Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Chapter Thirty-One

Kurosaki House

Rangiku sat on Ichigo's bed. In her crib was little Asahi, sound asleep and oblivious to the peril that threatened her parents. "Captain Hitsugaya…Captain Shiba…" she mumbled, looking out the window. She was in her Soul Reaper form, her Gigai stuffed into Ichigo's closet along with Toshiro's.

The raging spiritual pressures were all over the town. Rangiku was confused why so many of the Arrancar felt like Ichigo, unaware of Szayelapporo's experiments. She sensed Ichigo fighting the Espada who'd beaten him before, Kisuke and Yoruichi fighting what felt like another Espada and a whole hoard of Arrancars, and Isshin, Toshiro, and the rest of Ichigo's friends fighting the Arrancars with Ichigo's spirit energy.

But then…she felt another one. And it was coming straight for them.

"Damn it!" She looked back at Asahi and cursed. She promised to watch over Asahi for Halibel but if she let the Arrancar make his way here, then she'd have to battle with Asahi, Yuzu and Karin in the line of fire. She walked over to the baby and put her blanket over her, patting the child's head. "I'll be right back…" she promised, putting a barrier over the baby to keep her from harm.

Leaping out of Ichigo's window, she darted into the sky and met the Arrancar head on. "So, you're the last of them?" she asked, drawing Haineko from her sheath. "Thought you could sneak up on us, did you?"

The massive Nirgge looked like he was about to explode. His muscles strained as Ichigo's spirit energy pumped through his veins. He gripped his sword tightly. But because of his oversized hand, his sword looked more like a pocketknife. "GRRRRRR! RAHHHHHHH!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, his spiritual pressure erupting like a wildfire. "KILLLL YOUUUUUUUU!"

As the Arrancar loomed over her, Rangiku put up a stance. "I don't think so. Growl: Haineko!" Her sword dissolved into a storm of ash. "I'll take your head off!" She sent the ash towards Nirgge, intending on taking his head in the first strike.

"GRAAAAAAH!"

Rangiku watched in astonishment as Nirgge's spiritual pressure batted her ash away. With murder in his eyes, he lunged for the strawberry blonde. "Uh oh…"

Isshin vs. Findor

The sky rang with clashing steel. Isshin locked blades with his opponent and pushed him back, albeit with great effort. "What…has Aizen done to you?" he grunted.

"GRAAAAAAHHH!" Findor, who had already smashed more than three-fourths of his mask off, continued to scream in angered pain. Every time he broke off part of his mask, the rush of power caused the mindbreaking pain in his brain surge with greater ferocity. Despite being the calmest and levelheaded of his master's minions, he was consumed by mindless rage. He pointed his rapier at Isshin, a storm of energy pouring into the tip.

Panic swept over Isshin. Even though the construction site was abandoned, a blast like this would have catastrophic results to Karakura Town. As fast as he could, the former captain shot into the air, forcing Findor to aim his blast at the sky.

The black and red blast lit up the sky above Karakura Town. Isshin dodged it by a hair, seething as he felt his shoulder get singed. Flashstepping behind the power mad Arrancar, Isshin swung hard. Findor spun around and blocked the strike with the blade attached to his wrist. The pair stared each other down for a moment until Findor brought the blade to his lips and blew. The high pitched whistle made Isshin flinch.

For a moment, he feared that this was some sort of sonic attack that would disrupt his equilibrium. When nothing happened, he looked around and saw Gargantas form around them. The former captain realized that it was the equivalent of a Hollow whistle, calling ten huge Hollows to his side. "Looks like this isn't going to be easy. Fine then." Isshin took another stance. "Burn: Engetsu!"

Chad vs. Poww

Blood spilled from Chad's lips. He brought his shield-arm up to block Poww's next punch. "Nghhh!" The force of the blow caused his knees to buckle but he remained standing. For now.

