting too involved with the kid...and that was not good. Sure, he gave his word to Orihime that he'll protect Ichigo and, sure, he promised the kid himself that he'll be his pillar to lean on if Aizen ever came around knocking. But damn it, if that immortal ever did come, he'd see right through the closeness that somehow, at some point, grew between the two of them...and will do anything to exploit it...or ruin it.

This wasn't the first time he attempted to make him remember that they were once enemies, in hopes of at least putting a certain distance between them, but Ichigo trusted him, way more than he should, and the Arrancar couldn't decide if it was naivety or idiocy on the teen's part.

Grimmjow wasn't at all reacting like this because he'd go out of his way to betray the teen - he would never go back on a promise - he was like this because Aizen Sosuke still existed.

After having been in the latter's lack of mercy in addition to having previously dwelled within the harsh atmosphere of the Hueco Mundo, the blue-haired feline had learned - the hard way - that getting attached led to being hurt in the end, hurt beyond repair, and, as a result, he didn't have that kind of bond with anyone, not even his herd: of course he cared for them, would fight for them and would mourn them if they died, the opposite also being the same, but if they were in a situation, say for example, where one of them was tortured...they wouldn't break to perpetrator's demands for the other's benefit. Not. One. Bit. No matter how bad it got. It had been a cold cruel rule that Grimmjow had imposed and the others had endorsed when they had expressed their willingness to follow him...

However...the feline Arrancar genuinely didn't believe that he could actually maintain that train of thought if anything were to happen to the teen or anyone close to him. More specifically, Grimmjow was positive that were Aizen to try to take out anything on him in person, Ichigo would not stand for it and would fight against it, probably even trade against it. And that's exactly what bothered him.

Damn them orange-haired humans and their selflessness. Were they all like this?

Shaking his head, the blue-haired male halted in his sprinted tracks, noticing only now that he was in the middle of the street, a good few blocks away from the clinic, raising his eyebrows in surprise: he hadn't realized that he had walked off that far.

Swiftly digging his hands in his jean pockets, the feline Arrancar exhaled heavily through his nose as he began to walk back to the Kurosaki's house, still lost in his thoughts.

By the time he got back and headed where he last left the teen, Grimmjow's eyebrow twitched in faint annoyance he heard the former Shinigami Substitute and Hallibel talking: the last thing the blue-haired needed was someone as blunt as her to gossip about him to the teen.

The fact was that, Tia had been in the middle of her game with Nelliel and as such was hiding from the latter as it was her turn, only she conveniently found herself near to where the two males were conversing, and so, curiosity taking the better of her, she stayed put to eavesdrop. So when Grimmjow came storming passed her and took off muttering under his breath, leaving the teen planted there without any explanation, the blonde tanned female took upon herself to patch up anything that might have been botched up. A favour, she considered, which she owed to the blue-haired male who was understandably incapable of telling the teen what was truly troubling him.

Exiting her hiding place - which proved to be a very spacious cupboard beneath the stairs - and taking a few steps forward, she addressed the teen: "He isn't good at expressing himself."

Jumping slightly for she had moved without a sound, Ichigo turned to face her with wide eyes before he grimaced sheepishly: "Neither am I apparently. I just scared him off. What about you, huh? What do you think?"

"About what exactly?" she inquired slowly with a tilt of her head, not fully following.

"About Grimmjow and I. Would you call us friends? Or does that seem wrong to you too?"

Tia wordlessly considered him for a moment, whilst she recalled what Nelliel had previously mentioned about this boy and could perfectly see that - the kindness and selflessness - it was all there, so she chose to respond simply and truthfully: "He is indebted to you. That's all there is."

"So...He won't see me as friend and yet will uphold his debt to be" concluded the orange-haired with a perplexed frown before the scowl deepened further "Doesn't that bother him?"

"What does?"

"Being indebted to me?"

"No, not really" she said with a brief shake of her head to emphasis her words "Think of it as part of...our Arrancar code. Not that we have actually one. Anyway, the point is: when we're indebted, for most Arrancars, it's usually for life."

Brown eyes tripling in size, Ichigo's jaw dropped: "FOR LIFE?! SERIOUSLY?!"

The tanned blonde raised both eyebrows at that: "Does it look like I'm joking?"

"Gosh! I...I don't what to say. This... This is just because I spared him?"

"Don't act like it's some half-ass thing, Kurosaki" snarled out Grimmjow all of a sudden, startling the teen by his abrupt arrival "You spared me...spared us, from Aizen."

"Oh. Oh, yeah...I guess." uttered the teen with lowered his eyes before he rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly "Sorry."

"Sorry?!" echoed the blue-haired incredulously whilst staring at the other as if he had lost his mind "Why the fuck are you apologizing?!"

"Well..." began the former Shinigami Substitute hesitantly, not wanting to admit to the other that he was in fact apologizing for trying to befriend him...because it sounded utterly ridiculous "I don't really know to be honest."

Staring at the teen for awhile silently, Grimmjow then rolled his eyes and snorted: "You humans are hopeless."

A small smile fell upon Ichigo's features whilst a hint of ill-concealed sadness flooded his voice: "Not throwing me in the 'shinigami' compartment anymore, are you?"

"You're no longer one so that'd be fuckin' unwarranted" stated the blue-haired feline simply, mindful not to spark the other's evident melancholy, before he admitted genuinely "Besides, you're more human than shinigami, kid."

"You think?" asked the former Shinigami Substitute, honestly surprised by the other's words.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't think it, Kurosaki" smirked the blue-haired male, returning the teen's own words from before right back at him, before Grimmjow abruptly went all rigid and shot an apprehensive look towards the door, Tia simultaneously shadowing his movements.

"What is it?" questioned the orange-haired teen with concern as he looked from one Arrancar to the other, taking in their anxious frowns and the sweat beginning to form upon their brows, both signs of growing apprehension.

"I don't know. Ill omen, I guess" whispered the male Arrancar before he let out a low growl and took a single precautious step back "I'm having a real fuckin' bad feeling here."

"Me also" admitted Tia gravely as she, on the other hand, slowly moved towards the door "I don't like this at all."

Carefully opening the house's entrance and cautiously peering out, the tanned blonde observed her surroundings in silence before lifting her emerald green eyes upwards. Letting out a loud gasp of shock, the shark-like female shouted, dread etched deep in her voice: "THE SKY!"

"What about it?" called out the teen tensely as he started walking towards to where she stood stock still, only to have a hand tightly enclose around his wrist and halt him in his steps "Grimmjow?"

"Stay here" ordered the blue-haired feline firmly, his eyes instantly narrowing when Ichigo was about to argue with him "Kurosaki... Stay. The. Fuck. Here."

Scowling at the Arrancar as he pulled his own hand away and nodded his reluctant agreement, the teen stayed put whilst Grimmjow rushed forward to stand beside Tia, before he too had his breath taken away in horror: "Holy fuckin' shit."

Above them, the night black sky was slowly ripping, breaking apart, whilst crimson red fissures gradually made their appearance, like ones would feature upon a cracked pane of glass. But that wasn't the most horrifying part.

The far more horrifying part, was that the sky was filled, completely filled, to the brim and hence shading the stars, with an immeasurable amount of various Hollows, all charging, with extreme slowness, for two different points: a group was heading to where the Arrancars were staying and the other, right for the Kurosaki Clinic.

"What the fuckin' heck is this?!" choked out the blue-haired male, his tone of voice utterly horrified "We didn't even sense them!"

"Not until a few seconds ago!" pointed out the blonde female just as distraught, before she looked back up at the gradually nearing Hollows "Why are there so many?"

"What's wrong?" asked the former Shinigami Substitute abruptly, now standing beside the two Arrancars and looking around, attempting to catch on what was distressing them so much.

Wide blue eyes taking in the orange-haired teen before they narrowed angrily, Grimmjow growled out harshly: "I told you to fuckin' stay in there!"

Glaring straight back at the blue-haired, Ichigo demanded determinedly: "What is going on?"

The feline male had to blink hard at that: "Are you fuckin' blind?! Look up!"

"I don't see anything, Grimmjow."

"You don't see anyth...?!" started the blue-haired Arrancar disbelievingly before realization came hitting him hard "Oh heck no."

"Jeagerjaques?" inquired Tia in a gentle whisper, both she and Ichigo staring at the other as he slowly went pale...for he had momentarily, and yet completely, forgotten that the teen had lost his powers.

