Author's Notes: Welcome to the first chapter of 2019. I would like to announce that thanks to all of you, we have reached two new milestones for this story. 372 followers and 273 favorites. The Awful Truth has now become my most followed and favorited story. I also want to thank everyone that has reviewed so far, the last chapter the reviews showed how much you cared. I ask that you continue to show how feel in your reviews as it means something to me.
I went all in on the New Year's Guaranteed Five Star Summon for Fate/Grand Order, picking the Lancer Package. I actually got Arturia Lancer for the Five Star and also picked up Lancer (Alter) and Vlad III (Extra). I also picked up Astolfo and Ibaraki off single tickets, so not a bad start to FGO in 2019 all things considered.
For Brave Souls, I spent 3000 Spirit Orbs chasing after that New Year's Ichigo in the Step-Ups and while I got ten new characters for my roster, I still couldn't get him so just a little disappointed there. Back to saving Orbs until the next big banner months from now.
And now without any further delay…
The Awful Truth
Chapter 6: Moving Forward
"I need to know everything you know." Ichigo said, strolling calmly across the desert sands, beside him were the manifestations of each of his powers. "And I mean everything."
He was being led across the vast expanse of his Inner World, taken somewhere that was important. Ichigo did not question it, his mind was abuzz with many revelations that he could focus on nothing else but them. From the Old Man, to the nature of his powers, and the danger that still awaited him in the future. But he had time, which he planned to use preparing for that inevitable conflict.
"There is much you need to be made aware of." Tensa stated.
"From the way this walk is going I say we have time. But for now, let's start with Yhwach." Ichigo replied, turning to look at the dark-haired young man. "What can you tell me about him?"
"Yhwach is not the only threat you will be facing now, he is not alone in this coming war." Sagiso said. "He has an army, composed of thousands of pureblood Quincy who for the last thousand years have been breeding, training, preparing for the conclusion of a war that has started on and off again for the last four thousand years."
Ichigo halted in his pacing, turning to regard the two manifestations. If Yhwach has an army in the waiting, one that has been preparing to attack than he was going after only one group.
"He's going after the Gotei isn't he?" Ichigo asked Tensa
"Yes."
"No way of stopping this?" Ichigo asked.
"None," Tensa responded instantly.
"Ichigo, what you are dealing with is a man whose intellect and aptitude for planning out long term goals are second to none. Not even Aizen could have planned out the last thousand years down to a T with so little deviation," Sagiso stated.
"How bad are we looking here?" Ichigo asked, he needed details, something to gauge even a little of what this guy is like.
"He is a monarch, a politician and general," Tensa answered. "He is a heavy-handed ruler that has the respect and fear of all around him, but they adore him and worship him as a god. Their undying loyalty comes from his raw power, charisma, and sheer presence inspires his troops. But he has no conscience; his own people are sacrificial lambs to him."
"He is right, the Kurosaki and the Ishida family came to the World of the Living over fifty years ago. Escaping from Lichtreich following several purges carried out across the lands," Sagiso explained. "Yhwach disposes of those he cannot use and have little value to him in the future. Civilians and dissenters are disposed of. He had actually sent many to the World of the Living in large numbers."
Ichigo raised an eyebrow at that, a sudden influx of Quincy over the centuries. He had an idea what happened to them, two hundred years ago Ishida said that many of his people had been exterminated. "So he organized that cleansing two centuries ago."
"Yes, it served him two-fold," Tensa replied, raising two fingers. "The first: it removed elements of his race that he had no use for. With each Quincy that dies, their souls are absorbed into his being. Sacrifices like that were carried out over the nine hundred years he was sealed away."
Ichigo recalled the poem. Those nine hundred years was likely where the Quincy race was systematically purged of their numbers. "What was the second reason?"
"Galvanizing the Quincy race into hostility with the Shinigami," Tensa answered. "There was always enmity between the Shinigami and Quincy, especially a thousand years ago. But Yhwach made sure to remind his people of that hatred, to let it drive them. He used the genocide in the World of the Living to rally his race to preparing for war."
