Deceiving One's Heart

Chapter Two: "Aizen vs Ichigo!"

Silence presumed as one of the norms whilst walking through the halls of Las Noches. Nothing was heard but the clanking and thumping of shoes against the crystal clean marble flooring which was the only type of flooring in Las Noches. Ichigo wasn't a genius when it came to house designs and such but from what he could gather, Las Noches was poorly built. Facts to support his claim are clearly visible. Repetitive designs and materials used, poor outer and inner defenses, and most importantly the puzzle like hallways that would make anyone lose sight to where they are going. Ichigo slowly shook his head to get his brain off such a simple going topic. He knew there were more important matters to think about so he pushed that topic to the back of his head. For a later time of course. The sound of thumping shoes came to a sudden stop thus making Ichigo look up at the source of their traffic jam. He was slightly surprised to see two huge doors in their path. Ichigo closed his eyes for a second to think.

'We must've already made it to the meeting room. I can tell that much because Ulquiorra has even stopped. He knows Las Noches more than any of us here so it only makes sense. Seeing that we have made it to the meeting room, I need to start thinking about certain things while I have the chance. Like the information I should share with them. I shouldn't be trying to hide things from them but I guess I am still wary of peoples ambitions.' Ichigo thought to himself as he could tell the door in front of himself was opening. He didn't even have to open his eyes to know that much. He could tell because he was forced to listen to the clanking metal of the door ring in his ear as it was opening.

"This is it Ichigo-sama," stated Ulquiorra while walking into the room. Ichigo opened his eyes slowly to a sight that was not really surprising.

'So this is the meeting room. It is rather plain looking but everything here looks plain so I don't know what I was expecting.' Ichigo thought to himself while looking at the marble table and seats with thoughtful eyes.

'Out of all these seats, which one is Aizen's?' Ichigo pondered to himself as he looked at the end of the table.

'Hm. It would appear to be that one there.' Ichigo analyzed quickly by sensing the left over reishi residue that covered the seat. Ichigo wasted no time by walking over to the seat that he deemed to be Aizen's. Ichigo gave the chair one last glance before taking the seat as his own. As soon as Ichigo took a seat, everyone else quickly followed. Ulquiorra surprisingly took the left side of Ichigo while Uryu took the right side. As for Rukia, Orihime, Renji, and Chad. Well, they all took seats on the same side as Uryu. This made Ichigo raise an eyebrow.

'I guess they don't trust Ulquiorra which is not really surprising. He is, after all, an Espada.' Ichigo rationally thought to himself.

"Okay, now that we have all settled down. I believe I will share some vital information with you all," Ichigo calmly stated with a smooth smile. Uryu pushed the bridge of his glasses against his nose while suddenly paying more attention to Ichigo.

'This information must have some clarity around his new appearance. If it isn't surrounding his new appearance or abilities... then what could it be?' Uryu thought to himself deeply.

"What information?" Renji asked with a more serious tone than earlier.

"Great starting place. The information is revolving around my new appearance and my new zanpakuto," Ichigo stated to everyone at the table.

'I see. I guess I was correct to assume such things. He is probably sharing this information with us so we can work together more efficiently. After all, if we didn't know any of his abilities then we would have to rely on our own strength. That would be a big disadvantage if we were working as a team.' Uryu thought to himself while resting an arm on the table.

"Seeing that everyone understands this situation now, I am going to start explaining. I'll start with my new appearance because it will bring insight to how I obtained my new zanpakuto. So, as you all know, I have two spirits residing inside my soul. One spirit being a zanpakuto while the other spirit being a hollow," Ichigo started with an elaborate tone. Ulquiorra stared at Ichigo with a bit of interest.

"Now, what would happen if you combined these two souls into one being?" Ichigo asked to particularly no one.

"If you combined those two souls together which in your case are polar opposites, wouldn't it just even out your power or escalate your power level to another level?" Uryu hypothesized carefully.

"If it were someone else, then yes... but what would happen if the two souls were originally one already?" Ichigo asked calmly. Uryu's eyes widened as he quickly came to understand how Ichigo's power and appearance came to be.

"It would double if not triple your power!" Uryu answered with some shock. Ulquiorra came to the same decisive answer as Uryu but was able to keep his emotionless mask up. Rukia, Chad, Renji, and Orihime followed shortly after Ulquiorra which meant everyone understood Ichigo's appearance and power now.

"Exactly Uryu. My two spirits were originally one but broke off into two separate entities because my power was too enormous to control. They recently came back together after my fight with Byakuya and Kenpachi which was sadly a loss for me. In the end, though, Byakuya and Kenpachi opened the door to my new found power. Does this summarize to you how I was able to get this new appearance and zanpakuto?" Ichigo asked out loud. Out of everyone, Ulquiorra was the one to answer.

"If it is true that your two spirits are actually one then your true abilities and power birth from them as well. That means your whole soul was rebuilt into this figure we see right now. Am I correct to assume such things, Ichigo-sama?" Ulquiorra asked with no emotion in his voice.

"Yes, you are correct Ulquiorra. Does everyone else understand?" Ichigo asked while looking at everyone present. Everyone nodded their heads in confirmation.

"Good. We don't have much time left so I will explain the power of my Zanpakuto as quick as I can," Ichigo stated while resting his hand against his cheek boredly. Everyone nodded their heads once more while Ulquiorra closed his eyes in a listening type of manner.

