"Hm... Where are the tastiest souls?" Aaroniero said with the deep voice. "I wonder, I wonder..." The high-pitched head added.
"Tsk... Looks like only weaklings made it out. Well, it will be over soon" Byakuya said, appearing behind Aaroniero's back after using Senka on the diseased Arrancar.
"Kgh...!" Aaroniero felt the pain. "W-What?!" The high-pitched sphere spoke.
"Scatter... Senbonzakura" Byakuya commanded, not wanting to waste any more time.
"Devour... Glotonería!" The Arrancar used his Resurrección as a last resort.
Rising from the ground in its gigantic tentacled form, Aaroniero confronted Byakuya.
"Don't think you've won, Shinigami!" The high-pitched voice said. "I've consumed about 33,650 Hollows during my existence, and a couple Togabito now that I got the chance... There's no way you can defeat me so easily!"
"Tentacles... I see" Byakuya remembered Rukia's testimony. "You're the Espada Rukia defeated when she went to Hueco Mundo to help Kurosaki save that human girl"
"Huh? You know...?" His low-voiced sphere groaned. "...That damned Shinigami girl?!" The acute voice completed.
"Watch your language, trash. You're referring to a proud member of the Kuchiki Family" Byakuya retorted with an aura of superiority as he commanded his millions of blades to tear the Arrancar into shreds. "You're talking about my sister"
"Aarrghhh!" The two voices squealed as Byakuya turned him into a disgusting-looking Tako Sashimi (not that it was his fault).
"About 33,650 Hollows huh?" He mocked. "That's not nearly a tenth of blades that compose Senbonzakura"
He was about to leave towards another presence, when he found out that he couldn't control his legs.
Byakuya remembered that feeling, not even having the need to confirm who was behind this trick.
"Hahaha... You won't be able to escape my Amor this time!" The diseased 7th Espada said.
"Tch... Guess I'll have to teach you a lesson once again" He was going to extend his arm, but it was too late, gasping as he realized.
"I told you, Shinigami Captain. There is no escape!" Zommari laughed. "I decided to focus all my Amor in you, so don't think for one second that you'll be free!"
"Dammit... What can I do?" Byakuya's mind raced to find a solution.
"C'mon Byakuya! Is that all you've got?" The teasing voice of an old friend said.
"Shihouin Yoruichi..." He muttered with bother. "It seems that your wrong habit of showing up where you haven't been called is yet to find an end"
"Don't be so arrogant, Byakuya. If it wasn't for me, right now you'd be in serious trouble"
"I am still bound by the power of that Arrancar so... I'd say I am in trouble" He retorted with a look of bother. "Shit" He thought after falling into her trap.
"Oh, so you admit that you need my help" She smirked. "Very well, then... Shunkou!"
"No... I must... Do it in time...!" The Espada was about to command the Captain to take his own life.
Yoruichi proceeded to punch the hell out of Zommari, beating him to a pulp before he could accomplish anything.
"The other prick that defied me's on the wagon back to Hell. Be grateful that I'm just gonna send you to the afterlife for giving me a reason to tease that kid!" She chuckled.
"Wait...! No!"
"Disappear!" She ended it all with an electric punch that roasted him to the point of disintegration.
The shadow markings disappeared from Byakuya's limbs as the Espada met his end.
"What would you be without me...?" She teased him more.
"Happy..." Byakuya replied with a pun, but with his serious tone. "Next time, do not interfere. I'm not worthy of being called Captain if I cannot even escape a cheap trick like that one"
"Aw... Look who got his pride hurt" She mocked him.
"*sigh* Cursed be the day I met you..." He muttered, despite being grateful out of the façade.
"You're welcome!" Yoruichi laughed, patting Byakuya in the back, earning a dread look from the nobleman.
Meanwhile, Uryuu was facing Szayelaporro, who had now entered Resurrección, trying to eliminate him once and for all.
Using the Heilig Kreuz as a melee weapon, the Quincy made his way through the neverending clones that appeared of Roka, who was the only one in the battlefield at the moment, and since he had managed to dodge the black rain, he didn't have to worry about facing clones of himself at the very least.
Roka's clones were a distraction more than anything, cause at least in her base form, she wasn't nearly a threat in terms of power. She only had basic attacks as punches, kicks and a couple weak Ceros of white color.
"Don't you think it's quite a cowardly move to hide behind your harmless assistant?" Uryuu told the diseased Espada.
"Cowardly? No, I'd rather call it smart" Szayelaporro retorted. "After all, I see that you somehow became terrifyingly strong, Quincy, so I thought... Why not level the field a bit?"
"Kgh..." Uryuu frowned at his tactic.
"Besides... Do you really believe Roka to be that harmless? Hehehuhuhuhu..." He laughed as he saw his "tool" doing as he ordered.