The Human and Arrancar had been trading blows throughout most of the fight. Chad's training with the Tres Bestia came in handy while he handled the massive Arrancar. Poww's body was bruised and battered. So caught up on his power trip, the giant had abandoned defense. He took every hit that Chad threw at him. But the bruiser kept on coming. No matter how many hard-hitting punches or blasts of spirit energy Chad hit him with, Poww refused to go down.

And worse, as the battle raged on the mountainside, Chad's endurance was beginning to wane. Despite all his training, he was still only Human. He transformed his left arm into its more devilish state and gathered energy. He blocked Poww's next strike with his shield and made his move. "La Muerte!"

Chad's ultimate attack struck dead on. Poww screamed as the deadly energy hit him. A skull pattern dug itself at the fighters' feet. Chad, winded from putting so much power into that blow, took a step back and waited for Poww to fall backwards.

To his complete dismay Poww didn't fall. He staggered, but the monster was still on his feet. "How? What has been done to him?" Chad knew that this wasn't normal. That blast should have taken down the Arrancar.

"GRAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" screamed the massive Poww, his spiritual pressure surging like a star about to go supernova. The pain in his body only served to drive him further into his berserker rage. His fists glowed with black and red energy. Despite his huge size hindering him throughout most of the fight, Poww's punch moved like lightning, hitting Chad right in the stomach. "Gah!" Chad raised his arms only for Poww to punch past his guard, this time earning Chad a punch to the face.

His brain bouncing in his skull from the harsh recoil, Chad fell to the ground. But Poww wasn't done yet. He wanted Chad dead. He wanted the puny human erased from the earth. Chad was helpless as he took the beating of a lifetime. The mountainside shook from the flurry of earth-shattering punches. With a loud scream, Poww gathered his energy into his right fist, intending to finish off Chad with a Cero-punch that would obliterate him. He threw the glowing-red fist…only to feel Chad's left hand reach up and grab it. "GRAHHHHHHH!" Poww screamed in agony when the white hand crushed his fist. Finally the giant staggered backwards while his opponent staggered to his feet.

"I'd…hoped…not to use this so close to the girls…" Chad murmured to himself, taking deep breaths while he collected himself. Poww's momentary distraction gave him the chance for a second wind. The air grew quiet around Chad, his entire body glowing. "But I promised Mila Rose I'd come back alive so I've no choice."

Poww stared at Chad with seething red eyes before his rage momentarily evaporated into confusion. Chad…was growing bigger!

Though the young man didn't have the chance to tell his friends, his training with the Tres Bestia had produced some quite…extreme results. During his spar with Ayon, as he was treated like a ragdoll by the giant monster, Chad came to terms with what his powers were. They weren't like a Soul Reaper or a Quincies. As Mila Rose put it, Chad's powers were very similar to a Hollow's. So when Ayon was still pounding the snot out of him, Chad discovered that his arms could do something unique, though the strain was unbearable. He figured out that since his powers were Hollow-like, he could absorb Hollows. And when he used his arms to devour Ayon, he gained something in the process.

Chad was now a behemoth that stood over his opponent. The brawler's entire body was covered in pink and black armor. The shield on his left arm had grown just as big, almost as big as his enlarged body, while his left arm had blade like protrusions along it, his fingers long and protruding like daggers. Most of his face was unobscured, save for a mask fragment on his forehead that looked suspiciously like Mila Rose's crown. "Cuerpo del Titán." The now massive Chad balled his right hand, his body heavy with power. "Sorry. I don't think I've trained enough to hold back."

"GRAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" screamed Poww, the rage returning to him. He fought back with his remaining hand but Chad ignored the strike from the monster and hauled back with his right arm. Sensing death staring him in the face, Poww opened his massive maw to unleash a Cero. "GRAAAAHH-"

"El Directo."

Chad threw his punch. A blast of blue energy surged out and engulfed Poww. For a moment, Chad's strike echoed across town like thunder. And then…all was quiet. The dust cleared, showing that Chad's attack had blasted a chunk of the forest on the mountainside into oblivion. As for Chad's opponent…

Looking down, all Chad saw that was left of Poww was the Arrancar's feet. The rest of the huge Arrancar had been blasted to oblivion.

