Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach!
Snowecat: Quite an embarrassing mistake. I thank you for correcting me on that. I wouldn't have wanted to leave it in there. Once again, thanks for the correction.
Ronin504: You are right. He has, at least in Canon. It's just one minor thing I changed around a bit in this story. Trust me when I say that his opinion and wise words count heavily among the Gotei 13, but he does not have absolute power in my story.
SilentShadow55: To be honest I haven't planned on writing any specific amount of chapters. I have planned out mostly the entire story but I can't give you a number of chapters. I don't think I can even give you an amount of words but one thing I am pretty certain about is that it will exceed 300k in word count.
As for your second question. Development in that area will be slow and it won't actually happen for quite a while yet but trust me when I say that it will happen, and when it does I'm pretty sure you'll love the way in which it will happen.
Lastly, I understand the request but trust me when I say that I'm working as fast as I can. My life ain't exactly going the best way possible at the moment and I'm very occupied with things such as work and I'm even schooling myself whenever I'm not working. Time to write is few and I never do write unless I can write for several hours at once. That, and if I did write any faster I honestly believe that the quality of my chapters would go backwards dramatically. So I can only hope you'll understand that I'm working on this as fast as I can.
Getsuga Tensou: There is no such thing as a lame review! I'm glad you liked the chapter.
HiddenMaster: I was actually wondering when someone would bring up Zangetsu. I do believe I have mentioned this somewhere before, probably in one of the first few chapters.
Anyway I don't know for sure if I said it before so just let me say it anyway. Zangetsu doesn't exist in my story. At least not in Ichigo. Isshin is the one who wields and Zangetsu and thus also has Zangetsu as his Zanpakutou Spirit. It's a rather big change I agree, but truth be told I just couldn't figure out a good Zanpakutou that would fit with Isshin and I actually thought Zangetsu would work pretty well with him.
Regardless I'm glad you enjoyed the Bankai test, I tried my absolute best on that and I'm glad most of you seem to have liked it.
DarkJason: Exactly. One thing I would like to point out however is that Ichigo doesn't think he is weaker then the top three Captains in Soul Society, rather he is starting to realise he isn't all powerful and that there may be Shinigami out there that can actually defeat him. And if there would be anyone who could, he knows that it would be either or all of those three.
Aozacki: I'm very flattered by your words. I do have to say that I agree. Most fanfic tend to follow a line that has been set before by others. While this is admittedly my first story I intended from the very beginning to follow my own plot because I got annoyed by the countless stories that followed a plotline that was set by someone else.
I'm really glad to find out that you've liked this particular fanfic because it deviates from most plots.
Chapter 16: Civil War.
Rukia was standing on top of Soukyoku Hill, her close friend Abarai Renji standing to her near right. It had been exactly two weeks since her gruelling trial inside Shirayuki's Inner World. Looking back on it she considered herself lucky to be standing here now, alive and well.
It had taken her almost three complete days to recover from all of her injuries, despite Unohana's obvious skill at healing almost any injury. Her injuries had been so severe the Fourth Division Captain had been unsure she would even be able to stabilize Rukia's condition before her injuries would take it's toll on Rukia's body.
Rukia had been lucky that her brother had already gathered her up and gotten her to the Fourth Division's infirmary the moment she received burn on her stomach from one of her brother's very own favourite Kidou spells: Hadou #4 – Byakurai.
From there on her condition had only worsened and by the time Byakuya had gotten Rukia safely into the infirmary and had alerted Unohana of her condition she had already received the two stab wounds that allowed her to finish off the fake images of her brother and Ichigo.
Unohana had tried everything within her power from that point onwards but every healing Kidou she used was rejected by Rukia's body, something Unohana was sure had something to do with the trial she was currently facing. None where allowed to interfere before Rukia finished her battle. It was not long after Rukia had received the final and most threatening wound on her chest that the healing Kidou finally started to work on her body and her condition was slowly but certainly starting to stabilize.
It was only a day after Rukia had been discharged from the infirmary that she had already started working together with Shirayuki in order to get to know her Bankai and become proficient enough with it to, at the very least, be able to use it in battle.
Ever since being discharged it had been the only thing she had been working on, together with Shirayuki, her brother and Renji. While she had not needed a whole lot of time to figure out that her Bankai was not one of the easiest to wield she did realise that, give enough time to master or at least become proficient with it, it would be a force to be reckoned with.