"Dance in Ecstasy... Telaraña!" She released her Zanpakutou, a beautiful white silk dress replacing her plain-looking attire, and more shockingly, six white spider legs growing out of her back, her mask being replaced by a veil that appeared to be made of the same silk as the dress.
"What?" Ishida was surprised by that development, as the girl seemed to be far too weak for Szayel to be so sure about his choice.
"And now the time has come... The time for you to despair! To become mad in the futility of your new strength, incomparable to the elegance of my (almost) perfect being..."
Roka, using her special ability, literally created a body with special threads that came out from her spider legs, embedding the Reiatsu and memories Szayelaporro had stored within her threads.
"...And, the perfect being that's about to rise NOW!"
"Dammit...!" Ishida realized the kind of situation he was now immersed in.
"I can't believe it..." Roka was in disbelief due to her own power, her threads forming a perfect clone of Szayel before her very eyes.
Szayelaporro snapped his fingers, returning Roka's clones to the black liquid state where they came from, as he wanted to savor the moment of his resurrection.
"If only Gabriel could be used as a true form of resurrection from this incomplete existence..." He daydreamed. "*sigh* No matter. I'll make sure my dear clone carries on my will!"
Roka's spider legs ceased their knitting, stopping at the astonishing image of the being that had just been born.
It was the vivid image of the previous 8th Espada, even having the glasses made out of his Hollow mask, along with the same two lines of missing hair on his forehead. It was a perfect copy.
The clone opened his amber eyes, analyzing and comprehending the world that surrounded him, his mind quickly accessing his memories to come to understand it all.
Roka stood in awe as she beheld the fruit of her effort. Her master was back to life, or well, a reflection of him was.
"I see... Huhuhuhuhu..." He observed, smiling as he grasped said opportunity. "I remember it all... And I perfectly know what I must do"
"Success!" Szayelaporro moaned in pleasure as his hypothesis turned out to be correct. "Now, my clone, would you please show me what you're capable of with this Quincy?"
The clone's eyes shifted towards Ishida, deciding to comply.
"If it is for experimentation, sure. I'm also wondering just how powerful this body is" He said as he looked at himself carefully, opening and closing his hands and playing with his fingers.
"Oh no... If this goes the way I think... I'll have no choice but to use all of my power, even if we're in a residential area"
"What shall I do, Szayelaporro-sama?" Roka inquired.
"You've done enough, Roka. All I ask is that you pay attention to the encounter, so that you can replicate any interesting technique that comes up with your Telaraña in the future" Szayel ordered.
"Okay" She did as told.
The clone got his Zanpakutou out of the sheath, revealing a blade that looked almost the same as the original, having a Tsuba with two bull horns, clearly reminiscent of a long diseased blonde Fracción.
"Shall we start?" He chuckled as he pointed the blade at Uryuu.
"As you wish. I'll make sure to end this before more lives are at risk" The Quincy retorted, worried about their surroundings.
The clone used the same style of combat Uryuu had faced in the past, merely slicing the air to attack him.
This time, however, he wasn't nearly at the level he used to be at that time. He was far stronger, and he would prove it.
Countering with his large cross and Hyrenkiaku, Uryuu easily deflected the slashes, attacking the Espada's clone with the cross.
"Wow, looks like he's serious! No choice then..." The clone shrugged, putting the blade inside his mouth as he wrapped his tongue around it. "Sip... Fornicarás!"
"Argh... Not again..." Uryuu facepalmed, already having to deal with one. "Huh?"
The clone in his Resurrección was very similar to the original, but something was off. Somehow, he seemed bigger and stronger, though the most distinguishable characteristic were the bull horns that grew on his head and how his pink hair had a long blonde tail.
"A splendid transformation! Looks like now my greatest aspiration will reach the summit!" The original Espada rejoiced as he exclaimed that.
"What...? What's going on?" The Quincy asked Szayel.
"Oh, you see, that is indeed a clone of mine, but the data I stored wasn't that of the self you knew..." He revealed. "That clone, is made out of all my memories. Those before and after I decided to separate myself from my brother"
"You mean... You used to be a single entity?"
"Exactly. The original Szayelaporro Granz, for your information, was numbered 100 under normal conditions. However, if we used Resurrección, we instantly became Espada 0, designated by Barragan himself, because of having a power that could match his own"
"Barragan..." Ishida remembered his brief battle with the previous King of Hueco Mundo during his fight with Takenawa. It was clear that an Arrancar with a similar strength as his meant real trouble.
"I won't lie, we were both monstrously strong and god-like genius as one, but unfortunately, we were so impulsive when Yylfordt's violent tendencies came to light, not leaving a single trace of the enemy for further advancement in my glorious science!"
"So you decided to part ways and separate your nerd side from the brute's. A really understandable reason, I gotta admit" Ishida half-teased. "But that means that this guy..."
"Exactly" Szayel could taste perfection. "He bestows the power of our original being, while only having my consciousness! A more perfect Arrancar couldn't exist!"
