WOW! We broke the 700 Favs/Follow mark! I am truly surprised. I don't even think half that many still read this cluster fuck story! Well, thanks everyone! I will be finishing this so don't worry.
Wouldn't it be crazy if If I got 700 reviews? :O
Fighting was a good vent for Ichigo. Having such an abundance of built up anger was unhealthy for anyone. These past few days have been nothing but a psychological mess, and it seemed as if it was not going to stop any time soon. The only way he could keep himself from going absolutely insane was the fact that fighting brought back his original senses. The dodging, the quick-thinking, the counter-attacking, all of it made him feel at home once again.
It was his guilty pleasure. When Inoue had been captured by Aizen, Ichigo knew he had to go get her. However, another interest that was rampant through his mind was that he was going to have to fight. He no doubt wanted revenge against a particular Espada. And when that fight came, Ichigo was called out by it.
'I know why Kurosaki! I know why you came here. It wasn't just to save that woman, you came here to fight!'
The words stuck in his mind. A normal human life was nothing compared to the eventful life he held now. A part from fighting gangs, nothing was remotely similar than to fighting spiritual beings.
His specialty in fighting allowed him to develop a strong reputation. Although Ichigo would pretend as if he did not care what others thought of him, in reality he enjoyed keeping a "cool guy" image. As well as someone who is not to be meddled with lightly. At times he was no doubt beyond arrogant. Invading multiple foreign territories without a hint of hesitation gave him a renowned prestige for being underestimated. Even when Sosuke Aizen cut down the Gotei 13, they were all embarrassed to admit that the only hope they had been was Ichigo himself. The teen was secretly proud for being looked so highly upon. That only he and he alone could take on the strongest beings in modern times. Perhaps even of all times.
Special war potential Kurosaki Ichigo was barely able to beat Dordoni Alessandro.
He could not believe how pathetic he had become. This was the man who stood a mere one second against his full power back when he invaded Las Noches. And now, Ichigo almost lost against him during their second battle.
The thought of not being able to do anything such as when the Shinigami came in a surprise attack also stuck. Sacrificing his body with the usage of Blut was the option left. If it hadn't been his Hollow there…he would not be alive.
Ichigo had to thank Yhwach. Not for being the indirect reason for his mother's death, but for giving him this second chance. His morale had boosted from being given this second chance to be something more than just a worthless human. The Quincy Emperor saw potential and agreed to give him this opportunity. Despite the known tensions, the teen felt he had a duty to do.
He swore to not waste it.
It was the second day of intensive training. Ichigo had practically felt the first day was nothing but a recap. Hirenkyaku, Blut Vene, and assortments of different fighting techniques with a bow had been his main achievement. Every Quincy had to learn these three core elements before moving on. Still, it annoyed Ichigo to know that he was considered to be such a novice that an entire day was spent.
Lille Barro had been his new mentor for the time being. Ichigo, nor the Sternritter really know why the latter was chosen. But Yhwach was considered to have somewhat good judgment. The "X-Axis" was now the one in charge of the boy's progress. Anything he said was absolute and had special permission from the King himself to issue any orders among his peers if it meant benefiting the training.
The oldest Sternritter pondered on what type of fighter Ichigo was or could become. There was obviously the assumption that since he was originally built upon Shinigami aspects, he could fight like one. But simple sword fighting was not what a Quincy was about. And although he did impress the "X" with his skills, he did not convince him that a sword should be his only primary weapon.
Ichigo had barely spoken to the man during their engagements. No words needed to be spoken. If he had a question he would just keep fighting till it was answered. The Schuzstaffel leader was impressed with his stamina. Not many Quincy could last long fights without resting. And some even became exhausted with just a simple release of their Vollstandig. It wasn't as if Lille minded of course. The man had been out of commission for a long time and was only to be at Yhwach's side until he needed him. This of course was extremely rare and unexpected if the chance did come.
The younger Quincy had not even slept the past night. The two were going at it like animals. The "X-Axis" was even wondering if he should release some of his more potent power just to see how his comrade would handle it. But Yhwach would never allow such a thing to occur.
There was variety of weapons that were given to Ichigo in testing. Lille didn't even mind lending him his unique sniper rifle. The younger Quincy felt it was too large and awkward to use. Robert Accutrone volunteered to show the half-blood a smaller approach, but the thought of a gun didn't really satisfy him.
A Heilig Bogen was pretty much the only real choice given. Holy bows were something he was used to the first time he arrived in the Wandenreich. Ichigo noted he preferred the more standard-bow compared to the crossbow due to having more power and punch. His bow consisted of an all solid-back interior with a red coating. This was due to his reiatsu being naturally more dark and negative than the standard light blue which most Quincy have. There was also a strangely designed skull at center of the bow. This design surprised Ichigo. It wasn't like Giselle's, it instead reminded him of his old mask. The skull was what he placed his thumb onto when using his other hand to pull the dark-blue string.
The standard arrows which were shot from his bow had been a mixture of either light-blue or pure abyssal black. It all depended on how much energy he was going to fire from them. Naturally, it took more time to put more effort into an attack. And therefore the arrow would become darker as more energy was poured.
"Heilig Pfeil." He uttered calmly. Every Sternritter's signature move was the Heilig Pfeil. They were not ordinary reishi arrows. These were often unique, and had special attributes to them. Some Sternritter could infuse an element such as lightning, or perhaps altering the size into forming javelins. Ichigo's Heilig Pfeil was a mixture of black and blue aura, which oozed out some of the intense power. It was also not entirely solid. Similar to an attack such as Getsuga Tenshou, the power was loose and trailed easily.
Being medium-sized, the power blasted away from its shooter. The most notable feature from his technique was the fact that the arrow was trailing beyond high-levels of dense power. This attack brought back some memories to Ichigo. It had no doubt taken influence from his Hollow-masked Kuroi Getsuga.
Or perhaps it was vice-versa.
The attack was impressive to say the least.
What Ichigo was notorious for in the Wandenreich was his latent ability. This latent ability included that he was going to become more powerful than pretty much majority of the Sternritter within a very short amount of time. This of course naturally pissed everyone off as they believed such a thing could not be possible. Everyone could have a hard work ethic, but the only difference was the Ichigo could show results very quickly.
