Hello everyone, Thunder here with another chapter. I hope everyone is enjoying the return of Bleach. Also, happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrates it. Next year is going to be interesting.
The following is a fan-based parody.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, TV Tokyo, Viz Media, and Studio Pierrot.
Avatar the Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, and the Kyoshi book series are owned by Nickelodeon. All other ideas belong to their original sources. Please support the official release.
"Hello." – Normal talking.
"Hello." – Ichigo's thoughts.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō speaking.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō thoughts.
"Seems like they are taking us through an underground tunnel." Ichigo thought. Ichigo closed his eyes, pretending to be unconscious. On the other hand, the bartender was unconscious. Ichigo could sense their current location by using Schrift E: The Earth. They used the underground tunnel to cross into the inner layer of Ba Sing Se. Ichigo and the bartender were separated and placed in their cell. As soon as the guard left, Ichigo opened his eyes. Ichigo tapped the ground with his finger while using Schrift E: The Earth.
"Looks like there are 30 other prisoners nearby. On the other hand, there are three guards currently patrolling the area and ten more in a room." Ichigo gathered. "Chishiki, can you use your nanobots to create a fake copy of my body?" Ichigo asked.
"I can," Chishiki replied. He activated Schrift X: The Xenomachina. The nanobots flowed out of Ichigo's shadow. Chishiki took over the nanobots, instructing them to create a realistic copy of Ichigo's body. Ichigo activated Schrift U: The Umbra. Nightshroud, in its cloak form, appeared on his back. Ichigo slipped into the shadows and escaped his cell. Ichigo arrived in the nearest guard's shadow. Ichigo activated Schrift Q: The Qliphoth.
"Sathariel," Ichigo mentally cast. Ichigo could feel a copy of the guard's soul was created.
"It seems the guards that arrested you are part of a secretive group called the Dai Li. They are essentially the secret police of Ba Sing Se." Naamah reported.
"Similar to the ones in China, Russia, and North Korea?" Ichigo asked.
"Correct," Naamah said. "Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Dragon King of Earth and Metal, doesn't know to properly rule. But Long Feng, the Leader of the Dai Li, manipulates the Dragon King to the point that Toyotomi Hideyoshi needs to ask Long Feng to advise him before he does anything. Anyone speaking negatively about Toyotomi Hideyoshi is secretly detained by the Dai Li. They had their blood drained while going under 'reeducation', making them willing to serve as a spy for the Dai Li."
"This is a mess," Ichigo admitted.
"Indeed," Naamah replied.
"We have only two options on how we can proceed," Chishiki said. "The first is we simply escape and head to Shuǐ Bùluò [Water Tribe]. The second option is we free the prisoners, capture the Dai Li guards, and escape."
"Let's go with the second option," Ichigo said.
"Are you planning on killing the Dai Li guards or converting them?"Naamah asked.
"Converting them," Ichigo replied.
"Then I recommend we use Gamaliel [Polluted of God," Naamah suggested.
"How come?" Ichigo asked.
"Remember when we used Harab Serapel [Ravens of the Burning God] on those Fire Dragons?" Naamah asked.
"I do," Ichigo replied.
"I believe the Fire Dragons survive the mutation because they were able to fly. On the other hand, Earth and Metal Dragons aren't capable of flight. We might create flightless garudas and harpies." Naamah theorized.
"Ok. I'll use Gamaliel," Ichigo said. As they planned their next move, Ichigo continued to follow behind the Dai Li guard. "Sathariel [Concealment of God]." Ichigo copied the soul of the Dai Li guard. "Gamaliel." Ichigo activated. A large oval mirror appeared behind Ichigo in the shadows. The top of the mirror is decorated with the upper skull of a beast with a pair of horns protruding out from the sides. The sides of the mirror were decorated with rib bones as if they were the mirror's rib cage. "Gamaliel, devour the guard." The skull's empty eyes glowed red as clear tentacles shot out of the shadows, toward the unsuspecting guard. The tentacles grabbed the guard's limbs and pulled him into the Desolate before he could react. Ichigo summoned Sathariel and placed the mask on his face, transforming into the Dai Li guard that Gamaliel just devoured. Ichigo used the Dai Li guard's memory to complete his patrol route. After completing his round, Ichigo walked towards the room with the ten guards.
"Naamah are you ready?" Ichigo asked.
"I am," Naamah replied from within Ichigo's shadow. Gamaliel had its ghostly tentacles out, ready to capture the guards. Ichigo pushed open the door.
"Gow, how was the patrol?" One of the guards asked.
"Good, Ghazan," Ichigo replied. "All the prisoners are accounted for."
"Excellent," Ghazan said.
"Naamah, make sure you use Sathariel on Ghazan," Ichigo said.
"Ok," Naamah replied.
"Did you check up on our new prisoners?" Another guard asked. Ichigo recognized the guard as the one who captured him and carried him here.
"I did Xin Fu," Ichigo replied. A few moments later another guard entered the room.
"One more to go," Ichigo said.
"Mushi, how was the patrol?" Ghazan asked.
"Eh, all of them are unconscious," Mushi replied in a carefree tone.
"MUSHI!" Xin Fu yelled. "Did you beat the shit out of them again?"
"They were making noise," Mushi replied.
"Mushi," Ghazan interjected. "If you beat them too much, we won't be able to meet our blood quota."
"Fine," Mushi said. "I will try to not beat the shit out of them too much." Before the guards could continue, the door opened again as the last Dai Li guard arrived.
"Finally," Ichigo thought.
"Ming, reporting." He said.
"Ming, how was the patrol?" Ghazan asked.
"Same as usual." He replied.
"Good," Ghazan said. He slid a paper to the other side of his table. "Just sign here and you are relieved of your shift." Ming and Mushi were the first ones who signed the paper. Ichigo walked over to sign the paper.
"Now!" Ichigo ordered. Suddenly Gamaliel's ghostly tentacles shot out of Ichigo's shadow towards the 12 other Dai Li guards. The guards were shocked, not expecting the attack. Gamaliel pulled them all into the Desolate.
"Naamah, start with the next part of the plan," Ichigo said as he took off Sathariel
"Yes, my Master," Naamah replied as she rose out of his shadow. She had already deactivated Gamaliel. She took Sathariel out of Ichigo's hand and placed it on her face. She transformed into Ghazan. She took the report off his desk.
"See you later," Naamah said in Ghazan's voice as she left the room.
"That should give us an hour." Ichigo thought. "Chishiki."
"Yes, Master?" Chishiki asked as she appeared out of the mindscape.
"How long will it take your nanobots to devour the entire facility?" Ichigo asked.
"Based on my calculations, I should be able to devour the facility in less than an hour." Chishiki estimated.
"Ok. Begin doing that while I go rescue the prisoners. We will meet at the entrance." Ichigo said. Black nanobots began to pour out of Chishiki's hand. They began to devour the facility. Ichigo shunpō'ed across the prison, storing all the prisoners in Haō Zaimushō. After that, Ichigo stored all the collected blood and pills in his mindscape. Ichigo appeared at the entrance of the metal prison to see Chishiki and Naamah standing there, waiting for him.
"It will take a few more minutes before the nanobots finished devouring the prison," Chishiki reported.
