Unohana ducked just in time to avoid a blow aimed in her direction from Bach's sword. Attempting to take advantage of the opening provided to her from the strike, she slashed her blade upwards, succeeding in nicking the Quincy's chin as he took a step back. Watching the droplet of blood fall to the ground interestedly, Bach then turned his gaze back to the woman, who was panting heavily and nursing a bleeding arm. Despite having fought Bach for what felt like several minutes now, this was the first real wound any of them had been able to inflict.

"Impressive. It seems that, unlike Yamamoto Shigekuni, you have not gone soft in your years of peace, Unohana Retsu." Bach inclined his head an infinitesimal in her direction before gesturing toward the area surrounding them. "It really is a shame then that, aside from Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Juushiro, the rest of your fellow Captains are proving such poor sport." Unohana glared at Bach, who merely grinned in return before turning to look at the figures to his left. "I expected more from that one in particular. The daten said you all had high hopes for him."

Hitsugaya Toshiro was lying motionless on the ground nearby, blood oozing steadily from his facedown body. The hilt of his Zanpakuto was still in the limp grasp of his hand, yet the fractured blade that belonged to the other half of it was a good ten or so yards away. "In the end, he merely served to disappoint." Bach said, almost sadly. "Ah well. At least you learned a valuable lesson, Unohana Retsu." He turned back to Unohana with that same grin still plastered to his face. "Commanding the rest of the Captains to fall back and deal with my foot soldiers while you and your fellow seniors stayed here to do battle with me was a very noble sacrifice."

Unohana didn't get a chance to retort, as Kyoraku had apparently decided that now, while Bach was too busy monologuing to pay attention to his surroundings, would be a good time to strike. Rising from the shadow Bach had cast on the ground, he swung with all his might at the portion of the Quincy not covered by that flowing black cloak. "Irooni: White." Kyoraku called out in a calm, deadly voice. Bach, displaying such speed at which even Kyoraku couldn't keep up, moved his body so slightly and so quickly that Kyoraku's swords uselessly tore into the dark cloth Bach usually covered his back and sides with. Recoiling from the blow and sent flying with a punch to the stomach, Kyoraku had no time to react to Bach pointing two fingers at him. "I'll admit I was rather surprised to see you alive, Kyoraku Shunsui." The tips of Bach's fingers began to glow, crackling with white and blue lightning. "It seems I made a miscalculation, I expected the Stern Ritter I assigned to you to have eliminated you in a far more timely manner. Still, he, out of all my soldiers aside from Hashvald here, knows the true meaning of loyalty, so I may find it within my heart to spare him for his failure. You, however, shall not be so lucky."

The energy that Bach had gathered erupted from his hand as a single word escaped his lips. "Black." The mass of light formed into an arrow, directed squarely at the area of black cloth covering Kyoraku's chest. At the last moment, a figure stepped between the projectile and the stunned Shinigami, and the arrow disappeared briefly before flying back at it's owner, twice as fast as before. Bach did not have time to react to this however, as in that brief period that he had been certain his attack would strike true and Ukitake had arrived in time to save his friend, Unohana had aimed a blow right at his neck. Though succeeding in blocking the woman's Zanpakuto, he was hit squarely in the chest by his own arrow and sent flying back into the remains of several buildings. A concerned voice sounded from across the battlefield.

"Your Majesty!" A white-haired man shouted, ready to move to his master's side in an instant, but was stopped short by a reply. "Hold, Hashvald. That is an order." Bach emerged from the smoke and rubble admiring the small wound he had received to his chest, which was bleeding very lightly. "This is not your fight. I commanded you to stand back and observe and that is what you shall do." Hashvald bowed deeply and rose with a concerned look on his face. "I understand Juha Bach-sama, but as you said, the Zero Squad..." His voice trailed off as Bach directed an impatient look at him before turning toward Ukitake, who was helping Kyoraku to his feet. "Impressive reflexes for one in such a fragile condition as yourself, Ukitake Juushiro." He placed a hand to his chest and removed it, observing the small amount of blood that stained his it with passive interest. "Again, I seem to have made an error in judgement. Together, you three work with such fluidity that even I am impressed. I think your sensei would be proud."