Lille Barro merely tried countering Ichigo's Heilig Pfeil with his own. Aiming his sniper, the "X-Axis" aimed for the tip of the arrow. Surprisingly, he watched with wide eyes as the arrow had simply ripped through the own shot. Such a response to his attack was very difficult to repel. A sword for example can cut through the attack if hit in the right spot, but it cannot be dodged in a normal sense.
He leaped backwards and substituted another Sternritter in.
Due to the Schuzstaffel leader having complete control over Ichigo's training, he was given the power to ask for other Quincy to assist. Some wished to volunteer while others were forced to help. Unfortunately for the orange haired teen, many did not see this as enjoyable as Ichigo was. There attacks were brutal, and often they did not hold back.
"Burning Finger 1!" At near-point blank range Bazz-B appeared from behind Ichigo with index finger extended. Luckily, the war potential always knows about how this power works. With a series of acrobatics, he is able to elude and dodge the narrow beam of reishi as his passes right next to him. Gaining the advantage, Ichigo responds by elbowing the "Heat" in the stomach, causing him to lean forward. Then, while extending his left leg, kicks Bazz-B away.
"Shé Jìn Zho." The blank tone from Cang-Du surprised Ichigo. Forming his melee spirit weapon, Ichigo leaped back and watched as the reishi serpent approached him. The attack was seen being split from the mouth open. Cang was surprised to see what had happened. Ichigo did not confront the attack head on. Rather, he simply slashed his sword in the air, and that had caused the dispersion of the attack. 'What was that?' he questioned. The black haired man did not have time to think for long as the teen began charging him head on. Claws emerged, and Cang attempted to outwit Ichigo in close range combat.
To say the least, it did not go well.
Ichigo was already proficient at close range combat. And his speed exceeded the Sternritter's. Cang attempted to outmaneuver his friend but was quickly overwhelmed. Blood spattered across his face, and the "Iron" could not believe skin had been pierced. "I see..." he spoke before taking a few steps back "You already completed Blue Arterie." Before, the younger Quincy wouldn't even come close to cutting him.
"RAAAAAAAAH!" The two stepped back while Ichigo began to panic. For the most part he enjoyed training against people he knew like Bazz or Cang. Fighting his female friends was not a preferred method since he never enjoyed combating members of the opposite sex. But Ichigo still did not know many of his fellow Quincy. "Star Lariat!" Mask De Masculine had been one of the few Quincy to volunteer to help train Ichigo. The giant man strongly reminded the young Quincy of his friend Sado.
Another quick note had to be made.
"Training" with Ichigo also translated to...
"Anyone who wants to beat the shit out of the new guy."
And there were many who disliked him.
Ichigo lowered his eyes and dropped his sword. Sternritter "S" was shocked to see that his comrade had refused to dodge his attack. Mask De Masculine was not doubt the strongest Quincy in terms of raw physical strength. His punches were capable of breaking Shinigami Captain. The only person who rivaled him was the "Power" and she was not interested in fighting Ichigo.
His body was able to stay connected the ground. His legs skidded across the floor as his head hung low. Ichigo's chest was still intact which at least gave the notion he was still alive. The Quincy all knew the capabilities of the Mask. The training had attracted many Sterrritter as it it was rare to see one person take on so many powerful figures. There was even talk wondering if he was going to die from the hit.
"Are you all right, young side kick!?" Mask refereed to anyone other than himself as a sidekick. As if he was the only one capable of fighting against the Shingiami. He simply believed Ichigo had been manipulated and brainwashed to fight for the Shinigami in the past, and that it was his duty to try and entirely break him out of the craze. "I did not expect you to take it head on!" the confession was meant with a surprise smirk.
Relinquishing Blut Vene, Ichigo forced all of his current power into his right arm. Lunging forward, he extended his arm and landed a clean right hook against the man's face. The heavy Sternritter was sent far back. So far he was practically out of the arena.
"That was pretty stupid." Lille Barro spoke as he stood next to his trainee.
Ichigo smirked once more, "I was testing out my Blut." The most direct way of training he knew best was to confront things in the most extreme ways possible. That is how he was able to learn everything in the past. From his original Zanpakuto, to his Bankai, and even to his FullBring. This was called intensive training for a reason. He was not going to take his time learning of all his abilities one at a time. This way of combating elite warriors was to combine everything at once.
"That isn't going to cut it." The man replied, "This is not your Shinigami body. You cannot just do reckless things to your body and expect the best outcome." These words sounded familiar, "You aren't even a pure-blood. Your Blut is about as half effective than what it could have been."
"Look Kurosaki, you got to be careful. This is your human body. If you fall to the ground there is no getting up. You will do serious long-term damage."
Ichigo scoffed, "Yeah, yeah, well teach me to use bringer light and I won't fall off!"
Ginjou smiled and threw his blade over his shoulder, "I'll teach you as much as I can..."
He hated the thought of Xcution. It is a shame that the Shinigami even bothered coming for them.
"Look, Ichigo spoke in a cocky tone, "I know what I can do, all right?"
Lille just stared.
"I've done this before-"
It became difficult to breathe. He clutched his chest and fell to his knees. 'MY...RIBS...!'Within his frame, the ribs which shielded the internal organ began to shake. Some were being adjusted from their position and instead were being pressed up against his heart and lungs. Blood shoot from his mouth while pain reached his brain. For a mere brief moment, his body had not reacted from the attack simply because his Blut was shielding majority of the damage. But once he let go of the power, the pressure had still remained.
Various Quincy who observed the boy were not entirely surprised. Ichigo had refused to dodge Star Lariat and instead wanted to test how durable his Blut Vene truly was. It has saved him on numerous occasions and was proven to be something he wished to invest in heavily.
Ichigo was no doubt making exceptional progress.
But he had for the moment over done it.
Every time he awoke up within Silbern he felt a strong worry overcome him. Raising his head up, Ichigo panics and clutches his chest. He gushed in agony as the speed had caused him to slap his upper torso. There was no doubt he had suffered some critical damage from being hit by Mask de Masculine. 'Shit...how long have I been out?' The biggest problem was that there were just no god damn clocks around. He could only rely on the weather to guide him. And since it was always snowing, he only knew it was night once the sky became dark. 'I can't lay here, I'm wasting time.' The opportunity to train and get stronger was limited. Sleeping around was only going to upset not only him but Yhwach as well.
