Bleach 541: The Divine Rain.
Scene opens up in soul society.
You see Friedrich and Ryuken dodging and disappearing around each other. Arrows of reishi fly around from all directions, missing each of them by a hairs breadth, with no indication to who is shooting them. Suddenly Friedrich stops, a look of surprise on his face, he looks towards Soukyoku hill. Ryuken stops 50 yards in front of him smiling.
Ryuken: Looks like the families all back together.
Friedrich: ...Urahara. His Majesty warned me about the possibilities of his ability...I would not have thought Soken would ever have allowed himself to be used like this.
Ryuken: Used? Well i suppose you should know about that, the way you're being used by the memory of your dead family.
A hard look crosses over Friedrich's face.
Friedrich: I told you before, this has nothing to do with them. I'm here because I believe in his majesties dream.
Ryuken: So you say, well your friend up there does not share your belief, even death did not change that fact...for him.
Friedrich: ...
Ryuken: Was your conviction any less than him in life, your determination, your pride as a Quincy?
Friedrich: …
Ryuken: Are the reasons you had then no longer relevant anymore?
Friedrich: …
Ryuken: Still going to tell me you're not being manipulated?
Scene changes to Soukyoku Hill.
Yamamoto stands supported by Masaki. They are both looking up into the sky full of Reishi arrows.
Masaki: I didn't know Grandpa Soken could do something like that.
Yamamoto: grandpa? You always did get sentimentally attached to people.
Masaki: He was very kind to us, even when we least expected help from anyone.
Yamamoto: Hmph, no doubt it became increasingly difficult for him to use such a technique as he got older.
Masaki: You seem to be good friends, I'm glad.
Yamamoto: Yes, long before you decided to betray me.
Masaki: ...I'm sorry Yamaji, I had no desire to hurt you.
Yamamoto: Hmph, Impudent child. You made your choice. You chose love over duty, a family over your clan.
Masaki: ...No Yamaji, I didn't.
Yamamoto: ...
Masaki: If it had just been love i would never have accepted the position in the zero squad, after all, it was only just then that I was coming to realise how much he truly loved me and was finally able to admit to myself how much I truly loved him.
Yamamoto: ...
Masaki: My love was easy to forsake, for my duty, for my clan. What I couldn't forsake was him. I could see him, from all the way up there, see him suffering on without me.
Yamamoto: ...
Masaki: Yamaji, what would you have had me do? He was a man who had given up everything, forsook everything to be with me. And when I told him I was going, he didn't stop me, he didn't ask me how I could do this to him. He bid me farewell with biggest smile on his face. This man, who I could see dying slowly, day by day, inch by inch, simply because he could not give up the memory of me...how could I not come back for him?!
Yamamoto looks at Masaki as her eyes begin to well up.
Yamamoto: Compose yourself Kurosaki Masaki, I taught you better than that.
Masaki: sniff, yes Yamaji.
Yamamoto: I never agreed with your decision before and I am not about to change my mind now just because I've died.
Masaki: Yes Yamaji.
Yamamoto: However… it is not a decision I have ever held against you either.
Masaki smiles faintly and looks up at him in surprise.
Yamamoto: Hmph, it seems I get all the foolish disciples.
Masaki: (chuckles lightly)
Yamamoto: now observe the technique of the man that took you in after you left soul society, of a man who was equal to me in his prime!
Scene change to fake Ichigo & Aizen
They're both flash stepping across the battlefield blocking and ducking past strikes. Every slash of their sword cuts an enemy in two. Their movements are devoid of any stress or tension and they move smoothly across the battlefield almost as if dancing.
Every time an enemy falls to their swords two more are there striking down on them.
Each fallen enemy seems to draw in dust, it slowly covering their body cocooning them.
Within a few moments they rise up shaking the dust off, their injuries healed.
As the arrows of Reishi begin covering the sky Aizen signals towards Ichigo and they both instantly flash away to the far left side of the cliff away from the zombie horde.
Ichigo: what is going on?
Aizen: I cannot be sure, but if I was to guess, I would say this looks like the beginning of the Divine Rain technique I once read about. It was a technique created in the early days of the Quincy but no one was ever able to master it apart from its creator. It was thought to be lost until Ishida Soken, the only other person known to use this technique.
Ichigo: But how is he able to control ALL of that reishi all over the battlefield?
Aizen: ?... Kurosaki Ichigo, you've fought alongside a Quincy all this time, you've been to Hueco Mundo and fought with Juha Bach directly, you have the knowledge of the captain commanders Shikai itself, do you mean to tell me you still do not understand how a Quincies abilities work?