"Oh, I'm so flattered I could blush" The clone chuckled. "But anyways... Let's get to the matter at hand"
The clone used its tentacles to fire large pink Ceros at the Quincy.
Uryuu quickly recognized such power, or so he believed.
"Was that a... Gran Rey Cero?" He had seen Grimmjow using said ability during their training.
"Oh, please..." The clone seemed insulted. "This is a mere normal Cero, roughly estimated to be 30% of my actual power"
Ishida widened his eyes at that revelation, wondering if such a claim was true or was just a strategy so that he would doubt himself.
"That can't be true" He frowned.
"But it is. Unless you are so ignorant as to blind yourself from the truth" The clone mocked him. "Do as you wish. They say 'fools live in paradise', so you might find heaven in ignorance just before I turn you into a research subject"
"Huh? I believe we already did that, Szayel 2" The original one spoke.
"Pfft... That demonstration you got your data from was a most pitiful attempt of study" The clone criticized. "And also, that name seems really inappropriate and lacking of originality. I think I'd rather be called Cien. Cien Granz, remembering my past position as the strongest Espada"
"What?!" Szayelaporro was surprised to be judged by his own creation.
"Just as you heard. Your poor imagination and vision has made your method of research incomplete. I can tell that Quincies have a lot more to offer with the naked eye" Cien praised himself.
"Well, if they have so much to offer, I guess there won't be a problem in me joining this battle, just so I can show you how pointless it is" Szayelaporro stepped into the battlefield.
"Let's head to a more... Desolate area if that's the case" Cien proposed, actually helping Ishida.
"Why? He's clearly at a disadvantage here" Szayel complained.
"Which is why we can't study him properly for fuck's sake" A more violent personality resurfaced.
"What did you just say?" Szayel seemed worried about that sudden change.
"I swore. Is that so damn surprising to you?" Cien appeared to be confused. "Yylfordt's Reiryoku is a part of me, it's only natural that I'm a bit more hot-headed than you are. But if you're worried about that, you're being quite shortsighted. I'm a far better researcher, even with a tad of violence running through my veins, and I'm going to prove that under the right conditions"
"So... You're willing to go to a place where I can use all of my power?" Uryuu inquired.
"Exactly, Quincy. Let's give this poor apprentice a lesson" Cien giggled.
"Apprentice...?" Szayel was at his limit. "Very well... We'll see who is right after I turn that Quincy to smithereens, proving that there was nothing more valuable to discover about him and his race!"
"Whatever... Looks like I'm gonna have to pull it off somehow" Ishida decided. "With my full power, I should be more than capable of eliminating the original Szayelaporro, but... Will I be able to do it if I'm fighting the two?" He thought carefully.
"I see you felt this bastard's presence too!" A familiar voice said.
"Abarai!" He shifted his look towards the Shinigami as he arrived.
"How you doin' Ishida? By now I thought you whould have already destroyed a weakling like this with your new-" He stopped right on his tracks as he realized the problem at hand. "Oi... Am I seeing double? I might have to ask you to spare me a pair of those" He pointed at the Quincy's glasses.
"It won't be necessary, as I'm afraid that it's not your imagination" Uryuu clarified. "This is reality"
"Are you kidding me that this guy also had a way of cloning himself? I mean, he did clone us all last time" He could bitterly remember their fight.
"This is different. It's not an imitation, or a worn down copy. In fact, it is more powerful than the real one" Uryuu revealed. "Check their Reiatsu if you have any doubt.
"No fucking way, it's true!" Renji noticed. "How is this...?"
"I don't understand much, but it seems that Arrancar was able to replicate Szayelaporro after he embedded memories and Reiatsu in her" Ishida explained what he could, directing his eyes at Roka, who had now returned to her base form to recover her Reiatsu.
"And yet another miserable ant joins in" Szayel noted scornfully.
"Ant? Heh... If that's what you think, fine by me" The Shinigami chuckled. "But you're in for a surprise"
"The Shinigami has also increased his powers, so this is a very interesting opportunity" Cien knew better. "I can't wait any longer. Quincy, Shinigami, Roka and... Poorer version of me, let's head towards a proper location and commence this experiment!"
~~~~X~~~~
"How is she?!" Grimmjow asked Orihime about Harribel just as she finished healing her.
"She'll be fine, don't worry. All she needs now is a good rest" She smiled at him, also happy to see that she could save her. "I'm glad I could do something but... There's something bothering me about her wound"
Ulquiorra's posture showed his discomfort as soon as the girl noticed.
"What is it?" Grimmjow asked back, although he knew where they were getting.
"After the battle in Karakura, I earned a lot of experience looking at the wounds from both Shinigami and Arrancar that remained on the field, and before that, I also learned a lot from Soul Society so... I can easily recognize the damage caused by Zanpakutou, and this was not only caused by one of them, but there was a trace of an ominous Reiatsu" She commented. "I thought of the possibility that the Horseman used it against you but... You were all in your Resurrección. What happened up there?"