Tumbling to his knees, Chad let out a pained groan, his transformation ending. The process of turning back to normal was not as painless as Ichigo's Hollowfication or the Tres Bestia's Resurección. And he hadn't mastered this power yet and thus the result of his transformation took much of his remaining stamina and energy. "Guhhh!" he grunted, his body shrinking and the armor covering him disappearing. Panting on all fours, Chad took deep breaths. "It felt…like I was fighting Ichigo…" he said. Falling to the ground, Chad rolled over onto his back to rest and collect his strength for the moment. "I just hope the girls…are alright…"

Tres Bestia vs. Coolhorn

"Nghh…you…bastard…"

Apacci dangled limply in the bizarre Arrancar's grip. Nearby lay Sung-Sun and Mila Rose, broken and bloody. Charlotte Coolhorn clearly had no qualms against crushing his former comrades. His muscles pulsed with energy, every vein in his body bulging while he gripped Apacci by the throat. The three had fought hard against the effeminate Fraccion but it was no good. Coolhorn was just too strong for them.

"Guhh!" Apacci felt her former comrade squeeze her throat, threatening to suffocate her. As her face started to turn blue she held up a hand and blasted Coolhorn in the face with a bala. The bluenette slipped out of his grasp, landing on the ground with a thud. "How do you like that, you bastard?!"

His face smoldering, Coolhorn staggered backwards. "YOU! YOU RUINED MY FACE! YOU RUINED MY BEAUTY!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "I'LLKILLYOUUUUUU! KILL YOUUUUU!" He pointed a hand at Apacci to fire a Cero to blast her to smithereens, only for a massive fist to suddenly punch him in the face.

Apacci sat up, now about fifteen pounds lighter due to lacking one of her arms. When Coolhorn had dropped her, Apacci had ripped her arm off and motioned for her friends to do the same. "AYON!" she screamed at her pet, the massive creature standing over Charlotte Coolhorn. "KILL THIS ASSHOLE!"

The chimera creature ignored her command, merely turning its head one-hundred and eighty degrees like an owl to stare at its wounded masters.

On her feet, Mila Rose looked at her pet curiously. "Why's it looking at us like that?"

Sung-Sun stared at their pet. "Perhaps it's curious about us? We did take a beating, after all."

Hearing Coolhorn recover from the blow, Ayon's head whirled back around. The mountain shuddered from the mighty creature's enraged roar. Charlotte too let out a berserker scream but it was silenced by the creature's fist. Over and over again Ayon smashed the fruity Arrancar into the ground. The Tres Bestia had to shield their eyes from the dust cloud that their pet kicked up.

A high wind picked up, blowing the dust cloud to the side to reveal Ayon standing above a broken, beaten Coolhorn. Apacci smirked. "Take that, you fruitcake! Huh?" The bluenette turned her head and noticed that Chad's battle had also come to an end. "Looks like Chad's still breathing."

"What? You think he'd lose after everything we put him through?" Mila Rose asked, a little indignant that Chad would lose to one of Barragan's minions. "How about you have some more faith in our-"

BOOM!

The three girls snapped forward and gasped when they saw a massive hole in Ayon's chest. "What the hell?!" Apacci screamed when another hole blasted into Ayon's stomach.

"RAHHHHHHH!" screamed an invigorated Coolhorn, rising from the crater with his spiritual pressure bursting forth. "GLITTER: REINA DE ROSAS!"

Smoke obscured the Arrancar for a moment but he wasted no time emerging in his Resurección, only in black clothing. His eyes glowing black and every vein in his body looking like it was about to burst, Coolhorn lunged at the chimera creature, knocking it back with a single punch.

Then Apacci saw him turn his attention to her. "Uh oh…"

"KILLLYOUUUUUU!" Coolhorn made a heart with his hands and formed and red and black Cero. "DIIIIEEEE!"

"APACCI!" The two other women screamed as their friend was engulfed by the blast. "NOOOO!"

"KILLYOUUU!" Charlotte screamed. "I'LLKILLYOUALLLLLLLLLL!"