"That's fine," Ichigo said to Chishiki. He turned to Naamah. "How did it go on your end?"
"Long Fen didn't suspect anything when I turned in the report," Naamah said. "I made sure to keep an eye out just in case they sent more Dai Li agents."
"Good," Ichigo said. Suddenly a sea of black nanobots moved toward them. Chishiki raised her hand and absorbed all the nanobots.
"Completed." She said.
"Good. We can plan our next move later." Ichigo said as Chishiki and Naamah returned to his mindscape. Ichigo entered the shadows and used Shadowrun to quickly leave the scene.
Scene Change: Zigan Village
Ichigo spent three hours using Shadowrun to get to Zigan Village, one of the villages near the border between the Shuǐ Bùluò and the Yìnghuà Dìqiú Wángguó. Before Ichigo entered Zigan Village, he altered his dragon form again. His hair and scales are now a dull silver color. Ichigo discreetly rose out of the shadows and walked towards Zigan Village.
"Toll." The guards said with a bored tone. Ichigo calmly paid the toll.
"Know a good inn around here?" Ichigo asked.
"I would recommend the Badger's Cave. It's two blocks down and then make a right." The guard replied.
"Thanks," Ichigo said as he tipped the guard. He entered the village and follow the guard's instructions. Ichigo found the inn. Ichigo booked the room for the night. He had a quick dinner before heading up to his room. Once Ichigo was sure he was alone, he activated Tengan, transforming his eyes.
"Haōgan." Ichigo activated, sending himself into Haō Zaimushō [Treasury of the Supreme King].
Scene Change: Haō Zaimushō
Ichigo opened his eyes to see all 30 prisoners lying on the ground. Kisara, Valiona, Liúxīng, and a few Fire Dragons were watching them.
"Are these more prisoners?" Liúxīng asked.
"They're from Yìnghuà Dìqiú Wángguó." Ichigo said.
"I see…" Liúxīng said. "Will you be able to heal them just like how you did for the rest of us?" She asked.
"I can," Ichigo replied as he activated Schrift E: The Earth. Ichigo allowed the energy from the schrift to surround the unconscious dragons. The dragons' bodies began to absorb the energy. Ichigo waved his hand as a dome made out of earth covered them, trapping all the energy inside. Ichigo turned to Liúxīng, who looked confused. "When I took care of you, I used a technique that uses fire energy to heal the target. I don't have a technique like that for them. What I did instead was allowing their natural healing factor to heal them with the abundant energy."
"I see… That makes sense." Liúxīng said.
"Speaking about care, how are you and your brethren doing?" Ichigo asked.
"All right. They are getting used to their new freedom." Liúxīng said as she looked to the side. Ichigo followed her eyes to see a few of the dragons having fun. "This is the first time they touched grass or feel the warmth of the sun."
"That's good," Ichigo said. "I hope you can help situate the new dragon, once they wake up."
"What if they don't listen to me?" Liúxīng asked.
"Don't worry, let Kisara or Valiona deal with it," Ichigo replied.
"Ok," Liúxīng replied.
"See you later," Ichigo said. Liúxīng bowed to Ichigo. Ichigo nodded his head back as he walked away. Kyōka, Chishiki, and Naamah appeared beside him.
"Our next destination is Shuǐ Bùluò." Chishiki began. "There is a chance that their operations are out in the sea."
"What made you say that?" Naamah asked.
"One of the items that I scanned was maps of Wǔxíng. Older maps have a few islands off the coast of Shuǐ Bùluò. But newer maps no longer have those islands included."
"You're saying that the Water Dragons found a way to hide the islands from sight?" Naamah asked.
"Most likely," Chishiki replied.
"We can keep an eye out when we get to Shuǐ Bùluò," Ichigo replied.
"Very well," Chishiki said. Ichigo turned to Naamah. "How are the prisoners inside the Desolate?" Ichigo asked.
"They all had their mind and soul broken and transformed," Naamah said as she summoned Gamaliel. Ichigo looked inside to see ghostly dragons sleeping inside. "Gamaliel had transformed them into Earthbound Wraith. The moment they are released from the Desolate, they dive into the earth or metal and transform it into a moveable body."
"Like a golem," Ichigo said.
"More or less. While they don't have a central core, they are weak to holy energy and can be extorted out of their body." Naamah added.
"I see," Ichigo said. "What about our dragonic birds?"
"Going well." Naamah started. "I had to make a volcano for them to live in. From what I could see, they already have about 10 eggs."
"Ok then," Ichigo said. "Should we use Gamaliel or Harab Serapel on the Water Dragons?"
"Hm…I'm not sure." Naamah admitted.
"Try and see what happens with Harab Serapel first. If it doesn't work out, then we can use Gamaliel." Kyōka suggested.
"Good idea," Naamah said.
"Is there anything else we need to mention?" Ichigo asked.
"Zangetsu was finally freed from the sphere. He wanted a few moments alone to resituate himself before seeing you." Kyōka explained before Zangetsu appeared. Ichigo looked at him. He looked mostly the same except for one thing. There were golden chains wrapped around his biceps.
"How are you?" Ichigo asked.
"Fine King," Zangetsu replied.
"Do you have any idea what that energy did to both of you?" Ichigo asked.
"The energy changed me, in a good way." Zangetsu vaguely answered.
"But you can't tell me," Ichigo replied. Zangetsu nodded his head.
"You have to unlock it first," Zangetsu replied.
"Can you give me a hint?" Ichigo asked. Zangetsu opened his mouth, trying to say something but he couldn't. It took a few moments before Zangetsu said something.
"It's something beyond everything," Zangetsu said. "I can't say anything else."
"That's fine Zangetsu," Ichigo said as he placed his hand on his shoulder, reassuring the Zanpakuto spirit.
No one replied. "Then I guess this meeting is done," Ichigo said. Zangetsu, Kyōka, Chishiki, and Naamah returned to Ichigo's mindscape, and he left Haō Zaimushō.
Scene Change: Outside
Ichigo reappeared in his room. Ichigo looked around and made sure the room hasn't been disturbed while he was gone. Ichigo walked down and had a quick dinner in the inn. After that Ichigo explored the village while using Legilimency on the villagers. "Looks like I overestimated the Dai Li." Ichigo thought as he returned to his room and went to bed.
The next morning, Ichigo once made sure no one was around him before he activated Schrift U: The Umbra again.
"Engulf the light and plunge the world in darkness, Nightshroud." Nightshroud appeared around him like a cloak. Ichigo walked down and had a quick breakfast. After that, he left the inn. As he walked out of the village, Ichigo could see a few people starting to open their shops. Once Ichigo was outside the village and made sure he was alone, Ichigo entered the shadows and used Shadowrun. He quickly slipped past the guards at the border and entered Shuǐ Bùluò. Ichigo continued to use Shadowrun toward the first location Chishiki marked on the map.
"The Běijí Wān is the capital of Shuǐ Bùluò." Chishiki began. "Since Water Dragons prefer to live near the coast, the Jīngtāo Hàilàng [Stormy Seas, the Water Dragon Military group, created many outposts along their land territory."
"So, we are heading towards one of these outposts?" Ichigo asked.