The words achieved the desired effect Bach wanted them to. Kyoraku and Ukitake, mad with rage and grief at their mentor's greatest enemy using his name so carelessly, rushed Bach blindly. "Juushiro! Shunsui! Stop!" Unohana shouted, trying in vain to quell the fury of Yamamoto's greatest students. Bach watched the two elder Captains flying at him amusedly. "It seems that, along with his impressive battle skill, you two also inherited Yamamoto Shigekuni's brash mannerisms." He raised his blade behind his head to deliver a killing blow to the duo, who were traveling so fast they would be unable to stop themselves in time. "Do not worry. You shall see him soon. Farewell." Bach swung downward.

Ichigo closed his eyes and tried to calm himself for what he was about to do. Finding his peace of mind at last in Zangetsu's supportive presence, he spoke the words he had never thought he'd speak in his life. "Aizen. You have to help us. Please." He watched as the man sitting in the chair before him observed him with an air of bored amusement. After a few moments, he sat up straight in his throne and spoke.

"And why, pray tell, should I assist you, Kurosaki Ichigo?" He assumed that well-known, cocky smile. "What reason do I have to save the very group that sentenced me to this cell for 20,000 years?" Ichigo had been prepared for that question. He turned slightly, pointing toward the hole he had just entered Aizen's cell from. "Because out there the people you still consider your friends are dying." Aizen's lips parted into a full-on grin.

"Friends?" He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and shook his head firmly. "I have no use for friends. Friendship, trust, loyalty, these are the things we must be willing to give up if we wish to ascend beyond the conventional realms of mortality and achieve something more. Godhood, for instance." Aizen fixed Ichigo with a humorous gaze. "Furthermore, I'm rather certain you were there in the fake Karakura Town to observe my treatment of the ones you claim I regard as 'friends'."

Nodding, Ichigo actually managed a grin to match Aizen's. "Yeah, I was. Which is why I'm pretty sure you still have some kind of attachment to them, whether you want to admit it or not." Aizen furrowed his brow, but did not drop his smile. "Interesting, Kurosaki Ichigo. Are you perhaps insinuating that by cutting down the ones I viewed as my enemies without mercy, I was in fact displaying my affection toward them? How humorous." Ichigo shook his head, like Aizen, refusing to let the one he was conversing with wipe the expression from his face.

"But you did show them mercy, Aizen." He locked eyes with the seated man. "In the end, you refused to kill them." Aizen waved his hand in the air carelessly. "I explained this over a year ago, did I not? I simply wished for them to watch helplessly as I became the god this world needed." The orange-haired boy watched the smug demigod closely. "But why? What does it matter if they're alive to see you fulfill your goals? Surely their opinions don't mean anything to you if what you're claiming is true." Aizen was spared the chance to answer as Hitsugaya's reiatsu suddenly vanished.

"Toshiro!" Ichigo yelled with a look toward the ceiling. Aizen adopted an expression mocking concern. "How unfortunate, for one as young as Hitsugaya-taichou to fall in battle against an enemy he stood no chance against. It seems that Juha Bach, quite unlike myself, is incapable of staying his hand." He turned back to Ichigo, smiling pleasantly now. "Surely you wish to return to the battlefield and take up arms against the man who so effortlessly cut down the young Captain?" Ichigo was shaking now, all signs of the confidence he had displayed up until now completely gone. "I can't! You have to help me! Bach killed Jii-san! He killed Byakuya, he killed Kenpachi! I don't stand a chance, Aizen! You're the last one that can help, but you refuse! Why?! WHY?! THEY'RE YOUR FRIENDS TOO, AIZEN! I KNOW YOU STILL CA-" The boy shouted before being cut off by Aizen raising a finger and looking down helplessly at his hands. This was it. Ichigo knew that there was no chance that he would be able to save Soul Society in time. He was too weak to face Bach and Aizen wouldn't help him, wrapped up in his act as deeply as he was. He could feel Renji and Rukia's reiatsu fading, felt Byakuya's give one last shudder before snuffing out forever. They were all going to die, and it was all his fault.

Aizen watched the boy with an unreadable expression. "Don't. Don't shout, Kurosaki Ichigo." He lowered his finger as Ichigo sank to his knees, his head in his hands. Aizen's next words, however, pierced his despair. "I confess I am rather disappointed." Ichigo slowly rose his head to gaze at the man. "...Disappointed?" Ichigo breathed confusedly. Aizen nodded.

