"Y-You…?!" Ichigo tried to get up by using his sword to support himself, but his knees felt heavy. "What the hell were you doing in my body?! Why are you here?!"
"Are ya serious or ya just plain dumb?" Hollow Ichigo asked as he held the tip of his mask, his tone dripping with sarcasm and passive aggression. "Let me jog your memory really quickly; you remember in our first fight when I told you that if you were serious about controlling my power, then don't die. You nearly did so the first time around, but you weren't so lucky the second time around." The bleached figure shook his head as he set his helmet to side, still keeping up his grin. "You really fucked up…"
"So I can't get rid of you, no matter what I do…" Ichigo took the moment to glare at his Hollow. "But how does that explain that outfit you have? Where did you even get that?"
Hollow Ichigo gave a quizzical look before looking over the younger Zangetsu, and then back at Ichigo. "Did you actually forget what happened in our first fight? Whatever you learn, I learn as well. I'm your fucking Hollow, you gained a form that I have right now. Do the math."
Come to think of it, he didn't face him like this at all unlike what happened last time. Though then again, he died by Ulquiorra's hands, so maybe the Hollow was busy bringing him back to life? It explains why he didn't have to fight him back then.
"This form was the final step to evolve beyond using your mask, but you threw that away when you began to fear that form." Ichigo looked at the young Zangetsu with wide eyes. "You fear losing control of this form when your mind is suppressed by your destructive impulses. And because of that, you can't Hollowfy properly. It's ironic, you're back to where you started."
He wouldn't say that Tensa was wrong. His concern for the mask grew greatly when it felt heavier, and it didn't last as long as his previous mask did. Come to think of it, Aizen did say something similar to that as well. "So what am I supposed to do now? Do I have to fight him in order to regain control of my Hollowfication? Or do I have to fight both of you with how pissy you are." Ichigo asked, as he didn't need to sense the hostility coming from both of them.
For a moment Tensa stayed silent before speaking again. "Close, but not quite." The answer confused Ichigo with which one was the more correct question. "Instead, you will fight us…" he added the plural.
"As one." Hollow Ichigo finished, as though he could read Tensa's mind and knew exactly what he was going to say as he put the black mask back on.
Suddenly, both of their bodies started to dissolve and break down into particles but, just as that happened a figure was being brought into form from between where they stood. Ichigo gasped in shock from such a thing occurring. "What the hell…" he couldn't believe what he was seeing. 'How are they doing this?!' It wasn't just them merging, their Spiritual Pressure didn't combine into one, it didn't increase by twice the amount either. No. The power grew exponentially more powerful, and the density of it was even denser than the ocean in his Inner World. It overwhelmed his senses.
Their forms disappeared completely, and in front of Ichigo's view emerged a new being, who crouched down on one knee, with Hollow Ichigo's white blade in one hand. The being in question slowly raised his head until his face could be seen, giving a cold look to Ichigo. This spirit had combined aspects of both Tensa and the Hollow in physical appearance. Tensa still had the body and face, but his outfit was in the palette of the Hollow white and so was the rest of his body, including the hair. He had black furs added onto his wrists, neck, and at the end of the cloak. He had a black horn mask remnant, and a Hollowfied eye on his left, while having his blue one on the right. The sword looked like the Hollow's, only difference being the guard was black.
The orange haired youth didn't understand how something like this was even possible. How could they merge so easily like that? And so suddenly as well. It wasn't just that. The raw, unimaginable power radiating from who he could tell… Tensa Zangetsu was stronger than Aizen by a long shot…
"This… is our true form." Tensa spoke in his own voice, the same monotone, as if he couldn't be bothered. There wasn't any echo nor distortion to it. "We are the same. The two of us represent your power." Tensa stood up to his full height before slowly throwing his head back, taking in a deep breath. He then looked back at Ichigo, his expression changing instantly as though he was ready to kill. "HERE I COME, ICHIGOOOOOOOO!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he suddenly charged at the teenager.
Ichigo just stood like a deer caught in headlights as he held his sword diagonally. He couldn't even be given a chance to blink as Tensa horizontally swung his sword, sending Ichigo extremely far away.
"So, how close are we?" Felicia asked Gwen, as the two of them had been walking side by side.
Felicia had been by the younger blonde's side, helping her get to her school so she would have a chance to find her classmates, or at least anybody she knew. Though thinking about it, it would have been better if she explored this mystery as The Black Cat. A whole city of people falling asleep… the others weren't gonna believe this when she got back.
"Just a few more minutes." the blonde girl replied. Felicia didn't pick up on any particular danger coming by, so there was no need to rush. Besides, it'd be better to remain cautious than heading somewhere without thinking.
The white haired woman kept thinking as to how any of this could have happened. It's not like there was any chemical released that put her, let alone an entire civilization to sleep. The only thing she could remember was going back home, and out of nowhere she felt sleepy to the point that she fell asleep on a sidewalk.
"Wait…" Gwen stopped in her tracks, and so did Felicia. She darted her eyes open to see who she assumed were students grouped up in an alley. "I just found some."
"Well, that's good." Felicia began to walk out, seeing this as her chance to get in her suit and investigate this mystery. "Glad I could be of help."
"Wait, where are you going?" Gwen was confused as to why this woman would just leave instead of staying with her and the classmates. "It'd be better if we just stuck together!"
"I gotta check up on other people I know, can't let them eat dirt on the ground. I'll be fine on my own." Felicia began to run in the opposite direction, leaving the confused and stunned blonde student.
Since everybody here was asleep, then it wouldn't be a problem for her to switch into her Black Cat uniform. All she had to do was turn a corner to avoid any suspicion from the blonde girl. It didn't take her very long to change into her uniform as she crouched on a rooftop.
'I really hope you notice this and get back here...' Felicia thought as she stood, getting ready to jump off the building and swing around. 'If only I knew where the hell you were…'
Ichigo felt like his head had been clobbered by a hammer. That was how dizzy he felt, and how much it hurt. He tried to regain his senses, to find his balance, as he found himself to be somewhere in his Inner World. There were still buildings around him, but he had no idea just how far back he'd been knocked.