"Correct," Chishiki replied. Ichigo spotted a wooden fort. "This is Nánbù Bó Wù [Southern Mist," Chishiki said. Ichigo looked at the guards that stood outside Nánbù Bó Wù. They appeared the most human out of the other dragons. They reminded Ichigo of a Chinese person. They had bits of blue scales on their face. More blue scales are on their arms, like gauntlets. There was a leather canteen strapped on their waist. Ichigo activated Schrift Q: The Qliphoth.
"Sathariel," Ichigo mentally cast. Ichigo could feel a copy of the guard's soul was created.
"Got it," Naamah said. Ichigo moved away from the entrance to Nánbù Bó Wù. Once he was out of sight, he rose out of the shadows. He transformed himself, making himself look similar to the guards. Inside the forest were catgators, a hybrid between a catfish and an alligator. Ichigo used the guard's memories to imitate their fighting style. He used it to kill the catgator and drained them of their blood. Ichigo stored the corpses in his storage ring. Ichigo walked towards the entrance to Nánbù Bó Wù.
"HALT!" One of the guards yelled as he raised his hand. Ichigo immediately stopped. "What is your reason for trying to enter Nánbù Bó Wù?"
"One of the guards is extremely passionate about his wife's sea squid soup. You would instantly be in his good books if you are a fan of sea squid soup." Naamah said.
"I wish to take a break from my travels and enjoy some sea squid soup," Ichigo replied. The guard's face lit up.
"Ah, a fellow enjoyer of sea squid." The guard said. The other guard groaned.
"Just pay the toll and he can tell you where to eat some sea squid soup." The other guard said as he extended his hand toward Ichigo. Ichigo walked over and paid the toll.
"Just head straight down the main path. You will eventually see the cafeteria. Ask for a woman name Kya and tell her that 'Hakoda sent you for the house special'." Hakoda said.
"I assume Kya is your family member?" Ichigo asked.
"My wife," Hakoda replied.
"Hakoda, let the man go." The other guard said.
"Fine, Bato," Hakoda replied. Ichigo entered Nánbù Bó Wù. Ichigo found a butcher who was willing to buy Ichigo's dead catgators. After that, he followed Hakoda's instructions. He arrived at the cafeteria. He was immediately greeted by a waitress.
"Morning, what can I do for you?" She asked.
"I am looking for Kya," Ichigo replied.
"Oh? Follow me." The waitress said. They walked towards one of the windows. Ichigo could see people cooking inside. "Hey Kya!"
"What Lirin?" Someone replied.
"I got a customer looking for you?" Lirin replied.
"One moment!" Kya replied. A few moments later, a young woman came out. She looked at Ichigo. "What can I do for you?"
"A guard name Hakoda sent me for the house special," Ichigo said. Kya shook her head.
"God dam that man." She said. She looked at Ichigo. "Give me ten minutes and I will have you dish out." She said.
"Allow me to escort you to a table," Lirin said with a chuckle. Ichigo sat down at an empty table.
"What was that about?" Ichigo asked.
"When Kya and Hakoda were dating she made a unique version of the sea squid soup. He loved it so much that whenever someone mentions 'sea squid soup' he would immediately tell them to try out Kya's version." Lirin replied.
"I see…" Ichigo said. Lirin walked away. As Ichigo waited for the food, he use Legilimency on the people around him.
"No one knows what is going on at Huǒ Zhī Guó or Yìnghuà Dìqiú Wángguó," Ichigo concluded as Kya carried a large bowl to his table.
"Here you go," Kya said. Ichigo took a bit of the sea squid.
"This is the best sea squid soup I've ever had," Ichigo said. Kya blushed upon hearing Ichigo's words.
"It's not much." She admitted. Kya quickly returned to the kitchen. Ichigo finished his sea squid soup. He paid for the food and left the cafeteria. Ichigo walked out of the village. He noticed that Hakoda and Bato were still on guard.
"It's you!" Hakoda yelled Bato sighed.
"Hello again," Ichigo replied.
"How was the sea squid soup?" Hakoda asked.
"It was the best I had," Ichigo replied. Hakoda turned to Bato.
"See! He agrees." Hakoda said.
"Yes. Yes." Bato replied. Ichigo didn't need to look through his memories to see that this is a common occurrence between them.
"Anyways, I'm heading out," Ichigo said.
"Where are you going?" Hakoda asked.
"I'm heading to Agna Qel'a," Ichigo replied.
"Ah the capital," Hakoda said.
"Are you planning to go straight there?" Bato asked.
"I am," Ichigo replied.
"Then give the guard of Zhōngyāng Shuǐ [Central Water] this," Bato said as he handed Ichigo a wooden pass. The pass was made out of brown wood with a waning crescent moon and three wavy horizontal lines engraved on the wood. The lines were colored blue.
"This should allow you to stay at our headquarters for a night."
"Thank you," Ichigo said as he pocketed the charm and left Nánbù Bó Wù.
"It sucks that they gave you the charm," Naamah said.
"Why?" Ichigo asked.
"The charm can help expedite us through security but, there is magic on the charm which tells them how long the charm has been on the person."
"How long will it take for us to get to the next stop?" Ichigo asked.
"According to Hakoda's and Bato's memories, it normally takes them a few hours to get to Zhōngyāng Shuǐ, the headquarters of the Jīngtāo Hàilàn," Naamah said.
"That aligns with my current information," Chishiki added.
"It does suck that they gave me this charm." Ichigo thought as he walked out of their sight. Once Ichigo was alone, he used Schrift U: The Umbra to enter his shadow and used Shadowrun to get close to Zhōngyāng Shuǐ. Ichigo stopped using Shadowrun, but he stayed in the shadows.
"Kisara, Valiona. How are the dragons?" Ichigo asked.
"The Fire Dragons are beginning to interact with Evernight and her people," Kisara replied.
"Do they still want me to release them?" Ichigo asked.
"Not anymore," Valiona said. "They quickly learned how powerful you are and decided to submit to you."
"I see… what about the Earth Dragons?" Ichigo asked.
"They are still in the dome. I expect them to be out in a few days." Kisara reported.
"I see. Chishiki, please wake me up when it's been five hours." Ichigo asked.
"Yes Ichigo," Chishiki replied. Ichigo closed his eyes and took a nap.
"Ichigo, it's time to wake up," Chishiki said. Ichigo opened his eyes and stretched.
"Did anything happen while I was napping?" Ichigo asked.
"Nothing unusual happened while you were sleeping," Chishiki reported.
"Good," Ichigo replied as he rose out of the shadow. Ichigo looked to see the sun was beginning to set. Ichigo could feel it getting colder here. He quickly killed a few packs of catgators. Ichigo stored them in his ring before walking towards Zhōngyāng Shuǐ.
"According to Hakoda's and Bato's memories, everyone at Zhōngyāng Shuǐ wears fur coats because it is cold here and will continue to get colder as we go up," Naamah warned.
"Got it," Ichigo said as a fur coat appeared around him. It didn't take long before Ichigo spotted a large wooden fortress. Ichigo could see the entrance to the fortress had four guards posted outside. Ichigo could see a few more guards posted on the walls of the fortress. All the guards were wearing fur coats. Ichigo calmly walked towards the fortress. Ichigo could see the guards posted at the entrance noticed him. Two of them already drew their water out and formed a pair of water whips.