Shirayuki had given her several very important hints but had not given any direct instructions so as to let Rukia figure out a way to use it that would suit her best. While this annoyed Rukia at first she had, over time, learned to understand why. Her Bankai allowed her a great deal of leniency in terms of how she wanted to use it. Other then Shirayuki it had been her brother that had given her some good advice and tips on how to combine it best with her current style of combat and his advice had proven more then useful. But the one person above all that had been of the most help had been Renji, her childhood friend.
She had to admit that ever since she had returned to Soul Society she had not seen him that often, mainly because she had been extremely busy with her training. Renji however had not sit still during that time either. He too, had been training ever since Rukia had been taken and had vowed to himself to either bring her back alive or take his revenge upon the person that had taken her away, Aizen Sousuke.
It had been the day before Rukia intended to accept the trial to obtain her own Bankai that Renji had come to her and told her that in a few hours time he would attempt to achieve his own Bankai. He had told her that he wanted to fight in this war and that he wanted to make a difference and he would do anything he could to become more powerful. Before he got a chance to go any further however Rukia told him that she understood, and that she too was intending to go for Bankai a day later. They had wished each other luck and had vowed to come out of that test alive. A vow they had both kept, even if only barely.
While Renji had not been injured as severely as Rukia had been his injuries had still been severe though not as life threatening. He had gotten out of his test several hours before Rukia had completed hers. While Renji's test had in the end, been less life threatening on him it had however taken quite a while longer for him to achieve it's goal.
It was rather ironic, Rukia thought, how only about a handful of Shinigami would ever manage to achieve Bankai in more then a century, Rukia and her childhood friend had both gotten it on the same day.
Renji was the best sparring partner she could have wished for however. Both of them now wielded powerful yet immature Bankai's. While Rukia could have battled against her brother he wouldn't have been nearly as effective a sparring partner as Renji had been. Byakuya had long since mastered his Bankai and at this point in time Rukia did not yet stand a chance against him. Renji on the other hand was the perfect opponent for her, both of them had learned a lot from fighting one another all these weeks.
Of course it did not long stay a secret that two of Soul Society's Shinigami had recently achieved Bankai. The medical staff that had treated both Rukia and Renji had of course been aware of just how they had received their injuries and rumours had started spreading not long after their very treatment. Then of course there was the fact that it was not every day that two Bankai wielding Shinigami fought each other for hours on end.
Rukia remembered clearly that it had been only two days after she had been discharged from the infirmary that the Commander-General had entered the Kuchiki Estate and had watched both her and Renji spar each other for a while. Whether he had been satisfied with their display or not she did not know as he hadn't commented on it. Nonetheless he had asked that the both of them accept a promotion to Captain should they both get a majority vote which the Commander-General was sure they would, considering Soul Society's current situation.
Third, Fifth and Ninth Division were all still in chaos and there really wasn't much that could be done about it without a Captain to lead the divisions. Third and Ninth were holding up best with their respective Lieutenants working harder then ever. Fifth Division however, was a complete mess, with their Lieutenant recently having been captured it's members had been demoralized even further. Even now, with her return she was kept under close supervision, having been suspected of treason and being in league with Aizen himself. Most of Fifth Division no longer looked at her as her their Lieutenant and instead most of them took orders from the Division's third seat.
Renji and Rukia had to admit that this proposition, if you could even call it that because really it wasn't so much a request as an order and obligation at this point, did not come unexpected. Both knew that it would take a lot of their time to get any of the three Divisions without a Captain up and running smoothly again. Nonetheless, they had accepted, knowing that this was important, something that had to be dealt with and that could in the end, be a deciding factor to help them win the war.
And that was how it had happened that now, exactly two weeks after they had gotten through their respective trials, alive, they were standing side by side atop Soukyoku Hill. The age-old location that was used not only for executing traitorous Captains and other dangerous criminals but also to promote powerful Shinigami to the rank of Captain.
Rukia hadn't actually witnessed such an event herself, ever. She did know however that it was always a grand spectacle and many a Shinigami would go out of their way to come and be able to watch the ceremony.
Standing in front of Rukia and Renji were the remaining ten Captains of the Gotei 13. The Commander-General standing in the middle with Ukitake and Kyouraku standing at his respective left and right.