"I believe the right question would be... Who did this?" Grimmjow corrected, causing Orihime's eyes to widen in shock. "To which I cannot reply. Your boyfriend won't let me"
She tilted her head towards Ulquiorra.
"Who did this, Ulquiorra?" She asked using his name, which clearly denoted the seriousness of her question.
Ulquiorra sighed as he had no choice. He couldn't hide the truth from her eyes, even less now that she could feel his emotions and would easily know if he was hiding something.
"The only Espada that wasn't on our side" He answered painfully. "It was her, Orihime"
"But... But...!" Tears escaped her eyes as she realized what that meant. "Harribel and her were..."
"Inseparable" Grimmjow completed. "You think I'm not shocked? That skank... She did this to Tier out of pure jealousy!"
"I remind you that she's not our friend, Grimmjow" Ulquiorra clarified. "There's no point in feeling betrayed. That's not Nelliel and you know it"
"Well, that just means she wasn't strong enough to defeat her own darkness!" He spat back, irrationally. "How could she ever do that for such an idiotic reason? She knows Ichigo only loves HER! What was the fucking point?!" He hit the wall with his fist, cracking it and scaring a pair of Shinigami that were passing by.
"I have to kindly disagree..." Another voice joined the conversation.
"You...!" Grimmjow easily recognized one of his rivals.
"Hi, Orihime-chan, and, you too... Emo Espada"
"Emo...?" Ulquiorra tilted his head with pure confusion.
"What do you mean, masked Shinigami?" Grimmjow insisted.
"Look, if it wasn't for Dark Nelliel, as I heard they call her... We wouldn't be alive right now" Shinji informed. "Her mind and spirit are anything but weak. In fact, if she hadn't been Ichigo's girlfriend when I met her, I wouldn't have doubted asking her for a date, heheh... But now that's completely out of the question" He shook his head as he said: "*sigh* The last thing I would want is a sadist Yandere like that... I have more than enough with Hiyori"
"So... Hirako-san" Inoue got his attention. "She actually saved you from a Horseman?"
"Precisely, and she said it clearly. She didn't attack us cause we're dear to Ichigo. Whatever reason she had to attack her, must be something involving him as well, but in a negative manner"
"She said it was because Ichigo found Tier attractive, and she couldn't stand it" Grimmjow revealed.
"Like I thought... Pure Yandere behaviour. Scary..." He remembered the way in which she tortured Mitsuyo. "But the point stands. She might be crazy, but she loves Ichigo... I wonder if he can work with that"
"He can" Another man joined. "If he's clever enough to get what I told him, he totally can"
"*whistle* Looks like you stumbled upon a really dangerous individual, Kisuke" Shinji commented, looking at his wounds. "Did you fight a Horseman too? Or maybe you aimed for the head...?" He grinned.
"No... My deal was more... Personal, if anything. Ichigo was the one that saved me, actually, as I was running out of ways and Yoruichi-san was not here to save my lazy ass, hahaha" He chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.
"Wait. So you mean, there's an actual way of getting Nelliel back to how she was?" Ulquiorra inquired hopeful.
"Um... I wonder if that's a possibility. After all... This Nelliel is, apart from the Darkness, a complete being born out of her two personalities"
"So... Even if Ichigo saves her from the Dark Core, Nel-san won't be the same?" Orihime asked, worried that her friend would be lost forever.
"It is a possibility we cannot discard" Urahara replied with honesty. "But don't worry, Inoue-san" He smiled. "She won't ever stop loving him. That is a given"
"Kurosaki-kun..." She was still really worried about him.
While her romantic feelings had faded away, her heart would never abandon their deep bond of friendship.
"If what you say is true, she better do something for Tier when she returns" Grimmjow concluded. "She owes her, a damn lot after this"
"Well, that is a matter she will have to solve with her on her own, don't you agree?" Kisuke retorted.
"Hey, Urahara-san..." Ulquiorra spoke.
"What is it, Cifer-san?" He asked back.
"How do you know... The truth about Nelliel?" He inquired. "I believe that was something Nageki-san told me and Ichigo only"
"Well, about that..." He scratched his cheek nervously as he started sweating a bit. "I worked along with Nageki-san to develop a countermeasure to free her from the Dark Core's influence, so I ended up finding out" He swiftly dodged conflict, telling a half-lie, since the last part was true, but he knew way before that happened.
"Oh, I see..." Ulquiorra was content with that reply. "What did you create, anyway?"
"It is a chemical that rejects Negative Energy. It may sound simple, but due to the incalculable amount that was stored in it, we needed a catalyst that increased its effect..."
Ulquiorra deduced what that was, as he had heard what Dark Nelliel's objective was from her, in person.
"Blood" He said.
"Precisely" Urahara nodded. "Which is why the final product was a pill that I gave to Ichigo. All he had to do was eat it and let Dark Nelliel quench her thirst... I bet this sounds like a Vampire Novel, ahahaha!" He couldn't help but laugh.