Ichigo: ...It is not something that we ever discussed. There were always more pressing matters at hand.
Aizen: … I hope your real self has a chance to learn of it before facing Juha Bach, or it will be a considerably short battle.
Ichigo:...
Aizen: (sighs) to try to explain this to you briefly, understand that there is a hierarchy and balance to this world and although you may believe that the Shinigami sit at the top of this hierarchy, that is false, in fact they sit at the bottom.
Ichigo: what?!
Aizen: It is true, why do you think I had the desire to try and evolve us to the very top. In fact I began my experimentations on the Quincy first, I started and finished long before manipulating Kurotsuchi Mayuri and his division to hunt down the Quincy for some…additional experimentation.
Aizen looks at the expression on Ichigo's face with a faint smile.
Aizen: I wasn't always a nice guy Kurosaki Ichigo. In fact I would say I still am not one. My determination and desire have not changed, though I feel that maybe trying a different path would be more suitable.
Ichigo: A different path?
Aizen: I've had a lot of time to think whilst confined under the 1st divisions headquarters Kurosaki Ichigo. My desire and direction have always been to grow, to improve myself away from the bottom rung of this hierarchy
Ichigo: …
Aizen: Think back to when you defeated me Kurosaki Ichigo. Did I seem to be the same Aizen Sousuke that you had known previously?
Ichigo: …
Aizen: My contemplation made me realise that the Hougyoku not only changed me physically but also spiritually and mentally.
Ichigo:?!
Aizen: The Hougyoku for all intents and purposes is sentient, it has awareness which is how it can use its power, however, its best to think of it as naïve child that wishes to please everyone and has the power to do it. Intentionally or unintentionally the merger with the Hougyoku also began to effect and change my personality possibly merging it with its own.
Ichigo: You did seem...
Aizen: very indulged in my own power? (Chuckles) Yes, I realised the calm and analytical mind I've always prided myself in was nowhere to be found in our battle.
Ichigo: ...
Aizen: and thus it wasn't such a hard decision as you might think for me to part with the Hougyoku, growth and improvement is still my utmost desire but not at the cost of changing who I am. (Smirks) maybe now I'll be forced to try more...ethical means.
Ichigo:...
Aizen: Anyways, back to the topic at hand, I was the one that manipulated Mayuri to the point that he had Ishida Soken attacked, all in aid to see this very technique! I was, however, unfortunate at that time. Anyway it quickly became apparent to me that what the Quincy did was not something that could be replicated, certainly not as we are now. They were for all intents and purposes unique. Even attempting to try to study and learn the techniques ended up being a fruitless endeavor.
Ichigo: So after you failed with them you moved onto experimentation with the hollows.
Aizen: Yes. Though it is not accurate and has exceptions based on power and experience the general rule is that a Shingami of captain level is inferior to a hollow Vasto Lorde. You can already see how general this rule is since the more experienced and powerful captains defeated the Vasto Lords I had at my command. By the same token a Vasto Lord is inferior to a Quincy Master.
Ichigo: ...they're that strong?!
Aizen: stronger than you think. Their powers are only balanced by their frail bodies and limited lifespans and the immense difficulty of attaining that level. The fact that the Shingami have seemed to sit at the top of this hierarchy has less to do with their own power and more to do with the fact that Hollows have always been self destructive and could never work together and that their have only been a handful of Quincy to ever reach the pinnacle of their power. Shinigami on the other hand were united under the captain commander and were able to train and improve their abilities relatively fast.
Ichigo: I understood, fighting Bach and seeing his Quincy, how immensely strong they were, I just wasn't expecting something so different. Shooting hundreds of arrows almost instantly, that i've seen. But to hold and control this many arrows, and with such power over the whole of a battlefield seems like something completely different.
Aizen: Well true, I doubt what you are seeing at present is something any of the other Quincy fighting here today could achieve as easily. However, you are still failing to understand their true abilities. You must ignore whatever you thought you understood about Quincy through observing Ishida Uryuu. He would barely have been classed an apprentice at the point in time he came to Hueco Mundo with you. If he was a shinigami he would not even have qualified for a seated position.
Ichigo:...
Aizen: Simply put, the Quincy have the ability to freely control Reishi and use it at their will. Their bows which they use for offence are merely an aid to focus. A tool, which is a requisite for all the lower levels who are unable to use their abilities without them, the Masters however, well, they're masters and need no such 'tool'.