"Wouldn't do that if I were you."
The young Quincy flinched before looking over. "Actually, it's more like you can't do that if I were you." Askin Nakk Le Vaar was certainly someone Ichigo could refer to as "normal" in the Wandenreich. Although his appearence made the boy weary, he typically acted like a regular person compared to the other obscure Quincy. There had not been much time to interact with most of the Sternritter, but this one did leave Ichigo on a good impression.
"Askin..." the boy replied softly, "Thank god..." Ichigo sighed and sunk into his pillow, "It's just you."
The "Death-dealing" raised an eyebrow, "The hell does that mean?" he questioned in a suspicious tone.
Ichigo sighed, "Believe me you're pretty much the only guy I would want here." he admitted, "I'm honestly terrified of everyone else." The relaxed man gave a "oh" before sitting on the chair next to Ichigo's bed. It was a good compliment to have. Being feared by others was never something the man experienced. Everyone knew him as the Quincy who never cared much for anything including himself.
Oh how more wrong they could be.
"Huh, that actually means a lot." Askin replied, "But don't take it too seriously. I only helped you because Yhwach asked me to."
"Oh..."
Ichigo could not believe how divided the Wandenreich was. Everyone hated each other with a passion. Well, maybe not as openly as one might expect. The Quincy were always watching each other and would rather die than having to rely on one another. Even the most calm, rational person he could find was unwilling to lend assistance. It had been Yhwach who ordered the treatment. The Shinigami surely had tension with each division, but they were all willing at times to lend off their bitterness if it meant for a common goal. If anything, Ichigo saw this as a massive weakness within the ranks and could only wonder why Yhwach would allow such dislike happen.
"What happened to me?" he asked with a fearful concern.
The man coughed, "I'm sorry..." Askin replied in a low, serious tone, "But you lost the baby."
Ichigo lowered his eyes in annoyance, "That isn't funny you asshole."
"C'mon, you were practically asking for that." the laugh took a while to die down, "Anyways if you really want to know everything let me get the sheet." The incapacitated teen watched with impatience as his friend stood up and grabbed a nearby clipboard from the end of the bed. "Hm. I see, yes. Hm. Indeed, quite so. I see, I see." Ichigo was twitching with irritation. "I can't read this." he said while revealing the paper."
"It's upside down!"
The yelling caused the man to flinch in surprise, "Oh, well let's try flipping it over."
"You know what I change my mind. Just get As Nodt to come here!"
Askin raised an eyebrow, "Oh? You sure? I can arrange such a meeting if you two want to get closer." Ichigo placed his hands on his face and looked in the opposite direction. Such frustration reminded him of Urahara. Always trying to annoy the boy in the worst types of situations. "Anyways, I can barely read this crap. It's in Japanese and I don't speak that. So I'll just tell you straight up.
"!"
"Mask's star punch or whatever the hell it's called fucked you up badly."
"Well...I already knew that!" Ichigo grabbed a nearby pillow and launched it at the man. He had a habit of keeping his eyes close as he spoke so when it hit he was only even more shocked. "Give me the damn details!"
"I see, so you're a details kind of guy, huh? I guess that explains why you have a thing for each type of female Quincy."
Ichigo spat, "Just leave."
"Fine, fine!" Askin replied while waving his hands. He sat back down and looked over, "Mask's punch had nearly shattered your entire body. If it hadn't been for your impressive Blut, you might have just disintegrated into nothing." He coughed, and of course didn't cover his mouth. "Afterwards, the pressure was so intense that after you released Blut Vene, some of it had remained." Ichigo frowned, "That pressure had compressed through the reishi and collided against your ribs. Naturally, the force pushed them back into such an awkward position that it was actually crushing your lungs."
Askin knew he was getting lost in all of this. "This made breathing painful, while your ribs were poking at some organs. You were lucky none of them were punctured." The Sternritter stood over and placed his finger on his abdomen, "You were in so much pain for a brief moment your brain actually shut down. Pretty damn lucky if you ask me."
"So..." Ichigo replied slowly, "When I go back out?"
The teen felt a slap on his head, "Fuck you!" he yelled.
"187 centimeters," Askin replied. Ichigo tilted his head in confusion, "Around 77kgs," The Sternritter then gripped his wrist, "5.4 liters of type A blood."
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked with a hint of suspicion, "Even I didn't know most of that..."
Askin scowled, "Most people don't." he replied, "Anyways, lastly what happened is that since your lungs were crushed, they could not process any oxygen. You were basically suffocating to death for a while." Ichigo was now wide eyed with a look of despair on his face, "Relax," the man assured, "I simply lowered the amount of O2 your body needed in order to remain alive. Of course this meant I was forced to choose what received the most. That meaning, your brain cells were kept in order because obviously that's the most important part. You know what much, right?"
Ichigo continuously nodded and pretended to know what the hell was talking about, "It's not rocket science, Ichigo. But if you just want the end of it then here." Askin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, empty-glass tube. "I'm not going to explain what my powers are, but basically it means that I can't easily die." he sighed and tossed the tube over, "You should thank zombie girl, she had it on her. What was inside was your blood. And the rest you don't really need to know."
The "Death-dealing" stood up, "And with that, I'm out for now. I'll come check up on you in a while." he waved his hand but Ichigo wasn't done. "Plus, you got to get your beauty sleep. Your ceremony is tonight."
"It's going to be quite a shit storm. Maybe, the "Oblivious" or "Dues Ex Machina" Shame A was taken, you'd just be the "Asspull".
What the hell is he talking about?
Ceremony?
"Wait, Askin!" Ichigo yelled. The man annoyingly looked over his shoulder, "Thank you." he said with a soft smile. The "D" was a bit freaked out by the sudden shift in mood. Not to mention the look he was giving set off some red flags which Askin was not familiar with.
"Do me a favor Kurosaki, make sure to fill that tube up." Ichigo nodded as he placed the tube on the nearby table, "And tell your girlfriend to relax. I got curved faster than damn baseball earlier."
The words girl and friend were rarely used together when it came to the teen. Instead, he had heard them as two entirely different vocabularies. And so, as if he was talking about Tatsuki, Inoue, or Rukia, he responded in a similar way.
"Which one?" he replied without actually realizing the circumstances.
