And a new chapter. I have not much to comment on, so I'll just let you read as I begin on the next chapter. :)
darisu-chan: I am glad to have been able to steal your idea-
Just kidding. In fact, this idea has been on my mind ever since Ivan showed up, and another IchiRuki fanfic that will be less canonically tied that I will submit as soon as I can post atleast the first 4 chapters from the get-go, which will take place directly after the Fullbring arc without the current plot of Ivan Azgiaro and the Vandenreich.
As for the hollow dilemma. I myself am not sure, but many hints seem to point towards his hollow powers still being with him, such as the fact that Zangetsu was always both Shirosaki/Ogichi and Zangetsu in one. Ichigo is also depicted on one of the new color pages with a hoodie with a part of the material draped over his left eye with hollow markings and eyes. I also think back in the Ichigo v.s. Ginjou fight, if I remember well - that Ginjou said: "I have a hollow inside me too." to which Ichigo replied with "I see.." and then swung his new Tensa Zangetsu downwards in the same motion his horned hollow form in the fight against Ulquiorra did, which caused a shockwave.
Lastly, the innate type of Fullbring powers, which changed Ichigo's shikai and bankai form (the crosses over his clothes and the collar and tattoo-like additions) are Fullbring created, or so they are said to be. So it'd be almost impossible to say that he has no hollow powers at all, since Fullbring stems from hollow power.
To make it simple, in this story - he does have his hollow, if Kubo comes round denying that Shirosaki/Ogichi/his innate hollow powers are gone forever.
Ivan Azgiaro looked over his shoulder, and noticed the shinigami substitute in a kneeling position, with his blade as low as he could with his back towards him. As if he had swung it. For some reason, the blade leaked its familiar pitch black reiatsu, but only in miniscule, almost unrecognizable chunks.
What is this pain that is suddenly welling up inside of my body?..
Before he was able to comment on it, a diagonal gap separated his body, leading from the utmost upper right part of his head, to his left toe.
Blood clouded his vision and covered his gloves and his prestigious white clothes. It was then that he had realized that he had been taken advantage of and cut into two without being able to even sense – let alone see – the blade's swing.
'What.. is..'
The gap grew as flesh and bones separated in a late reaction to the fatal attack. The blood only helped to separate the two, previously attached parts of his body as he fell on the ground, split in two.
For some reason, his vision cleared up, and he was able to remain stable for a few more moments, enough for him to catch the shinigami substitute glancing over his own shoulder, with a grotesque, skull-like hollow mask covering his face and two dark, unnatural yellow eyes peeking from in between two sockets, they were bathing in the oceans of pitch black darkness that were his sclera.
"Don't even joke about that.", the hybrid shinigami stated in a concluding manner. His voice distorted by a buzz and maddening echo.
The two cleaved body parts fell from the sky with a devastating speed, almost unnoticably starting to disintegrate mid-air as Ivan made his last inner comments.
His consciousness was already close to being completely gone, permanently.
".. Shit..", Ivan proclaimed as his last words while his eyes slowly glazed over and he plummeted to his death with a vast trail of blood following him.
Ichigo remained silent, uncaring for the ruthless death he gave the man, silent apart from the occasional hollowfied intake of breath, which boosted his voice with an extraterrestrial additional sound.
Slowly, his eyes started to regain their original warm brown color, together with the haze of darkness that covered his sclera like a fog that seemed to return back into the corners of his eyes.
Then and there, he almost collapsed. Or at least, he felt as if he was going to collapse.
Clutching his head which was pounding in pain, he tried to bring himself back on his feet. For some reason, his blade seemed exceptionally heavy. Something's wrong. Why is Tensa Zangetsu so weighty?
And where is Ivan?, Ichigo looked around with his hand on his forehead, as if it would nurse the pains in his head that just wouldn't cease to be.
H'oi old man Zangetsu! What's going on?, he called out in his mind, trying to reach his spiritual counterpart: the personification of his own powers.
The thumping feeling in his head suddenly jumpstarted into what seemed like an explosion to him. He quickly placed both his hands on his forehead and keeled over while trying to retain his footing.
He stumbled back a few steps and the air seemed to crackle under his weight, making similar thumping sounds.
With the vast explosion came images, images that flooded in-and-through his head like a stray wave of salt seawater.
The substitute shinigami screamed as if his eyes were flaring without mercy, as if they were burning. The pain caused the grip on the handle of his sword to shake and waver just a moment before it completely disappeared and his blade fell down much like Ivan himself did, a few minutes ago. Or well.. what was left of Ivan.
"Aghaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!", he tightened his grip and opened his mouth as wide as he could. If it had changed the situation, he would –at this moment—happily stab his fingernails through his forehead, but it wouldn't help or change the situation.
Images of the spectacle just minutes ago, but also images of what was to come, or what had happened in the dimension in which he was currently not present: The Soul Society.
Or more like, what images his mind had created of Ivan's words.
Cruel, gore-filled images of Soul Society in ruins, that's what they were.
No, it was not an image anymore, it had become a setting. He was now living in these ruins of the formerly proud Soul Society.
He looked around in desperation, trying to find people, anyone!