"Tsuki no Kagami has the ability to stop time when the wielder of said zanpakuto goes inactive. The wielder, which is me, has one second of free movement before the effects of time itself shatters. That isn't its only power though. It can also create mirror images of myself that maintain all five senses. That means if someone were to cut that mirror image, it would feel and look as if they actually cut me," started Ichigo while straightening his body out a bit more.

"During the activation period of a mirror image release, I can scramble peoples senses and erase my existence for a short period of time," Ichigo empoweredly explained.

"What do you mean by erasing your existence?" Rukia asked with sincere confusion.

"I knew you would ask that. What I mean by erase my existence is just that. For a short period only, I become invisible to all. In that state of invisibility, I can't hurt or kill anyone in the slightest but I can choose when and where I want to reveal my existence again. I guess you could call it hopping between dimensions but it swallows a huge amount of Reiryoku if I overuse it," Ichigo efficiently answered while keeping his Bankai and weaknesses to himself. Everyone was shocked by the power of Tsuki no Kagami.

'Frightening power. The soul society must have known you had some hidden power and decided to wipe you out while they had a chance.' Uryu thought to himself while pushing his glasses against his nose.

"We don't have a significant amount of time to go over anything else. Unfortunately, I need to get going before Aizen get's too strong to kill. I leave Hueco Mundo in your hands, Uryu," Ichigo stated softly while dismissing the word teamwork. Ichigo started to get up until he felt a hand on his wrist. Ichigo looked at his wrist in confusion as he looked towards the figure who grabbed it.

"Ichigo. What happened to working as a team? You can't just say you are going to make a team plan and then just leave without telling it!" yelled Uryu with an angered voice.

"I agree with Uryu. You can't do everything by yourself Ichigo. That's why we are here," stated Rukia with a serious tone. Chad, Renji, and Orihime nodded in agreement towards that statement. Ichigo looked at them with a perpetual stare as he felt his chest wringle with guilt. He easily swiped Uryu's hand off his wrist whilst turning around to leave.

"Trust me guys. I know you want to help me but dealing with Aizen is a category that must be left to me alone. I don't want any of you being hurt or killed during this battle," Ichigo said with a smooth voice that hid his sadness. They stopped talking almost instantly after he spoke that sentence. Nothing was left but silence. Ichigo took a deep breath before swiping his hand through the air. A black tear opened up in front of himself.

"A garganta?" Ulquiorra questioned in shock.

"Like I said, my power is a mixture of both hollow and soul reaper. That comes with the abilities as well," Ichigo spoke out indifferently as he walked into the Garganta.

"I'll see you guys in a bit," Ichigo said without turning around. As soon as those words were spoken, the Garganta closed behind himself.

"Jeez. He always puts himself before everyone else," Renji said out loud in frustration.

"All we can do now is hope for the best," Rukia stated solemnly.

"I agree. Our hearts and faith are with you Ichigo," stated Orihime timidly. Ulquiorra looked at them in curiosity. Maybe, just maybe, he could learn what a heart is by talking to them.

In between worlds and into the real Karakura town - With Ichigo ~

Ichigo slowly walked through the void realm while building a spiritual pathway out of Reishi. This time around, his platform was completely solid and ongoing. His gaze drifted off into the black void of nothingness.

'I was lucky to acquire this extra time by cheating myself out of that situation. This extra time that I have now obtained will help me get valuable data before confronting Aizen. Earlier when Aizen had broadcasted his voice, I could vividly hear his thoughts on how there were soul reapers already in Karakura town. As much as I would like to call the soul society stupid, they have undoubtedly moved the real Karakura town to the soul society so there wouldn't be any substantial damage to living life there. The items I need are located in Karakura Town thus meaning I will need to go to the soul society to get what I want.' Ichigo thought out quickly while seeing the exit not much further ahead. Ichigo ran a bit faster before lunging out of the exit. A subtle breeze washed against his smooth skin as his hair was forced to fly around behind himself. Ichigo walked on the air as he sighed from his failure.

"I meant to come out of this Garganta on the surface, not a few hundred feet in the air," Ichigo stated to himself while the Garganta behind himself zipped shut. He moved his right foot forward one step while he practically teleported down onto the surface in a static swish sound. He touched the ground with a graceful touch while his Hakama evened out with the rest of his clothing.

'As much as I would like to walk to Urahara's shop, I can't. I need to be in and out of there as fast as possible.' Ichigo thought with more seriousness as he started to Sonido towards the shop. He made it there in a matter of seconds as he landed right in front of the shop.

"Good. I don't sense any Reiryoku so that means Kisuke and Yoruichi are probably fighting Aizen right now," Ichigo muttered to himself while sliding the door to the shop open. He walked in slowly as he looked around himself. The only things visible in the vicinity were candy and well more candy. He sighed to himself as he started to move further into the shop.

'Where would Urahara hide it?' Ichigo questioned with a visually perplexed expression. His eyes widened slightly as it finally hit him.

'He had a secret floor opening that held a bunch of equipment. Specifically, spiritual equipment. Where was that again?' Ichigo questioned calmly whilst walking into the guest room. He scanned the room slowly until his eyes laid upon a certain floor piece. He walked over to that floor piece and got onto his knee's.

"This must be it. Urahara should learn how to hide his possessions better," Ichigo spoke with a fearless tone as he effortlessly broke a small kido barrier that blocked intruders from getting inside the area below. Ichigo's hand twitched with anticipation as he felt vivified at the idea of getting what he wanted. Before he could act on his thoughts, a blade was held up to his throat from behind.

"Don't move or you'll be killed," stated the anonymous figure with a voice that sounded familiar to him.

