Yama would not give up.
A plan that had been carefully designed for eras.
A chance for which he had waited his whole immortal life.
A golden opportunity, to destroy that reality that had made him miserable since the day of his birth.
"I can't lose... After everything I've done... After everything WE sacrificed...!" The Demon King spat enraged. "I will find a way to destroy you and everyone else! I will be a God above them all... I will design a new world... One where I don't ever have to see your face, or my mother's, or any of the gods' that treated me like shit because of who my father once was!"
The two clashed against the other, fiercely slashing, slicing and dicing relentlessly on an intent to hack the other apart.
"And you think I have any intention of giving up? After all the things you've done?!" Ichigo angrily spat back, stabbing a hand in one of his horns for the blood to do its magic. "If you think I'm some model hero that came back to defeat you and forgive you afterwards... Go dream somewhere else. Gran Rey Cero: Luna Llena!"
The white light beam was fired at point blank range, menacing to erase anything that crossed its path.
Yama grinned madly as he received the attack, countering with Deus Ex Machina and Oculus Ex Inferni.
Ichigo was surprised that despite his current power, Yama was able to withstand his attacks. In fact, it appeared that his Reiatsu was increasing as time went by.
"What's going on...?!" Ichigo thought as he realized that serious problem.
"Heheheh... It looks like you finally realized it" The Demon King smirked, his serious wounds slowly healing. "The power of the Heart of Tsukoyomi is too great, so my body hasn't been able to assimilate it all just yet, but don't you worry, by the time I make it my own, you and your friends will be nothing more than dust!"
"No choice then... I'll erase you before you get that chance!" Ichigo focused to use his most destructive technique yet. "Eclipse Anular!"
The black hole-like sphere made its way towards Yama, who easily understood the threat it posed, as well as what was his only chance to survive it.
"This might take its toll... But it's better than dying by your hand!" The enemy frowned, bracing to surpass his own limits. "Dies Irae!"
Using the same Chaotic technique that had almost taken Nel's life and had costed Nageki his own, Yama channeled it all towards the space-distorting sphere that was coming his way.
Ichigo was calm at first, thinking that there was no possible way that would work, but Yama kept unleashing more and more Spiritual Pressure to increase the strength of his attack.
"You gotta be kidding me...!" He muttered, now worried as to what would happen if he survived, as he had deposited all his strength in creating that attack, with the idea of ending it all.
Yama however, wouldn't dare give him that pleasure, no. He would struggle until the very end in order to make his hated sibling as miserable as he possibly could.
After all the pain he had gone through... He couldn't tolerate it.
"Hey look, it's one of the sons of Amaterasu-sama" A young God pointed out as Sorayama arrived at one of the gardens to play.
"Oh... You shouldn't get close to him" The other retorted. "You see... He's the son of a banished God, that can't be a good omen, can it?"
"Scary... We should probably stay away"
"Yeah. Like father like son... He must be a total freak"
Sorayama tried to reach out to them with a single hand, but no words came out of his mouth. Instead, tears started coming out of his eyes.
It had been harsh, but he had managed to overcome that by learning to play alone, or sometimes, with his half-brother, Ren.
However, life had yet to show him an even greater disappointment in his early adulthood...
"What do you mean that our job is done, mother?" He inquired about the change in administration of the Mortal Realms.
"Humans and Mortal Souls in general have developed enough to be able to work on their own. It was their idea to create a useful system for that matter actually"
"But, how can you even consider letting them? They are infer-"
"They have the same right to exist as we do, Sorayama" Amaterasu made clear, her black hair turning white as she raised her voice. "That pride... Is the very reason why your Father was banished, don't you forget that"
"It's different. He believed himself to be superior to other Gods of our same status. We're talking about Mortals here. How can you possibly tolerate that they do as they please?"
"Look, Sorayama" She sighed, her hair coming back to normal. "I don't have it so clear to tell the truth, but just like Susano'o and I helped to establish the world of Humans and Souls, Tsukoyomi also created a race of his own, and he gave them freedom. How can I act any differently?"
"Wait. What did he do...?" Yama's eyes widened with indignation.
"It's not important. What matters is-"
"Of course it's important! Are you telling me that he just forgot about me and decided to move on, having a blast creating mortal creatures in his image?"
"I can't deny that" Amaterasu simply replied, as she had always told him that Tsukoyomi was simply not interested in being a father, and thus he never tried to see him, which was a complete lie.
"That old man...! And you're following his steps!" He spat as he angrily exited the room. "How can everyone be so damn content with mediocrity...? We were born to rule! I was told my whole life I was made for that matter and I won't allow anyone to take that purpose away from me!"
It was the only meaning his life had, and it was being stolen from his hands, even after all the hardships he had to endure.
He wouldn't face that disappointment again. That was a vow he made to himself after being banished into the depths of Hell... A dark place that had nothing in it, not until he and his fellow Angels arrived to change that.
Out of the darkness, he was born. His first Demon, given the condition of Majin just like the Princes would receive afterwards. Kurokage, holder of one of Yama's hearts, and thus superior to the Oni that would come after.
Unknown to Ichigo, Yama had a lot more conviction and will than he appeared. In plain sight, he was just another powerful man maddened with the delusion of becoming an even greater being and controlling it all, but that was a mere means to an end.
The swallowing orb slowly started disappearing as it swallowed the last remaining forces Yama had used in taking his Dies Irae to the maximum.