Kisuke & Yoruichi vs. Szayelapporo

"Hmmm?" The Number Eight Espada's ears perked up. "Looks like my experiments are coming along. Though I doubt they'll last much longer." His musings were interrupted when he sidestepped Kisuke's slash, responding with his own blade.

"Seems you didn't account for how volatile Ichigo's spirit energy is," Kisuke noted as he battled the scientist.

"Perhaps." Szayelapporo batted away Kisuke's sword. "How strange. I thought that you, like me, would not force a direct confrontation. Not a rather scientific approach, you know."

"True, but since you're like me, I figured you wouldn't be used to fighting a battle with pure force." Kisuke gave a quick glance to his surroundings. Tessai had grabbed Ururu and Jinta and fled for safety. He'd erected a barrier to keep ordinary people away but the street was too cramped for a fight between Soul Reaper and Espada. Especially since they weren't the only ones fighting.

The two battling scientist jumped back when one of Szayelapporo's Arrancars was thrown in front of them. "Hey, watch your aim!" Kisuke shouted at Yoruichi, who landed next to him. "You almost hit me!"

"Almost, but didn't," Yoruichi grinned, turning her attention to the Arrancars that surrounded them.

Kisuke was silent as he noticed Yoruichi's bloody hands. "Having trouble?"

"Halibel told us about the Arrancar's Hierro but…" Yoruichi winced from the pain in her hands. "Punching these guys feels like I'm punching a tractor tire."

"That would be my doing," Szayelapporo interjected, his two tallest guards standing behind him. "I would not send my men against a fearsome woman who fights with her bare hands without some insurance. I strengthened their Hierro to be as tough as an Espada's. Lord Aizen informed me of the Shihoin Clan's sacred armor that you possess but…" his smile grew wide, "I don't think it'd be prudent of me to give you the time to utilize it."

"Well, seems like Mr. Aizen's been blabbing." Kisuke turned to his friend. "You gonna be okay?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Yoruichi rushed forward right at the mad scientist. "I'll end this quickly."

"Oh?" Szayelapporo snapped his fingers. More of his goons pounced onto Yoruichi. "And how can you end me when you can't even reach me?"

"Because this. Shunko!" White lightning crackled throughout Yoruichi's body, blowing off the back of her jacket to reveal her bare back. The surge of power knocked back many of the Arrancars who'd jumped into the air to swarm her, leaving her with only the scientist's two guards. "You're next."

Each giant Arrancar was dealt a lightning punch, sending them flying. Szayelapporo gasped when Yoruichi appeared in front of his face. "What? Aizen didn't tell you about this?" she mocked. With all her might she blasted Szayelapporo with her lightning, blasting him into a charred crisp.

Exhausted, Yoruichi deactivated her Shunko and turned around. "Well, that's that." She glared at the remaining Arrancar who shrank back with fear. "You can handle the rest. I'll go help Halibe-"

"Chomp! Chomp!"

The former captains could only turn and stare in disgusted horror at the sight of the burned Szayelapporo devouring one of his minions, eating its flesh like one would devour a tender steak. Kisuke narrowed his eyes when he saw the man's injuries heal. "So, I guess you did more than just toughen up your Fraccións, eh? You also made them into your emergency rations."

"An astute observation, if a little crude," Szayelapporo said, wiping the blood from his mouth. He stood up straight, now fully healed. "But what scientist would I be if I didn't come prepared? And speaking of prepared," he stared at Yoruichi. "I'm going to hypothesize something. The traitor didn't reveal our abilities, did she?"

"She revealed Barragan's," Yoruichi said. "She said that most of the Espadas kept their strongest powers to themselves."

"Ahhhh…" the pink-haired man adjusted his glasses. "I see. She's not wrong but…perhaps she still wishes to serve Lord Aizen."

"A little late for that, don't you think?" Kisuke pointed out. "You guys sent Barragan to kill her twice now. And there's no way Ichigo would ever serve Aizen."