"It would appear that I was wrong to assume your dismissal, Yoruichi," stated Ichigo without moving a muscle.

"How do you know who I am, who are you?" asked Yoruichi while pressing her blade a bit more threateningly against his throat.

"...and here I thought, just a tad bit, that you would remember who I am better than anyone else. I am Ichigo... Kurosaki Ichigo," stated Ichigo quietly while placing the palm of his hand on Yoruichi's blade. Yoruichi was about to argue his claim but she was stopped in her tracks as she noticed the long orange hair which resembled Ichigo's own. Her eyes quickly traveled down his crouched body as she could tell the similarities between this figure and Ichigo. Now that she thought about it, the intruder's voice sounded identical to Ichigo's too. Her eyes widened in shock as she just stared at the back of Ichigo's body.

'How is it that I wasn't able to tell from first glance? Even with this new appearance of his, I should have been able to easily tell it was Ichigo.' thought Yoruichi with some guilt in her mind.

"Oh my, what's with the new getup Kurosaki-san... and why do you look so innocent when you are trying to steal from a lovely candy shop owner such as myself?" asked Urahara whilst folding his mini fan. Ichigo pushed Yoruichi's blade away from his throat as he stood up with a brazen touch. A little blood dribbled down his neck from a small cut given by Yoruichi.

"You are the same as always Urahara. Always waltzing around like you had an idea that I was going to be here before I knew it myself. Now I must wonder, how come I couldn't sense either of your Reiatsu?" Ichigo asked curiously as he turned towards Yoruichi and Urahara. They felt an instant sense of dread when they saw the staggering amount of tiredness in his eyes.

"Currently, we are wearing Reiatsu suppressing Gigai's. Even if you did your damnedest to sense our presence, you wouldn't be able to," stated Urahara with an oddly serious tone.

"I figured as much," stated Ichigo with a crooked like smile.

"How about you answer my questions now, Kurosaki-san? I'll make it worth your while if you do," stated Urahara as he tilted his striped hat.

"Worth my while? How so?" Ichigo asked with uncertainty in his voice.

"You'll see once you answer my questions," stated Urahara assuredly. Ichigo gave a skeptical look before giving into temptation a few seconds later.

"Okay, I'll answer your questions," stated Ichigo hesitatingly as he started to explain everything he had told his friends in Hueco Mundo. By the end of his explanation, Urahara was beyond baffled.

'I knew the soul society would eventually pull a stunt like this. I had no idea they were planning it this early though. If they were smart, they would have done it after his battle with Aizen. Ichigo is after all the only one who is unaffected by Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu.' Urahara distraughtly thought to himself.

"I see... and what's your explanation for snooping inside my shop?" Urahara droned out curiously.

"I was going to borrow your Reiatsu-concealing cloak so I could sneak into the Daireishokairō (Great Spirit Book Gallery)," Ichigo answered sincerely.

"What would you need inside the Daireishokairō (Great Spirit Book Gallery)?" asked Urahara with some genuine confusion in his voice.

"As I said already, I now have complete control over my Reiryoku. Having that in mind, I was going to look through their archives and see if I could learn any kido before fighting Aizen," Ichigo answered adequately as he looked over at Yoruichi. She still bore an expression of guilt and sadness.

'Why is Yoruichi sad? Is it because of the cut she gave me?' Ichigo questioned as he placed two fingers on the cut. He courageously looked away from Yoruichi and gave his attention back to Urahara.

"You said you would make my time here worth while. How so?" Ichigo optimistically questioned as he pressured his cut more. Urahara gave a silly grin as he pulled out a stack of books from his coat. Ichigo gave a doubtful look as he sweat dropped from the sudden action.

'H-how did he do that?' Ichigo asked himself in awe as he quickly snapped out of his haze.

"What are these books?" Ichigo questioned compulsively.

"Ah! Glad you asked Kurosaki-san. These books contain information on forbidden and non-forbidden kido. I want you to have them," Urahara answered with an animated gesture towards the books. Ichigo looked down for a second as he felt dread and doubt quiver into his consciousness.

"I have no need for such books anymore. Aizen is sure to show himself at any moment. I don't have enough time to learn these techniques," Ichigo stated aggressively. Urahara merely smiled at his words as he looked at Ichigo as if he were his own son.

"Ichigo... Yoruichi and I will gather you some time. You will be able to learn a few techniques from these books if we do that," stated Urahara honorably. Ichigo shook his head rebelliously to what Urahara just said.

"I-I can't let you do that. If either of you died on my behalf, I would never forgive my-" started Ichigo until Urahara interrupted him.

"Ichigo, let me tell you something," Urahara calmly stated as he walked up to Ichigo. Urahara whispered a few words to Ichigo which seemed to calm him down instantly. Ichigo looked away from Urahara as he felt a mass amount of stress building up inside of himself.

"You two better not get killed," stated Ichigo quietly as Urahara and Yoruichi popped out of their Gigai's. They stayed unresponsive to Ichigo's last statement as they quickly vanished in a flash of Shunpo.

Timeskip - Twenty Minutes Later ~

Ichigo immediately stopped his training when he felt an overbearing amount of Reiatsu cave down on everything. His eyes narrowed sharply with a spiteful glare as he looked up at the sky. What he saw made his skin crawl in alarm. He saw a pillar of purple energy that seemed to reach to the heavens and further.

"Aizen.." Ichigo said while pulling his Zanpakuto out. With that simple action, he disappeared in a static shockwave. The results of his determination reduced the grounds behind him to nothing more than rubble.