~~~~X~~~~
Ishida and Renji continued their battle against the two Szayel's, although one was clearly more dangerous than the other.
"Ahahahaha, that's it! Can you see now the grave mistake you've made with this Quincy?" Cien told Szayel as he fought Ishida in his prime. "He's matching a nearly unstoppable force like me! This is unseen!"
"Maybe... But it doesn't change the fact that their evolution only goes so far" Szayel retorted. "We're most likely seeing the zenith of Quincy abilities"
"Probably you should stop whining 'bout Quincies and pay attention to the Shinigami you have in front of you!" Renji told him as he punched him with the giant ape-like arm, sending hin flying.
"Kgh... How did he get this strong?" Szayel frowned. "It was about two months ago that we had fought, and he was nothing but a weakling"
"Heh, I can tell by the look in your eyes that you have no idea why I'm putting you in such a peril after the last time we saw each other, huh?" Renji chuckled.
"Don't be so proud, Shinigami. Your species and that human's cannot come even close to perfection!"
"And you can...? Cause I'm starting to think you're the most imperfect of them all!"
"Pfft... And what proof do you have?"
"Your death" Renji said with a determined look that, somehow, even managed to send shivers down Szayel's spine. "Sou'ou Zabimaru... Zaga Teppou!"
Meanwhile, Ishida alternated between Seele Schneider and Heilig Kreutz to fight the superior clone, who was now slowly increasing the amount of power in his attacks, wanting to measure just how powerful was Ishida, and in conclusion, a Quincy.
"Marvelous indeed, Quincy. If you keep fighting like this, I'll be forced to show you MY Gran Rey Cero. Just imagine it, the Gran Rey Cero, of a Cero Espada... How does that make you feel?"
"Important or special is clearly not the word I'mlooking for, but I do appreciate that you've come to acknowledge the Quincies" Uryuu retorted.
"Ho?" The clone stopped for a moment.
"What is it?" Ishida inquired.
"I see, that's the reason why Szayelaporro didn't want to come to this place" Cien looked towards the parallel fight.
"I see... Renji did it" Uryuu said impressed, seeing how the Shinigami had left the diseased Espada in a deplorable state, unable to even move.
"As there were no living beings in this area, he is unable to use Gabriel, and of course, you already know he can do that, so you wouldn't let him"
"True..." Ishida agreed with him. "So, are you gonna continue fighting?" He asked him.
"Hm? We're doing an experiment. Why would we cease?" Cien seemed insulted. "I'm not some amateur scientist that would leave an investigation just because his partner or his mentor is as ggoodas dead. In fact, in a complicated way, I should be considered his mentor"
"Well I'm afraid that we're not gonna allow you to do whatever you want either" Ishida said, as Renji joined him.
"I've been fighting the whole day, let's put an end to this" Renji stretched his neck.
"Well, this is interesting. It's not like I wanted to test the Quincy's power only, but it is an external factor I'm not sure I wanted to add just yet"
"This is a fight, pal, you can't expect things to go the way you want'em to"
"Fight? I believed this was an experiment. But if you continue to insist on defiling it with your insatiable desire for violence... I'll gladly comply" He smirked. "Gran Rey-"
"C...Cero-sama!!!" The Fracción yelled, making the three look at her.
"Huh? What's the matter, Roka?" He asked back.
"There's no need to go any further. Look... The Quincy already made you go this far, and the Shinigami easily defeated Szayelaporro-sama"
"So... What is your point?" He inquired confused.
"That... That there so much more you can research without needing to die again" Roka seemed worried. "You see... I've been purposeless ever since Szayelaporro-sama was killed. I can't... I can't imagine that feeling once again... The emptiness, the lack of motive... I can't bear it!" She cried. "Even if I'm just a tool for experimentation... I want to be of use to you. And by creating you, I already used all the data Szayel-"
"Hey, stop for a moment" Renji interrupted. "I don't care how lonely or sad you feel on your own, or how deranged you must be to believe that would be considered a life but... Do you really think we can let him go just like that after knowing how dangerous he is?"
"I agree with Renji. Knowing the other one... You can't expect us to leave him be. He is a model scientist, but he doesn't hold a speck of empathy or common sense in him. He's dangerous for us all" Uryuu added.
"See, Roka? There is no path but to conclude this experiment" Cien chuckled. "I guess you'll have to learn the way of the scientist on your own..."
The three became ready to end it all, but she would not stop.
"Why is everyone so damn selfish?" She asked herself. "Why is everyone so blind?" She wondered. "Why can't anyone...? See... Me..." She finished thinking, a memory coming back to her.
"Hm..." A man dressed up in a really weird outfit froze in place as he stared at her.
"You can... See me?" She asked the Human.
"But of course I can! I'm the great hero... DON KANONJI! BOHAHAHAHA!"
"Uh... Uhahahahahaha!" Roka bursted in laughter due to the unexpected encounter.
"And... Despite your harmless appearance, I can tell you are nothing less than..." He took a deep breath. "A powerful guardian spirit!" He pointed his finger at her.
Roka looked at him in confusion, knowing that Arrancar were not precisely known for their good deeds anywhere, although it was pretty much true in her case.
"Eh?"
"You can't fool me, I can see it in your eyes..." He came closer. "Although I also see... Doubt, worry, and other stuff like that"
"Wow, maybe he does know more than I expected at the beginning" Roka thought. "I... I feel like I don't have a purpose... Not anymore at least"
"Don't worry. Everyone feels like that at some point in their lives, losing direction or meaning... But don't let that thought get you to despair. We lead our own lives! Having a purpose or not rests completely in our choices!"
