Moon Princess

by romeoraiden

Ichigo Kurosaki was born destined for greatness but has had to suffer as he grows to embrace his destiny. Naturally, he will not endure this burden alone as he will have many allies to help him along the way. But only one of them can help him go beyond as his ever-faithful sword of the moon. (M for Violence and bad language)

11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The True Face of Evil

"Ryūsenka (Dragon Hail Cross)!" Tōshirō flies to stab Ichigo and as he does so a huge forward burst of ice erupts from the point of contact between Hyōrinmaru and Getsuhime, encasing and freezing them. Hitsugaya then proceeds to shatter the ice, and his opponent with it, though to his frustration that didn't seem to do much harm to the Shinigami Agent except give him frostbite.

"You little brat!" Ichigo growled firing a nameless Getsuga Tenshō in retaliation that Tōshirō narrowly evades, and the attack ended up briefly interrupting Kenpachi's fight with Sajin, giving the latter a chance to mount a huge strike.

"ROAR, TENGEN (Heavenly Punishment)!" Sajin raises his Zanpakutō, which has a rectangle tsuba decorated with a pattern of vertical lines, with the long sides pinched in towards the middle. The overall appearance is similar to a squared-off hourglass.

Releasing his Shikai summons what looks to be a phantom giant clad in black armor that most would associate with a samurai but only the arm is visible and those witnessing can't see much of it. Said arm also carries a massive sword fit for its size reminiscent of Sajin's sword.

Komamura swings a downward vertical slash in Ichigo's direction and the giant arm mimics his movement and aims toward the Agent. Kenpachi prevents this, firing an energy blast from his Zanpakutō that halts the giant sword, allowing Ichigo to evade it.

"If you want to fight the kid you should've aimed that giant thing at me first!" Kenpachi shouted.

Uryū confronts Kaname, shooting as many arrows as he can but the blind Captain possesses superior speed and evades everything fired at him effortlessly with Shunpo before appearing behind the Quincy to finish him off, and his Zanpakutō so far has the most impressive design Uryū has seen.

The katana has an orange hilt, with the tsuba being a teardrop shape, the base of the drop arcing over the top of the blade, and the point of the drop pointing below the cutting edge. A row of several tiny teardrop-shaped holes decorates the bottom of the curve, and a small ring, approximately 2" in diameter, dangles off the tip of the tear-drop.

The Quincy is perceptive enough to notice the danger coming and quickly lowers his head down to evade the horizontal slash, and just as quickly points his bow right at Kaname's chest to fire but again the blind captain proves his superior speed by evading the point-blank range even though Uryū has enhanced his arrows to be three times faster than the speed of sound.

Because he is so focused on the Quincy, Kaname is not too quick to notice Chad charging where he lands in time to evade and has no choice but to block the full fury of the Brazo Derecho de Gigante, the impact triggers a big blue explosion that blind sighted those closest to the scene for a moment.

By the end of it, Kaname is seen still standing with no visible harm to himself. Chad still feels successful because his punch left a crack on his Zanpakutō, though it isn't as bad as the damage Isshin's received when he protected Ichigo from Gin's Shinsō.

"Nowhere left to run," Uryū warned as he sneaks up behind Kaname with another arrow ready to fire at the back of his head.

Unfortunately for the two combatants, their opposing Captain had already whispered before he got into this predicament… "Cry, Suzumushi (Bell Cricket)." He released his Shikai which projects a high-pitched tone over a wide area and once it reaches Chad and Uryū's ears, it overloads their hearing, forcing them to back away and they will soon slip into unconsciousness.

"So impressive for those so young but alas, it was always going to end this way," Kaname said while using his Reiatsu to fix Suzumushi.

"Oh no…" Rukia uttered, seeing the danger Uryū and Chad are in.

"I suggest you think fast," Matsuri pressed, and the escapee Shinigami retaliates by doing something both immature and unbecoming for someone who lived under a Noble House and will blame this stunt completely on Ichigo when this is over, which is headbutting Matsuri. "How did I not see that coming?" She groaned, taking a step back while rubbing her forehead from the pain.

"Bakudō #10. Shibireyubi (Numbing Finger)!" Rukia places a finger in front of Matsuri's face, and a ball of white energy flashes momentarily before her eyes, immediately incapacitating the Lieutenant who falls to the ground while remaining conscious and aware of what is going on around her.

'This'll buy maybe a minute before I break the spell with my Reiatsu so make it count,' She thought.

"Santen Kesshun, I Reject!" Orihime cried, summoning her shield to protect Uryū from Kaname's swing, surprising the Captain with the shield's endurance.

"You succeed only in making me sadder, to see such young souls waste their lives bringing injustice upon the peace we have worked so hard to establish," Kaname frowned before making a high leap above ground, getting a clear view of all of Ichigo's friends except Rukia.

"I must finish you all here and now! Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō (Bell Cricket Second Movement: Crimson Flying Locusts)!"

As Suzumushi vibrates momentarily, Tōsen moves his sword around himself in a semi-circle as a trail appears from the sword's path. This trail turns into hundreds of blades that rain down upon Tōsen's opponents. Orihime is unable to block all of them and Uryū and Chad have yet to recover.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia cried as she readies for immediate action. She holds her Zanpakutō out in front of her and turns it in a circle counter-clockwise. While she is turning it, the blade, hilt, and tsuba turn completely white. The tsuba becomes a hollow snowflake-like circle and a white ribbon forms from the pommel. The transformation is accompanied by a rush of cold air in all directions.

'We must give it our all!'

"Yes, Mistress. The time to truly make our stand and claim our freedom starts now," Sode no Shirayuki declared, prepared to face the carnage head-on while Rukia holds her upside down.

The white blade glows, and she makes a slashing motion at her intended target.

"Some no mai, Tsukishiro (First Dance, White Moon)!" Rukia called and several circles form around her friends and from them they fire pillars of white light once the blades Kaname fired entered their reach, said pillars quickly turn to ice, freezing everything within their space, extending high above the sky.

"What…" Kaname gasped, not believing that his attack was blocked by someone who was not even a Seated Officer.

"That never gets old," Matsuri who frees herself from the Kidō takes the time to marvel at the sight of Rukia's Shikai which has long since been considered the most beautiful blade in Soul Society. And funny enough, the one believed to have started this claim was Byakuya Kuchiki himself.

Matsuri can't marvel as much as she would want because she notices that Rukia creates a circle around her that fires another pillar to freeze her but she does manage to avoid it in time with a fast leap.

"You got to do better than that!" The blonde warned.

"I already did," Rukia replied smugly.

Shūhei who was moving near where Matsuri was previously standing while maneuvering during his fight with Ikkaku fails to notice the pillar of ice and collides with it, groaning in minor pain that worsens when the 3rd Seat takes advantage of this and strikes him in the face by the pommel of Hōzukimaru so hard that the ice pillar shattered as the Lieutenant got sent flying through it and bumps into Matsuri, the two fall to the ground and the impact made her drop her Zanpakutō.

"Crap like this is why you're a loser, Shūhei!" Ikkaku laughed watching the two Lieutenants fall to the ground.

"Bakudō #73. Tozanshō!" Rukia shouted, casting a Kidō to trap the two Lieutenants in the inverted pyramid.

"Now you've gone and done it, Shūhei," Matsuri muttered while her male companion remains on top of her.

"Please don't let me live this down!" Shūhei cried in embarrassment, wholeheartedly blaming himself for this predicament and blushing madly as he never dared imagine himself in such a position with Matsuri. "You can get us out, right?"

"Tozanshō is a powerful spell with the purpose of keeping those placed within trapped, foolproof by the fact that it can negate any Kidō that might dispel it from the inside," Matsuri explained annoyingly. "This wouldn't be a problem with my Kotōmaru but I dropped it and I take it you dropped your sword as well."

Shūhei briefly looks away from her embarrassed of this next blunder.

"I have an idea on how to get out of this mess but you can't tell anyone about this, especially Captain Komamura. He doesn't have the best opinion of me after the last Halloween party," He pleaded.

"Well, you were pretty ''hands-on'' on me when you got drunk," Matsuri smirked. "Which quickly lost its spark when you instead called me Rangiku."

"MATSURI!" Shūhei cried in agony.

'We're going to be here a while,' She dropped a sweat. 'At least this will keep me out of the fight for their sake, I just have to hope that I won't miss my role to play in this. I just know that ''he's'' already here.'

It's not just the 9th Division's Lieutenant but also their Captain who will pay the price for not paying enough attention as Ichigo managed to avoid Tōshirō long enough to reach Tōsen and retaliate for trying to kill his friends.

Just when his Lieutenant and Matsuri were sealed off by Rukia, he fires the biggest but nameless Getsuga Tenshō he ever shot so far at Kaname, ramming him to the ground.

"Kaname!" Sajin yelled in horror to see his friend be taken down like that.

"Where are you looking at, idiot!" Kenpachi sneered, grabbing Sajin's left wrist to lift and throw him far away.

"This is just pathetic. How did losers like you ever become Gotei Captains, let alone above the 20th Seat when you fight like such pansies," Kenpachi growled in disgust at how boring this fight has been. "It's a wonder why the Hollows above the Gillian class are so scared to come face us if this is the world's best defense."

"Aren't you one of these so-called defenders?" Ichigo questioned landing down beside the Mad Shinigami.

"Kid, the only one worth defending in this stupid world is my daughter and that's as far as I'll ever go," Kenpachi replied.

"You have a da-" Ichigo stops to see Yachiru beside Orihime. "Well, I'll be damned."

"Kenpachi, you miserable beast!" Tōshirō yelled.

"What's that? I can't hear you over how lame you are!" Kenpachi snapped. "See that, kid. White midget with dragon wings. Looks like a badass but is actually a little bitch that I'm forced to deal with."

"I feel for you, man. I have a little bitch back home, and her name is Tatsuki," Ichigo sighed. "There's also Keigo but I actually give a shit about him."

"You should see this other small fry named Soifon," Kenpachi joked.

"Hyōryū Senbi (Ice Dragon Swirling Tail)!" Tōshirō shouted, swinging his sword in a linear direction to create overflowing ice from his Hyōrinmaru in the form of a crescent to strike at Ichigo and Kenpachi, though only Ichigo avoids it while the Rebellious Captain casually takes the ice with no visible harm or alarm in him.

"Zekku (Void Sever)," Hitsugaya reuses Hyōryū Senbi and this time sends it upwards after Ichigo who fires a nameless Getsuga Tenshō, destroying some of the ice but some of it reaches him and causing a gash on his right abdomen.

"Shit!" Ichigo cursed as that hurt.

"I warned you about Kotodama. You use a technique without saying its name first its power will drop greatly," Getsuhime reminded.

"Cut me some slack," Ichigo hissed, ready for another charge from Tōshirō flying after him that he stops by flashing a light at his face, distracting him long enough to get behind him. 'Let's try this again.'

"Getsuga Tenshō!" He roared, blasting the young Captain with a fearsome blow that should've taken him out.

"There! How about that?" He smirked seeing Tōshirō defeated, only to become confused when he sees the kid's body turn to ice and break into pieces. "Holy shit!"

"An Ice Puppet. He must've fled when you blinded him and you never noticed while moving at lightning speed," Getsuhime realized.

"Then where—"

"Above you," Getsuhime answered his unfinished question and he Shunpos out of the way in time to avoid Tōshirō practically dog-piling him. After he instead hits the ground, an ice-like geyser spreads far and wide and would've hit all the Ryoka but they succeeded in escaping, including Chad and Uryū who have recovered.