Askin merely laughed and placed his hands on the doorknob, "Haha, that...that was pretty good Kurosaki. I admit you got some good game, but you better not let her hear that!" The man then opened the door and quickly headed on out. Just in case the two were being watched.
Sinking back into his bed, Ichigo tried to relax. Even if time had been a constraint, destroying his body was not a good way to go about it. During training with Urahara, he could have used their nice hot springs to heal his body. Ichigo would love to have something so convenient at his disposal once again. But maybe having his life saved by someone with obscure powers was good enough. Closing his eyes, he could only hope to rest. There was a lot to think about since he was no longer fighting. How would he deal with certain people and certain situations? He hated to think about it now. Rather, perhaps the best thing to do was to handle it when it happens.
'Tell your girl - friend to relax, she's pissed!'
He had many friends which would be pissed at him. Inoue was no doubt depressed from what happened to him. Ichigo did not want to fight her. He never wanted to hurt one of his closest friends. It's going to be difficult to handle the situations when they eventually come. 'Wait, he doesn't know Inoue...' After much deliberation, his thoughts venture off into a person he could predict was the source from Askin's words.
Ichigo had not spoken to Bambietta since he practically yelled at her in front of her female group. He knew damn well she deserved it, but he was starting to regret it a bit. She was never one to show what she was feeling. Bambietta merely used anger to overlaps the rest of her emotions. It was the easiest emotion to show since it was the one which could easily spark up.
"Maybe I should go apologize..."
Then, he remembered why he was mad in the first place.
"Nah."
Suddenly, a large shadow extended nearby. Ichigo watched with confusion as blond hair began rising from the floor below. Jugram Haschwalth had always been keeping an eye on the boy. However, he was no longer suspicious of him. That focus had been shifted on the successor of the Empire. Ichigo was seen now as much more trust worthy than Uryuu for obvious reasons. The "Balance" had now been watching him for other reasons. Safety and security was something the war potential lacked. Jugram knew the dangers of other Sternritter, and even if they we were warned to stay away, they all had their own priorities.
"What the hell?" Ichigo said while staring at the man. "How long have you been here?"
The blond flinched out of his deep thought, "I am just...observing." he replied tonelessly. Jugram then began walking around the room. He looked behind the couch, the curtains, and even gazed at the ceiling. The Grandmaster walked into the bathroom and opened the shower, there was nothing. Ichigo was actually thankful he was doing these searches. At least it meant he wouldn't have to deal with then.
He stood in the moment and gave one last look, "Rest well...and stop talking to yourself. It is very unhealthy." Ichigo nodded. Jugo then opened the door and silently left.
THUD
THUD
"Ow." whispered a voice. Ichigo snapped his eyes open and looked around the room.
"Shut up, Haschwalth is still outside."
THUD
"Ow."
"Why do you keep moving? You just hit your head five seconds ago and now you do the same thing..."
'What the hell man...' The young Quincy knew there was no escape. His body was too weak to walk. Shutting his eyes, he only could hope his mind would go black before being bothered once more. Ichigo desperately tried to avoid the mutters of four individuals who make their appearance known by slowly crawling out from under his bed. For whatever reason, it seems to be the best place for people to hide when they wish to eavesdrop. Haschwalth would feel like such an idiot to know he was outsmarted by one of the most cliché and obvious places to be.
"That idiot Jugo."
"Aw, he's sleeping. I told you we waited too long."
"Just wake him up."
A voice from Candice startled him. He was lucky he couldn't see her vicious smirk, "Ichi~go," she said lusciously. The teen could feel the pressure of the bed sink down. Candice jumped on the bed and began slowly crawling near him. Ichigo panicked and was able to withstand the constant slow zapping she would induce while using her finger to trail his body. "You know, it's pretty warm in here..." He thought it was pretty cold, "I'm not wearing anything." Ichigo felt some pain on his ear, she was biting him.
'Yeah, right. Like I'm going to open my eyes now.'They were making it too easy for him.
"Let me try." The second voice came from Giselle. He didn't mind her as much. The "Zombie" clung onto his right side while Candice remained on his left. "Berry-chan!" she happily yelled. The girl observed him with intensity. If there's one person who knows how to play dead, it's her. "Hmmmmmm." she mumbled. "Wakey wakey!" Giselle tried to shake the teen, but he was too heavy to be easily tossed around. "I need to thank you from saving me from Bambi-chan." She leaned into his right ear and lowered her voice, "But I think you'd like it more if she was here with us."
'What kind of person do they think I am...?' It was pretty strange for someone to be so resistant to their seduction.
Suddenly, a new figure straddled him.
"Be careful Meni, you're going to kill him." Ichigo wondered why Liltotto even bothered coming. Perhaps to make sure her friends didn't hurt him too badly. 'What a nice person.' The teen thought sarcastically. But he knew full well she was just watching the events unfold. To her it was amusement, but it was also dangerous.
"What happened to him anyways?" the "Power" asked.
"Weren't you paying attention to Askin?" Candice replied.
"Were you?"
"...No..."
"I think he got hit on the head." Giselle spoke. "That idiot Mask nearly crushed his skull."
'No...'Ichigo said to himself, 'Mask wasn't even close to hurting me!'
"I'll check..." Meninas replied.
As she sat straddled on to his waste, which was very uncomfortable for Ichigo, the female Sternritter leaned over his body and placed one hand on his chest for support. "Poor Ichi." she said softly. He tried to endure it, he really did. She leaned even closer. Her elbows were placed on top of him while her hands cuffed his cheek. Ichigo surprised the girl when he began to shake.
Her elbows sunk nonce he exhaled.
Then, he screamed.
"AHHHHHHH!" The three flinch in surprise as he lifts his body up. MENI! PLEASE STOP!" Ichigo cursed himself, his arms were too weak right now to lift Meninas off of him. His body was so sore from training it all began to collapse at once. "Meni...please!" The "Power" did not react to his sudden scream in the same way the others did. She was confused, and was wondering why he was yelling at her.
Liltotto saw this and despite her size, had been able to lift her friend up. Meninas fell a bit back and almost collapsed to the floor. "What did just say?" the "Glutton" remarked.
Ichigo began to breathe heavily. His eyes were practically bulging out of eyes with fear and intensity. The "Power" finally had realized that uncontrollable strength had harmed him to a serious degree. She always forgot about her own strength.
"All of you…get the hell away from me!"