"It's just that... All I used to be, depended on someone that's gone... I have no idea what it means to have a choice of my own"
"Hm... That is certainly more troublesome. But in that case, I'll tell you what to do: Whenever you find something that you desire, don't let it go. No matter what odds go against you, you're just gonna go ahead and take it by any means necessary" Don Kanonji revealed. "I can feel it in my bones, girl! You've got potential, you've got power! So be strong and use that to find and take your purpose with your own hands!"
Roka was shocked at first, not understanding completely what the man was trying to say, but in spite of that, his energy and powerful words surely reached her, putting a smile upon her face.
"Thank you, Don Kanonji. I'll make sure to do that when the moment comes" She bowed a bit.
"You're welcome, Guardian Spirit girl! And remember... Spirits are always with you! BOHAHAHAHA!" Don Kanonji made his typical pose and walked away, not even realizing how the girl had attached a minuscule string on him to gather information.
"No... I won't let them do as they please. I'll make them see me" She decided. "Thank you, Don Kanonji, now I understand..." She accessed the string that she had left with him, holder of a devastating technique that was once used by the Substitute Shinigami himself against none other than Aizen.
The other three had no choice but to look at the girl as an unexpected amount of Reiatsu started rising, a black blade slowly forming in her hand.
"What the...?" Uryuu couldn't believe what he was seeing, despite not witnessing said attack before.
"Oi... Is this for real?" Renji felt the same way. Whatever that was, it was dangerous, probably deadly.
Finally, Cien was left gasping with an agape mouth as he beheld the power Roka was displaying.
Panting as her very body broke due to the amount of energy that attack needed, she raised the blade.
Forcing the three to acknowledge the threat she had become, they all went in different directions just as she swung the sword.
"Mugetsu!" She exclaimed, the torrent of black Reiatsu devastating everything in its path, completely erasing the spot were the three were about to end their fight moments before.
The deafening sound of the destructive force, which was still not half of what Ichigo's had been that fateful day, left them all mute as they tried to regain focus on what was actually happening.
"I see..." Cien smiled. "You wanted to prove I had yet to study you further, didn't you?" He went to the almost unconscious Arrancar.
"Sz-Szayel... No... Cien-sama... I..." She murmured, unable to move.
"I understand, Roka" Cien smiled at her, tasting the endless amount of opportunities. "We will continue our experiments after you recover" He opened a Garganta. "You have a full day off, so make sure to be in perfect condition for tomorrow"
"Thank... You..." She lost consciousness.
Uryuu and Renji only noticed their enemy was disappearing once it was too late.
Cien Granz was closing the portal as he took Roka with him for further investigation.
"Wait!" The Lieutenant extended his hand, knowing it was useless. "Fuck... He ran away"
"Yeah... But... What was that?" He wondered, referring to Roka's attack. "Not that I want to brag but... I became a lot stronger and yet I felt that thing could kill us-"
"In an instant. Yeah, I felt it too" Renji completed. "It's also strange how the name of the attack wasn't the usual, regarding Arrancar that is..."
"True. It reminded me more of..." He connected it to the Getsuga Tenshou. "...Kurosaki"
"Let's see if anyone knows about this once we get back" Renji agreed that it was a mystery that needed to be solved. "T'was called Mugetsu, wasn't it?
~~~~X~~~~
"Hahah... Ahahahahahaha! Take that, you mortal! Never... NEVER! Will you be able to compare to the likes of a God like me!" Yama spouted proudly.
"Tch... Maybe you survived, but with the next attack I'll make sure to end it!" Ichigo excalimed as he prepared another slash of his black Reiatsu blade. "Mugetsu!"
But this time, Lucifer was able to stop it, protecting its master from its destructive force as he recovered.
"It's too late, Ichigo" He grinned, his Reiatsu quickly being restored. "With this power... I'll never lose!"
"Dammit!" Ichigo cursed, thinking of how he couldn't fail.
But precisely, that thought was the key, the key to go one step beyond.
"Mugetsu" He called his name once more, looking for him inside his subconscious.
"What is it, King?" He quickly asked back, as he had been anxiously waiting from that moment.
"Did I go against my aspect of death when...?" He inquired, looking the best words to refer to possibly one of the most traumatic experiences he had ever gone through. "When I... Confronted... Nel...?"
"Hm... Yes, I believe you did. You overcame a tremendous challenge in your actual life, so that counts"
"Then... I believe I can go one more level above, can't I?" He needed that answer to go further, as Tsukoyomi had prepared his body for the transformation, but he hadn't actually beaten the God.
"I was wondering when would you have the guts" Mugetsu chuckled.
"It was never about guts, Mugetsu. I know what would happen if I were to use this with Arrancar nearby" He refuted. "Especially if... My Whole Link was not active. I wouldn't be able to take that void sensation without losing myself"
"True, true... But now that's not the case so, let's show this bastard what real power is like!"
Ichigo took a deep breath, unchanging his Zanpakutou from the arm and putting it back on the sheath.
Placing his hand on top of his Hollow Hole, which was beating along with Nel's, he charged his Reiatsu to reach the ultimate state of power a Hollow could achieve.
The one.
The last.
The...
