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.

12. Part One: Chapter 7

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

A/N: Hello everyone and Happy New Year to all (as well as a late Merry Christmas)! I am deeply apologetic that I wasn't able to update earlier: I had the chapter done and all but I had so many silly stupid real-life related stuff to do that I thought I'd never see the end of it! ARGH! Anyhow, like I mentioned previously, the stakes are upping even further and it's all going to become even more drastic, dire, dastardly and dark from now on: watch your step...

To Guest 1: Hi and thank you for your review! Really, thank you! I hope I didn't make you wait too long! Please enjoy! And see you next chapter! Bye!

To Guest 2: Hello and thank you for your review! So you like my version of Aizen? I'm immensely honoured! It is SO hard writing him believe me, especially when he's such an important villain to all the Bleach fans, and I was hoping to have a fair dose of those who would like and those who would hate him (as I personally find myself stuck in the middle and honestly don't know what to truly think of him). I'm very glad you like this fic! Please enjoy this chapter and see you next update!

Rating for this chapter: Heavy humiliation, debasement and all its synonyms for the Kuchiki, specifically (of course) for Byakuya. It's ugly, as ugly as disgrace can essentially get, notably when it's done in public. There's also torture: not the gory kind but it still stays unsettling...

Part One: Victory Falls:

Chapter 7: And They Fall...

It was dark. Mostly dark. There was only a faint flicker of a bright white light, high above, far out of touch, and though she tried hard to reach for it, she only seemed to drift even further away, deeper down into the black waters she was sinking in, drowning yet steadily breathing.

Staring straight ahead at what she couldn't attain with her outstretched hand and its widely splayed fingers, the dim vision of her half-lidded soft grey eyes was partly shrouded by wisps of vivid orange hair, whilst a series of unanswered questions mutedly echoed somewhere in her head: 'Where am I? Why do I...feel so lost? So hurt? So...destroyed? Am I even...still me?'

Narrowed dark blue eyes flitted over to the night sky, taking in the fact that things had calmed down considerably, before the white-haired man sighed, half in irritation and half in relief: thanks to that unexpected invasion of Hollows, Karakura's hospital had been overflowed with casualties, the Shinigami apparently failing to do their job properly (not like that was new), apart from a certain Isshin Kurosaki that took it upon himself to protect the establishment when no one asked him to - hence the irritation. But, somehow, the hospice's personnel finally saw the end of it, after being able to attend to everyone they received. Plus, those beasts had actually, at some point amidst the havoc, made their eventual departure after their hectic frenzy, along with that pathetic excuse for a shinigami, the idiot - hence the relief.

However, like all things, that relief was short-lived as the doors to his office suddenly burst open, a comrade doctor dashing in: "Ishida-sensei! We have yet another emergency!"

"What kind?" questioned the white-haired man without delay, faithfully slipping into his role as the man he was dedicated to saving lives, as he instantly stood and took in the profoundly alarmed appearance that his colleague was in, wondering what on earth could have occurred to set him off like this.

And he was quickly clued onto why: "Another victim, Ishida-sensei! A female teenager was out cold on the front steps! She's being rushed in as we speak!"

Eyes widening, Ryuken began heading out, the other following closely behind as he moved: "We have to hurry then. Let's go."

Back amidst the ruins of the Seireitei:

After brief lightening, a crack of thunder suddenly resounded in the black skies above, mere minutes before heavy rain cascaded down over the dying warzone and growing anarchy beneath. And Ichigo suddenly decided that, all he had seen and been through within the most recent few hours of the night had been forbiddingly cruel enough to last him a lifetime. But he was, of course, dead wrong, for what shortly followed made his blood run cold and left him shuddering in horror for hours on end. And he wasn't the only one to suffer of that sentiment.

Moments after their defeat settled in, the Aizen set their macabre plans in motion once more, ordering the remaining Espada and Fracción - after they had all roved away from the Tower's rooftop to descend to the bloodied grounds below - to confine the majority of their prisoners of war in one of the Division's barracks, it didn't matter which as long as it was still standing.

Once the soldiers to the lord of the Espada departed upon those directives, forcefully taking along with them all but Kisuke, Yoruichi, Gin, Toshiro, Shinji, Renji, Ichigo and the survivors of the Kuchiki Clan, the immoral immortal, a sinister smile upon his lips, turned towards an exceptionally silent Byakuya, who was transfixed on the heinous brutal happenings before him, caused by mutinous people from the Rukongai gone completely wild: "Before we go further, Byakuya, tell me...do you truly consider Rukia to be of your clan, to be a Kuchiki?"

The girl in question widened her large indigo eyes, filled with dread with all that was occurring, before glancing towards her elder adoptive brother who, still in the same position had been left in after he had been bound - again - had his lips set in a tight line, refusing to acknowledge the child of chaos, yet alone look in his direction.

The truth was, aside from being outright horrified by all that had transpired and all that was currently happening, the Kuchiki clan's leader was incensed amidst his slowly rising and suffocating terror, genuinely incapable of quelling his rage no matter what he tried, thus he dreaded what would fly out his mouth should he open it...and Aizen Sosuke was not helping.

Noticing their nephew's reluctance to respond, Hitachi and Nowaki were about to answer in his stead when the child of chaos cut them off before they even started, the immortal's voice dangerously cold: "One word from either of you and I'll have you rendered without tongue."

With them both instantaneously made silent with that one meaningful threat, the immortal returned his undivided attention upon the young noble: "I'd reply very carefully if I were you, Byakuya. Now, is Rukia truly a Kuchiki?"

Again, the noble didn't glance in Aizen's direction, but he did frown at the obvious warning he had just been given. Thinking back to question he had very clearly heard the first time, he hadn't liked it one bit, for he had the slight yet pending impression that there was a hidden threat in it somewhere that would be putting his sister in great danger were he to miss it. And, though it pained him to even utter his next words aloud, he wouldn't risk it. Not with Aizen.

"No."

"Hm?" hummed the immortal questioningly with a triumphant smirk, having plainly heard the soft response from the one who was now glaring hatefully at him "What was that, my dear?"

"No, she is not a Kuchiki. Not by birth, only in name" worded the 6th Division's captain carefully, slowly, hoping that pointing out the truth would be enough to play it safely whilst answering the immortal's rather unsettling question. And as he did so, the young noble forcefully attempted to ignore the way both Renji and Rukia were staring at him in shock.

"I'm quite aware of that" smiled Aizen with an expression of feigned indulgence, the firm malignant glint still within in his eye "What I want to know is if you see her as one."

It took awhile for the Kuchiki clan's leader to reply and when he did, locking his unreadable eyes with a stock still Rukia as he spoke up bluntly to the immortal...she felt like her heart had stopped: "No...No, I don't."

"N...Nii-sama..." whispered the 13th Division's lieutenant in a quiet choked voice, alarmed by what she was hearing: her big brother was...rejecting her? Just like that, for no reason? Out in the open, before all to witness? ...Why?

Byakuya kept his eyes on her, wordlessly taking in the way she was struggling to keep her composure but was drastically failing, before he closed his eyes and turned his head away from her, a simple gesture which had the power to send her entire world crumbling to dust... It stung. It was painful. After everything...this...this is what he thought of her? Was she truly nothing to him?

She couldn't help it not with all the nervous tension, couldn't bear it not when it hurt so much, and so, Rukia broke down and burst into tears, leading an aghast Renji to forgo all decorum and yell angrily at his captain, missing the tight expression upon the latter's features no one could see due to his turned face: "What the fuckin' hell, you heartless bastard?!"

"Well, I never..." whistled quietly Sosuke's father, eyebrows raised in surprise "I didn't think he'd actually say it."

"Told you he would" Koga's son smirked knowingly, regarding with dark amusement the young Kuchiki's features gradually slipping towards guilt with every soft saddened sob echoing from the broken-hearted Rukia curling up on herself, wishing she'd just...disappear.

As Renji tried what he could to comfort her, Gin regarded the 6th Division's captain with incredulity, not for one minute believing the latter's words. Both Yoruichi and Ichigo, also, were thinking along the same lines: the young noble's words, though devoid of emotion, had sounded forced. Besides, it was no secret of how important Rukia was to Byakuya, so even the other captives were confused by both the noble's refutation of his sister and the reaction Rukia and Renji had had to it.

None of this made any sense. So...What game was Aizen Sosuke playing now?

Whilst they all tried to decipher what had exactly been picked up by the noble for the latter to answer the way he did, Aizen addressed Ulquiorra who had just returned: "Take her away and lock her with the others, but be gentle. Since she isn't of their kin, she doesn't need to be here."

Nodding towards his master, the Cuatro moved over to the girl in question, deftly detaching her from her childhood friend in whom she had sought comfort in and had latched onto like he was a lifeline, before the black-haired Espada sonido-ed off, Rukia's crying dying along with his abrupt departure.

Hinamori, a spiteful smile to her black-dyed lips, applauded briefly as she addressed the Kuchiki clan's leader who wordlessly glared at her: "Well done, wretched pureblood. Your cutting words just spared Rukia-chan from the fate we reserved specifically for your clan."

Grateful for his prior intuition despite having hurt his sister's feelings, Byakuya clenched his teeth just as Koga ordered elatedly to the other Espada who had finally returned: "Throw them to the dogs of the Rukongai."

Realizing at the same time as the others exactly what Rukia had just been saved from, Renji's jaw dropped in utter horror as he witnessed along with everyone else the Espada take hold of the Kuchiki members - all but Ginrei's son and grandson - and forcefully dragging them off towards an amassing group further down the clearing they were upon amidst all the disaster.

Both Sojun and Yoruichi cried out horrified, when they saw the inhabitants of the Rukongai viciously descend upon the Purebloods as soon as they had been tossed at their feet: "NO!"

"Stop this madness this instant, Aizen Sosuke!" shouted Byakuya furiously, inwardly going into full panic as he saw his uncles and grandfather being brutally clubbed to the ground by a couple of enraged men, all whilst hearing his three remaining cousins screaming their guts out and desperately attempting to get the raving men off them, fighting them off and clawing at them with everything the three girls had: they were trying to protect their fathers after all...

"In what honour?" chuckled out Aizen sadistically, eyes riveted upon the scene unfolding before him "Unless you have a better offer to sate my morbid lust for chaotic entertainment, I have no reason to heed you."

"You..." seethed out the 6th Division's captain before he forced himself to calm down, the danger his family was in weighing down upon him "What do I have to do for...this to cease?"

"What indeed..." taunted the immortal darkly but then, before he could say anything else, rickety fingers took hold of his sleeve, leading the child of chaos to lower widened eyes towards the ailing Sojun, breathing hard, after having crawled all the way over to the former.

"Sosuke, please..." pleaded Byakuya's father frantically, his voice desperate whilst blood stained his lips from having previously bitten down too hard "Please, I'm begging you. Don't do this... Not to him. I know where you're going with this and he doesn't deserve any of what you have in mind for him. You don't have to take out your wrath on Byakuya when you have the rest of us Kuchiki."

Aizen slowly knelt to the Kuchiki's side before reaching out and gently laying his hand upon the other's black locks and then leaning in to whisper in the other's ear: "This is where you're wrong... I'm not taking out my wrath on him, but it's being taken out on the rest of you through him. And do yourself a favour, Sojun: don't plead with me when I'm too far gone."

As the immortal moved to stand up again, Sojun's eyes doubled in size, dismay at its highest peak, before he sighed out resignedly: "Then...if you must take out your rage and resentment on someone, on anyone at all... I ask of you... No. I implore of you. Spare my son and... Take me instead."

