"Tada," Yoshitada called as he leaned in the door to her room.
"Yes, dad," she smiled as she looked up at him.
"I've got a problem I've been struggling with, and I need your help," Yoshitada stated as he closed the door behind him.
"What's the problem?"
"There's something I need to do, something that's absolutely imperitive, if I don't do this, many lives will be put at risk, but what I must do goes against the laws of the Gotei thirteen. Should I go through with it and risk getting expelled from the Gotei thirteen, or should I prepare for what will happen if I don't do it?"
"That's a big problem…can you tell me what you have to do?"
"No, it could sway your choice."
"How many people would die if you don't do this?"
"Likely…all of Soul Society."
"No matter what happens, I'll follow you in either choice."
"Then get ready, tonight we begin our search for the vizards."
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Yukima sat across her room from Yoshiko, who simply stared at her. What sort of fight was going on inside her?
"Mom…help me…" Yoshiko muttered, tears began to pour from her eyes.
"Y-Yoshiko?" Yukima stammered, walking closer.
"It hurts…this mask…" Yoshiko gasped, doubled over. Yukima ran to her side and held her. Yoshiko rest her head on her shoulder and began to laugh, "Just kidding!" she bit down on Yukima's shoulder, drawing blood. Yukima pulled away and moved across the room as Yoshiko laughed at her. "That was good! Your blood tastes sweet, way better than the blood of adjuchas or Gillians!"
Yukima ran over to Yoshiko and grabbed the mask, pulling at it, "If you aren't strong enough to defeat the hollow, I'll destroy it for you!" Yukima shouted. As she shouted, her hands absorbed some of the energy from the mask. Yoshiko tried to fight her off, but Yukima was too strong. Yoshiko grew weaker the more energy was taken from her. The mask began to crumble in her hands. Yoshiko collapsed on the sleeping mat, she was breathing heavily.
"Yoshiko," Yukima called, no response, she just lay still, "Yoshiko, please, answer me."
"Mom…where am I?"
"Las Noches, the palace of Kurokami, king of the hollows, we're in my room."
"Last I remember, I was in the lab, the scientist told me that they were going merge my soul with that of a hollow, to see how we would react, and Kurokami forced me to look into his eyes, next thing I know, I'm waking up here."
"Is it really you this time?" Yukima asked.
"Yes…mom, did I do that?" Yoshiko muttered, looking at the bite mark in her neck.
"No, the hollow you were merged with did this."
"Are you alright?" she asked as she walked over to look at it.
"I'll be fine," Yukima assured as Yoshiko began to tear off a part of her sleeve. She wrapped it around the wound to stop the bleeding.
"Thank you for freeing me."
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Yoshitada had been travelling the deserts outside Soul Society for days in search of the vizard army, followed by Sorako and Tada. Both of them knew his true reason for the search, both wanted him to succeed.
With the eerie mountains to the southern horizon and knowledge that Soul Society was to the north, they had grown bored, tired, hungry and nearly dehydrated. The group had set up camp as night fell, not much of a camp, just each of them laying down in the dirt with a blanket as Yoshitada put a camouflaging spell over them. The next morning they moved on.
Yoshitada had noticed Tada's weary steps and had her walk at the front of the group so he could watch over her. She reluctantly obeyed, hiding her weariness. Yoshitada tried to keep his mind focused as he moved along, he had to keep watch over his daughter, he couldn't let himself black out as the world faded…into black.
The others decided to carry him to the mountains where they could rest in the shade. They took turns carrying him, but gradually became unable to lift him on their own and shared the weight. However, they too collapsed.
Yoshitada woke in a small bedroom carved into a mountain cave. There were few decorations aside from small stalagmites, left behind due to their aesthetic appeal. He tried to stand but felt pain in his throat.
"Don't overexert yourself," a man scolded from the side of the room. Yoshitada followed the voice, the man was large, with pink hair and a mustache.
"Who are you?" Yoshitada muttered.
"Hachigen Ushoda, a vizard," he answered with a bow.
"Where are the other two?"
"In separate rooms, I assure you, they're fine."
