Urahara and Shinji came back to Hueco Mundo through the Kimon, carrying Ichigo, Ulquiorra and the mysterious Demon girl.
Everyone had now moved to the Gate to see them when they arrived, so they received a warm welcome.
"They made it back!" Orihime exclaimed happily as she saw her friends.
"*sigh* Everyone's safe..." Harribel said in relief.
"I'm afraid we cannot celebrate just yet" Urahara replied bitterly.
"Eh?" Everyone muttered as they noticed what he meant.
"That... That is not..." Pesche instantly realized.
"Nel-sama..." Dondochakka completed.
"No, that's just some oddity we came across" Urahara simply replied.
"What happened, Kisuke? Where's Nel?" Yoruichi asked him.
Nageki closed his eyes painfully, already believing it was all his fault.
"That's the problem" Shinji answered. "We have no idea"
"No...!" Orihime and Harribel became greatly saddened by that piece of information.
"Nel...sama..." Tier muttered, trying her hardest not to break, seeing the warm expression of her friend and mentor inside her mind to try to endure.
"It is important to note that there are no signs that she was killed" Urahara clarified. "And the possibility that she was taken away seems very unlikely as well"
"It is more like... She disappeared into thin air" Shinji summarized.
"How is that even possible?" Grimmjow inquired.
"It's not. That's the problem" Yoruichi replied.
"My..." Gin was also at a loss for words, his brain trying to find a plausible scenario that explained it all.
"I can see you're all shook by this... But, there's nothing we can do about it, except hoping that Ulquiorra or Ichigo know something" Urahara concluded. "Now, if there's something productive you'd like to try, I recommend to hone your skills to the limit in order to fight once again"
"What's gonna happen now?" Lilynette wondered, worried about the tip the shop owner gave them.
"We don't know for sure..." Yoruichi started. "But we believe that the conquest of Soul Society was just a means to an end"
"Which is...?" Ashido inquired, his heart still moved by the fact that the Seireitei had fallen.
"The sacrifice of Karakura Town. Yama wants to create an Ouken to enter and absorb the power of the Soul King" Urahara replied. "It's the only possible explanation"
"Then... We have to get ready for the final assault" Satya deduced.
"It's all or nothing" Bryssling added.
Everyone realized the gravity of the situation. Whatever happened now, would decide the fate of all the Worlds, regardless of which one was destroyed first.
"I'm going back to the shop" Shinji said. "As much as I want to uncover this mystery, there are more important things I gotta do"
"That's true" Yoruichi agreed. "We must finish the preparations to stop Yama in Soul Society. If he reaches Karakura, it's over"
"*sigh* Guess we'll have to start doing something as well" Grimmjow muttered in reply.
"I'll stay here for another while" Urahara said. "I might be able to help"
"In that case..." Shinji wore his mask. "See ya"
The Vizard opened a Garganta, showing how much he increased his Hollow capabilities.
"Good luck" Yoruichi told them all, leaving with Shinji through the portal.
The rest remained in the place, still in shock with the news.
"Urahara-san" Nageki called his name.
"What is it, Nakagawa-san?"
"I think we should put Ichigo and Ulquiorra in the Healing Room. There we should wait to... Know more about it" He replied.
"Not trying to imply anything but... You sound like you know something already" Urahara looked him straight into his fuchsia eyes.
"I just... Have a bad feeling" Nageki told the truth.
"We all do..." He agreed, still disappointed that he couldn't find a reason. "So, you all, don't let this get to you. We're gonna find out the truth behind this, you can leave it in our hands. Meanwhile, you should focus on your own training, as this is most likely the last straw, for both us and the enemy"
"O-Okay..." Harribel took the lead, swallowing her worries and taking the role that fitted her, as the strongest conscious Espada and previous Queen of Hueco Mundo. "Everyone who's going to fight, follow me. We're gonna push ourselves to the limit. I won't tolerate any slackers, so if you're not completely sure about it, don't even bother to come. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes!" They all said, with the exception of Nel's Fracciones, Nageki, Orihime and Urahara.
"Perfect. Now, get a move on. We haven't got a single second to rest"
All the Espada and strong Arrancar went behind her into the desert, in hope to be of use in the final battle.
The others went to the Healing Room in hope of getting answers and, even more hopefully, a way to fix the current situation.
Orihime, obviously, took care of all the wounds remaining in Ulquiorra's body.
"There it is..." She gently kissed his forehead as she finished. "You did great, Ulqui-kun, so you don't have to blame yourself for anything..."
Then she turned to Ichigo.
"Hm?" She looked surprised.