Whilst Byakuya's eyes went wide in utter horror at his father's words, Aizen simply chuckled in response while shaking his head in a patronizing manner: "A lovely offer, Sojun, however I think that I've already made it quite clear in the past: I'm no longer interested in you."

The way the child of chaos spoke caused Byakuya to recall something Orihime had told him, awhile back, when he was interrogating her, after placing her under confinement: 'And I...The only way I could think of sparing Kurosaki-kun from this fate - because of all my friends, Aizen-sama is only interested in him - was for him to lose his powers.'

Which begged the question: why was the immortal interested in the orange-haired teen at all?

Glancing over at the teen whose features were equally etched with dread like everyone else, the young Kuchiki felt that he had to know, needed to know, before blindly making any kind of deal with the immortal: "Tell me, Aizen Sosuke."

The tone that the noble's voice had taken instantly drew the other's interest: "Hm?"

"Why did you go through such far-reaching lengths to have Kurosaki Ichigo in your hands? Why is he so important to you?"

Not fully grasping the point of the Kuchiki's sudden question, it took a moment for the child of chaos to answer: "Isn't it obvious?"

"Forgive me if I fail to think the way you do" gritted out Byakuya through clenched teeth, his conversation with the immortal having drawn by now the attention of the one concerned.

Eyes sliding over to the teenager who went rigid, Aizen smiled sinisterly as spoke, walking over to the Kuchiki clan's leader with slow measured steps: "Even if Ichigo refuses to accept it, I did carve his evolution, his progress, all to bring him to the one he is today...well, at least on everything but the emotional plane, of course. And like with all my achievements, whether they end up on my side or not, I like to keep them in my sights."

Whilst the teenager shivered at those crude words and a few other captives blanched at them, Byakuya's mouth went completely dry - due to which emotion, he could not tell - just as the immortal loomed over him: "So, what you're saying is...you view him as just...just another one of your...creations?"

"The Espada, the Arrancars and Failed Arrancars, the Empowered Humans, everyone I ever carved or crafted, are mine. And I'm a rather possessive person. Rightfully so even, since I did create them" shrugged Aizen offhandedly, his words far too obvious to him for him to be bothered by them, before he raised an eyebrow "I don't understand why any of you would fail to comprehend this."

"That's because you're completely and utterly insane" breathed out the noble in consternation, struggling to contain himself as emotions ran over themselves inside him, not because he was concerned with the teen's fate - actually he was, but it was on a low scale compared to his family's own - but because Aizen Sosuke...actually viewed others as...possessions. Just who did he think he was? Oh. That's right. A dangerous degenerate immortal with a god complex.

"I get that a lot" Aizen smirked as he loftily looked down at Byakuya, the latter who was no longer concerning himself with making any attempts at hiding the anger and antagonism carved into his expression as he stared hard at the immortal.

"Then perhaps you should try listening because..." began the Kuchiki heatedly, only for the rest of his sentence to be curtly cut off by the child of chaos seizing him forcefully by the neck, earning a gasped choking sound from the latter as Aizen clamped firm fingers of a single hand right over the collar and it somehow, in response, tightened even further around the noble's throat, leaving the flow of air very minimum and extremely constricted, especially with Aizen coercing the Kuchiki upwards to his feet by the neck alone.

"Let's be very clear, Byakuya" stated the immortal whilst the noble struggled to breathe "Formerly, I fully allowed you to speak your mind, to talk freely. Now, that is, unfortunately, going to have to diminish. You're still a Kuchiki noble, my dear, but as long as you're within my hands, both that name and title mean absolutely nothing. And if you don't wish to address me respectfully, fine by me, but in that case, keep your mouth sealed shut."

"Why should I...?" wheezed out the young Kuchiki under the Aizen's grim hold "Why should I ever consider obeying you?"

"Why? Let's see..." considered the immortal lightly, deciding to indulge the other despite the obviousness of the pressing predicament the latter had apparently forgotten "Considering that your relatives hold no particular importance to me, I can rid myself of them whenever I feel like it. Or maybe even defile them. What do you think? Death is actually far too merciful. Perhaps I should round up the most vicious and depraved rapists of the Rukongai and offer the remaining women of your clan to them, whilst making the rest of your clan along with you watch. Every. Single. Instant of it."

"You wouldn't..." uttered the 6th Division's captain as a shudder of revulsion rippled through his entire being before he stressed out threateningly "Don't you dare!"

Relieving Sojun's son a little from his vice grip, Aizen had to laugh at that: "Do you honestly think you in any position whatsoever to make demands?"

As the immortal traced his thumb leisurely over the noble's throat, Byakuya shuddered again, this time with distress, as his vulnerability to the other's whims was hinted to, but it still wasn't enough to completely deter the Kuchiki: "You will not lay a finger on them to carry out such vile designs. You Aizen have caused enough horrors as it is!"

At that, Aizen raised an eyebrow amusedly: "Oh? And what do we Aizen have to say about you Kuchiki?"

Increasingly aghast by the other's every word as time went by, Byakuya spat out vehemently in anger: "Not enough to justify your current unspeakable actions, Aizen Sosuke."

"Not enough? Not enough?" echoed the child of chaos in a calm and yet severely livid voice, all amusement abruptly gone to leave room to icy ire, with his eyes narrowed threateningly and his jaw clenched as he tightened his hold again on the other - only this time even harder - before he slowly seethed out his next words "And what do you know, foolish child? Do you have any idea what's been endured because of your oh-so perfect, absolute kith and kin? The Kuchiki, the most 'noble' of the four clans...Please. You who aren't even conscious of your own origins..."

Taken aback by the sudden change in the immortal's behaviour in addition to once again being puzzled by his words whilst gasping for breath, the noble forced himself to keep on speaking: "Don't...Don't throw back...the blame at us...when you...are the scoundrels...here."

A smirk returned to the immortal's lips but his eyes remained fairly dark and faintly incensed: "That word doesn't even begin to define us."

Sighing deeply as if to compose himself, Aizen suddenly relinquished his hold completely on Byakuya, letting him fall to his knees and cough out erratically as air brutally assaulted his lungs.

The child of chaos then knelt beside the Kuchiki and gently took hold of the latter's chin, smirking when the strained and exhausted noble flinched at the touch: "That aside, in exchange for your family's safety, would you willingly and completely give in to me?"

Still regaining his bearings, the 6th Division's captain, sensing a pattern repeat itself, sent the other a withering glare: "I'm not Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Clearly not, but I didn't exactly hear an answer" pointed out Aizen astutely, tautening his hold on the other's chin when the latter attempted to wrench free "Would you rather I ask that question to Rukia to see if she'd accept shouldering the burden I'm imposing upon you?"

"Leave her alone" hissed Byakuya irately, eyes promising death should he ever have the possibility of carrying it out "I told you that she is not of the Kuchiki name."

"And we both know that those words are lies" smiled the immortal knowingly as he stood again, completely aware of it without the other needing to say it "Whether she is related to you or not, you still view her as your sister, the sister of your deceased spouse. And you would go through great lengths to keep her safe, that much I'm acutely aware. Now, the question is, how far would those lengths stretch exactly, hm?"

Once more, the noble felt a familiarity to his situation, but he needed to verify it anyway, as he forced himself to rise and lean upon a nearby wall, feeling like he needed his full height for this conversation...despite the other being taller: "You're blackmailing me...with Rukia?"

The 6th Division's captain felt rather unwell when the child of chaos nodded in confirmation, a dark ominous smile upon the latter's face: "In addition to your other family members, yes."

Clenching his bound hands that were behind his back as his situation kept spiralling down, going steadily from bad to worse, the young clan's leader worriedly glanced over in Sojun's direction: "Is...Is my father included also?"

Much to everyone's astonishment, Aizen's unexpected reply was utterly unwavering: "No."

Completely bewildered, Byakuya blinked as he kept on staring at his father, who would not meet his eyes as he had his own lowered to ground, before the young Kuchiki looked back towards the immortal, perplexity deep within his eyes: "Why?"

The immortal's eyebrows flew up in surprise at the question: "Would you rather he was?"

"I merely want to know why you'd spare him."

"You almost seem...irritated? Shouldn't you be grateful instead?"

"Stop evading the question, Aizen Sosuke" grounded out the young Kuchiki unremittingly "Why. Do you. Show mercy to. Kuchiki Sojun?"

After a heavy moment of silence, Aizen answered distantly: "I have no reason to answer you."

"What?" the 6th Division's captain uttered in total disbelief, his wide eyes darting between the two men. Why on earth was he being kept out of...whatever it was that was relating his father to this...vile monster? Kuchiki Sojun was his father: he had every right to know.

However, that didn't seem to be what the other thought: "The true drive for my...Let's just say 'humanity', towards Sojun is a reality that is and will stay between your father and I."

"But..."

"Enough, Byakuya. You too are also evading my question, for I have yet to hear of your response" mentioned the child of chaos, forcefully putting an end to the topic and bringing the other back to the subject at hand "Do you wish for their safety or not? It's entirely up to you."

"Of course I do" declared Byakuya instantly, though his entire being was in a blurred haze of confusion and vacillation.

"Why do I sense hesitance then?" the immortal inquired as he sceptically regarded the noble who glared back in retaliation, irked at being read through so easily yet again by the other.

"It's because I don't believe for a second that you'd keep your word" confessed the young Kuchiki, eyes narrowing distrustfully at the other "Not with your hatred as an Aizen for us."

"But I would... That is, until the moment you break yours."

"Break mine?"

"The deal is - quite similarly to Ichigo actually - that you abide by my every word whenever and whatever it may be" enunciated the child of chaos indolently, relishing in the aversion flitting upon the other's face "Defy me once, only once, and I'll view it as you reneging."

Upon hearing that, Byakuya's jaw dropped as dismay flooded his expression: "That's...!"

"Unfair?" completed Aizen brazenly before he shook his head and laughed heartily "Yes, I believe it is. But then again, I really don't see why it should be when I am the one setting the rules. I'm a Child of Chaos, my dear. Hence, I live, would kill and even die for chaos and all its adjoining attributes. Unfairness is simply a part of it."

"I don't have a choice, do I?" asked the noble redundantly after a moment, fully aware that he was being and had been played with, in each possible and impossible way, but, as he had begun to realize no sooner than mere moments ago, this was, by a far-cry, a losing battle for him...like it had been for everyone that had ever thought they stood a chance against Aizen.

The immortal smirked scathingly at the other, rubbing it in even further: "No, you don't. And it actually took you quite long enough to realize it. Here I thought you all considered Ichigo to be the dense one."

Scowling at the other for his comment, the teen growled quietly whilst the Kuchiki clan's leader stressed out tenaciously: "You swear to not forsake the promise of my family's safety."

"As long as you pronounce your oath, you have my word" swore the child of chaos seriously, with a hand to his heart and a slight bow of his head, as if to convey his candour.

"Oath?" repeated Byakuya, blanching slightly in horror at the word, as he recalled what the teenager had been forced to say in front of them all "Is it the same...as Kurosaki Ichigo's?"

"Every oath made to me is identical. You just need to include your name."

"I see... Very well" uttered the young Kuchiki reluctantly as he inhaled sharply before slowly voicing his vow in a near inaudible tone, visibly struggling with every word pronounced "I, Kuchiki Byakuya...promise that...my soul...and body belong to...Aizen Sosu...Aizen-sama, existing for him...and him only."

