Aizen's Throne Room
The gates of Hell were about to open. The army of lost, damned souls, once nomads but now united and given flesh by the king who would be god, were loudly quarreling and shouting amongst themselves, some precisely equidistant from the other, more clumped together in clusters of mobs. All have gathered in the throne room to unleash their hatred and jealousy upon the world, to escape from their dead homeland, to claim the fertile lands from the black gangs murdering their kind from the dawn of days.
In the front were the five strongest razors of Aizen's army and their chosen followers, metaphorically wrought of his finest steel and tempered with blood. Starrk was standing in a slumped position struggling to keep awake, his hand resting on his chin to keep him from bobbing into unconsciousness.
Barragon sat regally on his throne, the weight of his magnificence kept afloat by the strength of his loyal retinue. They were all that remained of his court, the rest slaughtered or turned traitor by Aizen's show of ungodly power. Barragon knew he would kill Aizen once he took the throne of his so called God. It would be a fitting and ironic ending to the usurper of his absolute authority. He would reclaim the world for his subjects and himself. He raised a hand and freed his servants from the burden of his makeship litter.
Tier and Ulquiorra were almost statuesque, their bodies beautifully, perfectly sculpted by Aizen, but different in every way. They stood with their backs straight, eyes focused and completely silent. If one were to look upon them, they might have thought they were fraternal twins.
Yammy meanwhile did as Yammy did best, and that was glowering at his fellow comrades in arms, picking his nose, scratching his ass, and getting angry over his trivial boredom.
Behind came the ninety nine numeros, as plentiful as foot soldiers were. However none of them were similar except in color of dress. The distinctive mask fragments were beastial, demonic, fantastical ivory shaped into all matter of horns, Jaws, fangs, antlers, helms, lenses, tusks, multi-sided shapes, strips of bone, all full of holes, pits, nicks, and notches.
Their fragments showed who they were, their personalities fashioned by what they were before they were civilized. Some were male, some were female, some were neither, some were both., some resembled humans, others took on the physique of monsters for greater strength. But the blood lust, arrogance and greed shined through.
Behind the numeros were the incomplete thousand arrancar, the deformed, the unfinished, the lame, the crippled failures of low intelligence and ability, only worth as strong infantry to erode the stamina and defenses of the Gotei army. Behind those were the Privarion Espada numbered from one hundred to a hundred and nine. However with the death of Dordoni, Cirucci, Aaroniero, and Gantenbainne, these were the only embers of the original but rusted blades of Aizen's strongest.
The only place left to fill was Aizen's, followed by his two generals. As of yet, only Ichimaru had arrived, pacing back and forth with his hands tucked in, the ugly smirk of a Fox transfixed on his pale, white face.
Lilynette had noticed this. Ichimaru was the most casual of the invaders, often letting things slide that Aizen and certainly Tosen would not. However his grin was something uncanny to the hollow, as if behind every joke hid a threat and behind every threat hid a joke. It wasn't maniacal, it wasn't lustful (thank god), it wasn't even happy. It just seemed… Off.
"Jeez, that guy gives me the creeps." Apacci's differently colored eyes twinkled with disgust but mostly the usual derisive irritation as she wrinkled her nose. In her peripherals, she noticed Lilynette underfoot. She smiled, amused at her curiosity.
"So Lily, you think you have what it takes to kick some shinigami ass? After all you're just a little brat!" She teased her by poking her chest, causing her to blush and argue back.
"I bet i'll kill more Shinigami than you, Starrk or Harribel!" She covered her mouth upon saying the name of the Tres Bestias savior.
Apacci fumed at her. "You dumbass! Nobody will kick more ass then our lady!" Apacci crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. But before she could respond, Franceska laughed, and turned her attention towards
"Lily may kick more ass then you. But what did you expect from the Fraccion of someone as useless as Starrk?"
Lilynette, blushed reluctant to tell the truth. "Hey, Starrk isn't number one for nothing!"
Franceska through back a wild smirk. "You should probably get back to Starrk now. It looks he's fallen asleep again."
Lilynette did a double take. Starrk had fallen asleep with his head between his legs, showing flexibility Lilynette doubted he learned on his own. She growled and ran off, pissed, pissed, and more pissed.
But not before saying "Harrbel still isn't the Primera!", blew a raspberry and ran off as fast as she could.
Franceska and Apacci's forehead veins throbbed, and were going to go screaming after her, if Sun hadn't grabbed them by their collars.
"WHAT THE HELL!" They screamed in unison.