"Is something wrong?" Urahara wondered.
"Not really. It's just... Ulquiorra, despite his regenerative abilities, still had a couple serious wounds I had to take care of. Kurosaki-kun on the other hand... Is completely restored. There are not even traces of damage"
"Could that be due to the fact that, in general, he's a superior Arrancar, Nageki-san?"
"I... I believe it could be that, under more normal circumstances. However, by Ulquiorra's wounds, I can tell that whatever they faced wasn't the kind of encounter Ichigo would come unscathed from, even as powerful as he is right now. In fact, I would even be willing to bet that the three had to fight together and even then had a pretty hard time" Nageki correctly deduced.
"Then... Why would he...?" Orihime inspected him closer, trying to find a clue that could answer that new enigma. "Could it be...?"
"Did you find something?" Nageki inquired.
"No... I just remembered that Nel-san mentioned that she knew a great deal of Kaidou, but if that was the case... There would be traces of that. On the other hand, her saliva also had healing properties, but they couldn't have been so great if she decided to learn Kaidou"
"So we're back at square one" Urahara concluded with a sigh.
In that moment, the Primera Espada slowly opened his eyes, feeling a bit dizzy.
"O... Ori..." He murmured.
"Ulqui-kun!" Orihime turned to him.
"Orihime" He smiled. "You are... Alive..."
"Ulquiorra..." She became surprised. "Don't tell me you..."
"Yes. I felt it..." He nodded once. "That cursed Yama tried to kill you... Didn't he...?"
"Y-Yeah..." She remembered, though it wasn't a nice memory at all. "But no need to worry, I'm safe and sound! And you are too"
"I guess..." He muttered, not really upbeat. "I... Am alright. But... I can't say the same about... Ichigo"
"So you know something" Urahara grinned.
"Ulquiorra-san" Nageki said politely. "Could you please tell us what happened back there?"
"Yes... Yes, I can" He sighed as he sat on the bed. "Actually, it is a must that I do so. It's the least I can do..." He could clearly see how he helplessly failed to stop the evil Nelliel.
"Do you know what happened... To Nel-sama?" Pesche inquired, hopeful.
"*sigh* Yes... I do" He confessed. "But first, let me tell you everything from the start.
You see... We confronted Yama, and he admitted not only to hate our kind, but especially Ichigo"
"Yes, I uncovered that a while ago too" Nageki told him. "Oh, sorry to interrupt, please go on"
"Anyways, he guided us to a secret chamber he built underneath Hell's Throne Room. There, he had been creating an amalgamation of corpses and souls in the form of a cocoon, powered by half of his hearts and an object he designed to absorb and contain enormus quantities of Negative Energy. Said artifact was called... The Dark Core, and was the main source of the abomination.
It seems, he wanted to create an artificial God inside the cocoon, and the final offer was none other than our lives"
"Nel-san was with you that whole time, wasn't she?" Orihime asked.
"Yes, up to that point nothing was out of place. Moving on, Yama left through a Kimon, entering Hueco Mundo to steal the Heart of Tsukoyomi and... Kill Orihime to make me pay for my act of treason.
I swear... I really wanted to come here and save you, Orihime, but it was a tremendous risk. The being Yama was gestating through that gruesome experiment was far too great a danger to leave Ichigo and Nelliel on their own, not mentioning the fact that I would probably be too late even if I tried"
"Don't worry. I understand" She sat by his side and put one hand on top of his as she entangled his fingers with the Espada's.
"Well... The next step was obviously a fight. The cocoon also had a main consciousness that also happened to be the missing Duke, V, so we faced it along with the rest of the abomination, trying to stop the being inside from fully developing itself.
It wasn't really easy, but together, we managed to break the cocoon to the point it became unstable, forcing the being inside to decline, or so it seemed"
"Actually, about that..." Urahara remembered. "There's something I have to show you, but it can wait so... Please go on"
"The main consciousness, V, absorbed the energy from the cocoon, which by the way, was some kind of Evil Light. As if... A pure light was tainted by the Negative Energy. In that way, V became an incomplete Neberu, which was the name Yama gave to the creature.
In spite of its unstable form and bestial nature, Neberu was a terribly powerful adversary. Not only was completely over the top in terms of attack, defense, speed and all the other basic stats that you can think of, but, in its own way, it was greatly intelligent. Probably a genius, at least in battle. It could quickly learn our patterns and attacks, and counter them in the next move. I truly believe, Neberu was the most dangerous foe we've ever faced, and up to that point, we were completely overwhelmed"
"What... Happened then?" Dondochakka became curious.