As the final words left his mouth, Byakuya looked like he had the strong urge to ask someone, anyone, to bury him alive...and, of course, Aizen just had to throw a comment to make the young noble feel even worse, especially with the immortal's two relatives laughing out mockingly in tandem to the latter's words: "Aw. That must have been such a terrible blow to your pride."

Snapping deeply riled eyes towards the immortal, the Kuchiki seethed out lividly: "Shut..."

"Careful what you're going to say, Byakuya, as your oath has already taken place" warned the child of chaos lightly, thrilled when he saw the young noble immediately go quiet, before Aizen titled his head with an air of feigned innocence "What was that?"

"Nothing" said the other tersely, letting it out through tensely clenched teeth, whilst the other captives regarded the 6th Division's captain with sheer empathy, Ichigo in particular.

"You forgot to add 'Aizen-sama', boy" drawled out Koga languidly with a broad smirk whilst Hinamori snickered at his side at the devastation appearing within the noble's expression.

"I am not calling him that" refused the Kuchiki clan's leader resolutely, throwing a daggered glare at the immortal's father who just smirked in response.

"Maybe not yet" taunted the female Aizen in a sinister sing-song voice as she waggled her eyebrows suggestively at her cousin who in turn smiled approvingly at her.

As some people from the Rukongai drew closer to get a better look at what was unfolding, Aizen stared at Byakuya in a sinister way, jubilant that there was now an audience for the other, particularly given what he was going to say: "I agree with Hinamori. But for now, Byakuya...Kneel before me."

Whereas derisive snickers and whispers arose from the onlookers, deeply horrified shock was upon the prisoners' expressions and the person to whom the command was given looked horribly affronted, his features heavy with profound ire and faint despair as the child of chaos continued relentlessly: "Remember. It only takes once on your part for everything to collapse. Now, come stand in front of me and kneel."

"D..." started the Kuchiki clan's leader angrily before he swiftly bit his tongue to stop himself, recalling that he was no longer in position to boldly speak his mind, lest he was asking for trouble.

"'Damn you further than the darkest depths of hell and beyond even that', was it?" drawled out immortal indolently, chuckling when the noble stared at him with now wide stunned eyes, as the latter wondered how the heck the other knew exactly what he had been about to say.

The young captain however answered his own question as he recalled what Aizen had told him not too long ago during his trial: 'Eyes are the mirrors to our souls, dearest Byakuya. Yours just happen to be exceptionally readable.'

Instantly lowering his infuriated eyes as to shield them from the other, the Kuchiki uttered: "Are even my thoughts no longer mine?"

"No, no. They remain your own" reassured Aizen, genuinely and greatly taking deep pleasure in fooling around with the other's affliction and pushing it beyond its limits.

"How gracious of you" spat Byakuya bitingly, his eyes now guarded to some extent, as he raised them back up to stare head on at the other: he had lost himself to the immortal, true, but he was not going to lose more than that. He would not allow it. Never.

The child of chaos merely smiled in amusement at the other's unhidden sarcasm, as well as his absurd attempt to conceal his still raging emotions in addition to the abrupt determination which was as clear as day within those blazing dark grey orbs, before Aizen slowly raised an elegant eyebrow at the noble and motioned, with a faint tilt of his chin, to the empty space on the ground out in front of him, signalling that he was still waiting to be bowed down to.

Still terribly mindful of his relatives' safety as he obliged himself to remember that he wasn't doing this for Aizen but rather for the former, the young Kuchiki leader gradually walked forward, whilst he kept his murderous glaring eyes on the immortal's neutral but still darkly smiling features. Coming to a halt right in front of the other and clenching his jaw behind tight lips, the young captain eventually dropped his gaze furiously, incapable of bearing the malicious mirth glinting in the cursed man's eyes.

Staring silently at the ground for a moment whilst he gathered his nerve and swallowed down his pride, Byakuya slowly knelt, dropping a knee to the floor and resting one of his hands upon the other propped up knee, while the second hand was angrily clutched into a fist at his side, before he bowed his head down towards Aizen and closed his eyes, feeling utterly degraded, as his entire body shook with rage.

"Kuchiki-taichou..." uttered Renji in a horrified whisper of dismay at what his captain was forced to do in front of them all - in addition to feeling terrible for ever doubting the other when he was actually trying to save Rukia from harm like always - before he sent a seething glower towards Aizen who had the audacity to chuckle out scathingly at the noble before him, those from the Rukongai joining on in with him, raucous and riotous disdainful laughter blaring vociferously around them.

As he rigidly maintained his position yet unconsciously lowered his head a little further, Byakuya remained utterly quiet as he fumed on the inside, before his attention was absent-mindedly drawn to the raindrops falling down ruthlessly and steadily mixing with all the bloodshed that had occurred, causing the ground to become of a sickly reddish muddy colour.

"Nii-sama" mocked Avaricia abruptly with a wide deriding grin as she swayed over to where Byakuya was before she sharply placed the heel of her boot upon the young noble's shoulder "A little lower if you please."

The Kuchiki's eyes widened in startled shock as he was brutally lowered until his face was within the mud directly beside Aizen's feet and was firmly kept there by the Espada, the pale skin of the noble's generally pristine face now presently roughly covered in wet dirty grime, with him unable to do anything to stop or fight it with his bindings and growing exhaustion.

And the loud mocking laughs grew even louder than before at his undignified predicament, irking him further. Whilst most of the captives were far too appalled for words, Ichigo, Renji and Shinji, though sharing the others' sentiments, had no such problem whatsoever with silence, throwing every insult they knew at the immortal.

"Good boy" praised the child of chaos in an abominably pleased tone, completely ignoring the others' bellowing, whilst snapping his fingers as a signal to the Espada for them to go retrieve the other Kuchiki from the clutches of those harassing them.

As they instantaneously left do so and the Kuchiki clan's leader relaxed slightly due to that very knowledge, the noble immediately tensed again when he suddenly sensed the Noveno leave in favour of the immortal moving to stand above him from behind. And before Byakuya had the time to attempt anything, he found himself shoved further into the ground by a knee sharply digging into his back, before gasping out in pain as his head was harshly hoisted up by Aizen tangling his fingers within the noble's long silken black locks.

As the other Kuchiki members, all roughed up and battered, were being brought forward, they let out strident shouts and screams of horror as they witness the head of their clan's leader colliding dead on with the white cobbled floor - the noble had previously narrowly avoiding it when he had been forced to kneel - with the latter's pebbles gradually becoming stained with a slow flow of crimson blood before being washed away.

Vaguely aware of voices shouting at the child of chaos to leave him alone, Byakuya bit his lip hard when his aggressor pulled his head backwards again before slamming it within the floor once more, whilst the noble forced himself to suppress a cry of agony: it was as if the other was attempting to split open his skull.

Letting out a ragged breath as black spots permeated his vision which led him to clench his eyes shut, the noble faintly took in that Aizen had a sole hand securely at the back of his head while he had closed the distance between them, the Kuchiki feeling the other's body pressed against his, pushing him even further into the ground and causing the young clan's leader to shudder at the other's nearness. He was too close, far too close for comfort. In fact, the other was so close that Byakuya could feel the immortal's warmth through their wet soaked clothes.

Hissing out in pain as his tormentor compelled him to turn his head until it was sideways, the noble slowly, steadily opened his eyes, his black lashes fluttering uncomfortably under the rain and drops of blood cascading down his face and over his pale skin, with the young noble being barely aware that he was staring straight in the direction his horror-struck, but saved, family calling out his name, only, he was so dazed, so stunned that he didn't see or even hear.

What Byakuya did take notice of however was Aizen, letting out a soft but sharp intake of breath, as if witnessing something particularly picturesque, before the immortal's free hand moved upwards to gently caress away the noble's hair away from the latter's bloody dirtied face: "Oh dear me, what I'm going to reduce you to. I frisson in sheer anticipation at the mere thought...of what I can make you experience, all you will have to endure, and how much of it it'll take for you to finally, eventually, ultimately, break."

"I won't break easily" countered the black-haired man quietly yet firmly, steeling himself to remain stock still under the other's insidious touch, which had inched over to his neck and was now baring his shoulders to the cold unrelenting weather "I have a tolerance to pain that will not be to your advantage."

"That much I'm already aware" the immortal chuckled amusedly before breathing down his next words directly within the noble's ear and earning yet another shiver from the latter "But how well do you bear humiliation, hm? That I truly wonder."

The noble had to pause in horror at the other's words, as to not let it resound in his voice, before swallowing and speaking up again: "Whatever you planned for me, it won't work."

"So confident as usual" chuckled the other indulgently as he relinquished his hold before standing up and walking away, causing the noble a strong sense of relief, for he felt strongly endangered by the other's proximity.

Trying to not let the dizziness take him straight back to the ground, he struggled to get up again, at least upon his knees, but the throbbing pain his head was currently in, wasn't making things easy for him. Once he sort of managed to sit, with the collar of his uniform slipping upon further - courtesy of the immortal - he sent a lethal glare in Aizen's direction who merely smirked in response from where he now stood beside his two family members shielded from the rain and seeming somewhat oddly dry despite his prior exposure to it.

A heavy silence instilled itself as the three Aizen and the Kuchiki noble initiated a stifling staring showdown of intense blistering emotions, feelings of deep wrath and severe loathing facing off sadistic enjoyment and bitter resentment, as the captives watched on wordlessly, nervously, far too anxious to break the think tension weaved within the air. And, in all this, Yoruichi hadn't realized she had been biting her lip until she tasted blood invading her mouth.

Though she had eventually acknowledged, throughout the years, that Aizen Sosuke wasn't what she had once thought of him, she couldn't accept as true what she was seeing - what he was doing - and, when she thought things couldn't get any worse than they were, they did.

The female Aizen, steadily sauntering over to stand before the bystanders of the Rukongai, declared dramatically for all to hear, her tone of voice devastatingly disdainful: "Behold, the mighty Kuchiki Clan, the elite amongst purebloods! For years, for decades, you have endured the cruel segregation they imposed upon you! You have been forced to reside in the rotten filth like rats while they had it all! They, the ever so great noble Kuchiki family! Now, here they are, at your mercy! On their knees, where they belong! Finally! The time has come! It is your turn: to debase them, to degrade them, to diminish them, to humiliate them, to shame them and to do so...until they wish they were never born under the name Kuchiki!"

While Ichigo, Toshiro, Shinji, Renji, Byakuya and the others let the horrifying words slowly sink in with wide eyes, savage roars and loud cheers acclaim the words of the brown-haired girl making her grin gleefully at them before shyly glancing in her cousin's direction, who lifted an eyebrow in silent appraisal as he addressed her: "Remarkably well said, Hinamori."

Blushing, she beamed brightly at the praise before bowing down low to him: "Aizen-sama."

Smiling at her, the child of chaos then glanced towards the 6th Division's captain, before smirking at how utterly aghast the latter looked: "Well then. I suppose it would be offensive to not put on a display, after dear Hinamori's rather enticing speech" dark brown eyes flitted over to his Espada as he gestured towards Byakuya with a casual wave of his hand "Chain him and his family members - those here, leave the sick and old ones be - upon those wooden posts over there in the middle of the crowd."

Upon hearing those underhand words and seeing Aizen's underlings move forward to comply with their given order, the young clan's leader, horrified, fought off those who laid hands on him, resisting all he could, whilst furiously shouting out at the immortal: "You just said that you'd...!"