All around them, they were surrounded by Shinigami from every division. But none more then the third, fifth and ninth division. The Shinigami from those divisions were looking at both Rukia and Renji hopefully and Rukia knew what it was they hoped for. With only two newly promoted Captains it would still leave one Division without a Captain. Rukia, sadly already knew which one this would be, as she had already chosen which division she was going to lead.
"Kuchiki Rukia," The voice of the Captain-Commander spoke up, bring both herself and Renji to attention. "Abarai Renji," He continued. "You two stand before us today ready to carve your names down in Soul Society's history as one of the few Shinigami powerful enough to be granted the title of Captain."
Rukia knew that each and every word was really only a formality but it was a necessary one nonetheless. The speech given by the Captain-Commander before a promotion always tended to inspire the attending Shinigami in training and working hard so that perhaps, one day, they too would be able to carve their names in Soul Society history. It really was the only reason so many people came to watch the event, as the promotion itself was nothing too spectacular to watch.
"A vast majority of Captains had voted in favour of your promotions and while this is positive there is one message that I feel I must convey to the two of you." Yamamoto spoke to them once more, making both her and Renji too, she was sure, wonder what this message could possibly be. "While you both are certainly powerful and have without a doubt reached the level of a Captain's strength, we would, under normal circumstances, have waited a few more years with this promotion to allow you both time to get used to your newfound powers." The Commander-General explained.
Rukia had to admit that she understood this perfectly. It had taken her several long days before she was even able to wield her Bankai proficiently in actual combat and she knew she wouldn't actually master it for years to come. Nonetheless she vowed she would do everything within her power to bring her Division back to full strength as well as use every minute of spare time she had to become more proficient with her Bankai.
"Sadly we do not currently have that luxury." The Commander-General continued. Nodding his head towards Ukitake and Byakuya they stepped forward. As Rukia and Renji's respective superiors they would be the ones to actually promote their subordinates and give them their blessings to rise up among Soul Society's strongest.
Looking up Rukia locked eyes with Ukitake, and his last few minutes as her Captain. Words didn't need to be spoken, he understood why she had chosen not to become his Lieutenant and she was sure that he was immensely proud of her now. After all, the duo of her and Renji were well on their way to helping Soul Society regain their former strength.
Kneeling down, Rukia signified that she was ready to start the ceremony. On her right, she could see Renji mimic her action. Looking at her Captain, she gave a slight nod, indicating that he could start whenever he wanted. Ukitake, for his part, turned his head around and locked eyes with Byakuya for a moment, until both men nodded towards one another, letting everyone know that they were about to start.
"Do you, Kuchiki Rukia, hereby swear to uphold the rules and laws of Soul Society to the best of your ability?" Ukitake asked her and on his left Rukia could hear Byakuya repeating the same phrase at Renji.
"I do." Both Rukia and Renji answered simultaneously.
Both Captains removed a folded white Captains Haori from within their Shihakusyou's.
"Do you, Kuchiki Rukia, promise to serve, lead and protect your Division to the best of your ability?"
"I do." The both of them repeated once more.
At the positive replies the two Captains unfolded the Haori's and held them out for all to see, causing loud cheers of joy to rise out from the crowd of Fifth and Third Division Shinigami.
"And do you, Kuchiki Rukia, swear to live and to die for Soul Society, and to maintain the balance of our different worlds to the best of your ability?"
This time, Rukia turned her head to the right and looked at Renji. Who coincidentally had turned to look at her as well. Locking eyes the two of them nodded towards one another, a small smile tugging at the far end of their lips, before returning their gazes back to their respective Captains.
"We do!" They replied in unison after which they held up their arms to allow the Captains to drop the Haori's over their heads.
Ukitake smiled at her gently, the last few seconds of looking at her as a subordinate before she would be his equal in rank. Walking up towards her, he dropped the Haori over her arms and straightened it on her shoulders.
Looking to her right she saw Renji had just gone through the same process. Both Byakuya and Ukitake stepped back from their former subordinates.
"Then stand, Kuchiki Rukia, and be recognized as a Captain of the Gotei 13!"
As both her and Renji stood up it was as if thunder had struck the sky. Every Shinigami that had come to attend the ceremony started cheering for the two newly appointed Captains.
Rukia, who was now wearing a brand new Haori signifying she was the newly appointed Captain of Fifth Division, and Renji who now wore a Haori with the Third Division's Symbol.
