Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.


Chapter 28: The Father, the Son and the Right Hand

Inside the majestic palace of Esperanza, El Dorado, Hueco Mundo

The wondrous paradise of El Dorado had finally begun to feel the effect of the Wandenreich's ongoing war with the Soul Society. With the Soul King's death, the Realm of the Hollows were also feeling an earthquake throughout the barren landscape.

But looking from a balcony at Esperanza itself was none other than Augustus Zod Allowin, who stood there overlooking the wondrous city that could feel the shaking. But he was accompanied by the members of the Sombre, whom were all Dechados, as well as Killaman Khan, Diablo Gallante and Xerxxes Rureaux. The Emperor of the Imperio de Hierro was now eyeing this grimly.

"And there you have it, Your Highness" Pieddot Picasso said while bowing formally to his emperor. "Even now, there is no doubt in my mind that Yhwach is in the Royal Realm, which explains this" he then added to his explanation.

"The earth trembles in disharmony. It affects El Dorado as well" Allowin noted grimly before glancing at Killaman. "Just as you foresaw, Paragon Killaman Khan. And the one to cut the king was the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki" he then added.

Killaman bowed before his superior, but there was more that needed to be said from him. "I appreciate your words, my liege. But I am afraid that the dices have been cast and that the game has barely begun" the hooded Arrancar with long beard said in return and glanced out at the cityscape. "It won't be long before the ritual commences" he then told Allowin as he and the others listened closely.

"What kind of horseshit are you spewing out, old man!?" the angry voice came from Lyoness as he glared at his fellow Dechado with feral rage. "Are your glowing eyes blind!? Our city is in disarray! We must…..." the reddish-brown maned man was stopped when he could feel Allowin's intimidating glance on him.

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE, PARAGON LYONESS MAHLANGU!" Allowin's voice roared and this forced Lyoness to stop his verbal attack on Killaman. The emperor then stood up and watched as he could see that the earthquake caused the rocky roof above to loosen.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?" Gallante asked as he and the other Dechados knelt before their leader.

Allowin was now beginning to float up in the air from the balcony and he faced his subordinates. "We must help the citizens in need and assist the Ojos with the safeguarding! Summon the rest of the Dechados! We will defend El Dorado against whatever threat Yhwach poses to us!" he commended them and suddenly looked down to the Conquistadores in Esperanza's courtyard. "Conquistadores, open the gates! All the citizens will find sanctuary behind the wall of Esperanza!" he called out to them, determined to save his people from this chaos.


In the icy cityscape, the Sereitei, Soul Society

The moment Ichigo had cut the Soul King in half, the end of the world had begun. Even now, a large earthquake shook the entire landscape in the Soul Society, both outside and inside the Sereitei. The many buildings that existed fell into many pieces and both Shinigamis and Quincies alike were running away in fear. To them, this was the end of everything, including their excistence.

But for the surviving Sternritters who had barely managed to escape Yhwach's Auswählen, it only demonstrated what his true motives for everyone, including them were. Both Bazz-B and NaNaNa Najakhoop were currently hiding inside a building and watched from a broken window the many Soldats running in circles. After barley managing to survive the Auswählen, the Sternritters had been lying unconsciously for an hour only to wake up and gather their strength. While their lives had been kept, their Quincy: Vollständig had been taken away.

"Man, dis some bullshit!" NaNaNa cursed while staring outside, as he was still wearing his orange mask before his eyes. "Here we are fighting the enemy only for His Majesty to ditch our asses! I mean, come on!" he exclaimed loudly while throwing his arms up in the air.

Bazz-B only glanced at him dispassionately. "You say that surprised you? Well I sure as hell wasn't!" the punkish Quincy said while crossing his arms. Even inside this building, they could still feel the entire earth shake beneath their feet. "This is what Yhwach had in store for us all along. Nothing but total oblivion" he then conluded.

The two Sternritters could see that some boulders fell down towards the fleeing Shinigamis and Quincies. The icy cityscape was slowly being torn apart. Many lives were gone thanks to this earthquake and Bazz-B knew that something had to be done, not necessarily by the Shinigamis, but from the Sternritters themselves.

NaNaNa became surprised when he saw Bazz-B stand up on his feet. It made him wonder why he was doing that. "Where are you headin' off to?" the lean Sternritter asked the man with the Mohawk.

"What do you think? I said to myself that I wasn't gonna die here by the Auswählen! And here I am, still standing and breathing!" Bazz-B replied before banging his fists together. "Besides, I still haven't fulfilled my vow to my family. Killing that bastard Yhwach remains undone!" he then added while he was filled with passion in his voice.

NaNaNa only rose up to his feet and merely put his hands in his pockets. "Bruh, how do you suppose you would be able to beat His Majesty? I mean, at dis state, you ain't powerful enough to take on a Shinigami!" he bluntly said.

But Bazz-B angrily grabbed the collar of NaNaNa's vest and he faced him directly through his big glasses. "Shut your ass up! I'm more than capable of doing that!" he said and suddenly began looking outside at the broken window to see the Soldats running around in fear. Bazz-B couldn't help but to form a smug grin on his face. "Besides, there's no reason to worry about the loss of our Quincy: Vollständig. We can always regain it" he said to NaNaNa, who also looked outside the window.

NaNaNa couldn't help but to grin with his black and white teeth when he knew what Bazz-B was trying to explain him. "Ah, I see. Regaining them will definitely be our first step towards payback" the lean Quincy noted smugly.

"Damn straight! We'll rendezvous with the other surviving Sternritters. I can still sense their Spiritual Pressures. Then we can begin our path in destroying Yhwach and his lapdogs!" Bazz-B said before glancing at the Soldats. "But first, let us do some "harvesting". This method is strictly forbidden to use if you want to regain your Quincy: Vollständig. But because we're on our own here, we'll do whatever it takes to regain our powers! After the Auswählen, we're no longer bound to whatever rules Yhwach made!" he declared as his fist was burning with fire.

NaNaNa was equally as enthusiastic as Bazz-B was. "Hell yeah! I'm gonna enjoy dis, dawg!" he exclaimed with sadistic killing intent.


Inside the Squad 12 Base

The ceiling above the Shinigamis waiting to open a gate to the Royal Realm were caught by surprise when they could feel that the entire lab was shaking so endlessly. The earthquake even made cracks in the ceiling and it made everyone cautious as they wondered what was currently happening.

"Shit! The ceiling is breaking apart! Ikkaku cursed as he could see what was happening above them.

"What the hell is this!? Are we under attack all of a sudden!?" Yumichika demanded an answer from those around him.

Sui-Feng felt very uneasy, as did her lieutenant. "No! That's impossible! I don't sense any Quincies around us at all! This must be something else!" she added to her fears.

"It can't be…..." Urahara uttered out words in shock as he looked up to the ceiling, as he was in fact facing up in the skies. "No…the Soul King is…...dead…the Soul King is dead!" he then revealed, his eyes never leaving the sight of the skies.