Sun sighed. "Both are you are being childish. Besides, Lord Aizen's coming."
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On the way to War
The incision had healed perfectly, leaving no bruise, scar, abrasion, or blemish. The only thing giving the Hogyoku's power away was the objects transparency through his toned muscle and flawless skin, as his capillaries started to spread it's power through his body.
He could feel the Hogyoku's power surging through blood and bones, already changing his body the way he wanted it to be. It reminded him of the opium the lower clans helped their personal gangs dish out to the peasants to keep them enslaved to their masters through pleasant ennui. But while they grew weak both in spirit and flesh, he would rise above them, the noble houses, the royal families, even their obscenity of a king.
It would take a couple hours for Aizen to be able to completely control his newfound power but he didn't mind. If he could be patient for thousands of years, then something as trivial as a few minutes could nor temper his excitement.
After all what was more inconsequential as time?
He had ordered Tosen to call his legion to arms, as the hour of conquest had finally come. He had no doubt that his creations were more then thrilled at the idea of massacring the murderers of their race and feasting on the riches of their world. What they didn't know was that this was their baptism of fire. Any Arrancar who died or failed to defeat their foe would be deemed worthless and thrown away.
His fraccion and Tosen followed him as walked towards the throne room. All three of them had been irritating as the nurse implanted the Hogyoku in his chest. When the he and the Hogyoku merged, he had felt intense pain, something he hadn't felt since he was a child. He managed to control himself but he let out a few betraying vocal emissions from his lungs.
Loly and Menoly screamed and cried, while Tosen beheaded the nurse believing she had poisoned him. He didn't know who was the bigger fool, the girls who worshiped him blindly, or the blind man who followed him knowingly.
Still he was in such a pleasant mood that he decided not to cull Granz for his incompetence and impatience. But then again, calling him incompetent was wrong.
After all he had proved his worth with defeating the Ryoka.
Despite all of them being stronger then him, he had managed to incapacitate nearly all of the intruders by himself. He wasn't near as clever as he thought he was, but Aizen had to give him credit.
Though the Ryoka were truly interesting and remarkable finds, he had long since moved past the need to study and research. They couldn't lay a finger on him, not even Ichigo Kurosaki could. It was pointless to continue to focus on them.
But Aizen felt a sense of melancholy, like seeing an ancient monument had been destroyed. Though only inadvertedly created, Aizen had guided him from birth all the way to his inevitable death, watching him grow in heights unimaginable for most mortals. He felt like he was worth more then being a specimen.
Maybe Granz could leave a piece for Inoue to resurrect. Showing the servants of the Soul King, that a mortal he created had became more powerful then them would be the perfect slap in the face to the Abomination's works.
When Aizen could here the footsteps of Manila and Aivirrne stop, Aizen turned around and saw that a shadow was overtaking the two.
The shadow of Orihime Inoue.
"Hello, Aizen-sama! I'm sorry I'm late, me and Cal were taking a bath. You would be surprised how shy she is!" She stared down Aivirrne, who eyed her back with shock and rage, while Manila stood frozen and dumbstruck.
"So, Aizen turned you into a Arrancar? I figured someone he'd turn someone as useless as you into one of us." Aivirnne, finally spoke, a vapid, sadistic grin transfixed on her face. So, Aizen had turned her into his newest Arrancar. That meant that she now outranked her… She laughed straight to her face.
Menoly gasped and put her hand to her mouth, in disbelief that her friend would be this suicidal. Couldn't she sense her power?
Loly continued anyway. "So what rank are you? Ninety-nine? Ninety-eight? Eighty?"
"Number five!" Inoue happily chirped before ripping off Loly's ear.
Loly looked confused before the pain hit her, Then she screamed.
"LOLY!" Menoly screamed running to her friends side. Loly was sobbing, her left hand putting pressure on her wound, her breath getting caught in her throat, hiccuping as she struggled to process what was happening. This can't be… There's no way Aizen-sama would make that bitch a Espada! It's… It's impossible!
Orihime twirled her severed ear around, bored and irritated. "You should clean your ears more." She flung the ear at Loly and continued to walk towards her lord. Tosen held his sword in a Ko Gusumi stance, blocking the way. Aizen held up his hand and he moved to the side.
"Inoue-san. I'm happy you have made it. I have a very important task for you."
"And what is that Aizen-sama?"
"I need you to hold Hueco Mundo until I return."
Orihime looked disappointed but she piked up quickly. "Can do!" She turned her head towards his Fraccion. "Do you want me to get rid of the rats?"