And thus it came as a surprise to Rukia, when all of a sudden the crowd grew quiet again. Wanting to find the source of it, she came to lay her eyes upon her brother, who was standing right in front of her, holding another package in his hands. Rukia could only look at him, confusion clearly in her eyes.
"It is tradition, within the Kuchiki family that when a family member reaches the rank of Captain, to buy him or her a gift. The gift I have here for you, is one I have had made by Soul Society's master weaver Tsujishirō Kuroemon." Rukia could hear the crowd behind and in front of her gasp at hearing the man's name.
Taking the package from her brother, she slowly opened it. As she removed the paper it was wrapped in it revealed a scarf as black as the night, and lying on top of the scarf was a silvery white Kenseikan, a hairpiece that signified one as nobility and part of the Kuchiki family. Rukia didn't know what to say, it was the greatest honour she could have ever hoped for. For her personally, it had even more worth then becoming a Captain. She now truly belonged within the Kuchiki family, she was no longer just the adopted sister of the clan head. But before she got a chance to express her gratitude, her brother spoke again.
"Only once before has an adoptive member of our family been granted a Kenseikan to wear. This man's name is not important but suffice to say, he disgraced our family's name. I expect more of you, Rukia. Not only have I given you that Kenseikan, signifying you as nobility and a member of the Kuchiki family. I have also given you that scarf, I expect you to wear both items with dignity and do not make me regret my decision." Byakuya finished.
Rukia truly didn't know what to say. She could feel tears threatened to leak out of the corners of her eyes but she pushed them back. Her current position did not warrant an overly display of emotion. She was now a Captain of the Gotei 13 and a full fledged member of the Kuchiki family, and she was finally one step closer to keeping the vow she had made.
=0=
Ichigo was seated in the Espada's meeting room in Las Noches. As usual Nel was seated at his immediate right and like with any other meeting all of the Espada except for Luppi had already gathered and were currently waiting for Aizen to make his appearance.
They last two weeks had been quite intense for Ichigo. Ever since his last spar with Nel, he had taken to fighting her more and more often and he was glad he had chosen to do so. He knew that while he was the most powerful among the Espada he was not the most experienced, nor was he likely to become the most experienced any time soon. Most of them had walked Hueco Mundo for decades if not centuries, fighting Hollow after Hollow continuously.
Nel was one of those that had done so for centuries and her battle experience had proven invaluable. It was true that Nel had not once managed to defeat him nor had she ever really gotten very close at that. But nonetheless she had managed to learn him several things. One of which he had agreed was about time he started working on it. During the last week they had taken off to leave Las Noches daily in order to find out more about Ichigo's resureccion.
Up until two weeks ago, Ichigo had been aware of only two abilities that were unique to his resureccion. Those two were; Kuroi Getsuga and instant regeneration, the latter of which he could not control in any way, he did find out however that it would literally heal almost any kind of injury except for burns, acid wounds and it likely wouldn't heal a severed head either.
Other then his own personal training with Nel he had of course continued his almost daily Kidou lessons with Aizen. By this time Ichimaru or Tousen could no longer instruct him in the subject as both of them had run out of knowledge that Ichigo hadn't already learned. Aizen had taught him a handful of other useful Kidou spells that Ichigo had learned within a couple of hours.
It was what he was learning now however that was truly interesting. Aizen had started to teach Ichigo in the last two Kidou spells he intended to teach him. They were two of the highest ranked spells in existence, both being ninety-level spells. One of them was a Bakudou spell while the other's origin was Hadou.
Ichigo had started working on the Hadou first and was booking rather slow but steady progress on them. After almost two weeks of daily practice he was steadily growing more proficient with but he knew that while his progress was good, especially considering the level of spell he was learning, he wasn't any where close to mastering it yet.
His thoughts were cut off however as Aizen entered the meeting room, as he sat down, Tousen and Ichimaru flanking him as usual, Ichigo noticed that Luppi had yet to arrive.
"My dear Espada," Aizen began as usual, signifying that the meeting had now officially started.
Ichigo realized that something was off as several other members of the Espada noticed that while Luppi hadn't made his appearance yet, Aizen did not comment on this. Ichigo merely decided to wait and see what would happen next.
"We currently have a situation in Las Noches," Aizen explained, causing some of the gathered Espada to raise their eyebrows.
"As some of you may have noticed, our dear friend Luppi is not in attendance today," Aizen continued. "That is because the messenger that was sent to get Luppi didn't return."
