Chapter 6: The Escape

In the lowest levels of Seireitei, there existed a prison that was reserved for a select few 'lucky' individuals that had been deemed such a threat to not only Soul Society, but the Human World and even the balance between worlds itself, that they needed to be imprisoned and kept under constant watch. Most of these individuals had long since rotted away in the dark, impenetrable walls of the prison.

However, one such man was still alive, and still very much a threat.

Sosuke Aizen, the former Gobantai Taichou of the Gotei Juusantai, turned traitor and murderer. A man with a SERIOUS case of arrogance, and one that had a rather convoluted god-complex, to boot. For all of his lorded intelligence, and his keen, 'all-seeing' intellect, he had not been able to foresee his confinement in the lowest level of Seireitei's underground prison.

He'd finally admitted to himself that he'd gotten cocky. With the Hogyouku at his every command, he thought himself untouchable. Once the gem had fused with his being, he believed the game he'd been playing with Soul Society to be over, checkmate in his favor.

However, he had not counted on the one wild card in his entire scheme to make a surprise appearance, and with a rather nasty power-up in tow.

He'd merely thought it all a bluff, big talk to hide a not-even-noticeable power behind it. That changed when the youth had brought it to his front doorstep, and his big talk was backed by an even bigger walk. Everything he'd thrown at him had been either brushed aside or outright destroyed. With each successive failure, it began to instill in him something he'd long thought rid of: FEAR.

When the boy caught his blade, he'd been stunned. Surely this was not the same person who could barely stand to be in his presence merely an hour beforehand. Where had that scared little boy gone, and who in the hell had replaced him?

A monster, he thought. He was proven correct when the man had all but shattered his Kurohitsugi with merely a sweep of his arm. He'd decided to not play around anymore, and had used the full power of the Level 90 Hado, reciting the entire chant perfectly down to the last word. He'd pushed it as far as it would go, and had been satisfied with the results.

Until he broke the kido like a kid would destroy a sand castle.

The growing uncertainty had been momentarily quashed, his certainty that Kurosaki had been obliterated showing on his face. That uncertainty not only came back, but blossomed into full-blown panic when Ichigo broke the kido.

That calm, uncaring visage. Those eyes...THOSE EYES! He grit his teeth just THINKING about them! He was looking DOWN on him, he was sure of it! Looking upon him like one would look upon a cockroach, nothing but contempt for the insignificant creature that stood in his way.

Sosuke Aizen was NOT to be looked down upon. Even as he moved his vantage point higher, he still felt the every present watchful eye of Kurosaki Ichigo, the man calmly assessing the situation, and deciding that he could take Aizen blindfolded in his current state.

All his previous failures at taking the man down, all the insults and injuries he'd sustained until this point, all of it culminated in that blinding rage that heralded another transformation. Once finished, he was once more confident he had the upper hand.

He was proven wrong again!

How? How had a mere HUMAN, someone who had no powers to begin with, manage to get so far ahead of him, to ascend so much further than himself? It baffled his mind, clogged his thoughts, and brought everything else to a screeching halt as he regarded the man before him, his power clearly visible yet...he could still feel nothing.

Upon remembering his own analogy, he'd lost all semblance of restraint, all semblance of control, his level-headed facade replaced with the visage of a madman. He knew it, yet didn't care. This...this HUMAN...this pile of garbage...this utter SCUM...there was NO WAY he could have surpassed him. It. Was. IMPOSSIBLE!

Reality had hit him like an abusive father, and he was catapulted into a world of darkness. Pure, never-ending blackness. He tried to breathe, to scream in protest, to claw and scrape and rip and tear his way out, but his body would not listen to his mind.

He could feel his body starting to tear, the molecules separating as if he was being unborn outside the womb. It was the most excruciatingly painful experience of his entire afterlife. Never had he felt this level of pain. It made a stab wound to the gut feel like a pinprick.

Had it not been for the Hogyouku, he'd have ceased to exist right there. Even as his body was dissolving like ice under the midday sun, the sentient gem was in the process of reconstructing him outside the area of effect, his molecules reattaching themselves to one another and forming a somewhat unscathed body.

His appearance had drastically changed, though, and he could no longer feel the heavy weight of the wings that had adorned his back. He figured they'd been lost, and the Hogyouku must have determined them either a lost cause or unnecessary. He was fine with that. He'd taken Kurosaki's last and strongest attack, and had come out alive. THAT was what mattered.