"Goodness! For someone who has an absolute zero touch, this kid sure has a fiery passion." Uryū muttered, shocked by how ferocious Tōshirō is being.

"Yeah, though I don't think his anger seems to be solely because of all the damage we've caused," Chad noted.

"Captain Hitsugaya once served under Isshin as his 3rd Seat and he used to look at the young prodigy with the favoritism one would give to a son, so I don't blame him for being so angry and hurt," Hanatarō said, feeling terrible for Tōshirō.

"That's what this is about?" Ichigo whined, regrouping with his comrades. "If your beef is with my dad, fight him instead. Cause I've had enough of you as much as I'm through with Byakuya!"

The Shinigami Agent raises his sword, unleashing Getsuhime's power to create a field of light around Tōshirō that starts to disorient him but also removes the surroundings from his sight.

"Again with this!" Tōshirō growled, covering his eyes with his right arm. "You'll have to do better than that."

"I literally just told you, I've had enough of you. CHAD!" Ichigo shouted and distracted by the light, the young Captain does not notice the tall Mexican man leaping after him while generating a high amount of blue energy in his right arm and delivering a devastating punch to the stomach.

Tōshirō gasped for air from the immense blow he just received that knocks him down for the count.

'Damn…' Tōshirō cursed before he falls in defeat.

"CAPTAIN/TŌSHIRŌ!" Rangiku and Momo cried in horror.

"And that's three Captains whose asses have been kicked," Ichigo smirked whiles Chad gives him his signature thumbs-up with his left hand.

Just then Kenpachi escapes from the ice Tōshirō previously trapped him in. He meant to get out sooner but decided to wait until the annoying brat is defeated.

"Way to go, kids. Nothing like solving the world's problems with violence to make your day," Kenpachi smirked.

"I think I'm starting to like you, Kenpachi," Ichigo smirked back.

"This is one pair I don't want to see come to fruition," Rukia groaned, displeased by the sight.

"Aww, it isn't so bad," Orihime smiled, delighted that everything turned out alright.

"Jiggles is right. That was so much fun," Yachiru chuckled.

"Jiggles?" Orihime repeated confused.

"This kid ain't right in the head," Ganju shook his head concerning Yachiru.

"Quiet, Monkey," Yachiru pouted at him. Ganju wants to lecture the girl for the insult but then remembers that her father is THE Kenpachi Zaraki and he is standing close by so survival comes first over dignity.

"At this rate, the only problem left is the Head Captain who last time I checked…" Uryū began just as they hear a loud explosion in the distance coupled with two flaming pillars, the bigger one being Yamamoto no doubt. "Will mean the end of us all if we're not careful."

"I'd like to meet your dad, kid. He survives that fight I just might aim my blade at him instead," Kenpachi smirked.

"Aww, why do you have to go and take all the strong ones for yourself, Captain," Ikkaku whined.

"Shut up, you idiot. Go fight someone with training wheels," Kenpachi scolded his subordinates.

"That's right, Baldy, Muscles, and Pencil here look tough so maybe you'll have fun with them," Yachiru smiled, referring to Chad and Uryū.

"Did she just nickname me Pencil? Because of my glasses…" The Quincy muttered.

"We really should help Isshin. As tough as we are, no one can really take on the Head Captain and win," Hanatarō insisted, worried for his brother dying this time.

"Yeah, I'll go get him," Ichigo declared.

"Not while looking like a walking corpse again, you're not!" Rukia warned. "Act all high and mighty you want with any other Captain but when it comes to the Founder and Supreme Commander of the Shinigami all you'll do is barely entertain him and Yamamoto is not someone you'd ever want to take a risk in making him laugh."

"Shut up, hobbit. I know my limits and these wounds won't hinder me," Ichigo said in defiance.

Just then a massive fireball, they can't tell who shot it lands nearby but hits no one, even as it combusts into a small inferno.

"Great, like this night wasn't warm enough already," Ganju whined, dropping a storm of sweat.

"Now that I take the time to see it, that's what your Zanpakutō really looks like?" Ichigo drops the subject, staring at Rukia's released Zanpakutō.

"Yep, this is my precious Sode no Shirayuki. Beautiful, isn't she? Well respected as the greatest work of art in Soul Society," Rukia smirked with a pure vanity that only a noblewoman could possess. "I admit that your Getsuhime is gorgeous too, a worthy rival for my sword but let's face the facts, silver is not your color. Black is more your style."

"It is amazing to see both your swords together," Orihime blushed, never once considering how a white and silver sword would blend so well together.

"Aww, thanks Orihime," Rukia snickered.

"When you were trying to save my family the night we met, why didn't you use your Shikai?" Ichigo flat-out asked the big question that's been on his mind ever since he learned that a Shinigami's weapon has superpowers.

That brought a cold and silent chill in the air on a night that was increasingly hot and made worse by the inferno next to them but now it is no longer noticeable because of that one question that has Rukia cringing like there's no tomorrow.

"Oh… well… you know…" She can't come up with an answer.

"NO, I don't! Please enlighten me," Ichigo demanded with a cold glare.

"I'd hate to interrupt the spontaneous breakup but this fight is so not over." Gin said getting back up and approaching them with Izuru and Rangiku beside him. His right arm is still a wreck but he'll have to make do with just his left hand.

"You fiends will not escape from us," Sajin said next as he and Kaname return to the fight.

"Oh, great. The loser convention is back." Ichigo hissed over the interruption.

"Does this mean that you guys are going to release your Bankai now? Because it's alarming how boring this fight is," Kenpachi protested. "Seriously, if there were a medical condition where you could die if you don't have an exciting fight I'd be suffering from said affliction right about now!"

"Is he talking about Sannin-itus?" Chad wondered.

"Oh yeah, my dad told me about that," Ichigo joked.

"OH REIŌ, IT'S REAL!" Kenpachi cried.

"NO, KENNY! DON'T DIE!" Yachiru sobbed while everyone else drops a sweat at how bizarre things got.

"I will stomach this insolence no more, especially from you Kenpachi Zaraki," Kaname frowned. "Ever since you took over the Captain position of the 11th Division by killing Kenpachi Kiganjō, I had an uneasy feeling about you, that you were a demon who fights only to feed on the blood of the fallen. That you were not like the rest of us and that you must not be allowed to remain with us otherwise you will one day bring ruin upon us all. And I was right all along."

"Blah, blah, blah. Our group has always had a serious issue of talking too damn much, even when it makes no sense. The monologuing is disgustingly a trend but you, in particular, are an eyesore, Kaname, and you can't even see shit," Kenpachi whined. "Wasting time on a thirty-minute chat that can be summed up in less than ten seconds. You hate me, so hurry up and try to kill me, already!"

"Hate? I wouldn't go that far. I just find you unforgivable! And must be stopped along with these Ryoka, once and for all," Kaname corrected.

"This guy is in denial of his feelings. Kind of like you when someone crosses you," Uryū bemused to Ichigo.

"If I truly hated you for the Hollow Bait stunt, you'd still be in your dad's hospital," Ichigo corrected.

"Well, if this Sannin-itus has you spooked, I'd be happy to help fill your prescription. Mmmm~" Gin said. "It's the least I can do for you after almost killing me. Mmmm~"

"Would you stop that already!" Kenpachi demanded irritated.

"What are you talking about? Mmmm~" Gin asked confused.

"It doesn't make any sense, why do you keep doing that?" Ichigo uttered, also having enough.

"I can't give a reply without a proper explanation. Mmmm~" Gin whined.

"You know, that… ah… ''Mmmm~'' you're always making," Orihime tried to mimic him as best she could but ended up feeling embarrassed.

"Oh… that! Why didn't you just say so!" Gin cheered, finally getting it. "Sorry, I can't tell you about that."

"Why not?" Ichigo yelled.

"It's a personal joke between me and my Zanpakutō and it's only funny when we're the only ones in on it," Gin smirked. "Mmmm~"

"That's it! You're all stupid. I'm killing you now!" Kenpachi shouted.

"You first. Get Rekt, Shinsō!" Gin shouted back and extends his Zanpakutō at Kenpachi.

"Wait, I thought it was Shoot to—OWW!" The 11th Division cried out as he gets stabbed by Shinsō faster than he could react and the blade sends him flying away from everyone.

"Kenpachi!" Ichigo yelled.

"Ciao, bella," Gin runs past them with equal speed, aiming for Kenpachi.

"Get clear everyone!" Kaname warned his allies as he will attack the Ryoka with his full might.

"Kaname," Sajin began before he makes a high leap to flee from Kaname's range as the 9th Captain will use his true silent wrath. The other Lieutenants do the same as well.

Tōsen holds up his sword in his right hand and places his left palm against the ring on his cross guard. The ring begins to spin as it releases spiritual energy. As it spins faster, the circle grows bigger and bigger until it's large enough to surround his body. The ring then splits into ten other glowing rings of similar size that encircle Tōsen. With a slash of his sword, the circles go flying outwards and form a circular perimeter over a large area.

Realizing the danger, Ichigo plunges Getsuhime onto the ground, releasing a shockwave that aims at all his friends and allies, blowing them all far away from the area caught by Tōsen's Zanpakutō.

"Ichigo!" Orihime cried out to him.

To Ichigo's chagrin and confusion, Rukia is the only one among his comrades unaffected, though, by her expression, it doesn't seem that she is resisting on purpose, it's more like someone or something is holding on to her.

"Bankai!" Tōsen shouted, and not a moment too soon because once in position, the ten rings generate a black void that grows in size until it forms a large black dome centered around Tōsen's body and anchored to the ground by the ten rings, each now inscribed with a different kanji, trapping himself, Ichigo and Rukia within it. "Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi (Bell Cricket Final Form: Devil Cricket)."

"You Zanpakutō never fail to amaze," Ichigo mused but immediately becomes alarmed when he realized that no sound came from his mouth.

"Oh dear," Getsuhime muttered.

"You tried to save all your friends. Most noble of you, young one but this was always going to be Kuchiki's fate," Kaname praised him while pointing his sword that no longer bears the small ring.

'I can't see anything. I can't hear any of my friends and my senses are all off,' Rukia thought frightened realizing what is going on.

'I've heard of Enma Kōrogi. Also known as Mumyō (No Light), Captain Tōsen's Bankai creates a dome with a vacuum that nullifies the senses of spiritual energy, sight, sound, and scent, leaving only the sense of touch intact. This is bad, as powerful as Ichigo has gotten, there's no way his dad and Kisuke foresaw a scenario like this for him to fight back. Still, there might be a chance out of this. Unlike most Zanpakutō of which the sword itself becomes a creature or effect, I was told that Enma Kōrogi is a separate extension of Suzumushi, therefore separating the sword from him might help us escape. The only question is how long do we have before he cuts us down.'

Unfortunately for her, Kaname isn't her main problem as there is someone else also trapped in Mumyō, the one who prevented Ichigo from getting Rukia out of this mess, a cloaked figure standing right in front of her, unaffected by Kaname's Bankai.

"Finally! We should've done this instead of orchestrating all this crap!" His Zanpakutō said exasperatedly.

"Quite. But you can't say this wasn't fun. Exhausting, but fun," He smirked sadistically staring at the confused Rukia as he unveils a small glass vial from underneath his cloak. "Look on the bright side, my dear, as a token of respect for the boy exceeding my expectations and renewing your will to live, I will spare your life. Wish I could warn you to grit your teeth."

"It's more fun if she doesn't,"

The glass vial shatters in his right hand, spreading to form a greenish coating. Spires of similar color rose from the ground as the Man grabs the helpless girl by her shoulder, which alarmed her into believing that Kaname is attacking her and he plunges his right hand into her chest.