Fourteen

Heavily opening his eyelids, Byakuya slowly blinked away the burdensome haziness that persisted in maintaining them closed while trying to understand why he felt so numb...and so much at unease. It was then that the very recent turn of events that had occurred came rushing back to him at the same time as his full awareness - although he couldn't recall when and how he blacked out - causing him to instantly try and rise to feet, which he would have accomplished had he not been bound.

Wide grey eyes glanced downwards to see the chains imbued with seki essence (1) tightly securing him to the pole he was pressed against, with his wrists forcefully bound together in turn behind his back, painfully wedged between his body and the wooden pole.

Attempting to wrench free, he realized two things: one, he had been healed, much to his surprise; two, the leather bracelet around his left hand was gone, but the one upon his neck still remained, causing him to clench his jaw at the unpleasant feeling its presence brought.

Glancing around with a gradual sweep of his eyes, the Kuchiki noble noticed that his younger sister, with her head hung low and her black hair curtaining her face, was exactly in the same predicament as he was, leading him to frown with concern: "Rukia? Rukia, are you alright?"

The petite shinigami instantly snapped her head up, gazing at her brother with relief flooding her features as she gladly whispered: "Nii-sama! Thank God! You're awake!"

He nodded at her gently: "I am. Tell me, what happened?"

Rukia's expression fell a little as she glanced to the side, causing her the Kuchiki's clan leader to follow her gaze before his eyes narrowed: on the far end on the roof they were upon, near the very edge, stood Aizen and his underlings, with their backs to them, looking down at the battles occurring below.

"The Espada and her Fracción were going to tie us up but you resisted" explained the petite Kuchiki, still whispering as she eyed their enemies warily "So they knocked you out."

"Ah" uttered Byakuya in understanding, though the events were still a blur to him, before looking around again and frowning when he didn't quite recognize the surroundings "And...Where are we exactly?"

"On top of the Tower of Desolation" murmured Rukia with a shiver as bad memories came back to her "I didn't know the roof was accessible."

"It's not normally" stated the Kuchiki noble with a shake of his head before he returned to glaring daggers at the immortal's back "But leave it to Aizen Sosuke to achieve the borderline of the impossible."

A soft shifting sound drew the two Kuchiki siblings' attention and it was only at that moment that Byakuya became aware of the orange-haired human girl, she too, chained up beside them though not in a similar way: her hands were cuffed together, resting upon her lap, whilst the chain connecting her shackles had been nailed to the wooden pole she was slumped against, the length allowing her movement, even if it was minimum. It led the Kuchiki clan's leader to deduce intuitively that the healing of her wounds was her doing.

With a haggard pale face, Orihime's voice was a broken whisper: "This is my fault. All of it."

Whilst the 6th Division's captain stared at the girl wordlessly with an unreadable expression, the 13th Division's lieutenant could only regard the girl with sheer sympathy: "Inoue..."

The girl batted her bleary grey eyes as she sniffed softly: "Aizen-sama's out, ready to ruin worlds, and I failed the only chance I thought I had to prevent...this."

"Inoue" began Rukia sincerely, trying to prevent the other from sinking further into her already deep depression "I truly believe that what you did was incredibly brave. You risked a lot, almost everything. You were admirable."

Orihime didn't seem to have heard her at all, for she merely went on: "Now, Shinigami are going to die...or worse. And Kurosaki-kun..." her voice choked up as she swallowed back an upcoming sob "When my brother came for me back then, we should just have let him kill me."

"Don't say that!" reprimanded the petite Kuchiki brusquely, aghast by the other girl's words.

"But it's true!" retorted the orange-haired desperately before she gestured around with a fleeting movement of both her head and eyes "Look around you! It's over! For everyone!"

"It's never over, Inoue" voiced Rukia resolutely with steadfast conviction.

Dim grey eyes then locked on to indigo blue before the former lowered as Orihime whispered: "Then you're a blissfully blind wishful-thinking idiot to think that...just like your brother."

A brief silence fell over the three captives, before Byakuya spoke up, though, unexpectedly, not to counter the human's words: "Inoue Orihime...I believe we had a conversation similar to this one a little while back, when you were blaming yourself as you are now. And I will tell you again what I told you then: you're not at fault. The only person to blame, is Aizen Sosuke."

As Rukia smiled graciously, the human girl's eyes went wide as she stared hard at the noble disbelievingly, whispering softly: "After all I've done...?" her face suddenly hardened whilst regarding the Kuchiki who would not meet her gaze "Wait, do you believe that? Do you?!"

No. No, he didn't. He blamed her as much as he blamed the immortal. He knew he was being irrational, that the girl had had her reasons and that he probably would have done the same if he had found himself in a similar situation. But he couldn't stop from feeling as if she was also at fault, somehow. He merely said those words to support his sister. And that was all...

When he didn't answer her and Orihime clearly understood that he hadn't meant a word he had said, she burst out heatedly: "Then don't lecture me! And don't tell me that you wouldn't do the same if your sister's safety was on the line!"

Finally looking in her direction just as she furiously turned her head away, the 6th Division's captain attempted to justify himself: "Inoue Ori..."

"Please, Nii-sama, just...Just let her be" pleaded the petite shinigami as she regarded the young girl wistfully before she turned to her brother "What of Renji? Where is he?"

It was Byakuya's turn to feel slightly disheartened as he shook his head, sighing deeply: "I honestly don't know. Last I saw him...well, Abarai wasn't exactly faring well. I do hope he's unharmed."

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Groaning as a vicious throbbing pounded somewhere over his head when he slowly came to, Renji's brown eyes gradually fluttered open and the first thought that came to him was: 'What the heck just happened?'

Trying to focus, the red-haired lieutenant attempted to gather himself and remember what led to him feeling like he had been trampled over by a stampede of enraged unrelenting bulls.

It's when he recalled his captain shouting out for him to run that everything came crashing back into him at the same time as the loud sounds of the raging war reached him...Oh hell no.

The Espada were in the Seireitei. And they had Rukia and Kuchiki-taichou prisoner. Shit.

The 6th Division's lieutenant scrambled to his feet before he grimaced in pain and leaned against the nearest wall, heaving slightly: "Ugh, damn it. I'm hurting all over."

Though he would resolutely refuse to admit it, Renji was in no condition to fight: the Noveno Espada had been relentless during their brief brawl, being at a terribly larger advantage than him. Not only was her reiatsu forcefully oppressive, but she had the faculty to foresee another's movements and her strength was tremendous: the redhead was certain that he had a couple of sporadically broken bones amidst the cuts and bruises.

"Renji!" called out suddenly a small squeak of a voice, before the 6th Division's lieutenant felt something wrap tightly around his leg.

Blinking before slowly looking down, Renji was baffled: "You? What are you doing here? No wait, more importantly, how did you get here?"

"Never mind that!" stated Kon urgently as he began tugging vigorously at the redhead's limb "And I'm here because Ichigo told me to come. Quickly, we have to help! Nee-san, her brother and the lovely Orihime are being kept prisoner!"

"What?!" uttered Renji agitatedly, going slightly pale, before he picked up the plushie to lock his own eyes dead on with its beady black ones "And do you know where they are?"

"In that Aizen guy's hands! Come on!"

Not believing his ears, the red-haired lieutenant paled even further: "Wait...Aizen got out?!"

"Yeah! Why do you look so shocked?"

"I can't...I can't sense his presence" frowned the red-haired lieutenant as he concentrated, only making out powerful stifling bursts of darkened energy of which none were familiar to him, before he rose a tattooed eyebrow at the little yellow lion "Are you sure?"

"I saw him!" asserted Kon animatedly, waving around his tiny paws dynamically "Him and his horde of beautifully cruel gorgeous lackeys are holding Nee-san and the others against their will, and they headed over to the Tower of Desolation!"

"Why there?" gulped Renji uneasily, as ghastly memories surfaced, all involving Rukia's execution, unwillingly recalling that he was the one who had escorted her there.

"I don't know! Ask him when you see him or something! Come on!" persisted the plushie as he pointed in a direction which the red-haired lieutenant was quick to follow, now utterly uncaring of his pain, determined motivation taking over and pushing him forwards.

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"So...how do we do this?" whispered Kon as quietly as he could, whilst he peered, along with Renji, from behind the wall they were hiding. The two had shunpo-ed all their way here and were now observing Aizen, his underlings and his captives from a safe distance, dissimulating their presence.