Etapa Final
Engulfed by red and black Reiatsu, Ichigo felt how his body changed for the last time in order to withhold the unimaginable prowess that once belonged to the God of the Night himself.
Instead of finishing the transformation in a white flash like the others, a vantablack darkness found its way emanating from him, absorbing even the little light that still remained upon those darkened skies, the eternal night making itself present just like it did in Hueco Mundo, but inside Soul Society.
~~~~X~~~~
Squad 4 Barracks...
"Look" Ulquiorra told the others, everyone shifting their heads towards the blackened aether.
"Oi... You're not telling me that...!" Grimmjow couldn't believe it.
"Yes... That is most undoubtedly Ichigo's doing" The soft voice of a woman said as she arrived.
Orihime gasped as she heard her.
"You...!" Grimmjow frowned, attempting to walk towards her in a hostile way, but was grabbed by the shoulder by Ulquiorra, firmly.
"Stop. Look at her" He had already seen the clear difference, in both her eyes and her tone. "She's not the one who attacked Harribel"
Despite seeing Ulquiorra was defending her, she couldn't simply pretend to be innocent and approach them in the friendly way she always did.
She had to take responsibility for her actions, even if it wasn't truly her fault.
"I... I can leave if it makes you guys feel more comfortable..." She sadly muttered. "I know the things I did... And there's no reason you should ever forgive me for them... Especially for what I did to Harri and what I forced Ichigo to go through..." She wept for a moment, her voice cracking. "So if for any reason... Y-You hate me... You... You are in your whole right to do so...!"
But instead of hearing a bitter reprimand or complaint upon her arrival, she felt a warmth filling her Hollow heart as pair of arms were wrapped around her.
"Nel-san... You're back!" Orihime cried, her face reaching her chest due to the clear difference in height. "I missed you so much!"
"I-Inoue-san..." She was really surprised by her reaction, unable to fight a smile as she hugged her back, crying in unison. "I missed you too, believe me!"
Everyone else stared in shock at her right arm, which was entirely tattooed, and it was pretty scary considering the ungodly amount of characters of Ichigo's name. No one dared make that question at that moment however.
"Looks like it worked" Urahara smirked triumphantly.
"Yeah... Though I can't help but wonder, what is actually going on up there?" Shinji wondered. "After all, it's not like we can tell by a measure of Reiatsu, cause neither of us can feel it" He noted, showing how the two beings were in a higher place in terms of power, a whole different dimension they didn't belong in. "But judging by the effect in their surroundings, being that all of Soul Society... I can't even imagine"
"Heh, if I had to bet, I'd say that there is in fact someone trembling viciously out of excitement as he feels this divine display of power..." Urahara grinned. "I feel sorry for that chair..."
"Heheheh, I hadn't thought of that..." Shinji agreed with an even greater grin than usual.
After the girls stopped hugging, Ulquiorra decided to ask her about the current situation.
"Nelliel, what exactly happened up there?"
"Well..." Her mood instantly went down as flashbacks of the past battles came to her.
"There's no need for you to go into detail with what happened between you and Kurosaki-kun" Orihime clarified, giving her boyfriend a look of reprimand.
"*sigh* Sorry, I should have made that point clear" Ulquiorra apologized.
"No, it's alright. You deserve to know at least a summary" She shook her head. "There wasn't truly a winner in my battle with Ichigo but... He managed to release me from the Dark Core and my most negative side's control"
"And I'm so glad to hear that..." Orihime gave her angelic smile.
"However... That brought us another problem" Nel explained. "The Negative Energy became Hollow Reiatsu after it was mixed with mine, and Yama was able to use it to open the box containing the Heart of Tsukoyomi"
"Damn him..." Ulquiorra murmured, thinking how that must have been his plan all along.
"And it gets worse... Nageki managed to prevent him from absorbing energy out of external sources, but the artifact was already a part of him, so he became overwhelmingly powerful. We fought him in our Etapa Final, and even then, he was surpassing us. The only real damage he received was from my greatest attack, which was a reflection of his own power due to my aspect of death... And Nageki's last straw" She concluded.
Urahara paid special attention to the last part.
"No... Don't tell me Nageki-san is...!" Orihime was greatly saddened by the news.
"Yes..." a couple of tears painfully escaped her eyes once again. "Nageki is dead. He sacrificed himself to protect me and Ichigo, while he was still unconscious"
"Now those are shocking news..." Urahara sighed, thinking how Nageki was practically immortal and yet found his way into the afterlife after facing the Demon King.
"Thankfully, Arikado-san arrived at the place, and he protected Ichigo while I helped Nageki, but his powers were too limited to help us with anything else. He did leave for the Human World now, after he heard the news about the prisoners of Hell breaking out and leaving a... Disaster..." Nel remembered that it had been her who destroyed the Gates of Hell. "Ah shit..." She couldn't help but curse upon that realization.
"What's wrong?" Grimmjow inquired, thinking her reaction was weird.
"Well..." She looked away in shame. "It turns out that after I left Ichigo and Ulquiorra in that chamber... I made my way to the actual Gates along with two Togabito who guided me, and I... I was the one to destroy them... This is all my fault!"
"Nel-san..." Orihime comforted her. "You were not yourself. We understand that" She wiped the tears off her friend's beautiful face. "You are back, and that is all that matters. We are all very happy to see you!"
Grimmjow frowned a bit at that comment.
"Although some beasts are gonna have to calm down a bit before making that statement a fact" Ulquiorra pointed out.