"STOP!" One of the unarmed guards yelled, once Ichigo was within hearing range. Ichigo stopped. "Identify yourself!"
"I am a traveler, traveling to Agna Qel'a," Ichigo said as he pulled out the charm Hakoda have him. He threw the charm at the guard. One of the other guards swung their water whips at the charm. The guard caught the charm and presented it to the spokesperson for the guards. The guard in question grabbed the charm and looked at it.
"Who gave you this charm?" The guard asked.
"Hakoda. He was the guard at Nánbù Bó Wù this morning." Ichigo answered. The guard looked at the charm.
"Your story checks out." The guard said. The other guards lowered their guards. Ichigo calmly walked past the guards. "Keep an eye out on him." The guard whispered to his fellow guards. They all discretely nodded their heads. Unfortunately for them, Ichigo heard them.
"Looks like I'm not off the hook yet." Ichigo thought. Ichigo found a butcher and was able to sell the catgators he killed earlier. As he explored Zhōngyāng Shuǐ, Ichigo sensed one of the guards discreetly following behind him. Ichigo used Legilimency on the guard. "Looks like the guards are suspicious because I am considered an outsider," Ichigo concluded. Ichigo used Legilimency on the rest of the people as he explored the rest of the Zhōngyāng Shuǐ. After an hour of using Legilimency, Ichigo found an inn for the night. Ichigo could sense the guard that stalked him had changed. Ichigo ignored this and ate his dinner. After that, he went to his rented room.
"Naamah, keep an eye out to see if our friend decides to drop by," Ichigo said as he prepared to go to sleep.
"Yes, my Master," Naamah replied. Ichigo pretended to sleep. To Ichigo's surprise, the guard didn't approach him. Ichigo decided to go to sleep.
The next morning, Ichigo opened his eyes. Ichigo could sense a guard was still observing his room. Ichigo could sense that the guard had changed in the middle of the night.
"The guards have changed four times throughout the night," Naamah reported.
"Thank you," Ichigo said as he went to the restroom. After that, he went down for a quick breakfast. As he ate, he noticed the guard, disguised as a regular person, entered the inn. The disguised guard sat down at a table where the guard could see Ichigo. He ordered breakfast and ate in the inn. "I didn't expect them to do something like this." Ichigo thought as he finished his breakfast. He calmly placed the money on the table and left.
"The disguised guard is still eating his breakfast," Naamah reported.
"It would be even more suspicious if the guard left as well," Ichigo replied. Ichigo walked out of Zhōngyāng Shuǐ.
"It seems none of the guards are following us," Naamah said.
"Make sense. Since I appeared to be a civilian." Ichigo replied. Once Ichigo was alone, he used Schrift U: The Umbra to enter his shadow before using Shadowrun towards Agna Qel'a. Ichigo was less than an hour from Agna Qel'a when he stopped and rose out of the shadows. He could feel the weather was much colder than before. Ichigo could see snow on the trees around them. Ichigo calmly walked along the snow-covered path. It didn't take long before Ichigo could see Agna Qel'a. It was a large icy city. All the buildings were igloos with a beautifully crafted palace made out of ice in the middle. Ichigo could see a lot of guards patrolling the area. Ichigo calmly walked towards the entrance to Agna Qel'a. Ichigo could see the guards were much more relaxed compared to the guards at Nánbù Bó Wù and Zhōngyāng Shuǐ.
"Toll." The guard asked. Ichigo paid the toll and was allowed to enter Agna Qel'a. Ichigo calmly explored Agna Qel'a while using Legilimency on everyone around him.
"Nothing strange yet." Ichigo thought. He had a quick lunch before he hunted the local animals outside Agna Qel'a. Ichigo encountered a leap of snow leopard. They were much larger than the ones Ichigo has seen in his world. They all were between 120–140 cm (47.2 – 55.1 in) tall and 400 cm (13.12 ft) long. Ichigo could see the one leading the leap was 175 cm (68.9 in) tall, a pair of antlers that was 60 cm (23.6 in) tall, and 500 cm (16.4 ft) long.
The horned snow leopard growled at Ichigo. The other snow leopards followed suit. Ichigo raised his hands. Spears of ice formed around Ichigo. He waved his hand, firing the spears at the leap. The horned snow leopard charged toward Ichigo. It used its horns to smash the incoming ice spears. The other snow leopards jumped to the side, avoiding the ice spears. Ichigo raised his hands forming two large icy claws and charged toward the horned snow leopard. As he fought against the horned snow leopard, more ice spears rained down at the snow leopards. It didn't take long before the first snow leopard died. Soon the white snow was dyed red with their blood. The horned snow leopard was badly injured. On the other hand, Ichigo was fine. His icy claws were coated in frozen blood. The horned snow leopard leaped at Ichigo again. Ichigo raised his bloody claws and bisected the snow leopard, sending blood and guts everywhere. Ichigo could feel the Schrift O: The Oversoul activate, pulling the soul of the horned snow leopard into itself.
"Chishiki, which one do you want?" He asked.
"I want the corpse of the horned snow leopard and a gender pair of snow leopards." She asked.
"Ok," Ichigo said as activated Schrift X: The Xenomachina. Black nanobots ran out of Ichigo's shadow. The nanobots grabbed the three corpses and devoured them. As this happened, Ichigo collected all the blood from the snow leopards and formed a hand made out of blood and water. He placed the corpses on it. The nanobots returned to Ichigo's shadow as he sealed Schrift X: The Xenomachina and returned to Agna Qel'a. The guards noticed Ichigo and allowed him to pass. Ichigo sent to the butcher and sold all corpses to him. Ichigo used the rest of the time to explore Agna Qel'a. Ichigo eventually found an inn he liked and booked a room for a night. Ichigo ate dinner before heading up to his room. Ichigo lay on his bed.
"Based on the gathered information, we should wait till the early morning time to investigate the 'missing' islands," Chishiki said.
"Why?" Ichigo asked.
"There should be fewer people in the water," Naamah added.
"That makes some sense," Ichigo admitted.
"Water Dragons are stronger when the moon is out," Chishiki said.
"Good," Ichigo said. "Chishiki, can you make another body double?" Ichigo asked.
"I can," Chishiki replied
"Good," Ichigo said. He had a quick dinner before he returned to his room and went to bed.
Ichigo opened his eyes and silently stood up.
"Chishiki." He said as he activated Schrift X: The Xenomachina.
"Got it," Chishiki replied as black nanobots ran out of Ichigo's shadow and formed a body double. Ichigo activated Schrift U: The Umbra. Nightshroud, in its cloak form, appeared on his back. Ichigo slipped into the shadows and left his room. From the shadows, Ichigo could see the sun was already high in the sky and shining. Ichigo used the shadows to quickly arrive at the coastline of Agna Qel'a.
"Master, transform into this animal," Chishiki said as she showed an image of a hybrid between an otter and a penguin.
"What is this?" Ichigo asked.
"An otter penguin. A local animal around Agna Qel'a." Chishiki said. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders and transformed into the otter penguin. Ichigo shrank down till he was about 152 cm (5 ft) tall. Ichigo's face now resembled an otter, with a small black nose and whiskers. It has a short neck that blends smoothly into its chest, two pairs of flippers on each side of its body, and its feet are webbed. Ichigo's back, tail, flippers, and head are black, while its underbelly is white. Ichigo dove into the water. Due to the otter penguin's body, Ichigo wasn't affected by the cold and was easily able to swim.