The left over remains of Las Noches scattered across the white sands of Hueco Mundo. Bodies of Quincy, Hollow, and Shinigami all stain the white sand. The strange blue fiery reish was still burning across the vast land as it refused to fade out. It was a strange sight for the Hollows which kept a tight eye on the Arrancar. The immense fortress was seen as a symbol of power and unity over the dark world. Many initially refused, but the Espada considered themselves as rules over Hueco Mundo. And when time came which Hollows believed they could challenge there overlords, the Arrancar were no doubt eager to shut them down.
The former member of Aizen's army always saw themselves as evolved and superior to the regular Hollow. This often led to further tensions which basically formulated into many civil wars. The Espada had sent out there finest members to go and squash these rebellions. No matter how resistance they were to Arrancar rule.
But now...things have changed.
The Hollow hated the Arrancar, but they hated Quincy and Shinigami even more. Seeing Las Noches, they couldn't help but feel some remorse considering how much ruthless the Quincy were. At least the Espada tried to rule with all fairness. They could make a mutual agreement to avoid the paths of one another. It kept the fortress from being harassed by armies of lower-class Hollow.
That was safe for two particular humans who found themselves sitting on an empty platform.
"Mmm! This is good beef, Sado-kun." Inoue Orihime had returned back to the desolate world. She had been going back and forth between the human world and Hueco Mundo for quite some time.
"Yeah, Tatsuki and I have been working in cooking class." the man spoke in the usual monotone.
The two had been healing comrades and strangers alike. While Sado transported the bodies of the Shinigami back to Karakura Town, Inoue had been healing the injured and incapacitated Arrancar.
"Do you want some, Ulquiorra-kun?" she asked with open eyes. The green eyed man had been her vanguard. He was no longer bound to Aizen or the Espada any longer. His service during his previous life time had been served. The former Cuatro had died and that was the only way he felt was out of his loyalty. Life for him was nothing. And so, he had a new purpose since the strange woman had revived him somehow.
He sighed, "For the fifth time...No." Her constant attempts to get him to be more human were meant with absolute denial. Inoue of course was only being friendly. Even after what had happened, she felt he needed someone. And as a caring friend, it was only natural for her to try and help him. Ulquiorra easily picked up on this. "I do not need to eat as much as you humans do. I am fine."
She smiled and nodded, "You know Sado, this is fun. Just coming out here and helping Arrancar."
The large man smiled as well, "Yeah." he simply replied.
A frown came on the girl's face, "I only wish Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun were here."
Sado frowned as well. He was not there when she had seen Ichigo. But if he could tell it was pretty heartbreaking. Inoue had no problem telling her friend since now he was the only one since Uryuu had gone missing as well. Ichigo had told her he was with him. Chad didn't really know what to do anymore. Do they help their friends? Or do they help the Shinigami? Everything had gone blank for him. Knowing Ichigo, he must have some sort of sensible clue on what he is doing. He was never one to wonder off and recklessly endanger himself for no reason. Nor would he ever willingly harm his comrades
Then again, Ichigo had been acting out before his departure.
Sado was with his orange haired friend when the two were in Xcution. They had fought and trained together to get stronger. But, things went dark when the entire thing had been a plot to simply steal the strength off of Ichigo. The only reason he joined the organization in the first place was because he was worried about his friend. He was never the same person ever since the fight against Aizen.
"Inoue...I'm sorry." he said.
She tilted her head while chewing on some food, "Anut whut?" Roughly translated to, "About what?"
"I feel as if I had been there for Ichigo when Ginjou took his powers, I could have stopped it. And when he vanished with that girl, I was nowhere. Now, this...I'm sorry I wasn't there for you or him." The man felt ashamed. Ichigo was his best friend and he had not been there when he needed it. Perhaps if he had just spent more time on it. Ichigo no doubt would have done the same for him.
"No, I feel the same way." she admitted, "We were so busy with ourselves that we forgot about Ichigo and left him when he needed us. I feel so selfish." Sado had to agree. The two didn't feel very happy leaving him off like that. "But..." she spoke slowly.
"We will help the Shinigami and Arrancar."
The large man widened his eyes. Orihime had never been one to really pick a side. She would often assist anyone in need regardless of their affiliation. Even when up against enemies who were known to harm her and her friends, she would help them just in hopes that they would stop fighting. She was a true pacifist who never saw the good in anything violent.
But now something had changed.
She officially declared herself at war with the Quincy.
Hurting Ichigo was one thing, practically killing him twice was another, but turning him against her?
That was just unacceptable.
"Yo, it's been a while, Inoue-chan."
The three widen their eyes at the voice. Ulquiorra, clearly remembering who it came from grabbed the girl by the shoulder. Using Sonido, the two appeared a clear distance away. The man simply shrugged with confusion as he stood idle. He had wavy slick brown hair while wearing standard Arrancar clothing. He also had a yellow Zanpakuto sheathed on his side. 'I didn't expect you of all people...' the former Cuatro said to himself.
"Starrk-kun!" Orihime yelled with joy. Her vanguard watched with surprise as the girl suddenly ran towards the man. Opening her arms, the two were then seen hugging. "How have you been?" she asked without really thinking. If there was one Arrancar who was friendly and respectful, it was Coyote Starrk.
He slowly pushed her back, "Not..." the Primera replied slowly, "Too well..."
"Oh, right...sorry!" she said with a bow.
The tall man sighed, "It's no problem." Starrk looked over to his former Arrancar, "I see you made it out...somehow."
"She helped me." he replied tonelessly. "Have you taken over the role as leader?" It would only be natural that the strongest would be the ruler of Las Noches...or whatever is left it. But leadership was not a trait which Starrk believed he possessed. He would rather be in the middle.
The Primera awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, not really. It's more of a council thing. Barragan, Halibel, and I usually run things but I'm just there because the old man would never listen to her. So basically, it's just Halibel making every decision that does not concern military forces." A simple explanation was enough for him to understand. Ulquiorra enjoyed his former rank as fourth. It was nice keeping his powers at a secret while everyone was only weary of what he could actually do.
"I see." he replied. "I no longer have an allegiance since Aizen is gone."
"I know, I know, I'm not here to start trouble with you. I just woke up actually." he admitted with a little bit of shame, "I hadn't even noticed Las Noches was being blown to bits."