Ichigo raised an eyebrow, he certainly could understand that. Ishida had actually been quite hateful of the Shinigami, their initial meeting was less than pleasant. It was so strong that Ishida had no issue involving innocent people in dangerous situations. There was possibly still lingering resentment. That was from someone who wasn't likely as overzealous and fanatical as those that served under Yhwach.
"That poem though, it mentions culling all the impure Quincy—" Ichigo asked, but Sagiso was already prepared to answer that delicate question.
"Yhwach reinforces racial purity on his people, heavily despised by those within the Quincy race," Sagiso intoned. "The deaths of the impure are seen as a justified action and sacrifice that serves only one purpose."
So not only is he a lunatic but he's also a fanatic racist, Ichigo shook his head as he understood a single truth.
He hated Yhwach. He hated him the moment that he learned of all of his crimes and the more he heard, the more he learned about the Sealed King, that hatred he had for him only grew. Hate did not come naturally to Ichigo but where Yhwach was concerned, it came all too easily. But he had to keep a level head, for if he lost it then he would only do more harm than good. "So, he is like Aizen then. But worse."
"You idiot. He's a lot worse than that bastard," Zangetsu said, bringing up the read and wearing that same unnerving smile he usually did. "Unlike Aizen, this guy has got power and experience far greater than butterfly boy. He's also got soldiers who would die for him, that would commit mass murder for him without question."
"Butterfly boy?" Ichigo quipped, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
"Don't deny it," Zangetsu replied, daring Ichigo to correct him. "You thought the same thing the moment you saw that ridiculous transformation."
"Worse than that," Sagiso interjected, trying to bring the conversation back on track, "Yhwach has two dozen soldiers in his ranks that are equivalent to Captains."
"Two dozen!" Ichigo mouthed in disbelief. Being worse than Aizen was one thing, but Yhwach was shaping up to be an even more dangerous opponent than he had previously anticipated.
The traitor Captain had been able to dispatch the entire Gotei single-handedly and with seemingly no effort. Having manipulated and schemed for over a century and pulling a shroud over the Shinigami's eyes. With having an army of Arrancar under his command and dominating them with an iron fist.
But Aizen had a few flaws. The guy certainly didn't have an army of thousands under his command and neither did he have the undying loyalty of all those soldiers. Aizen only really had four Arrancar in his army that could be said to be better than a Captain.
There was no point in questioning if Yhwach was worse. He simply was. The danger he presented couldn't be ignored. Nor could he keep this to himself.
"Hiding away for a thousand years though, you can't just do that without being seen. From what I know the Quincy were considered extinct until Ishida turned up," Ichigo said. If they had to expel the people that didn't obey Yhwach, they had to know where they were coming from.
"Where they are is a secret even I have little knowledge of. I was a fragment meant to be passed down through the generations until I came into your possession. Even as I glimpse back into the blood memory of your ancestors I cannot discern where it was that Yhwach brought his people. Or where it resides now," Tensa stated.
"Neither can I," Sagiso added before Ichigo could ask if she was aware of the location. "Tensa did pull a fragment of Masaki's soul that has been taken by Yhwach through the source so that he could fuse it to me. I gained some knowledge from Masaki as well as Yhwach but unfortunately the information is scrambled. It will take me some time to sort it all out. Even then, there's no guarantee that a location will be among the information I can uncover."
That made things harder. There were only so many places that they could hide. But in truth there was no telling what kind of tricks the Quincy have up their sleeves. For them they could technically be anywhere, in the World of the Living or otherwise. If they have remained hidden for so long it could only mean that they have gone somewhere the Shinigami don't know about or cannot reach.
"Guess that means we need to just warn them and prepare for an inevitable attack," Ichigo commented.
"Not like we would have been able to attack anyway," Zangetsu spoke up. "Got no idea what we would be walking into. But knowing you, I suppose running in headfirst isn't new to you."
"You know me so well," Ichigo remarked, although he didn't feel the need to be sarcastic about it. "Just wish I knew why thought my inner world has to resemble an endless desert." The moment he said that, he saw Zangetsu come to a halt.
"Honestly you can be just so thick headed some times. You really just don't know much about yourself now do you?" Zangetsu said, before he took Ichigo by the hems of his robes. "This is taking too long. Come on. We're not walking the desert for the next fifty years."