"Hey! Got a fucking problem?! Cause I have no qualms fighting you right now, Primera!"
Ulquiorra held the handle of his sword, ready to fight him at any moment.
"Hey, what's going on here?" Liliynette asked as she arrived at the place.
"Nothing" Ulquiorra put his hand back in his pocket, knowing that in this moment, Grimmjow wouldn't try to do something that stupid.
"N...Nelliel-sama!" Satya realized, now in his younger form.
"Lily-chan, Satya-kun!" She was really happy to see them as well. "Did you do well in your fight?"
"Aum..." Satya's mood darkened a bit. "I don't know if this is gonna be bad news for you but... Bryssling has..."
"...He has left this world" Lilynette completed, patting Satya's shoulder.
"Oh... Is that so?" She did feel a bit sad due to that. After all, Bryssling had slowly shifted from the old ways, being really different from how he used to be when he was under her charge. "I'm really sorry to hear that"
"Aum... It was my fault that he died. He protected me, and... That's almost as bad as if I had killed him with my own hands..."
"That's not true, Satya-kun" Lilynette denied. "He died protecting you cause you were important to him. It was his choice, you never forced him to make that decision"
"Aum, but, he would've never had to make that decision if I had been strong enough in the first place" He refuted.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Satya-kun" Nel also tried to make him feel better. "Just make sure to honor his last wish and live happy and for as long as you can. Don'tlet his sacrifice be in vain"
Satya widened his eyes as he heard that, feeling determined to do that.
"Aum. Thank you, Nelliel-sama. I would've gladly been under your command, like Bryssling was"
"Um... I don't think that me would've nearly been like I am right now, Satya-kun, so I'd appreciate that you didn't make that mistake"
"Basically, apologize" Lilynette ordered.
"Aum. Sorry, Nelliel-sama"
"It's okay" She calmly replied.
The two assumed she had already talked about whatever happened before, so they decided to leave her be.
"By the way, where is Ashido-san?" Orihime inquired.
"Oh, he went to see his girlfriends" Lilynette replied casually.
"Wait. Did I hear well?" Shinji seemed shocked. "Girlfriendsssss??? As in plural?!"
"Yeah, Ashido-san is actually engaged to the three Fracciones of Harribel-san. Isn't that wonderful?" Orihime cheerfully chuckled.
"Wonderful? Man, this fucking sucks..." Shinji complained. "All these Arrancar are dating super-hot girls... Just look at these two!" He said referring to Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. "Then we have Ichigo with Nelliel, who literally has a whole arm tattooed with his name" Nel got red as a strawberry, despite that being her Dark self's fault. "And... Now you're telling me that one of them has a goddamn Harem?! Give me a break..." He sighed.
Everyone laughed at Shinji's mental breakdown, needing that to wear off the tension produced by the difficult past events.
"At the very least, most of us made it out alive from our brushes with death" Urahara concluded. "All we can do now, is put our complete trust on the fact that Kurosaki-san will be able to stop Yama"
Everyone nodded in agreement, wishing for their best wishes to reach him.
"Let's go, Kurosaki Ichigo. Show him the power you've shown us" Lilynette thought.
"Aum... Make him pay for all he has done, Kurosaki-dono" Satya requested.
"I trust in you, Ichigo. You're the only one who can do it" Ulquiorra knew.
"You can do it, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime wished.
"Don't you dare die, Gran Rey Cero. I still got to take the throne from you!" Grimmjow dared.
"You show'im, Ichigo" Shinji grinned.
"Show us once more just how far you can get, Kurosaki-san" Urahara smiled.
"Don't be afraid, Ichigo" Nelliel touched her Hollow Hole, trying to get the message to him. "You can do this, I know you can. I love you more than anyone, so mark my words: No matter what darkness your power brings, I know your heart, and I can tell that darkness is gentle and warm, cause its only objective is to protect those you care and love. I'll be waiting for your return, my love... My life..." A single tear fell through her cheek.
~~~~X~~~~
Out of the ashes of the night that released his final form, Ichigo opened his eyes one last time.
Red iris. Black sclera. Long and magnificent orange hair falling to his feet.
With all pieces of mask broken on his face, all that remained were the pointy twisted horns on top of his head, colored black, just like the thin lines that fell from his eyes, reminiscent of Ulquiorra.
His body was covered by the same armor of black skulls that Tsukoyomi wore, his Hollow Hole shining with Nel's pink Reiatsu, as she focused to open the Whole Link and share their Reiryoku.
Five pairs of black Fallen Angel wings grew out of his back, while his lower body was covered with a tunic that was the very representation of Death's Robe, his feet covered by pointy boots of black armor.
The claws on his hands had toned down from his past form, for none other reason but so he could take his Final Weapon, which was coming out of the void of existence, materializing before him with a fearsome yet somehow empowering aura.
"Azrael..." Ichigo heard the voice in his head as he held the giant double-edged Scythe, one white, as a crescent moon, and the other black, with the same shape; the black bone stick that he held was tied to a chain of the same color, wrapped around his right arm.
Carrying the name of the angel of Death himself, this weapon was proof of Ichigo's aspect of death in all its might, yet indicating his benevolent spirit.
"That form...!" Yama widened his eyes, frightened, knowing about the conclusion Hueco Mundo's massacre had achieved that opportunity...
While he had never seen Mugetsu reach that state, he knew that it was in that form that all the Demons and Angels that remained in the battlefield perished in an instant, swallowed by a dark eternal night.