"Ugh...I don't know" groaned out the 6th Division's lieutenant in frustration, livid at the way both Kuchiki siblings were chained up, before he paused in his words when Orihime suddenly looked in his direction and locked eyes with him.

Both Renji and Kon remained silent as she regarded them with wide eyes which briefly darted over to Aizen. Upon seeing that he still had his back turned to her, the human girl shifted her gaze back to the red-haired and, biting her lip, she quickly gestured for him to keep his eyes on her.

When he didn't look away, the orange-haired girl discretely reached into her pocket and, pulling something out, she set it on the ground before hastily letting it roll in their direction.

As it reached them and Renji bent down to pick up a very small pouch, the lion plushie inquired curiously: "What is it?"

"I have no idea" admitted the red-haired quietly as he opened it and looked inside, before taking out one of its contents and observing between his fingers a very small sphere-like object "They look like Mode Souls. Only blue."

"They're sapphire, not blue. Are you colour-blind?"

"Shut it! Damn it! What do I do with this?" muttered the 6th Division's lieutenant under his breath as he stared back in Orihime's direction, raising an eyebrow at her to convey his uncertainty.

"Maybe you should..." started the lion plushie only to have the other instantly interrupt it.

"Shh! Wait!"

"I was trying to help!" snapped Kon tetchily, crossing his stubby mini arms and lifting his button nose in the air.

"Wait!" insisted Renji persistently, his eyes not once leaving the orange-haired girl "Inoue's signing."

"She's what?" questioned the plushie as it turned to look inquisitively at the human girl: effectively, despite her bound hands, Orihime had raised them and was moving them, making gestures, forming sentences.

"Let me concentrate. If I miss a word, I won't get the message (2)."

When the girl halted in her signing and lowered her hands back to her lap, Kon asked the lieutenant, who was now frowning deeply: "What did she say?"

It wasn't that Renji didn't understand the message, he simply couldn't make sense of the girl's silent words: "I think she said: 'Hide one here and take the rest. They'll take you wherever you wish to go. Just think of that place and you'll be there. Think of Grimmjow and you'll find him. Tell him to run. He'll understand. Go now and hurry.'"

"Grimmjow?" repeated the plushie as it tried to place the name "The Arrancar over at Ichigo's house?"

"Yeah" confirmed the lieutenant absentmindedly, his face deeply etched with puzzlement "But...why? I don't get it."

"Well, he will. So now, we go!"

"But...What about Rukia and Kuchiki-taichou?"

"You're in no condition to fight and you are outnumbered. Plus, Aizen's standing right there" stressed out Kon meaningfully, pointing in the immortal's direction with a tiny triangular claw "Let's just do as she says."

"I don't know."

"You don't trust her either, huh?"

Sighing and rubbing at his neck, Renji admitted awkwardly, glad neither Ichigo nor Rukia were present or close enough to hear: "I guess."

"She's a prisoner too, Renji" pointed out Kon consistently, though he understood the shinigami's mistrust: Ichigo had told him that due to being caged by Aizen in addition to her recent behaviour, many suspected Orihime to be a traitor. The orange-haired teen and his friends refused to believe that. But that didn't mean that they were right...or wrong.

Staring at the little lion in silence as he tried to think things through, Reni eventually relented: "You're right. I'm being an idiot. Let's do this."

"Hell yeah!" cheered the plushie as it jumped to ground and made a funny dance of triumph.

Shaking his head at the ridiculously ludicrous soft toy, the 6th Division's lieutenant then looked back in the girl's direction and nodded, signalling his consent, to which she responded with a small grateful smile before she lowered her watery eyes and signed once more:

'Tell Kurosaki-kun that I'm sorry, so sorry, that I failed to protect him...'

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Back in Karakura, Hollows were everywhere. And as the Shinigami had their hands full with their own personal invasion, it was up to those there within the town to defend its inhabitants, and that included the gifted humans, such as Chad and Uryuu...though it was hard for the two.

Shooting a stream of arrows at a group of the white-masked monsters headed for him and hitting them dead on, the black-haired Quincy panted out heavily, fatigue and disbelief simultaneously invading his senses: "I've never seen this many Hollows! Not even when I released that Hollow bait awhile ago! This...this is...This is beyond words!"

"Ishida!" called out the tall tanned teenager with a hint of frustration to his tone as he punched a Hollow, destroying it "Stop trying to analyse! Just fight!"

"I'm trying!" retorted the bespectacled teen before he gasped out as he found himself flying into a wall, receiving a brutal - yet thankfully nonfatal - blow from a monster that had crept up on him from behind and was now stretching its claws towards him.

"Ishida!" yelled Chad as he hurriedly powered his right arm and released a discharge of energy that pulverised a good number of Hollows, including the one that was aiming to turn Uryuu into a shish kebab.

Running over to the black-haired boy, the tanned teen helped the other to his feet and checked him over, leading the Quincy to breathily express his gratitude: "Thank you, Sado-san."

Nodding silently, the other then glanced sideways, his gaze heading in the direction where their orange-haired and now powerless friend lived: "I hope Ichigo's ok."

"Same here" admitted Uryuu tensely, sincerely wondering how the other was dealing with this situation given his predicament "We'll go check on him when things calm down a bit."

"Agreed" said Chad approvingly, before he and the Quincy readied themselves to fight again.

Thirteen

Just like in Karakura, the sky had fractured and Hollows gradually began seeping through the cracks, joining the already hectic raging battles. Many Shinigami fought valiantly, but they were quickly outnumbered, and demise was fast to fall upon many within the Seireitei's walls.

Looking around with dismay upon his already worn features, Jushiro was truly heart-stricken by what he saw: never in his life, during his entire existence, has he seen this much death...

A sudden sharp sound of laughter, similar to that of a child, reached his ears, leading him to search for the source. The white-haired captain - much to his chagrin - eventually found it in the form of a young boy perched up on the top of a nearby roof, staring intently at Jushiro with dark mirth dancing in his baby blue dead-like eyes, remnants of a Hollow-mask framing his entire left eyebrow.

With white skin harbouring a faint hint of grey and short pale pinkish hair, the boy was dressed in white, the uniform loosely resembling those of the Espada: loose trousers that draped carelessly upon his bare feet and a loose long-sleeved top that hid his hands and revealed his shoulders. Also, the young boy's zanpaktou, under the form of a small dagger, was attached to black belt around his hips.

Tilting his head as he regarded the 13th Division's captain with a smile, the boy spoke up, his voiced childish and yet chilling: "Hello there, Taichou-san. Why so glum?"

"Why hello there, little one" greeted back Jushiro kindly with a smile of his own "This battle is what saddens me. And what are you doing out here on this macabre theatre of war?"

"Oh, nothing much" shrugged the boy nonchalantly, still smiling, before he hopped down from the roof and stood before the captain, the boy's smile now turning lethal "I'm just out here to cross off anyone who stands in Aizen-sama's way."

The white-haired captain could not contain his surprise: "Someone as young as yourself?"

The boy merely giggled, waving a sleeve at the other: "Dear me, Taichou-san! Careful or you'll make me feel little!" then those baby blue eyes turned icy cold "Tell me, Taichou-san, are you against my master's wishes?"

"I'm afraid I am little one" admitted Jushiro wistfully, regarding the boy wistfully as he slowly drew his zanpaktou again and rearranged his stance.

"Such a shame" the boy sighed with what seemed to be unhappiness "You seem so kind."

"You bet your ass he is!" shouted out both Kiyone and Sentaro all of a sudden, from where they were hidden nearby, before they hastily bowed and apologized when they saw their captain staring wide-eyed at them "Our deepest apologies, Ukitake-taichou!"

Laughing at the two 3rd Seats' antics, the pink-haired boy then raised the Hollow-masked eyebrow at the captain: "Ukitake-san...is it?"

"Yes" confirmed the white-haired man before fully introducing himself "My name is Ukitake Jushiro, captain of the 13th Division."

"I am Youli, the Sexta Espada" declared the boy loftily as he bowed down low in a dramatic fashion, before maintain that position and merely lifting his head in order to sneer viciously at the other "So, Ukitake-san, are you ready...to die?"

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"It has begun" whispered Kisuke with a deep frown as he rubbed at his temples, trying to ease up the heavy headache caused all the havoc occurring outside of his prison's walls "And I fear Aizen might already be out by now."

Gin merely sighed loudly, not really seeing the point to comment on that. What would he say? If not 'I told you so', which wouldn't make anything any better or worse...