"Nelliel... Unlocked Etapa Final" He revealed.
Everyone stood in awe as he said that.
"As you might imagine, she became incredibly strong. Thanks to that change, we just managed to change the course of the battle, putting Neberu in a spot that it couldn't read our movements with the same ease as it had done the whole time.
We were all really exhausted, but Ichigo decided that we had to give it one last try in order to destroy the creature, and again, Nelliel was the key. Her ability, Traidor, allowed her to return an attack to the user, which was what destroyed Neberu in the end, redirecting a beam of Light and Dark Reiatsu none of us could have created on our own, or even combining our powers, to say the truth"
"Amazing..." Pesche and Dondochakka's eyes glistened with pride.
"We were so happy with that feeling of victory, witnessing how Neberu disintegrated and returned to the nothingness it was born from..." Ulquiorra smiled for a moment. "But, that was the beginning of this calamity"
They all focused 110% of their attention on what he was about to say.
"When Neberu perished, the Dark Core was also broken, which let out an indescribable amount of Negative Energy in the chamber. I didn't really get what was going on, as I suddenly felt my mind going all crazy, expressing different negative emotions in an uncontrollable frenzy.
The next thing I saw, was Ichigo and Nelliel screaming in a really loud and painful way. I don't know what happened but... The two fell unconscious after that.
The first thing I did, was check up on Ichigo. He still had a pulse, and was breathing quietly but certainly. I was relieved at first, thinking everything was fine for a single moment of innocence and foolishness. However, as soon as I looked more carefully, I noticed that something was wrong.
Earlier, when I felt the pain of Yama's intent to kill Orihime, Ichigo told me that I needed not to worry, as my mark still had its colour. His, though, had completely lost the pink colour of Nelliel's Reiatsu"
"Don't tell me that she...!" Orihime covered her mouth with both hands, almost starting to cry.
"I thought that was it at first, but no. She wasn't dead. As if on cue, she woke up. Of course, I rushed to her side and helped her. I thought everything was alright, but the way she spoke... Her laugh... Everything had... Changed"
"What do you mean?" Urahara asked for a more profound description.
"It was... Dark. It felt evil in a way. It was no longer the warmth or calm she tended to express with her words. It was more like... Some malicious mockery.
Now, this is an analysis I can make in this moment, after everything occurred. In that instant, I didn't really process it, so I just let it go. The next thing she did though, was violently push me away, which was really something out of character for her... And then it didn't cross my mind, but it reached my gut. That was not Nelliel, not anymore..."
Everyone loss their voice as they heard that unbelievable development.
"But... Ulquiorra-sama... That... That is simply...!" Pesche lost it.
"That can't be! It's nonsense!" Dondochakka protested.
"Guys" Orihime tried to comfort them. "I know that this must be almost impossible for you right now, but please, try to keep yourselves as calm as you can and wait for him to finish"
They sighed uncomfortably, but accepted the girl's request.
"She went towards Ichigo, but I could feel that letting her wasn't a good idea, so I shot a Cero at her, although I was already exhausted after the battle" He admitted. "After confronting her, she decided to tell me the truth. She said that she was Nelliel, but not the one we used to know, and that the 'old one' was... Gone. After that, I asked her what did she want, to which she replied..." He had trouble saying it, but his look towards Ichigo left it clear.
"What did she want from Ichigo?" Nageki quickly questioned.
"She wanted to... Eat him, spouting some nonsense about that being the only way in which they could be together now"
Everyone let a silent scream out, except Urahara, who merely opened his mouth a bit, and Nageki, who seemed to finally understand where everything was going.
"Finally, I did my best to try to stop her, but I was in no condition to fight and she... She was brutally stronger. Like, probably comparable to Ichigo's base form, if not stronger"
"And that is a lot to say..." Orihime knew it.
"I'm sorry, but... That's basically it. Everything ended with me losing consciousness. To tell the truth... I'm not sure I can describe the rest clearly, although I know I did my best effort to stay awake"
"But... If that's true... Why is Ichigo still alive?" The shop owner inquired.
"Because she also said that Ichigo was not ready. He had to become stronger, and then... She would come back and consume him"
"Damn... Talk about a femme-fatale" Urahara teased, in spite of the more than delicate situation.
"Ulqui-kun, that's all you remember?" Orihime asked him.
"More or less. I'm still a bit fuzzy in the head and... Really confused by the sudden turn of events. That said, I can assure you that everything I've said so far is true"
"Kgh..." Pesche and Dondochakka clenched their fists as they heard that.
"Guys. If you need a moment, you can just-" Orihime offered.