"So Nel-san could... Go back to being our friend once again" Orihime was filled with happiness and relief just from the hope that washed over her as she heard that.
"If Ichigo doesn't die in the process" Grimmjow noted the only possible flaw.
"Welp, I won't deny that our plan consisted on her making the right choices as well... But something tells me it'll work out" He concluded. "Now, *cough* Inoue-san..."
"Yes?" She wondered.
"Would you mind healing me a bit, I think I'm... *cough* *cough* 'bout to pass out" He smiled carelessly as blood came out of his mouth.
~~~~X~~~~
"Nelliel... We... Did it..." Nageki smiled as he spat a bit of blood.
"Yeah..." She sighed in relief, not feeling the presence of Yama anymore. "Oh my God, you're dying!"
"Heh, I guess I had to use a lot of my own blood... To be able to seal such a powerful weapon" He panted.
"Don't worry, I'll heal you and then, you can go back to Las Noches with us!" She smiled at that prospect. "I'm sure Ichigo will be more than happy to have you as his scientist! Unless of course..." Her smile became a bit sad. "You still desire to bring your life to an end"
Nageki was amused to see her so forgiving after his past mistakes.
"Hey, Nelliel... Did you by any chance lose your-"
"I know, Nageki" She replied before he could finish. "I remember it all. A part of me is still angry because of what you did back then... But I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm a new 'me' of some sorts, so you don't have to feel guilty" She assured him. "The fact that I'm grateful for that is still a greater feeling than any contempt I might have stored deep within my heart"
"I'm... I'm glad to hear that..." He smiled as well.
"So if you want to continue your research on Wholes..." She put her hands on the center of her chest. "We'll be glad to help you"
Nageki chuckled at how things had turned about. Suddenly, everything seemed to be a new world. The possibility of experiencing a wholesome life even after all those eons, surprisingly, was still a tempting offer.
"I guess... I could give it a try" He tenderly looked at her with his fuchsia eyes, proud to see what she had become.
But then, in that same moment, a chaotic slash went through the sky, distorting the space around it.
He didn't have time to mutter a single word as he sprinted towards Nelliel, pushing her out of the way to save her.
With blood still oozing out of his arms, there was a clear choice in what attack he would have to use.
"Gran Rey Cero Luna!" He blasted a shining white Cero with a silver lining, just like his Reiatsu.
Nel's reaction, to her own surprise, was using a technique she had never even tried, but that her body simply forced her to do, not to protect herself, but to save his beloved.
"Barrera Negación!" She created a tower of pink Reiatsu that acted as a force field.
Nageki saw one of his arms flying away as he failed to counter.
"My... That was pretty strong" The voice of the Demon King said with his unmistakable scorn. "Just the right amount to tickle me"
"Yama! How in the world...?!" Nageki whimpered.
"No... Did you really think I would've died with that?" He smirked.
A crown of black horns rose from his head, his white and black hair falling to the length of his feet, five black demon wings and five white feathered wings growing out of his back, while the uncovered light-gray skin of his torso had ancient markings of the Old gods, an Eye of Chaos in its center.
His legs were covered by a dark energy that served as a robe, and by his side, a giant spectral blade with the same Eye of Chaos floated around. It was Lucifer in its awakened form.
"Damn you... I never thought you would survive such power just by releasing your Kamibuki..." Nageki frowned.
"Before I got hold of that treasure, that would've been true, but now... Now that I finally took the power that my failure of a father concealed from me...! Now there's no force that can stop me!" He grinned as he imagined the catastrophe he was about to bring upon all that he hated. "Now that I cannot absorb any more energy through conventional means, killing the Soul King will be a mere formality, a declaration of war, cause I believe I'm more than capable of attacking not only Takemagahara, but Tentei as well!"
"And after that, what comes next? You'll go back to Hueco Mundo to savor its destruction, won't you?" Nageki spat.
"But of course! Although... I could erase my despicable half-brother right away" He smirked as he saw Ichigo, still unconscious.
The alchemist saw Nel's desperate look, as she had consumed a lot of her Reiatsu in using Barrera Negación.
"No..." Nageki denied. "I won't let you..."
"Hahaha... You must be joking" Yama mocked him.
"I'll sacrifice my body, my blood, my being... I'll use even the last bit of Reiryoku in order to stop you if that's what it takes! But I... I won't allow you to destroy him, or Nelliel, or anyone else! Not until my soul is dead..."
"Well, in that case... Why won't you just go ahead and die?!" Yama commanded Lucifer to attack with another space-distorting slash, the Chaos Reiatsu fragmenting reality itself with its pressure, causing their surroundings to collapse.
Nageki grinned as he found the right moment to use it.
The one and only.
His Final Weapon.
"Demiurgus"
A staff of intertwined ebony and birch wood, encircled by a color-shifting energy appeared out of the void in Nageki's chest.