A surprised look crosses Ichigo's face.
Aizen: I see you understand what that means. They have influence over a certain amount of area around them, which can increase as they grow in strength and skill. Within that area they can use reishii however they like and do with it what they wish, hence arrows not being fired from bows. In fact arrows are just their natural choice of weapon based on their early training, if they wished, and had the skill to, they could create what they wished.
Ichigo: Thus creating hundreds of arrows of that size and holding them over a battlefield at your beck and call is nothing to a Quincy master.
Aizen: No, I'm afraid you've missed the mark once again Kurosaki Ichigo.
Ichigo:?!
Aizen: Using reishi freely and controlling it are two separate things altogether. As I said before this technique is not something any of the other Quincy fighting here today could achieve as easily. Additionally, a technique such as that, though visually impressive and overbearingly powerful, would not necessarily be the end of beings like you and I, or any of similar strength for that matter. We would be able to deflect a few, allow some to hit and dodge the others. Our own techniques may also assist us in resisting this technique. Also it is of no great feat for Quincy to create a large quantity of arrows in a short period of time.
So why create a technique so difficult that supposedly only 2 people in history have been able to master it.
Ichigo:...
Aizen: now you begin to see. No, I believe if we wait, we may yet see the true threat of this technique and why it should truly be feared.
Scene change to fake Urahara Kisuke and Ishida Soken.
Urahara is staring at Soken gleefully his smile reaching ear to ear.
Kisuke: Hah, the irony! You ask me why such fascination and then go pull a stunt like this! You entrusted me enough to give me your blood and reiatsu, knowing what I could do with it, yet in all the time I've known you, you wouldn't even confirm that you could use this technique let alone show it to me.
Sokens face is full of strain yet he chuckles lightly to himself at Urahara's words.
Kisuke: I wasn't even sure the rumour was true, I never could find out who started it.
Soken: I'd be very surprised if you had, it was after all, your Captain Commander that started those rumours.
Kisuke: what?!
Soken: Yes. We were very good friends a long time back, especially given our stations. We used to keep each other apprised of matters we thought important. We also used to train together quite a bit as well, though he made sure that no one found out about it.
Kisuke: You used to train together?
Soken: Indeed. For him, it was good to have an opponent that he could push himself against openly, which isn't something he could do with any of the shinigami that were under him. For me, well, I did tend get bored quite a lot.
I rediscovered the technique whilst training with him a long long time ago. He was the only one to witness it at the time, in fact, quite a few of the scars all over his body are from that day in particular, he's not one to admit defeat easily your captain commander.
Kisuke:...
Soken: I'm pretty sure letting the rumour out was his way of testing me to make sure I stayed in line under pressure.
Kisuke: hmmmm
Soken: as well as a little bit of petulant revenge at being defeated that day.
Urahara's smile is a frozen mask on his face, he looks utterly dumbfounded. He gives himself a little shake as if clearing his head.
Kisuke: Well come on then, hurry it up old man, I haven't got all day you know, now I really want to see it!
Soken chuckles and closes his eyes.
Soken: What do you think I've been doing whilst talking to you you impatient boy, I'm trying to stop an army here not just one man, it takes some preparation to-
Soken gets cut off as reishi arrows fly at him from all directions. Far below you can see Jugo, who's moved forward to stand directly in the middle of his army, directing the arrows with his hands. Soken dodges each arrow even with his eyes closed, disappearing from one place to another.
Soken: Too late cub, once these eyes are closed I can see everything clearly.
Urahara, who has flash stepped some distance away to avoid the arrows himself, watches Soken dodging them all.
Kisuke: He's gotten serious all of a sudden, looks like he understands the danger somewhat.
Urahara looks up at the arrows in the sky in surprise. They are all beginning to get thinner and thinner. Arrows that were as thick as tree trunks are now no thicker than a mans arm. They keep getting thinner and thinner until finally they disappear altogether.
Urahara turns his gaze towards Soken, who is still dodging arrows all around him, and murmurs to himself.
Kisuke: I can't even sense them anymore, was it too much for him in the end?
Soken looks towards Urahara as if hearing what he said or maybe just knowing what he was thinking. Urahara hears his soft lingering voice in the air as it reaches him almost as if a whisper.
Soken: Have you ever seen a god Urahara Kisuke? No? Then why would you expect to see his divinity? (Soft chuckle). Observe now, if you can, the divine rain.
Urahara looks up into the sky once again focusing his eyes.
Kisuke: I think...