All the Shinigamis around him became shocked when hearing this realization, as they could not believe in what he was saying. Was it really true? Had the Soul King been killed? Was this the end of the world?

"YOU CANNOT BE FUCKING SERIOUS!" Shinji shouted in anger while facing Urahara. He was filled with outrage as he looked at him. "I MEAN, HAS THE ROYAL GUARD FALLEN AS WELL!? AND WHAT ABOUT ICHIGO AND THE OTHERS!?" he then angrily asked, as the usually laidback captain was now filled with despair and anger at the same time.

Urahara faced the floor. "I don't have the answer, but the only hypothesis I can come up with is that the Royal Guard has been defeated and that Ichigo and the others didn't make it in time" the blonde-haired man explained what he felt would be the answer, but he had more thoughts swirling in his head right now. "But at this rate, the Sereitei…no the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and even the Human World will all vanish along with everything else…...all because of the Soul King's death!" he then pointed out what would happen next.

The Shinigamis were filled with unease over hearing his explanation, as they could not believe that this was their fate. And they had all been prepared to travel to the Royal Realm in hopes of confronting Yhwach. A feeling of despair clouded the minds of the Shingamis.

"IS THIS REALLY THE END OF US!? ISN'T THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO!?" Renji angrily asked.

But while the majority of the Shinigamis were bickering and arguing in distress amongst themselves, Jushiro Ukitake was now moving himself in the middle of the circle and everyone could notice something odd about the white-haired man. For some reason, a black thing began sprouting out from his back and it stunned everyone, including Urahara and Rukia.

"Ukitake…what are you…..." Urahara asked in shock as he saw what the captain was planning to do.

Ukitake faced everyone around him as a black eye began to take shape behind his back. "Have no fear! I will replace the Soul King…and take his place!" Ukitake declared and suddenly removed his clothes until his upper torso were exposed. Bandages were falling off and the black marking on Ukitake's back began to roam free. "I will explain everything eventually, but now let me begin the ritual!" he told everyone around him.

Rukia's eyes widened as she, Kiyone and Sentaro got to see what was coming out from their captain's back. It was unbelievable to their standards.

"Captain Ukitake…...is that…" the young girl was at loss of words, as she could see what it was.

Ukitake looked over his shoulder to see his subordinates while pulling out his Zanpakutous. He then made a fighting stance while chanting a name and prayers repeatedly. "Lord Mimihagi…...Lord Mimihagi…Lord Mimihagi, please lend me your powers…...with the powers you have granted me, I shall release it!" he said as the thing behind him started to take shape for real. "Lord Mimihagi…...Lord Mimihagi…Lord Mimihagi, please lend me your powers…...with the powers you have granted me, I shall release it!" he then exclaimed and the thing behind him took the shape of a clenched fist with an eye in the middle. It grew taller and taller for everyone to see.

The Shinigamis backed off as they watched the eye itself growing bigger as well. They were all awed at what this thing was, as it was something they had never seen before. Even Kenpachi was surprised and stunned by the thing.

"What the fuck is that thing!?" he exclaimed in disbelief over seeing this.

But soon, it was safe for them to get closer near Ukitake, as he was now onto his knees with the giant thing floating above him. He was sweating, considering that this ritual was taking a toll on his body. "Ever since I was 3 years old, I have had a very bad lung disease. My white hair is an aftereffect of this disease" he then explained before facing the Shinigamis around him. "I am certain that some of you are probably aware…that my life was supposed to end when I was only 3 years old" he then revealed to them, thus exposing a secret he had kept hidden from most of his comrades and subordinates.

"I have heard about Lord Mimihagi, but just his name. I have never seen him in person" Urahara then admitted while glancing at Ukitake. "From what I know, it is some kind of indigenous God for the people that are living on the outskirts of the Eastern Rukon District.

Ukitake nodded his head as a yes while the black things swirled around his body. "You are correct. The people of the Eastern Rukon District believe that it is a single-eyed God. They also believe that it will protect those who are willing to sacrifice everything, except for their own eyes" he said but he had more to fill in as the Shinigamis were glancing at the giant eye above him. "This God…...was a God that had fallen a long time ago. Apparently, it was enshrined…...as the Soul King's Right Hand" he revealed to everyone's surprises.

Urahara was stunned to hear this. "The Soul King's Right Hand…..." he said lowly. "I thought that the legends about the Soul King having life in all of his body parts were just myths!" he then admitted into his head.

"How did you even get that thing inside of you!?" Rukia wanted to know more about this entity her captain possessed inside of him.

Ukitake could not help but to muse when seeing their reactions. "My parents were very superstitious people. When all the doctors in the Soul Society gave up on me, they brought me before Lord Mimihagi's shrine, immediately. They prayed that he would take my lungs and it happened. Because of this, I survived the disease. And because of my survival, I was even able to become a Shinigami and work for the Sereitei as one of the thirteen captains of the Court Guard" he mused before coughing out chunks of blood.

"Captain!" Rukia called out and was about to come to his side, only for her captain to make her stop.

The white-haired man came back to his composure and continued with the ritual. "Lord Mimihagi's power has been eating at these lungs of mine, and it will continue throughout my body. This is a process we call the Kamikake" Ukitake explained while feeling how it took a toll on him as a whole. "Everything inside me will now belong to Lord Mimihagi. I have become Lord Mimihagi's representative. And by sacrificing everything inside of me, I am now…...the Soul King's Right Hand" the white-haired man noted while feeling how stronger it was becoming.

Rukia was filled with shock, and she was now beginning to see the entire picture of this. She even began to realize what Ukitake's motives were. "Captain Ukitake…...don't tell me that…you foresaw everything and used the Kamikake to…" the young woman had no more words to describe her own realization.

Ukitake faced her, Sentaro and Kiyone with a smile of his own. "Yes. I knew deep down from the moment I was given a second chance of living…...that this day would eventually arrive. It is also my wish that this life I was given….is given back for the sake of the Soul Society" he explained, but he was not finished speaking to them. A heartfelt smile was formed across his face as he took a glance on them. "Rukia…..Sentaro…..Kiyone…..I know that this may not be the best way to say goodbye forever…but I want you to know something. Whatever path you may chose that will determine your fates…I will always be proud of you….as your captain. Feel free to do whatever you wish to protect the future…because I have already…chosen mine" those were the last words of Captain Jushiro Ukitake to his subordinates, as he roared up in the skies. Lord Mimihagi had taken full control of his body and was headed up straight towards the skies. His entire mouth and eyes were filled with Mimihagi's black aura.

Rukia and her fellow members of Squad 13 only stood and reflected on what they head heard their captain tell them. Were those just words for advice? But then again, they could all agree on one thing. Ukitake was telling this from the bottom of his heart.

The other Shinigamis could only stand and watch as the black hand was shot up and through the Shakonmaku. Everything was silent in the room and the earthquake could no longer be felt. But while some were staring at the body of Ukitake, others were staring at Urahara, considering that even a smart man like him had never seen things before.

"How long will it last?" that question came from Sui-Feng as she glanced at Urahara. "I didn't think Ukitake would completely become the Soul King's substitute. But that of his ability will only last as long as he is alive. So how long will it last?" she asked the blonde-haired man one more time.