Then he saw Tensa Zangetsu coming at him from above. Ichigo put his sword above his head in a horizontal position. "Do you really believe you can beat me with the power you have at the moment?!" Tensa rebuked, as though he criticized Ichigo's thinking. "It's hopeless!" He brought his sword down onto Ichigo's, and the force of the blow sent Ichigo flying through a building, not stopping until he crashed into another building right after, forming a crater in doing so.
He was starting to believe that. The gap in power between them was unlike anything he's come up against before. That's what Ichigo thought as he struggled to get up within the outer layer of the broken building. He saw the Hollowfied Tensa standing above, giving him a glare colder than Byakuya's as he looked down at him. "I'm going to give you one warning…" Tensa spoke in a calm tone, yet the intent came off as aggressive as Kenpachi's. "If you don't take this fight seriously, I'm going to kill you with my own hands."
Take this seriously? What was he talking about? Survival on its own seemed impossible, let alone fight. Hell, he couldn't even Hollowfy when he tried to stop getting sent so far away. But it's not like he had any other choice in the matter. Even so, he could sense the murderous intent coming from him. 'He's serious…' Ichigo thought to himself. His hair kept flowing from the strange water. 'But is he really willing to go so far as to kill me?' When he really thought about it…
"COME ON!" Tensa charged straight at him, not giving Ichigo time to think. The boy widened his eyes when Tensa tackled his body through the building, both combatants went through the building, with Ichigo being overpowered.
They went through several floors, each higher than the last before the building collapsed from the damage that was caused. Ichigo coughed as he got pushed through air, using the Reishi around him to stop his momentum. He moved his head to sense where Tensa was, but he couldn't even see him. Before he knew it, he got hit from behind, sending him back down before crashing onto another building. "Ahhhhh…" Ichigo groaned as he laid on his back against the crater that was formed from the impact.
"You're finished." Tensa said, facing away from Ichigo as he turned around.
Something about the remark made Ichigo want to stand on his ground and fight again. He wasn't going to accept this. Too much was on the line. "Get back here…" Ichigo spewed, as he began to slowly rise up. Tensa seems to have heard him as the Hollowfied Zanpakuto turned around to look at him. "I don't give a damn how many times you knock me down. I'll keep getting up until you teach me the Final Getsuga Tenshou!"
"An interesting claim." Ichigo could already tell that Tensa was ready to come at him. "However… you don't deserve to be taught anything with that half assed resolve of yours!"
"Haaaaaaaagh!" Ichigo let out a battle cry as he charged at Tensa Zangetsu. Both of their blades constantly clashed with one another, neither side refusing to give in.
Before Ichigo realized it, both he and Tensa already had their swords engaged in a locked position, as both of them stood in front of the other. Ichigo let out a deep scowl, giving off a glare as he struggled to push Tensa back. Those blue and yellow eyes stared right back at him, expression unchanging yet the intent seemed different.
"I guess brute strength is my only option then!" Ichigo exclaimed, as the grip on his handle became tighter, trying to push his entire body forward in an attempt to overpower the Zanpakuto Spirit. "If you won't teach me, then I'll beat you to submission if that's what it takes! Haaaaaaaaarh!" With all the strength he could muster, he managed to push Tensa back as he swung his sword harder.
Tensa casually stopped himself from flying anywhere further back. Ichigo took a small breath, having given everything he had in that strike. "Well, well… it looks like you finally decided to take this fight seriously." Tensa spoke in a nonchalant tone. "Not that it'll do you any good. You won't lay so much as a scratch on me." His expression changed, now he looked sharper, as if he was ready to start fighting for real. "Take this!" he yelled as he charged straight at Ichigo.
The orange haired boy stayed sharp at all times, as there was no way he could predict what Tensa could do next. He saw the Hollow Zanpakuto disappear out of sight by using Flash Step. Ichigo felt a chill run down his spine as he sensed the Zanpakuto behind him now. He turned around to see Tensa swing his blade down vertically. 'I won't make it in time!' Using every bit of speed he could muster, Ichigo moved his body out of harm's way as much as he could.
He narrowly avoided Tensa cutting his arm off, but he didn't get away completely, as the white blade cut his shoulder deeply. The shockwave of the slash was powerful enough to cause immense ripples in the water. It was so strong that the waters overheard erupted into a powerful wave. "Gaaah!" Ichigo yelled out in pain as he descended lower.
In the real Karakura Town, a red haired lass had been walking on her own, with no-one to guide or even help her for that matter. She wanted to find the woman who stopped the train she was in, partly to thank her, and partly to know who she was and how she did what she did. She was a young, tall, crimson haired woman with green eyes, an attractive lightly tan fair skin. The woman was no older than 19 years old if anything.
So many questions ran through her mind. How, where and why did any of this happen? What was used to put the entire Karakura Town to sleep? Because so far she hadn't seen one person awake ever since she regained her consciousness. Even if she shoved someone they wouldn't wake up, as if they are were set into such a deep sleep.
Many others would have been understandably frightened by this. Waking up to find that an entire population besides you were asleep for no reason? There was no telling what kind of chaos would consume this place…
But there wasn't any. And that's what worried her. There should have been car crashes, some bodies lying on the ground with pools of blood, train crashes… yet everything was clean like nothing had happened. It didn't make sense.
Uncanny valley. It's what happens when something looks human or normal but is slightly off enough to be noticeable, that distinction breaks the immersion and progressively starts to set off a response in the one seeing it, usually discomfort or straight up nightmare fuel. It was something she heard but in this case the situation is not in regards to a person but rather how everything looks normal sans the people on the ground. What set her off was the entire area.
The young woman took a breath before putting her fingers on both sides of her head. Assuming that the police would be out of commission, there wouldn't be a point in calling them. Yet ironically, with this many people still asleep, this put her at an advantage.
'I have to figure out what's going on here.' The red haired woman closed her eyes as she began to concentrate. For the first time since she can remember, she could use power that surged deep within her being without any worries of anybody catching her. 'What's the source of all this?'
Quickly, her mind expanded beyond just her own, reaching a "connection" throughout the entire Karakura Town. She could "feel" through just about anyone within her range, forming links. Most of what she got was empty or blank, so she took that as they were asleep. But to her surprise, there were several teenagers travelling together. There was a costumed woman swinging around with a grappling hook, Black Cat if she recalled. There was a man who wore a strange white outfit, but to her shock the "link" was much weaker when it came to him, and she only entered his mind briefly. She didn't understand what was—
…
Before she realized what was happening, all of her senses felt like they were being violated. She began to break down in cold sweat, as the woman in question let out the loudest gasp she could muster, falling down to her knees. There was another mind she tried to enter, but she was rejected almost immediately.