He felt himself falling, and was unable to brace for the impact. His body crashed into the ground, and once more the Hogyouku managed to save his life, high-speed regeneration mending broken bones and crushed organs. He felt his body finally coming together completely, and could also feel the skin being mended, the horrendous gash parallel with his spine mending itself of its' own accord.

He'd heard the sound of a nearly breathless Shunpo, and managed to struggle to his feet, his weak reiatsu senses finally registering Kurosaki's presence as the man collapsed to his knees, his power level rapidly dropping even as he managed to stand.

He'd thought he'd won. He FINALLY WON!

Inside his cell, he scoffed outwardly.

He should have known that that sly bastard Urahara would have done something. He thought his victory over the former head of Research and Development too easy, but chalked it up to the overwhelmingly powerful presence of the Hogyouku.

As he was being sealed, he regarded the scientist. Why? Why, with all of his intelligence, his lorded skills in all the major fields of research, study, creation, and even combat, did he simply bow to the Spirit King like a dog to its' master? He should be fighting WITH him, not AGAINST him. That...THING...did not deserve the loyalty it received from Soul Society. No, it only deserved a slow, painful death at his hand.

Yes, he was going to kill him, and he was going to take great joy in watching the life fade from god's eyes.

Inside Sosuke Aizen's cell, a pulse was felt. Then another. And another. Slow at first, then increasing in increments, until finally a rapid beating could be felt. Would it have been able to be felt by anyone other than Aizen, the alarm would have been raised immediately, and he would have been executed on the spot.

However, the Hogyouku knew this, and did not intend to have its' 'master' killed so easily. No, it took great pleasure in watching this feeble worm struggle to cause chaos, and it figured that it would lend him its' power once more.

Unbeknownst to Aizen, however, this would be his LAST chance to get what he wanted. If he failed...

A loud explosion could be heard as a cell suddenly had its' doors violently torn off. They were thrown outwards like a paperweight, ricocheting off the far wall and alerting guards to a disturbance.

The assault was so sudden, so unexpected, and so violent, that the guards hadn't a chance to get out a warning before they were torn asunder, blood spraying the walls of the jail's inner workings. The Shinigami in the control room could only watch as their companions were tossed about like rag dolls, the shrouded figure quickly making its' way to their front door.

The Shinigami in charge of the control room's communications managed to get off a hasty alert before his head was removed from his shoulders, bouncing along the ground before landing near his superior's feet. The slaughter continued, until the room was painted a dull crimson, the carnage before the shrouded figure only making him smile. Pressing the button to unlock the doors leading to the surface, he calmly walked out, wiping his newly reformed sword on a nearby corpse.

Seki-Seki rock lined every jail cell, every hallway, and every entrance/exit in the entire jail. Even the main entrance, a large elevator shaft hundreds of feet wide and several hundred thousand yards deep, which was also the sole way to reach the surface, was lined with seki-seki rock. Despite this, it would pose little problem to him, as he already knew an easy solution to this.

Despite belief to the contrary, Shinigami could not fly. They could make it seem as if they did, but that was not the case. They merely solidified the reiatsu underneath their feet, allowing them to walk or even run on air. They, however, could not fly as they did not have wings. The seki-seki rock prevented them from solidifying reiatsu, which thusly prevented them from escaping without the aid of the elevator. With Aizen, this problem was easily rectified.

Blood spouted from his back in a crude, blackish-crimson geyser, and his butterfly-like appendages reformed, flapping once, then twice. They easily carried him up without the need for much reiatsu, and no need to solidify it. As he ascended to the surface, he could only think of the sweet, sweet looks of utter horror on everyone's face when he arrived.

Sosuke Aizen...had been reborn.

Inside the 12th Division, the alarms were anything but silent. Shinigami from every sub-division were frantically scrambling to and fro, giving status reports and doing their best to contain the ever-growing situation. Underground, doors were sealed, exits locked and special seki-seki walls were erected to prevent a single person from making his escape.

With each failure in their endeavor, the men only grew more panicked. Finally, the prisoner was reaching the uppermost level, just below the surface, and they had nothing left to stop him with.

Kurosutchi Nemu only watched in horror as Sosuke Aizen systematically destroyed their every defense, and making it look like child's play only added insult to injury. Reluctantly, she had to admit to herself, and to her captain, who was watching with similar anger and horror.

"DO SOMETHING, YOU IDIOTS! DO YOU REALIZE THAT IF HE ESCAPES, WE COULD VERY WELL BE KILLED?!"