Some of the Shinigamis were feeling that Sui-Feng's questions were not helping anything. "Captain…maybe this isn't the time for…" Marechiyo was trying to speak up his mind, only to be interrupted by his captain's voice of iron.

"Shut it, Omaeda!" she made him zip his mouth before glaring at Urahara once again. "Isn't that the truth, Urahara!?" she angrily demanded an answer from him once again.

Urahara sighed deeply before glancing at Sui-Feng for real. "I don't know. To tell you the truth, this is actually the first time I have seen the Kamikake, so I really can't tell how long it will last" the blonde-haired man finally answered before facing the rest of the Shinigamis. "But one thing is for sure. We have to look for another way to stabilize the Soul Society. While Ukitake is standing in for the Soul King, we will make the doors and head to the Royal Realm quickly!" he said to everyone and they all agreed.

But as they were about to continue making the doors, the Shinigamis could see that they began disintegrating. Its process was only going backwards and the lines that connected it were gradually disappearing as well. This worried everyone.

"What the hell is happening!?" Ikkaku angrily asked while seeing this.

"The doors are disintegrating! But why? We had barely begun creating them!" Yumichika remarked in disbelief at what he was seeing.

But Nanao appeared to have the answer for it. "There isn't enough Spiritual Pressure" she replied as she knew what was happening.

"What do you mean?" Shuhei, who stood beside her, asked.

"Captain Ukitake always used his Spiritual Pressure to continuously support his sickly body. This made his Spiritual Pressure stronger than the rest of us in the group" Nanao answered before taking a look at the doors that were disappearing. "But now that he is out of commission, there isn't enough Spiritual Pressure to make the doors. At this rate, we'll…." Nanao was suddenly surprised when Lisa Yadomaru appeared a shihakusho and held her hand on Nanao's ball. "Yadomaru…" the lieutenant was stunned to see her.

The stern woman fixed her eyes upon Nanao. "What do you mean by at this rate? There's no way we're gonna let things go at this rate, are we?" she then sternly asked her.

But she was not the only one, as the rest of the Vizards appeared in the room, dressed in shihakushos. But Hachi's was a special case. He was actually wearing the outfit that he wore during his time as Lieutenant of the Kido Corps. But Hiyori and Love wore shihakushos, just like the rest of the Shinigamis.

"Here, I'm wearing the shihakusho! Are ya happy now!?" she angrily snapped while facing Urahara. "Now give me the damn ball, Kisuke! I just wanna get this over with quickly!" she added to her words.

Urahara smiled when seeing the Vizards arrive. "Excellent, you arrived just at the right time" the blonde-haired man noted when he saw them.

But Shinji was less than enthusiastic. "Pfft…...I don't know. I kind of liked it when Hiyori was not around" he thought inside his head.

"My, my, it seems that I arrived here at the right time" the voice came from Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, as he and Nemu had just exited the doors to his lab. "I noticed that there was a gathering here, but just look at the mess you have done here" he then went on expressing his dissatisfaction about the base's condition.

"Kurotsuchi" Urahara was surprised to see Mayuri being finished with his research and noticed the Captain of Squad 12 heading towards the computers.

"I know, I know. You plan on gathering everyone and have them use their Spiritual Pressures for the doors. But I still don't get it, though" Mayuri noted while clicking on the dashboards. This resulted in the computers separating from one another, as something was shown in the middle. "If you needed a large amount of Spiritual Pressure, then why didn't you just use my Spiritual Pressure amplifier?" the scientist then asked the blonde-haired man.

Urahara only scoffed at this in return. "You should've told us you had it then" he remarked smugly in return.

"Well, I didn't think we would be in such a mess" Mayuri simply replied.

With the combined assistance of the Vizards and the Spiritual Pressure amplifier, the doors were once again being made. With that much Spiritual Pressure, a trip to the Royal Realm was guaranteed for the group of Shinigamis, and they all knew that there was no going back from this. A tint of hope had been restored into their hearts once again.


Somewhere deep underneath the Sereitei

While the Shinigamis were making efforts to break into the Royal Realm, Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku was now currently visiting the underground prison of arguably the greatest traitor to the Soul Society itself: Sosuke Aizen. Ever since his defeat at the hands of Ichigo, Aizen had been sentenced to imprisonment for many generations. His prison was deep beneath the earth, where he could never see the sun or even see clearly in the dark. The bindings around him only made it harder for him to ever do so. But still, it didn't dismiss Aizen as a potential threat to the Soul Society, based upon the crimes he committed against it.

Shunsui had been given a seat of keys to be able to free three things on Aizen's bindings: his mouth, his left eye and his ankles. The moment he put those three keys inside the holes, he was in for a surprise, as Aizen himself walked slowly towards him.

"What's wrong? You still have many keys left, don't you?" Aizen asked while glancing down upon the pink-clad Shinigami.

However, Shunsui remained calm and simply glanced at the condemned prisoner with his smug smile. "Well, how does it feel being able to walk with those ankles and see with that eye after such a long time?" Shunsui asked in his usual laidback manner.

Aizen merely glanced at him unfazed. "I see that you haven't changed at all. You are still the same as ever" he replied without any emotion in his voice.

Shunsui merely chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment, thanks" he replied to his statement. But he then rose up to his feet and faced Aizen directly into his only eye, considering that Shunsui had only one eye left as well. "But listen, I didn't come here just to hear you compliment me. So how about we put these pleasantries behind us and talk business?" he then suggested to Aizen in a stern manner.

The brown-haired man was unfazed by the head-captain's words. "Business? What kind of business?" he asked while sounding confused. "Pardon me, but I don't recall ever doing business with you in the past, Shunsui Kyoraku" he then added.

"That's not what I'm talking about" Shunsui revealed and formed a slight frown with his mouth. "You can drop the clueless act. I know about your secret "meeting" with Yhwach" he then told the prisoner smugly.

Hearing this made Aizen form a smirk with this mouth. "Well, what does it matter? If you know about it, then you probably know of the details. He asked me to join his side. But of course, I refused. I saw no benefits in allying myself with him" he then said.

But Shunsui simply shook his head as a no. "Aizen, Aizen, Aizen. You really seem to have gotten sloppier with your manipulations lately" the man with the eyepatch remarked before facing the prisoner once again. "Based upon the conversation you had with Yhwach, you weren't only talking about you joining his side. Yes, there is more to it than meets the eye" the head-captain then said smugly.

Aizen was starting to find Shunsui annoying with his tough talk. "Just what are you implying, Kyoraku?" he asked while wanting an answer. But he also took a brief glance at the sets of keys that the head-captain had brought with him. "Hmmm…on another note, why would you go to such lengths in bringing the keys in here despite not wanting to free me?" the brown-haired man wondered.