"Yes. We'll go for a..." Dondochakka said.
"...A little walk would be... Okay..." Pesche completed, exiting the room along with his brother.
The two Fracciones had heard more than enough. Their poor hearts were saturated with the bad news, so they needed a moment of catharsis.
"You took it way better than I expected" Ulquiorra said, surprised to see his girlfriend's reaction.
"Well... I..." At first she said calmly, but it was clear that she couldn't hold it any longer. "I..." She sobbed. "I can't do this anymore!"
"O-Orihime..." Ulquiorra embraced her.
"How could I ever accept...? That Nel-san is just...! Gone!" She cried helplessly. "How could I ever see Ichigo... How could I...? How will we even tell him?!"
"I... I don't know... But certainly, we cannot hide something of such magnitude" He replied, not comforting her, but saying what had to be done.
"No, Ulquiorra... You don't understand..." She wept. "If Ichigo knows about this... He won't... He won't ever be able to get up again..."
"But I... I can't possibly lie about this, or about anything really. He'll see right through me"
"I know, but please, just try... I beg you. Otherwise... We'll loose him forever" Orihime dried her tears.
"Okay" He sighed. "I'll try to try"
"That's enough" She kissed him, seeking comfort in her love's black lips. "I... I'll also go take some air... I can't let Ichigo see me like this... He'll immediately realize that something's going on"
"I'll go with you, Inoue-san. I hope you don't mind" Urahara said, getting up. "I'm sure Nageki knows something more, but he won't reveal it unless he feels safe, and with me here, that won't be the case, I'm sure..." He thought, already devising some plan to get that information.
"No, not at all... I'm sure this also affected you, Urahara-san" Orihime replied.
"Ah, there's no limit to how naïve you can be, is there, Inoue-san?" The Shinigami thought with a sigh. "Yeah... It is something hard to digest"
The two left, while Ulquiorra decided to stay for another while, trying to get a better recollection of his memories as he looked at Ichigo, and Nageki... Simply started building up courage to put up front to his terrible mistake.
An hour later, Urahara decided to return, hidden by the Reiatsu Concealing Cloak he had invented.
"To think that I would have to use this for spying, when I only intended to make a stealthy appearance with the Shadow Demon" Urahara thought.
About three more hours passed without any movement. Ulquiorra was now laying on the bed, looking at the roof as his mind drifted inside the hazy fragments of his last conscious moments.
Nageki simply stared at Ichigo with a stoic expression, ready to confess his failure to him when the time came.
Urahara patiently waited for the moment of truth, not showing any signs of boredom or anxiety. He was above that. He needed to be in order to find out.
"N... Nel..." Ichigo muttered. "Don't... Leave... Me..."
His eyes suddenly opened, as if escaping a horrible nightmare.
"Ichigo! You're back" Ulquiorra noticed, sitting in the bed to look at him. "It seems you had a rough sleep"
The orange haired Arrancar did the same, looking at him in the eye.
"I just... Had a bad dream. I can't seem to remember much anymore, but I think it had something to do with Nel..." He replied.
Ulquiorra's look deviated as soon as he heard that name. Of course, Ichigo noticed something was going on.
"Ulquiorra… Where is she?" He asked him, realizing that Nel was not there.
Nageki decided to stay as an observer for another while, waiting for the right moment to speak.
"Well, you see… I… I wasn't-"
"Don't even try to lie. You're terrible at it"
"*sigh* I know..." He had told Inoue that such thing would occur. "But, Orihime said that-"
"Inoue is not the ruler of Hueco Mundo. Right now, I'm ordering you as your King. What happened to Nel? Is she… Is she dead?!" He insisted.
Ulquiorra grinded his teeth uncomfortably.
"No... Not exactly"
"What the fuck does that mean?!" Ichigo got up from the bed and punched the wall, reducing it to mere debris.
"Geez... Things are getting serious" Urahara thought, his eyes glued to Ichigo and his reaction.
"In her own words… She is not the Nelliel we used to know" Ulquiorra explained. "She told me… That she had to abandon you, so that you would become stronger, cause next time you saw each other… She wanted to kill you and literally... Devour you"
"W-What? W-W-W…WHY? Why… Would she say something like that? What does she mean that she's not the same?! Just what… WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" The whole area shook, as if there was an earthquake.
Ulquiorra didn't know what to do in order to explain the unspeakable event to him. However, there was someone who gave it a try.
"Ichigo" Nageki spoke softly to him, trying to calm him down.
