Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ichigo vs. Barragan
"Rot: Arrogante."
With the release of his zanpakuto, Barragan's double-edged axe spewed forth black and purple flames that consumed its wielder. From behind his horned mask, Ichigo watched with chills running down his spine as the flames ate away the flesh of the King of Hollows. When Barragan finally emerged from the dark flames Ichigo couldn't fight back the slight trembling in his hands.
Unlike his subordinates or Halibel, Barragan's transformation was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Instead of turning into a hybrid creature or a wardrobe change, Barragan had stripped away all of his flesh, becoming a skeleton robed with black robes. Glittering in the sun was a crown that sat atop the Espada's bony head. Barragan now looked like an elder Lich.
"You are trembling," said the voice of Barragan through his skull, noting Ichigo's fear. "Good. You show fear before your betters. A pity your piety will not save you from my wrath."
The dark shadow approached Ichigo slowly. As he neared a rooftop water tower, the structure rusted instantaneously and collapsed onto the street below, much to the shock and horror of the confused townspeople. "What are you doing?!" Ichigo yelled.
"Did you not hear me during the first time I crushed you? My power is Senescence. All things wither and rot. When I am done with you, Ichigo Kurosaki, there will be not but bones left of you. Allow me to give you a demonstration of my power." Barragan held up a hand and pointed a bony finger at a crowd of people below who'd gathered around the destroyed water tower. "Respira."
Ichigo was powerless as a black cloud shot out of Barragan's form. "NOOO!" he screamed in vain, unable to do anything to stop him. Halibel had warned him about Barragan's Respira and there was nothing he could do to prevent what was about to happen.
Death came with no mercy for the poor townsfolk. The black cloud descended upon them. Most of the men, women and children didn't even have time to scream as their flesh was burned away. Ichigo watched in horror as the black plague spread throughout the crowd. Though they couldn't see Barragan's deadly smog, those who saw their neighbors turn to bone and ash ran for their lives but were not able to outrun the invisible death. Terror gripped Ichigo as he saw a woman with her child flee, only to get caught by the wave and die together, the little baby nothing but a skeleton in her stroller.
"STOOOOOP!" Ichigo screamed at the top of his lungs. He poured every ounce of energy into Tensa Zangetsu. "GETSUGAAAAA TENSHOOOOOOOO!"
The blade beam that Ichigo launched was the most powerful he'd ever made. It streaked across the sky towards Barragan. The Lich-like Espada held up a hand and released his Respira again. Ichigo watched in pure horror as his strongest attack withered away as it touched the black smog. The Getsuga Tensho fizzled out just before it even reached Barragan. "How?" he choked. Halibel had warned him about Barragan's aging abilities but this baffled him. "That was made of pure spirit energy!"
"Tell me, Ichigo Kurosaki, did you not think that such energy does not age as well?" taunted Barragan. "Spirit Energy is a product of the heart. So long as the heart beats, energy can be produced. And if the heart can grow old and expire, then so goes the energy it creates. Well?" Barragan tilted his head while staring at the Hollowfied Ichigo with his empty eye sockets. "Am I to assume that was your best? Hahahah…" The bony Espada broke out in evil laughter. "What a pathetic sight! Ahahahahaha! To train so hard and yet still be powerless! What a foolish pair you and that traitor make! Ahahahahahaha!"
Barragan calmed down and stretched out his hand. From his being a wicked black double-bladed axe appeared and rested into his ivory grip. "Gran Caida. This will be the weapon I will use to kill your master once and for all. Hmm…I just remembered something that Aizen once told me. You consider yourself a protector, do you not? So tell me, is this town supposed to be under your protection?" Barragan didn't wait for Ichigo to answer. "Then try to protect it from ME!"
The evil King hurled his Gran Caida at a nearby building. Ichigo's eyes widened in horror as the blade cut the building in half. The top half, with everything and everyone still inside, rotted away into dust and bones. "Enough! They have nothing to do with this!" Ichigo gathered his strength again and hurled his Getsuga Tensho at him. When Barragan attempted to use Respira, Ichigo layered the strike with another one. "Leave my home alone!"
This time Ichigo's attack came closer to Barragan. But the kingly lich recalled his axe to him and cut Ichigo's weakened energy to dust. "You have incurred my wrath, Ichigo Kurosaki. And it is my will that everything you know and love be destroyed by my hands."
"But what about Aizen?"
"He means nothing to me!" Barragan's mouth opened to let out a scream filled with murderous anger. "I care not for any world he means to create! He robbed me of my throne and my kingdom. So I shall in turn rob him of his plans by destroying Karakura Town! Then I will kill him with the very power he sought to give me! Now watch as I turn this city into dust!"