With Aizen ~

In the pillar of purple meshed energy, stood Aizen with white wings that took after a butterflies evolution. The pillar of energy viciously vanished in a shockwave as Gin looked up at Aizen in utter shock and disdain. Aizen smirked arrogantly as his brown lengthened hair whirled around himself violently.

"I win Gin. Even without it being inside of me, that Hogyoku you took..." started Aizen while looking down at Gin's hiding spot.

"...still belongs to me," finished Aizen as his eyes glowed vibrantly. Gin panicked innerly as the Hogyoku in his hand started to glow brightly too.

"What... the hell?!" Gin stated in surprise. While Gin was in this state of surprise, Aizen vanished from his spot and reappeared right in front of Gin. Gin looked away from the Hogyoku quickly as he looked at the now present Aizen in genuine fright. Before Gin could do anything else but stare, Aizen slashed him diagonally from his left shoulder down to his right hip. The Hogyoku which was in Gin's hand dissolved quickly and reformed itself in Aizen's chest. Gin slowly opened his bright blue eyes as he started to fall back in a slow type of manner. He stopped himself from falling when he remembered why he chose the dark path. It was to kill Aizen Sousuke for Rangiku! With that thought in mind, Gin swiftly rebalanced himself as he stretched his arm forward to grab the Hogyoku once more. Unfortunately for him, Aizen grabbed his wrist roughly and cut his arm off in a quick almost unseeable slash. Gin's expression formed into an even greater shock as Aizen decided to finish this waste of a time battle. Aizen without hesitance stabbed Gin right through the heart. He instantly lost all of his energy to fight as he slouched over onto Aizen's blade.

"Evolution requires fear. The fear that, in your current state, you could die and disappear at any moment. Thank you, Gin. Thanks to you, I have finally become a being that transcends both Soul Reapers and Hollows," stated Aizen arrogantly.

With humans ~

"W-What happened?" Keigo asked in fear. Chizuru smiled in hope while looking at Keigo.

"Maybe they had a falling out and took each other down or something?" Chizuru guessed ecstatically. Just as everyone was thinking that she might be right, a huge explosion came from the alleyway that they were just next to. They all ran away from the explosion as they watched the pile of rubble from a small distance away. They couldn't see anything at the moment because of the dust that hid the scene. After about fifteen seconds, the dust died away to reveal a monstrous looking figure.

"W-what is that?!" Keigo frighteningly spilled out as beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. Suddenly, Tatsuki, Chizuru, Zennosuke Kurumadani, Don Kanonji, and Mizuiro fell over paralyzed.

"T-Tatsuki! Kanonji!" yelled Keigo until he fell to the ground too.

With Gin and Aizen ~

'In the end... I couldn't retrieve what was taken from you, Rangiku. I'm glad. I'm glad I apologized to you back then.' Gin thought to himself as he heard a voice above him.

"Gin!" Yelled Rangiku as she jumped from the rooftop and down to where he was. Rangiku hovered over Gin's dying body as tears spilled from her eyes. The tears splattered and dripped onto Gin's cheeks as her sobs became more grievous. Aizen looked at the scene with uncaring eyes as he readied his sword for another strike. Before Aizen could make any more moves, a huge shockwave echoed out from behind himself. Aizen froze, then turned his head back slowly as he smirked calmly. He had expected him after all. The Ryoka boy always did turn up at the last possible second.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," stated Aizen calmly as Ichigo turned his head towards Aizen with a conceited expression.

"Are you really... Ichigo Kurosaki?" asked Aizen imperiously.

"What exactly do you mean?" Ichigo asked while tightening his grip on his sword.

"Well if you really are him, I'd say, you're disappointing. I had expected you to come out of the battle with more power than you currently possess. You have failed to evolve. Even with all the chances I have given you, you still stay at this puny level of power. What a waste of time," stated Aizen arrogantly as he rose his arm towards Ichigo. Gin opened his eyes slowly as he looked over at Ichigo.

'Ahh... I can see it. You carry great power. That's good. You are at a level now... where I can die... and leave the rest to you.' thought Gin softly as he closed his eyes for good.

"Regrettable... for you," stated Aizen while holding out his arm further. When Aizen rose his arm, the ground underneath him buckled down a bit.

"Aizen," started Ichigo daringly as Aizen narrowed his eyes.

"Let's not do this here. I'd rather we fought elsewhere," stated Ichigo while looking over at his collapsed friends. Ichigo carried his gaze back over to Aizen uncaringly as he awaited his response.

"An impertinent suggestion. Only someone who has the power to give me a real challenge has the right to make such a request. There is no need to worry, I will not destroy Karakura Town, you will-" started Aizen until Ichigo suddenly appeared before him and grabbed his face with his hand. Before Aizen could act on the situation, Ichigo jumped with surprising speed and power. As they flew over the distant town below, Aizen could only say "what?" before being thrown forcefully into a mountainous area. The dust cleared slowly to reveal Aizen touching his face where Ichigo had grabbed him.

'Impossible! There is no way that a failed being like him could force me like this!' Aizen thought in rage.

A little ways off, Ichigo landed neatly on the hard ground, his silver sword relaxed and pointed at the ground in boredom. Aizen stood up from his crouched position as he slowed his breathing down. He had to regain his usual composure so he could think more rationally.

"Let's do this Aizen," stated Ichigo as Aizen looked on, eyes narrowing slightly.

"As you can see, I have a new zanpakuto. With this new sword, I'll end you in an instant," Ichigo confidently stated as he pointed his sword towards Aizen.