The main door was suddenly flung open with a loud clang, causing the two imprisoned captains to jump slightly, before a panting pale blonde lieutenant halted in front of their cells.

"Kira?" called out the silver-haired man, surprise in his tone, as he stared at Izuru who was trying to catch his breath, his hands on his knees where he stood.

After a few seconds, though still out of breath, the blonde lieutenant rapidly reached for the dead guard on the floor, searching him for the keys. Once he found them, he hastily fumbled to unbolt the cells, whilst explaining his actions to the stunned captains: "We have to get you out! It's a hellish mayhem out there and we're being completely massacred! And we need all the help we can get!"

"Even mine?" voiced Gin tentatively as he watched his lieutenant succeed in opening his cell before he moved over to unlock Kisuke's.

"The Horsemen have been established, all four of them. Besides, Matsumoto never believed that you were one of them" mentioned the blonde lieutenant before he muttered "I should have listened to her."

Though he inwardly felt a twinge of guilt at Rangiku's opinion concerning him, Gin laughed lightly at that: "I'm immensely flattered that her trust in me is infallible."

"And I can tell you mean it" smiled Izuru slightly before he began briefing the two captains "Look, here's a brief update on the situation. Aizen's out. The Espada are in. We..."

Izuru Kira never got to continue as he abruptly choked on his breath, a large hole blown right through his chest, leaving a smell of burning flesh in its wake...

"KIRA!" yelled Gin, utterly aghast, as he flew forward to catch his falling lieutenant and hold him tight against his chest, before kneeling upon the ground and hurriedly trying to use kido to save the blonde's life.

Looking around to find who was responsible, Izuru's dimming eyes fell upon a not-quite-so familiar face, and yet, he knew exactly who she was: "H...Hi...Hina...mori-kun..."

Though Kira's captain never looked away from his healing, his eyes went wide at the name as well as Kisuke's: Renji had often mentioned to the latter that he, along with Izuru Kira and Momo Hinamori, had been good close friends at the academy. And another thing came to the sandy blonde's mind as he recognized the name: hadn't she once been Aizen's lieutenant?

Locking eyes with the inexpressive girl, the 12th Division's captain stuttered out hesitantly: "How...How could you do this? Weren't you friends?"

Raising her chin high, the brown-haired girl dressed in black spoke conceitedly: "I, Aizen Hinamori, shall defend Aizen-sama's name and will slay all those who dare oppose it."

Eyes doubling in size, Kisuke startled at the way she presented herself: she...was related to Aizen? Wait. Wasn't Sosuke Aizen an only orphan and a child adopted by the Kuchiki Clan?

"Urahara-san?" whispered Gin quietly, drawing the sandy blonde's attention and leading him to cringe in commiseration upon seeing that the other had failed the healing of his lieutenant, the wound far too severe.

"Yes?"

"Leave" demanded the 3rd Division's captain adamantly, silver hair shading his eyes as he clenched his teeth hard, whilst his hands covered with the blood of his lieutenant shook with anger "I'll take it from here."

Closing his eyes in understanding, the sandy blonde captain didn't hesitate a second and simply departed in silence, not once glancing back. As soon as Kisuke left, Gin locked incensed murderous eyes with Hinamori's dark apathetic ones, whilst he growled out low: "I'm goin' to kill you, Hinamori Aizen."

"That should be my line. After all...Kira isn't here to stop me anymore" she smirked sinisterly, chillingly resembling her cousin "And you have entirely lost Aizen-sama's favour."

"Have I now?" stated the 3rd Division's captain indifferently as he stood, picking up Izuru's zanpaktou since his had been confiscated and was somewhere in the 6th Division's barracks above.

"Yes. Let us be quick about this" declared Hinamori, a crazed expression invading her features "I'm most keen to lay your lifeless cadaver at my master's feet."

"Silly insane girl" muttered the silver-haired man with a shake of his head, though it was out of irritation not pity "When will you understand that Aizen doesn't give a damn about you?"

"I understand that" she snorted with a roll of her eyes as if it was obvious, before she shrugged with extreme nonchalance "I just don't care about it. Never have, never will."

The two then charged at each other, both so fuelled by anger and resentment, that they both failed to perceive that Izuru Kira's death at Hinamori Aizen's hand had been witnessed by a fourth set of passing eyes...

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Rukia shivered as a sudden chilly breeze brushed passed the occupants upon the Tower's roof, before she cast a fleeting glance around her: Orihime was still heavily depressed, her head hung low and her older brother was in deep silent thought, his elegant eyebrows knitted in concentration. He was probably either conjuring a way to escape or simply profoundly perturbed by all that was transpiring. The petite Kuchiki then chanced a tentative glimpse over to where their captors stood near the very edge of the roof, looking out with unrestrained glee at the battles blistering below...all except one.

Rukia stilled her breath for a moment when she caught sight of the way the immortal was looking at her brother, out of the corner of his eye. It reminded her of the way he had looked at him, back then, when the Kuchiki clan's leader had protected her from Ichimaru Gin's blade. Apathetic dark brown eyes imbued with disdain, resentment and something else she simply couldn't put her finger on...And just like at that time, she did not like one bit of the way he was regarding Byakuya.

All of a sudden, Aizen was standing tall beside them, staring down at the young noble with a terrible glint in his eyes and a deadly smirk upon his lips. With dreadfully accurate precision, the brown-haired immortal rid the 6th Division's captain of the chains that bound him after a single swipe of his own zanpaktou, the blade barely a hair's width from Byakuya's skin.

The moment the bindings left his person, the Kuchiki clan's leader was quick to get to his feet but, due to the draining attributes if his collar, wasn't quick enough to evade the immortal who swiftly grabbed hold of the noble's silky black locks in a vice grip, earning a soft hiss from the latter.

"Nii-sama!" called out Rukia loudly, aghast at the way her brother was being treated but before she could utter another word Avaricia knocked her out cold, with a swift hit to the back of the petite Kuchiki's neck, causing Byakuya to glare daggers at her, only he too didn't have time to voice anything.

Using his leverage on the other to bring him to his knees before him, the immortal let his reiatsu violently lash out upon Byakuya, causing the latter's breath to clog in his throat whilst the very little strength he had left to fight found itself sapped straight out of him and he slowly went limp, the hold on his hair being the only thing keeping him from falling to the ground face first.

Upon seeing the other's resistance gradually wane out, Aizen bent down to forcefully haul the noble to his unsteady feet before dragging him along with him to the side of the Tower. Once they reached the edge, the brown-haired promptly pushed the noble against it, in a way Byakuya was now bending over it, before Aizen pressed himself close to the young captain - far too close for the noble's comfort and he could only shudder in aversion at the feeling of the other upon him - leaving the latter no room for escape.

Using his free hand, the brown-haired child of chaos tucked a few stray strands away from his captive's ear before leaning down to whisper right into it with a commanding tone: "Look."

Breathing heavily with his hands firmly clutching the edge he was leaned upon lest Aizen had other ideas for him, the young noble still resisted the other, clenching his eyes shut and shaking his head defiantly, though with difficulty given that the immortal still had a hold on his hair. Utterly undeterred, Aizen tugged firmly on those black ebony locks in order to force the Kuchiki's head upwards whilst sliding his free hand underneath the noble's chin as to compel the other to keep his head up and still: "Byakuya. I said: Look. Look what has befallen the Seireitei you love so deeply."

Something in the other's lethal voice decidedly pushed the Kuchiki to heed the other and as such opened his eyes...to the horrors unfolding down below within the midst of the Seireitei.

To say that it was chaos would be an understatement: it was an apocalypse. There was death in every corner, with blood staining the once clean white roads weaved throughout their world. Strident screams of agony, fear, dismay and despair echoed deafeningly amongst the loud cries of battle and thunderous explosions of reiatsu colliding. Smoke and fire suffocated the cool dark air of the night and, despite the distance, the aghast noble could smell the deadened scent of ashes intermingled with fresh and rotting blood alike. As he took it all in, he felt his horror rise tenfold whilst an icy feeling crawled around inside him like an infection.

"Are you seeing this, my dear Byakuya?" inquired the immortal darkly, his lips still against the young Kuchiki's ear, so close that the latter could feel the morbidly amused smirk of the other's mouth "And this...is only the beginning..."

Twelve

The 12th Division's scientific department was in ruins. Everything had been destroyed. And not an ounce of the equipment could ever be salvaged again. All has been reduced to nothing.