Menoly went ash white.
As tempting as that was, they could be of some use during the battle, even if they reminded him of that idiotic Momo Hinimori. "That won't be necessary, Inoue-san, I believe they have learned their lesson." Aizen gestured towards them. "Come"
Menoly meekly held up Loly and walked towards them. As he was about to leave, something he didn't expect happened.
Inoue clutched his chest.
Aizen flinched then went slack, but was reassured of her loyalty when he heard her voice.
"Perhaps before you go… You could relieve some stress with me? Or perhaps after the battle?" Her voice was a low and seductive whisper as she caressed his chest, her face getting closer to his.
Tosen roared. "Learn your place, Hollow!"
Once again Aizen raised a hand, diffusing the tension as he pretended to be amused. "That's a kind offer, Inoue-san… But I have to decline. Maybe you would like to instead spend some time with your friends?
Inoue wasn't disappointed. "Of course, Aizen-sama! I can't wait for them to see the new me!"
Aizen was relieved. Next to no longer being interested in any gender, he was happy to get her away from him. He was unsurprised but slightly disappointed that she was still blindly loyal to him.
"Your friends are currently being played with by Szayel. I suggest you move quickly, if you want to see them alive."
Orihime smiled a different smirk, this one being venomous and lustful. "That's okay. I can always make new ones out of the old." She licked her lips and bowed.
Aizen continued on assured of his superiority, unaware that Orihime Inoue's shadow was now bigger then his.
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Grimmjow walked around the throne room, excited to meet Ichigo. When he had received the call to arms, Grimmjow decided to wipe his ass with it, and wait till they all left.
Then he would come and take the throne for himself.
He had been doing a lot of thinking. He may have been a feral Cat, but he wasn't without his instinctual cunning. He knew that Ichigo was still alive, and that was who he wanted to fight with, not some silky Captain. He had to pay him back anyway, and if he gave him a good fight he might warn his friends about the woman.
Another he had been thinking about, was how easily he rolled over when Aizen came to Hueco Mundo. It had damaged his pride but his instincts told him that if he didn't roll over, he'd be a stain on Aizen's carpet.
Well fuck Aizen, and the bitches who allowed him to rule over them like slaves. As much as he hated to admit it, he had been fucking weak. Since when has he given a shit about his own life? Besides, he knew that Aizen thought of them as nothing more then tools. They may respect him for his power, worship him for doing what Barragon and the other Warlords couldn't, revere him for bringing them out of the devastation, maybe even love him for giving them a purpose.
But the truth was, as the fuckheads ignored and denied it, was Aizen thought of them as less important then the newly introduced toilet paper. Grimmjow knew the his look all too well. He had seen it in hundreds of Adjuchas, their arrogance because of their power and the way they dispatched their so called followers like they were their playthings.
Well if they wanted to die for some false fucking savior, that was their problem, not his. They could have their paradise, while he had his kingdom.
It wasn't intelligent. It was fucking stupid. But Grimmjow was tired of towing the line and kneeling. He He didn't give a shit whether or not he lived to see the sunrise, he would die the way he wanted. Maybe if he was lucky he would eat thousands of the bastards, till he had gotten strong enough to fuck everything up. Maybe if Aizen hadn't came along he would be a Vasto Lorde by now.
And he would show everyone that he was the king.
TAP TAP TAP.
Grimmjow heard footsteps behind him.
Grimmjow eyes went wide like saucers and his brow arched up in surprise. There was someone still here? Grimmjow couldn't believe it. He felt all of their power in this spot before it vanished!
Unless… This wasn't real. Had Aizen restarted the purge? He done this with the original Arrancar, was he about to do this on him for his defiance? "Don't think you can sneak up on me you fuck! Where are you!"
He unleashed his Perquisa and Reiatsu., as well as unsheathe his blade. The rickety footsteps stilled.
Grimmjow turned around and sighed. It was just one of the Numeros, the stalking one who wouldn't leave his ass alone for one fucking minute. Her body took the form of a scrawny little girl, conservatively covered. It annoyed him that Aizen had took kids into his army.
It was rare for any spawn of native breading Hollows and nearly zip for corrupted children to survive here. Many of them died, they either starved to death, were tricked by some smarter spirit, or were driven insane. And the cycle would repeat again and again, till only the quickest and smartest survived. Innocence had no place in Hueco Mundo.
Then Aizen came.