Not since the death of his mother had Ichigo felt so helpless. With his Gran Caida and Respira Barragan attacked the nearby buildings and innocent bystanders. Ichigo tried to in vain to halt the monster but this was an adversary he'd never faced before. He tried with Getsuga Tenshos and Ceros to stop Barragan's rampage but the king's power of Senescence quashed his attempts. And he dared not try to engage him physically otherwise both his Bankai and his body would have been destroyed by the evil power. Eventually the nearby area below the two had been reduced to nothing but dust and bones. "You monster!"
"Yes, and you are the one who angered this monster." Barragan decided he was done gloating and that it was time to finish this. "You can chew on your own stupidity in Hell, boy. I'm going to use my Respira and turn you to dust. And you will not die alone. Tell me, would you care to guess what's directly behind you?"
Ichigo's blood ran cold. He knew exactly what was behind him in the distance: the Kurosaki Clinic. "No! Asahi! Yuzu! Karin!"
Once again the king's mirthless laughter filled the air. "Yes! Ahahahaha! You will all die as a family. Consider it my gift for amusing me so far. But this is the end, Ichigo Kurosaki. Though you will die swiftly, Tier Halibel's suffering will not be so quick and painless. Now...PERISH!" From Barragan's whole being came forth his black plague.
Ichigo braced himself as the smog closed in on him. This was the moment he'd been waiting for, when Barragan would turn his Respira onto him. Ichigo had no attack that could block it and Halibel made it clear his Instant Regeneration would not rescue him from it. There was nothing he could learn from a Hollow that would save him.
But Ichigo was the son of a Soul Reaper. And Isshin had taught his son a few things too.
"It is over." Barragan watched with glee as Ichigo disappeared in the black mist. "What a waste. For all his bluster he could not even touch me. Hmph! What a fool. Huh?" The skeleton king cocked his head slightly when he failed to see Ichigo's rotted skeleton fall from the sky. He didn't even see dust. "What the-" Barragan paused when he saw a white opening in front of Ichigo. "What is that?"
Ichigo's answer didn't come from behind the portal. It came from behind Barragan. "A Senkaimon. My dad taught me how to open one. And guess what else Halibel taught me?" The Espada whirled around. Ichigo had gotten as close as he could without being affected by Barragan's Senescence. Between his horns was a Cero, but not just any Cero. The king gasped when he saw Ichigo's claws were bloody, meaning only one thing. "This is for all the people you killed!" Ichigo roared as he unleashed the purple Cero he'd created. "Gran Rey Cero!"
This time Ichigo landed a direct hit. Barragan moved to use Respira but was too late before he was caught in the blast. Ichigo's most powerful attack sent him flying backwards, right into the still-opened Senkaimon portal. Barragan screamed as he landed on the other side of the gate. He looked up and found himself in a place he was unfamiliar with. "What is this? Where am I? Answer me, boy!"
"That's the Precipice World," explained Ichigo. "It's the world between this one and the Soul Society."
Again, Barrgan started to laugh at Ichigo's efforts. "So you intend to trap me here? Hahahaha! You are a fool! Did you not know that an Arrancar can open a Garganta anywhere? You cannot hold me here, Ichigo Kurosaki! This is merely a bid to buy time."
"Yeah, Halibel said that you guys can use the Garganta even in the Precipice World but…" Ichigo pointed a clawed finger forward. "You should really pay more attention to what's going on. Do you know what day it is?"
"Hmmm?" Barragan turned around and saw a massive being rushing towards him like a freight train. "What is this? Some sort of trick?"
"It's cleaning day."
Barragan unleashed the full power of Respira at the Cleaner. But it did nothing but barrel through the miasma. "What? Impossible! My powers age all!"
"The Precipice World exists outside of time. Dad told me that the Cleaner is something that isn't affected by Soul Reapers. I figured what's good for the goose is good for the gander."
As the Cleaner approached, Barragan put up his hands defensively as the Cleaner slammed into him. He unleashed the full might of his spirit pressure in order to avoid being sucked into the Cleaner. "Arrrrghhhhh!" Barragan continued to grapple with the Cleaner, hearing the door behind him start to close. "Do not think this will hold me forever! You will never be safe from me! I am a King! A GOD! I WILL HAUNT YOU FOREVER, ICHIGO KUROSAKIIIIII!"