The energy seemed to transmute the very space around it, balancing the unstable atmosphere around Lucifer.
"Ho? That's something I didn't see the day I doomed Hueco Mundo for the first time..."
"This simply shows my determination..." Nageki coughed blood. "Demiurgus holds an unfathomable power... But it comes at a price" His eyes shined with his will to protect that bond he didn't completely understand, but he cherished above all else. "If I dare use its full potential, my life will be entirely consumed... However... That holds no meaning in this moment, does it?"
"No, you're right about that. I believe this last stand won't have any effect or meaning either but, go ahead, despair before my very eyes before your immortal heretic life reaches its pathetic end" Yama challenged.
Nageki simply stood his ground as he waited for the God's next move.
Yama chuckled as he snapped his fingers to order his phantasmagoric sword to slice relentlessly in an intent to kill Nageki once and for all.
The multi-colored Reiatsu flew around the place, both protecting and attacking back with various kinds of explosions.
"Nageki... Were you always this strong?" Nel wondered as she held Ichigo in her arms, thinking about the possibility of helping his friend. "He's having a rough time..." She bit her lip. "But I can't leave Ichigo alone!"
"And you won't" A man's voice said. "It's time to repay the favor"
She had forgotten about him, since they had parted ways a long while ago, but there couldn't have been a better moment for him to show up.
"You are... The Fallen Angel, Arikado-san!"
"Yeah... Unfortunately, I was practically useless against Yama due to his energy-absorbing capabilities... So I ended up helping him more than harming him. So... Would you allow me to be truly useful? If you don't trust me, I understand"
She doubted for a moment, but it was clear to her in the end.
"Ichigo saved you for a reason..." She replied. "So I'm gonna trust his judgement"
"Really? Thank you Miss Tu Odelschwanck, or would you rather have me call you Mrs. Kurosaki?" He inquired, making Nel blush.
"Kuro...saki...!" She got flustered by the mere thought of taking Ichigo's surname. "Just... Nelliel is fine!" She quickly replied. "Now, Arikado-san... I leave him in your hands" She concluded, serious once again.
"I know. I will not fail you, Queen Nelliel" He vowed.
She nodded in reply, proceeding to gallop into the fierce battle between the two sempiternal beings.
"I can't erase my mistakes..." Nel muttered as she charged towards the Demon King, passing by Nageki's side as she remembered all the atrocious acts she committed during her time as Dark Nelliel. "But I won't bend, I won't break! This is who I've become... What once was weak is now strong!" She convinced herself, preparing Mordred.
Yama was surprised that she still had energy left, dodging with difficulty while she was stabbing restlessly on one end, Nageki firing explosive blasts of Reiatsu on the other.
"Tch... You won't give up, will you? How unfortunate... No choice but to exterminate you like the fucking plague you are!" Yama lost his patience. "Divus Pennae Ex Tragoedia!"
Multiple vortexes opened around the battlefield as Lucifer danced through the air.
Each vortex blasted a beam of Chaotic Energy at them, their destructive capabilities comparable to a Gran Rey Cero Luna, each and every one of them.
Nelliel attempted to absorb a couple of them with Dullahan, but unfortunately for her, it was far more than she could handle alone.
"Nelliel!" Nageki exclaimed as he protected her from three simultaneous lasers.
"Shit..." She frowned as she realized her mistake. "I knew I'd just be an annoyance..."
"That's not true, Nelliel. I don't blame you. We're facing a master strategist and possibly the strongest being that exists in this current moment. I can't ask you a perfect performance like you usually achieve, so don't doubt yourself. You're really powerful" Nageki refuted. "C'mon. I need your help"
"Nageki..." Her eyes glistened as she heard that. "Yes! Lanza de Luz Gamuza!" She attacked Yama with her own beams of Reiatsu, the pink light illuminatingthe dark skies around them.
"It's time to make a greater sacrifice" Nageki decided, bracing to use a tremendous amount of Reiryoku in order to create the miracle of alchemy in a matter of seconds. "Crimson Stone... Ebony Stone... Bring forth... The Philosopher's Stone!" He combined the materials and covered the crystal in blood. "And now... Gran Rey Cero: Alquimista!"
As he received the combined attack, Yama couldn't say that he was feeling tickles anymore. However, it wasn't enough to beat him, not nearly enough.
"Tch... You pests! I won't be killed by the likes of you!" He spouted angrily, enchanting a new spell, one that collapsed the matter around him, creating a destructive wave of colossal magnitude. "Dies Iræ!"
Nel felt as close to death as she possibly could, staring at the attack with deafened ears, the world around her becoming slower and slower, and the only thought crossing his mind was that of Ichigo.
"No... I can't leave this world just yet... I can't leave you like this, not after everything I've done... My love..."
And once again, the one that came to save her was none other than Nakagawa Nageki.