"Nageki! What…? What happened to Nel? It's all just a joke, right? She… She wanted to fool around a bit didn't she? Haha… Hahahahahaha…" Ichigo was becoming insane. "Tell me this is simply the worst nightmare I've ever had"
"Ngh… I'm afraid I cannot. This… This is reality, Ichigo" Nageki bitterly admitted. "And I think… It's all my fault"
"Here we go" Urahara thought, as the moment he had been waiting finally arrived.
"W-Why? What did you do that makes you say that?" Ichigo inquired, surprised.
Ulquiorra also listened carefully, wanting to understand as well.
"It is something I did way back. It was during the time when she was still a beast" Nageki spoke.
"You mean… When she was known as Scar Queen?"
"Yeah… Back then, I thought I had made the right choice. But now I see how wrong I was. I should've never done it…!"
"But tell me, Nageki! What did you do to her?!" He was losing his patience.
"You see, all of our emotions, fear, love, hate, sadness, happiness… It is all just chemical reactions inside of us. My power to control elements can also apply to other beings. I can alter their own molecular structure, as well as the reactions inside their bodies"
"He couldn't...!" Urahara understood what that meant.
"No way… Nageki… Just what the fuck did you…?" Ichigo's look was completely consumed by despair.
"When I met her, she was a monster, Ichigo. All I could see in her, was an indefinite bloodlust and an inexhaustible savagery. I know… That she must've been much more, but even if that was the case, it was impossible for me to understand her to that extent, and even more if she concealed it all with her bestial attitude" He explained. "So I made a shortcut. I designed a formula that was able to change her. Inserting an input of chemical reactions that blocked her bloodlust and reduced her violent tendencies to a minimum, she would eventually become a person I could deal with. It was not an instant change, but it was enough to open her mind to the ideas I was trying to insert in her in the first place. With that… She was a success. I managed to replicate the soft Yukari I knew back in my day, the one Mugetsu had carved out of the Scar Queen she used to be"
"So… You artificially made her the way she is" He concluded.
"Basically, yes" He nodded. "But that… Came at a price... One I only truly came to realize after hearing Ulquiorra's words..."
Ichigo did not blink as he waited for the verdict.
"By creating a 'new' Nelliel, I discarded a part of her. Said part, was made out of pure negative traits of her being, and apparently, it was the real reason why Gamuza acted so wickedly. Actually, the first reaction she had was seeing nightmares, every night... I told her it was just a side effect caused by her being starting to deny her true nature, but I swear I never...! I never... I never thought it was a sign of something so dreadful..." He explained. "Ulquiorra told me that a great amount of Negative Energy entered her system, right?"
"Yes. When that dark orb was destroyed, just as we defeated Neberu... A source of pure Negative Energy he collected from both Demons and tortured Souls was freed, all at once. All the Demons we killed fed said thing, in fact" Ichigo recalled. "So, I guess you can imagine the amount that was released"
"That leads to a single explanation" Nageki concluded. "That orb, the Dark Core as Ulquiorra mentioned, fed the suppressed darkness inside of Nelliel, which gained control of her being. That's why she said that she was a different Nelliel, and considering that she's a being of pure negativity… Calling her Scar Queen wouldn't be right either. She's pure evil, Ichigo. If you'd like to call her in some way, I believe Dark Nelliel would be the most accurate"
"So… Are you saying that... MY Nel is gone…? As in... Forever?" Ichigo hopelessly asked.
"I'm not sure…" Nageki replied. "For instance, can you tell with your Hollow Hole?" He asked back.
"Back then…" He remembered the pain he felt in his Hollow Hole. "I felt like my heart was being ripped apart. What… What was that?" He asked, panicking. "I... I don't… I don't feel her… I can't feel her Soul anymore! What the Hell is happening?!"
"Oh no…" Nageki's look seemed to lose all hope as well. "There is a chance...That the darkness was so strong… That it… It severed your Whole Link. Your souls are no longer connected"
"It's as if she was... Dead" Ulquiorra linked that to the loss in colour in Ichigo's mark. "But... In other words..."
"Ichigo is no longer Whole" Nakagawa concluded, placing a verdict that fell upon them like an anvil from feet in the air. "And neither is she"
"No…" Ichigo's eyes lost all life. "Nel…"
He could see every beautiful moment he had spent with her shattering, becoming an illusion in the face of reality. Tears fell from his eyes as his whole world crumbled in an instant, shattering like a glass, in small incongruent pieces that would never fit together again.