Several eyes narrowed at this and some of the Espada started muttering towards one another. Every one of the Espada knew that Aizen wanted even the Espada to look upon the other Arrancar as comrades, brothers in arms and while few looked at them as such none had been foolish enough to openly display any sort of hostility to any of the Arrancar Aizen had created.
"And so I regret informing you that just now, I have received word that Luppi intends to rebel against my rule and has gathered many other Arrancar around him that feel the same way." Aizen explained. "Naturally, I can not allow this."
Aizen gave a quick nod at Tousen who walked back to the door allowing access to the Espada's meeting room, opened it, spoke a few quick words to someone and returned, though not alone.
Behind Tousen walked a dark skinned female Arrancar with green eyes, blonde eyelashes and messy short blonde hair which had tree braided locks. The Arrancar jacket she wore was rather…unique. The entire part from the stomach upwards had been removed so far that it revealed a good portion of her breasts. The jacket's sleeves completely covered her arms and like Ichigo, her vest sported a collar that hid her entire face below the eyes from view.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome your new sister among our ranks. Her name is Tia Harribel and she will bear the number of Fifth Espada, naturally, this means Grimmjow and Ulquiorra will drop a rank."
Ulquiorra appeared uninterested to the news while Grimmjow on the other hand could be heard cursing under his breath. He was not foolish enough to voice his thoughts on the subject however, something that surprised even Ichigo.
"Now Ichigo, Ulquiorra, Harribel, dispose of Luppi and any Arrancar that has chosen to side with him." Aizen ordered the three of them.
More blood to be spilled, were Ichigo's first thoughts as he rose from his seat. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Nel looking at him with a sad expression as the three of them left the room.
=0=
Rukia was seated behind her desk in the Captains Quarters of the Fifth Division. Her brand Kenseikan keeping the locks that usually hung at the sides of her face, firmly in place atop her head. Her scarf, which was of the darkest black she had ever seen, was firmly wrapped around her neck, the two ends of it hanging over her brand new Captains Haori.
Already, three days had passed since she and Renji had been promoted to Captain. Renji now being the Third Division's Captain and Rukia having become the Fifth Division Captain.
The past three days had been rather hard on Rukia. Fifth Division had been a complete mess, truth be told, it still was rather messy but the results were clearly already showing. When she had arrived at the Fifth Division Grounds no more but an hour after her promotion she had been speechless. The place had been a mess, garbage was lying everywhere, people were brawling with one another for as far as her eyes could reach, and it didn't appear as if anyone was even trying to get the others to calm down.
One thing that did catch Rukia's eye however was the fact that several dozen of the Fifth Division's Shinigami were standing off to the side, shaking their heads at their comrades.
It did not take long for the out of control Shinigami to notice Rukia standing beneath the gateway leading to their Division's grounds and the moment they did, they all quieted down. Something which was likely caused by the kanji for five that had been sewed into her Haori.
Had it been a day before, Rukia would not have known how to react. But she had had a good talk with her brother a day before her promotion. Her brother had explained to her, the best ways to organize and manage a complete Division, and that as a Kuchiki it would be best if she followed the example he had set for her.
And so it was that Rukia decided that, when standing in front of the entire Division, she would take her brother's example. She would be cold and indifferent but nonetheless she promised herself that she would do everything within her power to make sure that at the very least the majority of her Division got out of this war alive. It was another vow she made, and she could only hope that she could see it through until the end.
The Fifth Division Shinigami had soon learned that there was not to be messed with their Captain. A few of them had had the guts to make a remark about her height but it took only a slight release of some reiatsu to quiet them down and to ensure that such remarks would be avoided in the future.
Rukia had quickly learned that the Shinigami who stood off at the side had been the Shinigami attending the promotion ceremony, those that wanted the Fifth Division restored to their former glory. And so the first thing Rukia had done was to order the brawlers to clean up the entire Division grounds as well demote any seated members among the brawlers back to unseated Shinigami. She would find more capable and dedicated Shinigami to replace them.
It had been a mere day after she had been promoted that two important issues had arisen. First of all, the recently retrieved Hinamori Momo. Rukia had of course been told in detail of her kidnapping as well as her retrieval and she had to admit that she did not trust the girl one bit. It saddened her to realise, that once upon a time they had been in the same class at the Shinigami Academy but she could not and would not have any favourites. She would treat her Division fairly.
