Chapter 3: Getting Used to Things
"It's so good!" Asia exclaimed, hands on her cheeks as she ate some takoyaki, eyes closed in bliss before she tried to pick up another piece only to fumble with her chopsticks and drop it back into the container the street vendor that cooked it had provided, a pout on her face as she looked back and forth between her chopsticks and her food.
Chuckling while sitting down his karashi mentaiko onigiri, he corrected her grip on the eating utensils, watching as she managed to pick up another piece of food with a triumph look before eating it with relish before using her new ability to enjoy her food. Returning to his food Ichigo looked around the now fixed up church with critical eyes.
'Gabriel got the place fixed in the hour it took us to look around?' Ichigo asked, a hint of disbelief in his tone as he took another bite of his food, ' I mean even if it were angels doing it, wouldn't this get noticed?' he looked at the kitchen connected to the common area, it was the same shiny gold color of the room he'd woken up in and made him sigh at the extravagance of it.
"While there is a barrier around Kuoh town it has some well-known weaknesses," Tensa answered as Ichigo finished off the last of his food while Asia continued to enjoy hers with a happy smile on her face, which, brought one to him.
Picking up his trash and throwing it away Ichigo looked out the window of the common area they were eating in, the moon full in the sky, 'Why would they give it obvious weaknesses if two of the Great Satans have relatives here?'
"I believe it's supposed to be a sort of rite of passage for them to discover and improve upon the barrier in place," the manifestation paused, "To be honest I don't know if I should be happy or worried with the situation. If the barrier was stronger, it would make this place safer sure, but then it would probably out you before the peace conference can take place….we need to work on security here,"
'What do you have in mind?' Ichigo asked, turning away from the window to find Asia laying back in her seat with a hand rubbing her stomach, a look of satisfaction on her face along with bits of food.
Rolling his eyes, Ichigo poked relaxed-looking Asia and gestured to her face, "Got a little something everywhere," he said with a smirk as she blushed, "Why don't you take a shower while I clean up," he said grabbing her trash, "Just let me know when you're done so I can get one,"
"Bu-" Asia started to say something only to get a poke to the forehead.
"Go," he ordered, ruffling her hair and getting a small nod from the girl as she made her way out of the common area, sparing him a glance every few steps till she was out of the room.
"She'll need protection," Tensa said as Ichigo \\threw away the remaining trash and wiped the table.
"I know, but it's not like we can ask Gabriel to get some angels to help with the who lying low thing we're trying to do," he said out loud with a sigh, "I'd rather not piss off the devils here," he said, nodding to himself as he threw the cloth he'd been using into the kitchen sink.
"I was thinking of someone closer to home," Tensa said, a pang going through Ichigo's chest at the mention of home before he shook his head. "First we'll need a big space,"
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"You know even if we call this a basement….it looks more like a dungeon," Ichigo said examining the basement which was the length and width of the church and around 20 feet tall its walls lined which shackles and chains causing him to shiver as he remembered the one room he'd found, though it didn't last long as on his way to the basement he found it filled in with cement.
"Ichigo," Tensa said, getting his attention, "Now I'm going to need you to place your cross against the wall, Hogyoku against your palm," he ordered.
"What are we doing exactly?" Ichigo asked, following Tensa's instructions, the Hogyoku feeling warm against his palm, "Now wh-" Ichigo started to say only to gasp as the cross started to glow, his palm feeling a worrying numb that quickly turned into pain which increased as the glow did. Ichigo clenched his teeth, his free hand gripping his wrist tightly as from the center of the cross came chains that seemed to bury themselves into the walls like veins, multiple black lines were the only thing showing till with what felt like a click Ichigo finally managed to release his cross and fall to his knees, the lines interconnecting, black giving away to multiple colors as the rooms seemed to settle the black veins sinking fully into the walls, leaving Ichigo panting on the floor looking at his hand that didn't have a single mark on it.
"What….the….hell...was….that," Ichigo gasped as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.
"Why don't you try to reach out with your senses?" Tensa suggested.