"End it in an instant?" Aizen questioned while smiling. "I see. I understand now Ichigo Kurosaki. I understand Why you have taken on that inferior transformation."

Ichigo stayed silent as he looked at Aizen dully.

"You merged both your hollow and zanpakuto together to further access your dormant powers. This, in other words, allowed for you to break the third wall so you could become a transcendent being like myself," Aizen theorized coldly.

Ichigo stayed silent as he kept a composure that was completely emotionless. He didn't betray any other emotions to give away the fact if Aizen was correct or not.

"But... do despair. Soon enough, the Hogyoku will evolve me into a being that is far above your reaches," stated Aizen as the Hogyoku in his chest started to ring out a high solid note. It emitted an eerie glow as Aizen yet again started to change forms. When the blinding light ceased to exist, Aizen looked like a person with three pairs of butterfly wings attached to his back. It was not in the slightest intimidating but Ichigo knew he should still pay attention. Ichigo suddenly narrowed his eyes boredly as he could tell that Aizen would attack any second. He could tell he was going to because he could sense the tensing of muscles in Aizen's legs and arms. However, he wouldn't give Aizen the chance to attack first. In a quick and graceful motion, Ichigo gripped his sword whilst pulling it vertically in front of himself.

"Relapse: Tsuki no Kagami (Moon mirror)" Ichigo smoothly uttered out while his sword disintegrated into glass from the tip of his sword all the way down to his guard. In a quick and flawless fashion, his silver blade was quickly rebuilt into a black blade which oddly looked like glass.

"Aizen, this is my true Shikai. Behold its beauty and power before your existence is washed away completely," stated Ichigo with a relaxed posture.

"Fascinating zanpakuto you have there, Ichigo Kurosaki. Let's see if your zanpakuto is as impressive as you say," Aizen spoke out presumptuously as there was a sudden flash of light. Aizen, without a seconds notice, disappeared and suddenly reappeared behind Ichigo. He swung his blade down; trying to deal a deadly blow. Before Aizen could land his strike, time stopped. Ichigo stayed unmoving when he remembered he only has one second of free movement before Aizen is brought back into reality again. With that being said, Ichigo shunpo'ed behind Aizen while slashing his back once. Time came crumbling back into reality as Aizen quickly noticed the vacancy of Ichigo Kurosaki. The pain from his back brought him to his senses as he swiftly turned around towards Ichigo and swung his blade at him. Ichigo met him head on and their swords clashed. As Ichigo deflected Aizen's thrust, the mountains beside them exploded into dust from the sheer, raw power.

"You parried that well. How shocked you must be though. The landscape changes with a single swing of my sword. That is how powerful I am now. To tell you the truth, I didn't think my abilities had improved to this extent. I'm happy, Ichigo Kurosaki. Thanks to you, I can test these powers that transcend those of Hollows and Soul Reapers to my heart's content," Aizen genuinely stated with a grin on his face while ignoring the lucky strike Ichigo Kurosaki got on him. Ichigo remained wordless as his expression became stonier.

Aizen charged him again and again, but Ichigo continued to ward off all his attacks. Around them, the ground kept exploding each time their blades met.

Aizen rushed forward once more. This time, Ichigo disappeared in a static swish sound signaling that he had used Sonido. He reappeared on a ledge above Aizen.

"Did you really think I couldn't follow your moves?" asked Aizen from the sky. Ichigo leapt sideways as Aizen crashed into the earth and demolished the ledge with his zanpakuto. Not at all fazed by this, Ichigo landed a short ways away in the now clearing dust. He swiftly looked to his left as he blocked Aizen's next strike. They stood there, pressing hard against each other's blades as they stared at one another.

"I just realized something during our clash just now. As I suspected, your evolution and mine are on completely different levels. If I so wish, I can shatter your newly acquired zanpakuto with a single swing!" yelled Aizen with an excruciating amount arrogance. Aizen swung his sword at Ichigo while Ichigo let his right arm fall to his side. He then rose his left hand. With incredible ease, Ichigo caught Aizen's sword as if it were a mere stick. The force generated from the strike destroyed the ground all behind Ichigo, creating a deep pit.

'Impossible! He caught it? Dodging it I could understand. Though he shouldn't even be able to dodge at that speed to begin with... even so, dodging it, I could understand... but he caught it?' thought Aizen in shock as his shock showed on the outside as well.

"Why are you so surprised? Is it so unbelievable that I caught your sword? Does it scare you, that something you can't comprehend happened right before your eyes?" Ichigo asked with a calm tone as he let go of Aizen's sword. At this, Aizen laughed.

"Interesting, Ichigo Kurosaki..." started Aizen as he leapt back a good distance away from Ichigo.

"Something I can't comprehend you say? Don't talk as if you've already won. It was nothing less of a miracle that you were able to catch my blade. Miracles like that happen from time to time... but I am a being who surpasses even that. In that case, I will see to it that miracles like that never happen again by crushing your bones with kido!" Aizen furiously stated as he raised his finger high into the air.

"The Oozing crest of corruption! The arrogant vessel of madness! Deny the urge to let things stun and flicker! Disrupt the sleep! The crawling Princess of iron! The eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill the Earth and know your own powerlessness! Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi (Black Coffin)!" yelled Aizen.

At once, a great, dangerous blackness shined and encased Ichigo in a box like cage. The black cage blocked out the sky as it raised high in the air like a tower.