"Mayuri-sama."

The captain of the 12th Division rounded on his lieutenant, words dying on his lips as he saw her expression. She NEVER looked this...this hopeless.

"It is no use, Mayuri-sama. He has the Hogyouku. As long as it works for him, there is little we can do to stop him."

Despite his mind's vehement protests, it knew she was right. They had nothing that could stop him. Their technology was proven worthless in comparison to his overwhelming might.

Mayuri sighed. "Call the Soutaichou once more. Tell him...tell him Sosuke Aizen has escaped confinement."

Nemu nodded, and went to make the call.

As chaos continued to ensue around him, Mayuri Kurosutchi turned to the monitor to watch Aizen break through the last obstacle to his freedom.

"We're dead. Unless Kurosaki has TRULY regained all of his powers, we're dead. We just don't know it, yet.

Sokyoku Hill.

Widely known, and an iconic landmark in its' own right, this place has been the site of numerous conflicts in Seireitei, from Rukia's attempted exectution, to Ichigo and Byakuya's 3rd conflict, to Ichigo and Kariya's final fight. It was also the site of Aizen, Gin, and Tousen's defection, and the Zanpakuto Muramasa's confrontation with the Shinigami, which began the 'Zanpakuto Rebellion'.

It is here that Aizen finally emerged from his 1 ½ year imprisonment, his eyes squinting at the midday sun's intensity. Too long has he been stifled down there, so it takes some time for his eyes to adjust to the brightness of a REAL light.

Glancing around, Aizen's face twists into a smirk. How ironic. That he would surface at such a historic place. He knew nothing of the other feats performed here except his own, yet it still struck him full of irony, nonetheless.

Feeling several reiatsu signatures, he couldn't help but smile as he felt the entirety of the Onmitsukido surround him, their firebrand of a captain not far behind.

"So, I'm to be greeted by the Stealth Force, and their not-so-stoic captain first, ne? How interesting."

"Give it up, Aizen. You have nowhere to go, and you are in no position to talk." came Soifon's response.

"No position to talk? Why, I believe I'm in every position to talk. I'm far stronger than you give me credit for, Soifon-taichou."

She was about to retort, when she felt the cold harshness of a steel blade pressed gently against her throat, the entirety of her forces a twisted pile of broken bones and mangled flesh.

"N-no! Impossible. I didn't even blink! He...just after breaking free...he can't be this powerful!"

Her eyes managed to make their way to his face, and she could see his damnable smirk fixed in place.

"It's been fun. Sayonara, Soifon-taichou."

She closed her eyes, waiting for the blade to bite into her flesh. When she felt nothing, she looked to see nearly the entirety of the Gotei 13 surrounding them, and the new captain holding onto Aizen's blade with a bored expression.

Taking this opportunity that had been given her, she sprang back, perspiration pouring down her face as she took stock of how close she came to death. The reality of it brought her to her knees, and she couldn't stop the trembling in her limbs.

"Soifon. Get ahold of yourself. Soifon!"

She felt her lady's presence, and she turned her head to regard Yoruichi, wide eyes staring into worried ones.

"He...so fast...I couldn't..."

"It's alright, Soifon. I couldn't have done anything, either." Yoruichi said. "Now, just watch. That's what most of us are here for, anyway. He should be able to take care of it."

Turning, she regarded the new captain, the man who'd been able to stop Aizen's blade with little effort. It was difficult for her to wrap her head around his possible strength, but she just accepted the fact that without him, she'd very likely be among her Stealth Force on the ground, dead or dying.

"So, you're Aizen. You've got quite the reputation, I must say." began Yuuto, a mocking tone accompanying his words. "If I didn't know any better, I'd assume you were a god of some sort."

Pulling his blade from the man's hand, Aizen turned to regard the newcomer. "Ishigawa Yuuto. My, it has been some time since I last saw you. Has your journey through the Dangai granted you any enlightenment?"

Scoffing, Yuuto leveled a look at the traitor. "You could say that. I had a feeling that you were behind it, but I'd never gotten the chance to prove it. You've gone and done it for me, so for that, I'm thankful. I'm also thankful, ironically, for you trapping me in there."

Aizen raised an eyebrow. "How so, if I may ask?"

Yuuto shrugged, casually strolling around the man as if talking to a comrade. "Well, if you hadn't trapped me in there, I doubt that I would have gained the strength that I currently possess, and I am positive that I would not be even close to a level with which I could fight you at. So, in those regards, I give you my sincerest thanks."