"Aaaaaaargh!" The red haired woman tightly gripped her head from the excruciating pain she felt. She fell down to her back, not caring if she woke up anyone with her screams. "No more!" she exclaimed to herself as she shut down her power. She laid on the pavement, feeling nothing but fear and helplessness. 'What was that…?' she thought to herself as she took deep breaths.
It was unlike anything she's ever felt before. If she held any longer then she would have died from the intense shock, at least that's how she felt. Either that or be driven to madness. She didn't know, nor did she want to. But she did know one thing, someone or something was in this town with unimaginable power.
She prayed that those people would get out alive and not encounter whatever she sensed. What terrified her was what she sensed wasn't even a fraction of the full extent of this entity's power. There was something so much more that she couldn't begin to understand it. If an analogy could be used, from what little she sensed was a sheet of paper, and the rest of what was being hidden was like if planet Jupiter was pitch tar and had molten metal.
In other words, everyone was going to die.
Aizen walked around Karakura with Gin by his side. Now that they have arrived, it would be easy to wipe away this tiny town and collect the souls needed to create the Oken. But he didn't need to go through with that, not yet at least. There was one last thing he needed to do.
Out of the cornerstone wall, he saw a man in a business suit approaching him and Gin, waving his hand, asking what happened for everyone to fall asleep. It was rather puzzling that he didn't even question their strange appearance, and he was the fourth person who's done this. Well, not that it mattered much. As he walked past the human, the human's entire state of being had been wiped away all together, along with the suitcase he held.
"Those who have no Spiritual Pressure cannot sense my power, but their bodies can't survive being near it." This wasn't like how Captains would release their Spiritual Pressure. His Spiritual Pressure was on a fundamentally different level than all the others. Though with this much power, he needed to suppress it as much as he could. After all, he didn't want to wipe away this entire town and Gin by accident.
As he was about to take a turn to a street, he noticed Spiritual Pressure coming at him from behind. Gin seemed to have noticed this as well as he used Flash Step to escape the rain of arrows coming at them all at once. He, on the other hand, turned around as some of the arrows snapped by getting in contact with his Spiritual Pressure, while the rest went straight through the ground.
Aizen made a small smile as he recognized it was a Quincy's Spiritual Pressure that attacked both of them, but it wasn't one of Ichigo Kurosaki's friends. Hirenkyaku was performed as at the front stood a man wearing a traditional Quincy outfit, with a bow pointed towards him as an arrow was ready to be fired at any minute.
"For you to recklessly release your Spiritual Pressure like this…" The man with the white hair said with a stern glare. His glasses hid the glint behind his eyes thanks to the sunlight. "I was told that you were much more cautious than this, but it would appear that I was misinformed."
"Ryuken Ishida…" Aizen murmured as he took a look at the man. With a glance he could tell that he showed far more promise than Uryu Ishida. "So you ended up joining after all."
"So you know who I am." Ryuken spoke in a monotonous tone, not making a move as he observed both him and Gin.
"Oh dear, that was a close call." Gin commented in his usual nonchalant tone as he stood by Aizen's side. "I didn't think there was anyone left to stop us, especially not a Quincy." He pulled his hand to grasp his Zanpakuto, only for the Quincy to fire another arrow, not giving Gin the time to use his Zanpakuto. Gin quickly dodged so he wouldn't get hit by the arrow. "Yikes! Yer certainly a feisty one, ain't ya."
"There's no need for you to get involved in this, Gin." Aizen put his arm at the side in order to prevent his subordinate from fighting, and to stop Ryuken from firing any more arrows. "If you were to face this man, there's a chance neither of you would come out of this alive. Besides…" Aizen began to walk towards Ryuken. "This is an opportunity to test out my new powers. I'm curious where this will lead to." he said as his eyes had a faint glow in them.
Tensa Zangetsu stood in mid air as his cloak moved from the endless water that had been submerged in this Inner World. Ichigo hissed as he bore through the pain. It wasn't so much the injury that bothered him, after all he's taken much worse, but it was the level of scale that Tensa inflicted on him that ached.
"You arched your body at the last second…" Tensa remarked, not bothering to turn around to see him. "But even so, that was useless."
Useless? He wasn't gonna bother asking that. He was lucky to have made it out of that in one piece. 'He's unbelievably strong… and his speed is on a whole other level.' He was glad that this water didn't have any salt in it, or that the water didn't cause any more pain in general. He wasn't sure how this water worked, but he wasn't gonna stop to ask. 'I couldn't react fast enough to block it with my Zanpakuto. This was all I could do…'
"What was it you said before? Something about beating me to submission? To give you the answer you so desperately seek?" The Hollow Zanpakuto turned around to look at him. "Now that I've demonstrated the difference between us, you really believed you had it in you to beat me?! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" Tensa let out a battle cry as he lunged at Ichigo, pointing his sword right at him. Ichigo noticed that the Zanpakuto Spirit was slower than he was a moment ago, probably doing so on purpose to prove his point. It gave Ichigo the time to leap out of the way, making Tensa miss in the process. "Is running away all you can do?!" Tensa remarked as he turned around to swing his white blade horizontally, to which Ichigo placed his sword vertically in front of him, blocking the attack.
That last comment provoked him. It reminded him of the day when Renji beat his ass after his first confrontation with Kariya. Nothing but insults to provoke him. He was full of fear back then, but at least Renji tried to make him feel better. Except this time his own Zanpakuto was having none of that, he meant every word he said. And that made his blood boil.
"Shut up!" Ichigo exclaimed, anger indicated in his voice as he pushed the Hollowfied Zangetsu away from him. He charged right at him, swinging his blade with force he didn't think had it in him. He didn't let up. His strikes were more ferocious, more lethal. And yet, Tensa kept blocking all of them with ease. "I'll do anything!" The sounds of clashes between their swords rang in his ears, and Ichigo had a glare directed straight at his sword spirit. "No matter what! I will get it out of you!"