"Yes, Kurosaki Ichigo, disappointed. The previous evening you displayed rather remarkable mental fortitude when speaking with me, and again when you arrived in my cell up until now. You knew you were out of options, and that mere assurance in your own ability would do you no good. Yet even that pales in comparison to the air you assumed during our battle the previous year. That was not merely confidence what you had become was a man who knew how to channel his despair and sorrow into something usable. Something so powerful that you were able to face me in one-on-one combat despite my use of the Hogyoku. I admit, I was rather thrilled with the progress you had shown." Aizen frowned. "But it seems that the loss and recent regaining of your powers has stripped you of that mental state, Kurosaki Ichigo. Once again you are the weak little Ryoka boy that came rushing at me from the Garganta. The same helpless being that I explained would not be able to effectively swing your blade purely out of duty. You had to hate me. So you did, and you proved the truth of my words when you traveled to face me in the true Karakura Town."

Ichigo watched as Aizen rose from his throne at long last, looking down at the boy as though he were something filthy. "Now look at you. You are weak. Not weak in body, Kurosaki Ichigo, but weak in mind. You no longer hold the drive to defend the ones you claim to be your companions. Never would I have believed you would come to me requesting help. That is not the Kurosaki Ichigo I observed for all his life, the one which claimed he alone would shoulder the burdens of anyone who needed him. Without that belief that only you need place yourself in harm's way for the sake of others, Kurosaki Ichigo, you are worthless." Aizen shook his head and closed his eyes, but Ichigo's response caused him to open them and look back down at the Substitute Shinigami.

"You're wrong. I can still save everyone. Even if you won't help me." Ichigo looked up into Aizen's indecipherable eyes. "I'll do it alone." Aizen's speech had caused something to awake inside Ichigo's very essence. Whatever it was, it oozed such strong feelings that Ichigo felt all the trepidation he had just been experiencing disappear, and all the anger, sorrow and negative emotions that had wracked his soul fuse together to form one intense emotion: determination. There was no more time to cry helplessly as those he claimed to wish to save died in vain, there was no more time to wallow in self-pity while this man refused to offer his assistance and lectured him on his failures. He simply had to do this. Ichigo's very soul called out to him, two familar voices ringing in his very mind. "We're with you King, I'm glad you finally decided to stop being such a pussy." His hollow taunted. Zangetsu's voice followed. "Indeed, Ichigo. Even if we do not succeed, it is better to die standing than kneeling on the floor of this cell. Take our power. We believe in you."

Both beings that took up space in Ichigo's soul poured all their energy into him, and he saw his signature black and red reiatsu beginning to envelope Zangetsu, blocking it from both Ichigo and Aizen's view. As the energy began to dissipate, he observed Tensa Zangetsu's new form. It looked something rather akin to what it had become during his battle with Aizen, the chain was certainly as long as it had been that day, yet it still bore the standard Bankai guard. However, it was what he felt radiating from it that truly marked what had changed. Resolve. He was ready. Rising slowly, he turned his back to Aizen and made his way toward the exit of his cell. Standing beneath the beam of light that shone from hundreds of yards above, he turned his head to look at Aizen with one eye. "I never thought I'd say this... but thanks... Aizen."

Aizen smiled smugly and shrugged his shoulders, feigning confusion. "You are certainly welcome, Kurosaki Ichigo. Do let me know if you wish for me to insult you further. I must ask, however, where are you going? You just arrived. Are you finally ready to save your friends?" Ichigo turned from Aizen, and shook his head, his back now fully to the no longer imprisoned man. "No, Aizen. I'm going to save OUR friends." And with that, he rocketed out of the cell so fast he had no time to take in Aizen letting out a delighted laugh. "My, my, Kurosaki Ichigo. Charging into battle so brazenly. You certainly are easy to rouse back into action." He grinned. "Let us see if you truly are a man of your word, Juha Bach."

Bach's killing blow was stopped at the last moment. Wondering for the fraction of a second what could have possibly impeded his weapon, he quickly recognized the distinctive blade separating his own from the now stunned bodies of Kyoraku and Ukitake. The wielder of the blade had his eyes closed, but soon opened them. They showed nothing but resolution. He spoke. "Getsuga Tensho." Black and red reiatsu erupted toward the Quincy, who dodged the majority of the wave in the knick of time, leaving only his left hand to sustain a shallow cut. Bach looked down at the wound, stunned. "To break through my Blut..." He watched as the boy turned toward the Senior Captains, who had been watching him hesistantly.