Deciding that, as Hinamori was conscious during the kidnapping and had not resisted even one bit, as well as that the entire retrieval mission had been suspicious to say the least, almost as if Aizen wanted her returned to Soul Society. Rukia had been forced to lock the girl up and keep her under tight supervision.
The second issue that had arisen was the fact that she was now, without a Lieutenant and that this would substantially increase her work load. She had come across a Third Seat named Fugunaga Aiko that appeared to be a very promising Shinigami. She was immensely skilled with Kidou, above average with Hoho, but sadly both her Hakuda and Zanjutsu were below what would normally be required of a Third Seat. Before Rukia could think any further on this however, she had been interrupted by none other then Hisagi Shuhei who had come with orders from the Captain-Commander. The Captain-Commander had come with the idea to temporarily split up the Ninth Division and divide it among the remaining Divisions of the Gotei 13, making all former Ninth Division Shinigami, temporary members of another Division.
Hisagi, along with three dozen others, had been assigned to the Fifth Division, which came as a big surprise to Rukia. Luckily for her, this solved her Lieutenant problem at least for the time being. Despite the fact that Hisagi was not actually a full member of the Fifth Division she knew she could assign him the rank at least until either a more suitable candidate from her own Division could be found or until he would be forced to leave and rejoin his old Division.
She was interrupted from her thoughts when she saw a Hell Butterfly flying through the window and heading towards her before landing on her finger. Before she had a chance to think about what kind of message she would be receiving a voice rang through her ears.
"All Captains and Lieutenants report to the First Division's Captain's quarters immediately for an emergency meeting!"
Rukia closed her eyes for a moment in apprehension as the message repeated itself once more. She feared she knew all too well what this meeting was going to be about.
=0=
As Ichigo, flanked by Ulquiorra and Harribel, entered the most outer courtyard of Las Noches, located right in front of the main gates, he had to force himself to keep a stoic expression on his face.
Right in front of his very eyes, pandemonium appeared to have broken loose. Dozens and dozens of Arrancar were fighting in front of his very eyes. Ichigo was sure he knew the cause of this. It appeared that Luppi had managed to rally a lot of supporters to his cause, but nonetheless this was madness. Ichigo just couldn't understand what had happened to the former Espada. While it was true that Luppi was a powerful Arrancar in his own right, he had nowhere near the strength required to take out any of the Espada ranked with the number five or below. This was a fact, and while Luppi was arrogant, rash and hot headed Ichigo was sure that the Arrancar was not stupid.
So why had he gone against Aizen's will? Why had he caused a civil war to break loose in Las Noches? Even if every single Numéros in Las Noches joined him, they would not stand a chance against the remaining nine Espada, their Fraccion and the three former Shinigami Captains.
Ichigo was certain that there was something more going on here. But he just couldn't figure out what it was, and he didn't think he ever would if he didn't get the right information.
Taking a closer look at the sight in front of him Ichigo could clearly see that there were two opposing parties of Arrancar. One of them seemed to have rallied behind Luppi and was substantially larger then the other one. While the other one seemed to have rallied behind…Dordonii. That surprised Ichigo, Dordonii Alessandro Del Sosachio, a former Espada and currently he was ranked #103, part of the Privaron Espada and one of the Arrancar that was loyal to Aizen to their very core.
Ichigo guessed that he wanted to prove his strength and loyalty by defeating Luppi, in the hopes of regaining a spot among the Espada. It was futile however, Ichigo knew, after all the Espada had already gotten a replacement for Luppi.
Taking a look at his left he could clearly see the figure of his new comrade in arms, Tia Harribel standing there. And already she had been granted the number five, meaning that she had probably been created out of a Vasto Lorde class Hollow as well. No, Dordonii would not get to rejoin the Espada, even if he managed to defeat Luppi, something Ichigo doubted he was capable of.
It was then that Ichigo noticed the courtyard had mysteriously quieted down. No more sounds of swords clashing or Arrancar crashing into walls or objects could be heard. As he rose his head once more he could clearly see each and every one of the Arrancar present looking at the trio of Espada that had just arrived.
He could see hope in the eyes of those that had rallied behind Dordonii, while Dordonii himself looked a bit annoyed by their arrival, something that didn't really surprise Ichigo. The Arrancar that had rallied behind Luppi however, had no hope displaying in their eyes at all. All Ichigo could see in their eyes and faces was terror, fear and anger. Some of them quickly sheathed their Zanpakutou and tried to escape with Sonido, only to be cut down by Ulquiorra and Harribel.