---

"Ichigo! Rukia!" Orihime cried out again, wanting to rush over to the large dome but Uryū grabs her arm to keep her away from whatever this thing is. Chad intended to punch his way through to free them but Sajin stops him.

"Don't bother, child!" He shouted to them. "Only those with Reiryoku greater than Kaname can forcefully undo his Bankai, and even if you have the power to do so, you first have to go through me." He warned as he extends his left hand to them, which in terms summons a giant version that stumps Chad who is force to raise his arms up and attempt to prevent it from squashing him.

"Chad!" The others cried for him.

"Remarkable strength for a human. Perhaps you are those rare anomalies with the Reiatsu of Hollows known as Fullbringers," Sajin said. "That would certainly explain the ravenous hunger we felt when you children destroyed the Shakonmaku."

"Who knows…" Chad shrugged before successfully pushing the phantom off him, forcing it to retreat and by extension make Captain Komamura take a step back.

"We're more outmatched now without Ichigo or Kenpachi," Ganju cursed.

"I know, and that's just the way I like it," Ikkaku grinned.

"You Shinigami, I swear," Uryū hissed as the bloodlust Kenpachi's men have is driving him nuts, a sentiment shared by Orihime, being a pacifist at heart, she can't bring herself to understand why so many people enjoy fighting despite the risks.

It's about the only thing she genuinely detests about her best friend, and violence is Tatsuki's defining feature. With Ichigo, the man she has a crush on it's easy to brush off because before, Ichigo was forced into violent situations or went through with it to help someone but now that he's a Shinigami, he seems to have embraced the carnage and the neglect he has for his own wounds scares her.

Rukia told her that when he and his dad rescued her from the Senzaikyū, he was badly banged up fighting Kenpachi, Byakuya, and Tōshirō, lost two fingers and his right arm was practically unusable and he ignored it even after the fight ended.

She heard of masochists but she never dared believe that someone close to her might be one.

"Raise your Head, Wabisuke!" Izuru charges forward with his Shikai unleashed, clashing with Chad who blocks the hook-like sword with his armored arm with the Lieutenant's aim to weigh him down.

Rangiku also joins the fight, unsheathing her Zanpakutō that she has behind her clipped onto her waist obi, a straight-bladed katana, the tsuba is in the shape of a cat's head, with two triangles on the top half curving into ear-points, and the bottom half tapering down into a single point. It has a dark red handle.

"Growl, Haineko (Ash Cat)!" The blade of her sword turns to ash that expands and spreads quickly toward her foes.

"Careful, everyone. Those ashes are actually tiny blades that'll rip us to shreds if we get caught," Ikkaku warned with him being the first to intercept Rangiku's attack.

While this is happening, Kenpachi rampages in his fight with Gin who does well to stand his ground despite his weakened state. Sajin takes notice of this and decides to intervene.

"Enough of this!" His Reiatsu explodes from his body as he unleashes his true power, this time summoning the giant in full for all to see. "BANKAI!"

A behemoth of living armor, standing at about a hundred meters tall, the giant resembles an armored samurai. It wields a sword with a guard similar to Komamura's, but with a different blade and a string hanging from the hilt. All the while, Komamura, and Tengen maintain a red glow of spiritual energy.

"What now!" Ganju cried in horror.

"Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō (Heavenly Punishment, Black Ropes of Ruination)!" Sajin roared (pun intended) and has the giant swing down at Kenpachi who doesn't notice in time.

"OWW!" He screamed, receiving the full force of the blast that makes a giant fissure that thankfully didn't hit anyone else.

"Geez, that was rude, interrupting my fight like that," Gin pouted at his fight being interrupted. Kenpachi isn't out yet with his Reiatsu expanding so much that it actually lifts the huge sword off him like a shield, which resembles a skull like when he was fighting Ichigo.

"Now we're talking! This is great!" He laughed, swinging his nameless sword at Sajin's giant one, managing to push the whole thing off him and this seem to have an effect on the Captain as Sajin actually felt the blow on his sword as though it were directed at him, making him recoil from Kenpachi's superior strength.

This also releases a shockwave that goes straight for Ichigo's team and Shinigami fighting, both sides ceasing the fight long enough to evade on time, though this puts Ichigo's team in more trouble.

"Shit!" Ganju cursed as they waltzed into a trap, as a huge net made of red-orange energy formed around them, restraining them.

"I can't move," Uryū muttered unable to use his left hand to shoot his arrows. Even Chad seems paralyzed by this net.

"What's happening?" Orihime uttered.

"I've got you. There's no escaping this time!" Momo declared as she is the one who created the net with it originating from the tip of Tobiume.

"Well done, Momo!" Izuru praised, him and Rangiku standing beside her.

"And now they'll burn!" The 5th Division Lieutenant added with her hidden venom visible on her face as she pulls, snapping her net from Tobiume, triggering some sort of chain reaction with the net beginning to ignite, revealing to be flammable with explosions starting from where the net was snapped before spreading everywhere.

"Oh Reiō…" Hanatarō muttered.

"Going out in a blaze of glory, that's fitting for the 11th Division," Ikkaku half whined.

Every one of them was in a panic as they knew Momo's attack would be fatal. Her killing intent towards them could be felt from her own Reiatsu as Shinigami can sometimes express their emotions through their power, it made them more weary of the petite Lieutenant than any of the Captains who are much more civil, except of course Kenpachi.

Fear gripped Orihime, knowing that there was nothing she could do to shield her friends and allies from the fire, and with Ichigo absent death felt like a certainty.

"I don't have time for this!" Once again, Orihime heard Getsuhime's voice despite not being present or Ichigo, but this time she was angry and desperate. Angry at Orihime for again displaying weakness and because she is distressed over what Ichigo is going through. She needed to act fast.

And yet again, Inoue's eyes turn silver, and the fear that took her became replaced with the very same valor that Ichigo possesses, along with the drive to truly fight back.

"Koten Zanshun (Solitary Sacred Cutting Shield), I Reject!" She yelled, making use of her only offensive ability that flies forward like an orange lightning bolt moving faster than anyone could perceive him, cutting through Momo's flame net at every possible angle, even hitting the parts that are already exploding, instantaneously ceasing the attack and freeing all her comrades.

"No way!" Momo gasped at the surreal phenomenon, and it was not over yet as Koten Zanshun goes next for the Lieutenants, and Momo attempts to block with her Zanpakutō, and upon impact, Koten Zanshun releases a shockwave that blows the trio off their feet and fall violently on the ground.

"Whoa," Uryū stated after the whole thing was resolved.

"Wow, that was actually pretty cool," Ikkaku mused.

"A most aesthetic technique from such a gorgeous young lady," Yumichika praised.

"Yeah, that was amazing, Orihime," Hanatarō cheered.

Orihime did not respond to their praises and just sighs heavily, feeling like the weight of a skyscraper is on top of her, her feet are shaking by the metaphorical pressure but to her own surprise, she remains standing. In truth, she is actually struggling with the reality that she just used an attack with the intent to hurt others, more so than to protect her loved ones.

'What's happening to me?'

"Orihime?" Chad asked, quickly noticing that there is something wrong with her but he did not notice quick enough because her eyes returned to their natural color before anyone could see the real changes.

Uryū was also worried, recalling how when he first witnessed Orihime use her offensive power on Jirōbō Ikkanzaka the attack was, to put it bluntly, an embarrassing display. Maybe it would've proven effective against low-level Hollows but against a Seated Officer Shinigami, Orihime's fate as just the healer of their group was sealed.

Being able to harm three Lieutenants like she did days after Jirōbō is more than impressive considering that she's up against Uryū, Chad, and Ichigo who have far too much destructive potential.

Noticing their distraction by Orihime's behavior, Izuru ceases the moment after getting back up to attack.

"Hadō #32. Ōkasen (Yellow Fire Flash)!" He roared, releasing a blast of yellow flame.

The enemy wasn't as distracted as he thought as Chad turns around to face him, his right arm already surging with power and after he thrusts his punch at Kira's position, a light-blue blast of spirit energy is fired from his fist that easily overpowers the Lieutenant's Kidō, followed by going right for him next.

"Aww, crap!" He yelped, bracing for impact. Though he, and subsequently Momo and Rangiku are saved from Chad's attack by a huge wall of ice that blocks it.

"Captain," Rangiku said as they watch Tōshirō get back on his feet.

"Sorry for the delay, but these people can really hit hard." He muttered, clutching his stomach due to the pain inflicted by Chad still present. His whole body is trembling in agony but he pushes through it to continue the fight.

"I see Komamura and Tōsen have finally started to use their Bankai. Their mistake was not using them from the start against these foes," Tōshirō said while he prepares to attack again. "You Ryoka have had your fun."

"You really should've stayed down, kid," Uryū claimed while pointing his Kojaku at him.

"Y-yeah. Ichigo will get out of that dark thing soon anyway and he doesn't like beating up the same people repeatedly," Orihime declared, having snapped out of her inner turmoil, and bolstered some confidence.

"Neither do I," Tōshirō replied and in an instant, Orihime's hairpins, Uryū's bow along with his right arm, Chad's right arm, Ikkaku's and Yumichika's Zanpakutō are frozen solid in ice and unusable.

Heck, even Ganju's little sword and Hanatarō's Hisagomaru are trapped in ice.

"What the!" The Quincy shouted in disbelief.

"My hairpins!" Orihime yelled in worry for the last heirlooms of her late brother that she was forced to drop from her head as their frozen state is giving her frostbite.

"Sennen Hyōrō (Thousand Years' Ice Prison)," Tōshirō spoke and many ice pillars formed that encircle him and his enemies. "You were all so focused on fighting everyone else that I got more than enough time to use this at its full potential."

"Catching us won't be so easy," Uryū said as he meant to move at high speed to escape but strangely, it did not work. "My Hirenkyaku… why isn't it responding."

"Don't try to break the ice," Hanatarō warned Chad who attempts to free his right arm by punching the ice with his left fist. "The ice of Captain Hitsugaya is the strongest in Soul Society. You break it without being at a level of strength that's fit for a Captain, you're more likely to implode your own limb."

"That's right. And Ice Zanpakutō have the added bonus of neutralizing any form of High-Speed Movement. I once learned that the Quincies copied the Shunpo technique of the Shinigami to make your own variation and unfortunately, it too has fallen victim to the cold of my dragon," Tōshirō declared, pointing his Hyōrinmaru at them that he turns to a 90-degree counter-clockwise, and this makes the pillars move towards his enemies to envelop and crush them.

"Aww, shit, here comes the ice age," Ikkaku sneered.

"Not exactly an unaesthetic way to go," Yumichika mused.

"You two have a problem!" Uryū shouted.

The stubborn Highschool Teens and Shinigami Rebels are again saved, this time by the monster Isshin created, Chigetsujū who crashes into Sennen Hyōrō, melting all the ice without directly hitting anyone, except for Tōshirō, who is close enough to be hit and he protects himself with his wings forming a spherical shield and though they do melt, they regenerate even faster due to Tōshirō increasing the cold temperature around himself.

"Shiro! Are you okay!" Momo cried out to him.

"How many times do I have to tell you to address me as Captain Hitsugaya!" The little boy snapped at her.

"He's fine!" She muttered.

"Crap… he hit me harder than I remember him being capable of even though the old dog looks like he's peaked," Isshin muttered while he is now standing beside his monster, looking all banged up with burn marks on his face, chest, and arms, though strangely, his shihakushō still looks fine.

"Oh, no! You're hurt," Orihime cried.