"Time's up, Yama. With every beginning, there is always an ending... And I am here to make yours a reality" Ichigo simply said, the feeling of emptiness growing inside of him once more, but Nelliel's soul made sure to keep all his positive feelings intact.
There was no more rage or hate inside his heart. All he had, was that intrinsic desire to protect, to save, to fight, only to make sure that the people he cherished would be safe.
"A mortal... A mere mortal cannot decide the fate of a God!" Yama spat as he summoned another wave of overwhelming power. "Apassionata Ex Machinea!"
Ichigo looked at the chaotic rain of beams that was coming for him, but he merely stabbed his hand one more time, bathing both horns in blood.
"Gran Rey Cero Final... Luna Nueva"
The world seemed to be swallowed in silence in that instant, the black hole like sphere forming between the two horns and being pointed towards the God, who didn't even notice what had exactly happened until it was too late.
His body was immersed in a world of agony as the darkest Cero in existence swallowed him, disintegrating various of his wings and burning his skin like the sun itself.
"Arghhh! I... Won't... Die... Not until... I've fulfilled... My ambition!" Yama spouted, swallowing the pain as sheer willpower kept his being together. "Lucifer!"
Ichigo stared at him in disgust as his blood red irises confirmed that he wasn't nearly done.
"Just die already..." He muttered as he assaulted the God with a spinning Scythe.
The Kamibuki returned at the hand of its master, who decided to wield it himself in order to finally end it all.
The two Kings clashed against one another, their godly weapons screeching with each strike, sparks flying all over the night sky.
A thousand cuts, bruises and hits were dealt, but the two were able to quickly restore themselves with their bodies' capabilities and their unwavering hearts.
It was impossible to claim any of the two had a stronger desire to win. While their reasons weren't remotely similar in ethical terms, the two were giving it all in order to protect what their heart desired.
One might think it was obvious who was standing in the righteous side. The side of good. The side of light. The side of Justice.
However, all of these are mere constructs defined by a system ruled by imperfect beings. Be it Gods, mortals or straightforward humans, has no importance whatsoever. They are all imperfect and as such, none could claim to have an absolute truth backing them up.
Yama, despite his darkness, was no different.
Hell, if he had done this all alone from the start, he wouldn't be here fighting until his soul was entirely consumed by the powers of the man who inherited all he ever desired.
However, even with all the evil and negativity inside of him, the force that continued pushing him further and further was in fact similar to the one of Kurosaki Ichigo.
"I won't..." He could see the faces of all the Demons that had already died. "...Fail... You..."
With decision, Yama focused the energy that was restoring his body into a full fledged attack with Lucifer, slashing reality itself.
"Akróasis" He said as the black sky shattered, making it seem like the night was broken and revealing the light of day that was above the Seireitei moments before.
Ichigo knew he couldn't leave anything to chance, so hearing the voice of Azrael inside of him, he countered with the greatest offensive display his Final Weapon could show.
"Brecha Negra!" He said as he sliced the air twice, once with the black side and another with the white one, creating an illusion that it was the night itself the one clashing against Yama's attack.
The two attacks cancelled themselves out, leaving the two rulers staring at each other, impassable, unbreakable.
The battle had reached its peak, and in fact, it was possible the Seireitei itself couldn't take much more.
Ichigo, in spite of his overwhelming power, had used his strength in a way that it perfectly collided with Yama's, dealing the less collateral damage to their surroundings by doing so.
But at this point, the Demon King was done. He couldn't risk having Ichigo defeat him in the moments that followed. If he wanted to win, he had to act now, even if he had to take the whole Soul Society with him.
Putting all the power he could get from the Heart of Tsukoyomi, unwillingly, he transformed Lucifer into energy to use his last straw, the ultimate destructive force he could summon.
"Oi... Don't do something so reckless!" Ichigo angrily spat at him, knowing where he was heading.
"My people sacrificed themselves for me... Yours should be willing to do the same" He coldly replied, giving Ichigo a hint that he wasn't as indolent as he appeared to be until that moment. "I know what you think... This idiot has no feelings. Nothing but ambition. He sacrificed his Demons as tools and got so far using everyone around him"
Ichigo stood for a moment, hearing what he had to say.
"Of course... It's the most logical conclusion, after everything I've done to get here" Yama continued. "However, believe me, Kurosaki Ichigo. Believe me when I say that I cherished each and every one of the people that followed me. If I acted like I didn't care... It was just so I could trick my own self into believing that was the case. Not to despair in the fact that my love, Mizuwari, would sacrifice it all for me. Same goes for my philosophical companion, Kazenawa; and my master in the art of war, Kachiki" He remembered them all as important people, although his woman surely had a special spot. "If I think about Kurokage... He was like a son to me, no... He WAS my son. I created him, and despite his early imperfections, I struggled to make him happy and to 'fix' his body so that he could exist, cause I wanted him by my side"
"If what you say is true? Then why the fuck did you have to go so far?!" Ichigo asked, furious. "Why did you let them all die if you wanted them by your side?! It makes no sense to me!"
"Because that is what they desired!" Yama spat back. "You think I took pleasure in the fact that they fed a monstrous creation?!" He said regarding Neberu. "If I was ever happy about that... It was because I couldn't be happier knowing that their sacrifices hadn't been in vain, and that a perfect being could be born of their effort!" He clarified. "The Dark Core was pure Negative Energy, yes... But that cocoon held so much more than just that empty darkness! It held... All their hopes, their dreams, their love even... I have no idea where that went to... But wherever that was, I'm gonna find it and I'll find a way to bring them all back once I rule this reality!!!"