"Hey! What are you—" Ichigo wasn't given a chance to finish before he was catapulted off the ground, being dragged by Zangetsu across the sky to places unknown. Any other time he would have ripped himself free from the Hollows grasp, but recent discoveries halted such attempts. So he resigned himself to dangle there and wait for them to reach their destination, he would have preferred to be led there rather than dragged like a toddler.
Eventually they came to a stop, crashing to the sandy earth and upturning the ground with their collision. Ichigo coughed his lungs up as he breathed in the small particles, as he waved away the flakes of sand he stepped towards Zangetsu was who standing there staring off towards something.
"What the hell was that?" Ichigo grouched, glaring at his Inner Hollow who didn't even deign to give him a reply. "Seriously, what the hell Zangetsu?"
"You call this an endless desert with nothing to see, but that's because you aren't looking deeply enough," Zangetsu stated. "Turn around Ichigo."
Ichigo finally turned to look at what he was looking at. To his surprise he found a simple oasis; a big lake of clear blue water in the sand surrounded by high rising trees. On closer inspection, Ichigo realized that there was grass and shrubs, brilliant emerald green and damp with dew. But even more interesting was that it was all still growing, that in a matter of seconds the oasis was slowly growing in size. Grass was sprouting from the sand, sapling slowly forming and expanding in every direction.
"This world is full of endless potential, with mysteries and sights yet to be seen to match the abilities you have yet to show," Zangetsu said, jerking his head towards the Oasis. "Go ahead. I'll wait for the other two."
Ichigo didn't give him much of an argument, instead he moved forward and into the oasis. The ground beneath his feet being cushioned by grass that was starting to rise out of the sands. Pushing through the greenery he came to the edge of the water, running a hand through the cold liquid and feeling a strange sensation pass through him.
He looked into the depths of the water and for a moment recalled many things, moments where he felt alone and afraid. The well of pain that had been filled with the seeping dark of his despair, then it was gone. Hope overshadowing this darkness and allowing him to move forward, he recalled it all as if he was reliving those moments.
"It is a representation."
Ichigo turned towards Tensa, who came up beside him and looked down into the clear waters.
"These waters represent much, a cleansing stream that will wash away the pain and remnants of the past. One that will engulf the darkness and pain and reshape it into something better, something more vibrant," Tensa stated.
Ichigo recalled a similar explanation given to him over a year and a half ago, one that had been to describe his Inner World. "So how is it that this pool trumps my rising towers?"
"Those towers never represented your hope, not truly," Tensa replied. "More… they represented your remaining resolve. Something that crumbled with every obstacle and failure you met, with every defeat they grew fewer and smaller. They were a static and fixed, unable to change and rebuild themselves."
Ichigo supposed he could understand, although it was shown that those towers were just another lie concocted by the Old Man when they had first met. "So what changed now? Why a pool of clear water?"
"Water cleanses. Removes taint and vitalizes. Allows thing to grow and flourish, even in the ashes of your former world it will grow and never cease. Even when torn apart and shattered, the waters will remain and the world will be lively again," Tensa explained, giving a sigh. "To hold you back, both your powers and your mind, is something can no longer be allowed to happen. The war ahead will be marred with much sacrifice and you cannot afford to be kept in the dark."
"And as I said earlier, this oasis is just the starting point of your true Inner World," Zangetsu continued. "A world of unlimited potential to be explored."
Ichigo accepted those words. He didn't feel as if he needed them, but it at least gave him the clarity to understand his own thoughts. He had what he needed, for himself and for his friends. "I think I have what I need."
"Then you should return and warn them all of what is to come," Sagiso said, before she stepped across the water. "But remember to return here. For these waters represent more than just your ever growing strength, but also the interconnected life knowledge of your ancestors."
Ichigo watched as scenes played across the water below, places and people he knew nothing of and of things he couldn't understand. This would be something he would need to look into when the time came. But for now, he had a mission; one that he had to see to completing soon.
"Wish me luck. I have a lot to do," he was about to leave but saw the look on Sagiso's face. "Sagiso?"
"After all you have seen, you must know Masaki's death was never your fault," Sagiso said before becoming somewhat bashful. "But Isshin, I know him. Or at least as well as how Masaki knew him. He would blame himself for what happened." A pause. "Would you..."