Getting his breathing under control Ichigo closed his eyes, reaching out with his reiatsu his eyes snapped open as he realized he couldn't feel anything, "What?" he quickly made his way to the basement's entrance, opening the door only to once again feel Asia and the devil's presence in the town, closing the door to find their presences gone again, "Explain,"
"While you can't access your godly energy or abilities, I am the embodiment of what was left of him and part of your Quincy powers….so I used Quincy's abilities to absorb the reiatsu around them as a basis to create a small sealed space where you'll be able to summon your zanpakuto without any of your energy escaping this room," Tensa said as if it wasn't a big deal, making Ichigo's brow twitch at his nonchalance.
"I thought you said it wasn't a good idea to use that energy?" Ichigo asked, making his way to the center of the basement, taking a seat on the floor.
"It was not even a sliver...at worst your arm would have denigrated,"
"...What!" Ichigo yelled.
"Even if that happened you could easily regrow it with your hollow reiatsu," Tensa said, Ichigo's brow twitched again only for the orange-haired teen to let out a loud sigh, pushing his annoyance down as he took the lotus position.
"...can I even summon it still?" Ichigo wondered, hesitating and looking down at his hand and remembering the feeling of his zanpakuto fading after the use of his Final Getsuga Tenshou before pushing down his hesitation closing his eyes and reaching into himself, his reiatsu coating his body and filling the room. He didn't notice as black and white markings spread across his right arm and body in the shape of chains with the chains on his chest condensing into a black circle over his heart with a white center and with a mental and physical tug Zengetsu formed as he opened his eyes, one his normal brown with a ring of blue in it while the other was red with a circle of yellow, the sclera black.
His right arm from the elbow down was covered in black and white bandages with black and white chain markings on them, his hand was covered in a black gauntlet with white and blue highlights, and in his hand was his zanpakuto, it's hilt in the shape of a white cross, it's blade was black littered with cracks that glowed a dull white leaked a mixture of Quincy, hollow, shinigami, and godly energy,
"I was right," Tensa said, voice full of curiosity.
"Right about what?" Ichigo asked, using his left hand to test the blade, and found that while it was cracked, it didn't seem to be broken.
"You can feel it leaking energy right?" Tensa asked, receiving a nod, "as you know a zanpakuto's shape and size depend on the user's reiatsu. You used the Final Getsuga Tenshou...becoming Tensa Zangetsu...and now your body is trying to adjust to the influx of godly energy and the fact your shinigami/hollow powers and Quincy powers are no longer bound...your body and soul can't contain that at this moment so it's using the form after you left the dangai as a basis...adapting till it can take on a form capable of containing all four."
"But it's still leaking energy," Ichigo said.
"Would you rather it explode?" Tensa said dryly. "Don't even try using shikai or bankai...at this moment I would recommend returning it to your soul and not summoning it till it's finished is incubation," the spirit said, getting a nod from Ichigo who after a couple of tries managed to unsummon it, his reiatsu lowering to normal levels and the markings and such disappearing, though he kept some speckles of blue in one eye.
"So what was the point of this other than making this room?" Ichigo asked, getting a sight from Tensa.
'We're going to get someone who can help protect Asia….and who better than yourself?" Tensa said, making Ichigo pause before he felt a shift as his cross began to glow again, this time a mixture of blue and black, and with a sigh, Ichigo grasped it raising it to about chest level as hollow and shinigami reiatsu began to gather in it before leaking out the back forming a sphere of reiatsu that almost touched the walls of the room, condensing kind of like a cero, shrinking till it was almost as tall as Ichigo, the reiatsu seeming to reach a pentacle before cracking and without warning a white arm shot out of it, fingernails a deep black before it swiped to the side shattering it more.
"You're…." Ichigo muttered, eyes wide.
"Long time no see King," White said, as he reached up to remove a familiar horned hollow mask, his yellow eyes meeting Ichigo's as he attached it to the side of his white robes, a wide grin on his face. "...or should I say God?" he said with a manic laugh.
"Whit… Zangetsu," Ichigo said with a nod, getting a wide smile from his zanpakuto spirit, "What should I call you then…..Yhwach...God?" he asked the other part of himself, getting a dry negative in return.
"...El works for me," causing Ichigo to pause, before nodding. Looking to Zangetsu he opened his mouth only to be interrupted as the door opened, a sleepy-looking Asia's head appearing from the cracked open door.