"Now that I transcend both Hollows and Soul Reapers, this is Kurohitsugi with a full incantation! It unleashed enough gravity to warp time and space. The likes of you could never comprehend it, Ichigo Kurosaki! Now perish!" shouted Aizen as the last chunk of daylight blocked Ichigo's view. Ichigo's expression twisted into shock at the last peeking second. Aizen lowered his arm and admired his now completed kido. A solid twenty seconds went by as the Kurohitsugi finally dissipated, leaving Ichigo on the ground with many wounds.

"Do you understand the definition of comprehending, now?" asked Aizen a bit calmer. Almost in a comical sense, the Ichigo before him disintegrated into glass. Aizen's expression quickly flipped from confident to shocked. With the utmost speed Aizen could dish out, he turned around to only receive two deep gashes on his chest. There was silence for a brief second, then a bright flash of light as Aizen disappeared and reappeared far away from Ichigo on a high cliff.

"Why did you back away just now?" Ichigo questioned almost arrogantly. They glared at each other from a far. Aizen seemed to be getting angrier as he gripped his sword tightly in an effort to control his rage. That rage quickly inflated until it was too unstable to shackle down.

"I get it now," Aizen said while his voice got progressively louder.

"You're pleased you stopped my sword, aren't you? I assume then, that you're also pleased that you overcame my kido? I suppose you're equally pleased that you put a scar on my body!? WE'LL DON"T BE SO FULL OF YOURSELF, HUMAN! AHHHHRRGGHH!" yelled Aizen with uncontrollable rage.

The moment Aizen said those words, his temple cracked as a third eye opened up. Blood was oozing from that third eye of his as his body had frozen stock still. Suddenly, his eyes rolled back while his head simply tilted limply to one side as if he were unconscious. Just as Aizen's skin cracked open, a huge pillar of purple energy reached up to the heavens like earlier. Unlike last time though, this pillar of energy radiated true, raw power. The only thing to be heard throughout this process besides the rustling of the wind was Aizen's scream. Whether the scream was in anger or in agony was a mystery.

After the dust cleared, Aizen was revealed to look nothing more than a monster. His white wings grew hideous looking mouths at the end of them while his face looked more hollow than anything. Aizen stood up confidently as Ichigo could see the Hogyoku resting neatly in the middle of Aizen's chest. It glimmered faintly as if it were talking to Aizen.

'That's the Hogyoku... I need to finish this battle quickly so I can obtain that orb... before Urahara gets here as well.' Ichigo thought with astonishing calmness as he believed he could beat Aizen with his Shikai alone.

"Yes. This is an inexcusable breach, isn't it, Hogyoku? That I let a human get the better of me," spoke Aizen with a disgusted tone.

One of the mouths on the wings opened up to reveal a small purple glowing ball. That exact mouth, seconds later, leaned back and tossed that glowing ball directly at Ichigo. Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he was preparing to take the attack head on but...then it happened. The purple orb of destruction swept right past him and towards the town. Ichigo's eyes opened up in utter shock as he started to Sonido towards the ball. His attempt was fruitless, however, as half the town was quickly erased in one huge explosion. A shockwave came roaring back at him, it carried immense heat that could melt even the strongest metals. Ichigo held up his blade to stop some of the blast but his arm and torso ended up being burnt badly. Ichigo breathed heavily, ignoring the pain flowing through the right side of his body. His heart rapidly started to beat as he couldn't believe what he saw before him. A lake of fierce fire which looked like it should belong in hell. He closed his eyes in an attempt to sense Karin's and Yuzu's presence. It was for naught though. Their presences were completely absent. Hot tears spilled down his cheeks gently. The tears on Ichigo's face streamed down more uncontrollably as he stayed silent. Black Reiatsu suddenly started to emit from his whole body, rapidly flowing all over the place like a breached dam. A bright light shined and coated the landscape around them as seconds later a pillar of black energy similar to Aizen's escalated far into the sky, looking as if it went right into space. The amount of energy being released caused the ground around them to crack and rumble loudly. Aizen wasn't impressed.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. I find it odd how a creature like you still stands before me with such arrogance. The Hogyoku has allowed for me to go into a state of transcendence. You don't have a chance of winning... look at your family and friends. They were but mere casualties towards my ascension to godhood. Now watch carefully as your life comes to an en-" started Aizen with an arrogant smirk until the pillar of energy before him intensified by five times! The ground below them shattered completely as it all caved in. Droves of shockwaves were now being expelled from Ichigo's body as all the pent up energy was now being aimed at Ichigo himself. In a quick swoop, all the energy that was released from Ichigo's body was now quickly recollected, resulting in a blinding light. Aizen placed his arm in front of himself so he could shield his eyes from the brightness.

"W-what... is going on?!" Aizen questioned in anger as the light died down. He gently swept his arm away from his face, his eyes widening as soon as he did. What stood before him was something he hasn't seen before. It was a figure with black wings. The wings weren't normal though. The wings looked like they were made of glass. Around the glass wings, there was black Reiatsu that seemed to dance like lightning.

"Aizen. What you are seeing right now... is only the final release for my Shikai. It's called Tenshi no Kokei: Kuroi Shinkiro (Angelic Sight: Blackened Mirage). You aren't worth my Bankai in the slightest," stated Ichigo coldly. Aizen opened his mouth to talk but before he could Ichigo held up his hand.

"Aren't you missing something, Aizen?" Ichigo questioned darkly. Aizen looked confused for a minute before looking closer at Ichigo's hand. His eyes widened as he looked at his chest.

"Yes. This is the Hogyoku in my hand. This is no illusion. What you see is pure reality," stated Ichigo hauntingly.