They stopped as they locked their swords. Tensa's expression seems to have changed, as now he looked displeased more than anything. "Enough of this." Tensa said. Suddenly, a purple glow was shaded within the water, and this act completely caught Ichigo by surprise. The boy couldn't tell if that was coming from the Zanpakuto or the water.
The Substitute Soul Reaper gasped as a whirlpool had formed faster than thought. He didn't have time to react as he felt his body getting sucked in. "Now… disappear from this world of yours!" Tensa ordered. The boy tried to push his way through, but it became futile as his body was forcefully pulled backwards.
"It's been a month by now…" Yoruichi murmured as she gently bit her thumb. She stood by Kisuke's side as it was Isshin's turn to stop the Restrictive Current. They agreed that each would switch places every month. The only reason they knew how time passed by in this place was thanks to Kisuke. How did he know this? He joked by saying he counted the numbers in his head. Yet she didn't put it past Kisuke for him to do that.
Ichigo's state hasn't changed much since he entered his Inner World. The stance remained the same, but there was a noticable gash on his shoulder, and blood had sprayed on his Shihakusho. In this case, whenever a Soul Reaper had a struggle with their Zanpakuto Spirit for whatever reason, all of the activities there are transferred to the outside world as well.
"Either his Zanpakuto is really stubborn, or Ichigo is taking longer to figure out the answer." Isshin answered.
"Care to make a bet on that?" Kisuke playfully asked, knowing full well that he was just baiting Isshin into a trap.
"Yeah right!" Isshin snapped his head towards Kisuke. "What makes you think I'd accept anything with you after I lost the last one?!"
Yep, she called it. "Come now, what makes you think you'd lose this one? After all, this is your son." Kisuke continued to persist, showing a goofy smile that made him almost punchable. "You've known him since he was born. Surely you couldn't possibly lose this."
"I didn't even know that he didn't know what Jinzen is!" Isshin rebuked. "You probably know about his stuff as a Soul Reaper better than I do!"
"Ah, but the question in mind is whether the technique you know is at fault or your son's personality." Kisuke continued his deception. "It's choosing left or right, it shouldn't be that hard."
Well she'd be lying if she said she wasn't amused by their bickering, but Aizen could destroy Karakura at any second, and that would send Ichigo over the edge for sure. She didn't want to see that. "Well you guys are pretty loose about this. Is it because you believe Ichigo can really acquire this technique in time?"
"Well it won't do us any good if we're so stiff. If I could, I would have brought some cards with me to play some games to pass the time." Kisuke replied, tipping his hat as he gave his old friend a smile. Yoruichi's only response was to roll her eyes. "But if you want an honest answer, there's a possibility that Ichigo could achieve this technique, yet it's also possible he won't. It all depends on Ichigo himself."
"Even so, his Spiritual Pressure is rapidly growing." Isshin remarked as he looked at his son. "So even if Ichigo doesn't get an answer out of Zangetsu, he'll come out much stronger than he ever has before."
That's right. Even back when she didn't believe that Ichigo could achieve Bankai, he had done so regardless. But that was only because of his unbreakable resolve at the time. He lacked that here. And if Ichigo was their only hope… then this may be their last battle.
"So… anyone have any idea what the hell has been going on so far?" Gwen asked as she walked between Keigo and Tatsuki, the latter taking the lead at front, and the former being the furthest back. They each carried a student on their back, Tatsuki carrying Michiru, Keigo carrying Chizuru, and she herself carried Mary Jane. ''You know, besides the whole town going asleep, and having no Internet."
"Well… from what I gathered so far by walking around, I went to the edge of town to see what was going on and… it was all gone." Tatsuki gave an answer, but all it did was just confuse her and her classmate even more. ''When you're at the edge you would see that it's connected to other towns, but there weren't any, it's as if the whole place was cut off. There were only mountains past that. I know this sounds crazy, but it's like the whole town has been put somewhere else…"
Ok, that just made it terrifying. It really sounded like that was script taken from a horror movie. What was gonna be next, the attack of aliens? This place already had its fair share of gangsters and villains, fine, she could handle that. But moving an entire town in the middle of nowhere? This was utter insanity. By the time she finishes this grade, she was moving back to America.
"So… do you think Ichigo has something to do with this?" Whirling her head in confusion, the blonde girl turned to Keigo. Suddenly, he flinched, not from what he said but it seemed to be pointing at something else. Why would he ask such a question? And why would he put it like that?
"You're a complete idiot." Tatsuki loudly sighed. Gwen looked back at the purple haired tomboy, who lowered her head.
"What… does Ichigo have anything to do with this?" Gwen wanted to know. The way they talked about him was as if he was involved in this mystery. There was only one thing that registered in her experience that would have these two talk about Ichigo this way, and that was his hero gig.
"Ah… you know what, I can't hide it since this moron ruined it." Tatsuki said, turning her head to give Keigo a glare, making him whimper in doing so. "But… honestly, I'm not sure how to explain it myself. Ichigo is…" Before she could finish her sentence, a loud tremor occurred through their ears as the ground shook beneath them. This sudden act nearly caused them all to fall down. "What the fuck?!"
"Is… was that an earthquake just now?!" Keigo asked as he began to panic. "This can't get any worse!"
"You should never say that!" Gwen exclaimed.
In truth, the "earthquake" was caused by some of the traps that Ryuken set up before Aizen's arrival. Extra precaution must be laid out for the lives of the living, and the elder Quincy couldn't have been more glad he laid them out. And yet they seem to have done no damage as Aizen walked towards him, pushing back the smoke with his Spiritual Pressure.
'What is he?' Ryuken thought to himself, his calm stature unwavered as he kept his gaze at the strange being. 'He purposely walked right into my traps, and yet he hasn't so much as a scratch on him.' Clearly he was outmatched in every way, but that didn't mean he was out of options. The elder Quincy pulled out a Seele Schneider and put it into his bow, and fired it directly at Aizen's path.
The man flashed a smile as he so carelessly didn't try to dodge. Instead of the Schneider piercing through, it stopped in mid air while it still levitated. "Hm?" Aizen lowered his head to look at the weapon, right before he became surrounded by a square-like energy barrier. Aizen looked around, as he studied the surrounding Reishi.