"Were you seriously..."
"No, No! I meant after I got my ass handed to me by their second in command I was just out of it. I saw Halibel back there and I guess she's all right." he answered. "I finally found Lilynette...but she's sleeping too." The Primera looked to the girl, "Orihime-chan...I know this isn't the best thing for me to do. Considering I basically gave you back to Aizen...but could you help us once again?"
She smiled, "Of course! You all have been nothing but friends to me." Her kindness was greatly appreciated. Although once a prisoner, every Arrancar now had respected her to the fullest. Inoue had saved majority of their lives before, and so there was even a special rule in the law of Las Noches that was designated in her honor. That the Arrancar must always protect her at all cost. For without her, there would be no Espada.
"But I need your help..." she said softly.
His eyes lit up, "With what? Anything." Starrk replied.
"My friends...they were taken and transformed by the enemy. I want them back."
It was a grim idea. But to use the might of the Espada to bring back her two most beloved friends was not a bad one. Despite being defeated, they were certainly not people to be taken lightly. They could still put up a considerable amount of force and power to anyone. And right now, Inoue controlled their fate. She herself could lead them all to do anything. Instead of keeping the peace for them right now, she was going to use violence to end the war. Something she believed was necessary to end further evil.
"Who are they?" he asked.
"Kurosaki-Kun and Ishida-kun."
The man did a quick curse under his breathe, "So I wasn't having a nightmare..." he replied.
"All right, then I'll probably need everyone." his agreement was meant with joy from Inoue, "I assume you don't want him dead, so if we can just get him unconscious then it will be good."
She frowned, "He's probably suffering right now...I know fighting is bad, but if using evil to stop evil is the only way...then I see no other choice. Right now, I believe Kurosaki-kun is suffering."
He certainly was suffering right now.
"We are being sabotaged."
Yhwach peeked an eye open.
"What are you referring to?"
The "Balance" was not an idiot. He knew full well that the Wandenreich was not perfect. He knew the Sternritter had minds of their own as well as egos. Not everyone blindly followed Yhwach as much as Jugram would have liked. The thought of treason being acted out by members of the most elite Quincy was troubling to him. The second-in-command often observed every Sternritter from time to time. Some he felt were far more trust worthy than others. But then, you often have people such as Bazz-B.
Rogue fighters are common in every army. Soul Society has them. The Arrancar had them, and now the Wandenreich begins to take notice of the faults. They tried drilling in forced loyalty into every single Quincy from birth. Some however come at different times in their life or learn to outgrow there fanaticism for Yhwach.
"The Arrancar..." Haschwalth spoke.
"The group of idiots? What about them? Did they die in the snow?"
The Arrancar naturally were stubborn. When first presented in the Wandenreich they had their swords confiscated and there Zanpakuto. Then, they offered the chance to either serve the Quincy or die. Needless to say, things did not go the way they Yhwach had wanted. The method of forcing them was execution and torture.
"No." Jugram replied tonelessly. "We stopped giving them food a few days ago, but I forgot about them due to my observations on...others." Yhwach knew Haschwalth did not trust his judgment. Appointing Uryuu as a successor set of many red flags in the Wandenreich.
"Perhaps if you have diverted your attention from less important matters than this wouldn't have happened." spoke Yhwach in a low-tone. "I am a little surprised they were able to perform a garganta with their reiatsu being sealed. But it is no matter-"
"Someone stole all of their Zanpakutos and no doubt gave it back to them."
This was troubling. Although Yhwach dismissed the strength of the Arrancar, he could not have a band of wild cards running around causing havoc in the war. It was one thing for them to escape, but to escape with their swords which were sealed in parts of Silbern which the Emperor personally guarded over is alarming.
"You believe a Sternritter is responsible?"
"There is no doubt. Please give me permission to enact spies from within."
Spies from within simply meant to use other more trust worthy Quincy to assist Jugram during his observations. They concluded the most fanatic Sternritter who were no doubt the most loyal to Yhwach. None of them considered themselves above the Emperor or the Wandenreich. Their lives were dedicated to serving the King until death. The "Balance" kept close contact with these Quincy.
Yhwach sighed, "Name these spies."
"Sternritter "F", "N", and "Y"." he replied.
"Lloyd Llyod's brother...he served me will while fighting the Captain-Commander." the man commented. "Very well, find out this traitor and bring him or her to me."
"Yes, your Majesty."
"So what the hell did you do before all of this?"
Candice Catnipp observed the teen as he scoops the last bit of vanilla ice cream into his mouth. It had been ages since he had last tried something so sweet. The nostalgia from always going with his sisters was something which he was able to recollect. It was not often he had the chance to enjoy such foods. The boy had been on diets due to his desire to gain a scholarship for playing sports.
He looked over and gave a deep thought, "Uh, nothing much really. I'm pretty normal outside all of this." The three giggled as the stare at his face, "What?" Ichigo felt a sensation slide down his face. Now embarrassed, he looked around for a napkin but cursed when none were around.
Giselle leaned forward and used her index finger to wipe the remaining ice cream on his face. The former Shinigami watched with suspicion as she places her finger into her mouth. "Mmmmmmmm."
He blushes and pulls back, "Please...don't ever do that..."
The "Zombie" merely giggled and looked over to her pink-haired friend, "What happened to Lilli-chan?"
Meninas groaned, "She was being a bitch. So we left her behind." The busty female was getting tired of her smaller friend. Every time she tried to approach her male interest, the "Glutton" would have to remind her or even use force to make sure she does not try to hurt Ichigo.
"Normal?" The green haired female asked, "You're from the human world, we don't know what the hell normal is." The Sternritter before him all had lives in the Lichtreich. That is where they were when Yhwach had recruited and conscripted around 99.9% of his entire force. Only Kurosaki Ichigo and Uryuu Ishida came from the outside. That is another reason why the two are so unique in the Empire. There way of life had been completely different from what most Quincy had gone through.
"Oh..." he replied. 'I guess they have no real life experiences then.' Ichigo said to himself. "Well, I was born in a city with mainly humans and I just did what average humans did. School, friends, a job, that is pretty much my life outside of this." Such a style of living was something he preferred. His love for fighting and possessing strength was also a key element in his life, but the one thing he loved most was having power and living a normal day to day life. Becoming a full-time Shinigami or Quincy would only be a negative in his eyes. "H-Hi Meni..." he had become afraid of the "Power". Her strength was unmatched and it was difficult to be near her when she becomes alarmed.