"You! When did you do it!?" yelled Aizen in madness as he was about to reclaim what was his.

"When the light blinded you, I saw an opening. Like anyone else would've, I went through that opening and grabbed the Hogyoku," stated Ichigo as he held up the Hogyoku calmly.

"I see. Even without having the Hogyoku, it still belongs to me. Only a God can have control ove-" Aizen started with a smirk until Ichigo suddenly appeared before Aizen with tremendous agility.

"Yes, you are correct. Only a God can. Unfortunately for you, I am that God," stated Ichigo as he stabbed forward. Aizen didn't even have a chance to block as Ichigo easily stabbed him right in the heart. Aizen placed his hand on the sword as he looked at Ichigo.

"A mere wound like this won't kill me," stated Aizen as a stream of blood left his mouth.

"I know that, Aizen. This will though," stated Ichigo as he placed two fingers on Aizen's chest.

"Gisei-Tekina Tsubasa (Sacrificial wings)" whispered Ichigo as his wings shattered into small chunks of glass. That glass which was now levitating started to mold together, creating many long spikes. Aizen looked at Ichigo in shock as he quickly held up his blade.

"I won't give you the chan-" yelled Aizen until all the spikes ripped right into his body. Blood splattered from his mouth as he fell from the sky, falling right onto the hard earth. Ichigo sighed, looking down the edge of the mountain as he saw all wounds on Aizen start to stitch back up instantly.

'He can still regenerate?! Aizen did say something about the Hogyoku still belonging to him even without having it with him... but if what Urahara said earlier is true... it won't be much longer before the Hogyoku's bond with Aizen breaks.' thought Ichigo smartly as he gripped the Hogyoku in his hand. Ichigo vanished from his spot in one fluent Sonido, appearing right in front of the fallen Aizen. Aizen groaned while he started to pick himself up slowly. Ichigo lowered his sword while looking at Aizen in humor. He lifted his left arm ever so gently.

"Bakudo #61: Rikujōkōrō (Six Rods Prison of Light)" stated Ichigo. Six thin but wide beams of light slammed into Aizen's midsection, holding him in place.

"You have lost, Ichigo Kurosaki," stated Aizen calmly, ignoring the fact that Ichigo just bound his movement.

"What makes you say that?" Ichigo asked with a puzzled expression. Aizen lifted his deteriorating zanpakuto as he smirked.

"Behold. My zanpakuto is disappearing. You of all people must understand what this means. The Hogyoku has determined that I no longer require a zanpakuto!" yelled Aizen with an arrogant smirk. Ichigo felt the Hogyoku in his hand vibrate lightly which made him question if Aizen's words were correct.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, you're finished!" yelled Aizen with an expression of joy and hate. A red spike suddenly bursted out of Aizen's chest. No more than five seconds later, a dozen more spikes manifested themselves from his chest. Aizen backed up in confusion while looking at himself.

"What is this? Is this kido? When could it have...?!" Aizen questioned to himself.

"It would appear that it has finally activated," stated Urahara calmly as he jumped down in front of Ichigo.

"Kisuke Urahara, is this your doing?" Aizen demanded in rage.

"Yes. I concealed this kido with another one and implanted it in your body before your transformation was complete earlier," stated Urahara with a sharp and serious gaze. Aizen looked at Urahara in bubbling rage.

"It's a sealing technique. I determined that if you fused with the Hogyoku, you would be almost impossible to kill. So, I developed a new kido that is designed specifically to seal you," Urahara stated coldly.

"Is that so? I will have to disappoint you then," stated Aizen with a smirk as he lifted the rest of his sword which just decided to break apart and turn into Reishi.

"Behold! I am about to attain an even higher level of evolution! I truly hope that you didn't believe that this pitiful kido had the power to seal me!" shouted Aizen in despisement as his white armor like skin shattered off his arm. Aizen's face shrank in shock as he looked at his arm.

"What is this?" Aizen asked in a bitter tone.

"It is the will of the Hogyoku. The reason that the kido implanted in you has only just triggered is because you have finally become weak. This is thanks to Ichigo. If it wasn't for his strength and power, you might have just become too strong to defeat. In other terms, the Hogyoku no longer recognizes you as its master," Urahara stated calmly while tilting his hat slightly.

"That is ridiculous. It could neve-" started Aizen until he felt the spikes in his chest increase in length. He hunched over slightly as the spikes made diagonal crosses through each of them.

"Urahara Kisuke! I despise you! Why, when you possess such an intellect, do you not act? How can you stand to submit to that thing?!" Aizen yelled out at Urahara. Ichigo narrowed his eyes slightly.

'That thing? What does he mean?' Ichigo thought to himself calmly.

"That thing? Are you referring to the Soul King?" asked Urahara while looking at Aizen. Aizen's eyes narrowed in hate.

"I see. So you have seen it. If the Soul King did not exist, the Soul Society would be divided. The Soul King is its linchpin. If the linchpin is lost, everything will collapse. That is the way of our world," stated Urahara while looking at Aizen. Urahara looked a bit closer as he quickly realized the Hogyoku was missing. His eyes widened as he looked back at Ichigo. As for Ichigo, he was stuck in thought.

'The Soul Society will fall. This just might be the way to do it.' thought Ichigo as he noticed Urahara's stare. Urahara looked away from Ichigo as he looked back at Aizen.

"That is a loser's reasoning! A winner has to speak not of the world as it is, but of how the world should be!" yelled Aizen as he started to rip pieces of the sealing of himself.