"You fucking morons!" An enraged voice shouted out from among the Arrancar, "Why have you stopped fighting!? Destroy them! Kill them all! Aizen has betrayed me and he won't hesitate a second to betray all of you as well!" The voice continued, and it didn't take long for Ichigo to identify the voice. It was only seconds later when he was proven right and the figure of Luppi emerged from the front of the crowd, his eyes widening considerably when they fell on the figures of Ichigo, Harribel and Ulquiorra.
Ichigo merely looked at Luppi impassively as the two of them locked eyes. He was surprised though, to find that Luppi seemed to have expected this and didn't yell nor shout.
"Former Espada Luppi and all those who have rallied behind you," Ichigo spoke slowly and calmly, not a hint of emotion could be heard in his voice, "Aizen-sama has ordered this situation to be dealt with."
Ichigo paused for a second to let the meaning of his words sink in. Most of these Arrancar weren't very intelligent and were truly not very different from the Hollow they had been before they had been subjected to the Shinigamification.
"We are here, to carry out his sentence. Your sentence.." He spoke once more, leaving the last few words of the sentence hanging in the air, causing more and more of the Arrancar to be overwhelmed by fear. Some of them could be seen trembling on their feet, others could be seen gripping their Zanpakutou tightly as if holding it between them and the three Espada would shield them from their retribution.
"…is death." Ichigo finished and before any of the Arrancar could respond the three Espada vanished in a quick buzz of Sonido.
=0=
As Ichigo approached the small army of Arrancar he instantly decapitated the first one within reach, shocking all Arrancar that were surrounding him as blood sprayed from the Arrancar's neck. Instantly all remaining Arrancar drew their swords and prepared to release it but before they got as far as that another handful of them were cut down by Ichigo.
On the far left and right Ichigo could clearly see Harribel and Ulquiorra going through the same process.
Refocusing his attention on the large amount of Arrancar in front of him Ichigo continued to cut his way through them. Already most of them had released their Zanpakutou, causing their reiatsu to increase substantially compared to their unreleased forms. Nonetheless, they were mere insects compared to Ichigo. Their released forms resembled beasts and hollow-like creatures. Proving Ichigo's point that they weren't all that different from the ordinary Hollow.
Ichigo decided that he didn't want to waste his time on them and would simply cut down the root of the rebellion.
Ascending up towards the air he looked down and attempted to lock eyes with Luppi. Luppi however was steadily make his way towards Harribel. Something that didn't surprise Ichigo, it was just like Luppi to attempt to take down his replacement in an act of vengeance.
Sighing, Ichigo sheathed his Zanpakutou before he raised his arm towards the Arrancar below him. He put his other hand at the wrist of his raised hand in order to make sure it would stay steady. If he couldn't get Luppi to notice him the easy way, then he would do it the hard way.
It was quite ironic, Ichigo thought. He had originally wanted to obliterate all of the Arrancar below with his Gran Rey Cero but the fact of the matter remained that he wasn't allowed to. And so he decided he could use another technique, that was similar and was actually almost as powerful as Gran Rey Cero.
Truth be told, Ichigo didn't much like this technique. It was powerful yes, far more powerful then an ordinary Cero, and while not as powerful as Gran Rey Cero, it was the only technique that Ichigo knew of that actually got close.
Static electricity was already being emitted from Ichigo´s palm and a bright blue ball of electricity was starting to take shape. Many of the Arrancar below had just now started to notice Ichigo up in the air, charging a seemingly devastating technique and chaos soon ensued as the Arrancar attempted to make their way to safety.
They were too late.
"Hadou #88 – Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raihou!"
An enormous beam of blue light was instantly fired at the Arrancar fleeing below. As the attack impacted with the ground, a brilliant flash of light blinded everyone, including Ichigo, obstructing everything below Ichigo from view.
When the light passed, Ichigo could see nothing but a giant crater still smoking from the impact of the attack. There were several dozens of smoking bodies lying inside the crater, most of them had long since lost consciousness due to the severity of their wounds. Their bodies covered with burns from head to toe, skin burned away to reveal charred bone, their bodies smoking and smelling like charred flesh.