"Unohana-san, Kyoraku-san, Ukitake-san." Ichigo said firmly. "Go help the others. I've got this." Ukitake was the first to recover from this statement, blinking at the orange-haired boy, he seemed to have trouble finding the words to express what he wanted to say without asking too many questions. "K-Kurosaki-san, how did you-, no, where did you, no, no." He seemed to decide the time for questions could come later. "We can't leave you here with this man. He's too strong." Ichigo smiled at the white-haired man Rukia called her Captain. "Trust me, Ukitake-san. I can handle it." Before Ukitake could form a retort, Unohana had stepped forward. "Very well." Her simple agreement to Ichigo's request temporarily struck her colleagues dumb. "The other Captains require our assistance Juushiro, Shunsui." She turned to leave. Kyoraku rose to his feet, an odd look in his eyes as he regarded the completely different boy he had seen leave the battlefield earlier. "...I think Unohana-senpai is right." He winked at Ichigo. "Looks like Ichigo-kun has this taken care of."

Ichigo did not smile, but merely nodded his head in thanks as Ukitake followed his friends away from the battle. Watching them Shunpo out of sight before turning back to Bach, Ichigo voiced what was currently going through his mind. "You didn't chase after them." Bach merely shrugged, the ghost of a grin palying at his features. "They will be dealt with soon enough, you are the more pressing matter at hand." And with that, Bach unsheathed his actual blade, not the reishi one he had been using up until now. Ichigo barely had time to parry as the force of the blow sent him skidding back into a nearby bulding. He rushed at the Quincy, his Bankai's natural speed-enhancements providing him with enough velocity to cause Bach to widen his eyes in surprise before barely managing to dodge. The bearded man noticed his subordinate moving to assist and barked an order. "Hashvald! I commanded you to observe! This does not change things!" Once again, his expression a mix of anxiety and obedience, the light-haired man bowed. "A-As you with Your Majesty."

For several minutes Ichigo and Bach exchanged blows. Slowly but surely, Ichigo watched as Bach was forced back, until he had nowhere left to back up to, a pile of rubble blocking his path. Bach frowned. "I did not wish to use this on anyone but the Zero Division." He reached into his cloak and pulled out the medallion Ichigo had seen Kirge attempt to use. "You can't use that on me. It doesn't work." The boy stated matter-of-factly, still wearing that same determined expression. Bach laughed and raised the medallion to Ichigo's eye level. "I am well aware of that, Kurosaki Ichigo. This is not for you, rather, this medallion is already full." Without warning, Bach swept Ichigo's legs out from under him. "You are too great of a potential threat boy. I will have to wipe you from reality itself so as to make sure you no longer interfere. You have already caused me to skirt dangerously close to the Zero Division's arrival." The medallion began to glow red. "Bankai. Zanka no Tachi: West."

Ichigo's mouth opened in shock right before the sheer force of the heat slammed into him. He could feel the skin on his arms peeling and burning before the dead layers turned to ash from Bach's mere presence. Forced to close his eyes due to the extreme temperatures, Ichigo had just enough time to watch Bach lift the charred blade behind his head before voicing his final thoughts. "Zangetsu... I know you said it was better to die fighting, but even still, I'd rather not die at all." He felt tears welling in his eyes before instantly evaporating as they came in contact with the air. "If I die, who will be left to protect Inoue? Or Rukia?" He shook his head, not caring that Bach was laughing amusedly at his breakdown. "What about my promise to Chad? I can't die. I have to live, if only for their sake. Someone, anyone... please." He bowed his head. "Jii-san! Dad! Urahara-san! God! Anyone! Please! I want to live! I have to live!" He heard Bach laugh even harder at this before addressing the boy.

"Praying will not save you boy. Die with some dignity, or did you expend all of it on your admirable display of willpower from just a few moments ago?" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You're life ends here, Kurosaki Ichigo. You will be erased from reality itself with the Bankai of the man you just called out to for help. I judge you and find you lacking." Bach swung down as hard as he could. "Sorry guys," was all Ichigo could manage before he closed his eyes, ready to embrace eternal darkness. But death never came. He heard Bach let out a sharp gasp, Hashvald scream "Juha Bach-sama!" and a low voice emit a singular statement. "Praying to God is not as fruitless as you might think it to be. It appears that you were prepared to break both our terms of agreement, Juha Bach." Ichigo lifted his head so quickly he felt his neck might snap.