Aizen laughed. "I see the Dangai has warped your perception of power as well as your mind. I am far superior to you. I'm merely-"

"Lowering your presence so that we can sense you, correct?"

Aizen's eyes widened, and he whipped his head around so fast, some thought it would snap off.

"Y-you! It can't be!"

Ichigo leveled a glare at Aizen, Rukia and Hinamori behind him with glares of their own.

"Unfortunately for you, it is. I've returned, Aizen, and this time, you will not be leaving here alive."

Aizen quickly composed himself, looking around at the assembled members of the Gotei 13.

"I see that you've outdone yourself regarding the welcome wagon, Yamamoto-soutaichou."

Said man huffed. "For you, we would utilize nothing less than the full might of the Gotei Juusantai. You are a traitor and a madman, and must be eliminated before you pose a further threat to the World of the Living, as well as Soul Society."

Aizen scoffed. "As if a feeble old man and his lackeys could hope to stop me."

Yuuto appeared before him, hand on his blade. "THEY don't have to. I'm the only one needed to wipe the floor with you."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Yuuto-san! Don't!"

Turning to Ichigo, he gave him a look that bordered on soul-piercing. "Do. Not. Interfere. You took him down once, and now it's my turn to do the same. Besides, you haven't had your powers for that long, so you are not currently at full strength. Remember what I said, Ichigo."

He turned to Aizen and drew his blade. "I've been in the Dangai for far longer than you have, so you should know how easily I can handle someone like him."

Ichigo was struck dumb. Of course. How could he have forgotten. He smiled, and put his hands behind his head. "Fine, but if you get your ass kicked, don't expect me to come running to your aid."

Yuuto smiled. "Wouldn't have it any other way." Turning his full attention to Aizen, he nodded. "So, shall we begin?"

Aizen smirked. "Actually, I was thinking of putting this to an end. Right NOW!" With that, he moved faster than most of the captains could even see, let alone follow. Their concern for their fellow captain was paramount, and shouts to get away were heard around the circle.

"Yuuto-san! Get out of there!" cried Hinamori, her fears of losing her kind-hearted captain coming back full force.

A ring of steel was heard, and backlash was forced into their faces, the wind causing some to cover their faces.

Aizen stood there in shock, his blade clashing with the other man's blade. His shock was only increased when he was grabbed by the throat, and hefted off his feet. It was mirrored by the incredulous looks coming from the assembled Shinigami. Even the Soutaichou had opened his eyes in a start.

"It seems that you have not learned your lesson from the last time Ichigo pounded it into your skull. Very well. Since I can only assume that you have no regard for life, human, Shinigami, or otherwise, I will have to take this elsewhere."

Within a second, both combatants were gone, and their spiritual pressure could be felt clear across Seireitei. The assembled Shinigami made their way there instantly, their fear outmatched by their desire to see Aizen fall at the hands of the Gobantai Taichou.

Appearing in a familiar setting, Aizen was roughly released, his hand coming up to rub his throat.

"Now that there are no spectators, I can go all out." Pointing his sword at Aizen, he spoke. "Shouhi, Shieien Kaosu. (Consume, Eternal Chaos)"

Black reiatsu enveloped the captain, and Aizen merely stood there. A Shikai release would not harm him in the slightest, so there was nothing to fear.

The reiatsu quickly disappated, and the captain stood there in his black armor, katana at the ready. "Let's begin, Aizen. I'll finish this in an instant."

Aizen started, and he couldn't help himself from laughing outright.

Yuuto quirked and eyebrow. "Something funny?"

Aizen composed himself. "Yes, but it's what you would call an, 'inside joke'."

Yuuto shrugged. "Have it your way. Do you want to start, or should I just kill you now?"

Aizen scoffed, and swung his blade, attempting to cleave off the other man's head. Yuuto effortlessly blocked it, sneaking into Aizen's guard and drawing his blade across the man's arm. A shallow cut appeared, and Aizen tsk'd, before kicking Yuuto in the chest, forcing him back.

"If weak strikes such as that are the best you can manage, then you have no hope of defeating me."

"Who said I had to beat you with strong strikes. As long as I draw blood, this battle is mine."

"Such arrogance. Victory is far from certain, especially for the likes of you!" Arcing his blade in an overhead strike, Aizen managed to draw some blood of his own, Yuuto's cheek parting slightly under the traitor's blade.