Only then could Ichigo see the truth behind Sorayama's eyes. Not an empty ambition or desire, but a selfish yet selfless wish to bring back to life all those who had sacrificed themselves for him.
"Is that...? Even possible?" Ichigo inquired.
"I have no idea" Yama retorted, honestly. "Just like you deal with secrets about this place, the Human World and Hueco Mundo... We also have secret knowledge regarding the highest of Heavens: Tentei. If I could reach it... I know, there must be a way to alter what we know as reality. To shift space and time freely in order to create, restore and redefine it all"
"But that... That is not certain"
"It's not, but it's all I have!" Yama exclaimed, tears falling from his eyes. "I got here Kurosaki Ichigo... I got to this god damned point in order to assure my future, and neither you, nor anyone! Will dare take it away from me!"
"You might believe yourself to be so damn righteous after saying all this, but I remind you, the pain you've caused to us mortals was real! You can't just pretend to be on the side of justice after all the lives you took and all the suffering you've caused!"
"And I don't believe I am, Kurosaki. I'm just doing what I want for me and MY people, that has never changed. Of course, I have my selfish wishes. I have a desire for revenge. That is all true but... Who wouldn't be in my place after living through all that?! Who would dare to be on the side of the same Gods who showed him nothing but hatred and disappointment?! Who would dare accept a father or mother that damned you to live a miserable existence like this one?!" Yama spouted, yet having a point. "I didn't ask to be born, Kurosaki Ichigo, but I won't sit back and accept a reality that fails to fulfill a single desire I have!"
"Very well then..." Ichigo knew it. The point of no return. Whatever his enemy's reasons were, he wouldn't give up. He would die protecting his beliefs, in the same way he would for the people he wanted to protect. "Show me your conviction, Yama. I'll take it head on, and I'll show you the rift between us"
Yama couldn't help but smirk and chuckle at that declaration.
"O' brother... I wouldn't want it any other way..." He created a sphere of Chaotic energy, making the whole plain of Souls tremble.
Small pieces of the ground and smashed buildings started floating, reacting to that godly amount of energy.
Beneath Squad 1, guarded by an expectant Yamamoto who had deposited his trust on the rest after seeing his powers were useless against an energy-absorbing God like Yama, another individual couldn't help but wide his uncovered eye in amazement.
"Perditus Paradisus!"
The night sky was being fragmented as the sphere floated against Ichigo, menacing to erase everything that came in contact with it.
Its unstable existence was clearly a threat for the whole realm they were immersed in, so he had no choice but to try for the first and last time, to use that technique Heaven itself was terrified to see.
The night.
The dark eternal night.
It was time to bring upon the eclipse that would engulf it all and make it all come to nothing.
Turning his Scythe into a compressed dot of energy, an all absorbing void as dangerous as the sphere the Demon King had created, Ichigo vowed to see her face once again as he waited for the attack to reach him, endangering the world around him the least as possible.
He could feel his very soul being absorbed by that mass of energy, slowly dissolving him into nothingness, or maybe, into everything. He couldn't know. No one could.
All he knew, was that in his hand, was the only option he had to save himself along with everyone else.
"Eclipse Total:
Hueco...
...Mundo"
01000101 01100011 01101100 01101001 01110000 01110011 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101111 01110100 01100001 01101100
01001000 01110101 01100101 01100011 01101111 00100000 01001101 01110101 01101110 01100100 01101111
Between a multitude of 1s and 0s, the chance of surviving was both infinite and none at the same time.
The whole world was swallowed by a complete darkness.
Soundless.
Painless.
Lifeless.
No one could tell what was occurring as the black dot collided with the Chaotic sphere.
There was no Reiatsu that could describe that, much less a word for that feeling.
The whole World of Souls, Weltseele, the Anima Mundi, was in a static state as it all developed.
The only thoughts at that moment, were the ones of the two that had chosen to destroy one another. For hate, for revenge, for justice... None of that mattered anymore.
In fact, unknown to them, a distortion was caused at that moment. A thing that should not be. An existence that shouldn't have come into contact with that dimension as a whole.
None of them realized this, and neither would anyone inside the actual Seireitei. But that wasn't the only thing in the realm at the moment was it? A city of white, would know however, and for better or worse...
What's done is done and gone.
Back to the dark eternal night, in contrast to Yama's belief, there was a force inside of him that refused to let him die.
No. It wasn't his heart.
It was his father's.
The Heart of Tsukoyomi, the will of the God of the Night, while not willing to give him an unlimited power for destruction, didn't want his son to suffer.
It healed him, it protected him, and now... It saved him, even if it was for that single moment.
Yama widened his eyes as the only thing he heard inside the void, was a voice he didn't know, yet it sounded so familiar.
"I'm sorry... My dear son..."
The tesseract shattered into pieces inside Yama's body, at the same time as the night disappeared.
The skies were clear once again, letting the two see each other to the face once more, to their great dismay.
Ichigo was ready to hack him apart with his Scythe as soon as it returned, but apparently, he had used too much power and that wouldn't happen.
Quickly, he rushed to his sheath, pulling out the black Zanpakutou that had started it all.
However, to his surprise, Yama didn't do anything to attack. In fact, he chuckled.