"It's just like you said, Nelliel" He said as he stood in front of her, not looking back. "I've stared from a window looking outside, sometimes I wanna just die... I feel like I'm rotting from the inside, too much has passed me on by..." He started emanating a rainbow aura with a silver lining. "I can't keep living life like this, there's too many things that I have missed... With these words I'll make one last wish, so take my regret and grant me life's kiss..." He decided to protect her until the very end, staring at the distortion in front of him. "As I look at myself in the mirror, I have never seen my life so clear. This is the face of what I have become... I'll accept fate, and refuse to run!" He created a multicolored barrier that, at the same time, blasted a beam greater than any Cero she had ever seen, possibly only matched by Ichigo's Gran Rey Cero: Luna Llena.
"Dualis Flamel!"
"Nageki..."
"This is who I am!" He exclaimed as he ised his most powerful attack, consuming even the last remaining ember of Reiryoku remaining in his body. "I can't erase my mistakes..." He borrowed Nelliel's words. "But I won't bend! I won't break!" He continued attacking without hesitation, his body still standing due to sheer willpower. "Ashes... To ashes... Dust to dust... I will make it all come to an end in order to protect the thing I treasure the most!" He saw his long-diseased friends inside his mind, followed by all the new ones he had made.
In that moment, he felt it. Like an explosion inside of him, uncontainable, unbreakable, unstoppable!
Emotion.
Emotion born out of his desire to save all those he had come to cherish.
With a smile drawn upon his face, filled with that which he had missed for all those millions of years...
Nageki bid farewell to his life. Feeling the warm embrace of his friendship with all those he decided to sacrifice himself for.
"Goodbye to you all... Make this sacrifice the foundation of the new reign, Ichigo, Nelliel..." He wished them. "I'm coming, everyone"
Nageki's body became a shiny dust that formed part of the attack, disintegrating completely as it transformed into pure energy.
"Nageki...!" Nel extended her hand with tears in her eyes, trying to reach him as he disappeared into the void of destruction.
Yama was shocked as well, frozen in pure disbelief that even with all his power, Nageki had managed to not only even one of his most destructive techniques, but surpass it and deal him massive damage.
"Kgh... No fucking way...!" He grinded his teeth. "How could he have this much power?!"
As the explosion ceased, like a reverse eclipse with fading colors of the rainbow, the two remaining combatants were sent flying into opposite directions.
Arikado protected Ichigo so that he would not get damaged by the expansive wave, at the same time as he commanded a swarm of locusts to catch and secure Nel.
She was surprised to be caught in the air by a force as soft as a cloud, or at least that's what it felt like for her.
"These are... Arikado-san's locusts!" She realized, amazed by how something that once had been menace turned into her salvation.
On the other end, however, stood a badly wounded Yama, enraged beyond belief after withstanding Nageki's suicidal tactic.
"That bastard... Now I understand" He analyzed the previous event. "His attack didn't match mine, it used it to overpower itself beyond its capabilities, thus became able to damage my ultimate body"
"What...?" Nel noticed the resilient shadow of the Demon King, still alive even after her friend's sacrifice. "It can't be!" She cried out of pure rage, not standing how the God made such an attempt futile in the grand scheme of things.
Yama frowned frantically as he pressed his fangs against each other, charging towards Nelliel with the single intent to kill her once and for all.
"I'm tired of all this shit! I'll just kill you all and get this over with!"
"Go ahead and try! I WON'T LET NAGEKI'S LIFE BE FOR NAUGHT!" Once again, she used all the power she had managed to obtain from Yama's attacks. "Promesa Rota!"
Yama made Lucifer clash with Mordred as he continued his attempt, determined to end her life in that moment, no matter at what cost.
"Deus Ex Machina!" He used the same explosion he had used on Ulquiorra back in Jigoku, but with the new level of power he had attained.
Nel used Dullahan, trying to protect herself from most of the explosion's damage, but she was at her limit, not even the locusts were able to defend her any further.
"Argh!" She was sent flying into the ruins of the Castle in the Sky.
"Stop resisting! Stop clinging to life! Be grateful that I'll send both YOU and my god damned sibling to the afterlife!" Yama spat at her, wanting to make her give up.
"And be reborn in a world ruled by you? I'd rather die knowing that I did everything I could so that didn't happen"
"Exercises of futility, that's all you're doing. Just like a fish out of the water! You. Have. Lost!!!" He got hold of Lucifer, ready to slash her into oblivion. "NOW DIE!!!!!"
And just as the sword came down, an explosion of black and red Reiatsu blinded her.
With a slamming pressure of Reiatsu...
With a tension you could taste in the atmosphere...
With a sword of pure black Reiatsu in his hand, the King saved his beloved Queen from her brush with death.
"Ichigo!" She cried his name, ecstatic to see him awake and as strong as ever.
"For what I seem to grasp... This is what that strange pill did..." He thought, trying to focus on not letting Yama's blade advance any further, but still digressing over what had occurred before.