"Shower is free," the Holy Maiden said with a yawn eyes closed, not noticing Zangetsu, "I'm going to pray, then get some sleep Ichigo," she said sounding relaxed, before closing the door, leaving Ichigo and his zanpakuto spirit to look at each other before looking back up at the now-closed door.
"I like her," the spirit said, getting a sigh from Ichigo as the reincarnated deity reached to his side, grabbing the light sword and tossing it to the sword spirit who caught it, twirling it around his finger before holding it steady, forming the holy blade and deactivating it with a nod and sliding it into his robe.
"You got this?" Ichigo asked, offering a hand to Zangetsu who took and shook it with a wide grin.
"Of course...God," he said with a shit-eating grin, making Ichigo sigh and facepalm.
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"I...I'm not sure I can do this," Asia said, nervously fixing the skirt of the school uniform that had arrived the night before as they made their way to the High School.
"You'll be fine," Ichigo said with a yawn, patting her head, "Besides you'll be able to make more friends in school than hanging out alone with me in the church," he said, sparing a glance at a rooftop where Zangetsu trailed behind them.
"We're friends?" Asia asked, stopping to give him an inquisitive look, her head tilted to the side and blue eyes shining bright, "Really?" she asked, making Ichigo step back as she got into his personal space.
Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, he smiled, poking her forehead and giving her a nod with a small smile, "Of course," he said, chuckling at the elated look that formed on her face.
"I've never had a friend before," she said, Ichigo's fist-clenching at the fact that the girl said it with such conviction as if it was something okay.
Ichigo was pulled from his thought of violence on the clergy by Asia, who grabbed his hand pulling him to walk faster so they could get to school sooner, a wide smile still on her face as Ichigo increased his pace to match hers as she talked excitably about the things she wanted to do with friends, Ichigo making a note of activities he'd take Asia on once they settled in as they quickly made their way to school.
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"Looks like you've got a welcoming community King," Zangetsu informed Ichigo as he and Asia arrived in front of the school, finding two girls with black hair and glasses scanning the crowd, only to stop as one of them spotted the church duo, signifying the other, one had a stern-looking glare that reminded Ichigo of the looks some of his teachers gave him due to his hair color. Making sure that Asia was keeping close to him, Ichigo made his way to the two.
"So you must be the representatives of the church," the stern-looking girl said, eyes scanning both him and Asia as if trying to find something before focusing back on Ichigo's eyes, giving a small bow, "I am Sona Sitri, student council president and this is Tsubaki Shinra, my vice-president," she said, stiff and stern as she looked at the two expectantly.
"I am Ichigo Kurosaki," Ichigo said bowing back before looking to Asia, who looked flustered and a bit hesitant before following Ichigo's lead.
"I...I'm Asia Argento," she said giving a small bow before hiding behind him as Sona focused her attention on her, head peeking over his shoulder, getting a small smile out of Tsubaki that was quickly removed with a look from Sona.
"I hope you know that any fighting will not be tolerated," Sona said, attention back on the orange-haired teen, "This school has high standards, and its students are expected to uphold them," she paused as there was a brief flash of energy felt by Ichigo as background noise seemed to fade, "Even with the cease-fire, this is mine and Rias's territory….if you feel as an exorcist of the church that you can't respect that, then I will tell you now is the time to leave," she said, eyes narrowed.
Ichigo raised his hands in a non-threatening manner, eyes fixed on Sona's.
"As I've told Gremory, I have no plans to usurp your territory or do anything to harm you or your peerages or standing," he said, lowering his hands as her look seemed to soften, "Besides, do you really think your sister would allow an exorcist into your territory if they planned on anything that would hurt you or your peerage?" he said, noticing a tightening of her lips at the mention of her sister before the girl sighed, the sounds of the students around them returning as the girl nodded to her vice-president.
"Tsubaki will show you around before dropping you off at the faculty office so your homeroom teacher can pick you up before classes," she said, before making her way into the school building leaving the two church members and one devil in an awkward silence before the vice-president took charge gesturing to the school.
"Let's start the tour," she said getting a nod from Ichigo as Asia gabbed his sleeve as she looked around at the large group of students whose attention had fixated on them after Sona's departure.