Grimmjow had no time for distant, blurred memories. This could be a trap. He stared down the girl, both on the other ends of the gargantuan throne room, being the only visible sign of life in Aizen's palace. The draft stirred up dust and the motes of sand littering the floor, as the clouds briefly swallowed up the sunshine.
"What're you doing here?" He barked at her, examining her with the intent of spotting any flaw or shimmer in Aizen's witchcraft. He was probably being fucked with but the truth was nothing was flawless. That was something the bastards who gave up their free will had forgotten when they lost their masks.
"I… I… In-"
In what?
The girl caught her breath, and coughed her stammering away. "Lady Inoue sent me."
Grimmjow froze.
No, no fucking way. Grmmjow's mind slowed to a snail's pace as his heart beat out a sonata. He couldn't process this. Why the fuck would Aizen leave her here?
The girl was nervously chattering on but Grimmjow didn't quite hear her. He was more focused on his surroundings, hoping for a giveaway of the demon's presence. But there was nothing.
Grimmjow never thought he be afraid. For all of his existence he had been the Alpha predator, a hunter, a king. Even when he was turned into Aizen's puppet, the only thing he feared for was his life… And that was sated by his love of violence and his hope of destroying the man who had imprisoned him.
But the odd emotion Grimmjow was feeling wasn't out of potential death, or pain. It was something that he never thought he'd ever feel.
The fear of being someone else's prey.
"So… Grimmjow-sama… Do you like me?"
That snapped him back to reality. Why the fuck was she asking that all of a sudden? Why would anyone… Nevermind.
Grimmjow suddenly had a question that he believed he knew the answer to. After all why would a numero stay behind? And what's with this "Lady Inoue" crap? It was usually one of the bullshit honorifics the Shinigami introduced. That shit didn't fly unless...
"Hey girl, are you Orihime Inoue's fraccion?"
The girl smiled. "Of course! She is-"
In a burst of Sonido, Grimmjow appeared in front of the girl. He grabbed her by the neck and held her up arms length.
"I have your Fraccion you bitch! If you want to see her alive, leave me the fuck alone!"
Silence was her reply. Grimmjow tuned his ear and pequisa to every conceivable direction but only heard the girl's chocked cries. He had gambled and lost.
He was about to fling her away...
...But then he felt someone's breath on the back of his nape.
"Hello, Grimmjow-kun." It wasn't happy or seductice. It was full of sadistic intent.
Grimmjow reflexively hit her with the object in her hand. But in his haste, he forgot which hand held his sw, and tried to hit Inoue with her own Fraccion. His impaled arm was a retaliation for his stupidity.
Inoue twisted her Daito in his further and deeper in his wound, causing him to yell out and drop the girl and his sword. When he tried to punch her, Inoue impaled his hand.
Grimmjow screamed.
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He couldn't be too late. There was no way he was too late.
Ichigo rushed as fast as a bullet train, the gust of air screamed around him and his aura. Nel was barely holding on, but Ichigo was too focused on the lack of Reiatsu his friends were emitting. It couldn't even be called faint. It was almost invisible.
Ichigo stopped briefly to put Nel down. He had to focus on beating the shit out of whoever had did this to his friends.
"NEL, STAY HERE!" His fear made him more angry then he wanted. He didn't mean to sound so harsh but he couldn't watch her and help his friends at the same time.
He kicked up sand and air before he made it to the garish, feverish ruins. This was the location where Nel felt their Reiatsu. Why didn't he listen to what Ishida kept telling him? If he had spent anytime training to hone his senses, he would have been here earlier.
He ran but he didn't need to run far. His breath caught in his throat as his mind went into disbelief.
Strewed all about the ruins, were the bodies of his friends, bloodied, broken and still. Renji was lying facedown, his auburn hair mixed with dried blood. Chad was clucthing his arms, while rolled into a ball. Uryu was swimming in blood, running down from his mouth to his waist. And Rukia...
Ichigo shaked his head, refusing to believe in what was right in front. He opened his eyes and they were still there.
Ichigo fell to his knees, screaming, tears streaming out of his eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen! He heard his Hollow's laugh get louder, and louder, and louder…
"Ichigo, you idiot… Stop crying!" A all too familiar but severely pained feminine voice called out.
Ichigo opened his eyes, daring to hope. "R… Rukia?" He saw them all stir but focused on her signature cocksure smile, blood, and other fluids coming our of her mouth. "Run."
"What?"
"Run, save Orihime!" Rukia gagged as white fluid gushed out of her nose and mouth. "It's a trap!"
"Oh, your so dramatic. This isn't a trap. It is the final act." A silky voice proclaimed.