"Ah, ah...Shh..." soothed the child of chaos smoothly, abruptly appearing before Byakuya and setting his fingers upon the latter's lips to keep him silenced as the noble struggled in the hands of Ulquiorra - who came back again sometime before - and Avaricia "I gave you my word for their safety...not for anything else."

"Fiend" hissed out the 6th Division's captain angrily, speaking against the immortal's hand but the word was crystal clear to Aizen's ears which led him to raise an eyebrow in warning.

"Carry on like that and worse just may happen to them" cautioned the child of chaos steadily as he brushed the noble's lips before dragging his hand down to tug once at that black leather collar and then took a step back as the two Espada pushed the enraged Byakuya forward, Aizen's next words following the other "Fret not; they'll just endure a little...public disgrace and keep you company. Not a hair on their heads will be touched by the rabble you despise so...unless you do something that condones it. That's a promise."

Dragging off the six purebloods through the booing and boisterous bevy of Rukongai's inhabitants, the Espada directed the nobles to the multiple thick posts in question, hoisted up in a neat row right in the middle of the crowded glade, after being deep-seated in the ground - a deed previously carried out by Youli during his battle against the now deceased Ukitake - before proceeding to coerce the Kuchiki to stand between them - though Byakuya was made to kneel - and tautly securing their wrists and ankles to them with seki chains, leaving very little possibility for movement. And all the while, the prisoners stared on in horror whilst those of the Rukongai were engrossed with wicked excitement.

Whereas the Espada took a step back whilst Aizen, his father and cousin slowly walked forth, it was quite obvious, to everyone who could see, that Michiru was terribly afraid, Yaten was rather tense, Majiko was fairly worried, Hitachi and Nowaki were deathly silent, and Byakuya was utterly furious, beyond words even.

As they reached the bound cousins on display, the two male Aizen wordlessly stood to the side whilst the immortal's dedicated devotee strolled over, taking her time as she passed each one of the girls, trailing her fingers tauntingly on her path, first making contact with the wooden post, then the chains, then the initial shackled arm before making her way to the other, by languidly caressing her way over the young women's clothed chests, earning flustered sounds of discomfort from them at being touched so personally as she went, before she eventually found herself standing directly before the clan's leader, glaring fatally at her.

Her showy caresses, having excited the rapt onlookers even further, earned a series of loud whistles and catcalls, causing both Michiru and Majiko to flush in embarrassment and lower their eyes, whereas Yaten hatefully glared at the female Aizen with all the deepest resentment she could muster, as she spit out venomously: "Bitch."

Uninterested eyes meeting the other's incensed ones, Hinamori levelled the other a look of utter disdain before slowly smiling brazenly and shrugging: "Takes one to know one."

Upon those words, Majiko's jaw dropped and Michiru gasped whilst Yaten turned stark red with fury, far once too taken aback to even throw a comeback at the female Aizen who simply smirked before slowly kneeling behind Byakuya and loosely draping her arms around him, drawing closer until she was able to rest her chin upon his stiff bare shoulder.

Dark brown eyes darting sideways to collide with steel grey eyes already trained upon her, she hissed out in a low voice: "I. Hate. You."

"I've noticed" replied the Kuchiki vigilantly, having noted the girl's loathing for him as soon as she revealed where her true loyalties lied, although he had yet to comprehend her antipathy.

"But you don't know why."

Grey eyes widened, slightly stunned: "Do you read others as well?"

"No, it's just Aizen-sama" she shrugged simply as she moved further against him, her lips to his neck and her eyelashes fluttering against his cheek, whilst her hands roamed lazily over him, with feathery touches "Me, I'm merely stating a fact. Though you're aware, you don't understand why I hate you."

Swallowing uneasily for he didn't understand Hinamori's actions as they were unmistakably contradicting her words, the young noble still carried on speaking: "True. I've detected that you're hatred for me is on very different level than the one of your two male relatives. And even amongst them it is also dissimilar."

"Should I tell you? For me I mean?" she asked softly, her voice holding a dangerous edge to it despite its gentleness, as steadily completed her cousin's former actions and began freeing the noble from the top part of his uniform, which led to the latter to recall that they were an exhibition.

"Would you?" countered Byakuya questioningly through gritted teeth, before clenching his eyes shut and cringing in uncomfortable aversion as she languorously ran her tongue over the shell of his ear, from top to bottom, before nibbling at his earlobe, loud whistles from the crowd acclaiming her actions.

"Other than the fact that all the Aizen women - I don't know however if this applies to the females of the other Children of Chaos - have an unconditional way of loathing everyone other than the men of our clan, I hate your precious family and your beloved noble name because of how you hurt me."

"Hurt you?" repeated the 6th Division's captain with perplexity, wondering what she meant, as he was rid of the upper part of his uniform - the rest being torn off him due to him being bound - while the cold and rain, as well as the distress of being exposed, sent shivers throughout his entire body.

"You dared put Aizen-sama in Muken. He suffered in there, you know? Of course you do. You were one of those who endorsed the need to harden his interrogations. How dare you place a god in a hole in the hands of wanton depraved animals?" declared Hinamori darkly, angrily, whilst she pulled back and stared intently at the noble's now bare back as if she was trying to burn it down with her eyes alone "By hurting him, you've hurt me. Now, it'll be an eye for an eye and I'll do anything to aid Aizen-sama's cause in utterly ruining you by taking away all you ever cared about, starting with - much to my chagrin because I really do like her - Rukia-chan."

Once again - and he blamed it entirely on the rage the three Aizen were instigating - like he had done with Koga, Byakuya acted on instinct, without a second thought, throwing his head back and drawing a sharp cry from the brown-haired girl as he sent her reeling backwards, the back of the noble's head colliding straight with her face and breaking the bridge of her nose.

The child of chaos immediately flew to her side, straightening her up into a sitting position and looking her over as she clutched her nose with both hands, a pained expression upon her features, as a steady flow of blood seeped through her fingers.

As the Kuchiki clan's leader apathetically glanced at the two Aizen from over his shoulder, Hinamori, hands still to her face whilst her cousin swiftly used kido on her, threw him an utterly ugly glare: "How dare you?!"

"Now, now, Byakuya..." started the immortal forebodingly in a reproachful tone of voice, though his expression looked more amused than anything "Breaking your oath already?"

Fear gripping at him at the thought of what could follow those words, the noble was quick to state defensively: "I didn't do anything to you."

"Not directly" confirmed the child of chaos as his lips tilted further upwards "Hinamori may not be me, but she is an extension of me, a part of me, hence defying her, means defying me."

Shockingly stunned by the strong similarity in the two cousins' words, the 6th Division's captain, turning white, grit out tensely: "You didn't say that before."

"I didn't see the need to, though I guess I should have" commented Aizen offhandedly as he finished healing his female relative before addressing her softly "Are you alright?"

"With all due respect, Aizen-sama" started Hinamori softly, her voice dangerously low as she glared black in the Kuchiki's direction "You might have to wait a moment before I answer."

Getting up slowly, the female Aizen walked over to face the crowd once more as she pointed over to where the Kuchiki were on display, stressing out lividly: "Soil them. With what, the choice is yours. Just make them learn their place."

"Now you did it" muttered Yaten tensely whilst Byakuya and the others paled when the people of the Rukongai cheered at Hinamori's words with thunderous approving shouts and rushed around to gather what they needed for what was to follow.

A few then advanced with large disturbing grins and, after taking aim, started throwing balls of mud, which either hit the Kuchiki square on the face or tainted their clothes, whilst others went on and threw rotten fruit, before their projectiles came raining down on them just as steadily as the weather, whereas the three Aizen smirked in relished amusement and the other captives could only watch in utter horror - knowing that their words of protest would fall upon deaf ears - Ichigo, Renji, Shinji, Yoruichi, Ginrei and Sojun being the most appalled.

Shrieking in repulsion, the female Kuchiki tried to shield at least their faces by turning them to the side and burying them in their shoulders, whilst the clan's leader and his two uncles clenched their eyes shut and grit their teeth in disgust, and despite the pouring rain gradually washing away the dirt and stench, it couldn't wash away the feeling of being, of feeling utterly debased, the loud booing and laughter not doing much to relieve their humiliation.

After the defamatory act went on for quite awhile, Hinamori eventually had the crowd stop, much to their disenchantment, before she then ushered the Octavo to come over by crooking her finger, the one in question easily complying.

Reaching the stained and silent purebloods, the mad pink-haired scientist produced from his sleeve a small syringe, containing a dark greenish liquid, before he moved forward to inject a little of its contents beneath each of the Kuchiki's skin, uncaring of their struggle and obvious dissent, and when the Espada reached Byakuya, the latter questioned warily: "What is that?"

Smiling lazily, Szayel forcefully titled the face of the clan's leader to side in order to insert the needle directly in the other's neck - acutely aware of the Aizen's particular concentration in causing this very noble more afflictions than to the others - before finally answering: "It's an enhancer, rendering one's sensor nerves particularly sensitive to pain, no matter their tolerance to it."

Before he had the time to fully process the Espada's words as the latter backed away, the young Kuchiki noble's entire body was ran through by electric shocks and, though the power was actually in fact quite minim, it felt like he was being run through by more than a thousand volts. And it was painful, more painful due to the administered drug, more than anything he had ever experienced.

Screams of absolute agony then reached his ears before he realized that they weren't just his, despite him attempting to contain himself to no avail: it was coming from his relatives nearby, they too enduring the same thing.

After a moment which seemed to have lasted forever, the brown-haired girl then signalled for Ulquiorra - the one to have unleashed the torrents of electric torment upon her order - to stop, allowing the Kuchiki a brief reprieve as they desperately tried to catch their breaths, whilst their bodies still underwent spasms of the after-effect. The cruelty was then repeated again twice, each time longer than the former, and by the time it was finally over, the six nobles felt as if they had been burnt from the inside, the three females whimpering and in tears while the three males were panting out breathlessly, sweat breaking out on their brow.

The brown-haired girl clad, deeply satisfied, shifted forwards to grab the 6th Division's captain by the chin, digging her long black-painted nails in his skin as she did so, causing him to hiss in pain, his nerves still exceptionally heightened.

Forcing him to look at her, she uttered in a commanding voice: "Say it, pureblood. Say that this, all that's happening, is your fault. Either that, or apologize to me."

"I will do no such thing" breathed out the noble with difficulty, glaring out tiredly but still defiant "On both parts."

"Oh? More rebelling?" taunted Hinamori lithely with raised eyebrows, a crazed glint in her eyes "Despite seeing what it's causing, not only you, but your family? Have you no heart?"

Half-lidded grey eyes, dimmed by fatigue, narrowed at her with disgust: "You're despicable."

Narked by the other's tone, the female Aizen was swift to slap him hard across the face, her voice lethal: "I don't want to hear that from someone whose family name is a synonym to the word 'rotten' (1)."

As Koga burst out in laughter at the girl's biting remark, the immortal smirked, he too quite amused: "Oh my... Harsh."

Merely shrugging with a smile, Hinamori then reached for a whip that she had previously acquired from somewhere on the battlefield before she flashed the young Kuchiki noble a dangerous smile: "Tell me, would you scream some more?"

"Would you burn in hell?" countered the 6th Division's captain frigidly, inwardly steeling himself for what he knew was bound to happen.

"Eventually, yes. But you first" promised Hinamori as she languidly ran her tongue over the length of the whip for show, as it laid extended between her hands, before smirking darkly and then proceeding to fiercely flay her weapon against the 6th Division's captain.