Shunsui only stood still as he listened, but he eventually removed some of his shihakusho to reveal something in his chest. "Well, you seem to have seen through me, haven't you? Well, I guess it can't hurt showing you" he remarked and showed markings on his chest. "The truth of the matter is, I had to hide the keys inside myself. But the conditions I was given from Central 46 were "free only three parts". That's what I had to agree on to be able to do this" the pink-clad Shinigami explained.

Aizen only glanced with a frown of his own. "Hmm…the doors to this place would forever remain shut if you were to be killed, is that it?" the brown-haired man asked while glancing at the markings on Shunsui's chest. "Furthermore, Central 46 must have also predicted that I would probably kill you and take the keys as well. Those congressmen in that chamber sure is a lot" he then remarked when he realized all this.

"Don't try to change to subject here" Shunsui said and suddenly glanced at Aizen warily. He suddenly smiled smugly, much to Aizen's indifference. "You still haven't told me what you and Yhwach were really talking about. And now that you know everything about me, how about you let me know everything about you?" he then asked, not wanting to make a big drama out of this.

Aizen only glanced at him with disapproval, yet he did nothing in response except for speaking. "Very well. I will tell you what he said" he then gave in to Shunsui's demands "But after that, I demand to know the true reason you have decided to visit me in the Muken. I know very well that you didn't come down here just to chat with me" he reminded Shunsui.

Despite hearing the demand, Shunsui was still acting so laidback. "Whatever you say, pal. Just tell me your story and I'll tell you mine" the head-captain responded.

Many weeks earlier, Aizen's underground prison in the Muken

As Sosuke Aizen was standing inside the dark with his bindings, he was in for a surprise as he could feel that the bindings over his mouth and left eye was loosened. The brown-haired man opened his eye and then looked through the darkness.

"This Spiritual Pressure seems unfamiliar to me" Aizen admitted before noticing that it came closer to him. "Who is it?" he finally opened his mouth to speak.

A deep chuckle could be heard from the darkness and stepping out from the shadows was none other than Yhwach himself. The Emperor of the Wandenreich was facing the prisoner smugly. He stood approximately five feet away from Aizen's location.

"Who are you?" Aizen asked, not feeling very surprised when seeing him. "Based upon your Spiritual Pressure, you are not a Shinigami…but a Quincy…...but that means you are…." the brown-haired man noted in slight surprise when seeing this.

"Surprised to see me here? Well, it shouldn't be, considering your reputation as one of the Soul Society's most well-informed individuals" Yhwach replied flatly before bowing before him in a formal manner. "I am Yhwach, the Father of the Quincies and Emperor of the Wandenreich. I am honored to finally meet you in person, Sosuke Aizen" he introduced himself.

Aizen merely smirked in return. "I see. You weren't dead as all of the Soul Society first expected. What a coincidence it is for me to receive a visit from someone like you" he remarked in return.

"Your charm eludes me, Shinigami. I can see how you were able to become a captain, let alone betray your kin" the black-haired man said in return, but then fixed a slight frown underneath his moustache. "But enough pleasantries, let us talk about your current situation in this light-forsaken place. Now, how was the wise and infamous Sosuke Aizen reduced to such fate?" he then asked, before he snapped in realization. But all of this was an effort to taunt Aizen. "Oh, that's right. You had everything in your hands and were on the verge of victory, only to be defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki, a mere Substitute Shinigami" Yhwach went on explaining, mocking Aizen at the same time.

Aizen only glanced at Yhwach with dispassion, as he did not like having this subject being brought up. "Mind your tongue. You were never able to witness how everything went" he sternly told the Quincy before forming a smirk with his mouth. "However, I succeeded in one thing, though. I followed Ichigo Kurosaki from his birth and watched as he evolved from a mere boy to a strong fighter. He was a rare case, considering that his mother was a Quincy that was able to deal a blow to my own creation, a Hollow with the powers of a Shinigami. But her defeat of White caused her dearly and she was on the verge of dying, only to be saved by Isshin Shiba" Aizen began explaining how he had been following on Ichigo. "Therefore, it is safe to say that I succeeded in unleashing Ichigo's potential" he then concluded proudly.

Yhwach could not help but to laugh at what he heard. "You fool. You went through all this trouble to help that boy develop, only for him to turn against you in the end. It's almost as if a lab rat turned against his captor" the long-haired man was musing to himself. "That said, I should actually be thanking you, Sosuke Aizen. I thank you for helping Ichigo realize his potential" he then admitted to the prisoner.

Aizen could not stand being spoken to like this, so he decided to change the subject. "Why have you come here? Did you come here just to make a mockery out of me?" he sternly, yet calmly demanded an answer.

Yhwach responded by "reaching" out a hand towards Aizen, although it was only a mocking gesture. "I am glad that you finally asked" he said with a smile. "Your plans to create an Oken and invade the Royal Realm may have ended in failure. However, you can still achieve that goal. The door is not yet closed for you" the man with the moustache insisted to him.

Aizen was unfazed and only raised an eyebrow in return. "And you are telling me this why?" he asked with no interest in his voice.

"Sosuke Aizen, on behalf of the entire Wandenreich, I hereby offer you my hand in friendship. I invite you to join me and remake this world together. We will do that starting with eliminating the Soul King" Yhwach declared while explaining to him. "Think of this as a chance to redeem yourself after your humiliating defeat" the long-haired man then said.

"I refuse" Aizen flatly responded, thus snapping Yhwach. The man in bindings only glanced at Yhwach with nothing but dispassion. "You speak as if you and I are similar, as well as share the same goal. But you have sadly mistaken, Yhwach" the brown-haired man said.

Yhwach merely raised an eyebrow warily. "And why is that?" he asked.

Aizen forced a smug smile. "Fool, my intentions were never to destroy the world, only to change it" he said. "I only wanted to replace the Soul Society's system and remove the Soul King. In this world, there should not be someone like that thing to rule over us. Rather, it is the world's most intelligent and wisest that should be on the top! They should be the greatest leaders of the society! They should be considered gods and do you know why? Because those individuals have enough knowledge and power to become Gods themselves!" the brown-haired man then explained what his view of the world was.

Aizen's motives have been questionable, but the former Captain of Squad 5 had always desired to change the world, or more specifically the Soul Society. But if he was to change the Soul Society, he would have to overthrow the Soul King and then become a God himself. However, his quest for power had led Aizen to commit great atrocities to both friends and foe alike. But even so, Aizen never seemed to care about the consequences of his actions. All that was onto his mind was power, and he cared less about those around him. He felt like he was the one chosen to become the Soul Society's true leader.

Yhwach only laughed after 8 seconds and this time, it was loudly. Aizen angrily glared at the Quincy, but Yhwach soon stopped laughing and glanced at the prisoner with a smirk on his face.

"You becoming a God? Such delusion!" Yhwach asked while musing to himself over the fact. "Now let me ask you something. Even to this day, you still have no regrets over the actions you have done in order to further your aims?" the man with the moustache asked Aizen.

The brown-haired man was surprised when he was asked about this. He couldn't understand why someone like Yhwach would be asking him such questions. Slowly gritting his teeth in anger, Aizen fixed a surprisingly maddened look on his face, something that indicated he had slowly been driven into insanity. That had been the case ever since his defeat by Ichigo's hands.