"Oh, Lord Aizen was not informed about Barragan's little attack here. As for Ichigo Kurosaki…well…" Szayelapporo smirked, as if he knew something they didn't. "That remains to be seen. But if would not have availed you, even if the traitor did try to inform you about our battle prowess. But since you don't know, I'll give you a demonstration." The man carefully brought the tip of his sword to his lips. "Sip: La Lujuriosa."

Kisuke didn't have the words to describe Szayelapporo as he underwent his metamorphisis and for once he didn't want to find them. But after a moment the Espada stood before the pair in his transformed state, his appearance very tentacle-esque. Yoruichi felt a dark sense of foreboding when the man's eyes locked with hers.

"Shall we continue, my dear?"

The wing-like tentacles reached for Yoruichi. She moved to jump away from him, only to gasp when one of the smaller of Szayelapporo's minions had crawled towards her and grabbed her ankles, keeping her in place. "Dammit!"

"Yoruichi!" Kisuke screamed when Yoruichi was engulfed. He rushed forward, only to watch in confusion as they retreated back to the Espada, leaving Yoruichi unharmed. "Are you okay?" he asked, sinking his sword into the minion's head to force him to let go of her.

"I'm fine. Should have paid more attention to the small fry." Yoruichi glared at Szayelapporo. "What have you done?"

"Oh, just this." Stretching a hand out, Szayelapporo waited as one of the strands on his wings began to engorge like a purple balloon. It suddenly burst to reveal a small Yoruichi doll that landed in his hand. "What a beautiful doll you make." He held up the toy for the pair to see. "Let me show you what it does…"

Halibel vs. Ggio

"RAHHHHHHHHHH!"

"You sure scream a lot. I think I liked you better when you were cowering behind Barragan." Halibel countered Ggio's frenzied slashes. The minion glowed with Ichigo's spirit energy while he battle the Espada, keeping her on the defensive. But Halibel had not trained with Ichigo for nothing. No longer handicapped by her pregnancy, the Espada was more than prepared. She slipped through Ggio's guard and slashed his chest. Though she wasn't surprised given his condition, it still irked her to see the small man still standing, shrugging off the energy.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Ggio screamed at the top of his lungs, throwing his head back when his spiritual pressure started to burst out of him. The pain was mindmelting. Only his hatred for Halibel and Ichigo, the ones who'd humiliated him and forced him to endure Szayelapporo's experiments, kept him focused on killing the woman in front of him.

Halibel glowed yellow as she raised her spiritual pressure in return. 'His energy is spilling out of his wound while his pressure is growing out of control. Szayelapporo gave them a power-up but Ichigo is too unique. His spiritual pressure is too volatile for someone as weak as Ggio. The fool won't be able to sustain it much longer before he goes nuclear. All Szayelapporo did was turn Barragan's men into time bombs.'

The implication that all six of Barragan's Fraccións could explode in Karakura Town was an eerie thought. 'Why would Lord Aizen allow this? They could seriously damage the Spirit-Enrichment Zone he sought to harvest. Even if Barragan did act without orders, why aren't Tosen or the others trying to stop them?'

The answer was obvious. This was what Aizen wanted.

Fear gripped Halibel. If Aizen was willing to allow this, then it meant that he was about to enact some plan. And it most likely involved her, Ichigo and Asahi. 'I'm putting an end to this! Then I'm taking Asahi and get her someplace far away!' Part of her wanted to help Ichigo but she had to let her student fight his own battle. Ichigo should be capable enough to battle Barragan on equal footing now. And even if Barragan did release his Resurección…Ichigo had the contingency that the two of them came up with.

"I pity you, Ggio Vega," Halibel said as she pointed her sword down. "I pity what Barragan has done to you. But pity won't stop me from killing you. Hunt: Tiberon!" Halibel transformed into her released state and wasted no time going back on the offensive. She darted forward and swatted Ggio away like a fly.

The berserker Arrancar flew backwards before regaining his footing. "RAHHHHHH!" He held out a hand, forming an orb of energy. "KILLYOUUUUUUU!"