"Geldschrank." Ryuken pushed the tip of his glasses. "It creates a barrier similar to that of Sprenger by surrounding an enemy with high density Reishi." He neglected to inform that to Uryu, simply because the brat wasn't ready for the advanced techniques such as this, nor was there time as he stupidly charged in an enemy territory.
"So is your plan to simply trap me here?" Aizen asked in an amused tone, his voice hinting mockery. "Rather childish for a Quincy of your league."
"That's not all." Ryuken replied, pulling out a Ginto. "Under normal circumstances, your body would be gushing from the amount of Spirit Energy you have, and in the process your body falls apart. But that requires a cut, no matter how insignificant. Fortunately, that's not necessary for me." he opened the Ginto box with his thumb, before throwing it with enough accuracy to spill some spirit juice on to the Seele Schneider.
The reaction caused the barrier to glow brightly, shrinking more and more to crush Aizen on the inside. The plan was to implode him, and though he doubted this would kill him, it should at least wound him enough to slow him down.
But to his surprise, that failed as he watched the barrier shatter like fragile glass, and there stood Aizen as though nothing happened to him. He overpowered it with his Spiritual Pressure. What kind of a monster was he?
Before Ryuken could register Aizen's movements, the man felt a sharp, cold object piercing his body. Ryuken gasped as he coughed blood from his mouth before he got thrown aside to a nearby wall. "Gagh!" His abdomen had been pierced by Aizen's Zanpakuto. He could tell simply because it was a sword wound, and because there were drops of blood coming from the blade.
"Despite the numbers having gone down over the years, I can see how you Quincies gave the Soul Society so much trouble, along with the Bounts." Aizen turned his head to look at the injured Quincy. "I must thank you for allowing me to test my new powers."
"Shall we dispose of him?" Gin asked as he walked by Aizen's side. "If yer done playin', then I suppose he has no use any longer."
"That won't be necessary." Aizen replied with a cynical smile. Ryuken panted as he held his bleeding gut. "Fighting this Quincy gave me an idea, one that would greatly benefit me, so it would be disrespectful to dispose of him like this."
Ryuken, try as he might, could do nothing as he watched the monster and the Captain walk away. He was given a chance to live, for how long he couldn't know, but it's not as though recovering would change the outcome. While this wasn't fatal enough to kill him, the Spiritual Pressure surrounding it was too intense to dismiss it. It also didn't help that the Reishi in the town was too thin to be used to heal him, he'd have to rely on his medical skills to stitch it.
Dragged lower and lower by the centripetal force of the maelstrom he was trapped within by Zangetsu. Whatever his technique was, he knew the intent was to expel him out of his own mind. It felt like he was being torn apart, no matter how hard he tried to push his way through, it simply dragged him down even harder. His muscles were burning from the strain to push past this with brute force.
"Damn it… he can't actually be serious in kicking me out of here!" Ichigo exclaimed to himself, looking down at the swirly hole beneath him. If he really got kicked here, then all of that struggle would have been for nothing. "Come on…!" The lad gritted his teeth, trying to push past this whirlpool, only to fail yet again and get pushed back harder, inching that much closer to his failure. "I don't have time... I can't fail like this!" He needed to not be afraid. No, fear couldn't begin to describe this.
There was too much on the line.
Ichigo shoved his overgrown, bulky sword through the spider-like Hollow's mask, and pulled it out right away as blood spurted from its head, making the creature screech in pain. The monster fell down, not having the strength to get up from losing one of its limbs, and suffering a serious injury on the head no less.
He grit his teeth as he watched the beast dissipate, similar as to how he got rid of the Hollow from last night. It was gone, so it shouldn't come back anymore. Despite that, what really got him ticked off were Rukia's words. Sacrifice yourself for strangers without question? That's bullshit at its finest. He only did what he did last night cause his family was in danger, and now he has to save people he's never met? That pisses him off.
But still…
"I'm not ready to commit to this." Ichigo told the raven haired girl who stood behind the rail. "I might just run the next time things get hectic. I can't promise I'll always risk my life for a stranger. But…" The brash teenager turned around to face the powerless Soul Reaper, giving a look of annoyance. "I owe you a large debt! And I'm not a total piece of shit!" He walked towards where she stood, resting his enormous sword over his shoulder. He put his hand in front for Rukia to shake. "I'll help you out with this Soul Reaper job of yours, but I won't like it."
Rukia responded with a smile as she folded her arms. "Alright. Good luck then."
That's it.
"No!" A surge of power ran through his body. The black blade he held was being wrapped by his black Spiritual Pressure. Ichigo swung the blade before raising it above his head. "Getsuga... Tenshou!" He fired the black wave of energy at the whirlpool. It worked as the whirlpool dissipated completely, freeing himself in the process. Ichigo went after his Zanpakuto, who stood on a corner of a building.
Tensa Zangetsu sensed him for sure, as he turned his head to look at him. "I'm surprised you came back from that." he spoke in the same neutral tone as before, and Ichigo couldn't tell whether he was being honest or not. What would it take to get an actual rise out of him?
Ichigo shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint you. But you should know I don't go down that easily." he pointed his black blade at his Hollow Zanpakuto, holding the handle with both of his hands. "So I planned on staying here a little longer."
"A little longer? And what is that supposed to mean?"
"You heard me! I'm not repeating myself!" Ichigo lunged at Tensa Zangetsu, making a full frontal attack as he swung his blade, now honing his resolve. "I'm bringing everything I've got!" Ichigo's blade clashed against Tensa's. "Haaaaaaaaah!" He made a fierce yell. For the first time he could see genuine surprise on Tensa's face. The fused Zanpakuto Spirit then scowled as he pushed Ichigo back with his sword.
But that barely did anything to slow Ichigo down, as the young man rushed again to swing his sword down vertically, to which Tensa responded by placing his mixed color blade horizontally just at the front of his chest. Black blade clashed against the White blade. Ichigo could feel Tensa's strength running through the blade, yet somehow he hasn't been pushed back, if anything Ichigo was the one overpowering him as he sent Tensa flying.
He was ready for more. Ichigo gazed at Tensa Zangetsu, giving him a look of determination. The water around them had steadily gone down, but not completely. At least he wasn't gonna run away anymore. But even so…
"What's changed in you?" Tensa Zangetsu asked.