"Ichigo, I can't say I feel bad for you, or her. I simply cannot, it's not in me..." Nageki said. "But believe me when I say that I feel like shit right now. I'm a complete imbecile. I couldn't despise myself any more... If you want to kill me, go ahead. If you want to torture me 'til I die, do it. I won't complain cause… I deserve that and much worse"
Ichigo punched him into the closest wall, not feeling any better. He was already dead inside, so he just laid back on the bed with a hollow expression. Lying awake in bed, feeling the spot on his chest, where she used to rest her head... Was all that remained.
Ulquiorra looked with pity as his friend turned into an empty vessel in a single instant. A mere carcass of what he used to be seconds ago. As a result, for the first time, he understood just how fearsome love could be. It could bring a man back from the dead, but it could also kill him beyond death.
As he thought about said thing, he remembered what had shocked him the most out of his encounter with Dark Nel.
"Nageki!" He called him.
"What…?" The sempiternal Arrancar asked lifeless, still embedded in the wall.
"Back then… Nel- Dark Nelliel did something I couldn't understand" He revealed. "It confused me so much that I completely denied it. I even thought my eyes had to be deceiving me…"
"What did she do?" He asked, regaining a bit of energy.
"You see, we were all quite wounded, and… Honestly, I had no idea she could do that until that moment, but her saliva seems to have healing properties, and pretty good at that"
"Ah, yes, Inoue-san mentioned it earlier. What's wrong with that?"
"After beating me, she went to Ichigo's unconscious body. She must have said something, I'm sure, cause I saw her mouth moving… But I couldn't catch it. However, I managed to see what she did before everything went black: She licked every wound in his body, carefully. She made sure that each and every one of them was healed completely, and once she finished… She kissed him"
Ichigo's eyes seemed to recover a bit of light.
"And it wasn't just a mere kiss" Ulquiorra continued. "She did not leave his mouth until she didn't have other choice. She drooled and panted heavily as her lips left his, and I think… She was crying as she stared at Ichigo. I lost consciousness afterwards"
"Is that… True?" Nageki seemed amused.
"Could it be...?" Urahara widened his eyes.
"Absolutely, I had trouble remembering it until now, but there's no mistake. So… Is it possible that despite everything… She still feels something for Ichigo?" The Primera theorized.
"I… I wouldn't be able to tell so easily. But, it is likely that at the very least, she's still attracted to him out of lust" Nageki replied, giving a more rational argument. "But… It is also possible that there is still a trace left of the Nelliel we know. In that case, it's more likely that her most prominent emotion became a part of Dark Nelliel as well, said emotion being…"
"...Her love for Ichigo" Ulquiorra completed, feeling hopeful. "Yeah, that's right!"
"What is it?"
"She also mentioned something I didn't really get back then. She said that she had also absorbed that 'fake' Nel, and that thanks to that, she could finally 'feel'. Could she mean that... She could finally... Love?"
Ichigo's expression recovered completely, as if that minuscule glimpse of hope had given him a reason to keep fighting until the very end.
"Ulquiorra" He spoke. "She said that I had to become stronger so that we could meet again, right?"
"Y-Yes... She did" He was surprised to see that sudden change.
"Very well then" Ichigo decided. "Tell Harribel she's in charge until I return"
"Where are you going?" Nageki inquired.
"To become stronger, what else?" He simply replied. "If you wanna keep hating yourself in this place, go ahead. But if you truly want to find redemption, go to your lab and find a way to get my love back"
"I... Ichigo..." He was astonished to see that the King still relied on him.
"If you have trouble, ask Urahara for help. Self-hatred will get us nowhere" He concluded. "If by any chance, things get serious before I return... Don't hesitate to fight. I'll get back to you in time, and put an end to all this shit. I promise"
"I understand" Ulquiorra nodded, Nageki following. "Good luck, Ichigo"
"Sorry, I appreciate your wishes but..." He got as serious as he could. "...I'm tired of relying on luck. It's time I start to get the things I want with my own hands"
"Even if you say that..." Urahara pretended to enter the room, as if he hadn't been watching the whole time. "You can't act like everything until this point has been mere luck or talent. You are a hard-working man, Ichigo, don't fool yourself"
"Then I have to work harder. Right now, not having her is the same as not having anything. For that reason, it will be all worthless unless I bring her back" He said, determined to achieve that at any cost.
"Do your best" Urahara told him.
He just nodded and went through the hole in the wall he made earlier, using Velocidad to exit Las Noches.
"Mugetsu... Where to...?" He asked for directions.
"Go West. Don't stop until you reach The Holy Mountain"
"What mountain is that?"
"Oh, you'll know when you see it" Mugetsu chuckled. "Although you already do"
Ichigo didn't ask more questions and looked to the horizon, ready to obtain the power he had inherited from the God of the Night himself.