Ichigo turned around. Behind him was a lithe figure strutting towards This hollow had a odd appearance that would have been comical if his blood wasn't steaming.
His thin vine like wings with sacks hanging off them, his layered dress cut into long fleshy strips as if it was a part of him, his gray chest divided into a soft carapace, the four line shaped markings coming out of left eye and his grotesque vampiric fingers gave him the visige of some sort of gothic demon.
"Are you the one who did this to my friends?" Ichigo's voice was low and dangerous, his go to response to any threat whether it be bully or otherworldly foe.
Szayel rolled his eyes. "No I just walked in at the wrong time. Of course it was me you twit!"
Ichigo screamed. "Bastard!" As he went to vertically slash the girly, fruity Arrancar in half, Szayel vanished.
Ichigo looked around confused. Where the fuck then he go?
"Now are you going to listen to my wonderful voice or are you going to go apeshit again?" He heard his voice behind him but when he turned around all he saw was empty air.
"COWARD! Fight me like a man!" Ichigo had never been this angry, his reiatsu being so high it was starting to crack the roof.
"But I'm not a man, Kurosaki. And in spite of the hormones in you, neither are you." Suddenly Szayel appeared in front of them, no longer invisible. They both gawked at each other. very confused at what just happened. Ichigo smiled a demonic grin, and ran towards him.
W-wait!" Szayel stuttered, realizing just how much that the illusion device had taken damage. But Szayel recovered and pulled out what looked like Chad and Rukia plushies, covered in stitches "I guess you want your friends to die!"
Ichigo skidded to a halt. "What are you talking about?"
"Observe." He pulled out a tiny object from inside the Rukia doll. "The left eye." He squished it and heard a horrible scream from Rukia. Ichigo turned and saw Rukia grabbing her face, blood spilling out between her fingers.
Horrified, Ichigo turned back to the Szayel, a maniacal grin on face. "What did you do!"
Szayel tsked. "Once I get someone's DNA, I can create a sort of puppet that contains a copy of insides that I can do with as I please. It's similar to what you humans call a Voodoo Doll."
"So, you're saying… As long as you have those dolls, you can hurt my friends?"
"Of course!"
Suddenly, Szayel felt his dolls slip from his hands. Fearing that he dropped them, he looked around only to see the ginger beast standing over him, his dolls being thrown to the side, As Ichigo was about to take his head, the pinked haired dandy snapped his fingers.
And so the final song began. The tune of horrible agonizing screams made Ichigo freeze.
"I suggest you look inside those dolls. You'll find them empty because I gave their organs to my Fraccion with orders to break them until you do as I ask." Szayel smiled when Ichigo fell to his knees. "You can't win this one. I can make it stop. But you have to do something."
The demon's voice seemed far away. Ichigo couldn't believe how helpless he was.
It was pathetic.
But Ichigo still registered that he could help. "W-what is it."
"There's a certain ritual you humans called Harakiri. I want to see you do it."
"A-and if you do… Well you let my friends go?"
Szayel's grin got wide as if he had unhinged his jaw. "Of, course!"
Ichigo didn't hesitate as turned the blade away from the monster and towards himself.
"ICHIGO, DON'T!" Someone screamed, perhaps it was Rukia, maybe Uryu, it ultimately didn't matter, he still ran the blade through his belly until it was out his back. Ichigo slumped over in pain but not before sparring the monster one final look.
"Idiot. I was never going to let your friends go!" Szayel yanked Tensa Zangetsu out of him. Before Ichigo could pass out in shame, a piping voice got his attention.
"ITSYGO!"
Nel was there staring at Szayel in horror. Ichigo didn't see Szayel's look of surprise, but he did hear him.
"What the hell… What is she doing here!"
Ichigo must have been passed out. There was no way, no way a child would die because of him...
Nel screamed. "You leave Itsygo alone!" Her voice changed at the last syllable. Then she exploded into mist.
Szayel stuttered, obviously afraid. Once again Ichigo fought unconsciousness through sheer will. He had to live to...
To...
Wait, who's outline was that?
Ichigo thought he saw a familiar figure emerge from the mist. At first he thought it was Orihime. Had she escaped and was about to save them? Ichigo cried.
But when he finally appeared he did a spit take.
A curvaceous Arrancar with Green hair and Nel's mask appeared out of the mist, a sword in hand and running towards him.
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Damn, this was a long one. Don't intend to have a long summary.
NEL IS BACK! She's ready to kick some pinked haired ass!
Can't wait to see you next chapter!