"So what would you have done had it not been any of this?"
Ichigo thought about this question a lot in the past. Back when being a Shinigami was just seen as a nuisance. Sometimes he would be happy he did not have to deal with issues and at other times he wished those issues would come to him. It was hard imaging the times before he ever met Rukia, they had all been just past distance memories. Life now had eclipsed anything before being first given Shinigami powers.
"Damn, that's... a weird one to tell someone else." he admitted with a slight chuckle, "Well...I guess I would have just done what most people do."
"Go to school, meet friends, and eventually go to college."
"Be in college, which is basically an advanced school designed for a specific job." He informed.
"Get a job..."
"Get married..."
"Have kids..."
"The cycle repeats for them and then..." he trailed off, "...I die..."
The life of a human sounded extremely bland. Ichigo had basically just described the major significant events in a person's life up until death. The three Sternritter all had different reactions when it came to this. To them life was all about becoming powerful and blood thirsty warriors. The Wandenreich had been there way of life since they were kids. Nothing could ever overcome the style. But hearing such a completely different view on life, it was strange.
"Sorry Berry-chan, that sounds boring."
Candice pondered, "Hmm...It does sound boring. But the human world I heard has a lot more cool shit than fucking Silbern. I mean look at this fucking place. It sucks here!" She did have a point. The frozen world was nothing compared to the human world. Where there were sights, oceans, and all types of different people. "I'm not dying in this stupid war. I'm going to live a real life."
Ichigo flinched, "Wait, you guys aren't allowed to even venture off?"
The three laughed, "No! We've been hiding in these shadows for over a thousand years. We were never allowed to leave Wandenreich City." Candice answered with a grin, "We grew up here...but it's pretty awful."
"Bambi-chan said it was pretty nice." Giselle said with a smile. "She said a red boy took her to dinner and tried to get into her skirt."
Ichigo leaned back and lowered his eyes, "I did not!" He did.
The "Thunderbolt" spat, "Pssh, that lucky bitch." Candice gained a grip on his cheek, "I wish I could have gone. I wouldn't have fucked up badly enough to come back in only two days." He tried squirming but she only grinned further, "We could have been going at it for months." Now is when he was able to suddenly get away.
"Stop!" Six hands could easily overcome two.
"Do you regret it?"
Ichigo stopped his feud with Candice and looked over. "Regret what?"
Her green eyes were a beautiful site. Meninas sat next to him. Slowly but surely, he could feel her tight grip on his arm. "Everything. Do you wish as if you were living a normal life?"
"Nope!"
His answer was fast and surprising.
"At first it was a bit weird. But I got used to everything pretty quickly." He smiled and looked up to the sky, "It was hard but I knew I was better off with power than without it."
"I'm really glad I came here after losing my powers...again." He added, "You guys are weird...but I'm happ_"
This taste...
This sensation…
"Meni! Have some control for fucks sake."
Ichigo abruptly flinched back and skidded across the floor. Due to the pain, his body sank into the ground. His face was burning red. "W-Why!?" he yelled in shock. The "Power" quickly walked over to him. Naturally, he tried crawling away but was soon compelled to obey due to her having full control. "I'm not that kind of guy Meni…" he wishes they could respect his desire to be left alone.
It was one thing to drag him out his bed when he needed rest, but it was way too much to force themselves onto him. He believed they had way too much respect to do something so vulgar.
She looked at him before gazing at her female friends, "Can you give us five minutes?"
Candice looked to Ichigo, "No! Don't give us any minutes!" he was practically begging to not be left alone.
The "Thunderbolt" sighed, "…Two minutes."
"…What is going on here?"
The four cursed in misfortune. Haschwalth appeared from the shadows and eyed everyone intensely.
"You three!" the man yelled, "You're the reason why we are in a craze. He is supposed to be preparing for his ceremony." The girls merely shrugged in carelessness. As if that somehow interested them in anyway. To them It was more fun to kidnap Ichigo out of his room to take him to a more secluded area.
Ichigo looked to the "Balance" with hopeful eyes, "Please…" he asked.
The Grandmaster nodded.
He never once believed he would side with the enemy. There was no debating this issue. He was loyal to his friends and comrades. Even if powerless he would be seen as a traitor in this situation. Ichigo had fought wars alongside the Shinigami. Combating the toughest beings the world hasn't seen in a long time. Even if they were not as close as his human friends, a bond ship formed by battle was not one easily to get rid of.
Perhaps he was wondered what everyone would think of him. To be called a traitor, even though he was never formally part of Soul Society. Instead he was used as a substitute-Shinigami. One that was clearly not trusted enough to run his own town. Yhwach had explained they were always watching him. It would have been too obvious to use spies, so instead they used something much more discrete.
The Shinigami badge he carried was in actuality a device used to monitor reiatsu levels. Then there was the surveillance on his mother, and how the 12th Division was too late in taking her deceased body. Unlike what happened to Uryuu's grandfather, who was deal the unfortunate fate.
But was the Wandenreich really different?
They called him a "Special War Potential". The strongest threat to the fate of the Quincy Empire. Yet, instead of eliminating that threat, they merely had him join. Should he be thankful? Perhaps so. The last organization he joined did more than just spare and train him. They also took his powers and nearly killed him! That was definitely something the Wnadenreich had yet to show.
If it happened once, then it could happen again.
Yet nothing yet had come.
Even when he went berserk in his Hollow form, no one had really confronted him about it. They either kept it to themselves, or just outright didn't care. Ichigo wondered what they thought of him because of that. Bazz-B didn't care, the girls practically forgot about it, except Lilttoto, who has yet to really ask him. Cang-Du has been avoiding the Quincy for obvious reasons.
"They fear you for different reasons."
Right.
"You have always been a Quincy at heart."
This speech was starting to get annoying. He hated being praised for pretty much anything. It made him feel snobby and ungrateful. But he had learned that he truly was a Quincy during all this times. Even when he had zero knowledge of it. All of this time the Quincy blood which ran through his veins was always there, always watching and always protecting.