Prowling around him as she lashed out, alternating between his bare back and his exposed chest, she hit him repeatedly, relentlessly, at one point even scratching one of his cheeks as she just went on and on, doing so with such force, that his blood stained the ground at her feet with violent splatters of sadistic red malice, which Byakuya first endured in silence before she finally managed to draw unrestrained and uncontrolled screams from him, the pain tenfold due to the drug still flowing through his veins.

Amidst the aghast others, Toshiro was staring at Hinamori in utter horror: despite her slight shyness, she had always held a fondness for plays, even leading them. And the girl was good at it too, making a heck of a show during ceremonies and celebrations. But now, the way she was currently making use of her talent, he wasn't sure if he ought to be sickened or terrorized.

"I'm begging you to put an end to this, Aizen Sosuke" uttered Ginrei abruptly as he addressed the immortal, finally able to find his voice that had been previous lost upon the horrors he was seeing his children suffer through.

"Beg? This...is you, begging?" mocked the child of chaos lightly before his voice suddenly held an edge of lethal lividness to it "What about me, hm? When I implored you back then to spare the only person that ever mattered to me? Forgive me if I'm not convinced by your 'pleading'."

"Just... Please..."

"Ginrei-sama, don't torture yourself" cut off Aizen unremittingly as he casually disregarded the old Kuchiki in favour of turning back his rapt attention towards the suffering of the Kuchiki's grandson "If I didn't heed to Sojun, what makes you think I'd listen to you?"

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Though she wasn't one to usually lose herself so vividly to her emotions, notably not sorrow and all out in the open for everyone to see, Rukia had had a very hard time calming down...

By the time she sort of did, the 13th Division's lieutenant took notice of her surroundings, cringing in horror due to the Espada being considerate enough to choose the 1st Division's barracks - right within the now deceased Head Commander's office - in which to guard them, a Fracción in each corner, while they were all coerced to station in the middle of the room.

As soon as her distress had stilled to a certain extent, her fellow shinigami instantly expressed their concern, only she didn't acknowledge their gentle inquiries, mutely shaking her head at them and looking away: she had nothing to say, not when it was about something she couldn't fully grasp, the unanswered question still lingering fresh upon her lips, the 'why' that was bound to set her off again into another steady stream of tears at the torture of being rejected by the person she had come to admire and cherish the most amongst nearly everyone else.

The other captives eventually took the hint and let her be, drawing away as best as they could to give her space, before talking furtively amongst themselves, wondering what to do and what was to become of them, whilst every now and then glancing over at the four Fracción - Menoly, Loly, Tesla and Neveromina - who honestly didn't seem to care what they spoke of, as long as they didn't make any attempts to run, not that they could anyway: the seki bindings were regularly draining their strength, making them sluggish and progressively lethargic.

After a moment, as she tried, through her own means, to yet again answer the issue that just wouldn't let her be, the petite shinigami jumped, startled, as someone abruptly sat down right beside her, their knee almost touching hers.

Turning to her side, Rukia paled in slight terror when she saw that, out of everybody, it was Grimmjow, staring dead ahead and not once glancing at her, but far too close for the girl's comfort: given her rickety past with them, she never had been fond of Hollows - and thus by extension Arrancars, Espada and so on - the only one exception being Nelliel, and that was merely because Ichigo and his friends had warmed up to her first. But this one in particular just completely set her off the edge - and that was so even when disregarding that he had almost killed her twice - causing her to have repeatedly warned shinigami and humans alike that he was trouble...or just worse than trouble. It depended on the point of view, really.

Blinking her wide indigo eyes repetitively, she regarded the other nervously, but not once did he look at her, not even when she drew away slightly. He just sat there, frowning faintly with half-lidded exhausted eyes and gazing ahead in what appeared to be rather hefty boredom. And that eventually led to her confusion as well as her curiosity, before she gathered her courage to ask the other tentatively: "What do you want exactly?"

The response of the Arrancar - or rather former Arrancar - was to shrug wordlessly, earning even further bewilderment from the 13th Division's lieutenant, until she took notice of a few shinigami looking hopefully in their direction. And then it hit her.

Narrowing her eyes at the blue-haired, she warned slightly: "Don't bother comforting me."

"Not here for that" retorted Grimmjow tiredly, his brow furrowing further, as he continued to look out in front of him, giving a particular attention to the plain wall that faced his eyesight.

"Then why are you here?"

This time, he did turn his focus to her, a hint of cynicism to his voice: "Because some believe that if I was able to 'console' - their words, not mine - Hime, then it would work with you."

Recalling the bizarre lulling effect he had upon said girl, Rukia glanced over in the others' direction questioningly, before raising an eyebrow at the blue-haired feline: "And?"

Smirking, Grimmjow snorted in obvious incredulity before he leaned in slightly: "I fuckin' disagree. I doubt you'd ever want to unload, just because you're all as fuckin' toffee-nosed as the rest of your family. It'll make you look weak and you hate feeling that way. Something Hime also hates, but has no bloody problem showing though. You two may get along, but you and Hime are fuckin' worlds apart. So, nope, nothing I can do for you."

Initial apprehension sliding a little, she couldn't help but smile at the other's words, and she even got bold and went further, teasing him: "So...you're quirky therapy works just on her?"

"Rather unintentionally on people with fuckin' orange hair apparently" remarked the former Arrancar offhandedly though with slight irritation, a contrast that made the petite shinigami snicker softly, earning a pair of raised blue eyebrows at her reaction "So you can laugh. Guess you're not so much of a snob like the rest of those Kuchiki then."

That however caused her to instantly feel disheartened all over again: "That's because I'm not like them. I'll never be like them. Or be one of them."

Vivid blue eyes widened in stunned surprise: "Where the fuckin' hell is this coming from?"

"It's just..." began Rukia uncertainly, casting a pensive gaze over the other before realizing that she had no reason not to confide in him, given the fact that he faithfully kept Orihime's secrets from everyone, even up until now. Nodding at her own logic and hoping she wasn't wrong, she whispered slowly to the other's attention alone: "I'll tell you what happened."

Listening carefully to the petite shinigami's words and grimacing every now and then, he then divulged tellingly, once she had finished: "Sounds more like your brother protected you."

Blinking in surprise, for she truthfully hadn't at all thought of that possibility amidst her emotional hurt, Rukia asked cautiously: "Protected me from what?"

"From whatever dear fuckin' Aizen had prepped up for the Kuchiki. He's been talking about taking them down and doing that the bloody hard way for quite some fuckin' time now" revealed Grimmjow gravely, eyeing her in understanding as she looked disconcerted with herself for reacting the way she did. He didn't blame her: Aizen knew exactly how to play around with someone's perception of things, making them believe the worst when there was actually naught to it. It was just another form of misleading manipulation and nothing but that.

Biting her lower lip in horror at the mere thought of anything happening to her adoptive family, the 13th Division's lieutenant struggled to understand: "But...why? What does Aizen have against the Kuchiki to hate them so? "

It took quite a moment for the other to answer, obvious indecision upon his features until he then chose to not say anything: "It's...fuckin' complicated."

Inquisitiveness pricking her despite her respectfully not pushing the subject further, the petite shinigami inquired softly: "Does... Does my brother know why?"

"I really doubt he has the full version" replied Grimmjow unwaveringly with assurance: he was positive that Aizen had withheld anything of significant importance on the subject, mostly flaunting titbits of information. Because given the immortal's actual point of view on the matter, it was all far deeper than it originally seemed, and the former Arrancar unwillingly came to know of this because he had merely been a third set of ears during the conversations between Aizen and Orihime.

"And the other Kuchiki?"

"Same."

Rukia hesitated a moment before asking the other: "You?"

"I know a few things that ain't fuckin' pretty" admitted the blue-haired feline reluctantly before he was quick to warn "And I'm not telling."

"...I see."

A brief silence instilled itself between them, the two lost in their respective thoughts, before Grimmjow spoke up abruptly: "I'm going away now."

The petite shinigami blinked: "Oh. Okay."

"So...can you get off me?"

"Ah" she uttered as she flushed awkwardly, noticing only now that she had somehow mid-conversation leaned into the other's shoulder, before she hastily backed away "I sincerely apologize."

Much to her puzzlement, her words caused Grimmjow to groan exasperatedly: "Oh fuck no,not you too."

Smiling at his reaction, Rukia then expressed her gratitude, genuinely glad that he actually came to hear her out whilst being slightly rueful that she didn't attempt earlier - like Ichigo and Orihime - to try and get to know him better: "Thank you. For 'consoling' me."

"It's fuckin' free of charge" shrugged the blue-haired feline nonchalantly before moving away with a faint smirk "But don't go making a habit out of it."

About to promise that she wouldn't, the lieutenant's attention was taken away from her when a couple of sonido resounded and she saw, along with the others, that Ichigo, Renji, Kisuke, Yoruichi, Gin, Toshiro and Shinji were being brutally brought forward by Youli and Veneno.

The petite shinigami's initial reaction to express relief at the sight of them was instantly cut off when she took in how pale they all were and how horrified they all appeared, as if they had all just been through a relentless, atrocious nightmare which decided to scar them for life.

Worry taking over along with everyone else, Mashiro was the first to voice it as she addressed the others: "Shinji-chan? Berry-tan (2) and everyone else? Are you ok?"

"Yeah...Fine" uttered the 5th Division's captain automatically in everyone else's stead - for they just didn't seem to have the strength to speak - and yet, his voice was flat, hollow, his eyes unfocused, as he and the others were forced to sit along with Rukia and Co.

"Extremely convincing" stated Cirucci sarcastically, a few other former Arrancars nodding in agreement at her words as they eyed intently the new additions to their huddled group in the centre of the room.

As Rangiku and a few others tried to appease whatever strong stupor Ichigo and everyone else were in, Rukia looked around in confusion and growing apprehension, hoping there was no link between their reactions and what she had just realized: "Where...Where are N...Nii-sama and the others?"

"They locked the Kuchiki elsewhere" replied Renji slowly after awhile when no one else did - their faces having just blanched further at her question - before the red-haired seemed to edgily struggle with his next words "But, Kuchiki-taichou... He...He's...He's still out there."

"What's wrong?" Hiyori persisted, anxiety gnawing at her, especially and majorly due to Shinji's unusual behaviour "You fuckin' look like you've seen hell."

"It's nothing compared to those who've been through it" whispered Ichigo abruptly in a near trembling voice, his words causing the others who had been with him to shudder and shiver, whilst everyone else was just profoundly perplexed.

"What do you mean?" Ikkaku asked, though he wasn't really sure he actually wanted to know.

"They've been fuckin' tortured - the Kuchiki - that's what" voiced Grimmjow austerely, causing everyone to go ashen in absolute aghast horror, his next words making things even worse "And pretty boy's still going through with it."

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If there ever was one word to accurately define what he was experiencing, whilst concurrently combining how exhausted, incensed, humiliated and in pain he felt...that would be the one. But to be honest, it took awhile for Byakuya's hellish tormentors to get him to feel this way.

The 6th Division's captain had first been on the receiving end of the brown-haired girl's whip long enough to pass out in sheer pain - despite the drug's effects having long subsided - only to be roused again by a vivid reviving kido, before noticing that, during his brief blackout, the remaining captives - including the other Kuchiki - had somehow disappeared, probably taken to be locked away by the Espada or something along those lines...meaning that left him alone. Alone, with three demented children of chaos and a whole crowd of raging Rukongai people. Lovely.