"Nel... I promise you..." He vowed, placing his hand on his mark. "I shall not rest, I shall not fold... 'Til I bring you back!"
~~~~X~~~~
Dark Nel was walking behind Mitsuyo, passing through ancient corridors of some structure she didn't recognize.
"Are we really in Soul Society? Cause this looks really different from what I've heard" She inquired.
"That is because we're not staying down there with the mortal Souls. We brought our own home"
"Home? You don't live in Jigoku?"
"Actually not. We four live in an alternate dimension, in this castle. Right now, we simply summoned the castle to the realm of Souls" Mitsuyo explained. "It is a castle in the sky, so we're not in direct contact with anyone else"
"I see..." She looked around. "But then... Are you not Demons?"
"Another frequent mistake when dealing with us. We are not Majin, or any form of Demon really. We are Fallen Angels"
"Fallen... Angels...?"
"Many cultures use that term to refer to Angels who betrayed the Heavens and fell upon Hell, but the truth is, those are frequently Majin. We, on the other hand, are just Angels who decide to obtain the power of Darkness. Simply put, we chose to become dark Angels for the power it meant"
"So that's the difference. And since when do you work with Yama? For what I've noticed you don't act like a subordinate, more like a partner"
"Good observation. You see, we actually worked under Susano'o, the God of Sea and Storms, But with the peace that rules Takemagahara, our purpose is lost. We were born to create conflict, to inflict pain upon the Mortal Worlds and their inhabitants. That's our role, and we don't know any other way of life. Because of that, Yama-proposed that we started a war, and that's simply perfect. I haven't been able to fight yet, but I know it's just a matter of time. Seku is having a blast with 'The Plague' and Ren got some action earlier, but I'm calm. I can't say the same about Kento though"
"He must be a brute" She deduced.
"And spot on again. You're actually pretty good at this" Mitsuyo complimented.
"I know" She simply replied, not caring about what one of the Four Horsemen thought of her.
In the end, everyone was the same. In her eyes, they were all mere flesh puppets waiting to be annihilated and consumed. Everyone... But her special one.
Arriving upon a cozy room, with a fireplace, sofas and even a TV-like screen that showed images of Soul Society, were the remaining members.
"Oh, Mitsuyo, you're back!" A white haired young man who looked quite childish said.
He had red irises, and mid-length crazy hair, though not reaching its shoulders. He was wearing a gray tunic as that of a cleric.
"Why so surprised, Seku? It was just a recognizance mission so it wasn't to last"
"Nah, I was just eagerly waiting for you to see this!" He pointed at the screen.
All the Shinigami in Soul Society had been turned into living zombies due to Seku's Plague.
"Ah, I knew you had done it" Mitsuyo said, uninterested.
"Yeah, but seeing it like this is a treat! Each and every one of those Shinigami has become one of my Ghouls! Ahahahahahaha!" He giggled like a kid in a theme park.
"Oi, Mitsuyo, who's this beauty you brought here?" Another man with tanned skin, short red hair and green eyes said.
He had a toned body, with all his muscles well-developed. He wore an outfit reminiscent of a Viking, though his chest was uncovered.
"She's the current holder of the Dark Core, Kento. I thought she could be of use to us, given Yama-san's interests" Mitsuyo replied.
"So that's it, huh?" He stood up from the sofa to approach the two. "Like, you can make up excuses all you want, but I doubt even someone like you would be able to contain himself around a woman like this..." He grinned as he extended his hand, ready to grope one of her breasts.
Dark Nel smirked as she got the provocation she needed. She got her Zanpakutou out of the sheath in the blink of an eye and slashed Kento's arm without further trouble.
"W-What the...?" The warrior Fallen Angel muttered in shock.
"Sorry, but could you please refrain from touching me with those filthy hands?" She asked innocently. "This body is only for my beloved Ichi to enjoy..."
"Y-You whore...!" Kento raised a giant claymore with his remaining hand, ready to slash her in two.
Dark Nel simply licked her lips as she prepared to counter.
"Enough, Kento" Ren appeared in between, stopping him by the arm. "I'm trying to read here. Also, it is your fault for acting in such a shameless way, despite her being a mortal... How disgusting"
"You don't want to get in trouble with her, I can tell you that" Mitsuyo added.
"Grrr..." Kento stared at her, full of rage.
"Oh... Playtime's over?" She put the sword back in the green sheath. "Well, I was gonna get bored pretty quick with a weakling like that... ~kuhuhu~"
"You god damned bit-"
Ren hit him with his elbow in the stomach, rendering him useless.