Why was he alive?
Why was Nel fighting Yama if she hadn't consumed him?
How did her hazel eyes return...?
All those enigmas were viciously intriguing him, but now was clearly not the moment to think about that.
"And so you've decided to face me in the final battle, my dear brother, heheheh... Ahahahahaha! Could this be any more perfect?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not here for you or for some heroic reason like my destiny or some shit like that" He said, his voice distorted as his head was covered by the draconic skull. "First, I'm here to avenge Mugetsu. But by far, the reason I'm gonna destroy you, is for what you did to Nel" He declared.
"Ichi..." She gasped.
"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" He swung his blade with pure hatred, pushing Yama away.
"Tsk... That makes us two!" Yama spat back. "I fucking hate you! I will erase you! You are dead to me!" An unknown power rose inside of him as he charged back against the Arrancar.
"Mugetsu!" Ichigo forced him to step back as he used such a destructive attack.
"Kgh..." Yama withstood it as best as he could with his own sword.
"Nel, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here right now" Ichigo told her. "Even while you were... Tainted by the darkness" He said that part bitterly. "It is thanks to you that I came this far"
"Ichigo..." She tenderly said as she smiled, feeling fulfilled as she had been able to protect him.
"You did great, Nel. As always, I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me... But right now, I need you to go back with Arikado" He concluded. "This is something I must settle with him on my own"
"I understand..." She complied, knowing that it was pointless trying to insist when she didn't have any considerable strength left. "Oh and... Our Whole Link... It's back so... I'll make sure to give you all the power I can, Ichigo"
"I can't describe how happy hearing that makes me" He smiled, seeing the light back in the lance and surprised to see the mark of a shield being added as well.
"That bastard..." Nel directed her look at Yama's position. "He got the Heart of tsukoyomi... And Nageki died trying to protect us from him, so... Please... Don't let his sacrifice be in vain"
"Is that so?" Ichigo clenched his fist around his Zanpakutou and the Reiatsu blade, earning yet another reason to finish this dreadful conflict. "I promise that won't be the case..."
Nel went back to her base form, saving the little power she had left, and before leaving she hugged him from behind, and planted a kiss on his neck, as his head wasn't reachable.
"I love you... So you MUST come back to me... Alive" She demanded, although she knew the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the situation they were immersed in.
"Don't worry" He dissolved the sword of Reiatsu to reach her face, caressing it gently as he stared at her hazel eyes through the eyes of the dragon skull. "After all we've been through... I wouldn't dare letting this monster take another single thing from us, let alone the whole life we have ahead of us" He passed his fingers through her sea-green hair. "Now go" He put his hand on top of her skull:
"It'll be over before you know it"
She couldn't help but giggle as he used the same phrase she told him after saving him from Nnoitra, the "0" on his back proudly showing as he turned his back on her, ready to put an end to Yama's rebellion.
Sorry for the delay, but I won't lie, aside from the effort this Chapter meant, I've also been playing a lot of guitar and watching Anime, in addition to my online classes (which suck, but I gotta work with that), so I haven't been entirely focused writing.
We're reaching the end, most probably Chapter 45 will be the final one, so brace yourselves.
As I said before, we ARE continuing with this story in the future, but give me a little while to rest, investigate and inspire myself to bring the best work I possibly can.
Reviews:
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Wow! Great work! Definitely loved this! That's for darn sure! And I must say, I really liked all the twists you have put in by far! You've constantly caught me off guard with your tricks! I have to say, you're quite similar to Aizen in that regard. Lol. Only a much better guy obviously. Ha!
But I digress. I look forward to more that is for sure!
Also, I found it very interesting back in the Human World, that Szayelaporro has some sort of backup plan to revive himself and fully break his chains to Hell. Am I correct that the Fraccioné he was talking to, will create a clone body for him, and he'll use his Gabriel technique on it to revive himself on the "mortal plane"?
Reply: Similar to Aizen, eh? Nah, I'm just a lonely incel who dreams of fantasy worlds and Anime waifus... Or maybe I mean to give you that impression only to reveal to be even more cunning than Aizen... ~fufufufufufufu~
In the second note you were half-correct. While Roka is able to create a clone using the data Szayel stored in her threads, Szayel himself can't use Gabriel (neither directly or indirectly) to come back to life, as he is in a different state. When he uses that ability, it is because he is still 'alive' in Soul terms, so what he could do was use this ability to heal himself endlessly, but his current state won't change. All Togabito are bound to the Chains of Hell, it's just that right now, due to Yama's schemes, this chain will not force them back into Hell, but that will be solved soon enough.
See you next time, in the Final Battle!
Evhron out.
P.S: I'm not really an incel because I don't think women are sexual objects or anything. Women in general are beautiful intelligent beings I don't really understand, but I admire greatly. I don't think my personality sucks either, but I have trouble with social interaction in general so... That's the way it goes, but I'm fine, really.