The door closed and faded, sealing Barragan inside the Precipice World. Ichigo reverted from his Hollowfied form and sealed his Bankai, exhausted from the ordeal. He looked at the carnage down below and had to fight back tears from the destruction he'd been unable to stop. "But it's over now…" he breathed before his senses picked up something. "Huh? Where's Halibel going?" Curious, he Flashstepped away and headed for his mentor/girlfriend…
Meanwhile…
Kisuke vs. Szayelapporo
Kisuke took a quick look at the stone cube that imprisoned Yoruichi. His heart pounded away as he tried to analyze the cube. 'He must've modified his soldiers to petrify. I can't sense Yoruichi's spiritual pressure. Is she dead? Is she in stasis?' The more he thought about it the more he grew more worried for his friend's wellbeing.
"Worried about your friend?" mocked Szayelapporo. "No need to fret. She's still very much alive. But she won't be going anywhere until I release her."
"In that case…" Kisuke lunged forward with his sword. "I'll analyze it later to free her. Now that I know she's safe, I can deal with you."
Szayelapporo jumped away from Kisuke's slash. He retaliated by ejecting black ink from his body. Kisuke was unable to dodge the droplets and he found himself surrounded by a hoard of Kisuke doppelgangers. "Cloning? You're just full of surprises."
"Aren't I?" Szayelapporo opened his mouth to speak but was silent when he sensed the battle with Ichigo and Barragan come to a swift end. "What?" The pink-haired man's eyes widened with shock. "Barragan was defeated?"
"That would be Ichigo. The fact that I can still feel his energy means his plan worked. I must admit, he's smarter than anyone ever gives him credit for. He opened a Senkaimon and trapped Barragan in the Precipice World right as the Cleaner was coming by."
"Hmm…yes," Szayelapporo stroked his chin. "I suppose that would be a plan that had a high chance of success. Even Lord Aizen warned us against the Cleaner. Strange. The reports we were given suggest that Ichigo Kurosaki was a simple boy who relied on brute force. For him to concoct a plan such as that requires a level of intelligence I didn't think he possessed." The man's eyes turned back to Kisuke and he smiled wickedly. "Oh dear. It looks like I'm the last man standing. I suppose we must part for now."
"Leaving already? We were just getting to the good part."
"Yes." The Espada let out a regretful sigh. "I suppose it can't be helped. Such a shame. I had such designs for you. Ah well…" Staring past Kisuke, Szayelapporo's eyes narrowed. "I'll settle for a consolation prize."
Kisuke realized too late what the man planned. Twin beams of light shot out of the sky and encircled both the Espada and the stone-bound Yoruichi. "No!" Kisuke shouted as he watched the petrified Flash Goddess start to rise in the air. Yet he knew that there was no use in trying to break the Negaciōn.
Szayelapporo and his prize rose up into the air until he reached the Garganta that opened up in the sky. Kisuke saw an Arrancar he didn't recognize at the front of the maw. "Was your experiment a success, Szayelapporo?"
"I received adequate results, Ulquiorra," replied Szayelapporo. Several of his surviving Fracción appeared to take possession of the stone cube. "I'm certain Lord Aizen will forgive my little excursion once I've shown him the results."
The stoic Espada, Ulquiorra, looked at the stone cube and the woman imprisoned within. "What is this?"
"A door prize, of sorts," Szayelapporo merely remarked while he returned to his sealed state. "But we lost Barragan."
If the loss of the Number Two Espada hurt Ulquiorra, the man didn't show it. "His loss was deemed inconsequential. His rebellion has shown that he was never devoted to Lord Aizen. It matters not. Lord Aizen has already determined his successor."
Kisuke overheard the man and the fear in his mind crept deeper into his heart. "So I was right. He planned this, didn't he?"
Szayelapporo looked down at the scientist and smiled wickedly again. "I think you've far worse things to consider, Kisuke Urahara. For if you have half the intellect you're praised for, then you must also know what comes next. Don't worry. I'll take good care of your friend."
"I'll be back for you shortly when we destroy Karakura Town."
The Garganta closed. And with it, Kisuke lost his best friend.
But he had other things to worry about. He had already analyzed the Garganta thanks to Halibel and could go after them to rescue Yoruichi. But first there was the matter at hand. If Szayelapporo was hinting what Kisuke thought he was, then the one in immediate danger was Ichigo, Halibel and Asahi.
Meanwhile…
Halibel raced back home as fast as she could so she could safeguard her daughter. She ignored the various explosions around the town, knowing that Barragan's men had paid the price for the Espada's ambition. "Hang on, Asahi, I'm coming."