The Kuchiki then hissed out when Koga, as he leisurely passed behind, dragged his nails deep along the noble's already raw slow bleeding back - courtesy of Hinamori - before the Aizen raised his bloodied fingers to his lips and licked them clean with a wicked grin to his lips.

Right after that, he and his niece took turns as they violently lashed out on the helpless bound noble, hitting him, kicking him, scratching him, doing so fiercely like rampant beasts, while the third Aizen, the immortal, watched, a sadistic glint in his eyes and satisfaction to his lips, Byakuya's suffering like music to his ears, the roaring of the crowd an orchestra to the show.

They finally stopped and drew back - whether because they were done at last or whether out of tedium, he couldn't tell - allowing the noble a little respite, which he made the most of by attempting to catch his breath, having lost most of it with all he had screamed up till now.

With closed eyes and his head hung low under the still pouring rain, the 6th Division's captain didn't even flinch, far too tired to do so, when the immortal came forward and gently threaded his fingers through the noble's glossy wet locks - decidedly, Aizen Sosuke had a thing for his hair - before tightening hold and brusquely causing the Kuchiki to raise his head, allowing the Aizen trio to witness the young captain's further than half-lidded eyes, as he was almost on the verge of losing consciousness once more.

Leaning in close, Koga taunted the noble with a sinister sneer, his breath caressing the latter's face: "You do realize, boy, that you are completely at our mercy?"

"What mercy?" Byakuya seethed out cynically, panting out with effort and feeling the intense need to pass out again, but strongly steeled himself against it: no trust could be attributed to the Aizen when awake, he'd be damned if he'd let himself lay between their hands asleep.

"I'm loathe to admit it but I agree with the pureblood. There's no need for mercy" stated Hinamori frostily before she stressed out by pointing a finger at the young Kuchiki's forehead and digging a nail in his skin "Not for his kind."

Tightening his hold slightly, the immortal drew nearer to whisper in the noble's ear: "What Koga meant, Byakuya, is that anything can be done to you, my dear. Do realize that yet or not?"

"I won't let you do as you please" gritted out the 6th Division's captain as he defiantly, though futilely, tried to free himself from the other's fastened grasp.

"Won't let us?" echoed Koga mockingly before laughing out heartily, throwing his head back as he did so "You have no say in this, boy. Not with the positions we have you - and will have you - in. Have you yet to understand your vulnerability? Your helplessness? Your weakness?"

Dark grey snapped wide open to convey their strongly fierce searing fury: "I am not weak."

"No. No, you're not. It would have been quite boring if you were" admitted Aizen soothingly, kissing the noble's temple as he said those words before backing away, with Byakuya being far too taken aback by the gesture to react at all "But you do have a weakness, Byakuya. You care. You'd rather die than admit it but it is there, dragging you down, amidst your hidden recklessness. And 'caring', is but a bothersome burden which can easily and inevitably be used against you in the end. Your end."

"This isn't over, whether for me or you" declared the Kuchiki noble steadfastly, causing the child of chaos to chuckle at the other's obdurate obstinacy.

"You're absolutely right. It's just begun" promised Aizen with an ominous smirk before he turned to the bystanders "People of the Rukongai! Hopefully you enjoyed the show. Sadly, we have a little 'errand' to run, so we'll be leaving you. Mark the Seireitei as you please and shape at as you will. It is now ours, by extension yours. We'll keep in touch from now on."

"And the Kuchiki?" asked someone amongst the crowd, with a voice that was a little too eager for the noble's liking...and the Aizen's dark smiles to the question weren't any better.

"Oh? Him? As long as you keep your hands to yourselves, you may do whatever you want."

Byakuya froze at those words, incredulous eyes staring at the Aizen even as they departed: did...did Aizen Sosuke just...deliver him, hands free, to those of the Rukongai? This was not good. Not good at all.

Though they did leave one of the Espada behind - the black-haired one with dark green eyes and pale skin, whilst the rest accompanied them - to make sure that the mob of inhabitants didn't overstep their boundaries and touch him, the people of the Rukongai had found other ways to utterly debase and harm the Pureblood.

Drawing close and surrounding him excitedly, they mocked, taunted, called him and his family names, insulted with every word they knew, threw more projectiles (including flour and rotten eggs this time) on him at proximity, spat on him, doused his injured back with scalding salted water, whilst laughing out all the while as every single one of them relished in the sight of the noble's ire and agony as he forced himself to remain dead silent with tightly closed eyes.

The Espada eventually stepped in to send everyone away - saying they had had enough 'fun' and should they have more the Aizen would not be pleased - before the inhabitants gradually departed from the clearing, leaving it empty save for the Espada and bound 6th Division's captain. And though the rain had washed away all the filth, the Kuchiki noble still felt dirtied, soiled, rotten, further than ever before...But he was not broken. He refused to break, not when it was exactly what the Aizen wanted. He would not do that, not when so much was at stake. He'll stay and remain defiant and daring until the end, no matter when that shall be or what it would entail. That was a promise he intended not to break no matter what it took.

However, though he did grasp to a certain extent the anger and antagonism from the people of the Rukongai against his status as noble, he was rather perplexed by their actions, fuelled by a rather sadistic glee, and Byakuya wondered if they weren't made to those things by the Aizen.

Lost in his self-motivating and questioning thoughts, Byakuya startled slightly all of a sudden when a gentle hand rested upon his shoulder and started a healing kido which slowly tended to his injuries, cuts and bruises. Looking up from beneath a curtain of black soaked locks, the Kuchiki noble was honestly surprised to see the small old man from before, the one who had spoken of the Aizen's true nature, the one he had met back in the Rukongai when searching for answers no one would give him.

"You" uttered the 6th Division's captain quietly, eyes widening in recognition, before he considered the other's actions "Why are you...?"

"Hush now. Ya're gonna get me caught" muttered the old man seriously, continuing his work whilst glancing briefly over at the Espada, who oddly seemed to be frozen where he stood, not once reacting to what was occurring right beside him "An' there ain't much time for me powers to actually do somethin', Byakuya-sama, so lemme deal with at least this."

Byakuya blinked at the old man's words, sensing an oddity in them, before it hit him: he, nor his cousin, had ever given their first names to the old man. Staring at the other with wide stunned eyes, the young noble questioned carefully: "How...How do you know my name?"

The old man bit his lip, as if realizing his slip-up, but just when he was about to actually give a reply, a blast of dark blue light abruptly came colliding into him and sent him crashing into the ground nearby, a cloud of dust following the small brittle body's brutal impact.

Dark grey horrified eyes darting over to the origin of the attack, Byakuya stilled when he saw the mismatched blue-eyed woman from before, unease instilling itself within his core as he witnessed her standing gracefully on the top of a wooden pole, her features lethally malignant: "Well, well, if it is not the ignominy to our kind. How dare you show your face here, scum?"

Pushing himself off the ground with very little difficulty, as if he wasn't at all crippled by age, the old man straightened up and began walking forward, slowly shifting under a shimmering white light as he did, turning into, much to Byakuya's surprise, a rather young woman with long flowing silvery hair, milky skin, and two bright mismatched purple eyes, one lavender and the other amethyst.

Setting her hands upon her hips and regarding Manter dispassionately, the old-man-turned-young-woman flashed the other a mirthless smile, speaking in a light dainty voice, while still keeping the Rukongai accent: "Long time no seein', bitch. Oops, me bad. I'm be tryin' to say 'witch'. Though either way, them both sound bad, don't them?"

"Humour does not suit you" stated the dark-haired woman coldly, narrowing her eyes as she stared down haughtily at the other, who just blinked uncaringly in response.

"Neither does dat make-up" she mentioned flippantly before she raised an eyebrow and tilted her head with an air of feigned innocence "Or is it yar face?"

That seemed to irk Manter because it set her off, charging at the silver-haired woman and breaking the ground where the former had stood just seconds ago, before the two ethereal women engaged in a chaotic clash, surroundings ending up destroyed and turned to ashes as blinding sparks of blue and black collided violently against purple and white, whilst the young Kuchiki noble watched on the blur of the battle with aghast amazement.

"Magnificent, aren't they?" commented the child of chaos softly in awe, reappearing suddenly beside the noble, who slowly looked away from the scene unfolding before him in order to focus his attention upon the immortal with questioning eyes.

"Who are they?" inquired Byakuya curiously, barely taking in that the Espada did not move until Aizen set a hand upon his shoulder, as if freeing him from a sort of stupor.

The Aizen merely smiled enigmatically in response: "That is the question, isn't it?"

The Kuchiki noble then glared at the other, knowing by now where this was going: "You're not going to answer, are you?"

"No, I'm not" confirmed Aizen amusedly as he swiftly ran a hand over the noble's eyelids, closing them and sending Byakuya slumping forward into a profound slumber before the latter could even realize what had befallen him.

"Get yar filthy 'ands of 'im, Aizen!" yelled the silver-haired woman furiously as she saw it all, before she evaded her opponent and lunged for the child of chaos, only for the dark-haired woman to pull her back and throw her into a nearby wall.

"Who be you to order Aizen-sama around, vulgar cow?!" she seethed venomously, following the other as she threw her adversary before firmly stomping her bare foot against the silver-haired woman's chest, effectively pinning the latter harshly to the wall.

"Ya should know better than this" wheezed the one with mismatched purple eyes, struggling to get the other off of her before she crushed her ribcage and by extension her lungs.

Backing away to give her room, the dark-haired woman hissed heatedly, resembling a vile viper as she did so: "I need not lessons from the likes of you."

"Not lesson, truth" corrected the other as she coughed, casting the woman before her a look of profound pity which caused the latter to narrow her eyes in ire "Ya know 'ow this will end."

"I know. But nothing is my decision to make. Nor it is yours" uttered the dark-haired woman with a shake of her head before she raised it upwards to the rain cascading down whilst declaring with passionate conviction "The Children of Chaos are our gods, while we, we are just meagre dust in the wind in comparison."

"Them power next to ours is nought, so thinking that way will go an' be yar downfall" whispered the silver-haired as she glanced with narrowed eyes in Aizen Sosuke's direction, who met her dark glare with a casually raised eyebrow whilst he held tighter onto the Kuchiki noble sound asleep within his arms and languidly leant into the latter to nuzzle against him with a taunting smirk, simply to irk the old-man-turned-young-woman further.

"There will be a downfall" agreed the one with mismatched blue eyes indolently, as she lowered her head to face the other head on, a wide disturbing smile cutting up her features "But it is not the one you have in mind."

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"We really need to compare notes" voiced Shunsui all of a sudden, features weighty, which earned an acknowledging nod from most of the others after a moment as they consented, and they then began informing each other of what they knew, whilst taking in what they didn't: they went from Kurosaki Ichigo recovering his powers, to Inoue Orihime's probable amnesia, to what befell the Arrancars, to the current situation at hand, covering every detail they could.

A few then turned to face the 10th Division's captain in order to have his version of the facts, but he seemed to be in entirely different dimension, dim wide eyes staring ahead at nowhere.

"Hitsugaya-taichou?" called out Nanao quietly, before she and the others exchanged anxious glances when the young captain didn't acknowledge the other: he didn't even bat an eyelash.

"I think he's in shock. What with seein' Hinamori goin' berserk on the Kuchiki and all" Gin grimaced with consideration, joining in the conversation as he and the others had, by now, calmed down a little, but all still stayed visibly shaken- especially given that they had to relay what had happened to the Kuchiki, while excluding a major chunk for Rukia's benefit who still managed to be utterly horrified by what they allowed themselves to reveal.