"Yeah, this is what happens when you piss off an old dog. No biggie," Isshin shrugged.

'Do all Kurosakis not care about having broken bodies,' She thought while dropping a sweat.

"Damn you, Isshin!" Tōshirō cursed after having his technique thwarted so easily.

"Hold that thought, Toshi, I'm not quite done getting my ass kicked by old man Yama," Isshin replied.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you, traitor!" He snapped harsher at him.

"I can see that, and I am so proud of you, kiddo! I knew you could do it," He smirked with immense pride for his former subordinate whom he knew from the start would be his successor as Captain of the 10th Division. He also gives him a thumbs up as congratulations.

"Wait, Isshin? You're Captain Shiba!" Ikkaku gasped.

"Oh my King, what happened to you? You're hideous!" Yumichika added.

"RUDE! I'll have you know my wife calls me Sexy!" Isshin cried indignantly.

The area again becomes surrounded by the flames of Ryūjin Jakka with Yamamoto walking into the scene through the inferno he commands that serve only to empower him.

"You continue to disappoint me, Isshin Shiba. It was not that long ago when you were the first Shinigami in a thousand years who's ever come close to matching my fire and raw power, but in the mere twenty-two years that you've been gone your strength has dropped considerably that Captain Kyōraku is now more than a match for you," The Head Captain scolded.

"That doesn't make me feel weak all that much since we both know Shunsui is to be your successor as the next Head Captain if you were to somehow finally bite the dust," Isshin muttered while rubbing the back of his neck.

'That's who I was fighting against?' Chad thought perplexed as to how unlucky and outmatched he truly was.

"Besides, it's not just because I'm horribly rusty but my powers have yet to return after I lost them," Isshin then added.

"Oh? A tale perhaps worth hearing about once you are apprehended, though I'm sure your loose tongue will become less so once your collaborators have been silenced so I won't waste any further time on you," Yamamoto said about to attack again. "This next swing will be so powerful that your Chigetsujū won't be able to hold me back. Exit immediately, Captain Hitsugaya!"

Tōshirō wasted no time once the order was given, flying away while firing three ropes made of ice that wrapped around Rangiku, Momo, and Izuru to drag them with him to escape the blast radius. He briefly spares a glance at where Matsuri and Shūhei are still trapped in Rukia's Kidō and curses that there's not enough time to reach them.

"Uh oh," Yachiru muttered, watching the hell that awaits her comrades if Yamamoto hits them. "Well, I wanted to have some fun and I guess this is as good a time as any." She smiled as she pulls out her Zanpakutō.

A normal katana with a pink hilt wrapping, a tsuba shaped like a five-petal flower, and a purple scabbard. She carries it around with a loose cord, rather than at the sash of her uniform. The scabbard is also unusual in that it has a pair of wheels for transport, which she forced Ikkaku to install for her.

"Taimatsu (Torch)!" Yamamoto creates a great inferno with a simple wave of Ryūjin Jakka that will completely consume whatever is caught within it until only ashes remain.

Isshin could dodge this but has no chance of dragging the others with him so he must take the attack head-on and forcefully repel them if he is to save everyone.

Chigetsujū gave a mighty howling as he charges forward as if it seeks to prove that the flames that have created it are superior.

"Here we go," Isshin frowned with the flames covering Engetsu enlarging. "Getsuga Tenshō!"

He releases his and Ichigo's signature move, which dwarfs the might of his son's that combines with Chigetsujū's left fist as he collides with Taimatsu. The two flaming attacks converge into a flaming pillar that can be seen across the whole Seireitei and tries to collapse on itself while falling on either of the two flame users who won't let up trying to ensure their respective flames prevail though Isshin is the only one of the two who is struggling.

They're barely able to flee in time to escape the mighty flames with Orihime attempting to block most of it with her Saten Kesshun. She and Hanatarō are instead saved by Yachiru who grabs the two from the back of their clothing and quickly flees.

Similarly, Uryū, Chad, Ganju, Ikkaku, and Yumichika are also pulled away by something, or something that are invisible, the Quincy, for example, looks like he is being carried on someone's shoulder.

"Lieutenant Kusajishi!" Hanatarō cried.

"I love marshmallows but Gramps sure loves overkill even more," She joked, dragging everyone to where Tōshirō dragged his team, and he is not in the mood to not seize any opportunities.

"Guncho Tsurara!" He yelled, firing daggers of ice at them, which Yachiru intercepted by herself with her katana, cutting as many as she can with impressive speed, though some she is unable to hit in time and are inches away from impaling her, only to be cut to pieces anyway by an invisible force.

"You know, even though it's obvious that we're going to lose, I really always wanted to play with you, Frosty. Lumpy and Boney always wanted to meet you too," She smiled.

"Lumpy and Boney? Somehow I don't want to know what you're talking about, considering all the other nonsense you do," Tōshirō hissed.

"Aww, don't be a meanie, and say hello to my Zanpakutō, Sanpo Kenjū (Three-Step Sword Beasts)," She introduced and two creatures manifest alongside her.

One of them is tall and made of bone with teal hair. It wears a black cloak and has a large bone running through its head vertically, wielding a long dagger-like blade that has another blade protruding at the top edge. The other creature is plump and covered in yellow fur, leaving its eyes only partially visible, wielding a cleaver.

"What the hell… is that the Lieutenant's Zanpakutō?" Ikkaku muttered in disbelief.

"The Captain rarely ever lets her fight at all that we've always been left dead curious but this is beyond what any of us ever imagined," Yumichika added, equally as perplexed.

"Dammit! Enough of this!" Isshin roared, mustering all the strength he can to cancel out both flames, ceasing the pillar entirely. He spares a quick glance at the Tozanshō barrier that Matsuri is in that remains unharmed due to him carefully ensuring the flames never reach her.

"You handled that well. I suppose there is still a little bit of the old you after all, although Ryūjin Jakka tells me that your insufferable Engetsu isn't as talkative as before, so I guess that's an improvement on your part," Yamamoto praised, looking like he will send thrice as many flames at Isshin while said man looks like he's barely at his last legs, though the Head Captain must be careful otherwise he will end up incinerating his subordinates, and he rather not interrupt Kaname's fight with Ichigo since his Bankai remains active, meaning the boy is far more resilient if he can last long with four of his senses nullified.

The old demon turns his attention to the great giant samurai of Captain Komamura that is seen attacking Kenpachi instead of the Ryoka. The Mad Shinigami laughs with intense vigor parrying the massive sword with his smaller one and despite the size difference, Kenpachi easily parries pushing both the giant and Sajin a few feet back.

They've all noticed for a while but it seems that Zaraki's strength has somehow enhanced, sure him defeating Sajin wouldn't have surprised anyone but from the looks of it, it seems that this fight is more one-sided than any of them believed.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" Genryūsai roared with the fury of a thousand suns at the sight of his fellow Captains fighting each other when the enemy is right before them.

"Nothing you didn't see coming a mile away, old geezer!" Kenpachi said defiantly.

"Yeah, boss, in hindsight you really should've made countermeasures the moment this one-eyed brute met someone who could actually kick his ass," Gin said while hiding behind a bolder after almost being killed twice in five seconds if it wasn't for Sajin forcing himself into the death trap that is Kenpachi Zaraki.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO THE HEAD CAPTAIN THAT WAY!" Sajin howled rushing in to kill Kenpachi.

"Why don't you think more rationally before attacking someone you can't beat, IDIOT!" Kenpachi snarled swinging his sword first, hitting Sajin's Komuso hat in the process, that thankfully protects the Captain's head but begins to crack open.

"All right! We finally get to see what's under that mask!" Kenpachi smirked as everyone takes the time to see the man behind the helmet, witnessing the head of a growling wolf.

"WHAT THE!" Uryū cried.

"OH MY KING!" Hanatarō cried next.

"Bucket is really Doggie!" Yachiru cheered.

"I'm not sure what I was expecting," Kenpachi mused.

"A real wolfman," Orihime gasped.

"The Animal Tribe really exists," Momo uttered in awe.

"Mind… blown!" Gin whispered. "Mmmm~"

---

'Damn… damn… damn…' Ichigo uttered in distress while he struggles to remain on his feet, having received more gashes on his body due to the relentless assaults of Kaname Tōsen.

It didn't take him long to realize that the Captain's Bankai has an effect on the senses of his opponent with the exception of his ability to touch. What's worse, Kaname's attacks are very fast, attacking before Ichigo can even react and there's no telling if Rukia is holding her own or not.

After receiving a sixth vital wound and his invisibility somehow proving ineffective with Kaname still able to track him, Ichigo uses his most newest ability, Kōgetsu, that creates extremely dense light barriers of any shape and size he wishes to keep Kaname away from him.

The plan now is to stall while he prepares to fire a Getsuga Tenshō that will break through Enma Kōrogi by striking the ceiling. Unfortunately, Kaname caught on to what Ichigo was planning and will stop him despite his cubic defense proving to be almost impenetrable for the 9th Division Captain to cut through but a Gotei Captain is not without his options.

"Suzumushi Yonshiki: Handō (Bell Cricket Fourth Movement: Recoil)," The blade of Kaname's Zanpakutō starts to vibrate at an alarming speed that makes very loud cricket sounds that only he can hear and upon swinging at the shield of moonlight, a large hole is cut open, breaking through Kōgetsu.

'What…' Ichigo uttered, feeling the shockwave that broke his defense.

Speaking of shockwaves.

"Suzumushi Sanshiki: Shougekiha (Bell Cricket Third Movement: Shockwave)!" Kaname releases another attack while Suzumushi vibrates fast but this time he releases the spirit energy generated from the vibration as a blast strikingly similar to the Getsuga Tenshō.

Ichigo would scream if he could because that blast did some real damage to him. More so than anything Byakuya ever could, so it's safe to assume who is the stronger Captain.

"Geez, that was stressful," Kaname's Zanpakutō muttered in his head. "This Getsuhime is sturdier than most we've had to put up with, and by most I mean Kyōka Suigetsu and Shinsō."

"I know you don't like it when I use our other techniques while our Bankai is in use but we can't afford to hold back against this child," Kaname said.

Many believe that his Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi prevents him from using his other abilities but in truth Suzumushi wants Kaname to avoid using them as having more than one technique in use at once or even simultaneously can prove stressful for any Zanpakutō, especially while in Bankai so Suzumushi has it harder than most of his kind since the Bankai itself is an ability rather than a transformation.

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry this up already. Not like our intent is to kill the boy, even if that is for the best."

Ichigo never thought he'd miss groaning, that's something he is tired of doing as much as everyone is sick of hearing him do it.

He always felt empathy for the blind, deaf and mute, and experiencing what they go through every day and at the same time gives him a whole new level of anguish, though he's not terrified of this hellish situation, something Kaname can notice despite being blind himself, leaving him with a perpetual frown.

Ichigo is certain that Kaname is right in front of him so he tries to crawl away from him, as futile as that is though he doesn't get too far as he bumps into something, a wall perhaps. Is he already at one of the edges of his dark dome? No, it is something cold.

'Rukia?' He realized, now knowing that behind him is a large block of ice made by her but what he has yet to know is that Rukia is inside of this ice to protect herself while she is on her knees breathing heavily while clutching her chest because of something horrific that she just went through.

'Dammit. Why couldn't I get her out of this as well? It was like someone invisible was holding onto her. Not like I could've seen him, her, or it without being invisible myself,' He thought. 'Speaking of which, Getsuhime, how come I can see anyone who's also invisible while using Gengetsu, or better yet, how am I still able to see anything at all if visible light no longer reflects on my eyes?'