But she saw a figure approach her when she was halfway there. Halibel blinked when she saw who it was. "Ichigo?"
"Thank goodness, you're alright, Halibel!" Ichigo smiled. He'd sheathed Zangetsu and had little Asahi in his arms.
The two quickly made their way to a grassy hill below in the middle of a park. "What are you doing with Asahi?"
"I trapped Barragan in the Precipice World and raced back home. Asahi was crying and I couldn't get her to calm down. That Arrancar Rangiku was fighting broke through her barrier so I grabbed her before anyone else could show up. Figured you'd be able to calm down but she fell right to sleep as soon as I saw you."
"Perhaps she sensed that she was safest with you," Halibel noted. "You trapped Barragan? Impressive. I knew that was the only plan we could come up with but I didn't think it'd actually work."
Ichigo's happy smile reassured her. "It got dicey there for a minute but I pulled it off. He's Cleaner food now."
"Is he though?" Halibel thought about it and she couldn't shake this sense of foreboding. "I suppose we won't know until the Soul Reapers do a thorough inspection."
Ichigo held out the sleeping baby. "Here. Take Asahi. I'm going to go get Kisuke a hand. I'm worried about him. I can't sense Yoruichi's spiritual pressure. I don't thinks she's dead but…"
Halibel nodded. "I understand. Give me Asahi and I'll take her to safety." She sheathed her sword and held out her arms to take her daughter…
Shunk!
"Guh!" Blood spilled from Halibel's lips. Looking down, she saw a sword sticking in her guts. And it wasn't Zangetsu. "No!" She looked up but found the truth staring her in the eyes. Ichigo's image cracked like a cheap mirror. "You…" she groaned as Aizen pulled Kyoka Suigetsu out of her guts, dropping to the ground.
Flicking the blood off his blade, Aizen looked down at his Number Three. In his arm was Asahi, put to sleep with a special Kidō to keep the newborn quiet. "Your trust in Ichigo is quite touching. I can see you taught him quite well," he praised with his usual smile.
"Give…me…back Asahi…" Halibel groaned, putting a hand to her bleeding stomach.
"All in good time. Consider that punishment for failing to bring back Ichigo like I ordered." Aizen sheathed his sword while continuing to look down at the bleeding blonde. "Don't worry. I'm not angry, Halibel. Like I told you before, I'm impressed. What both you and Ichigo have achieved has been remarkable. And the rewards…" he looked at the sleeping baby in his arm. "were better than I'd hoped."
"What are you doing…with Asahi?"
"We'll discuss that when we return to Hueco Mundo. You, me, Asahi…and Ichigo." His head tilted to the side as he spotted a figure speeding towards them. "Speak of the devil."
"HALIBEL!" Ichigo screamed. He felt his girlfriend's spiritual pressure weaken and raced towards her, only to find her bleeding at Aizen's feet. His horror grew when he spotted their daughter in the rogue's arms. "AIZEN!" He roared, hitting the ground and running towards them. "GIVE ME BACK MY DAUGHTER!"
Aizen simply stared at the boy, sizing him up with a smile. Then he simply raised a finger. "Lower your voice."
"Huh?"
"Lower your voice. You wouldn't want to wake up the child, now would you?"
Ichigo was caught in a bind. He knew he was stronger than the last time he fought Aizen and could do a lot more than just scratch him. Yet with Asahi in his clutches Ichigo couldn't make a move without risking his daughter's life. "What do you want?"
"The same thing I wanted the last time: to talk. Don't worry." He noted Ichigo's concern glance to Halibel and took a step away from her. "I have no intention of killing Halibel."
"You…"
"Oh?" Aizen turned to the side. "We have company."
Ichigo turned to his right and saw the the captains and lieutenants arrive, minus Rangiku. "Aizen!" seethed Toshiro. "What are you doing here?"
Byakuya took note of the situation and quickly surmised what was happening. His gaze turned towards Ichigo and he quickly knew that they were approaching the worst case scenario. "What do you plan on doing with the child?" he demanded.
Aizen raised an eyebrow. "Nothing. I've no designs for the child yet. I merely wish to see her grow and see what she will become." He turned back to Ichigo. "As to why I'm here…" Aizen lips formed a knowing smile. "I'm simply here to continue the discussion I had with Ichigo."
Everyone's head snapped towards Ichigo. Suddenly he found himself on the receiving end of seven accusing stares. "What discussion?" asked Unohana.
"I met with Ichigo in private to discuss joining me."
"WHAT?!" all eight shouted.
"Uh oh…" Ichigo gulped.
To be continued