The first instance of this came when he was fighting the Captain of the 13th Division back in Soul Society. Ichigo had believed Zaraki was untouchable, until he figured out how to slash through his dense reiatsu. But the moment the Captain's blade punctured his chest, he knew things were becoming grim. "Zangetsu" or whatever the spirit was, had activated a hidden technique within Ichigo.
Blut Vene had saved him that day. It was able to stop the bleeding and allowed Ichigo to successfully handle Kenpachi. Even if the two collapsed onto one another, the younger fighter was clearly the underdog. No one had expected him to take on one of the strongest fighters in the Gotei 13.
If only he had known he was a Quincy prior to all of this. It would have been interesting to know how thing could have played out. Whether it was learning as a child or maybe even joining the Wandenreich much prior to now. It was a wild thought thinking about how the latter would have played out. No doubt he would have made similar friendships.
'I can cut him! I can cut him! I can finally cut him and win!'
He wondered if during the encounter against Zaraki it had been Blut Arterie which allowed him to pierce through.
"There is still unresolved Quincy power dwelling within you."
Now he was interested.
"You often led unique linear attacks. A Getsuga Tenshou which touched the ground and slashed at the heavens."
Here we go again with the Getugsa Tenshou. Yes, it's a very odd and peculiar attack but every Zanpakuto had a unique ability. Only Isshin had the same attack. And that is because he was his father and that his own sword was similar to Ichigo's. Although, if it meant anything, his father's attacks were often more bursts of energy rather than perfectly straight crescent waves like Ichigo possessed.
"But the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshou is what I am really curious about."
How did you know that name!? Was his thought.
"You have already seen your Quincy powers before. You used them to defeat Aizen."
A pinnacle power which eclipsed all other beings in the known world. Such greatness could only be seen once in a life time. That very moment he became closer to God than any other being. Not even the second strongest person in the world, Aizen Sosuke, could comprehend the vast strength.
"You sacrificed everything for that move, right? An ability able to utilize the entire spiritual body of an individual. Everything you had was used for that very moment. And If I can recall, you did not learn it easily."
Ichigo looked puzzled, wondering how on earth Yhwach could recalled such a thing.
"Quincy Letzt Stil."
The Quincy Letzt Stil. A technique which allowed an individual to break through the power limits they possessed. At the cost of sacrificing it all, the person is able to deal a considerable amount of damage to their opponent. It is a pinnacle technique which had a reputation for being the final stage in a Quincy's evolution. Nothing could make a fighter more powerful than holy form. 1,000 years ago, this ability is what enabled the Quincy's to handle a war against the Shinigmami.
However, it was also a down fall for the spirit monks.
Time and time again it was becoming more difficult for Quincy to replace each other once Letzt Stil was used. A person would lose their powers and it would take months before they could regain them. Time of course in war had been precious. And while the Quincy surely had a formidable defense area within the human world, the Shinigami seemed to have an infinite supply of soldiers.
"By merging your Shinigami and Quincy powers, you became something out of the ordinary. Something that I even fear."
For those listening to his words, the expressions were shocking. It was not often Yhwach would admit to being scared of things. His motto had always been to strive forward, and that having just a hint of fear would end everything. And since defeat was not an option for the Sternritter, fear had to be left behind.
"That God..." the Emperor spoke as he stares at the ceiling, "For just a brief moment, you became something more than that God. I wish I could have seen it with my own eyes."
Ichigo cursed, "What the hell are you talking about? How long have you been keeping an eye on me!?" It infuriated him to know that all this time the Wandenreich had been simply watching him live his life. As if he was sort of entertainment in there hidden world. "Tell me how you knew about that. Now!"
Yhwach lowered his eyes, "You will remain calm and listen." The "A" merely leaned back and took a heavy sigh. "We did not see you fight. The only time our eyes were able to glimpse on you is when you were in the Seireitei. For all this time we have been hidden inside."
"We felt your power."
"W-What?" Ichigo stuttered.
"A power so great it reached other dimensions, shocking isn't it? I don't even think you realize how strong you were during those moments."
They felt him
"You have always been a Quincy at heart." Haschwalth spoke. "We labeled you the greatest threat due to your ability to quickly learn and the fact that you could wield opposing powers. Something which done artificially, typically ends in death."
"You are like an artificial Soul King. If that makes sense." Yhwach added. Then naturally gaining an even more confusion look from the boy, "But that is a story for another day. I brought you were here to officially bring you into the Wandenreich. Not as a war potential, but as another child. For you are my son, born in darkness."
The blackness of the room suddenly dispersed. Ichigo looked over to see the calm faces of all the Sternritter who eyed him. He could see friendlier people trying to gain some notice but knew very well that disturbing this time of situation would only get them into serious trouble.
"I am the first Quincy. The Alpha of them all," Yhwach said. "And do you know what you are Ichigo?"
"You are the true last Quincy to know of his existence."
Ichigo widened his eyes. He was finally able to get where Yhwach was going with all of this.
"You are now Sternritter Ω - The Omega."
Omega
The End?
He had recognized the symbolic reference of the two. Yhwach of course being the original Quincy while Ichigo was now known to be the last. Jurgram Haschwalth walked over with a bowl of red liquid inside and presented himself in front of Ichigo. This ceremony had been sacred in the Wandenreich. All Sternritter had to go through with it at one point in their lives.
"I thought Ishida was the last Quincy or whatever the hell."
Yhwach scoffed, "Uryuu always knew he was a Quincy. To call him the last would be wrong. You two are both the last. However, you had no idea that you possessed such great blood until recently."
During these intense and sacred moments, Ichigo only had one thought.
His eyes loomed around "I'm not drinking that." The thought of consuming another person's blood just made him squirm. It was no doubt disgusting. But there also the concern he had with hygiene.
Stubborn as always.
I didn't intend to leave on a cliff hanger. But sadly that's how it happened. This chapter was very disorganized and I apologize if got confusing.
I will not forget about Starrk and Ulquiorra the same way Kubo forgot about Grimmjow! They will have significant roles.
This is a harem, and as bad as it is I failed to give more time to the other girls other than Bambietta. So there will be more of them from time to time.
I hope the "Omega" was cool enough. I was thinking of all kinds of different ones like the "Y-Axis" or the "Epsilon" but I figured a way to use the "Omega" with the Greek letter instead of a Latin O. Driscoll is still alive so I couldn't just take his O. Either way more will be explained now chapter!
Let's see those 700 reviews :D