"You think I care?" Aizen asked before directly eyeing his visitor. "FOOL! THE ONLY THING I CARE ABOUT IS MY OWN DESTINTY! URAHARA, HIRAKO, MOMO, GIN, TOSEN, THE COURT GUARD, THE ESPADAS, THE ARRANCARS, TO HELL WITH THEM ALL!" he spat out in anger, finally revealing his true face, about a selfish man who never cared about anything, and never felt pain towards others. He buried all that guilt and replaced it with a sadistic mindset. But Aizen soon calmed himself and brushed off his anger. "Let me be clear here, Yhwach! I am nothing like you and never will be. Therefore, I refuse to join you. The Soul Society will be mine for the taking, not yours!" the fallen Shinigami concluded his refusal.

So far, Yhwach had only glanced at the prisoner speak towards him unfazed. It appeared that he was displeased with Aizen's answer. Before he could even speak, the Quincy could feel the enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure coming from Aizen. The Emperor of the Wandenreich took a few steps back and watched as Aizen slowly began taking slow steps towards him. Yhwach was surprised he could do that, despite him being wrapped up in bindings.

"I grow tired of your presence, Yhwach. You have heard my answer. Leave me now. My powers is not be wasted for the sake of your silly crusade" Aizen told the Quincy.

While slightly awed by Aizen's enormous Spiritual Pressure, Yhwach suddenly formed a grin and pulled out something from his cape. "Very well. Since you have given me your answer, then allow me to show you something" he said and suddenly held out a pale blue crystal ball in his hand.

The crystal ball glowed brightly and it even made Aizen stop in his tracks. In fact, the brown-haired man got intrigued when he saw the crystal ball, as he could even see what was inside of it.

"What kind of magic is this…..." Aizen uttered out words lowly.

The long-haired man mused to himself when hearing this. "This is my Schicksal. It is able to show you anything that is not lies. And as you already know, I despise lies" Yhwach explained as the crystal ball began showing cloudy skies and it was thundering inside of them. Aizen's eye was solely focused on those rumbling clouds. "Do you think that your actions in Hueco Mundo has gone unnoticed? That is quite presumptuous of you. Because even as we speak, "he" knows of your actions against Hueco Mundo, including the abuse of its rightful power. And once "he" gets knowledge of you being alive and breathing…."he" will come for you…and take what is rightfully his. And what happens next? "He" will send you to the realm of eternal nightmares and torture: the Sea of Suffering…which is worse than Hueco Mundo and Hell combined" Yhwach went on explaining what was Aizen's fate.

While the brown-haired man listened closely, his angrily unleashed his Spiritual Pressure once again, thus sending Yhwach away one again. Aizen was only glancing at the Quincy with dispassion now.

"Your visions seem worthless to me. I have far better things to worry about than some old, pathetic myths told by former Captain of Squad 3: Bansui Amatsuki" Aizen told the long-haired man. "My time will come soon, and I will start with making you my next target, Yhwach" he then said smugly while even forcing a smirk with his mouth.

Despite hearing this, Yhwach only chuckled in return and shrugged off what he just heard from Aizen. He turned around and slowly began disappearing into the darkness once again. "Fight if you must, Aizen. But it won't matter. There is change a happening in not just the Soul Society, but in the entire world as well. For now, rest easy and wait. You may want to enjoy the few times of your life before the suffering begins" the long-haired man said as he vanished from Aizen's view with the bindings enclosing on him once again.


Back to the present, in the Soul King's Palace, the Royal Realm, Soul Society

When the shaking had stopped, those fighting in the Soul King's palace could feel this. Yhwach, who had been concentrating on fighting Ichigo, was left stunned when he witnessed what was happening at the Soul King. Not only he was caught by surprise when seeing Mimihagi stand above the Soul King, as were Ichigo and his friends.

Yhwach's eyes widened as he saw the black hand hold up the Soul King, thus protecting him. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked lowly while seeing an eye open on the black hand. "So this is it? The one thing that escapes these eyes of mine" Yhwach then noted, as even with the Almighty, he could not predict Mimihagi's interference. But Yhwach eventually knew what this was and he became furious. "Why? Why do you, the Soul King's Right Hand, stand in my way!? Are you starting to feel sentimental towards the Soul Society you have always protected!? Answer me, Soul King!" he angrily demanded an answer from Mimihagi and the Soul King.

Meanwhile, the group of friends were still trying to figure out what had just happened. They had not expected this to happen, as they thought that the entire world was going under.

"What the hell just happened…." Ganju asked lowly and suddenly looked outside. "The clouds…...they've stopped moving" the long-haired man then noted.

"Then that means the end of the world has somehow been averted" Chad noted and the glanced over at Mimihagi holding the Soul King. "Whatever that thing is, it sure did us all a great favor just now" the brown-haired man remarked.

Tessai adjusted his glasses while watching Mimihagi's form. "The Soul King's Right Hand. If that really exists, then it means something" the tall man noted in his thoughts. "It would mean that the myths about the Soul King having life in all of his body parts and organs…...is real" he then went on analyzing the fact.

So far, Yhwach had only stood and glanced at Mimihagi protecting the Soul King. But for some reason, the black-haired man's eyed widened in realization. It appears as if he was speaking to Mimihagi via telepathy. After 4 minutes of silence, Yhwach couldn't help but to form a grin underneath his moustache. Why was he doing that?

"Heh, I see. So, that is what this is all about?" the Quincy remarked and slowly began taking steps towards Mimihagi and the Soul King. "At first, I was furious as to why you would become an obstacle for me, considering that you are merely a hand severed by the Soul King's body and no longer follows his will" he then admitted, as he got closer to his target. Yhwach raised his hand and readied his fingers. "But if this is what has been decided, then I shall take him along with you, Soul King!" he declared and was about to make a move against Mimihagi.

But Yhwach's arm was stopped by Ichigo, who had used his Shunpo to appear right before him. The orange-haired man held the Quincy's arm and stopped him from attacking Mimihagi.

Yhwach merely glanced at him unfazed. "Move aside, Ichigo" he told the young man.

"Yoruichi, Tessai! Now!" the orange-haired man called onto his two allies and the two Shinigamis ran past him an Yhwach. Now that he was keeping the Quincy busy, Tessai and Yoruichi could do what they had in mind.

The two friends ran around the Soul King and made markings around it, also throwing papers down on the wooden floor as well. "Good work, Ichigo! We'll handle this! Just keep him busy!" Yoruichi said, as she and Tessai began performing some hand seals and a barrier started taking shape around the Soul King. "So, this black blob is the Soul King's Right Hand, huh?" the purple-haired woman asked her friend.

"Whatever it is, it managed to stabilize the Soul Society by holding on to the Soul King's body!" Tessai responded while finishing the hand seals. "And if that is the case, then we will make it the new Soul King!" the man with glasses added to his explanation, as a barrier slowly began erecting itself.