Ggio did exactly what Halibel wanted. Her sword glowed yellow from her focused spirit energy. "Goodbye, Ggio." She Sonidoed in front of Ggio and blasted him in the face with her empowered sword-Cero.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Engulfed by Halibel's Cero, Ggio lost what control he had over his Cero and it burst, throwing the energy right back at him. Halibel watched the smoke clear to find Ggio gone, obliterated by her Cero. "Don't worry, Ggio. Your master will be joining you. But first," Halibel sealed her sword and sheathed it. "I need to return to Asahi…" Paying her disintegrated opponent no mind, she darted back to Ichigo's house…

Ichigo vs. Barragan

Had Ichigo been a second slower, Barragan would have cleaved him in half with his first move. The huge axe came down with every intent to kill, missing Ichigo only due to his increased speed from his black Bankai. Appearing behind the elderly Espada, though at a safe distance, Ichigo launched his signature move. "Getsuga Tensho!"

"Hmph!" The kingly Arrancar swung his axe and split Ichigo's attack in two, the divided slash exploding after passing him. "What foolishness." Barragan began to stomp towards Ichigo, gripping his axe tightly. "Go ahead. Use that technique again. Use it until you exhaust yourself. It makes no difference to me." Barragan's eyes stared intently on Ichigo while he hefted his axe onto his shoulder. "Well? Won't you attack again?"

"And give you the initiative? I don't think so. Halibel told me all about your aging powers."

Ichigo kept his guard up but Barragan paid it no mind. True, Ichigo had become stronger, no doubt thanks to Halibel. But his power was still nothing to Barragan. "Halibel was beneath me. Even before we ascended to the Arrancar state, she would never dare raise her blade towards me. She was no match for me then. And she is no match for me. What makes you think that you, her student, could possibly best me?"

"Halibel is stronger than you think!" Ichigo shouted back in his teacher's defense. "I won't let you hurt her, our child or anyone else!"

"Bluster all you want. It doesn't change anything. Tell me," Barragan pointed at Ichigo's sword. "Would you like to know something the Boss once told me?" His old, withered lips formed a smile. "He told me something interesting about Bankai."

"And that is?"

"When a Soul Reaper's Bankai is destroyed, it can never be fixed. This time, when I get my hands on that sword, I will turn it to dust. And when that happens you will never be able to fight again. You will die like the useless worm that you are."

"Not if I kill you first."

"Hmph, what is a worm to a god?"

Ichigo had enough. He put a hand to his face and prepared himself. "And what is a god…TO A NONBELIEVER?!" His energy swirled around him while he transformed into the Vasto Lorde state, black and yellow eyes glaring at the monstrous man before him. "Prepare to die, Barragan!"

The masked Soul Reaper swung his blade. For a moment Barragan felt nothing. Then a jet of crimson launched out of his chest. He put a hand on his chest to find blood. When he looked back up at Ichigo, his red spirit energy burst out of him like an angry volcano. "You think pretending to be a Hollow changes anything? I am the King of Hollows. And you will know your place!" He swung his axe at the boy. Ichigo responded in kind with Tensa Zangetsu. The town shuddered from the impact their weapons made.

Barragan reached to grab Ichigo's head, only to be met by a clawed hand in front of his face. "Take this!" Barragan's world turned red when Ichigo shot a Cero in his face at point-blank range….

Meanwhile…
Ichigo's House

The tremors that went on all around Karakura Town woke up Asahi. The baby cried out in terror, wanting her mother and father. Sadly neither were around to comfort their baby.

But somebody else was.

Rangiku's barrier was powerful and would have kept anyone from trying to force their way into Ichigo's room. However, what the lieutenant did not know was that it could not stop a Garganta from opening up inside it. A figure in white stepped out of the portal and walked towards the crying infant. Upon seeing the stranger, little Asahi started crying louder.

"Shhhhh…" Sosuke Aizen cooed as he picked up the baby, calming her by rocking Asahi gently in his arms. "Don't worry, Asahi. I'm going to take you right to your mother…"

To be continued