"Please, let me see them."
"I would really like to, but you have yet to gain our trust, for all we know, you're spies. Please don't take it personally, it's just that our leader is a suspicious person. He ordered us to ask you a series of questions before we involve ourselves too much. I might want to warn you, if your answers aren't to our liking, he'll probably throw you out."
"If I must do this…"
"Alright. Why are you here?"
"I wish to recruit your group to defeat the arrancar."
"Hm…when the others were questioned, they had a slightly different answer, do you know what this other answer is?"
"I wish to draw out and defeat my inner hollow, so that I can gain the same powers you have."
"Good, that matches. Why do you wish to achieve these powers?"
"So that I can rescue my wife and daughter from the arrancar."
"Some sources would say that your daughter is already safe."
"The daughter I travel with is the oldest, the one we're trying to save is my youngest."
"That too matches. What do you wish for our role to be in the invasion?"
"That is one of the things I wished to discuss."
"Enough questioning, we have all we need to know. Welcome to Vizardyama, Captain Kagenishi," a man with long blonde hair greeted as he walked in the door.
"Rose, if anything happens here, you'll be to blame," Hachigen warned.
"I sensed no change in heart rate, he's telling the truth," Rose explained as he leaned against a stalagmite, "Now heal him."
"Very well," Hachigen sighed as he held his hands out toward Yoshitada. Instantly a yellow screen appeared between his hands and Yoshitada could feel his injuries heal…no, reverse. They were being undone, "That wound on your back, whoever started work on it did real well, who was it?"
"Her name was Unohana, she was from the fourth squad."
"Well, she's on her way to becoming a master healer, but there are all kinds of healing techniques, some are just more effective, mine denies the existence of the injury and the injury is no more," Hachigen explained, moments later, the wounds were healed, along with the effects of dehydration, "There, all done."
"Thank you, that's an incredible power."
"Well, I suppose it's time I heal the others."
Hachigen bowed and walked to the other room.
"So, you want to draw out and defeat your inner hollow," Rose noted
"Yes, I need to gain the strength to defeat the ichikurai arrancar."
"You understand that this is a dangerous process, right? You know that if you are unable to defeat your inner hollow, it will take you over, don't you?"
"I've read all about the process, trust me, I've prepared myself for it."
"Well, what ways do you know of for drawing out your inner hollow?"
"None, but I know you have all gone through it, perhaps you know of a way…"
"Only one for those who haven't seen the slightest glimpse of it."
"How is that?" The moment he spoke, Rose had flashed in front of him, his sword at his neck, Yoshitada's arm had moved to block, holding his own zanpakuto against the enemy's.
Weak fool! You didn't see that coming?
What's going on? Yoshitada tried to shout, but the words didn't reach his mouth.
Idiot, you almost got us killed! Don't worry, I'll take care of it from here, I'll take care of your wife for you, and your daughters, but most of all, I'll take care of my brother, and take his place.
Yoshitada knew from that moment that he was being controlled by his inner hollow.
So you're the one I must defeat to attain the vizard abilities…very well.
Yoshitada forced himself back to control of his body as he stood over Rose with his sword aimed at his heart. He could feel a mask crumble from his face.
"Captain Kagenishi, I see you regained control…" Rose smiled as he sat back up.
"That takes care of step one," Yoshitada sighed with relief.
"Hachigen, you can take down the shield now," Rose called as he took off his own hollow mask.
"Are you alright?" Yoshitada asked.
"Yeah, but that was the strongest force I ever fought against, and I've fought against a vizard whose inner hollow was a Vasto Lorde, the spiritual pressure alone was enough to send me to the ground," Rose explained, "The fact that you were able to regain control is remarkable, seriously consider not going any further. You may not take control again."
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"Is that your idea of deranged?" Yukima scolded.
"I'm sorry, I don't have much experience with insane people, before I got here I mean," Yoshiko complained, wearing a replica of her hollow mask made from stone.
"You can't get the laugh right. If we're spotted, you need to be able to sound like you did when you were merged with the hollow," Yukima explained, putting ash based makeup around her eyes to darken them, "Now try again." Yoshiko lowered her shoulders and smiled an ear to ear smile as she let her head lean to the left.