"I warned you, idiot" He left him unconscious on the floor as he went back to the farthest sofa to continue reading his book.
"She must've been really strong before absorbing the Dark Core though. Even without his release, not just anyone would be able to cut one of Kento's limbs with that ease" Seku commented, amused.
"That's the Queen of Hueco Mundo for you" She sweetly replied, happy to say such thing, as it reminded her of Ichigo.
"Where is Yama-san?" Mitsuyo inquired.
"He was resting. It seems that he got himself in a pretty tight spot back there in Hueco Mundo" Seku answered. "But, he's got the Heart of Tsukoyomi, so we're half done!"
"It's not like him to fail, so I expected that much" Mitsuyo shrugged. "He didn't say anything about that human city?" He referred to Karakura Town.
"No, it looks like he wants to be in top condition before invading it" Seku replied. "But, it's just so stupid. We could go there ourselves, couldn't we?"
"In fact. We could create the Ouken ourselves and call it a day..." Mitsuyo agreed. "But it doesn't matter. As long as we get our Holy War, I'm fine with it"
True that..." Seku nodded.
Nel made herself comfortable in another sofa, getting entertained by gently passing her fingers through Gamuza.
"I'll go get him anyways" Mitsuyo sighed, going to another part of the castle.
He returned a while later, along with Yama.
"...There she is" He pointed at the Arrancar.
Yama grinned evilly as he realized who that was.
"Lady Luck sure has played a part in this one..." He chuckled. "I really thought that if those three somehow managed to defeat Neberu, Ulquiorra would've been chosen by the Dark Core to be its host. However, after taking a look inside that Hollow's mind, I can easily understand why" He remembered Nageki's greatest fear: That said decision could've been a mistake for some reason. And indeed, it turned out to be.
"So, what do you think?" Mitsuyo asked him. "I said I could give her Kurosaki Ichigo. You don't have a problem with that, right?"
"Hm..." He thought for a moment, as Nelliel's apparition had also given him the key to open the Heart of Tsukoyomi. "You know... I figured out what I need to open this damn box, and it turns out that it's merely a huge amount of Hollow Reiatsu" He smiled. "I could just kill her and get this over with but... Argh, I just can't let this chance go!"
"What do you mean?" Ren asked.
"Imagine the face of Ichigo if he was forced to fight his own wife! I tried not to succumb to the temptation but... I simply cannot miss this...!"
"So, we have a deal then?" She offered. "I'll take care of Ichigo"
"Sure, go ahead. If you need anything, just ask"
"Perfect" Dark Nel smirked as her plan worked. Ichigo would be hers and no one else would interfere.
"She seems to still feel something for him, somehow" Mitsuyo clarified. "But with the Dark Core inside her, even something like love can be easily twisted into something macabre"
"That's why I'm not worried" Yama said proudly.
"Well you should be..." Dark Nel thought, plotting a new betrayal. "Yama-san"
"What is it?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you could give me a different outfit. Something more... Provocative, but elegant as well. I wanna look good when facing him"
"Of course, I'll see what can be done" The God agreed.
"Just you wait, my King..." She happily thought. "I'll prove how powerful is our love... Cause I know, that even after the last drop your blood enters my throat, and even after your heart is crushed by my teeth... Your strength, your words and your soul will not leave me. It will all become a part of me, and we'll be together for the rest of eternity... Because our love... Is UNDYING"
I hope everything is now clear, since, like every Manga plot, it has some twisted over-the-top explanation behind.
As you might think, we're now entering the final Arc, where everything will be decided.
I'm really happy to see that this story reached 100 Favorites, though I'm sure it can do better. I don't know... I hope more people find it, like it, and possibly review it. As you should expect, I'll keep up the good work to justify that, of course.
Reviews:
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Hm! I must say that this development was quite unexpected! So am I correct in guessing that the "Old Nel" was basically a false persona meant to believe it was the real Nel? Whilst the "Scar Queen Nel" was the real and true personality the whole time?! Wow! Mind blown here! Windows 10 has stopped responding! Lol.
I can only await what happens next! Please update again soon!
P.S. Me? Stop reading? AS IF! Thisonly makes things more interesting!
Reply: You're wrong, but you were somewhat close lol. That Windows 10 reaction is just what I wanted actually!
I'll keep trying my best to bring the chapters ASAP.
P.S. That last part was not meant for you, don't worry. I don't really know you, but I get the feeling you're not the person who would rage-quit. There are other readers who could react negatively towards a dark turn, so I just put that there so that nobody feels like this story is done for in terms of happy endings or something.
There is always a way out, remember that. We'll see how everything develops next time! Evhron out.