"Tch… Congratulations. You… Win" He panted. "Somehow... I made it out alive of that... But I'm way past my limit, and without the Heart... I won't be able to heal this damage"
"What?"
"What you just heard. The Heart of Tsukoyomi is no more. You've won"
Ichigo was about to speak, but Yama continued.
"Don't think it's over for you, however. A new threat will come… And even if you are this powerful, mark my words when I say that the battles you have ahead are not ones determined by power alone. Then, in the rare case you overcame all that… Susano'o will most likely come for you, sooner or later. After all...You are my brother… Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haha-hah…"
Ichigo shook his head as he heard that once again.
"That's where you are wrong though. My soul might be the reincarnation of Mugetsu, but Tsukoyomi is not my father. I have a family of my own, and with that, friends that are mine, not Mugetsu's. It's true, I decided to carry on his legacy and chose to rule over the Hollows… However, I said I would become Gran Rey Cero, not Mugetsu. Saying 'I am Gran Rey Cero, king of Hueco Mundo' is just the same for me as 'I am Ichigo Kurosaki, and I'm gonna kick your ass'" He said, imitating the name structure of Hueco Mundo's inhabitants. "Now... I can't quite grasp that you're giving up after everything you've done"
"Hmph... To be fair, I don't quite get it myself... But somehow... I learned something inside that dark void" He replied, stoic. "And now I understand, there was no way in Hell I could beat you... After all, you don't sacrifice others for the sake of your objective... But instead, you sacrifice yourself for the rest. Such nobility... Is beyond my miserable existence" He finally accepted. "Now, if you have a single shard of compassion left in you... I'd like to die at the hands of a warrior, just like everyone else did"
Ichigo sighed as he pointed the blade at him.
"Mugetsu... What do you think?" He asked his inner spirit.
The white Hollow grinned.
"Go ahead. Even if he hasn't suffered as much as we have... We would be just like him if we tried to make the rest miserable because of it. He's gonna die soon, anyways" He said.
"I understand" Ichigo opened his eyes again.
"I'm sorry... Everyone" Yama murmured as he finally felt the weight of his sins above him, a weight comparable to the world itself.
Ichigo wanted to say something, but in the end, no words came to mind. It was pointless.
Instead... He decided to entrust this to the man with whom he had started it all.
"Let's go... Zangetsu..." He told his old friend.
"GETSUGA... TENSHOU...!"
A clean slash of black and red Reiatsu sliced the Demon King in two, his body dissolving into the air before reaching the ground.
Ash to ash... Dust to dust... He had come to realize his decadence.
Ichigo, on his part, slowly returned to the citadel, not yet assimilating that everything had come to an end.
His body returned to Primera Etapa, and then to his base form, the white blade that had accompanied him through the beginning of his new life returning to the sheath.
It had been a long journey, an odyssey in fact, but now he was finally able to see a light shining at the end of those dark times.
Yama's words were still inside his head, however. War would come again, he knew it, but even with that thought in mind, he could rest assured that he had survived this time.
Now all that was missing, was seeing that the ones he had tried to protect were still alive.
He was sad to know that Nageki had perished, but at least, he was able to make his sacrifice count.
Mugetsu did not ask him about it, and he didn't want to discuss the topic at that moment either.
As he reached the citadel, he was finally able to enjoy the most important accomplishment of this last stand.
Tackled to the ground as a pair of arms were wrapped around him, he happily replied with a hug of his own.
"ICHIGO!"
"Nel..." He said weakly with a smile, losing consciousness, yet being right where he wanted to be.
I hope I did well, honestly. It feels weird to have to conclude everything after so long, doesn't it? But here it is, the end of the Demon King.
Also, for anyone claiming that Roka is some super OP OC or something of sorts, I invite you to either look for her in a Wikia that considers the Light Novels, cause she is canon as a character and in the novel "Spirits Are Always With You" she is able to use Mugetsu, although it takes a great toll for her.
Next Chapter is most likely to be the last, but fret not, as after my hiatus, I'll come back to continue this world, of which I already left a little hint, but there's no way you guys would know what it means anyway so, bear with it! Hahaha.
Reviews:
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: YEEEEAAAAHHHH! Loved this chapter! Fantastic work! Loved how Nageki was able to finally understand the concept of friendship before death and how Ichigo came back to help Nel, repeating the same words Nel had said when she confronted Nnoitra for the second time! Good job!
Reply: Good to see you liked those details. It's true that there weren't any deaths of the original cast, but it's all a matter of time (unfortunately or not, whichever way you look at it).
Anyways, see you next time!
Evhron out...
Glossary:
Gran Rey Cero Final, Luna Nueva: Final Gran Rey Cero, New Moon. Basically, the strongest pure Cero that exists. Only possible for the direct descendant of Tsukoyomi (in soul terms).
Brecha Negra: Black Rift. Strongest attack using Azrael in its base form.
Eclipse Total... Hueco Mundo: Total Eclipse, Hollow World. Ichigo's most powerful attack, inherited from Tsukoyomi, and the power Mugetsu used to put an end to the Raid of Hueco Mundo in his time. It is like a supermassive black hole (from a visual point of view, of course), and it makes the surrounding areas completely dark, as it absorbs all light. The Dark Eternal Night.
Azrael: Known in Islam as the Angel of Death, he is known for gently taking the souls out of the bodies into the afterlife, hence despite his somber title, he's actually a benevolent Angel. That's why I picked that specific name.