"It's not possible" whispered Toshiro inaudibly, so softly that the others completely missed it.

The former Arrancars didn't though, with Luppi turning towards the other: "What was that?"

"She was forced or something" muttered the 10th Division's captain as he spoke a little louder "Hinamori...Hinamori would never do such things."

Most of the others stared at him in silence, far too stunned for words of any kind, but Shinji though had no such problem, his voice however just as incredulous as everyone's expressions: "Ya know, I still can't believe ya're in denial. Didn't ya see what she did? All she's done? Ya blind when it comes to her or somethin'?"

"What of Inoue Orihime?" countered the young white-haired captain, causing a few to lower their eyes in guilt at the truth "Most of you were against her and, in the end, she was truly pushed to act the way she did, just like those who believed in her had said."

"It's not the same, Toshiro" whispered Ichigo gently with considerate eyes "Inoue... Inoue had remorse in her eyes, and it was there all the time, even before these recent events. This Hinamori of yours...had absolutely none. She doesn't regret a single one of her actions."

"She actually enjoys them. Just like Sosuke and Koga" noted Yoruichi with a frown before forgoing it as she casted a rueful smile at the young captain "I'm sorry to say this, Hitsugaya, but I really have to believe that their words about her being an Aizen like them...are the truth."

"I don't want to believe this" grounded out Toshiro, his voice closely bordering onto hysterics "This is my childhood friend we're talking about! It has to be Aizen! Somehow! With Kyoka Suigetsu, maybe, I don't know! Someone please back me up here!"

"Hitsugaya-taichou..." Shunsui uttered empathetically whilst the other shinigami eyed him in silent sympathy before someone spoke up, taking them all aback.

"I'm with you, Taichou" declared Rangiku abruptly, holding a steadfast stance as she locked eyes with her stunned captain and ignored everyone else's staring "But just because it's you, that's all."

"Matsumoto?" the 10th Division's captain voiced with incredulity as he regarded her: though his lieutenant had spoken those words and seemed to be willing to uphold them, there was a fixed doubt in her eyes. And it was transparently clear that it was firmly directed at Hinamori.

"Same" spoke up Ichigo with a smile which Toshiro gladly returned, the young captain's face lightening up with gratitude "The benefice of doubt is something I'm willing to give, until things are cleared up."

"Kyoka Suigetsu" repeated Shinji thoughtfully with a frown, as he considered the possibility the 10th Division's captain previously gave out "It's possible, but..."

"Wait. Doesn't that zanpaktou affect one's senses?" pointed out Lisa perceptively "Since when can it influence an entire personality to that degree?"

The 4th Division's captain slowly raised her eyes at that: "Remember, we don't know everything about Aizen Sosuke's weapon."

"Besides, she seemed too convinced of her words, even if she was under an illusion" mentioned Kisuke with a shake of his head, recalling her words after she had killed Izuru and then when she had showed off the mark upon her back.

"The Hogyoku then?" suggested Nelliel helpfully, earning a grateful smile from both Toshiro and Ichigo at her trying to back them up "Like it controlled us before?"

"Or she's just an Aizen" shrugged Gin with a blank expression, earning a couple of glares at his cold indifference to the subject discussed.

"She. Is. Not. An. Aizen" seethed the 10th Division's captain, sick and tired of hearing that.

"She is one" revealed Stark suddenly with a yawn, leading everyone's focus to dart his way.

"And how do you know?" demanded Toshiro carefully with wide eyes, not at all liking the other's confident declaration.

The brown-haired wolf shrugged his shoulders with an apologetic air directed at the young white-haired captain as the former Arrancar spoke up: "She, Koga and Sosuke have similar scents. Not exactly the same, but still closely correlated. Same thing with their reiatsu. It was even hard to distinguish them at first. Sorry, kid."

As everyone steadily took in this information, Stark's genuine apology did nothing to soothe Toshiro who looked downright dejected, his resolve to stand up for his childhood diminishing further every time he tried.

"There you go. The divine nose of justice has spoken" drawled out Lilynette with an utterly bored expression before she glared at the 10th Division's captain "So, kid, stop moping. It's fuckin' pathetic."

"Go easy on him" chided Tia sternly, which the little former Arrancar merely shrugged off.

"I don't go easy on anyone."

"True" sighed Stark jadedly whilst the tan-skinned blonde smiled subtly "I can certify that."

Irked, Lilynette glared at him: "No, you can't."

Her other half raised an eyebrow at her as he smirked: "Do you really wanna go there?"

Spluttering unintelligible words at the brown-haired wolf, the little girl turned red making the other former Arrancars snicker and smirk at her discomfort, as Ichigo watched on with a faint smile before he remembered something: "Guys, I have a question. Who was that woman?"

"Which one?" the Shihoin Princess inquired curiously with a raised eyebrow, most of the others turning their attention to the new turn in conversation.

"The woman with mismatched blue eyes" clarified the orange-haired teenager before he furrowed his brow as he tried to recall "Aizen called her...uh...Man-something."

It was Yumichika who corrected him, a tremble to his pallid lips as he did so: "Manter-sama."

"Manter-sama?" repeated Ichigo with a baffled frown "Aizen didn't use honorifics, did he?"

"No, he didn't" confirmed Shuuhei as he glanced towards the two inseparable pair from the 11th Division, first regarding the 5th Seat, who was ashen with terror, and then the 3rd Seat was tense with anger "You two seem to know her...well."

"We do" stated the bald man curtly, as he shifted his bound hands to set one of them on Yumichika's lap as the latter shook faintly.

"Not going to elaborate, huh?" realized the 9th Division's lieutenant whilst being surprised by the gesture: he'd never known the 3rd Seat to be gentle. It was weird to see.

"Hell no" stressed out Ikkaku with an uncharacteristically dark and foreboding expression "Want us tell you what we know about her, fine. Want to hear how we know her, fuck off."

"Whoa, easy" placated the Shinigami Substitute, utterly stunned by the other's aggressiveness concerning the subject, which was clearly a lot more touchy than it seemed "So, who is she?"

"A Witch of the Rukongai" whispered Renji uneasily - who just tense as the other two - causing everyone to frown or raise an eyebrow with inquisitive puzzlement at the response.

Well, almost everyone. Upon hearing that answer, Rukia, Toshiro, Rangiku, Shuuhei, Gin and even Retsu's eyes doubled in size as they blanched, turning nearly as pale as Yumichika was.

Those originally from the Rukongai (3) glanced at each other, shivers running through their entire bodies, before the petite 13th Division's lieutenant stuttered apprehensively: "Is that...? Is that 'witch' with a capital letter?"

"Yep" nodded Ikkaku with an expression of sympathy when she looked very close to fainting.

"Wait a freakin' minute, wait" the 9th Division's lieutenant said, eyes blown wide, as he tried to grasp what they'd just been told "Witch Manter? As in...Manter, the Witch of Lust?"

"That'd be her" confirmed the 6th Division's lieutenant with a shudder, the others from the Rukongai rendered into a mess of emotions that no one else could grasp, as they looked at them with deep confusion but did not dare interfere or interrupt.

"You've got to be kidding" breathed out the 3rd Division's captain edgily, he too overtaken by dread: it was a typical reaction - this feeling of fear - to those who knew of that name.

What stunned them the most was that they failed to make the connection earlier, but then again, they weren't exactly focused back then with all that was going on when Aizen had voiced her name.

Now a little calmer, Yumichika closed his eyes and sighed: "If only..."

"I've never heard that name before" stated Yoruichi with a frown, watching the others with concern, while Kisuke and a few others nodded at her words, curiosity alight on their faces.

"That's because you're not of the Rukongai" pointed out the 4th Division's captain easily, far more composed than the others, despite she too being on edge, before she started to explain "The Seven Witches, each one representing one of the Deadly sins, have been terrorizing the Rukongai for years, unleashing their sin upon their victims. Those who know of them avoid even residing in neighbouring districts to where they've chosen to dwell. They're absolutely terrifying, the Witch of Lust in particular."

Shunsui eyes widened at that: to hear Unohana Retsu, formerly known as Kenpachi Yachiru, say that was enough to realize that this Manter person was absolutely not to be trifled with.

"They are, aren't they?" worded Rangiku with a nervous smile and a sweat to her brow "I'm having the jitters just talking about them."

"Unleashing their sin?" echoed Kensei with a perplexed expression "What does that mean?"

"Making you endure the sin they represent" answered Yumichika softly, colours only now slowly returning to his face "And they only do that, when they can't have you give in to it."

"Don't go on and talk about it if you not ok with it, Yumi" reprimanded Ikkaku half-heartedly, his expression deeply concerned.

"I'll be alright" smiled the beautiful black-haired man delicately before he closed his eyes again and exhaled deeply, a faint tremor that ran through his body at his next words "As long as she's not here."

"I don't get it" spoke up Kisuke slowly, bafflement upon his features as he referred to the 5th Seat's previous explanation, whilst Yoruichi nodded also conveying her confusion.

Licking his lips, Gin attempted to think of a way to make it uncomplicated for them: "Do you two remember how crazed those from the Rukongai were back when the Kuchiki were bein', well, tortured?"

"Yeah..."

"How would you describe their behaviour?"

Ichigo's two mentors had to blink with uncertainty at that, the purple-haired woman choosing to answer: "Uh, they were...like animals, for lack of another word."

"It's a very fittin' one, believe me" mentioned the silver-haired captain with a raised eyebrow "And their expressions?"

There was even more hesitance before the sandy blonde finally replied: "Ecstatic, I guess."

"Almost there. Their features were lustful, infused with psychotic and wild pleasure for pain."

"So," Yoruichi said leisurely as she came to a conclusion "That was all, hypothetically, this Manter person's doing?"

A collective frown crossed the features of those from the Rukongai, Ikkaku joining words to it: "There's nothing hypothetical about it."

Smiling sheepishly at them, the Shihoin princess then asked: "Where do they come from?"

"No one knows" shrugged the 3rd Seat openly "One day, they were just...there."

"And what are their true motives, apart from causin' chaos?" questioned Shinji before, all of a sudden, a word from the previous question abruptly felt heavy on his tongue "Wait...Chaos?"

"You've just answered the question apparently" nodded Retsu seriously before elucidating "The Seven Witches await their representative deities, the evil deities of chaos."

"The children of chaos" whispered Gin with a dimmed expression, wondering how he didn't make the connection before, despite having sensed something wrong between the immortal's interactions with the eerie woman.

"Only, compared to the Witches, we always believed that the children of chaos were merely legend" continued the 4th Division's captain solemnly "We didn't think that they were real."

The 5th Division's captain narrowed his eyes in slight understanding: "The Aizen...are one of those clans, aren't they?"

"Can someone please explain to me what these children of chaos are?" pleaded Ichigo with a bewildered expression, having completely lost track of the discussion awhile back "Aizen kept stating he was one but didn't explain it once."

"It's...a long story and I'll clue you in a minute, Ichigo, ok?" promised the Shihoin princess before rejoining the topic with rather pertinent questions "What I really want to know is if the children of chaos are of five clans, how can they be seven witches awaiting them? Did the children of chaos decide to suppress two sins or something?"

"You're completely out of fuckin' context. It's because there were originally seven clans."