His question goes unanswered and Getsuhime is unresponsive.

'Oh. That's right, this lousy dome also affects my connection with my sword. Guess I'll ask her later if I get the chance because everything else inside is telling me that the Captain is standing right in front of me.'

And his instincts prove accurate as Kaname stands before him, Suzumushi ready to make one last attack Ichigo believes will kill him.

"I thought you were infatuated with the night?" Getsuhime spontaneously asked him as Ichigo finds himself once again in his Inner World. His senses are restored as he can see his Zanpakutō Spirit sitting on the Lunar Throne, her majestic voice music to his ears.

"Getsuhime?" He asked, more startled to hear his voice. "What am I doing back here? Not an ideal time while death is upon me again."

"An Inner World exists within the mind as well as the soul, and the thought process of a brain is much faster than the movements of a body, as such only a nanosecond will have passed on the outside by the time our conversation is over," Getsuhime explained. "And a nanosecond is all I can afford because Suzumushi is more formidable than Senbonzakura. I can't keep you here any longer, our connection is diminishing by the second and soon you won't be able to even use your Shikai."

"Kickass! But then why didn't we use this slow perception of time for training?" He asked.

"The mind is for thinking, not punching people," She reprimanded.

"So in other words freezing time doesn't help with training. Great," Ichigo bemused.

"Our Kingdom is as spotless as ever, not a cloud in the sky on this night, your will to fight and drive to win are at their full potential when you finally rid yourself of Byakuya Kuchiki's shadow on your heart, therefore it doesn't matter that Suzumushi's master is stronger than your previous foes, countering his Lightless Prison shouldn't be as difficult like you've been going through," She stated.

"I know that. I'm just not used to fighting in such a way, tracking someone down through their Reiatsu is simple enough but this is at a whole other level. I've always relied on all my senses to catch someone but now all I have is the feeling of the cuts on my body and the blood pouring out," He scowled while clenching his fists.

"Only those trained to be the perfect warrior are given the opportunity to prepare for such a crisis. The Darkness is a powerful adversary. The other elements can struggle for eternity but in the end, they can accomplish little against it, and eventually, they will be consumed by their Elder. However, you mustn't forget that we command the opposite of Darkness," Getsuhime reminded him.

"The Light is just as eternal. And while the shine of the Moon is only an extension of the Sun it does not make it weak against the Night, on the contrary, no matter how dark the world becomes, the Moonlight will always make its stand. You only need to know how to truly harness it. Instead of expanding it, continue to hold it in your arms, and then you will truly be able to see what is hiding behind the shadows,"

"Hold it in my arms," Ichigo repeated before he closes his eyes, back inside Kaname's Bankai, and just as the Captain swings his sword down at him, time slows down, a slash that should've struck his flesh in a millisecond may take longer.

Ichigo swung back, colliding Getsuhime against Suzumushi with enough force to push Tōsen away from the young Agent.

"What?!" Kaname gasped in shock over the spontaneous counterattack while Ichigo quickly gets back up. "How could he…"

Ichigo places both hands on Getsuhime, getting in a fighting position that dares Kaname to hit him again.

Not one to throw caution to the wind but still refusing to be taunted, Tōsen goes forward regardless, reusing Handō as Suzumushi vibrates again, not only to make the blade stronger but the fourth movement also enhances his movements at lightspeed, making an astounding swing that will simultaneously slash at both of Ichigo's shoulders and the left side of his neck.

Ichigo puts his new speed to the test by parrying the three rapid swings almost effortlessly.

'Such speed!' Kaname gasped as he is forced to back away from the Ryoka who chases after him and he looks like he is preparing to use Getsuga Tenshō, forcing Kaname to get on the defensive and prevent him from using the technique at close range, parrying each other blow for blow, the shockwaves they each release leaving crack after crack on Rukia's Icy defense.

Taking notice of this, Ichigo forces Kaname to move further away and fight at a distance where she won't be caught in the crossfire.

'To think that his senses would increase at a level where not even Enma Kōrogi could nullify them,' Kaname pondered while he tries his best to inflict more harm on Ichigo. 'No, that can't be right. This must be the power of Light, substituting his obsolete senses. What better power to fight against this dark silent hell. No wonder he is incapable of feeling fear with such an ally.'

When faced with a situation where one's normal senses aren't cutting it, even by enhancing them with their Reiatsu, a Shinigami can turn to their Zanpakutō Spirits for aid as their five senses are more advanced, having them act as their eyes and ears to better counter against such situations, that is what it means to share a soul with another.

However, Zanpakutōs like Suzumushi are special as they are more suited to fighting Shinigami than Hollows that not even this powerful bond will be of any use, so logically, Getsuhime's advice for Ichigo shouldn't have amounted to anything because this Lightless Bankai is absolute.

'I still can't see or hear but my ability to feel is better now. More than that I can feel his own muscle movements like they are my own, or rather, I can feel him piercing my flesh before it actually happens so at least I know from which angle he will hit me,' Ichigo thought doing spectacularly against Captain Tōsen, forcing him on the defensive but that does not mean he can win as Kaname is no pushover and even with his improved abilities there are some sword swings he only barely evades and parrying isn't pleasant for his arms.

It's a good thing Getsuhime is sturdier than most Zanpakutō because Kaname would have a better time than he did trying to cut Kenpachi to pieces.

'It's just like Getsuhime said, as long as I keep the moonlight condensed in me everything becomes so much clearer, and with the Getsuga Tenshō contained within the blade, my swings are just as destructive as the attack itself. But I can't keep this up forever, I don't think I'm supposed to keep it all in regardless of what she said.'

"Suzumushi Sanshiki: Shougekiha!" Kaname yelled, aiming to attack at point-blank before Ichigo does.

Once he does so, Ichigo's next parry not only avoids the attack but redirects it, making Kaname hit the top side of his Bankai instead, leaving cracks on it that can be seen from the outside, not that anyone can notice with all the fighting going on elsewhere.

While caught off by this, Kaname persists, aiming for Ichigo's head, however, he is stopped when Ichigo catches the sword by the tsuba.

'No!' Tōsen cursed inwardly as Ichigo regains his stolen senses, seeing his opponent clearly.

"What just happened?" Ichigo wondered with his voice returned as well. His momentary confusion leaves him open for another attack.

"Hadō #54. Haien (Abolishing Flames)!" Kaname fires an oblong blast of purple energy from his left hand directly at Ichigo's head, and instead of disintegrating said head into nothingness simply phases through him without harm since he activated the intangibility of Gengetsu again. "How…"

"Light is OP as fuck. Deal with it," Ichigo smirked while his hold on Suzumushi tightens. "So, your Zanpakutō is what's keeping you from falling under the effects of your Bankai, eh? Quite a drawback if even your foes can be spared by holding it themselves."

"You truly are a formidable foe, Ichigo Kurosaki. Your power is exceptional even among fellow prodigies like Gin Ichimaru and Tōshirō Hitsugaya," Kaname praised. "I finally understand your value in the world. A pity you're path is a misguided one."

"The only ones misguided are you damn Captains. But don't worry, your comrades will have their eyes open to the truth soon enough," Ichigo sneered.

"Is that right? Your arrogant mouth is exactly what I would expect from the persistent Shiba Clan. Shame on me for not recognizing your brashness the moment you first arrived in the Soul Society. Although, I must apologize. When I called you misguided, I wasn't talking about your intentions to reveal the truth about Central 46." Kaname said, making Ichigo widen his eyes in shock.

"How did you-"

"What I was referring to as misguided is the poisonous valor you have shown for starting all this chaos. The peace of Soul Society is a fragile one, disgustingly so but it is one that can't be helped because the world is run by monsters. And when one cannot fight against such monsters without the right allies, the only thing to do is find contentment, no matter how feeble in living by a philosophy—nay, a principle that you can call your own. My principle is to live with a heart that can connect with fear," Kaname said.

"A heart that can connect with Fear?" Ichigo questioned.

"Those who do not fear their own blades have no right to wield them, this is more apparent with a Zanpakutō. They are our closest allies, more our relatives than any actual one we might have but they are still weapons that can be used against us at any moment, look for no further proof than my Suzumushi's Bankai as you have just learned. But it is because I embrace that fear that I am truly worthy of his great power and use it to bring Justice to this rotten world. And I shall bring Justice to all for that is the path I was born to walk," Kaname declared with conviction that Ichigo can't help but admire.

"That is why I cannot be defeated by the likes of you, boy. Not to a child who uses his strength recklessly without real rhyme or reason and cannot see that he is only a puppet to the machinations of a coward who for all his power and intellect can't help but manipulate children to do his dirty work. You are a pawn, that is why you do not fear the true depth of the consequences your actions bring. A heart without fear succeeds only in inviting evil."

To this, Ichigo growls in irritation.

"The only thing I fear is failure, and it'll be a cold day in Hell before I fail to the likes of you," Ichigo declared with his Reiatsu erupting again. "And don't talk to me about fear or not being worthy of the power I was entrusted with. Don't ever talk like you know me or Getsuhime!" He yelled, raising his sword to strike Kaname down while his grip on Suzumushi is even tighter.

Ichigo is unable to attack as someone grabs his sword hand by the wrist, and this inexplicably forces his Reiatsu to cease its surge.

"What…" Ichigo muttered in shock, feeling a malevolent presence behind him like no other, keeping him from even turning around. What's more, his hold on Suzumushi loosens and he is put back in the darkness.

"That's enough, Kaname. We've got what we came for," The man behind Ichigo said.

"As you wish, My Lord," Kaname said with a respectful vow at the man.

---

Not far from the final battle a large and green one-eyed manta ray-like creature is flying in the night sky, heading towards the great inferno, and riding on it are Captains Unohana, Kyōraku, and Ukitake, accompanied by Lieutenants Ise and Kotetsu, and lastly Jūshirō's Co-3rd Seats, Sentarō and Kiyone.

"We're almost there. It won't be long now," Retsu said.

"I'd hate to rush all the fine women of the world but could you maybe have your Zanpakutō go even faster, Captain Unohana because this looks to have turned out even worse than I believed," Shunsui frowned, not liking what they are seeing.

The legendary flames of the Head Captain are all over the old district that served as the final battle of the Ōin War. Isshin Shiba's own stubborn flames dared to challenge the sun itself. Sajin's Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō attacking any foe who are nothing but ants to it, one of them being Kenpachi? There's also Tōshirō's Bankai recklessly freezing all in his path.

It's a living nightmare down there and most of them are quickly thinking about turning back.

"Reiō, let us not be too late to stop this madness wrought upon your Kingdom," Jūshirō prayed as he gets on his feet.

"Captain?" Both of his 3rd Seats asked.

"Don't follow me. Our best bet at stopping this battle is by putting a halt to Master Genryūsai's flames," Jūshirō declared while he unsheathes his Zanpakutō, an average katana, with a rectangular bronze cross guard and a dark red handle.

"Your fever must've worsened more than usual if you think I'm letting you go down there on your own," Shunsui said, also getting on his feet, his left hand constantly holding his hat from falling because of the strong wind.

"I never expected you to," He said and at once the two leaped off the manta ray and straight down into the carnage.

"Isane. Get ready to do your part, everyone in the Gotei 13 must hear what we're about to discuss, that includes whatever Ryoka remains elsewhere, like the ones fighting Captains Kuchiki and Soifon in the Sōkyoku Hill," Retsu instructed to her Lieutenant.

"Yes, ma'am," Isane complied and begins to cast the Kidō they need for their plan to work, drawing symbols upon her arms and hands using a black powder.