Standing in the middle of the dead, Szayel Apporo Grantz admired his handiwork with a hint of pride and limitless glee: how he wished the captain responsible of this Division was here to view the destruction he had created. Oh. But then that would mean that he had to be alive for that. Nah then...everything was fine just the way it was...

A sudden muffled gasp and a slight sound of scuffling to the side drew his rapt attention as he leisurely turned his apathetic golden eyes in that direction, locking them dead on with the wide terrified teary grey-blue orbs of the sole survivor of the department, curled up into a trembling ball under a partially destroyed desk.

The Octavo's eyebrow arched slightly whilst his lips slowly curved upwards: "Oh? Looks like there's still a rat in the laboratory" before his eyes flit over to his latest creation "Neveromina, deal with it."

Gulping hard as the woman who was once her lieutenant fixed her focus upon her, Rin desperately backed away, stammering out pleadingly with every step the other took towards her: "K...Kuro...Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou...Please. D...Don't..."

Her begging however fell on deaf ears as Neveromina reached the petrified girl and raised her arm, which had morphed into a ghastly axe-like shape, before sharply swinging it down.

Letting out an undignified squeak of absolute terror and clenching her eyes shut, the little brown-haired researcher braced herself...but the blow never came. Instead, she found herself suddenly moving through air at an alarming speed.

Tentatively opening her eyes, Rin found herself securely within the arms of the 6th Division's lieutenant, the 4th Division's 7th Seat and a small yellow...thing both at their side, as they all ran as fast and as far away as they could from the 12th Division and the whole battlefield all together.

Stunned, the brown-haired researcher blinked: "Abarai-fukutaichou? Yamada-san?! Wha...?"

"I'll explain later, kid" promised Renji quickly, his eyes darting around watchfully whilst Hanatarou breathlessly trailed along, his features haggard and disheartened just like hers.

"We have to go! Now!" yelled the yellow thing animatedly, jumping up and down as it ran.

Dead amber eyes follow them in their departure and, just as she is about to fall into pursuit, the Espada's voice stops her: "Let them run, Neveromina. They can't leave the Seireitei. Not with a destroyed Senkaimon."

After a moment, whilst the Octavo continued to look over the debris smugly, the Fracción spoke up, her voice as void as her expression: "Their presence has disappeared, master."

Golden eyes went wide: "What?! How?! Take me to where you last sensed them!"

Nodding once, she took off with a sonido, the pink-haired Espada trailing closely behind, until they reach a clearing in the midst of recent ruins and Neveromina pointed at it: "Here."

Bewildered by the fact that he too no longer sensed them, Szayel looked around with scrutiny before a brief shining light, hidden in the grass, caught his eye. Bending down and picking it up, he set his eyes upon a single extremely familiar sapphire gem. He easily recognized it: after all, he was the one who brought such an item to existence. He also knew that someone had taken them from him awhile back, and now...his suspicions were confirmed.

Laughing sinisterly, the mad Espada scientist brought it to his lips as he raised an eyebrow: "Oh dear clever, clever brother...Stealing my stuff for that Grimmjow of all people..."

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In front of the Kurosaki Clinic, the three Arrancars present there, were vigorously clashing against the plague of Hollows, not letting a single one of them get too close to where the defenceless teen and his sisters were, the latter two watching with sheer shock at what was unfolding whilst Ichigo just stood there, feeling helpless, as he stared on in what was utter nothingness to him: he couldn't see the Hollows, nor the battling Arrancars, nor his father..

Isshin Kurosaki had donned his shinigami attire and had aided the others at first, but when he had seen that this was endless, he took off to try and find a way to close up the openings in the sky.

"Ichigo!" called out a familiar voice suddenly, leading the orange-haired teen to look over to a quickly approaching little yellow lion.

"Kon?" voiced Ichigo, surprised by the other's sudden appearance "Is everything alright?!"

"No. No, nothing is alright right now" muttered the plushie gravely with a shake of his head.

Unbeknownst to the former Shinigami Substitute, Renji was also there, trying to draw the blue-haired feline's attention: "Hey! I have a message for you, Grimmjow! From Inoue!"

Upon hearing the girl's name, the male Arrancar sonido-ed over to where the red-haired was and heard him out. As the 6th Division's lieutenant relayed the human girl's words whilst Grimmjow regained his gigai as to not leave Ichigo out of the discussion, the feline frowned apprehensively upon hearing the message: "Why didn't she come tell me this herself?"

"She can't" uttered Renji with difficulty, eyes lowered, whilst Kon served as a translator for the orange-haired teen who could not see nor hear his invisible friend.

"Why the fuck not?" demanded the blue-haired Arrancar urgently, not at all liking the way she had formulated her words: something had gone wrong. Terribly wrong.

"She...She's being detained by Aizen."

"What?!" exclaimed both Grimmjow and Ichigo with doubled eyes upon hearing that, horrified by Orihime's predicament, alarmed...because Aizen had gotten out.

"Detained? Why?" uttered the feline Arrancar, his voice laced with bewilderment and his expression infused with indecipherable turmoil "That can't be possible. What did she do?!"

"What do you mean?" asked Renji with a frown whilst the orange-haired teen wordlessly stared at the blue-haired, both of them sensing that they were missing something.

Grimmjow didn't answer and began pacing instead, rambling his racing thoughts out loud: "If this happened, she must have defied him. Done something she shouldn't have. What the fuck was she thinking?" he paused and glanced over to the red-haired "Is...Is she hurt?"

"No. Not that I saw" replied the 6th Division's lieutenant slowly, genuinely confused by the Arrancar's apparent concern for Orihime.

"Damn it! It really doesn't make any fuckin' sense since she's one of the Horsemen and..."

"Wait. You...knew?" inquired Ichigo tentatively, wide eyes fixated on Grimmjow whilst his face somewhere between shocked, horrified and faintly betrayed "That she...actually was one of the Horsemen?"

"Of course I did. It was one of the conditions she accepted to protect you, kid" said the male Arrancar, confessing the last part in a tight whisper.

"But..." wavered the former Shinigami Substitute, brows furrowed as he tried grasp the fact that everyone had been right about Orihime's stance whilst he and his friends had been staunchly defending her "Why didn't she say anything?"

"Another condition" answered the other before he closed his blue eyes sighed deeply "Look, kid. It's not my place to say anything about the way that girl feels about...feels about her friends. But know this: she is definitely as much dedicated and determined as you are when it comes to protecting those you care for, no matter the cost..."

"About that, Ichigo..." began Renji quickly, eyes wide as the Arrancar's words dawned on him and somewhat reminded him of Rukia's "She wanted me to tell you this..."

As Kon relayed Orihime's message brought from Renji and Ichigo slowly took everything in, Grimmjow stated unwaveringly: "I'm going there. See if I can give a helping hand. Stay close to Nel and Hallibel, Kurosaki."

Brown eyes now void of uncertainty, flitted over the male Arrancar's: "Take me with you."

Renji and Grimmjow both regarded the teen's determined expression in stunned silence, before the blue-haired feline spoke through clenched teeth: "Wait, what? Kid, you lost your fuckin' powers. And now you're losing you fuckin' mind?! You can't even see Shinigami and Hollows here, what makes you think you'll see anything there? There's nothing you can do. Not only that, but I promised her that I'd protect you with everything I've got and keep you away from Aizen. By going there, it'll be as if I'm serving you to that bastard straight on a fuckin' silver plate!"

As the Arrancar finished his rant off with anger, Ichigo countered it just as furiously: "I can't leave her behind! Especially not after what you guys just told me! She's my friend! I'd do this for anyone who is!"

"Kurosaki...You will not spoil all of what that girl risked for you" grounded out Grimmjow as he took a step towards the teen and narrowed his piercing blue eyes "Don't you fuckin' dare."

Scowling, the orange-haired teenager raised his chin defiantly: "She'd do the same for me!"

"That's the fuckin point, you bloody idiot! She already did!" bellowed the blue-haired feline.

Expression softening a little at the other's obvious distress for both Orihime and his own safety, Ichigo uttered gently, almost miserably: "Grimmjow...I failed to protect Inoue once. I won't let that happen again" he then spoke up with even more resolve than before "Take. Me. With. You."

The blue-haired feline exhaled deeply through his nostrils as he firmly regarded the other: "Not gonna let this go, are you?"

"No. Besides, if you are indebted to me, you'll do as I say."

Blue eyes narrowing, Grimmjow let out a low intimidating growl: "That's fuckin' low, kid."