Aizen stood between him and Bach. No longer covered in the remnants of his prison attire, the man instead wore traditional Shinigami robes, the Hogyoku still shining in his chest. His hair was still as disheveled as Ichigo had seen it during his sealing, but a loose strand hung directly in front of his face just as it had after his betrayal. The jewel Aizen relied on so heavily was emitting some kind of opaque shield that covered the ex-Captain and Ichigo, which seemed to serve the purpose of negating the effects of Yamamoto's Bankai. Indeed, Bach blade was stopped right at the threshold of the shield. After recovering from the shock of Aizen's arrival, Bach managed a wide grin. "My apologies, Aizen Sousuke. It seems I won't be able to keep our original deal. We can come to another agreement after I finish with this boy."

Shaking his head and wearing an affable smile himself, Aizen sighed deeply. "Alas, the terms I set before you were the only ones I wished to see fulfilled. I allowed you to break my first," He gestured toward the broken body of Hitsugaya a few yards away, "But I cannot simply allow you to ignore the other so carelessly." The Shinigami's eyes met the Quincy's. "You agreed to spare the lives of the rest of the Captains and Vice-Captains of the Gotei 13, and to similarly spare the life of Kurosaki Ichigo. Yet, you have failed to uphold both of these things, Juha Bach." Aizen made a motion with his hand, and to both Bach and Ichigo's horror, a Zanpakuto materialized before him, he took it by the hilt. "Furthermore, you apparently deemed yourself worthy to cast judgement upon my subjects. That, I am afraid to say, is something I simply cannot stand by and allow."

Aizen raised the blade upside-down before him. Ichigo shut his eyes as tightly as he could before he could heard the command that he knew was coming.. "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu." Aizen intoned, and Ichigo heard the blade burst into pieces. Bach let out a loud "No!" before turning to scream a command at his subordinate. "Hashvald! Fall back to the palace!" Ichigo opened his eyes. Bach's right-hand man nodded quickly and was soon consumed by the same shadow Ichigo had seen Ebern disappear in. Bach himself was much slower to be covered by the anomaly and took the time to say one last remark to Aizen. "Do not be so quick to hate me, Aizen Sousuke. I still feel as though you and I could benefit from each other's partnership." Aizen merely smiled as Bach faded from Soul Society.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Ichigo didn't pay Aizen much mind as he turned to face the boy. "Like I said, Aizen, I never thought I'd have to say this, let alone twice, but... thanks. But... why did you finally decide to come?" Aizen's Zanpakuto disappeared from his hands and he regarded Ichigo with an almost curious look. "You begged God to spare your life, and being the benevolent deity that I am, I took pity upon you, Kurosaki Ichigo." Before Ichigo could ask any other questions, he watched as several Captains, namely Unohana, Kyoraku, Ukitake, Shinji, Komamura, Soifon, and their respective Vice-Captains, arrived behind Aizen, their blades all raised. "Kurosaki-san! What are you doing? Run!" Unohana shouted, but Ichigo shook his head. "Aizen's not the enemy. At least, not right now I think."

At his words, Aizen smiled fully and several of the Captains let out audible gasps. Unohana began to shout again. "K-Kurosaki-san! He obviously has you under some sort of illusion!" Again, Ichigo shook his head. "No. This is real, I know it." Suddenly, Aizen turned and began to stride toward the Captains, wordlessly. Everyone watched as Aizen walked right past the front line of Captains and stopped to face the girl standing behind Shinji. Still silent, he removed an arm from inside his robes and took Hinamori's chin in his hand, lifting her quivering face to look him in the eye. Shinji and the two nearest Captains, Soifon and Ukitake, moved to intervene, but were repelled by another barrier the Hogyoku projected.

"Momo." Aizen said at last, breaking the silence he had observed since the Captains' arrival. Hinamori let out a horrified squeak as Aizen scanned her features. "You changed your hair. It suits you." He adopted a horrifyingly cold smile. "It has been only a little over a year since I last saw you, yet already you have begun to blossom into a beautiful young lady." With that, Aizen lowered his face down to Hinamori's, the girl's eyes overflowing with a mixture of fear and longing. "A-Aizen-... taichou?" She moaned, and Aizen stopped a breath short of her lips, letting out a chuckle. "Tell me, Momo, do you perhaps hate the Vandenreich for slaying so many of your fellow Shinigami? Do you wish to join the rest of the Gotei 13's Captains in giving chase to them at their base of operations?" Hinamori nodded shakily. Aizen maintained that emotionless grin. "Ah. But I'm afraid that would put you in harm's way Momo, and I don't think I could allow such a thing to transpire."

Ichigo observed all the other Shinigami shouting as they watched Aizen suddenly run his blade through the girl's stomach. "Do not worry Momo. I will make sure you are kept away from such danger." Aizen cooed, his voice like oil.