"Keep on going straight," Chishiki instructed. Ichigo followed Chishiki's instructions, swimming straight. Ichigo swam for an hour before he saw a large chunk of ice. Ichigo surfaced and climbed out of the water. Ichigo sent out a small burst of reiatsu.
"Looks like there are people inside the glacier." Ichigo thought. Ichigo used Schrift U: The Umbra to enter the shadow. Ichigo moved towards the glacier. Ichigo could sense two guards hidden behind a pile of snow. Ichigo sneaked inside the mount. Both guards were talking to each other. Ichigo could see the mount was modified, to allow the guards to see out of the snow but the people on the outside couldn't see through. Ichigo activated Schrift Q: The Qliphoth.
"Sathariel," Ichigo mentally cast. Ichigo could feel copies of the guards' souls were created.
"Give me a moment," Naamah said as she looked into the guard's memories. "I'm surprised that the Water Dragons did this."
"Did what?" Ichigo asked.
"These guards are known as Sǐshuǐ [Dead/Stagnant Water]. They are soldiers who fought in the Millennium War. It appears that they died or were close to dying but were saved at the last minute. During that weakened state, they had their memories altered. They believed that they died in the Millennium War. Their actions in the war had shown their loyalty and duty to the Shuǐ Bùluò. They have been selected to continue to serve Shuǐ Bùluò, even in death." Naamah said.
"I guess it's one way to gain strong guards without leaking the information about this place," Ichigo replied.
"Anyways, these guards only know the ground floor layout but, there is a door they are forbidden to enter." She said.
"Chishiki, can you leave a few of your nanobots here?" Ichigo asked.
"Why?" Chishiki asked.
"Just in case our cover is blown, you can knock the guards out with your nanobots," Ichigo replied.
"As you wish," Chishiki replied. Ichigo could see black nanobots crawling out of his shadow. The black nanobots turned blue, blending in with the guard's outfits.
"Let's head there," Ichigo said.
"Follow me." Ichigo followed Naamah's instructions. They passed through an icy hallway. As they traveled through the hallway, Ichigo spotted a few more guards. Ichigo had Chishiki place more nanobots on the guards as Naamah used Sathariel on the guards. "All these guards know the same thing." Naamah criticized. Soon they arrived at a door. The door is covered with engravings, warning the guards to not enter. Ichigo scanned the door with magic and kidō.
"They simply locked the door," Ichigo said, astonished at the lack of defenses on the door.
"I assume whoever is the mastermind of this place used the guard's ignorance of the situation and fear of the unknown." Naamah guessed. Ichigo slipped passed the defenseless door. Behind the door was a set of stairs. Ichigo slipped down to see another hallway. Ichigo carefully moved through the hallway. Ichigo spotted more guards patrolling the hallway.
"Naamah," Ichigo said.
"On it." She replied as she uses Sathariel on these guards. "Dam." She said.
"What happened?" Ichigo asked.
"Whoever is the boss of this place is extremely paranoid."
"How paranoid?" Ichigo asked.
"These guards are exactly like the guards on the first floor but, they are not aware of the existence of the first floor," Naamah said.
"They went crazy to guard this place," Ichigo said upon hearing all of this. "Let's just continue what we were doing earlier." He decided.
"Ok." Naamah and Chishiki replied. Naamah guided Ichigo down the hallways while Chishiki planned nanobots on the guards. They traveled down three more levels before they arrived in another hallway. Unlike the other hallways, this one is decorated. Ichigo silently moved through the hallways. Ichigo arrived in what appeared a throne room. Ichigo could see a large dragon sleeping. The dragon looked similar to an eastern dragon. It was covered in predominantly covered with icy blue scales. There is a red arrow around its forehead which traveled along its back to its claws, hind legs, and tail.
"Guess we found who's in charge of this place." Ichigo thought.
"Let me see," Naamah said as she used Sathariel on the dragon. "Looks like this dragon is indeed in charge of this place."
"That's good," Ichigo replied.
"The dragon's name is Amon. He is the last remaining member of a Water Dragon clan that can manipulate blood and inadvertently life energy." Naamah identified.
"I assume this was part of his plan for revenge?" Ichigo guessed.
"His clan was executed due to the orders of Dragon King Nōhime. She accused the clan of treason." Naamah said.
"I assume that wasn't the case?" Ichigo asked.
"Amon believes that Dragon King Nōhime is scared of their clan's abilities. She tried to make members of their family her servants but was turned down."
"I see…" Ichigo said. "Do they have any prisoners?"
"Not really. Amon faked the deaths of prisoners and rescued them from prison. Many of them have sworn loyalty to him, either by choice or force." Naamah said.
"I see… where is he stealing the blood for his blood pills?" Ichigo asked.
"The blood that is used for the blood pills is donated from his guards or his followers," Naamah said.
"Is he even strong enough to fight against her?" Ichigo asked. Naamah shook her head.
"His total force is barely five percent of Dragon King Nōhime's total force." She replied.
"Should I transform them or set them free in Haō Zaimushō?" Ichigo asked.
"I recommend Amon and those who did horrible crimes be transformed. The guards, those who have lesser crimes or have paid for their crimes should be sent into Haō Zaimushō." Naamah suggested.
"Ok," Ichigo said as he summoned Harab Serapel. The blades are currently black. Ichigo stabbed Amon with Harab Serapel, beginning the transformation. Amon woke up due to sudden pain. Before he could react, Ichigo used Schrift U: The Umbra to bound Amon as the transformation continued. Icy-blue feathers and wings began to grow out of the back. A long red plume formed from his neck, resembling a lion's mane. Amon stopped struggling, submitting to the transformation. Amon lowered his head towards Ichigo.
"Master." He said. Ichigo released Amon from the shadows. He raised Harab Serapel at Amon.
"I'm sending you to your new home. You will be the leader of your people there. There is already a group of people in there. Do not antagonize them. All of you are my servants." Ichigo said.
"Yes Master," Amon said.
"Matjar," Ichigo said. A small spiraling void formed in front of the pommel ring, pulling Amon inside. Ichigo slipped into the shadows and moved downstairs. They arrived in a hallway full of prison cells.
"Do you want me to be using Sathariel on them?" Naamah asked.
"No, I got this," Ichigo said as he drew upon the powers of Jigoku no Kōtei. "Tsumi no Me [Eye of Sin]." Ichigo activated. His eyes began to glow crimson. He could see the sins that each prisoner had committed. Those who doesn't have any sins or minor sins were knocked unconscious and sent to Haō Zaimushō. Those who committed major sins were sent to the Desolate. "Chishiki, begin to knock out the guards," Ichigo instructed.
"Yes, Master," Chishiki replied. Ichigo walked up to each floor to see all the guards have been knocked out by the nanobots. Ichigo used Tsumi no Me on the guards. He either sent them to Haō Zaimushō or stabbed them with Harab Serapel, causing them to transform. After they finished their transformation, he teleported them away into Harab Serapel's pocket dimension. In a few moments, Ichigo finished judging all the guards inside the secret base.