"I will-" started Aizen until he quickly got sealed away by the rest of the sealing kido. Ichigo hated Aizen for killing his friends and family... but he actually felt bad for him. Aizen was only trying to do the world justice.

"Kurosaki-san. Do you know what happened to the Hogyoku?" Urahara asked with a suspicious stare. Ichigo tilted his head slightly as he stared at Urahara.

"Yes, I do know what happened to the Hogyoku. It is right here," Ichigo stated while holding up his hand.

"I see. Please do hand it over then. I need to get rid of it before anyone else gets their hands on it," requested Urahara as he stared at Ichigo.

"I'm sorry to say this Urahara... but I'm keeping it," Ichigo stated darkly as he gripped the Hogyoku in his hand.

"Kurosaki-san, if this is about your friends and family then you have nothing to worry about. Yoruichi and I were able to save them before Aizen attacked the town," stated Urahara with shadowed eyes. Ichigo's eyes widened for a split second before he recollected his thoughts.

"I see. That doesn't change how the Soul Society betrayed me. I will use the Hogyoku to destroy the Soul Society. After I have succeeded in that, I will rebuild it to my hearts extent," answered Ichigo as he narrowed his eyes.

"I had a feeling you would say that," stated Urahara calmly as he drew his sword.

"Urahara... what do you think you are doing?" Ichigo asked with a serious voice, glaring at Urahara.

"It should be rather perspicuous as to what I am doing. I am stopping you from leaving with the Hogyoku," spoke Urahara calmly as Ichigo looked at him in shock. Ichigo narrowed his eyes darkly as he stared at Urahara.

"Are you indirectly telling me that you have been plotting with the Soul Society?" Ichigo demanded to know as he held up his sword.

"I don't remember even hinting to such things. I am merely doing what any candy shop owner would do. Stopping evil before it disrupts the balance between all three worlds," stated Urahara.

"I see. That's quite unfortunate-" started Ichigo as he vanished and reappeared in front Urahara.

"-for you," finished Ichigo as he stabbed his sword into Urahara's gut.

"You got too cocky, Urahara. That is why my blade is in your gut and not mi-" started Ichigo until he felt a searing pain in his gut. He slowly looked down at his gut, noticing a blade sticking through it. He zipped his eyes up quickly and noticed how Urahara's body started to puff up. As soon as Urahara's body puffed up to the maximum, it popped like a balloon.

"When did you do it?!" questioned Ichigo in shock.

"My friend, you got too arrogant and you let your guard down," stated Urahara from behind Ichigo.

"Exactly as I thought," stated Ichigo from behind Urahara. Urahara felt his eyes widen slightly when he noticed the Ichigo in front of himself disintegrate into glass. He turned around swiftly but it was already too late.

"Too slow," hushed Ichigo as he slashed Urahara across his chest. Urahara jumped back, placing his hand on the deep gash. Ichigo stepped forward but before he could attack Urahara again, many presences appeared.

"Reinforcements? How particular," stated Ichigo smoothly as he looked at the new presences which consisted of Shunsui Kyōraku, Soifon, Sajin Komamura, and lastly Jūshirō Ukitake. Ichigo used Sonido to appear thirty feet above everyone as he clawed the air to open a Garganta. He tilted his head towards Urahara calmly.

"I didn't let my guard down, Kisuke. Although, I do feel as if I should warn you about something before I go," stated Ichigo smoothly.

"What makes you think that I will let you get away with the Hogyoku?" Urahara asked sharply. Yoruichi suddenly appeared beside Ichigo and attempted to round house kick him. Ichigo without even looking caught her leg with a tight grip. He turned his head towards the shocked Yoruichi as he smirked.

"Earlier, I thought you were genuinely sad for me. I guess I was wrong. Get lost," stated Ichigo as he slashed Yoruichi across her chest. She gasped in shock as she started to fall from the sky. Luckily for her, Urahara caught her before she hit the ground.

"What was I saying before I got interrupted? Ah yes, I remember. It was about my warning. I'll make it simple for you all to understand. I am going to destroy the Soul Society. How will you do it, you may ask. It is rather simple. The Hogyoku," stated Ichigo as he held up the orb of power. Everyone stayed silent at his words.

"Ichigo. Please do rethink your decision," Jūshirō stated with an almost kind tone.

"Jūshirō, I wish I could... but you guys were the ones who decided to eliminate me first," stated Ichigo calmly as he looked down at him. Jūshirō bowed in disappointment.

'Why did the old man have to make such a reckless decision?' questioned Jūshirō in his mind. Shunsui was thinking the same thing at the moment.

"Kurosaki-san. After the Hogyoku has bonded with someone, it will take many months for it to recognize anyone else as its master. That brings up the question. Will you live long enough for the Hogyoku to recognize you as its master?" asked Urahara with a calculating gaze. Ichigo glared down at Urahara with an emotionless mask.

"You bluff," stated Ichigo as he turned around and walked into the Garganta. Some of the soul reapers tried to stop him from leaving but the Garganta closed behind him before they could reach him.

Hey, it's me, the author. I wanted to say thank you for the support. Feel free to give suggestions or recommendations. I may not implement those suggestions into the story but I will gladly read them.

Poll decision - Ichigo's Relationship

I have not decided yet... although it will most likely be a character that fits with him. Not some ridiculous pairing that makes no sense.

Ichigo's Bankai

As for Ichigo's Bankai, I have not decided yet. I have a few ideas though. If you have your own idea, please feel free to comment it below or message me directly.

Thanks for reading.