Meanwhile, Yhwach was still glancing at Ichigo in displeasure, as he still held back his arm. "Why are you doing this, Ichigo? You are the one who cut the Soul King in half and your Quincy-blood dwelling inside of you should not be able to overlook his existence" the man the black-moustache said, but Ichigo's eyes remained defiant. "So what reason could you possibly have to stop me!?" Yhwach then demanded an answer from Ichigo.

"How many times do I have to say this?" Ichigo simply asked lowly and then angrily narrowed his eyes. "I HAVE COME HERE TO MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! ONCE YOU'RE DEAD, THE HUMAN WORLD WILL BE FREE OF YOU!" he angrily replied.

"YOU DEFEATING ME!?" Yhwach asked back in outrage. "SUCH STUPIDITY! YOU ONLY SAY THIS OUT OF IGNORANCE!" the old man then said in return.

"QUIT DEGRADING ME, YOU BASTARD!" Ichigo hit back and suddenly swung one of his blades. "GETSUGA TENSHOU!" he yelled, as he swung a crescent beam towards Yhwach.

This attack resulted in the palace's roof becoming destroyed and it left the Soul King's quarters exposed to the open skies around it. A large chunk of smoke erupted from the palace's top.

Amidst these smokes, Ichigo stood and readied himself in facing off against Yhwach. "Hey Yhwach. I know that the blood that flows within me comes from you" the Substitute Shinigami said and brandished his Zanpakutou. "But what does it matter? I sure as hell will never become your servant!" he then said.

The smokes vanished and Yhwach stood there, facing off against Ichigo. "You won't become my servant? What a joke" he said and suddenly readied a giant Heilig Pfiel with the help of Reishi. "Whether you do it or not, is for me alone to decide" he said before firing the arrow.

Ichigo could see how fast it went and quickly used his reflexes to avoid it, soon running quickly towards Yhwach. His speed had increased and he was almost near him.

But Yhwach was hardly giving up and suddenly formed a Heilig Bogen made of Reishi and aimed five arrows towards him. "Sankt Bogen!" he said and fired the arrows.

The orange-haired man knew that he would have to use a different approach to reach his opponent, so instead of avoiding it, he used Shunpo to quickly vanish from the line of arrows.

This surprised Yhwach. "He is fast!" he noted and could eventually notice Ichigo appear behind him ready to strike. But the emperor caught wind of him and turned around quickly to clash against him by using his blade he had recovered. But while they were busy overpowering the other, Ichigo managed to send Yhwach away by releasing the full extent of his Spiritual Pressure. The Quincy had also been kicked in his stomach. "What kind of strength is this?" the emperor wondered as he was flying above the floor.

Ichigo used his fast speed to appear a few feet from the direction Yhwach was heading towards and he raised his blades in the air, intending on stabbing his opponent. But Yhwach had gained control of his body and quickly used Hirenkiyaku to vanish from his post. He appeared a few feet away from his opponent.

There was still smoke coming from the destruction of the palace's roof, and the two opponents simply glanced at each other. But the silence stopped as Yhwach spoke up.

"Ichigo. I have to tell you something. I never once thought of making you do any of my bidding. Do you understand why?" he then asked Ichigo, who merely glanced at him in return. "There was no need for that. Because your decisions are all connected to mine" Yhwach then revealed.

Ichigo slowly gritted his teeth in anger over hearing this and held his blades tightly. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked lowly.

Yhwach merely formed a smirk underneath his moustache. "I am telling you this because you have been fighting for me" he revealed, this time making Ichigo follow him closely. Yhwach could see this and mused to himself. "Just think about it. The fights that came and strengthened you after your awakening as a Shinigami, the same power you used to defeat Sosuke Aizen, the power you lost after that fight and even getting it back, all of those was for you to take the Soul King down!" he then revealed, causing Ichigo to be surprised.

Yoruichi could see from her own standpoint that Yhwach was trying to undermine Ichigo psychologically, so she decided to intervene. "Don't listen to him, Ichigo! They are nothing but lies!" she told the orange-haired man.

Yhwach merely glanced over at her with displeasure. "Foolish sinner! You think I would lie about this!?" he berated the purple-haired woman before refocusing his attention to Ichigo. "The fact of the matter is, I never had to do anything! All I did was watch your actions with these eyes of mine. Your thoughts, your actions, all of it was for my benefit!" he said and suddenly stretched out his hands. "And that is because you and I share the same blood, Ichigo!" he then told him.

Ichigo was having enough of being lectured by Yhwach, so he angrily charged at him. "SHUT UP!" he yelled and launched himself at the Quincy, clashing blades with Yhwach once again. "TO HELL WITH ALL THAT QUINCY-BLOOD BULLSHIT! I'M STLL GONNA DEFEAT YOU!" he yelled.

Yhwach mused when seeing this. "I have noticed that you no longer speak about "stopping" me. Did something change your mind about me?" he then asked him. "Are you still upset about your mother's death, Ichigo? It was your own doing after all" he then asked as if he felt sorry for the young boy.

Anger took hold on Ichigo's eyes. "Quit fucking with me, you old cocksucker…" he Ichigo said lowly as his teeth angrily gritted. "YOU MURDERED SOMEONE WHO WAS HELD DEAR BY HER FAMILY!" he then angrily snapped.

But Yhwach remained unfazed while hearing this. "Spineless brat. Your own weakness is what killed her!" he spat back, much to Ichigo's own anger.

While Ichigo was clashing with Yhwach, his friends stood and watched as they were unsure about this. "I have never seen Ichigo this angry before" Orihime noted while watching her childhood friend going all out against the emperor.

"Then maybe we should help him!" Jinta said while resting his kanabo on his shoulder.

"Are you nuts, kid!?" Ganju asked in disbelief. "There's no way in hell that you'll be of great help to him!" the long-haired man pointed out.

Jinta merely glared at him dispassionately. "Then why don't you come up with something better, smartass!?" he spat in return.

But the group of friends were interrupted by a pair Reish-arrows passing by them. Each of them hit Yoruichi and Tessai respectively. Those two were concentrating on fixing the barrier, but being shot interrupted them. Turning around, the entire group could see Uryu Ishida standing there, holding his Heilig Bogen. It was apparent that he had just fired those arrows. Appearing from behind was Jugram Haschwalth, while holding his Reishi-sword in his hand.

Ichigo had also taken notice of this and his eyes snapped, as the memories came back. Because of him slaying the Soul King, Ichigo had almost forgotten about Uryu's sudden change of sides. "Uryu…" he uttered out the name of his friend in shock, as he could see that Uryu had in fact fired arrows on Yoruichi and Tessai.

Haschwalth formed a slight smile when seeing this. "Excellent work, Uryu Ishida. Now that should be enough to keep them distracted" he noted while watching the barrier.

While Tessai and Yoruichi had been distracted by Uryu's appearance, they both realized that the barrier they were creating was now disintegrating. "No! The Soul King!" the tanned man with glasses exclaimed as the barrier collapsed, leaving both Mimihagi and the Soul King exposed once again.