As the two Veteran Captains are about to land on the battlefield, they notice their Head Captain about to unleash more hellfire upon the Ryoka. Now is the time to strike.

"All Ye Waves, Become My Shield. All Ye Thunder, Become My Blade! Sōgyo no Kotowari (Truth of Pisces)!" Jūshirō screamed his lungs out as much as he can, grasping his single blade with two hands that transform into two blades. As the blades peel apart, a large red rope-like chain at the base of the hilt lengthens, and silver metal square charms attached to the chain begin to fall, until all five present themselves. The blade is now somewhat thinner than the sealed Zanpakutō, and the tsuba now extends a little bit up the blade. About halfway along the length of the Zanpakutō, a second blade juts out from the inside of the main blade and extends back towards the hilt, running parallel to the main blade. The cutting edge of the second blade faces inward instead of outward.

Once they reach the land, the flames are already upon them, about to strike them instead of Genryūsai's true target.

"Jūshirō, Shunsui! NO!" Yamamoto yelled in shock as he can't stop his attack in time and whatever Jūshirō plans to do he won't get the chance to do so, which is why Kyōraku is beside him and takes the flames on first.

"Hadō #78. Zangerin (Cutting Flower Ring)!" With both his Zanpakutōs, Shunsui generates a large amount of energy before blasting it outward with enough power to briefly clash with the mighty flames, holding it off for a second. "NOW!"

Jūshirō moves in next to face the incoming inferno, using his left sword, he thrusts it into the fire that is being absorbed and directed through the connecting rope, where the five charms on the rope ignite with the same flames. Jūshirō then raises his right sword, pointing it to the sky where the flames are released into the sky high for all to see.

This sudden event caught the attention of all the combatants, momentarily ceasing all the fighting. At the same time, Unohana flies down with her Zanpakutō, Minazuki (Flesh-Drops' Gorge) sprouting a pair of legs to land upon, and Isane is the first to get off, frantically writing symbols on the ground to make her spell.

"STAND DOWN! EVERYONE, CEASE THIS AT ONCE!" Jūshirō cried and begged everyone to listen.

"More Captains arrived," Uryū muttered. "Must be the ones Matsuri turned to for help."

Speaking of Matsuri, she and Shūhei break out of Rukia's Kidō.

"Finally!" She cried while quickly running to reach for her Zanpakutō and focusing her attention on Kaname's Bankai which is still active.

"Cease fighting? What the hell does that mean?" Kenpachi groaned as he was finally enjoying fighting Sajin and Gin at once.

"What's going on?" Yachiru asked while she is once again on top of Tōshirō, with her Zanpakutō pointing at his heart while her two creatures were struggling to restrain the young Captain, though Boney got trapped in ice as a result.

'Oh dear, looks like the jig is up,' Gin thought, seeing only one conclusion to this turn of events.

"What are you two doing? Could it be that perhaps you as well have betrayed the Soul Society," Genryūsai demanded.

"Never, Head Captain! Though we may always have our disagreements, and maybe under different circumstances I might've been forced to draw my blades against even you, my loyalty has been and shall always be to the Soul Society. To Reiō!" Jūshirō argued.

"But most of all, the two of us will always be devoted to the path of Justice you taught us to walk. Which is why it breaks our hearts to see that you seemed to have forgotten your own teachings, old man Yama," Shunsui said next with a frown.

"Explain," Genryūsai said.

"Silken net of black and white! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowning sash; footprints, distant thunder, pointed peaks, revolving grounds, nightly prostrations, sea of clouds, the pale ranks of troops, complete the grand circle and surpass the heavens," Isane spoke an incantation while holding her palms out in front of her, she generates a glowing rectangular box and performs various hand movements to create various root-like extensions in the air, which connect to the glowing rectangle. Placing her hands up to the rectangle, the Lieutenant activates the spell, causing the root-like extensions to glow and create a network extending out from the rectangle.

"Bakudō #77. Tenteikūra (Heavenly Rickshaws in Silken Air)!" At that moment everyone felt it, some kind of powerful transmission coming into the minds of everyone from a wide range, allowing them to hear what is being said in the halted fight. Even those fighting in the Sōkyoku Hill feel this and are forced to stop.

"Transmission established, ma'am," Isane said to her Captain who nods in acknowledgment.

"Alright, we meant to do this immediately after discovering the travesty we found in the Compound but some powerful force prevented us from making any sort of contact from within the long range of the Central 46's domain so we had no choice but to come here instead to give the dire news to all of the Gotei 13," Retsu said.

"Travesty? What were you even doing in the Central 46 Compound?" Genryūsai asked.

"Master Genryūsai," Jūshirō stepped forward again. "As you all know, this catastrophe started when one of my subordinates, Rukia Kuchiki committed the unfortunate crime of granting a human her powers as a Shinigami. Though her reasons for doing so were undoubtedly just, the fact remains that the Soul Society can't bring itself to trust a human with our powers once again and as such she could not go unpunished. Had everything gone by the book, I would've allowed things to happen as they should and I'd been content that she and the innocent human, Ichigo Kurosaki would at least be allowed to live on. However, nothing went the way it should have, did it? Instead one of my own was to be executed and the way it was to be carried out was in the most nonsensical way I had ever heard the Central 46 spewed. The worse part of it all is that there was nothing I could do and no one else was going to do anything, not even her brother, or you, Head Captain."

No one made a response and kept silent, waiting for him to finish.

"When the Ryoka invaded, I first felt the same as everyone else. That this was all a disaster that would bring more pain and hardship for the Soul Society, but in this chaos, our eyes were opened to a painful truth that I could never bring myself to believe until Kyōraku and I were approached by one brave soul who dared to forego where none of the Captains would," Jūshirō said.

"And what is it that you have found then?" Genryūsai said.

"Central 46 is dead, old man. Every last member slaughtered in their very own seats in the Assembly Hall," Shunsui revealed, making every last Shinigami who didn't already know this gasp in utter horror. All the while Ichigo's team and father are immensely relieved that the truth has been exposed.

"What did you say?!" Tōshirō yelled.

"This can't be!" Genryūsai denied.

"I'm afraid we speak the truth, Head Captain," Retsu said next, stepping forward. "Captains Ukitake and Kyōraku informed me that they were going to force their way into the Compound and I accompanied them. All three of us desired answers at the unorthodox orders the Gotei 13 was given and what we found was Soul Society's own council murdered, and it did not take long for us to conclude that the murder happened long ago, and by my estimate, the same time that Rukia Kuchiki was apprehended and brought back here to be sentenced. Whoever has ordered her execution was someone posing as Central 46 with us none the wiser."

"That's not possible," Sajin couldn't believe the words of his senior Captain.

"And yet we're all hearing it from the very mouth of one of Soul Society's most legendary figures," Gin said next, not at all bothered by the revelation.

"No shit, dumbass! Even I could figure out that something stupid was afoot but we were all too lazy to do anything about it, not that I care one way or the other," Kenpachi sneered, one of the few Captains who is happy that those old bastards in the council are gone. "Isn't that right, Byakuya! I know you're hearing all of this! Bet you feel silly right now for spouting all that bullshit about ''the Law must be obeyed'' and ''I am only fulfilling my calling'' crap, don't ya! You poor excuse of a man! A headless chicken has more dignity than you!"

---

"This… this will not stand!" Soifon was about to explode if it were possible for a person's head to combust with all the rage boiling up inside.

As if encountering the woman she both despises and still worships as a goddess once again as one of the invading Ryoka wasn't bad enough, all of the Gotei 13 has been made a fool off long before Yoruichi returned.

"Holy shit… would've been nice if Matsuri was more upfront about this," Fujimaru sighed, disturbed by everything of this night but more so for half the reason as his Captain.

"Alright, we managed to pull through in the end," Yoruichi sighed more relief than most of her comrades. "Only one thing left to do."

"Renji. Is this what you meant when you said that teaming up with Ichigo Kurosaki was the best decision you've made in a long time?" Byakuya asked his rebellious Lieutenant, his face more stone cold than ever that Renji can't bring himself to look at him for long.

Speaking of the redhead rebel, he's in a really banged-up shape, Kuchiki's fight with Ichigo did not drain his stamina because he could still deliver a lot of punishment to Renji that his newborn Bankai couldn't content with, not that Abarai would admit defeat with him and Zabimaru refusing to fall and remain standing tall. Now with the moment of silence following the live cast to all the Gotei 13, Renji can finally relax while still standing and frowning, giving no answers to his Captain when he already discovered the truth.

---

"This is all well and good but there is still a lot of stuff unanswered. Like whom is the real enemy then? And how exactly are we going to clear out all this mess," Gin stated casually. "No amount of PR is going to ever make this okay."

"Something you're thrilled about, I'm sure," Isshin hissed whiles he tries to remain on his feet. Fighting Genryūsai was way too stressful, and he still isn't ready to fight like he used to.

"I can say the same about you, seeing how you spearheaded this invasion," Gin countered.

"Actually this is my son's crusade. I was just hitching a ride," Isshin shrugged. "But you can already guess that the jig is up, Gin, and you and Kaname have nowhere to run."

"What?" Izuru questioned.

"What about my Captain?" Shūhei demanded with everyone focusing their attention on their talk, the ones watching the most intently are Tōshirō, Rangiku, and Momo.

"Are you trying to shift the blame on me? How brazen of you, Shiba. After all, I'm not the one who was a part of the Ryoka Invasion that hospitalized so many Seated and Unseated Officers, as well as destroyed landmarks that have stood the test of time for a thousand years," Gin accused.

"True but it couldn't be helped. I owe a debt to the young Kuchiki, furthermore, I owe it to my late nephew who'd refused to let her go through all this crap and want me to get her out alive. And I know how the Soul Society is about their laws even when they are completely unjust and downright stupid, which has benefited guys like you for far too long," Isshin added.

"So I'm the criminal now? This should be good. What makes me worse than you?" Gin dared.

"Well, for starters, you didn't tell anyone that I was there when Jidanbō was defeated," Isshin pointed out and that's when the dots began to crumble.

"CALLED IT!" Shunsui grinned and all attention really turn to Gin.

"Ah… of course I'd be the center of attention regardless of how things played out," Gin sighed. "I'm not complaining though. And I could explain myself, but…"

Just then, Kaname's Bankai deactivates, freeing Ichigo and Rukia who regain their senses again.

"Swath, Kotōmaru!" Matsuri shouted, releasing her Zanpakutō, and her Reiatsu, which is supposed to be yellow turns darkly purple and affected the sky with the stars vanishing from sight.

"This ominous Reiatsu, it couldn't be," Jūshirō muttered. "Matsuri, what are you—"

"Hadō #90. Kurohitsugi (Black Coffin)!" Matsuri roared, shocking all the Captains over the spell she just cast, and a forbidden one that like the Sōkyoku, should only be used against Advanced Captain-Class Threats.

Who is she even firing it at?

A powerful torrent of gravity is created that takes the form of a black box of black spirit energy, around the same size as Sajin, covered in several spear-like protrusions which pierce the box, lacerating anything inside from head to toe. And this box was formed right behind Ichigo but neither he nor Kaname is the target.

"What's behind me now?" Ichigo muttered.

"What foolishness is this?" Kaname gasped.

Whatever power this Kidō poses, it proved insufficient against Matsuri's target, as Kurohitsugi is destroyed from the inside by an energy blast that next goes straight for Matsuri who is unable to avoid so Isshin rushed in and took the hit for her, losing his left arm in the process.

"DAD!" Ichigo yelled in total shock.