He suddenly looks down as if trying to follow something. All movement on the battlefield has stopped. Every single reanimated enemy is frozen in place.
Soken appears next to Urahara, his eyes open once again, looking down. Urahara speaks without turning or looking away from the scene below.
Kisuke: paralysis?
Soken: somewhat yes, the arrows are condensed and compressed to the point they are no longer visible to the naked eye but for a slight glimmer when they move. They are also imperceptible any other way. In this state of compression their power is amplified 1000 fold and focuses on one thing alone.
Kisuke: The point.
Soken: Correct. They give up on destruction and focus on piercing alone and in this state there is nothing that they cannot pierce, your captain commander can assure you of this much. Once they pierce their target the condensed reishi essentially overloads it making it incapacitated and unable to do or think anything whilst they remain in there which fyi is as long as I please (soft chuckle).
Kisuke: ...and due to their dense nature due to the compression and the immense energy held within it means that they cannot be damaged, destroyed, removed or affected in any way.
Soken: Indeed, even with my death they would still remain as they are now a disparate entity.
Urahara finally turns to look at Soken, his face serious and with a little awe in his voice.
Kisuke:... Such a technique, you could take out the whole Gotei 13 in one go... if only I'd known.
Soken: It was precisely for that very reason that you did NOT know Urahara Kisuke. I did not aim to be your trump card for every Aizen or other villain that turned up.
Kisuke: But Bach?!
Soken: Yes, I had intended to use this against Bach, which is why I permitted you to use me in the first place, however, I'm not sure now how affective it would have been against him given that I've even managed to underestimate his underling.
Kisuke:?!
Urahara looks down towards the battlefield this time toward Jugo.
You see Jugo climbing out of a huge mountain of bodies that were piled over him.
Soken: He guessed my intent and whilst he distracted me with his arrows at the last moment he directed all the nearest reanimated zombies to pile on top of him layer after layer. He seems to have managed to get enough on top of him to shield himself from the arrows.
Kisuke: … Impressive, he thought of a counter and acted upon it immediately.
Soken: Indeed, impossible to block or counter certainly doesn't mean impossible to defend against [sighs deeply] but now what is our next step, he's seen the technique now, catching him with it will not be as easy.
Down below on the battlefield Jugo stands up straight and looks towards Soken, he slowly bows down low in acknowledgement. As he rises out of his bow he flourishes his sword, it begins to glow steadily getting stronger and more zombies begin rising out of the ground.
Kisuke: He can make more of them still?!
Soken: No, not more. He stopped feeding his reishi to the ones I've incapacitated, they're completely out of his control now, he can't even release them. No, he's now brought the ones that were fighting on the battlefield down below to keep us occupied.
Kisuke: so now we need another strategy for these and quickly. The others below may still need our help given that they're fighting Quincy masters.
Yamamoto appears next to both of them still looking drained and weary.
Yamamoto: Urahara take Kurosaki Ichigo and Aizen Sousuke and go down below and assist the others.
Kisuke: But captain commander-
Yamamoto: That was not a request but an order Urahara Kisuke!
Kisuke:?!
Yamamoto: You cannot remain here for what will happen next, leave this to us.
Kisuke pauses for a moment and then gives a brief nod and flash steps away.
Soken: [smiling] You do realise that you're no longer the captain commander don't you?
Yamamoto: hmph, they should not remain here for what is coming next.
Soken: So what's the plan?
Yamamoto: You once asked me a question on behalf of someone else, do you remember?
Spoken: I do
Yamamoto: Today you will have your answer.
Next Week: Bleach 542 - Kurosaki Masaki
Authors Note: This is where the 10 year old chapters end :-)
Thankfully i've already managed to write out chap 542 and should hopefully be able to keep up with the chaps since the plot arc is already set (though i do end up adding a lot of random stuff which i need to then account for lol).
I'd just like to say that going forwards you may find similarities regarding certain things between my fanfic and the official thousand year blood war arc. I did briefly consider when thinking/writing out the new chaps whether i should change this but then rejected it. pretty much all my story decisions and characterisations were decided 10 years and i wanted to stay true to that and also i liked the reasons for behind making those decisions so i decided to stick with it (even if they look worse).
Final Note: Masaki's ability was an absolute pain to figure out! She's a special character to me (especially coz of the back story and mom vibe) so I didn't want it to be rubbish, but i'm also not happy with making it OP unless "theoretically" there's a way to counter it). I personally don't think i've done a good enough job but there's only soo much brain time i could give it lol, so hope you don't hate it too much.
Enjoy.x