"Chishiki, you can begin," Ichigo said.
"Yes, Master," Chishiki replied. The nanobots began to devour the secret base, starting from the bottom-most level. It took Chishiki less than an hour before the secret base has been devoured. Ichigo transformed back into an otter penguin and swam back to Agna Qel'a. Once Ichigo reached the shore, he dove into the nearby shadows and used Shadowrun to return to his room. "No one has attempted to enter your room," Chishiki reported.
"Good," Ichigo replied. Ichigo's body double reverted to nanobots and returned to Ichigo's shadow. Ichigo took a quick shower before leaving his room. He sat down and had breakfast while using Legilimency on the staff.
"Looks like no one noticed me leaving the inn or noticed what happened last night," Ichigo concluded. After that, Ichigo left Anga Qel'a. Once Ichigo was alone, he used Schrift U: The Umbra to enter the shadows and moved Southwest, to Mù Yù. It took less than an hour before Ichigo cross the border from Shuǐ Bùluò to Mù Yù. It didn't take long before Ichigo entered a large forest with golden leaves.
"I didn't expect to see maidenhair tree here." Kyōka identified. They arrived in a village entirely constructed of wood. The dragons there were covered in brown wood-like scales. Underneath the brown scales was green skin.
"According to records, this is Jīnmáo Cūn [Golden Hair Village," Chishiki said. Ichigo transformed his body, making a replica of the wood dragons. Ichigo discreetly rose out of the shadow and walked towards the village. Ichigo paid the toll and was allowed to enter the village.
"The village seems peaceful." Ichigo thought as he walked around. He used Legilimency on the locals. "Dam, I didn't expect this," Ichigo said.
"What did you find?" Chishiki asked.
"Once a week, a convoy consisting of four large wagons pulled by an elephant mandrill, would arrive at Jīnmáo Cūn. The owner will open his wagons to the villagers. Inside the wagons are sex slaves of both genders. According to the owner, these slaves have been modified so that neither the slave nor the client can pregnant"
"Does the owner charge the villagers?" Naamah asked.
"No, he doesn't," Ichigo said. "But the owner has some unique rules before they could enter the wagon."
"What are they?" Chishiki asked.
"The client is rinsed down by a Water Dragon before and after they enter the wagon," Ichigo said.
"Since blood is used for the blood pills, do you think they are used to make the pregnancy pills?" Naamah suggested.
"I think so too," Ichigo said.
"Do we have any ideas when they are coming?" Chishiki asked.
"I can estimate in a few days," Ichigo said as he walked to an inn and booked a room. Once Ichigo was sure he was alone, he activated Tengan and sent himself into Haō Zaimushō.
Scene Change: Haō Zaimushō
Ichigo opened his eyes to see the earth dome has disappeared. Ichigo could see the Earth Dragons and Fire Dragons working together in building a village. Ichigo could see Kisara flying towards him.
"Hello, Kisara." He said.
"Hello, Ichigo. Are you here to check on the Water Dragons?" She asked.
"I am," Ichigo replied.
"Evernight helped us put them in a lake to help with their recovery."
"Thank you, Kisara. Lead me to them." Ichigo said. Kisara lead Ichigo to a lake. He could see the water dragons floating on the lake's surface. "Rage Through the Seas of the Heavens, Nejibana." Ichigo chanted, activating Schrift F: Fengári Neró. Ichigo dipped Nejibana in the lake water. He slowly released more energy into the water. Ichigo could feel the water dragons subconsciously pulling the energized water towards themselves. Ichigo stopped once the water dragons stopped absorbing the energy. Ichigo pulled Nejibana out of the water and sealed it. It didn't take long before the water dragons began to wake up.
"It's the person that freed us from Amon." One of the water dragons said. Some of them tried to get out of the water.
"Relax," Ichigo said. "All of you are still recovering from Amon's treatment. Stay in the lake so you can all recover." All the water dragons returned to relaxing in the lake. Ichigo walked to the village that the Fire Dragons and Earth Dragons were making. It was made out of mud, stones, and wood. As soon as the dragons saw Ichigo. They stopped what they were doing.
"Greetings Huángdì [Emperor]." They said as they bowed to him. Ichigo resisted the urge to sigh.
"It seems all of you have recovered from your time in prison."
"Yes, Huángdì." One of the dragons tried, not to raise its head.
"Keep up the good work," Ichigo said as he continued to explore the village.
"Yes, Huángdì!" All the dragons roared. Ichigo eventually finished exploring the village. Ichigo could see Kisara and Valiona waiting for him.
"What do you think of the village?" Kisara asked.
"Looks pretty good considering the lack of resources we have but keep it simple for now."
"Yes, Ichigo." Kisara and Valiona replied. Naamah appeared beside Ichigo.
"The next batch is ready," Naamah said as she summoned Gamaliel. Gamaliel's eyes glowed as it released the former Water Dragons Prisoners. Their body appeared made entirely of mirky water except for their eyes which appeared red. "I call them the Sǐshuǐ."
"Dead water." Ichigo translated.
"Right," Naamah replied. "The Sǐshuǐ's abilities are similar to what they had as a Water Dragon, but they can wrestle control of water by contaminating it with their water."
"I see…" Ichigo said. "What about those in Harab Serapel?"
"They are also fine. They are forming their nests and not messing with each other." Naamah reported.
"Good," Ichigo said after he left Haō Zaimushō.
Timeskip: Jīnmáo Cūn: Inn
Ichigo woke up and got out of bed. Ichigo was forced to stay in the village for three days, waiting for the slave owner to show up. During that time Ichigo used Legilimency to learn how the Wood Dragon harnessed life energy. The Wood Dragons used the ability in two ways. The first way they used life energy is to promote life, usually in a healing application. As Ichigo discovered earlier, life energy could also increase fertility. The other application is manipulating the growth of plants. As Ichigo sat down and enjoyed his breakfast, someone suddenly burst into the inn.
"The convoy is here!" He yelled. The other people stopped what they were doing and immediately ran toward the incoming convoy.
"About dame time." Ichigo thought as he finished his breakfast. Ichigo walked back up to his room. After that Ichigo entered the shadow and left the inn. He moved towards the crowd of people. Ichigo could see a man with slicked black hair, wearing a black and white mask. He was dressed in a black suit with white gloves. Ichigo moved into the wagons to see all kinds of slaves. All of the slaves were different creatures not native to this world. Ichigo left the wagon. Ichigo moved to the slave owner.
"Legilimens." Ichigo cast. "So that is how it is." Ichigo thought.
"What did you discover?" Chishiki asked.
"The slave owner's name is Zaheer. While Zaheer doesn't know where the slaves come from, he knows that Wood Dragon King Akechi Mitsuhide is somehow involved." Ichigo said.
"You think the Wood Dragon King is aware of the Overlord's efforts in conquering other worlds?" Naamah asked.
"Likely," Ichigo admitted.
"Where Zaheer's base of operations is located at?"Chishiki asked.
"His base is located in a place called Huàshí Yínxìng [Fossil Ginkgo," Ichigo said.
"The capital of Mù Yù is Huàshí Yínxìng." Chishiki said.
"So, we need to head to the capital," Naamah concluded.
"Looks like we got a plan," Ichigo said.