"I remembered something." Ichigo replied in a firm tone. "There's too much on the line here. If I sit back and cower in a corner, then I'll be the biggest piece of shit for not doing a damn thing in saving anyone! Even if the chances are insignificant!"
"So that's your answer?" Tensa didn't give an ounce of a reaction. "I see that this is quite important to you, even though your heart is still conflicted. Despite that, it holds none of my concern."
"You told me that before." Ichigo replied, as a memory of Tensa's words rang in his head, still remembering them. "But the way I see it, I'll never stop protecting those around me! And that'll never change!"
Ichigo dashed at Tensa Zangetsu, and the two clashed their swords once again. The Substitute was immediately forced to go on the defensive, as the white haired spirit pushed him back. Both then swung their swords and clashed at the same time, now being in a locked position. This time, Ichigo noticed something odd in their clash.
It struck him. He was starting to feel something from his sword. It was shaking, but that wasn't because of the physical lock. For the first time since the battle began, Ichigo could feel something from his Zanpakuto Spirit. It seems Tensa noticed this as well, which had both combatants separate.
"Here's a question for you, Ichigo. Earlier you said something." Tensa Zangetsu held his blade in a horizontal position. "You said you'll keep getting up, no matter how many times I knock you down."
"Yeah, I did. What about it?"
Tensa Zangetsu's face narrowed. For a moment he stayed silent, analyzing him as if to see he was telling the truth or not. "Very well…" Tensa then charged at him. "Then allow me to test that!" he exclaimed in a fierce tone.
"Bring it!" Ichigo responded with an equal amount of ferocity in his voice, charged by his Spiritual Pressure. They yelled as they came at one another, both on guard as they crossed blades. The clash between was strong enough to reverberate across the foundations of the Inner World.
"Ugh!" Ichigo heard Tensa grunt. The young man turned his head to look at his most dangerous adversary, giving a glare as a sign that he wasn't backing down. He didn't notice it until now, but his hair was growing longer, as the spiky bangs reached below his eyes.
"So how much longer till we get there?" Gwen asked. The current plan in motion was to get Ichigo's sisters with her and the others so that they would at least know if they're fine. The reason for this was that Tatsuki said that Ichigo would kill them first if they hadn't done anything to check if his sisters were alright.
"At least not another half an hour. Give or take." Tatsuki answered her question, as the trio continued to walk to Ichigo's home.
Suddenly, all of them at once were weighted by an immensely powerful force that had Tatsuki on her knees, Keigo's body buckling, and Gwen herself immediately got on her knees before falling face first due to carrying extra weight on her back. Her ability to breathe was taken away, feeling as though her entire being was about to be crushed.
With the position she was stuck in, it was difficult to tell what was happening. It was difficult to think, as her mind was being torn to pieces. Whatever theory she could come up with was washed out by the impossible pressure weighted on her being. Death seemed a better option than whatever this nightmare was.
There were footsteps approaching them, and not the ones she recognized either. She didn't know what was happening, but she wanted to get away, as far as possible. "Very impressive…" A calm voice spoke, but it wasn't directed to her, or so she believed at least. "For you to be able to maintain your very existence when I'm this close."
"Nngh… who are… you?" A female grunt made itself known to her, it was Tatsuki. "K-Keigo! You have to run!" she exclaimed as her voice trembled with fear, even though she tried to hide it. "Get as far away as you can! There's nothing you can do to save us! So just get out of here! GO!" She strongly emphasized for him to leave them.
For Gwen it was somewhat different. She wanted to be saved. But Keigo simply wasn't strong enough to carry either of them. More footsteps, but they were quick, so she assumed it was Keigo running.
That didn't last very long, as an explosion of some sort rang in her ears. It wasn't particularly strong, as the range didn't even reach them. It definitely drew attention, as Gwen found it somewhat easier to breathe, but her being was still numb enough so she couldn't move. 'I can't move…' Gwen thought to herself, making futile effort to get her body to move.
"You seem to be in trouble, young ladies…" A boisterous voice called out, but she couldn't recognize it. "It's times like this where you should call a hero to step in!" Wait. A hero? Finally, someone came to save them. It wasn't Ichigo, but she'd gladly accept anyone coming in to save them. "The Spirits… Are… Alwaaaays… With You!"
Wait, who even was that? That sounded way too goofy, and it didn't even seem like he was trying to make a cool entrance. "Sorry to keep you all waiting, but everyone's favorite Spiritualist has returned at last! My name is Don Kanonji!"
Any hope the blonde girl had left had died down. Now convinced that they were gonna die, Gwen fell into a state of unconsciousness.
"How much longer is this gonna take?" Yoruichi asked, now sitting cross legged within the Dangai Precipice World, her elbow resting on her lap, pressing her cheek against her hand.
"It's been over 2 months now." Kisuke said, now being the one to hold back the Restricted Current, as his eyes were fixated on the orange haired teen. " has to be working very hard to get that answer out of his Zanpakuto. I must say, even I'm a bit stunned it's taking him this long." The former Captain of Squad 12 darted his eyes to the other Soul Reaper. "Does it always go like this?"
"Can't say for sure…" Isshin grumbled, his arms folded as he gave an exasperated sigh. "Even so, he's gotta hurry up. We don't have much time until Aizen creates the Oken. Ichigo may be getting stronger with each passing second, that much is obvious, but the Final Getsuga Tenshou is the key to take out Aizen once and for all."
"Even if Ichigo grew strong enough to pose a threat?" Yoruichi asked for a hypothetical scenario, using it to exchange knowledge about the effects of this ultimate Getsuga. She was curious what made Isshin believe this would work despite seeing what Aizen was capable of.
"I'm afraid he might still have to." Isshin would have replied, but Kisuke beat him to it. Her childhood friend gave her a calculated look. "Even if Ichigo does end up growing stronger in the process, that technique would still be required. With the way things are, I'm not sure if killing Aizen will be possible, not after he's fused the Hogyoku."
This claim made her wary, her mouth forming to that of a frown. "How so?" she asked.
"Aizen has completely fused with the Hogyoku, but I'm sure you know that." Yoruichi's eyebrows furrowed, as she can already tell she didn't like where this was going. "What you might not have known is because of this, killing him will be impossible, as he might evolve in one way or another. Essentially he's obtained immortality. But considering everything else he's accomplished, I'm not surprised."