"Is thiiiiIISsss good enOoouUgh?" Yoshiko squeaked in an eerie tone.
"That will do, just remember to laugh at inappropriate times," Yukima reminded as she opened the door and walked out.
At the end of the hall was a pair of jikurai arrancar. They were relaxed, drunk and loud, "Did you hear about those Vasto Lordes rebelling? Hidegama, Shiranobu, and Akumaichi, I wouldn't be surprised if Yukima joins them."
"Are you kidding? She hates Hidegama, in their earth lives, they fought or something, she won't join them."
"Well, she sure won't stick with—" before he could finish, he was stabbed through the neck by an arrancar in black robes. He quickly pulled the knife out and ran it through the other's forehead.
Yukima took out her zanpakuto and ran at the man in black, he took the dagger from the forehead of the second guard and ran at her. Before he reached, she flashed behind him and ran the sword through his chest. As the man collapsed, the rest of the castle erupted in battle.
Yukima looked around the corner and saw several of the other black robed arrancar fighting Kurokami's arrancar, "Now's our chance, stay close," Yukima ordered. The two ran through the battle, making their way to a window or doorway, whichever they found first.
"Kill them all! All who fight for the arrogant Kurokami!" Shiranobu ordered, slashing through his enemies. As he shouted, Sabunori appeared behind him. Shiranobu turned just in time to block a strike from the former shinigami
Yukima turned down another hallway to avoid the two. In the next hall, Hidegama was busy fighting another of Kurokami's ichikurai. Finally, Yukima found a window. She picked Yoshiko up and leapt out. As they descended, she realized that they were much higher than she believed she could be. Her room was on the first floor and she hadn't gone up any stairs or slopes. That's when she remembered that Kurokami could change the structure of the palace with a simple thought. Perhaps he had changed it so that none of his enemies could receive quick reinforcements, or retreat.
Yukima drifted toward the wall and slowed her descent, pushing up off the domed wall. She was able to slow down, but not enough. They were still approaching the ground too quickly. Yukima fired a cero into the ground, blasting a hole through to the Menos forest. Yukima kept the blast going to push against gravity. They slowed the descent enough to land painlessly.
"Are you…alright, Yoshiko?" Yukima wheezed.
"I'm fine, but what about you?"
"Don't…w-worry, I'll be fine," Yukima stammered.
As they looked up, they saw hundreds of hollows circled around them, wondering if they should strike, or if they should help them.
"Lady Yukima, we heard from the other Vasto Lordes recruited by Kurokami that you've threatened to kill our lord," an adjucha stated.
"What of it?" Yukima muttered.
"So you don't deny such blasphemy," He shook his head in disgust, "There's only one thing that can be done about people like you. Gillians, CERO!"
At once a group of Gillians fired a round of cero blasts at the two. Yukima flashed to Yoshiko, picked her up then flashed far away from the blast. She sat Yoshiko down and took out her zanpakuto.
"Prowl, Akumaneko!" she shouted, switching to released form. As the smoke cleared, she fired a massive cero beam across the row of Gillians, cutting each of them in half. She flashed into the crowd of lower hollows and tore through them with her claws. Several of them began to run in fear, "You can't defeat me, you idiots, I'm a Vasto Lorde, I'm an arrancar, I'm a god compared to you!"
The adjucha joined the battle, hoping to get a shot in. He slashed at her from behind, aimed at her neck. Before the swing made contact, she spun around and caught his arm, ripping it off with a simple yank. She climbed up to his head, grabbing both sides of his mask with her hands. She absorbed all his strength as his body crumbled into dust.
The other hollows looked in horror as their powerful enemy just took in more strength. Yukima looked to the horde of frightened monsters, holding their leader's mask. She held it above her head and crushed it. The cracking snapped each of them out of their daze and each one ran as fast as they could, fearing the wrath of the Vasto Lorde. Yukima walked to Yoshiko who stared at her mother.
"Alright, let's get out of here," Yukima instructed, going out of released state.