Where am I? Where is everyone? Dad! Zangetsu? Rukia? , Ichigo once more clutched his head, but this time he grasped his temples, as he scanned the area. He started to panic, Uryuu? Chad? Inoue? Where are you?"
In his ambiguous state, he realized that Zangetsu was not in his hands, worse even, he was nowhere to be seen.
The substitute shinigami stepped over pieces of broken rock and other signs of destruction and ruin, gazing fearfully at the sight of a completely wrecked Soul Society.
"It's horrible, is it not?", an echoing voice called from behind him, a familiar voice.
Unaware of the presence of his zanpakutou up until now, but extremely relieved,he turned around in surprise and yelled, "old man Zangets-"
It wasn't the old man, it was his bankai.
"I told you to call me Tensa Zangetu, did I not?", the young man corrected with a soft smirk, hovering over the ground only slightly, with his legs straightened and crossed across one another. He had crossed his arm and his wavy, dark hair was swinging along almost typically with the chaotic slams of the unforgiving cold, harsh wind. It was a wind mixed with the remnants of released Reiryoku.
"So much destruction, so much reishi-output that it merged with the wind?", Ichigo questioned as he scanned the area.
"So you noticed, Ichigo?", the younger counterpart of Ichigo's zanpakutou inquired as he stuck up his hand in the air, catching some of the spiritual particles that the wind delivered to the tip of his index finger, "In this desolated place, there is neither life nor death, there is only chaos. So much destruction has taken place here that the chain of life and death has been shattered completely and only this abstract, absolute ruin remains as a twisted reminder of the once blossoming, prideful dimension."
The mentioned shinigami looked around to Tensa Zangetu as his eyes narrowed, a certain fire burning in his eyes. The horror in his expression was still apparent, but he was starting to understand now what the reason for him being here was.
"So you want to show me what happens if-"
"If you fail?", Tensa Zangetsu continued while bowing his head down to blow away the fiery reishi particles on the tip of his finger, "No, Ichigo. Whether or not you fail is completely up to your choice. And as I recall, your choice is not to let Soul Society fall. You have the power, and everyone knows that."
"No, what I want you to do is realize, realize just all that you are."
The orange-haired hybrid merely raised a brow in confusion, "What for?"
"These powers of yours that allowed me to take a shape, they are not normal power. Everyone knows that, except for you."
Ichigo did the same, raising his brow once more, "I do know..", Ichigo replied, bothered by the once more abstract style of speech from his rebellious, spiritual counterpart.
"I don't think you do.", the young man stated as he stepped towards Ichigo, his long, ghastly dark garb started to engulf his body, and he changed towards every opponent Ichigo had faced up until now. In the end Tensa Zangetsu had disappeared and Aizen was now standing infront of Ichigo, in Tensa Zangetsu's stead.
".. Aizen..", Ichigo growled through gritted teeth.
The molded form of the former betrayer of Soul Society had an arrogant grin plastered on his face, the one that pissed Ichigo off.
"Don't bark just yet, Kurosaki Ichigo. You will be barking in the wind."
Aizen's long, white shihakusho faded and his visage was shown in its bound state, with black, shining leather wrapped around the entirety of the man's body, except for the single left eye that was uncovered, while the shihakusho he was previously wearing, that reminded Ichigo of how the traitor was dressed in Hueco Mundo just turned into condensed reishi and faded in the wind.
Ichigo's face seemed to twist in slight distaste as he saw Aizen's new outfit, quirking a brow.
"What is this?", Ichigo inquired with his brow risen the same way it was before, crossing his arms across his chest and narrowing his eyes.
"Aside from the shape of your doubts about my defeat that were edged into the core of your soul, I am also here because I know the truth."
"Which is?", Ichigo asked, trying to refrain from growling again. He scowled at the man in front of him whom was garbed, no, rather held bound by the leather, which at this phase had come surprisingly lose fitting to his standing form.
Ignoring the remark about the so-called doubts, he decided to dig deeper, rather than stop at any petty demeaning insults or comments the near-flawless image of Aizen would throw. In fact, if he did stop at those, he would be busy for a long time.
"You haven't changed at all, Kurosaki Ichigo. You're still as 'to-the-point' as you always were. I assume you also wish to still hide behind the pretense of despising me."
The aforementioned Kurosaki sighed deeply, placing the palm of his hand on the back of his neck, scratching the skin there. I'm wasting my time with this.
"But first.. you'll have to defeat –me-. "
Ichigo's eyes widened as this "Aizen" told that a fight was a necessity between them.
"No way!", Ichigo declared, making a gesture with his hand to emphasize his disagreement.
The visage of Aizen began smirking widely and nearing in his leather-clad form, sticking out his right hand to the side as the green hilt of Kyoka Suigetsu began materializing before the rest of the familiar, infamous zanpakutou.
"You'll.. have no choice in the matter.".
Ichigo's eyes spurred open even more, "!"
He's getting closer to me.. where is Tensa Zangetsu?
"I-impossible..", the helpless shinigami proclaimed as the infamous traitor of Soul Society, or at least his visage got closer to him by the second.
"Shatter.. Kyoka Suigetsu"