"Shit…" Yoruichi bit her lower lip, processing this information. She knew Isshin was too. It really drove in how important Ichigo's role was in this. Tearing through the Seireitei and running through life and death scenarios was one thing, but now he has to kill someone that threatens the entire world.
"However…" The dark skin woman's face brightened somewhat. "Earlier before you two showed up, I implemented a seal in his body. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if it worked." He released a weary chuckle. "But that's what this Final Getsuga Tenshou is for. It's a technique so powerful that'll permanently destroy Aizen."
"Exactly." Isshin nodded in confirmation, and the older looking man had his arms folded.
Gin watched as the school children ran away for their lives, and so did that funny looking man. This time they were accompanied by a woman who wore a feline costume, who earlier stepped in to stop the funny wearing man from getting wiped away by Captain Aizen's Spiritual Pressure. She can see them, that much was clear.
In doing so, she evacuated everybody with her, refusing to fight either of them. A smarter decision, but ultimately pointless. Both he and Captain Aizen had been playing cat and mouse with them, which surprisingly lasted longer than he thought it would have.
They were in the middle of a street now, with the feline heroine still leading the kids and Don Kanonji, as he called himself, as fast as she could. He heard Aizen sigh under his breath, shaking his head in disapproval. "I grow tired of this." Well that was surprising. It took him that long to grow bored? "Chasing mice has become such a bore."
"I was wondering how long it'd take ya to say it." Gin spoke in relief. "So what're ya goin' to do with them once you catch them?"
"I will hang their corpses in the outskirts of town, where they'll be easily seen." Aizen answered in a nonchalant manner, as though he spoke of the weather itself. "Then I'll begin to create the Oken." he added, now pointing his blade directly to the small group that still ran.
Rather odd choice to pull off. If anybody else were to see that, it would certainly cause great disturbance, or that of outrage. This was quite an opportunity. "Since that's the case…" Gin took steps forward, clasping his hand to the tip of Aizen's Zanpakuto. His body hovered lower, rattling as a snake. "Let me take care of this. It'll be so much easier."
"Gin…" There was a sound of questioning and hesitation on Aizen's voice.
He didn't question it, as he pulled his own Zanpakuto out, ready to commit the deed. It was almost a shame no-one would see him do this. A part of him was curious on what the other's reactions would have been like had they seen him do this. Amusing, that much he was sure of. He'd say the time to strike would be about… now.
Without hesitation, he used his Bankai and shot a direct blow right through Aizen's ribcage. He had positioned his small blade beneath his left arm, only tearing through the left sleeve of his white haori so he wouldn't suffer unnecessary damage. All of it happened so fast, in a span of a moment no less. The traitorous man turned his head to see a registered look of shock on Aizen's face, grunting in great pain.
"There's only one way to avoid the power of your Kyoka Suigetsu: touch its blade. But it must be done before its powerful influence puts you in perfect hypnosis. It took me many years to get your trust just to get that single detail out of you." Gin turned around and faced Aizen, showing off his grin, one that was full of smugness. He was met with a glare as Aizen narrowed his brows. "In all of the 13 Court Guard Squads, not a single person knew that. Yet they seemed confident they could kill you regardless. It was interesting to see them try, ya know." He reverted his blade back to its original size.
Doing so made blood pour out of the hole on Aizen's chest, making the man in white gasp from the pain, stumbling backwards as the man held his chest. "After all, the only one who's allowed to kill you, Captain Aizen, is me." Despite his calm voice outlined with a mocking tone, the air around them was filled with intense murderous intent that had been pent up for years.
"I knew that…" There was a tiny puddle on the ground that spilled from Aizen's blood. "That's why I brought you here with me, knowing what your true goal was. I was interested to see what you'd use to kill me. But I must say, I'm quite disappointed." he looked back at his former underling, his smirk showing that he wasn't bothered by the surprise attack. "Did you really think something as small as this could kill me?"
"I didn't." Despite the knowledge that Aizen shared, this didn't phase Gin in the slightest. His remark made the former Captain of Squad 5 seemingly annoyed, his face narrowed as he gave a glare, probably wondering as to why he wasn't worried. "Ya see this?" Gin lifted his small sword, revealing that a small piece of the blade was missing. "A small piece is missing." The sly fox moved his right arm, his fingers waved as though he manipulated a puppet as he pointed his index finger at the hole on Aizen. "Just now, I left that piece inside your body."
"What?!" This made Aizen shocked, his eyes widening as he realized too late what he had done. Now it was checkmate.
"As for my Bankai's power, I explained it to you before, haven't I? Well, that was a lie." There was an underline of gloating in Gin's voice, holding a smirk that was filled with smugness. "Well, to be more precise, I haven't given a proper update. You see, when it extends and contracts, it turns to dust for just an instant. And inside this blade is a powerful poison that rapidly attacks cells." Aizen's response was to deepen his glare, as though making an attempt to burn him with it. "Though I'm sure you already knew that. But what you might not have known is when I was pullin' my sword back out of your chest, I left a fragment of my blade inside yer heart. That tiny chunk didn't turn to dust."
"Gin…"
"If ya want to say somethin', I suggest be quick about it. Though, not like it'd matter." It would have been better for Aizen to attack him right then and there, but the poison had already taken effect. It was time for the coup de graaf. Gin took his final steps, putting his hand up to Aizen's heart area. "Kill'em, Kamishini no Yari."
"Gin… you son of a…" Aizen spoke in detest as a bright light illuminated brightly from his chest.
"I don't see what you're gettin' to complain about. You're going to die with a hole in your chest, ain't that what you always wanted?" Gin mocked him, his eerie smile displaying a layer of cruelty of the brutal act.
He watched as Aizen's body dissolved from the inside, right before ⅓ of his body was torn. It left an enormous hole on the victim, showing the Hogyoku floating despite not being physically attached. Gin couldn't help but think that this was ironic, remembering how he first discovered Aizen when he was but a small boy looking for Rangiku that night. He looked and waited for the right opportunity to strike. To finally end this, Gin reached forward to snatch the Hogyoku.