"You're the one not giving me a choice" shrugged the orange-haired teen stubbornly before he crossed his arms.

"No, I fuckin' did. You are picking the wrong one."

"Um...Can I...say something?"

"What!" snapped the feline Arrancar irately as he glared at the 6th Division's lieutenant who had just bravely spoke up and by doing so, broke the intensely tense head-to-head between Ichigo and Grimmjow.

With Kon still as his translator, Renji addressed the orange-haired teen: "Ichigo, I'm on the Arrancar's side for this one. Without your powers, it's suicide."

Whilst the former Shinigami Substitute's scowl deepened, the blue-haired Arrancar raised an eyebrow at the teenager: "See? Listen to him at least."

"Shit!" muttered the teen beneath his breath, knowing that they were right but still refusing to accept it, before a sudden idea abruptly came to him "Wait...I just need to become a shinigami again, right? Renji, take your zanpaktou and stab me."

That was honestly the last thing anyone expected to her today, notably Grimmjow: "What?!"

"Just do it!" the orange-haired teen insisted unflinchingly, staring off into the general direction he had seen the Arrancar converse with redhead.

"Hell no, Ichigo!" cried the lieutenant vehemently, with the plushie still actively translating "I'll kill you!"

"That's the point!" shouted Ichigo frantically before he breathed out heavily "Look, I spoke to Unohana-taichou and Urahara-san back when I was in the Seireitei. I haven't exactly lost my abilities: they're just blocked...by something. So, if I'm on the verge of death, maybe my shinigami powers will break free to prevent that...I guess."

"Maybe?" echoed Grimmjow incredulously, blue eyes massive and disbelieving "Maybe?! You want to fuckin' work with a 'maybe' and 'I guess'?!"

"Do you have another idea?!" snapped the orange-haired teen furiously as he scowled towards the feline Arrancar yet again.

"Yeah! One that doesn't involve flirting with death, kid: STAY HERE!"

"I am NOT staying!"

"Wait" interrupted Renji in all seriousness, now that he had the time to consider Ichigo's words "Let's admit for a second that this scenario may work...what happens if it doesn't?"

"I'll heal him" spoke up Nelliel, suddenly standing beside the three males and the little soft toy "Itsugo wants to save his friend. We should be helping him."

"Nel" groaned out Grimmjow in exasperation, really not needing yet another person to support the orange-haired teen's suicidal ideas "He won't win against Aizen. Not this time."

"You don't know that, Grimmjow" voiced Ichigo in a whisper, though he also wasn't too positive that he would have a chance against the immortal. But that didn't matter to him right now. He had something far more important to deal with and it wasn't the unknown or any uncertainty that was going to stop him. The teen had faced far worse totally unprepared and unawares before. So how hard could this be?

"Fuckin' hell, kid..." hissed the male Arrancar in irritation before he called out to the tanned blonde "Hallibel! Give us some cover!" blue eyes darting back over to the teenager, Grimmjow snarled half-heartedly "You'd better fuckin' speak up if your friend starts blaming me. And don't you dare come crying to me if things ever go shitty."

"I can do that" smiled Ichigo with a nod, gratitude flooding his features, before he called out to the 6th Division's lieutenant "Ok, Renji: Let's do this."

Sighing nervously as he slowly drew his zanpaktou, Renji cautiously warned the other - through Kon of course: "Brace yourself, Ichigo."

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From the corner of her eye, Orihime wordlessly regarded Aizen whisper morbid threats right down the Kuchiki noble's ear, shivering slightly at the mere thought of they could be. She would be honest with herself and admit that she was sympathetic for the fate awaiting Rukia's brother...but she was also horribly glad that it wasn't Ichigo in the other's hands at the moment. Speaking of the orange-haired boy, she truly wondered how she was since the last time she saw him...The human girl's thoughts were instantly cut short as her eyes doubled in size and a shrill scream of utter agony escaped her lips.

Everyone on the roof promptly to turned to her upon hearing it, only to witness her convulsing upon the ground, screaming incessantly in pain and clawing at her chest as if trying to get something out.

"Orihime-sama?!" called out the Noveno Espada worriedly as she rushed to the girl's side before hesitating to touch the agonizing human lest she'd make things worse for her.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Menoly hesitantly as she stared on wide-eyed at the unfolding events.

Still quivering, Orihime heaved hysterically, her eyes blown and bloodshot, her voice wheezy and horror-struck: "No... K...Kuro...Kurosaki-kun..."

"Your prince charming?" voiced Loly edgily, her eyebrow quirked with slight interest, though the orange-haired girl's next single word caused everyone present to freeze in astonishment.

"D...D...Dying...."

"What?!" uttered Byakuya abruptly in incredulity before he swiftly addressed Aizen, who had gone rigid "Is she saying that he's actually dying, Aizen Sosuke?"

"No, he won't. Not with Orihime's powers protecting his life" explained the immortal evenly, though his stiff stance didn't fade "She, however, might."

The bewildered Kuchiki suddenly found himself firmly held in the same position by Avaricia instead - one of her hands forcing his head against the edge and the other solidly placed between his shoulder blades - as Aizen quickly walked over to the human girl's side and knelt beside her, before talking to her in an eerily calm voice: "Orihime. Orihime, listen to me. Drop the barrier. If you carry on trying to maintain it, the force of Ichigo's death will backfire and it is going to kill you instead."

Though her wide glazed eyes were unfocused, she glared off at nowhere in particular as struggled to speak: "If...If it means...keeping Kurosaki-kun...away from you...I'm...I'm ready to die."

"Oh? Now, now, my dear" chuckled the immortal darkly, dreadfully amused by the extreme lengths this girl would actually go through for that boy's sake "If you do die, that would mean that Ichigo will undeniably retrieve his powers. If that happens, who is going to chide me for every torture I inflict upon that boy, hm?"

"D...Don't..."

"Then let go. It's too early for you die yet, princess. I still have use for your abilities."

A lone tear trailed upon her cheek as she reluctantly obeyed Aizen's words, putting an end to her suffering but not to her inner torment, for she knew that there was no way out now for Ichigo, none at all now that he was back within the immortal's interest: "Kurosaki-kun...I'm so sorry..."

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As they were not gifted with the ability to shunpo like the rest of the Shinigami, it took quite awhile for both Rin and Hanatarou to reach Toshiro, the others and the Arrancars in their keep. Upon getting there, the two, out of breath, found everyone fighting off Hollows just like everyone else, only they had a certain advantage by being a good group using ferocious force.

Striking down yet another of the beasts, the 10th Division's lieutenant and her captain took notice of the two new shinigami arrivals, so they shunpo-ed over to see what was wrong...only neither could say a coherent word, being out of breath and utterly traumatized by the events.

"Yamada-san, breathe" soothed Rangiku calmly as she placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder "We can't understand a word you're saying."

Listening the strawberry blonde's advice, Hanatarou took a few quick gulps of air in before he shouted aloud: "We're under attack!"

The two members of the 10th Division had their eyes go wide: "By whom? The Espada?"

"Yes! No...I don't know!"

"What do you mean you don't know?!" exclaimed Ikkaku dubiously as he and Yumichika dropped down and joined the seemingly significant conversation.

"It's a mess back there! Havoc... The 4th and 12th Divisions no longer exist!"

Horrified shock now dyed the features of the four attentively listening shinigami: "WHAT?!"

"Soifon-taichou massacred nearly the entire 4th Division! Kotetsu-fukutaichou is dead! So is Iemura-san! I think only Unohana-taichou and I are still alive!"

"And I'm the only left from the 12th Division" notified Rin dimly in but a whisper, having been previously mute until now.

"Soifon-taichou?!" repeated the 11th Division's 5th Seat with an aghast expression as he raised a hand to cover his mouth "I didn't see that coming."

"But why her?" questioned the 10th Division's lieutenant in downright perplexity: as far as she knew, the 2nd Division's captain was entirely devoted to the Seireitei.

"No clue" stated Toshiro with an appalled tone to his voice as he frowned profoundly "Maybe it has something to do with Aizen's Horsemen. But more importantly, our medical and scientific divisions have been almost entirely wiped out?! They don't want us to have any healing advantages apparently. Nor have any updates."

"Who else?" inquired Ikkaku before his brow furrowed when the 7th Seat fidgeted nervously "Yamada?"

Eyes briefly flitting over to the young white-haired captain before quickly darting away again, Hanatarou spoke so quietly that his words almost went unheard: "Hi...Hinamori-fukutaichou... She's on Aizen's side."