"What are we going to do with Zaheer?" Naamah asked.
"According to his memories, he is supposed to return to Huàshí Yínxìng after he's done with this village. "I plan to use Sathariel on him. As for the slaves, I planned to have Chishiki create body doubles of them for the journey while sending all the slaves to Haō Zaimushō to recover." Ichigo said.
"Good idea," Naamah said.
"Second," Chishiki replied. With a plan in mind, Ichigo hid in the shadows of the wagon. Ichigo used the opportunity to use Legilimency on Zaheer's assistants. He discovered that the slave owner's assistants are also slaves. They were Water Dragons who were sold into slavery. It took a few more hours before the villagers were done with the slaves.
"How much did we collect?" Zaheer asked.
"We collected about 4.5 litters (1 gallon)." One of the assistants reported.
"Good," Zaheer said. "Get ready to leave." It took them less than 10 minutes before they left the village. Ichigo followed behind the convoy. They traveled for a few hours. "We're stopping for the night." He said as he raised his hands. Branches from the nearby trees grew around them, forming a wooden wall. Another assistant started a fire and began to keep watch. The elephant mandrill was given bananas to eat before going to sleep. Ichigo followed Zaheer to the last wagon. He opened it to see it had a bed. He took off his clothes and laid down on the bed. In less than ten minutes, Zaheer was asleep.
"I didn't expect him to pass out that fast." Ichigo thought.
"I've already used Sathariel on him," Naamah said.
"Good," Ichigo said. "Go ahead and send him into Desolate."
"Ok," Naamah replied as she already had Gamaliel ready. Gamaliel's tentacles shot out and grabbed the sleeping Zaheer. He quickly opened his eyes in shock. Gamaliel pulled him into the Desolate before he could react.
"Good," Ichigo said as he activated Schrift X: The Xenomachina. They slipped out of Zaheer's wagon and slowly moved to the other wagons. Ichigo could see everyone was asleep. Ichigo sent everyone to Haō Zaimushō and had Chishiki replace them with body doubles created from her nanobots. They repeated this process for all the other wagons. Once they finished with the last wagon, Ichigo knocked out Zaheer's last assistant, the one keeping watch of the campsite. Chishiki created a body double of her and kept her on watch while Ichigo entered Haō Zaimushō.
Scene Change: Haō Zaimushō
Ichigo opened his eyes to see all the slaves were in beds, asleep. Ichigo could sense they were in a home of a drow. Ichigo could see Evernight keeping an eye on them.
"Hello Ichigo," She said in Japanese.
"Hello Evernight," Ichigo replied. "Have you taken a look at them?" Ichigo asked.
"I have." She replied. "What those Wood Dragons have done is very cruel." She criticized.
"I know," Ichigo replied. "And I will punish them."
"Good," Evernight replied. "In the meantime, I took a look at all of them, and I have good and bad news."
"What's the good news?" Ichigo asked.
"It will not much effort to restore the sanity of the male slaves." She said.
"And I assume the bad news is related to the female slaves." Ichigo guessed.
"Indeed," Evernight replied. "The bad news is that most of the female slaves' sanity has been destroyed. What little sanity they have left has been molded into being a subservient slave either due to the training they went through in the hands of the Wood Dragons or all the time they had been used"
"I see…" Ichigo said.
"Kisara cast a spell to help purge any remaining potions or drugs the Wood Dragons injected into the slaves."
"According to the current intel we have, there are at least four more wagons like this," Ichigo said.
"I see…" Evernight growled.
"Don't worry, the perpetrators will suffer," Ichigo said.
"Good. I already let the other dragons know. They will help take care of them."
"That's good," Ichigo said. "See you later," Ichigo said as he left Haō Zaimushō.
Scene Change: Outside
Ichigo reappeared outside to see Naamah has taken over watch of the campsite.
"Has anything happened?" Ichigo asked.
"No. It has been nice and quiet." Naamah replied.
"Wake me up when the sun is up," Ichigo said as he went to Zaheer's wagon to sleep.
"Chishiki, can you keep watch?" Naamah asked.
"I can but why?" Chishiki asked.
"I want to sleep with Master." She said.
"I can but I will join you." She said.
"Sure, "Naamah replied. One of the nanobot body doubles walked out of a nearby wagon. The nanobots that formed the body double split into two. One of them reformed into the original body double while the other one formed into Chishiki. They walked to Zaheer's wagon and joined Ichigo in bed.
"Just sleep. We will play when the mission is done." Ichigo sighed as he accepted them into his bed.
"Ok," Naamah said.
"That is fine," Chishiki said.
Time Skip: Next Morning
Ichigo, Naamah, and Chishiki woke up. They looked outside to see the sun rising.
"Do you want to play Zaheer, or do you want me to do it?" Naamah asked.
"You can do it. I will stay in the shadow." Ichigo replied.
"Fine," Naamah replied as she summoned Sathariel. She placed it on her face, transforming into Zaheer. Ichigo slipped into Naamah's shadow as she walked out.
"Get ready to leave." She said in Zaheer's voice.
"Yes, Master." The body doubles replied as they packed up the campsite. Naamah sat in front as she waited for the body doubles to clean up the campsite. Once they boarded their respective wagons. She waved his hands, destroying the wooden barrier. The elephant mandrill began to pull the convoy down a dirt path.
"How long is it going to take before we arrive at Huàshí Yínxìng?" Ichigo asked.
"According to Zaheer's memories, a few more hours." She replied.
"Ok," Ichigo replied. Eventually, they arrived at an even larger forest with houses built on the trees.
"We arrived at Huàshí Yínxìng," Naamah said. They could see a long line in front of Huàshí Yínxìng. Naamah ignored the line and forced the convoy to the front.
"HEY!"
"THE LINE STARTS THERE!"
"Silence!" The guards yelled. "This is a VIP. He gets priority access!" The guard turned to Naamah. "You are free to go, my Lord." The guards opened the gate, allowing the convoy to continue. Naamah used Zaheer's memories to guide the convoy toward a stone castle. They stopped in front of the castle.
"Yue!" Naamah said in Zaheer's voice.
"Yes, Master," One of the body doubles replied as she stepped out of the first carriage.
"Yue, take the rest of the convoy to the dungeon and wait for me to return," Naamah ordered.
"Yes Master," Yue replied. Naamah stepped out of the wagon, allowing Yue to get on.
"I will go and rescue the slaves," Ichigo said.
"Good. I will deal with these monsters." Naamah replied. Yue whipped the elephant mandrill, causing it to resume moving. Yue directed the elephant mandrill to the back of the castle. Ichigo could see over 20 other wagons. Ichigo moved to the other wagons to see they were all empty. Yue guided the convoy into a parking spot. She walked down and unlatched the elephant mandrill from the convoy and directed it to a cage, where the other elephant mandrill rested. As Yue was doing this, the other water dragon body doubles walked out of the wagon and opened the doors. Slowly the slave body doubles exited the wagon. All of them had their hands behind their backs with their wrists shackled together. They also had their ankles shackled but had enough slack to walk. Four of the water dragon body doubles were carrying clay containers with them. Everyone entered the castle. They arrived in a dungeon filled with jail cells. As they walked, Ichigo could see hundreds of slaves in them. They arrived in empty cells.