Everyone's widened eyes, no exception, fell on the former Arrancar who had spoken, with a surprised Ikkaku asking: "What?! And you know this how?"

"Aizen talks a lot when he wants to fuckin' show off" shrugged Grimmjow with a roll of his eyes before he stared at the others seriously "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

A few hesitated at his words, glancing at each other, whilst Yoruichi titled her head to the side with a faint frown: "If it can clear things up, then yes."

"Suit yourselves. So like I said, the witches, each having original names that none knows of apart from the children of chaos, were of the number seven. And each deadly sin - as well as the respective witch incarnating it - went with the following clan: Envy for the Susanoo, Greed for the Tsukyomi, Lust for the Aizen, Gluttony for the Izanagi, Wrath for Narukami, Sloth for the Shihoin and Pride for the Kuchiki" revealed the blue-haired feline evenly before smirking mirthlessly at the sheer shock that crossed the shinigami's features, Yoruichi's in particular "What? Did you really fuckin' think that the purebloods just up and popped out of nowhere?"

It took a moment for the Shihoin to formulate a reply, and when she did, it was sheer denial: "That's impossible."

"If you don't to fuckin' believe it, that's your problem, not mine. Remember, you asked. But think about it for a minute. Are those from the Shihoin lazy and carefree? Are all the Kuchiki stuck-up and would rather die than admit they're wrong?"

Furrowing her eyebrows as she pondered over the subject, Retsu questioned with interest: "But...admitting that this is true, what happened to the Witches of Sloth and Pride then?"

Shaking his head, the blue-haired feline clicked his tongue: "No fuckin' clue on that, sorry."

Kisuke slowly eyed his shell-shocked childhood friend: "Did you...? Do the records speak of this...possibility, Yoruichi?"

"I don't know. I'm a Shihoin, so I don't have direct access to them. Only the Kuchiki do, and I don't believe even they'd know about...this."

"For a clan supposed to trace history, they're surely doing a fuckin' poor job at it, huh?!" seethed out Hiyori suddenly, flipping mad at them all being left in ignorance this long over something so lethally important "This is the how many-th information that we find out about completely out of the fuckin' blue 'cause the Kuchiki didn't fuckin' bother writing it?!"

"'How many-th' isn't a word, Hiyori" corrected Lisa with a raised eyebrow as she stared at her fellow Vizard with disappointment, the latter's linguistics going south due to her anger.

The little blonde girl was quick to glare at her: "Don't fuckin' lecture me when I'm angry!"

As everyone gradually digested this new information, Rukia, she too taken aback by the near improbable possibility, offered an alternative: "Aizen may be lying."

"Maybe" accepted Grimmjow with a lenient look towards the petite shinigami before he stated assuredly "But there's something you need to know about that bloody fuckin' bastard. He's everything, and I really mean fuckin' everything, but a liar. He's someone who'd rather hurt with the truth than with a lie."

Toshiro's eyes widened in recollection upon hearing that: "He said something similar before."

"And I'll have to agree with both him and Grimmjow. Aizen doesn't lie" said Gin with a nod "Never has he in the time I've been at his side. And no, I'm not defendin' him, Hirako-san."

Yoruichi remained silent for a moment, taking in the revelation of her probable origins, before frowning in slight doubt: "Then, if we are - or were - children of chaos...what happened?"

"A disagreement apparently" proposed the Shihoin's childhood friend ponderingly "Or maybe a differentiation in views? Nevertheless, something must have led to the departure from both the Kuchiki and Shihoin clans from the children of chaos...and caused them to become the purebloods that put an end to the other five's reign."

"But how did we become purebloods then?" questioned the Shihoin princess, inwardly cringing at the thought of Byakuya hearing about all this "Is that alteration even achievable?"

"That, and what of the other two noble clans? Shiba and...?" began Kisuke before pausing with wide eyes which stared at the others "And what's the fourth clan's name anyway?"

As eyes fell on her in hopes of her being able to answer, Retsu shook her head whilst sighing ruefully: "It's a recluse clan. They act in the shadows and no one knows of them or has even seen them. Very rare are those who actually know of them."

"O...k" accepted Shunsui rather unconvincingly, apparently disappointed to not have heard more "But the issue does remain: where did those two noble clans come from?"

"That is a good question" nodded Lisa in agreement, a frown to her features as she thought about it.

"And that's all they'll ever be, questions" grounded out Shinji irately "I'm seriously startin' to hate not gettin' straight answers from things like these."

"You're not the only one" muttered Kisuke musingly and he could tell that quite a few - excluding him and Yoruichi - shared that sentiment.

"Do you know anything about this, Grimmjow?" Ichigo inquired hopefully, he too caught in the conversation despite not fully comprehending it, before raising his eyebrows when the former Arrancar in question didn't react to his query, not even looking at him "Grimmjow?"

"Don't fuckin' talk to me, kid" brushed off the blue-haired feline frostily, causing nearly everyone to stare at him in confusion, whilst Nel merely sighed before she resorted to pouting.

"Wha...?" started the teenager, just as flabbergasted by the other's attitude "I just wanted to know your op..."

"And don't even bloody bother asking for my opinion, since you won't fuckin' listen anyway."

The Shinigami Substitute blinked, wondering what this was about, before asking the other tentatively: "Are you...mad at me?"

This time, Grimmjow did glance towards Ichigo, and the latter then wished he hadn't, because it honestly looked like the former was trying to burn him to crisp with his eyes alone: "Very."

The orange-haired sweat-dropped nervously as the other's glare turned menacing with every passing minute: "Uh..."

"I have a couple of things to tell you, kid" informed the blue-haired feline with a suddenly oddly pleasant smile which somehow unsettled Ichigo even further than the blistering glare "Very bad news, bad news and good news...which would you like to fuckin' hear first?"

"Grim..."

"The bad news then" decided Grimmjow just as agreeably, before the dark cutting glare vividly returned tenfold "You got yourself fuckin' caught, by Aizen. Congrats on that, really, from the very bottom of my fuckin' heart. Then, the good news in this is, you have me, who can probably, just maybe, find a way to lessen whatever that bloody bastard's planned for you. The very bad news however is that you made a fuckin' oath...to Aizen?! ARE YOU BLEEDING INSANE?!"

Cringing as the former Arrancar near screeched the last part with rage, the Shinigami Substitute futilely tried to defend himself: "I didn't have a choice!"

Blue incensed narrowed even further more at that response: "No, no. Actually, you did...when I told you stay back at your house!"

"And I didn't listen" sighed Ichigo resignedly, having realized awhile before that it was his own stubbornness that sort of led him to this, amongst other things "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. Not yet" noted the blue-haired feline heatedly, as if making a sort of deadly promise, before he raised his bound hands and leisurely crooked a finger commandingly at the orange-haired teen "Come here."

When the teenager's response was to merely stare at the other with wide puzzled eyes, the former Arrancar raised an eyebrow, the vein throbbing viciously upon his forehead betraying the now calm facade he wore: "Am I speaking alien, kid? Come. The. Fuck. Here. Now."

Hesitating only a few seconds more, Ichigo eventually complied, cautiously inching nearer to the other and doing so further - as the blue-haired ushered him forward every time he stopped - until they were almost face-to-face, making it slightly self-conscious for the teen so he began to voice it: "Gri... OW!"

Everyone else watched on, stunned, as the Shinigami Substitute found himself cut off by the former Arrancar, the latter brutally head-butting him with all his strength and sending the former colliding with the floor.

Wincing and holding his aching head with both hands, one for the forehead and the other for the back, the orange-haired teenager scowled deeply at the blue-haired feline who looked smugly satisfied: "That hurt, you bastard!"

"Bloody hell, Kurosaki, you're fuckin' lucky I didn't do more than that!"

Raising both eyebrows in mystification at the other's unrestrained and unexplained anger, Ichigo demanded to know: "Why are you so pissed off about this?"

"Why? WHY?! It just so fuckin' happens, kid, that because of your pig-headed rush-head-first-into-danger instincts that I'm not breaking one, but two fuckin' promises because I ended up incapable of upholding either of them and I..."

Eyes softening at the other's distress which was actually directed at his safety, Ichigo glanced awkwardly to the side as he whispered: "It's not such a big deal, Grimmjow."

And the former Arrancar saw red: "IT FUCKIN' IS TO ME!"

After that declaration resounded soundly in the room they were in and stunned everyone to silence, including the on-looking Fracción, the Shinigami Substitute regarded the other quietly as the latter panted away under the effort of wrath: "Well, it's not to me. I have you, right?"

Instead of relaxing like Ichigo hoped he would, Grimmjow seemed to be utterly horrified, his voice falling under sub-zero as he declared meaningfully: "You... Your trust in me is fuckin' uncalled for, Kurosaki, because when Aizen finds out, he'll..."

The former Arrancar immediately cut himself off when a sudden sonido sounded, leading Ulquiorra to then stand beside the group of prisoners, his large bottomless green eyes drawn onto a sole person and casting out the rest: "Grimmjow."

"Ulquiorra" the blue-haired feline responded in acknowledgement, locking his blue eyes calmly with the other's "Here for me?"

"Yes. Aizen-sama wishes to see you."

Smirking mirthlessly with a tightened jaw, Grimmjow raised his lividly glaring eyes upwards: "I'm not gonna fuckin' like this, am I?"

Despite the slight sympathy he felt for his former colleague, the Cuatro's response came forth unrelentingly as he made the other stand: "No."

"Great" grinned the blue-haired feline dimly, trepidation at having to face Aizen now when in this state: he could deal with the immortal when angered, but not when he was a complete and utter mess with all his emotions out on the loose. Well shit.

"Grimmjow, you..." started Ichigo worriedly, concern tugging at him upon seeing the other's expression, but before he could say anything else, the former Arrancar was gone with the sound of Ulquiorra's sonido.

To be continued…

Shivers... I'm a cruel, cruel person and I know it. Am I proud of it? I may have to think a long time before actually answering. So, I'm not going to dwell much on bothering you when I'll be updating the following chapter soon (it's half-way done). I'll give you a little general idea though: next chapter, there'll be a threesome (and the first one of you who correctly guesses who the three participants are will be given a one-shot of choice as a New Year's present!). I won't say more than that because if I do say more, I'll end up giving away the whole scene here, in the author's note. So, I'll leave you hanging for a little... Please forgive me? Meantime, all your thoughts will be greatly appreciated and I strongly encourage you to comment, especially for the next chapter. See you all very soon! Love you guys! Bye!

Next Chapter: Fate For Spoils:

(1) Believe it or not, 'Kuchiki' stands for 'Rotten Tree'. To me, it is undeniably hilarious that Byakuya keeps flaunting his Clan's name and being very proud of it for what it truly means.

(2) 'Berry-tan' is Mashiro Kuna's nickname for Ichigo Kurosaki within the Japanese version of the Bleach series, and I'm very fond of it: couldn't call Ichigo anything but that for awhile.

(3) Apart from those present I cited, I don't who else is from the Rukongai: I don't recall the anime pointing it out for anyone else and on , it just isn't mentioned in detail. But I'd like to think that some characters like Kensei, Mashiro and Hiyori are initially from the Rukongai (because I do know that Shunsui, Jushiro, Izuru, Soifon, Omaeda, Yoruichi and Byakuya are from the Seireitei as nobles (of different ranks) since birth). As it is unclear, I'm not gonna spout more nonsense than I already have or else I just might mess it up all further.

A/N: To reassure you, I really feel terrible for what the Kuchiki Clan had to endure...kind of.