Ichigo's face remained stoic but on the inside he felt nothing but grief. The truth was that these Arrancar did not have to die. But it was a fact that Aizen had ordered them to dispose of Luppi and any who had rallied behind them, this was simply the quickest and most effective way to do so.
Opening his eyes he saw a slightly burned and panting Luppi standing in front of him. His face showing nothing but pure anger.
"Kurosaki!" Luppi shouted at Ichigo, enraged.
Ichigo shook his head in disappointment at the former Espada. "What did you intend to achieve with this stunt, Luppi?"
Luppi's eyes visibly narrowed at Ichigo's words and he could see that the Arrancar had trouble keeping his temper in check. "Aizen betrayed me! I overheard him speaking of taking me out because I-" But that was as far as he got as his words were cut off when the blade of a Zanpakutou was suddenly protruding from his chest. Ichigo could only stare at Luppi's face impassively as the lights in his eyes slowly died out.
Ichigo didn't need to look up to know who it was that killed the former Espada. He was surprised however to hear over a dozen buzzes all around him. Looking up, he could clearly see the rest of the Espada standing behind him, their Fraccion standing close by them. Ggio too was quick to join Ichigo. Flanking the Espada were the four Privaron Espada and Rudobon of the Exequias.
Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Aizen, who had long since discarded himself of Luppi's body and now had both Tousen and Ichimaru standing on his respective sides.
"There's no need to get upset, Ichigo, Luppi has served his purpose." Aizen spoke calmly, confusing Ichigo even more, even if this didn't show.
Aizen didn't speak any further. It was Nel, who spoke to him, as she appeared on his left and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"It's time, Ichi," She spoke, and while Ichigo wasn't certain what she meant, a certain sense of dread took a hold of him. "You should be able to sense it now."
Opening up his Pesquisa, Ichigo's eyes widened for just a split second before regaining his impassive facial expression. He could feel dozens of reiatsu signatures closing in fast. Some of them were vaguely familiar, but there was one that he knew all too well, despite how much it had changed. 'Rukia…'
Ichigo understood now. Somehow Aizen had managed to lure Soul Society to Hueco Mundo, perhaps making Soul Society believe that they could launch a surprise attack. Ichigo knew that it had something to do with how and why Aizen set up Luppi, but he couldn't figure it out exactly. Nonetheless it didn't matter anymore, it was time.
Looking up, his eyes came to rest upon twelve Shinigami Captains and their respective Lieutenants. In the distance he could see dozens upon dozens other Shinigami approaching.
As he scanned the Captains standing opposite of him however his eyes widened considerably. Next to the Sixth Division Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, stood someone whom he considered one of the most important persons in the world. Next to Kuchiki Byakuya, stood Kuchiki Rukia, wearing a Haori with the kanji for five sewed into the fabric.
=0=
Author's Notes.
I'm not completely satisfied about this chapter at all. None of it really worked out the way I had intended and no matter how much I brainstormed on it I just couldn't figure out the right way to get it all done properly.
This being one of the reasons that it's released later then intended, the other being that I simply did not have enough time to write over the last week.
Despite the fact that I can honestly say that I'm not satisfied with this chapter at all, mhm now that I think of it I think this is actually the first chapter that I'm not quite happy with, well anyway back to the point, one thing I can promise is that the next chapter is going to be a lot of fun to write and I'm pretty sure most of you will enjoy it as well. I believe it will hold some minor/major surprised and I can't wait to find out what you're all going to think about it.
But for the time being, let me know what you thought of this chapter. I'm curious to know, as always.
Lastly I am sorry to tell you this but I believe the next chapter is going to take some major time on my account to write. To start off with it's probably going to be incredibly long, if I had to hazard a guess then it could just be as long, or even longer, as the chapter in which Isshin and co invaded Hueco Mundo. I know I promised myself not to write chapters of such lengths again but I want to stick with one chapter for the entire upcoming battle.
I hope all of you understand that considering the amount of characters that are likely to do battle in the upcoming chapter it is going to take a lot of research time to make sure most of them will not end up too out of character.
Once again I say, read and review. As always every review is appreciated and they inspire me to keep writing and updating as quick as I possibly can. If you have any criticism to give me, feel free to, but do try to keep it constructive and don't let it turn into senseless flaming because that is something that I do not appreciate. Nonetheless even a 'nice chapter' or 'good work' is appreciated. Until next time we meet!
~Bruuz.