But to his utter shock, he saw Aizen make one final attempt to stop him as he tried to reach his hand out to grab him. Fearing what would happen if he got in contact, Gin took the Hogyoku and leaped away as fast as he could, but not without cost, as he felt his wrist had disappeared from the physical contact Aizen made. "Nngh!" Gin grunted from the pain, panting heavily as he watched the once powerful Soul Reaper fall down on the ground. Not wanting to get anywhere closer, Gin used his Flash Step to get away.
That was far too close. He didn't think that Aizen would still have the will to even move like that. If he had been completely careless, he would have ceased to exist. He was in an alleyway, not having gotten far from the streets. Gin breathed heavily, as sweat visibly poured down on his face, looking at the Hogyoku that was within his grasp. There was nothing remaining on half his right wrist, whilst blood poured down from the other.
It was excruciatingly painful, and that was just an accidental contact from Aizen. He took a moment to calm down and recollect himself. Gin almost couldn't believe that he managed to pull this off. This small orb that gave everyone so many problems had finally been removed. Though he'd suffer serious repercussions for his actions, he'd gladly do this all over again if it meant protecting Rangiku.
"It's finally over." Gin murmured with a sigh of relief escaping his lips, as though the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. All of that "loyalty" had been worth enduring just for this moment.
Suddenly, and only briefly, he felt an enormously powerful Quake take place, he was brought to his knees as he felt an overpowering presence make itself known. Terror gripped onto Gin's very being, breaking down in cold sweat as he realized whom this belonged to. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" That came from Aizen, who shouted at the top of lungs he shouldn't have anymore. A thick beam of purple light shot through the heavens, threatening to destroy the world itself. It was nothing short of mortifying.
His plan had failed.
"What… the fuck is that…" Keigo asked as he, Don Kanonji, his classmates and Black Cat watched the breath-taking beam that burst from out of nowhere. They stopped running not long after they saw that maniac's minion seemingly turn against him.
"This is completely insane…" Gwen, who recovered her consciousness not long ago, had her eyes go wide eyes, and was in complete state of shock. Everyone was trying to keep their grip on the insanity surrounding them. "Hey, isn't there anything you can do to stop this?!"
"I don't know if you noticed this…" That voice came from Black Cat. "But this is way out of my league! I'm only trying to keep all of you alive!"
Strong gusts of wind blew by, as though a tornado came by. Gin could do nothing but hide in the corner, watching as the beam continued to rise up high. This continued for a few more seconds until the beam made a shift until something emerged out of it. His heart ached as Aizen came out, his form completely different, and the damage he once had was gone completely.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that the man had undergone a transformation. But that shouldn't have been possible with the Hogyoku being separated from him. For the first time in his life, Gin was at a loss of what to do.
"I always win, Gin." Aizen spoke calmly with a foreboding sense of doom. "Even without it being inside me, the Hogyoku you took…" Gin frantically tried running anything he could think of to get out of this hole he dug himself. "...Still belongs me." He gazed down, and Gin could have sworn his eyes were glowing.
Suddenly, the Hogyoku in his hand acted crazy as it glew menacingly. Worried that it'd give his position away, the former Captain tried to clench it with his hand as a desperate attempt to hide it, yet somehow he was being rejected. Holding it was becoming unbearable. "What the hell is happening?!" Gin exclaimed.
His best course of action was to run, but he thought too late. Before realizing it, Aizen appeared right in front of him by using a technique unlike that of a Flash Step nor Sonido, yet it exceeded both. Not seeing any other option, Gin moved in to attack by using his Bankai, this time in an attempt to destroy the Hogyoku.
Yet before his Zanpakuto could move an inch, a shockwave burst forth from Aizen, knocking Gin backwards as sickening crunches barely registered in his ears, his body being grotesquely mangled. Along that, two buildings beside them collapsed as well.
He hit the ground on his back, causing a rumbling to be formed. Gin was no medic, but he knew his right arm was no longer attached to his body. Not just that but the bones in his body had been crushed, add that with a feeling of his gut missing.
"I must thank you, Gin." Footsteps approached him, and whatever strength Gin had left, he opened his icy blue eyes, mustering a glare at the maniac. "Fear is necessary for evolution. The fear that if one remains stagnant, they can die at any moment. Now that I have grown past that, I have become a being that transcends both Hollows and Soul Reapers. Thank you."
So this was how he was going to die. Alone. And he couldn't even take Aizen with him for that matter. Glimpses of his memories came up, the rough days in the Rukongai during his childhood, such as his promise to Rangiku that he wouldn't make her cry the day he decided to become a Soul Reaper. The time when he left the Soul Society as the Negacion caught him, but before it lifted him he murmured an apology to Rangiku. He couldn't have been more glad he did that.
'In the end… I couldn't fulfill my promise to you.' Gin thought, his broken mind and body prevented him from shedding a tear. 'Forgive me... Rangiku…'
A booming, thunderous step hit the ground, one that was filled with unrivaled power. This in turn made everyone turn to look at him, but most importantly, it got the attention of his adversary. Ichigo was finally back, with more power than anyone could imagine, and with him were Yoruichi, who carried his somewhat tired father, and Kisuke who stood on his right.
It wasn't just the power, but his body and mind had changed as well. His frame stood more broad and muscular, along that his height had increased as well, and his hair grew longer that they easily went lower than his eyes. Not just that, but his Zanpakuto had changed drastically. The blade grew longer in height, the guard became much bigger, but the strangest thing on him was a metallic glove that seemingly fused with the handle. With the glove came Tensa Zangetsu's chain, which had wrapped around his arm and past that. This in turn made his right arm visible, as his Bankai sleeve no longer covered it.
His eyes no longer reflected any doubt, fear, or anxiety. He was calm. Simple as that. His confidence reassured the others that nothing would hold him back any longer.
He was ready.
Well, sorry it took it took so long, but here it is, we are now near the end conclusion of the Deicide arc, now with Ichigo and Aizen's final battle about to begin. Since we are already this close to finishing, I decided to do another chapter of this immediately as we are so close now. I also apologize to the viewer who PM'ed me by asking for an update. Well here it is.
For those who are wondering about the redhead in this, she will have a purpose in this later down the line, but to simply put it's not Mary Jane, and it's not some OC either. I'll just say it's another Marvel character... kind of. You're free to guess who it is.