"Uryu! What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Ichigo asked, but failed to notice that Yhwach was exploiting his distraction and used his strength to send Ichigo flying away.

With him gone and the barrier gone, Yhwach made his way towards the Soul King and was about to remove Mimihagi from his grasp. But before he could do that, someone was throwing white bombs, as well as fireworks from the Shiba clan. It was Yoruichi and Ganju, who were trying to distract him. Ururu had also positioned herself beside them and fired some rockets from her missile launcher.

"How do you like that!?" Yoruichi asked tauntingly while readying some more bombs. "Once the first one of my bombs has hit, the second will turn you to dust!" she said

Ganju lit a rocket and aimed it at Yhwach. "Suck on this, ya old geezer! The Shiba clan's cherry rocket will melt your eyes!" he said with confidence in his voice.

Ururu merely aimed her missile launcher at her target. "This will hurt you badly. My missiles have gas infected in them" she said in her usual statement.

But Yhwach would not to let their distraction waste his time. "Pernida" he suddenly called out the name of one of his Schutzstaffel.

Before they could continue their attacks, the three was stunned as they could feel someone appear right behind them. It was Sternritter C – The Compulsory: Pernida Parnkgjas, who had just used Hirenkiyaku to appear in the palace's highest floor. The hooded individual merely glanced upon the three. Both Ganju and Yoruichi were filled with shock, as their right arm and left arm began twisting themselves.

"What kind of power is this!?" Yoruichi asked in fear.

Ganju's right arm quickly loosened and he screamed in agony. "ARGHHH! MY FUCKING ARM!" he yelled as his arm was bleeding endlessly.

"Standing Ovation!" that voice came from Tessai, as he was had just formed a Kido-barrier around Pernida, hoping to keep him trapped, as well as putting an end of his life. "Ururu! Ganju! Yoruichi! Get away as far as possible! I will dispose of that thing!" he called out to them.

But Yhwach suddenly used his powers to send both Ganju and Yoruichi flying off the palace. However, Ururu was just in time to avoid getting affected by Yhwach's attack. But the young girl could see them both falling down and aimed her missile launcher at them.

"Don't worry! I'll fire a cloth that can wrap them up and give them a safe landing!" the little girl said to her friends while aiming her missile launcher at the Yoruichi and Ganju.

"Don't be so sure!" that voice came from Haschwalth, as he was about to swing his sword at Ururu from behind. The young girl snapped in shock as the blade fell, only for someone to block it. Haschwalth got irritated by seeing Jinta clashing with his kanabo. "Go home, punk! There is no place for kids like you on a battlefield" he told Jinta.

The red-haired teenager only grinned cockily in return. "Heh! Up yours, Prince Charming! I've dealt with arrogant pricks like you before!" he taunted him.

Haschwalth grew irritated by hearing this statement. "Perhaps this will convince you!" he said and swung his blade once again, only for the red-haired boy to try blocking with his kanabo, only for it to break, much to Jinta's own shock. But that was not all, as the young boy was felt a serious cut across his stomach. The young teenager fell onto the floor.

"JINTA!" Ururu expressed shock over seeing her friend being in such a pain. She quickly rushed to his side, only for her to see the tip of Haschwalth's blade. The blonde-haired man showed no remorse for his actions. Ururu stared as Haschwalth lifted his blade in the air.

"This will be your punishment for interfering with His Majesty's business!" Haschwalth declared. But before he could land a blow, a barrier suddenly protected the little girl's back. It was Orihime, who had activated her Santen Kesshun. Haschwalth noticed this and narrowed his blue eyes. "Interminable-wench! You dare interfere?" he spoke to her with dispassion.

Orihime remained defiant in front of him. "You won't be hurting Ururu or Jinta! Not on my watch!" she said

The blonde-haired man merely scoffed at her. "I admire your bravery" Haschwalth said while brandishing his blade. "But you lack the guts to fight!" he said and then charged at her, only for Chad to block his sword by using his Fullbring. The tall man clashed with Haschwalth. "Out of my way, Fullbringer-brute!" the blonde-haired man said to him.

But Chad remained unmoved. "Not a chance in hell!" he spat in return.

Haschwalth only fixed a smug glance in return. "Hmmm…looks like the Kido Master has failed to contain Pernida" he noted, and Chad could see that Pernida was now free from the barriers.

Tessai had ocne again been hit by a Reishi-arrow and it was without a doubt Uryu's doing. Amidst this commotion, Yhwach seized the opportunity and was about to claim the Soul King, only for Ichigo to appear behind him once again.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING HIM, BASTARD!" the orange-haired man yelled.

But Yhwach surprisingly did nothing to attack and soon, Ichigo could see a Reishi-arrow headed straight towards him. This forced the Substitute Shinigami to concentrate on destroying it instead of stopping Yhwach. As Ichigo destroyed it, he was outraged once again by seeing Uryu intervening and helping Yhwach with this goal.

"Don't get in His Majesty's way, Ichigo" Uryu told him sternly.

Ichigo angrily gritted his teeth and faced the floor. He clenched his blades tightly. "What are you doing, Uryu?" he asked lowly before lifting up his head to angrily glare at the four-eyed man. "JUST WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?" he angrily asked, yet Uryu remained unfazed of his anger.

The emperor mused by what his successor to the throne had done. "Well done, Uryu. You have my thanks" Yhwach thanked the Wandenreich's crown prince and grabbed Mimihagi and tried to tear it off.

But this only lead to the palace's upper floor collapse and almost everyone was on the verge of falling off the palace, except for Pernida, as he did in fact fall off along with the rubbles. Yhwach could be seen inside the Soul King's quarters, trying to tear off Mimihagi, with Haschwalth standing beside him. Meanwhile, Orihime were trying to heal Jinta, while Chad, Ururu and Tessai stood guard.

"We…..are…..safe" Chad said while panting, trying to catch his breath. He also looked over his shoulder to see Orihime treat Jinta's injuries.

Ururu faced the floor with shame in her eyes. "But I didn't fire a cloth that could've saved Yoruichi and Ganju!" the teenager said while looking down at the floor in shame.

"You have no reason to worry!" the group of friends snapped and watched as Yoruichi came flying towards them with Ganju holding her foot. Apparently, the purple-haired woman was using her flight device, which she had previously used during the Rukia's rescue from execution. Both she and Ganju landed beside them, and both fell onto their knees panting. "That…...was…close" she admitted while trying to catch her breath.

Orihime noticed her and Ganju's injuries. "You're both bleeding seriously. I should use…" but both of them didn't bother to listen, as they both went to see that Uryu was now standing between him and Yhwach. The orange-haired woman was extremely concerned about this, as she could not believe that Uryu was now siding with the enemy for real. "Uryu…" she uttered out his name lowly.

Uryu had appeared via his Hirenkiyaku and faced all of his friends in a cold and stern manner. But he especially faced Ichigo, considering that the Substitute Shinigami was not far from his standpoint. The raven-haired man aimed his Heilig Bogen towards them.