"Hinamori-san?!" blurted out Rangiku in shock, whilst the others were stunned silent by the unexpected info "No way that's possible! Something's wrong here. You must be mistaken."

"No! I'm not!"

"You have to be!"

"I saw her kill Kira-fukutaichou!"

As the heated exchange stilled at that very sentence, Yumichika casted a careful glance over in the direction of the utterly silent 10th Division's captain and, knowing of the relationship the latter had with Hinamori, the 5th Seat whispered cautiously: "Please, say something, Hitsugaya-taichou. I am very concerned by your silence."

White messy hair shading his eyes, the young captain declared loudly, in a low voice severely void of any emotion with the exception of an absolute anger: "Let us go there immediately."

"And the Arrancars?" pointed out Ikkaku uncertainly as he and the others turned to look in their direction, seeing them fully engaged with the Hollows, along with Rikichi and Misaki.

"We have our hands full!" shouted out Luppi suddenly, who was the nearest to them and hence overheard everything that had been said "Go! Before it gets worse over there...Go!"

Nodding his thanks to the Arrancar, Toshiro then turned his attention to the two survivors: "You don't have to come. In fact, it's best if you stay here. Can we use the Senkaimon?"

"It's been destroyed" informed Rin ruefully with a shake of head before she opened her palm, revealing sapphire gems in them "But you can use these."

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After a blinding light and clouds of smoke, Renji, Kon, Nel, Tia, and Grimmjow apprehensively looked around before they eyes fell upon a sight that made their hearts skip a beat, half in sheer shock, half with utter elation: Right there, in the middle of all those vapours, stood Kurosaki Ichigo...in a complete full black Shinigami uniform.

The little lion's jaw plummeted to the floor: "Wha...?"

"Ichigo?" stammered Renji, eyes blown wide "Your powers...?"

"I don't believe this. I actually got them back..." uttered Ichigo in total incredulity before he triumphantly pumped his fist in the air whilst Renji and Nel hugged each other, laughing and cheering at their success "Hell yes, I'm so back in business now!"

"Well, shit" whispered the feline Arrancar incredulously, wide blue disbelieving eyes taking in the orange-haired from head to toe before going back up again and setting his gaze upon teen's jubilantly grinning expression.

"Hah! Now you have nothing to say, right?"

"Actually, I do" stated Grimmjow simply, his face blank as he neared the other until their faces were inches apart before the blue-haired's lips cracked a wide thrilled smirk "Good to have you back...shinigami."

Shivers unwittingly ran throughout the teen's body at the way the feline Arrancar practically purred the word, before Ichigo requested resolutely: "Take me to the Seireitei, Grimmjow."

Eleven

Yachiru was completely out of breath.

She was used to running, quite good at it too, but right at this very moment, it felt to her like she had gone and ran a marathon non-stop three times over the entire Seireitei...so yeah, she had the total right to be absolutely dog-tired.

The little pink-haired shinigami let out a small short cry as she tripped over something and fell face first to the floor. Panting hard as she tried to regain her breathing, she glanced over to see what made her fall. It was a mangled corpse of a shinigami.

Shrugging, she got back up, dusted herself off, and then carried on running. It wasn't another dead body that was going to crush her, not with all those she's seen in her juvenile existence.

Nope. Not worried at all. At least...that wasn't what was currently worrying her.

Shunpo-ing over to travel upon higher ground on the rooftops, Yachiru continued to run, as fast as she could, searching for Ken-chan.

They were together at the start of this mess, but then Ken-chan got engaged in a battle with one of the Espada - some guy called Marco Pedro-something...or was it Larco - who dragged their fight elsewhere...but Yachiru still had no idea where.

It's been awhile she stopped sensing his presence and she refused to consider the alternative: Ken-chan had to be alright. She wouldn't be able to bear it if he wasn't.

The 11th Division's little lieutenant suddenly skidded to an abrupt halt and her startled eyes widened slightly as she took in the sight before her with astonishment and bafflement.

Right below her, amidst the many deceased, a single shinigami stood, with her back facing the little girl, a lady shinigami with long flowing ebony locks of hair, brandishing a zanpaktou and wearing...a captain's haori?

Yachiru blinked slowly: she effortlessly recognized the number figuring on the haori but she did not recognize the woman...or rather, she couldn't recognize her.

In all logic, she should but the woman's reiatsu was way different from the one she was familiar with: it was no longer warm but cold. It was no longer gentle but ruthless. It was no longer compassionate...but bloodthirsty. The little pink-haired girl took an unconscious step back: this shinigami lady was dangerous, deadly.

Given who raised her, Yachiru had a certain unhealthy affinity with danger and, just like her father-figure, she didn't shy away from it but rather faced it head on, never being afraid... But, right now, this lady...scared the hell out of her.

The lieutenant couldn't see the woman's face but she could hear her voice, and even that was unrecognizable: despite its lethal calmness, it held cruel and violent chilling undertones.

The woman spoke, addressing the Espada before her: "So...It was you. You're the filthy bastard that slaughtered my entire Division."

"I don't know what you're talking about, woman" replied the Septimo Espada indifferently.

"Oh? You don't? Are you sure?" the shinigami mocked darkly, tilting her head further with each question.

"No."

The shinigami lady cackled out ominously, though without an ounce of mirth, a laugh that sent shivers down little Yachiru's spine: "Alright then...Let's play it your way" the voice now turned deadlier than before "What happened to the 4th Division?"

Closing his eyes, Zommari LeRoux shrugged uncaringly: "That was the third horseman's work. Not mine. Should you have any complaints, address her."

"Soifon?" laughed out the shinigami, this time in amusement "See, therein lies the problem. One, she isn't the type to go rogue, no matter the reason: her clan is far too dedicated and subservient to the Seireitei to allow that. Two, according to what I have been told, she was being controlled by a certain symbol on her body. And three, the one who told me that, said it was the same symbol he had seen upon Kuchiki Rukia back in the Hueco Mundo...a symbol you had placed upon her."

Yellow eyes snapped back open to regard the dark-haired lady before him: "I see that I might have overlooked your personnel, woman. The fall of your division was supposed to be blamed on the 2nd Division's captain."

"How cowardly" the shinigami sneered with disgust and a disapproving shake of her head.

"I was merely playing my part."

"As will I" she declared aloud, raising her blade and pointing it in Zommari's direction "Now, draw your weapon, Espada, so in turn, I shall draw your blood."

"Fight me if you wish it" conceded the Septimo with a curt nod but, instead of reaching for his own weapon, he merely raised his arms from his sides and extended his fingers "But first, deal with them."

She was about to question him on his words, when suddenly, the Shinigami previously laid dead upon the ground gradually rose, gauchely, sickly, like marionettes with tangled strings. Each one of them then took hold of their weapons before clumsily charging for the shinigami.

As she hissed lividly between clenched teeth whilst glancing around at her attackers and righted her stance, Yachiru's breath caught in her throat as she saw the woman's face: Retsu Unohana was known to be an intimidating woman to most, but the cold and apathetic expression upon her face, despite the steadily growing pledge of murderous intent swelling within the woman's threatening aura, was beyond bloodcurdling.

Detached dark blue eyes devoid of all warmth focused back on the Espada as the 4th Division's captain snarled out quietly: "Fucker..."

"They're dead. It shouldn't be a problem for you, no?"

As the puppet assailants drew closer, Retsu's lips turned into a most daunting grin: "Oh, when I get my hands on you...I'm going to enjoy every second ending you."

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Ichigo, Renji and Grimmjow all three touched ground at the same time, before their eyes go wide as they take in the bloodbath carnage horror that was once the wonder of the Seireitei.

"Oh my dear God" uttered the orange-haired teen in complete dismay, his eyes widening with each word, whilst the other two in his company speechlessly looked around.

"This much damage?" stammered the 6th Division's lieutenant as he shook with ire and incredulity "I was barely gone... It...It wasn't like this when I left."

"And it's about to get fuckin' worse" hissed the feline Arrancar hatefully, eyes narrowed in a single direction "If Aizen isn't stopped."

"Then let's stop him" declared Ichigo determinedly, scowling furiously as he readied himself to shunpo away when the blue-haired male held him back firmly.

"You're not fighting him" declared Grimmjow determinedly with narrowed eyes.

"But...!"

"You came here to save someone, remember? So that's exactly what you'll do. Nothing more, nothing less" pointed out the feline Arrancar, in a tone that fiercely left no room for argument "As soon as you have an opening, you get her and yourself the fuck out of here."