"Isshin!" Nearly all his allies cried in horror as the former Captain falls to the ground, while the rest of the Shinigami who stood in opposition to the Ryoka looked on bewildered and just as confused as they have been from the start. This instant defeat causes Chigetsujū to vanish since his master can no longer keep him around with his Reiatsu.

"Shit… my wife is going to kill me for this!" Isshin uttered in pain staring at his severed left arm that's just disintegrated. The blast that hit him must've been Hadō #54, though it's curious why it was only a single limb that was erased into oblivion.

"Uncle!" Matsuri frantically holds on to him while he falls to the ground. "Oh, Reiō! You're arm!"

"Mr. Kurosaki!" Orihime shouted with the Ryoka rushing to his aid.

"Damn! There's nothing left of the arm to reattach," Uryū cursed as it seems that Isshin is down for the count.

"That was rude of you, Lieutenant Kudō. You destroyed my special cloak, which is invaluable. Replicating your father's inventions isn't a walk in the park, you know," The man behind Ichigo is finally revealed for all to see, and they are all shocked that it is none other than Captain Sōsuke Aizen, very much alive but his demeanor is completely different, at a glance one can tell that something isn't right.

"However, I must praise you. Your Zanpakutō is truly exceptional. To be able to cast such a powerful Kidō that I have yet to master,"

"Sōsuke?" Jūshirō whispered, relief to see a dear friend alive and well but he cannot shake the dread he feels. The smile Aizen has can only mean one thing. Evil.

"Captain Aizen… is that really you?" Momo is the most taken aback after laying eyes on the man who destroyed her whole world when he was thought killed. Aizen spares her a glance before ignoring her completely and that one glance gave off a lot of red flags because the sheer indifference displayed to a subordinate who is so devoted to him made even Kenpachi cringe. "Oh… my Captain…"

All attention turns to an enraged Ichigo pouring all the power he can muster into his blade and swinging her directly onto Aizen's face. The power emanating from Getsuhime that can be felt by all is great enough that they are certain only the Head Captain can block with ease, while everyone below him must put so much effort into avoiding it.

However, Aizen proves otherwise as he only uses one finger in his left hand to block the might of Getsuhime, and again, canceling out the surge of power the young Agent emits.

"Ah, fuck…" Ichigo cursed.

"You, my boy have far exceeded my expectations but you are still not at my level. So learn to be more cautious in the future," Aizen half praised and half advised.

In the blink of an eye, Ichigo's chest and back receive major injuries that spew so much of his blood, he can even feel that his spine was sliced in two. He can do nothing but fall to the ground while whaling in agony.

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried, having just left her icy barrier in time to see Ichigo fall to the ground, finally defeated.

"Also, you should remember that in a battle between combatants with Reiryoku, the key to winning is always who has the higher power level. Point that in the right direction and you can just about negate any spiritual ability," Aizen said casually to the boy he just left in a bloody mess. "And if it doesn't work then you're doing something wrong. It's not rocket science so you should not be bad at doing something so simple. I know you're still conscious, so don't you dare forget."

"Damn you!" Isshin growled, wanting to get back up and attack the bastard who just nearly killed his son but is unable to because of the immense strain and damage his body just sustained.

"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon)," Aizen then calls forth the power of his Zanpakutō upon unsheathing it but instead of what they all believed would happen since Kyōka Suigetsu is a Mist-Type blade, all they hear from it is the sound of something large and made of glass shatter annoyingly loud.

"What was that about?" Tōshirō asked, confused before seeing his childhood friend rush towards her Captain. "Momo!"

"CAPTAIN!" She cried with joy, rushing to Aizen and embrace him.

"Momo, no! NO!" Matsuri shouted, desperate to stop her from going near that man but is stopped by Kaname who Shunpos behind her and placed his sword around her neck.

"Don't interfere," He warned.

And that's when it all went to Hell, as she and the rest watch helplessly as Aizen thrusts Kyōka Suigetsu through Momo's chest that protrudes through her back.

"Captain…" She whispered in shock and horror while he continues to look at her with indifference.

"Hmph. Gin didn't give you my letter, did he? How disappointing, I was expecting a bit more blaze from you," Aizen shrugged before removing his blade from her and she collapses to the floor.

"MOMO!" Tōshirō and Izuru cried out for her whiles her other friends can only watch paralyzed, and before Izuru can make a move against the abominable act, his Captain appears right in front of him, his grin still on his face.

"Sorry about this, Izuru. My time in the 3rd Division was fun," He said as he holds the palm of his hand over his Lieutenant's face, casting a Kidō called Tanma Otoshi (Time-Out Drop). A white light emanates from his hand, disorientating Izuru and knocking him unconscious.

"Captain… Ichimaru…" Izuru uttered his last words before collapsing.

"Izuru!" Shūhei shouted, confused before his own Captain Shunpos in front of him, and does the same thing as Gin.

"This is farewell, my Lieutenant," Kaname said sternly and Hisagi also collapses due to Tanma Otoshi.

Aizen next turns his attention to the other Captains to witness a furious Tōshirō screaming and charging at him with vengeance for what he'd just done to Momo.

"Hitsugaya! Control yourself!" Shunsui warned with uncharacteristic alarm, knowing what awaits him if he goes through with this but the young Captain does not listen and just goes forward whiles Aizen smirks at him.

Rukia quickly grabs Ichigo and flees the scene with Shunpo, at the same time, Uryū makes a swift decision to move for Momo's body and get her out of the blast radius before Tōshirō even reached Aizen.

And luckily for the 10th Division Captain, he will not fall victim to whatever Aizen might do as the Head Captain gets between the two, stabbing Ryūjin Jakka on the floor to hit Tōshirō's chest with enough force to push him several feet back without harming him, and with his left hand, he grabs Aizen by his neck and ruthlessly slams him to the ground, creating a crater that most of them would think a small meteor caused instead.

"Wow, Head Captain, I must say that I've always wanted to see you in action and you do not disappoint. Your flames are a spectacle to witness," Aizen praised with awe and complete calm despite the severe grip he was in.

"Sōsuke Aizen. You have better have a good explanation for every single stunt you pulled, else you and your associates will be punished severely," Genryūsai warned whiles Gin and Kaname are restrained by Rangiku and Sajin holding their blades to their necks while the rest surround them.

"Don't even think of any more funny business," Rangiku warned Gin.

"This is embarrassing. Sorry, Captain Aizen," Gin shrugged.

"Kaname! You're a part of whatever this is, aren't you? Why else would you subdue your own Lieutenant," Sajin demanded with a mix of anger and confusion all over his animalistic face. "You have better explain yourself this instant or you will face the very justice you've sworn to uphold."

"Justice, you say?" Kaname scoffed at his best friend. "You of all people should know that's not a word you should use in my presence so casually."

"What?" Sajin questioned.

"I've told you. More than once that the only path these sightless eyes of mine can see is the path where all the pain and suffering that is inflicted upon the innocent and guilty will all be truly worth it in the end. That is Justice. That is the path I have always walked, even before we met," Kaname declared. "You would never understand or agree, and that is why we are destined to be enemies."

"Kaname! You can't mean that," Sajin argued now with hurt in his eyes.

"Really now, Head Captain. You've been saying all sorts of things like that ever since Ichigo Kurosaki fell right into my clutches, I would think by now you'd realized you shouldn't be making bold claims. All it does is make the Gotei 13 look weak," Aizen taunted right before he vanishes like mist from Genryūsai's grip on him.

"What?" He uttered, confused as to how he could've lost his hold on him. Gin and Kaname also disappear from everyone's sight.

"Where did they go?" Jūshirō asked as they all search frantically for their true enemies.

"Over there!" Shunsui pointed to his right where the three treacherous Captains are now standing.

"How did he do that without any of us picking up their Reiatsu?" Tōshirō wondered.

"Whatever do you mean, Captain Hitsugaya? The three of us were standing right here the whole time. What you should be asking yourselves is why were you being so aggressive at practically nothing," Aizen mocked with a very disturbing grin that makes Gin seem tamed.

"An illusion, then? Odd since that's not what your Zanpakutō should be capable of when you released it before us," Retsu questioned.

"Surely you of all people suspected I was somehow involved in all of this, Captain Unohana. In fact, I've anticipated that you would infiltrate the Central 46 Compound sooner or later once you'd finished your autopsy on my corpse dummy," Aizen said.

"It was the safest place to hide in all the Soul Society after the stunt you pulled in my Barracks. You were trying to frame my former Lieutenant and as I am very familiar with Isshin's Engetsu, you did well to emulate his flames but you weren't accurate enough," Retsu said.

"Aww, and here I thought replicating the technique the Lieutenants pulled to wipe out all those Gillians would be a breeze. It seems I still have so much to learn," Aizen joked amusingly. "I'm not complaining though, life is more exciting and scary when there is still so much we don't know about. Speaking of the unknown, you should know that it wasn't a corpse you were examining. I'd tell you but after the stressful few days I've had finding an alternative to claim my grand prize when posing as Central 46 after killing them wasn't going to work out, I've decided not to take any more chances."

"What do you mean by grand prize? What is this all about, Aizen? Why have you betrayed us?" Jūshirō demanded.

"Sorry, Ukitake, but you're ironically someone not worth chatting with about my agendas. All you need to know is that I plan to ascend to even greater heights than any Shinigami is capable of reaching," Aizen said now with a serious frown.

"Have you become so corrupted behind our backs? Have you?" Jūshirō half-growled.

"You're blinded by your self-righteousness and sad devotion to that false god," Aizen bit back while he removes his glasses.

"The fact is that none of us here have ever truly stood at the Top of Creation, not you, me, nor even the Gods but soon that unreachable goal will be claimed by yours truly. I alone will stand at the top," He declared with much more vigor, snapping his glasses in two with his fingers while simultaneously changing his hair, now swept back, with a strand hanging down his face, making it clear to all that he is not the man they all thought they knew.

"And what makes you think we will let you get away after confessing to committing such unforgivable acts of treason that now all of the Gotei 13 knows about?" Genryūsai said with now all of the Shinigami focusing their ire on the trio since the Ryoka are revealed to not be their true enemies.

"I'm glad you ask, Head Captain. For you see, while I was posing as Central 46, I took the time to study in the Daireishokairō (Great Spirit Book Gallery), the single greatest repository of knowledge in all the Soul Society, specifically the section that even Captains are forbidden to examine, like everything we confiscated from Kisuke Urahara when he was exiled. The man invented so many wonderous contractions, I'm jealous, that he would've been in big trouble a thousand times over than he really was way back then. And one of these inventions is how to contain the wrath of the Sōkyoku when used against them," Aizen explained with a sadistic smirk. "I took the liberty of reverse engineering said contraction and now your precious halberd is my new favorite toy."

And to that, everyone truly widens their eyes in shock over the horrific implications.

"Byakuya! Soifon!" Jūshirō cried out to one of the two right at ground zero to whatever Aizen has set in motion.

---

"We'd better run!" Yoruichi warned as everyone in Sōkyoku Hill bear witness to the legendary halberd bursting with power as it activates, emitting an immense amount of flames that rises into the air.

"What in Reiō's name!" Renji gasped in horror at the immense power it is radiating while they are forced to flee, all the while Yoruichi and Fujimaru assist everyone who can't escape from the now out-of-control flames by putting their immense speed to their peak. Byakuya and Soifon do the same a bit later.

The flames enveloping the halberd reveal its true form; a massive, phoenix-like creature, its size covers the entire hill it is named after, stretching its wings on high as well as its head, releasing a mighty roar that can be heard from a great distance.