Ichigo nodded. "Of course. I will set him straight," but then a smile came to his face. "But I'm pretty sure when I get back, he's going to be a little busy."
"You bastard!" Isshin yelled, throwing a punch at Kisuke, who skillfully ducked under the swing.
Although he was forced to block a knee to the face. Having trained with Yoruichi for years had refined his reflexes to a fine point, no movement or motion was wasted or expended more energy than what was needed. At least it was a hundred years ago, he had been a little lax when it came to his powers.
So that was probably why he was having a little trouble right now with his little brawl with Isshin. Sure he could probably use Kido, but if that failed it would certainly set the former Tenth Division Captain off. Best make sure that this stayed a fist fight rather than escalating to something that might damage his shop.
"How dare you do that to me! I am trying to be a parent here and you are getting in the way!" Isshin yelled, looking quite annoyed.
"I think that you are being a little overbearing," Kisuke said, trying to placate the man but it only seemed to incense him further.
"I am not overbearing!" Isshin yelled back, sending a fist towards the Shopkeeper's face. "I am trying to keep my son safe!"
Kisuke dodged again and leaped back, making some distance just in case he needed to actually use some actual serious firepower to take out the former Captain. They were nearly evenly matched, at least in the physical department, but when it came to Kido and thinking ahead Kisuke had that in spades.
"You need to let him do this, we try to stop him he will do it anyway," Kisuke replied.
"I think we both know why it is important to stop him from looking into this, there are dangers here we don't know about." Isshin said. "Negligence on our part led to Misaki's death, who is to say if Ichigo learns something he shouldn't that the consequences won't be the same?"
"We don't know that for sure," Kisuke said. "There is no way…"
"There has never been a Shinigami and Quincy Hybrid before. And don't give me that crap about manifesting another type of spirit in your inner world, look at the Visored!" Isshin said.
"A little different, but I guess I can concede the point there," Urahara stated.
"Then you know what that spirit is, who it is. That is something to be very concerned about." Isshin said, his expression grave and for the moment didn't seem to be inclined to attack.
"I know, but I have something on standby just in case. If something were to happen I would be right here to handle it." Urahara stated.
At the back of the room sitting there were Uryu, Rukia and Byakuya, who watching the proceedings with interest.
There was little to no understanding being passed on to them, those who watched the verbal and physical spar had no reference to know what they were speaking of. A general idea of what they might be discussing was known to them, but there was deeper meaning to this little spat than just the fact Ichigo Kurosaki was speaking with a Zanpakuto Spirit, one that was not who he said he was.
Byakuya narrowed his eyes. They knew something very important, something regarding Ichigo and this mysterious spirit that resided within his inner world. A spirit that may actually be a danger to him.
Byakuya knew that he would need to report back to the Captain-Commander soon, inform him of the development and maybe even see about having Kisuke or Isshin brought into report on this. There was a lot that was suspicious, especially if it involved these two and Ichigo. Byakuya had no interest in being left out of the loop, the last time this man kept a secret he allowed a very dangerous man to roam freely in the Seireitei.
The last thing he wanted was for the Gotei to be caught unaware by another problem that this man chose not to reveal to them. Circumstances and reasons be damned, if there was a legitimate threat here he would discover it and report back to the Captain-Commander.
Before he could interfere with this squabble Ichigo had risen to his feet.
His sudden consciousness had been noticed by all, they quickly turned towards the calm young man. Byakuya could not say he had seen such a calm resolve in the young Shinigami's eyes before, it was strong and inflexible. Whatever had transpired within had hardened him.
"Ichigo. Did you sort everything out?" Kisuke asked.
"Yeah," A grim look passed over the Substitutes face as he gave a nod. "It wasn't a cake walk and I learned more than what I probably wanted to, but I did what was needed."
He then turned and looked at his father, taking a few steps forward before giving him a swift kick to the gut. Isshin crumbled under the hit, wheezing as he quivered on the ground. Byakuya, along with everyone else, regarded the strange scene curiously.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ichigo asked, giving his dad an annoyed look. "Getting all scared and paternal on me, why are you meddling with my decisions now?"