Leaping back, Yuuto put a hand to his cheek, and it came away red. "Hmm, not bad. You're slightly faster than anticipated. Looks like I'll have to kick it up a notch, then."

In a flash, two more shallow cuts appeared on Aizen's arm, joining the first one in bleeding sluggishly.

Aizen merely smirked. "Really? I'm not impressed, Yuuto-san. I'd thought you'd be more-"

A gargled scream tore itself from Aizen's throat, and he clutched his shoulder in agony, falling to his knees.

Yuuto turned to regard the fallen man. "Hokori ni Mukeru. It's the technique that my Shikai employs, though I rarely use it. Anything I cut not once, not twice, but three times will turn to dust, although it appears more like sand than anything."

Even as Yuuto spoke, Aizen's arm had already begun to fall apart, his flesh and bone falling off as it rapidly turned to dust, the clumps of sand forming a pile at his feet.

"It hurts, doesn't it? To have your arm rapidly reconstructed into a pile of sand. It must, judging from the way you're kneeling in agony."

Gritting his teeth, Aizen forced himself to stand, the disintegration ending where the last cut was made, just below his shoulder. "You...you bastard! You self-righteous, asinine BASTARD!"

His shoulder erupted into a fountain of blood, and a new arm was given form, covered in the remains of the stump he'd just had moments ago. Yuuto had seconds before he was slashed across the chest, his grunt audible as he leapt backwards.

Panting, Aizen flexed his new arm, the hand curling into a fist and back. Seemingly satisfied with the Hogyouku's work, he leapt after Yuuto, blood flying as he carved another gash into the man's left arm.

Cursing his lack of attention, Yuuto swung back, three more shallow cuts appearing in quick succession on Aizen's right hand. Forced to drop his blade, Aizen howled in agony as his right hand joined his former left arm, the small pile of dust pooling at his feet.

Just as quickly, the stump regrew a new hand, blood dripping from the fingers as he grasped his fallen sword and swung, carving a third gash into Yuuto's body, this time forming an X with the first gash across the man's chest.

Using Shunpo, Yuuto landed on a nearby plateau, blood dripping onto the rockface as he clutched his wounds. He'd been careless, thinking Aizen would be immobilized by the pain. He had counted on the man being able to regenerate. The Hogyouku could do that much. However, the captain had thought he'd had more time.

"I suppose this is what I get for challenging the Hogyouku with just a Shikai."

"You're correct."

Whipping around, Yuuto dodged a strike meant to sever his spine, and elbowed the traitor in the face, before sending him flying into a cluster of rocks with a roundhouse kick to the abdomen.

Panting, he began to build his reiatsu quickly, knowing he'd have little time to execute his tactic. Already, Aizen was pulling himself from the rubble, a scowl on his face as he brushed the debris from his shoulders.

"Aizen." Turning, said man regarded Yuuto with an intent stare. "Here's where things get a little more interesting."

Gripping his right arm with his left hand, he breathed out slowly, and-

"Bankai."

Black reiatsu erupted from Yuuto, causing Aizen to shield his eyes from the flying dust and debris. Looking out, he saw a column of black reiatsu that seemed to ascend into the sky without end.

Suddenly, he blanched and stumbled backwards. This couldn't be right. It was not happening.

"Not again! This man...not him, too!" He could no longer feel Yuuto's reiatsu. It had grown stronger and stronger and stronger, then plummeted until he couldn't feel a thing. Flashbacks to his last fight with Ichigo had him stumble back several more steps.

"It...it's not possible...for not one...but two individuals to be stronger than I."

The tower of black reiatsu parted, and Yuuto stood with a midnight black blade, the handguard a white, eight-pronged star and the hilt stark white, as well. The rest of the blade may as well have been a direct copy of Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu (for it was as black as black could be) save for the second blade parallel to the first (which was also black).

*A/N: To assist with visuals, picture Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu with two blades parallel to one another instead of one, the handguard replaced with a white eight-pronged star and the handle/hilt white instead of black. No chain, either.*

"It's been a long time since I've had to use this form." Yuuto began. "But I would expect nothing less would work on the wielder of the Hogyouku. Prepare yourself, Aizen. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are not to be trifled with."

Chapter 6 is done, and we're finally getting to some action. Aizen is back, and he's mad as hell. Let's see just how far he can go before he snaps.

-Sgt. Assassin