---

"What the hell is that?!" A Shinigami cried out as many unseated officers gaze upon the great beast that has emerged just when they were all demoralized by the heartbreaking revelation that not only was Sōsuke Aizen alive all along but is the true mastermind behind the recent disaster that has befallen them all.

"Is that what the great Sōkyoku looks like when active," A female 6th Seat of the 7th Division asked having never seen such a marvelous sight.

"Remind me again how was it not an overreaction to use that thing to execute a little girl who isn't even Seated Officer material?" Another man asked.

"It was an overreaction and now we know why,"

The Phoenix looks around its surroundings of the Seireitei and the flames that form its body briefly change color to a majestic blue. It opens its mouth, and from it releases a blue fiery breath attack that aims directly at the 5th Division Barracks.

"OH MY KING!" One of many cried in horror at the danger coming at them at supersonic speed.

Luckily for the 5th Division, Head Captain Yamamoto bursts into the scene the moment he saw the beast emerge, tanking the great flames head-on with his own, redirecting it all into the sky that bursts like a nuclear explosion, and thankfully never reaching the people below but still fills them all with terror.

---

"Reiō, NO!" Nanao gasped in horror.

"That bastard! He almost murdered his own subordinates," Ikkaku shouted in outrage, recognizing the direction the phoenix fired.

"Now that was the definition of heartless, Captain Aizen," Gin mused.

"I instructed the creature summoned by the Sōkyoku known as Kikōō (Blaze Fledgling King) to attack all Shinigami except us, and unfortunately that's all the commands I could give it with how flawed my device turned out," Aizen explained, not bothered by the near deaths on his shoulders.

"AIZEN!" Sajin yelled furiously, resummoning his armored giant to attack the three traitors, at the same time, Tōshirō resumes his assault and this time with long-range, firing a massive icicle that works well with Sajin's attack, colliding to inflict tremendous damage at their targets. Or so they'd hoped.

"You need to work on your aim if you plan to kill anyone," Aizen mocked, now standing elsewhere.

"How is he doing that? Not one of the Captains can even tell where he is," Chad asked bewildered.

"I don't know. My sensory skills are completely useless. I don't know what to trust," Uryū muttered.

"You have to stop this, Aizen! Too many have suffered already," Jūshirō demanded.

"You can see as well as I can that it is far too late to turn back the clock, Ukitake. It's all or nothing now, and this will all end with my victory," Aizen smirked, already certain that he's won. "The only way to stop Kikōō is to hold it back long enough to use that ridiculous shield or submit to my will and I'll call it off."

"You expect us to play along with this charade of yours," Kyōraku hissed.

"No, I do not. Which is a real shame because in spite of all this, I did cherish my time together with all of you and would be sad to have to end your lives, yet you leave me no choice," Aizen lamented to some degree.

In response to more of his falsehood, Kenpachi charges at him, swinging his sword right at Aizen who blocks with his Kyōka Suigetsu.

"I think we've heard just about enough of your crap, Aizen," Kenpachi sneered. "You think you can call the shots now just because you're the smartest person alive? You got another thing coming while I'm around."

"I can see that. Honestly, confronting you again is something I am not looking forward to. Your bloodlust ironically sucks away all the fight in me," Aizen frowned with a distaste for Zaraki.

"Now that's just hurtful, Aizen," Kenpachi hissed.

"It's the truth. Now if you insist on being bothersome again then you can at least make yourself a good test subject," Aizen said as he parries his Zanpakutō even harder, pushing Kenpachi a few feet back. "Hadō #90. Kurohitsugi."

He uses the same spell Matsuri used on him earlier, trapping Kenpachi in the menacing black box.

"That's not good. Captain!" Yumichika cried out as the spell is done, revealing Kenpachi to have been lacerated from multiple angles, so much blood spewed out that they can hardly believe he has enough left, while he looks at the sky with a lifeless expression.

Though it only seemed that way for a few seconds before life returns to his eye and he looks at Aizen with a pissed-off smirk.

"That's it? All that God Complex bravado and the best you can do is waste my time with a stupid Kidō?" He taunted. "How disappointing. You've gone soft since our last fight, Aizen. The nerve of you."

"Well… this is awkward," Gin muttered nervously, watching Kenpachi raise his Reiatsu and Kaname growls at him.

"How ridiculous. No way Ichigo just got taken down so easily by the likes of you, not without another one of your silly tricks. I think I speak for everyone here when I say you've become an eyesore," He said while slamming his sword at the trio with enough force to devastate everything he sees.

"So that's the best Kurohitsugi can do at just a third of its power. I'm just as disgusted with myself as you are, Kenpachi. Not to worry, the next time we meet, you'll be more satisfied," Aizen said, either having fled from the attack or wasn't there at all like before now standing a few feet away on Kenpachi's right.

No further assault on Aizen could be made as everyone becomes more focused on the Reiatsu generated by both the Head Captain and Kikōō.

"This is bad. The Head Captain is doing the best he can to suppress the flames of that beast but the Reiatsu it's emitting is more likely to kill any Unseated Officer nearest to the fight," Retsu said.

"We all must do our part to restrain the Sōkyoku, we can't afford to waste any more time on Aizen," Jūshirō said, having noticed that Aizen, Gin, and Kaname are already long gone.

"What a letdown," Kenpachi sneered but soon changed his mind after looking at Kikōō bring the hurting down on even the great Yamamoto. "Oh well, at least Sōsuke left us with some pretty neat fireworks so I guess I'll let this slide."

"Time to get to work, everyone!" Shunsui sighed with all the Shinigami that can still fight charging toward Kikōō.

Tōshirō is one of the last to follow suit, sparing a glance at the injured Momo who was placed alongside the critically injured Ichigo and Isshin by Uryū, and Orihime starts using her Sōten Kisshun to treat their grievous wounds.

He grits his teeth in frustration but feels that he has no choice now. The Ryoka aren't a priority, stopping Aizen's schemes is and flies away to the new battle.

"These wounds are awful," Ganju cursed, seeing the state of the three. "I don't see them getting out of this."

"You should've seen the wounds I got back in the war," Isshin shrugged weakly, the only one among the three who is still conscious.

"I've never treated three people at once before. I don't know if I can do this," Orihime uttered mortified by the gruesome state Ichigo and Isshin are in, and she is distressed for what Momo went through even though they were enemies moments prior.

"Don't think like that, Orihime!" Rukia reprimanded while placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you want to save someone, you shouldn't think of what'll happen if you can't. You have to focus only on one thing. That you WILL SAVE THEM!"

"Rukia…" Orihime uttered.

"Believe me, I know how bad this looks, I can't tell you how many comrades I've lost to injuries like these but you got to keep in mind that the moment the healer gives up then the injured are truly lost. I know how much you care for the Kurosakis so you owe it to them to not give up," Rukia reassured her. "Just keep telling yourself that you will save them. Hell, if you can purge Sekkiseki from someone's body, you can save so many more."

This invigorates Orihime whose fears momentarily dissipate, becoming more determined to save them.

The others are unable to watch her pull it off once they notice flames of Kikōō fall straight toward them, forcing them to go back into action. Uryū and Chad fire as many projectiles as they can to make the flames combust mid-air and away from them.

"Tsugi no mai (Second Dance)," Rukia punctures the ground in front of her four times in a semi-circle. As ice particles begin to flow up from the punctures she made in the ground, she takes a battle stance.

"Hakuren (White Ripple)!" The particles, building up at the tip of Sode no Shirayuki, are released as a large, powerful avalanche of cold air she unleashes towards the incoming blue flames. It flash freezes them, encasing them in ice.

"Whoa! That was a close one," Hanatarō muttered in relief.

"The only reason we were able to survive the crossfire is because of the Head Captain suppressing the Sōkyoku as much as he can, otherwise we would've been incinerated for sure this time," Rukia surmised, knowing that the ordeal they've just survived was no more than a fluke while she clutches her still aching chest.

"Are you alright? You've been holding on to your chest for a while," Hanatarō asked.

"It won't stop aching. I think Tōsen or Aizen did something to me but whatever it was it's nothing harmful, just annoying," Rukia muttered, more concern than she is letting on.

"Now what do we do? Things have gotten even worse than we could've imagined," Chad asked.

"Yeah, but it isn't entirely our fault now that everyone knows who the mastermind is," Uryū sighed as they gaze upon the carnage wrought upon by the Kikōō. "What can we do? It's their problem now."

---

Kikōō lunges at Genryūsai, trying to bite him with its beak and the Head Captain parries with Ryūjin Jakka. The impact proved great enough that it pushed both of them over a hundred meters away from one another.

"To think that I would live to see such a horrible night like this. That one of the Soul Society's greatest pride and symbols of authority would be used to bring harm upon us," He lamented. "How sad to see you in such a disgraceful state, old friend."

Kikōō howls, Genryūsai's words deaf to it as it is only capable of what Aizen has forcefully programmed into it, which is to bring ruin to the Seireitei, firing another stream of blue flame towards the Head Captain who raises his mighty sword to absorb them into Ryūjin Jakka.

"Jōkaku Enjō (Fortress Blaze)!" Genryūsai shouted, unleashing a torrent of his flames to create an immense firewall, which surrounds Kikōō and forms a huge contained sphere of flame.

"He did it… the Head Captain did it!" A Shinigami from the ground cheered in desperation after they witness the Phoenix being imprisoned.

This victory proves to be short-lived as Ryūjin Jakka's flames that form Jōkaku Enjō are replaced by Kikōō's with the Phoenix freeing itself. In less than a second, Kikōō displays a level of speed surreal for its size and reaches Genryūsai before he could react to his powerful technique failing and only have time to barely parry another hit from the Phoenix's beak and the hit was strong enough to make him drop his Zanpakutō to the ground.

"Dammit!" Genryūsai cursed, and to make matters worse, Kikōō makes tendrils from its chest that wrap around his arms, legs, and neck, aiming to drag him closer to its flaming body.

"Head Captain! NO!" Sajin cried with him and the other Captains rush in to save him.

"BACK! YOU FOOLS! Else you'll be consumed as well!" Genryūsai yelled as a warning, the strength of his tone remaining as intimidating as ever that it does the trick, preventing the others from trying to rescue him.

"LISTEN UP! No matter what happens, we cannot allow the Sōkyoku to run rampant in the Soul Society or all will be lost. I hereby order all Shinigami to do whatever it takes to destroy this beast before it's too late. Even if it means taking me down with it!"

"What are you saying, Head Captain?!" Jūshirō uttered, not believing what is happening. Even Byakuya watching the nightmare unfold is horrified.

"We are the Gotei 13! Above all else, you shall fulfill your duty no matter what the sacrifice! In the name of Reiō and for the good of the Human World, the Soul Society MUST NOT FALL!"

Those were the last words of the Head Captain before he was consumed by Kikōō.

---

Happy Birthday to me! Didn't think I'd be able to make time for this one, this whole week has been rather emotional for me, in a good way, I mean. I technically had this finished days ago but things got in the way and when I got back to my laptop I realized this needed a few modifications and removals and I am satisfied with the changes.

The Sōkyoku was such a disappointment originally so I decided to make it live up to its claim of the power of a million Zanpakutō, capable of killing enemies of the Soul Society as strong as Yhwach, or at least that is the kind of power I presume it was estimated to compete against and it was undoubtedly created by Ōetsu Nimaiya so I'm not far off.

The next Chapter will mark the end of my take on the Soul Society Arc, finally, though I'm pretty sure that one is going to give me the biggest headache yet so don't be surprised if that one takes more than a month to complete.

danj0929: That's an interesting idea but not close enough to what I'm going for when I brought forth this new mystery to Getsuhime and her hatred for Kisuke and his associates.