"What? I am your father you idiot! Of course I am going to meddle!" Isshin groaned, glaring up at Ichigo through squinted eyes.
"You are meddling for the wrong reasons though. I have gone into a lot of situations where I could have died and yet you never held me back, tried to stop me. Not until now." Ichigo said, giving a sigh as the irritation seemed to drain away from his face. "It isn't your fault okay? Just let it go."
"What?" Isshin asked, obviously confused from the way he looked.
"You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened to Mom, what happened that night is not on your head. She wouldn't blame you, and I know from a damn trustworthy source that she would ask me to make you stop blaming yourself for what happened," Ichigo told his father. "Just because you said I shouldn't blame myself, doesn't mean you need to shoulder it instead. Only one person deserves that, and it is neither of us."
Byakuya watched as something flashed across Isshin's face, as if he seemed to realize something. Whatever it was, it had taken away his ability to speak, along with robbing him of the pain that had brought him low.
"So, it was him wasn't it?" Kisuke asked.
Byakuya watched the exchange carefully, there had been many events in his life that he had bore witness to. But this one in particular had taken his interest, and would likely be one that he would remember for the rest of his long life.
Kisuke Urahara was someone he considered to be unscrupulous and unpredictable, to trust the man would be foolish if not fatal. He was witty and none to serious, making the act of conversing with him a chore. He could at time speak seriously and sprout fonts of wisdom as needed, but those were far and few in between.
Yet what he saw now, something he had never seen before reflected in the man's eyes. Byakuya wondered for a moment what it was, he couldn't quite place the right synonym, but he was certain of what it could be. For what reflected in those pale eyes was an emotion one would not wish to see in someone so cunny and powerful.
Fear.
Ichigo nodded. "There was a piece of him within my soul. He's been there since the beginning, from the Shattered Shaft to Fake Karakura Town. But even though it was just a fragment, it was real enough and dangerous enough. He is out there, plotting and waiting. We don't have long before he makes his move."
Byakuya was quite fed up with being left in the dark, something was going on here and he wished to know what it was. He stepped forward and planned on interrogating Ichigo until he told him exactly what he had learned.
But before he could the Substitute turned to him.
"Captain Byakuya Kuchiki," Ichigo said aloud. "I have a request to make of you."
Byakuya was taken off guard, as actual surprise appeared on his face. Never before had he known Ichigo Kurosaki to be formal, to use of rank and honorific had always been discarded when conversing with the human youth. To even consider Ichigo using his Captain rank and saying his full name aloud was not what he expected was understatement.
But perhaps that was the point, what Ichigo knew had to be important. For him to disregard his own lack of deference and actually speak with respect and do something so out of character, only proved to Byakuya that what he knew was serious. "What do you require?"
"I need to go to the Soul Society and meet with the Captain-Commander. There are matters I need to discuss with him," Ichigo said with a grim expression. "Not the least of which is a threat that will engulf all the worlds in war."
This was unprecedented.
Something must have occurred.
Night had fallen many hours ago, the crown had already been transitioned to him, but to be called to his Majesties side. Something had transpired, the night had yet to end but it seemed to be that the Emperor was awake before the new dawn came.
Jugrum Haschwalth pushed upon the door to His Majesty's personal chambers, the locks and seals upon the gilded surface opening before him. As they opened stepped forth, he entered the chamber and surveyed the dark room. It came to him as a surprise to see His Majesty sitting upon his throne, his brow resting in his hand and a far away look upon his face.
"Your Majesty, you summoned me," Haschwalth said, kneeling before the throne.
It took many minutes of waiting, for whatever had taken his mind away had not deigned itself ready to give him back his senses. Whatever it was that he thought of it must have been important, to be completely unresponsive was unlike the Emperor he had served for the last millennia.
Finally he let out a breath, giving a small huff as if laughing to a private little joke. "Disgraceful. That I allowed myself to get caught up in the moment. These poor souls came seeking to see what had disturbed me from my slumber, yet it was them who disturbed me."
Haschwalth turned towards the right, finding the broken bodies of several Quincy, personal attendants to guard while his Majesty slept. This was unexpected, but now that he realized the frantic nature of the attendant that had come his way, Haschwalth now understood her worry. For his Majesty to lash out, that was not normal.