"But, Grimmjow...!"

"I said: NO. And I fuckin' mean it."

"Ok, fine" huffed Ichigo reluctantly but not without obstinately adjoining "But if things go haywire, I'm jumping in."

"Deal" accepted the blue-haired begrudgingly after a brief moment of consideration before glancing towards the redhead "And you?"

"I have saving to do as well" said Renji vaguely, not adding more than that, not even when the orange-haired teen looked at him questioningly.

"It's settled then" said the Arrancar solidly and, when the other two nodded, the trio departed together towards where Aizen stood, upon the very top pinnacle present within the Seireitei.

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Robbed from her breath after receiving a particularly vicious blow which sent her colliding straight into a wall, Hinamori slipped into unconsciousness as she fell into a heap on the floor.

A shunpo resounded and a second later, a livid and haggard Gin stood over her cataleptic body, raising his blade and swinging it down with all his might, ready to avenge his lieutenant and to extinguish at least one within the legacy of the accursed Aizen.

His zanpaktou was halted, however, inches above her head, by a second sword making its appearance just in time to prevent her death. Eyes flashing dangerously over to the one who stopped him, the silver-haired captain seethed with eerie calmness: "Hitsugaya-taichou, if you please: take that fuckin' blade of yours out of my way."

"No" came the young white-haired captain's firm reply, dark jade eyes narrowed icily at the other "I will not let you hurt Hinamori, Ichimaru."

Retrieving his weapon to his side, Gin's expression darkened: "Oh? So her hurtin' others doesn't matter then?"

"She might not know what she's doing" whispered Toshiro wistfully as he glanced over to his blacked-out childhood friend, frowning faintly at her attire: she looked so different, so dark. Too dark...

"She knows exactly what she's doin'" gritted out the 3rd Division's captain, pointing in her direction as he spoke "She's an Aizen, Hitsugaya-taichou, and she was right under our noses, right here in the Seireitei."

"Aizen is manipulating her, like he has always done! The Hinamori I know would never do this!" yelled out the young white-haired captain, fiercely coming in the girl's defensive.

Scoffing, Gin raised an eyebrow: "The Hinamori you thought you knew, you mean."

"It still doesn't change that I will not let you harm her" stated Toshiro resolutely as he glared at the elder man before him who, after a moment, sighed and sheathed his own zanpaktou that he had managed to retrieve during his fight with Aizen's cousin.

"Fine..." relented the silver-haired captain grudgingly before nodding towards the Tower of Desolation "Then I'm goin' to settle scores with my former captain, if you don't mind. Even if everythin' is goin' to hell and I die in the end, I'm takin' him with me."

"See, for once, you and I agree, Ichimaru" stated the 10th Division's captain with a smirk that the other gladly returned before they shunpo-ed over to their destination, leaving Hinamori behind...just as she opened her eyes and glared viciously in the direction they had just left...

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When the Espada began attacking and moments later the Hollows started their invasion, the eight Vizards had somehow found themselves all standing together in one firm solid group upon the battlefield, and they were all still in one piece so far.

That was until, Mashiro let out a shrill strident bloodcurdling scream. The Vizards rapidly turned in her direction only to witness her covering her mouth with trembling hands, eyes expanding with every shaking breath she took as they remained fixated on the scene that had just unfolded in front of her. They quickly pivoted to see what she was seeing...and what they saw made them just as anguished as their green-haired companion.

Kneeling upon torn bloodied knees, their close friend's battered body was fully limp; his head tilted backwards by the blade perforating the centre of his forehead. His jaw was completely slack, hanging open and oozing with blood, his gaze now dead...

"HACHI!" yelled devastatingly all the Vizards present, with the exception of Mashiro who was in complete shock, rushing to tear apart their friend's assassin.

Icy dark blue orbs flickered unhurriedly in their direction, before their owner pulled out his weapon from his victim's head with a sickening splattering sound, letting the lifeless Hachigen hurtle to the ground, no longer supported by the weapon...

Twirling his spear-like blade in one hand before tightening his grip upon it, the killer approached them at an alarming speed, even faster than a usual sonido, which entirely caught them off guard. Before they could even realize where he currently was, he stood over Love's lifeless...and headless body upon the floor, while the head stayed within the blue-eyed murder's free hand which he then let callously fall...

"LOVE!" cried out Hiyori and Lisa deafeningly, whilst Rose, Shinji and Kensei recovered from their shock upon witnessing another Vizard die so shortly after the first and grew even angrier as they furiously charged towards his murderer.

Mashiro, however, was now a sobbing mess, hiccupping away under the flow of her tears that kept cascading down, no matter how hard she tried to wipe them away. All of a sudden, she is brutally yanked up and forced to stand up on her feet.

Opening her tear-blurred brown eyes in surprise, only to meet glacial blue ones regarding her with contempt upon an otherwise expressionless face which he suddenly brought it right before hers to sneer at her, in a coldly dead-like voice, through clenched teeth: "How pathetic: a cry-baby. Hn...Well, I suppose it's better than a grotesque cow or a misshapen starfish."

The green-haired's brown eyes widened dramatically, horrified by his words, before they narrowed dangerously as her tears abruptly come to a halt, causing the slayer to raise an eyebrow at the change, while she stresses out: "Don't...insult...my friends."

"Mashiro!" called out Hiyori, fearful when she saw her friend's predicament, her tone of voice drawing the other Vizards' attention straight away.

Shinji and Kensei dashed forward as fast as they could with their zanpaktou already drawn, hoping they would get there on time before losing yet another friend.

What neither of them expected was an angry Mashiro, suddenly completely over shedding tears of grief, kicking the blue-eyed killer with all her might into a wall upon the other side of the battlefield, which instantly crumbled due to the violent impact.

The remaining Vizards stared dumbfounded at the unexpected turn of events, before Hiyori rushed over to hit Mashiro with her zanpaktou's sheathe...hard: "Idiot! How dare you get me all worried like that?! Huh?! Couldn't you have reacted sooner?! You could've died! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"Sorry" sniffed the green-haired sheepishly, tears back in full force "I just was sad for Hachi and Love."

The little monkey-girl's eyes widened before she bit her lower lip and looked over her to where their two deceased friends were laid. Her look abruptly turned venomous as she glared at the killer, now far away from where he was thrown and standing with crossed arms, as if nothing had happened to him...It could have even been thought so, for he harboured no wounds...not even a bruise or a torn in his clothes.

"You're going to fuckin' pay for that!" declared the blonde menace ragingly, baring her teeth like a lethal lion would whilst she pointed the blade of her zanpaktou in the other's direction.

"Am I now?" inquired the slayer loftily with a tilt of his head and raised eyebrows "Show me then...the disappointment you are as failed experiments."

"Why you arrogant fucker!" seethed Hiyori lividly as she, Kensei, Rose, Lisa and even Mashiro dashed over to engage a vicious brawl fuelled by vengeance against the Espada who no other than the Segundo, Veneno.

Shinji, however, didn't follow, for he was stock still where he stood, the Espada's last words ringing loudly within his head. They were drastically familiar to him and he would know: Aizen was the very one to have qualified them as such that fateful night near a century ago...

"Aizen..." snarled the 5th Division's captain lividly through tightly clenched teeth as he glanced hatefully towards the Tower of Desolation: forget sympathy for the devil, that bastard was dying tonight...

A/N: Like I did for the Prologue and the 5th Chapter, I'm stopping here for the moment as the rest of the chapter isn't exactly finished and I didn't want to keep you waiting...though I might have left you with a cliff-hanger...Sorry? The rest will come up soon, I hope... When? I honestly don't know. Given the way I'm writing, I'd say maybe somewhere around the end of this month...Or the beginning of the next. I'm really trying to finish Part One before the end of this year but I'm sceptical about succeeding, as it isn't quite over yet...Soon, but not yet. So, wish me luck and see you next update! Bye!

And the Countdown continues in the next update...

(1) I don't know exactly if chains like that exist in Bleach (I just know that there are walls made of that), but it seemed like a good idea to include them. They might make more appearances in the future.

(2) You might be asking...why or how does Orihime know sign language? My answer would be she's pretty smart at school and has a knack for knowing odd things better than anyone. Now you're wondering how Renji knows about it. I'm guessing that in the Rukongai, along with his friends, he'd use it to pass out signals and messages and so on...all this in mere theory of course.