"Get in." One of the water dragons said as she opened the cell door. All the slaves silently entered the cell. The cell door was closed and locked. The rest of the water dragons walked to the end of the corridor where there were a set of stairs. They went up the stairs and arrived at another corridor. A wood dragon sat behind a desk in front of them.
"Good morning, Master Jesa. We are here to deliver what Master Zaheer was able to collect." Yue said.
"Place it on the table." Master Jesa replied. The other water dragons placed the jugs on the table. "Kyoshi!" She yelled. Her loud voice echoed throughout the hallway. A few moments later, a tall woman appeared. She towered over Master Jesa, nearing Ichigo's height.
"Yes, Master Jesa." She said with a bow. Suddenly Master Jesa smacked her in the face, knocking her to the ground.
"You are supposed to respond as soon as I say Ky." Master Jesa yelled.
"Yes, Master Jesa." Kyoshi quickly sat on her knees. "This one apologizes for being slow."
"Tsk. Go and take them back to their cells."
"Yes, Master Jesa." Kyoshi stood up, bowed to Master Jesa, and turned to the water dragon slaves. They could see a large bruise on her face, likely from the blow from Master Jesa.
"Follow me." She said. All the water dragons followed behind her. They could see more jail cells with dragon slaves inside. Unlike the other jail cells, the interior was much better. They arrived at a set of empty cells.
Once they were away from Master Jesa, Yue spoke up.
"Kyoshi, do you want me to heal your bruise?" Yue whispered.
"That would be appreciated," Kyoshi whispered. Yue's hands glowed blue and placed them on Kyoshi's face. In the shadows, Ichigo's hands glowed blue, actually being the ones who healed Kyoshi. The bruise on Kyoshi's face turned back to normal.
"Thank you." She said.
"No problem." She replied. Kyoshi opened the cell door, and everyone filed inside the cell. She closed the cell door and locked it. Kyoshi walked away from the cell. Before she could go further, Ichigo knocked her out.
"Legilimens." Ichigo mentally cast. He entered Kyoshi's mind. "So, 'Master Jesa' is her biological mother but she despites Kyoshi since she is everything that Jesa is not." Ichigo thought. Ichigo discovered a map of the underground portion of the castle. Ichigo pulled out of Kyoshi's mind and activated Tengan, transforming his eyes.
"Haōgan." Ichigo activated, sending the unconscious Kyoshi into Haō Zaimushō.
"Are we going to start?" Chishiki asked through the body doubles.
"We are," Ichigo replied. "Create body doubles for everyone."
"Yes Master," Chishiki said. Ichigo used the shadows to travel to the first cell. Before the dragon slave could react, Ichigo knocked them out and sent them to Haō Zaimushō. Chishiki immediately created a body double of them. It took Ichigo less than five minutes to go through all the cells of the dragon slaves.
"What are you planning to do with Jesa?" Chishiki asked.
"I will allow Kyoshi to decide her fate," Ichigo said as he knocked Jesa out. Ichigo summoned a piece of paper and wrote a message on it. He stuck it on her forehead and sent her into Haō Zaimushō. They moved down the corridor until they arrived in the corridor with the sex slaves. Ichigo quickly knocked them out and sent them to Haō Zaimushō. Chishiki replaced them with nanobot body doubles.
"Naamah, how is it going with you?" Ichigo asked.
"Well. I'm with Wood-Dragon King Akechi Mitsuhide and the other slave owners. They are currently drunk and celebrating something." Naamah reported.
"I see… Who is there with you?"
"Besides the Dragon King, there are the other slave owners and the Dragon King's attendants."
"There aren't any guards?" Ichigo asked.
"The Wood Dragon King arrogantly ordered all of his guards to take a day off."
"I see. I have sent all the slaves into Haō Zaimushō." Ichigo replied.
"Do you want to use Gamaliel or Harab Serapel on the leaders and servants?" Naamah asked.
"The leaders will suffer from Gamaliel, except for the Dragon King. I will personally deal with the Dragon King."
"What about the servants?" Naamah asked.
"As for the servants, knock them out. I will judge them once I get there."
"Very well. See you soon." Naamah said. Ichigo used the shadows to safely move toward Naamah's location. Ichigo found a maid nervously cleaning a window.
"Legilimens." Ichigo mentally cast on the maid. "Her family gave him their daughter to earn the Dragon King's favor."
"Really?" Naamah said.
"That's what I got from the first maid," Ichigo said as he discreetly knocked her out and sent her into Haō Zaimushō. Ichigo continued to move toward Naamah's location. By the time Ichigo arrived, he has spotted ten more maids, used Legilimency on all of them, and discovered that all of them were 'gifts' to the Dragon King. He discreetly knocked them out and sent them to Haō Zaimushō. Right when Ichigo arrived, the door opened, revealing Naamah still looking like Zaheer.
"The room is ready for you, my Master," Naamah said in her regular voice. Ichigo, still in his Wood Dragon form, rose out of the shadows.
"Thank you," Ichigo said as he entered the large banquet hall. Naamah closed the doors behind him. Ichigo could see the banquet hall was a mess. The tables were on their side. Food was scattered all over the floor. Ichigo could see twenty unconscious maids on the far side of the banquet hall. In the center of the room was a large wooden dragon. He resembled the wooden dragons Ichigo saw but he has a large stomach.
"I guess he's fat?" Ichigo thought. Ichigo walked to the Dragon King and use Legilimency on him. "Long ago, he was a commoner who desired power to get revenge against a noble who killed his entire family for no reason. Eventually, he became a mercenary known for his powerful ability to manipulate life's energy and nature. He could heal anyone at the brink of death, turn a desert into a rainforest, drain the life of his enemy, and so much more. But that changed when he became King. He bathed in a life of luxury, becoming the very noble he desired power to kill." Ichigo copied all the training and techniques the Dragon King used at his peak. After that Ichigo destroyed his mind. Ichigo left the empty mind of the Dragon King.
"You…you broke his mind?" Naamah asked, reverting to her regular voice.
"I did," Ichigo replied as he sent the mindless Dragon King to Haō Zaimushō with a note attached to his forehead. Ichigo walked over to the unconscious maids and sent them to Haō Zaimushō.
"Chishiki, we are leaving. You don't need to destroy the castle." Ichigo said.
"As you wish," Chishiki said. "Are you coming down to the dungeon or will I come up to you?"
"We will come down to you," Ichigo replied. Ichigo and Naamah returned to the shadows and moved down to the dungeon. They arrive to see the body doubles remain inside the cages. All the body doubles reverted into nanobots and charged back to Ichigo. In a few moments, all the jail cells were empty. Naamah and Chishiki returned to Ichigo's mindscape. While Ichigo used Shadowrun to quickly leave Huàshí Yínxìng. With Chishiki's help, Ichigo arrived at Cháng Lǜ [Evergreen]. The village was also made entirely of wood. Ichigo simply paid the toll and was allowed inside. Ichigo once again walked around the village, passively using Legilimency on the villagers and tourists. "Looks like we are safe," Ichigo concluded as he booked a room in an inn for the night. "Tomorrow we will attack the Nobunaga." Ichigo thought as he looked out his window. He could see the mountain with his castle on top.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you all next month.