"Don't move, all of you" Uryu said while readying an arrow. "If either one of you move an inch, I will shoot" he told them coldly. When he could see Ichigo take one step with his foot, he fired an arrow, only for Ichigo to destroy it. "I told you I would shoot" he scolded Ichigo.

"Don't give me that bullshit! Do you have any idea why all of us are here!?" Ichigo angrily asked Uryu.

The four-eyed man lowed his Reishi bow. "I've heard it. You are here to stop His Majesty, right?" he asked with no common sense in his voice. "But I've said it before and I say not now, I won't let you do that" Uryu said coldly.

Ichigo could not believe the way Uryu was talking to him right now. "Don't you understand!? If we don't stop him, the Soul Society, the Human World, Hueco Mundo, everything will disappear!" the orange-haired man said.

Uryu only chuckled by hearing that statement. "Fool. Did you really think I would be here if I didn't already know?" he mockingly asked Ichigo.

Ichigo's eyes widened in anger and he only felt the urge to physically attack Uryu, yet tried to control himself. He really didn't carry any hateful grudges against him, only towards Yhwach. But now that he was on the Wandenreich's side, the friendship between them was now put on hard tests.

"So, you know why we're here and what we're fighting for?" Ichigo said lowly. "But if so…THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ON YHWACH'S SIDE!?" he angrily demanded an answer from him.

Uryu only adjusted his glasses in return while hearing this angry outburst. "You don't know? Well the answer is simple. I am a Quincy" he told him as honest and open as he could. But it looked like Uryu was not yet finished with him. "Honestly Ichigo, give up this foolish quest for vengeance. It will only destroy yourself" the raven-haired man suddenly spoke up.

Ichigo's eyes widened in realization as he heard what Uryu just said. "What are you….." the orange-haired man could not believe what he was hearing.

"Have you forgotten what I said to you back in the Sereitei? I told that you go home and not throw your life away for something as ridiculous as this!" Uryu surprisingly scolded Ichigo, who was too stunned to reply. "You know that this path you're walking will only destroy you, Ichigo. Your anger is misplaced! Why only prolong your own despair when you could've done something important like staying with your family?" the raven-haired man asked him seriously, but he got no answer in return. This only encouraged Uryu to continue. "What happened to your mother…was tragic indeed. However, you becoming this warrior bent on revenge is something even she would've not wanted. And you know that fact very well" Uryu concluded his speech.

The Substitute Shinigami had so many emotions running across his head, and he could no longer decide on what feeling he should have. But after few moments. Anger slowly began taking hold on Ichigo and he charged towards Uryu.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he angrily cursed while preparing an attack.

But he was interrupted by the sound of Reishi wings coming nearby. Ichigo stopped his attack and only looked around the environment. Emerging from the rubbles of the palace and the skies were Yhwach's Schutzstaffel. Not only was Pernida back, but he had brought with him his comrades, Nianzol Weizol, Gerard Valkyrie and Lille Barro.

Meanwhile, Ichigo's friends gathered in a circle, considering that they were now surrounded by enemies.

"Great! More Quincies!" Yoruichi groaned irritatingly while making sure everyone was paying attention. She could still feel injuries to her arm.

Tessai held onto his staff while remaining cautious about their surroundings. "Damn it! That hooded Quincy brought some reinforcements!" he noted while taking a glance at Pernida, who had been carried by Gerard to this place.

The five members of the Schutzstaffel removed their Reishi wings and fixed their eyes upon the group. Some of them were disappointed about the group of friends itself.

"You gotta be kidding me" Lille said with dispassion. "Here I thought we were up against an army, only to be met by…this?" he asked while he was not amused.

Askin only shrugged his shoulders. "I was kinda hoping for the same thing. Oh well…..I guess it's just them we have" the flamboyant man said.

Gerard only grinned while glancing upon the group and even drew out his sword. "So much for being an army. Now let us bring these interlopers to justice! They shall pay for interfering with His Majesty's plans!" the man with the winged helmet said.

"Stand back, Schutzstaffel!" Uryu's voice stopped them all from walking towards the group. He then aimed his bow at Ichigo and the group. "I don't require your assistance with this. Watch and learn" the four-eyed man said and suddenly fired multiple Reishi arrows at the ground, eventually trapping Ichigo and the gang to fall down from the palace itself.

The entire group was unprepared for this and as they fell down from the Soul King's Palace, Ichigo only looked up and faced the one he had once considered a great friend. Truth is, the conversation he just had with him now completely changed his view on him. The orange-haired man was filled with anger over seeing this.

"URYU!" he cursed out as he fell alongside the boulders.

At the palace, Uryu merely glanced down upon the group he had made fall off and fixed his eyes on his fellow Quincies. "I'll just have to drop them. That's all there is to it" the raven-haired man explained to the Schutzstaffel. But he could suddenly see Lille aiming his Reishi rifle at Ichigo and his friends. Seeing this made Uryu fire an arrow that went directly to Ichigo. The Captain of the Schutzstaffel glanced at Uryu, who was facing down at Ichigo and his friends. "I know what you're about to say. They wouldn't survive a fall from here and even if they did survive, there's no way they could make it back from below. But, if I had killed them before dropping them, then we wouldn't have to worry at all. That's what protecting His Majesty meant, right?" Uryu told Lille, who merely stood and listened.

But Gerard was greatly amused by Uryu's explanation. This was actually the second time he was impressed by Uryu's intelligence. "Well said, newcomer! You have my acknowledgement" he said, forcing Uryu to happily accept it with a nod.

But the group of Quincies could see that Yhwach had now succeeded in pulling out Mimihagi from the Soul King's grasp. The black-haired man only stood and watched as the hand slowly moved out towards him.

"Right Hand. I am pleased to see your decision. Obviously, you could see the future, but never predict the huge gap between us in terms of power" Yhwach said, eventually dissolving the black hand into liquid. "Apparently, you know that I have already surpassed you and that I will eventually surpass the Soul King himself. Therefore, I will take everything from him and make it mine! I will make his powers mine!" he then declared and absorbed Mimihagi's power. While he was doing that, it was apparent that Yhwach felt some sense of gratitude to someone, and it was apparent who he was thinking about. The man with the moustache formed a smirk when he thought about him. "Jushiro Ukitake….I can't express how grateful I am for your service! You will come to me!" he thought inside of him before looking over his shoulder to face his subordinates. "My sons, let us leave Sereitei be for a while. I will become one with my father and take his rightful place as the Soul King. Until then, don't let anything interrupt my ritual!" he declared and fired a black beam down from the palace itself.

To be continued…..


Author's note: This chapter told us about Ukitake's sacrifice, the never-before-seen conversation between Yhwach and Aizen, as well as Ichigo and his groups attempts to stop Yhwach while discovering Uryu's true loyalties. What will happen now? Will Ukitake's sacrifice be in vain? What does Shunsui attend to do with Aizen? The next chapter will tell us exactly what will happen. And by the way, here is the new term we got introduced to in this chapter.

Schicksal – German for "Fate": For some reason, Yhwach carries a crystal ball that can see the future, as well as discover one's fate. Whether he uses this towards others is unknown.