"Your Majesty," Haschwalth asked cautiously. "What has happened?"
"Death. Death has finally sunk its teeth into me, I felt it. I felt the end." Haschwalth stared back, not understanding. "My fragment, the one that exists within Ichigo Kurosaki: it no longer exists. Ichigo has erased it."
"…He did what?" Haschwalth hesitated in shock as he let the enormity of what had just heard sink in. He tried to say something but words failed him. Instead he looked upon his master's face, and to his surprise saw an expression that resembled pride.
"Ichigo has exceeded my wildest expectations Haschwalth. To be able to best even a fragment of myself at the spiritual level, where I held the reigns and guided it. Truly incredible." Yhwach spoke almost reverently, as if this were a eulogy. "I may as well have been there personally, for in the end I felt its final moments, I felt every agonizing moment. I felt the terror, the shock of being so overwhelmed, I felt the pain of dying and then... then there was nothing."
Haschwalth swallowed slowly. The way his Majesty acted did not seem to fit the morbid way he spoke, he had to tread carefully to make sure his Majesty did not involuntarily lash out against him.
"Has—has anything like this ever happened before?" He asked even as he was sure of the answer.
Yhwach shook his head. "The silver that exists within all Quincy do not truly live, they are not their own beings or souls. They are but extensions of my will and the source of all my children's strength. Death is but a fleeting feeling that sense when they enter me, distance and minuscule compared to the lives they have lived and I take in." He looked back to Haschwalth and the captain of the Sternritter swore he saw a spark of fervor in his eyes. He looked energized and manic, more so than ever before.
"This was something I have never felt before. To feel death take me and know the end, it is as if I have been set free, that I no longer have to fear it. But move to fight back its grasp once more, to mock it for its failed attempt. This has been a gift, one that I intend to cherish. And as a reward, I will be putting Ichigo Kurosaki at the top of the list, as the Leader of the Special War Powers!" Yhwach declared, yet as Haschwalth noticed the excitement faded, the King rose from his throne. "... and yet there is a problem."
"A problem?" Haschwalth rose to his feet.
"With the Fragment no longer a part of him, what plans I had in store for him, what use he would have been in the future I saw is now tarnished. Of all the good that came from this action, there must always be this one unwanted complication. This complication threatens my vision succeeding considerably."
"If Ichigo has become more powerful than we originally predicted, then we should not simply attempt to capture him to harness that power," Haschwalth advised. "I assume your Majesty's time table for the invasion of Soul Society has not changed?"
"It has not."
"Then why not look towards finding a way to test Ichigo without directly revealing ourselves," The Sternritter captain offered. "Soul Society believes the Quincy to be a near extinct race. We should assume that Ichigo is now aware of your existence and has some idea of our forces. Even if he were to warn the Gotei with this incomplete knowledge, as we long as remain faithful to the plan then our victory against the Shinigami should be assured."
Yhwach took those words to consideration. "Yamamoto has become soft in his old age. Even if Ichigo does warn them, how many will actually believe such a threat? Fear of the truth was always one of their weaknesses, for they never did like knowing that they were not as powerful as they believed."
"It will take time and while we have that time, we can deploy our other assets against him to test his strength," Haschwalth stated.
Yhwach sniffed disdainfully at that. "You know as well as I that the Arrancar are no better than cannon fodder. Useful against the Shinigami they will face in the streets of the Seireitei, but against Ichigo they would be lambs to the slaughter. All of the most powerful Arrancar that Aizen had gathered are either dead, captured like the 'Queen of Hueco Mundo' or hiding under a rock. Their souls might have power but…"
"Your Majesty?" Haschwalth noticed the stare in his Majesty's eyes as he understood that he was constructing a plan.
"Yes... why not?" Yhwach mused, a grin forming on his lips. "If the broken fragment could pull a piece, what stops me from doing better?" He looked back at his other half. "Haschwalth, please find Gremmy and bring him before me."
"Of course, sire. But may I ask why?"
The sinister grin on the Seal King's face did not faze him. "I have a theory I would like to discuss with him and if it pans out, then I will have orders for you to carry out. Orders that require action to be taken in the World of the Living."