SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 8 out, this is Chapter 9 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.

Chapter 9: The Hundred-Year Grudge! Hiyori's Revenge

"Whoa, the last Espada got beaten up." Mashiro gawked.

"Mashiro!" Kensei warned, Wonderweiss' hand started twitching.

"I know!" Mashiro turned and gave Wonderweiss a roundabout kick to the face.

"Mashiro." Kensei informed his former Lieutenant. "When you fight against someone at this level, you get exhausted quickly. Remove your mask and put it back on before you reach your limit."

"You're so stupid, Kensei." Mashiro pouted. "How long do you think I can normally maintain Hollowification? Fifteen hours. I can go on like this through the night."

"Behind you!" Kensei barked when Wonderweiss shot out through the dust cloud.

"I told you I know that already." Mashiro retorted, grabbing Wonderweiss by the face with her hand and slamming him onto the ground. "How's that?"

Wonderweiss stopped his descend by pushing himself up with his hands. Reaching out, he grabbed Mashiro by the scarf and tossed her away.

"How dare you rip my scarf." Mashiro snapped, taking to the air. "Take this!" she readied her attack as Wonderweiss charged up at her. "Mashiro... Super... Cero!"

Wonderweiss countered with a Cero blast of his own.

"So what if you could cancel that." Mashiro shot down towards her opponent, Wonderweiss' attack having nullified hers and slammed a punch on Wonderweiss' face. "Mashiro... I'm out of time?" she gasped when her Hollow mask shattered.

Wonderweiss grinned and slammed a fist on Mashiro's face, shattering her cracked mask. He was about to land a second punch when Kensei blocked the attack.

"Sorry," the former 9th Squad Captain voiced. "I'm not mature enough to hold back against a kid." with a swing, he tossed Wonderweiss to the ground. Returning to the battle after leaving Mashiro on top of a building, he dodged Wonderweiss' punch and sent him flying back with a kick to the stomach. "That's not going to hit me." he remarked, dodging Wonderweiss' rapid punches and slamming a fist onto Wonderweiss' face. He then followed up with a roundabout kick. "This is how you throw a punch!" he sent Wonderweiss flying with another punch to the face. "Are you ready?" he pulled out his Zanpakutō. "Bankai: Tekken Tachikaze." the two opponents met in a clash of exploding Reiatsu.

"Now that makes me wonder what did that kid do to piss Kensei off." Guardian Frost joked, rejoining the gathered Shinigami and Vizards.

"Aizen," Hiyori glared, removing her mask. "Let's settle our score from a hundred years ago. You know, I really liked those days back in Soul Society. Shinigami are always in death's way because of their existence and line of work. We may die the next day; we may to talking at one moment and be dead the next. No one talks about it, but everyone has that thought in the corners of their minds. We saw death up close. We felt death up close. That's why we were able to cherish each day. Death will eventually come to us all. But what's what made us united. That's what I believed. But you... Aizen, I don't hate you because you betrayed us. I hate you because you made me hurt my friends. You used us and trampled on our bonds and our feelings. Aizen! I'm seething with an anger that's been boiling for a hundred years. I won't go back to the way I was until I killed you."

"Don't approach him carelessly." Hirako warned. "Aizen's got that power. If you approach him recklessly, it's over."

"I know that." Hiyori hissed.

"You idiot." Hirako chided. "I'm talking to you. Relax, Hiyori."

"How typical." Aizen noted. "You have such caring words, Captain Hirako. But it's so silly to say that it'll be over if you approach me recklessly. Even if you approach me recklessly or carefully, or even if you don't approach me at all, the end result will be the same. I'm not talking about the things to come. Your end is inescapable. It's an event of the past."

"He's taunting us." Hirako gave Rose and Love a side look. "Don't fall for it."

"What do you have to fear?" Aizen smirked. "All of you already died that night a hundred years ago."

"Hiyori!" Hirako shouted, trying to stop the outraged former Lieutenant from lashing out, the pony-tailed girl charging out with her Zanpakutō raised to attack Aizen when a clank was heard behind her, Guardian Frost's scythe blade had stopped Ichimaru's blade from stabbing her on the back.

"Hachi," Guardian Frost voiced, the 'Azure Storm' scythe proceeded to encase Ichimaru's extended blade in ice. "Go heal that female Espada." she instructed, manifesting the 'Moment of Truth' scythe in her other hand.

"Understood." Hachi responded and disappeared.

Omake: Karakura Town: Secrets of the Seven Mysteries

Ichigo: (In Shinigami form, looks around the deserted shopping mall) Rumors about a moving mannequin... that's impossible. Huh? (Walks past a mannequin with the likeness of Matsumoto) It can't be...

Matsumoto: Why, if it isn't Ichigo.

Ichigo: (Gawking) I was right.

Matsumoto: If you leave your Gigai here, people will put cute cloths on it for you. The others have their Gigai here, too.

Ikkaku: (Tears as he looks at his Gigai in swimming trunks) Why? Why is mine dressed like this?

SailorStar9: In the next chapter, Aizen finally draws his blade against the dual-scythed Guardian Frost. Then, at this point, Ichigo appears behind Aizen preparing to attack him.

Now that's done, read and review.