It was the morning of the fight.
In both bases, the slayers' and Vampires', the inhabitants readied themselves.
The slayers dressing in their work clothes and putting their weapons on their backs and hips, the Vampires wearing almost casual clothes, that were adapted to their fighting styles and placing their weapons on their places as well.

Ichigo bound the holster of his Tanken around his thigh and the chain to his hip.
He didn't put on the hat or the mantle, since both probably would get in the way when he faced Aizen.
He looked over to Shiro, who fixed the dagger to the back of the waistband of his jeans.
The albino then met his look and nodded, his eyes serious and glowing with determination.
The two headed to the living hall and met up with the five others, Ginjou had chosen to help them, maybe to show his gratitude to the albino for taking him under his wing.
When everyone was certain to be ready they headed off, Shiro decided beforehand that they would go by foot, to avoid any unwanted attention.
As if a bunch of good looking men, dressed up like they went to the club early in the morning wouldn't attract any of it, but oh well.
So the group marched through the streets, noticing that they were awfully empty and quiet, even for a Sunday morning.

The silence was unnerving and had the Vampires senses on edge, that's why they all almost jumped when they heard a sudden noise.
Staring into the direction of it and waiting for the danger to come closer, Grimmjow nearly broke out in laughter when the supposed enemy turned out to be just a cat straying on the streets.
Shinji growled and shooed the animal away, grumbling something about clichés.

All seven headed on after that, still not feeling completely save in the peopleless streets.
They turned around a corner on the main street, as a cry hit their ears, a humans cry.
Without any command needed they sped of toward the source of the cry, finding a bunch of ninnies feeding of an old woman.
Starrk disposed of the pitiful beings fast, so that they could go on, but their way soon got blocked by a horde of insane Vampires and they continued to grow in numbers.
The Vampires could sense them all around them in the town, they never would have guessed that there actually had been so many Vampires and wondered if there was even one remaining out there, except for themselves, who was in his right mind.

"We have to split up and take care of them."
Ulquiorra told as he slit the throat of a ninny up.
"Yeah, Shiro. Leave the little bugs to us and head on. We'll come after you later."
Grimmjow agreed, grinning widely and enjoying killing his brethren a bit too much.
Shiro nodded, then looked over at Ichigo and Ginjou and addressed them.
"You two come with me."
The three split off the others and broke through the army of fallen Vampires.
As they were past them, Ichigo asked.
"Do you think that's Aizens doing?"
"Probably. He might have planned to separate us and get us killed by the sheer numbers of ninnies he gathered."
Suddenly Ginjou called out.

"Look out!"
Just in time the three jumped aside to avoid a blade that now merely connected to the asphalt.
It's wielder rose from his crouching position and stood in front of the three, with a smug smile on his lips.
"So you made it this far already? I'm afraid I can't let you go any further."
Ichigo and Shiro took their stance, but Ginjou intervened.
"You go on, and I take care of that guy."
"But.."
"Just go!"
Ginjou interrupted Ichigos objection and grabbed something in his back, a smile of his own creeping on his lips.
"I still don't clearly know what happened, but I know that guy was it who stabbed me."
Shiro glanced shortly at the raven haired, then faced straight ahead.
"Okay."
He grabbed Ichigos arm and dragged him on.

Ginjou pulled a gun from his waistband and aimed at the stranger.
"I hope you're ready, 'cause, payback is a bitch."

Shiro and Ichigo ran on, without any further distractions until they reached the foot of the mountain on which the shrine was where Aizen waited, a long stairway led up to it.

The slayers had fought their way through the town, killing every Vampire that got in their way without hesitation and soon they met up with the ones of Shiros group that had stayed behind.
As they headed on together they updated each other on the happenings so far and quickly terminated the remaining ninnies.
Not long after the last one was killed they came closer to the place where Ginjou was fighting the stranger.

Both had some scratches, but no real serious wounds.
It was like they knew the others fighting style and were up to par in their strength.
The stranger said something to Ginjou and the Vampire barked a reply, only Grimmjow could clearly hear it from the distance they still were at.

"Shouldn't it be time that you woke up already?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"

When the slayers and Vampires reached the fighting place, Ginjou was alone.
He turned to the joined groups and nodded his head that they should follow him, before he ran off in front of them.

Meanwhile, Ichigo and Shiro had ascended a good part of the stairs, but their run got interrupted by the stranger again.
"You! What happened to Ginjou?"
Ichigo yelled, his hand wandering to his blade.
"Oh, he will be here soon. Don't worry. So let's wait for him here, shall we?"
"Like hell!"
The orangette called out and jumped at the stranger.
Their blades connected and the metallic sound echoed over the area.
The stranger looked unimpressed at Ichigo, before saying.
"Tsukishima Shukuro."
"Huh?"
"That's my name."
"I don't care about that! Get out of the way!"
"When one tells you your name, you return the favor, Kurosaki -."
"Ichigo!"
Two voices called out at the same time, one being Shiro and the other Ginjou, when they spotted Tsukishima draw a hidden knife.
Shiro pushed Ichigo aside and caught the knife before it hit him, the orangette turned around to face Ginjou running up the stairs.
"Ginjou! I'm so glad that you're ok. How could he-"

A gun shot resonated through the rows of trees and amber brown eyes widened in shock.
"Shut your trap, would ya?"
The black haired Vampire tells with a vicious grin on his face.
The bullet he fired had only scratched Ichigos face, he hadn't aimed to kill the kid.
"What? Why?"
Ginjou ascended the rest of the stairs and stood next to Tsukishima who freed himself from Shiros grip with a kick.
"Really I told you to wait. We're supposed to keep the other guys busy until Aizen-sama is finished with them."
Ginjou mutters at Tsukishima.
"Oh, but isn't that so much more interesting, letting the boy know he's been betrayed and then having to watch his friends get killed?"
"Ginjou! Why? Haven't you said that he was it who stabbed you? Didn't you want to take revenge for your family? Why are you siding with your attacker?"
Ichigo yelled.
"Ah, just shut up already. I will avenge my family; who has been killed fifty years ago. By the slayers."
The traitor stepped forward and put a hand atop of Ichigos head, who was too shocked to move even one finger.
"You get it, right? Everything you knew about me was planned by Aizen-sama. And now I take your ability."
Ichigo felt a constriction in his chest for a second and before Shiro had even time to move, Ginjou and Tsukishima were on the run, back down the stairs.
"Ichigo, are you alright?"

"I...I'm not sure."
"What did he do to you?"
Ichigo shook his head, not knowing it himself, but when he tried to activate his ability it didn't work.
"I can't use my sight."
"What?"
"I can't use it. Ginjou must have taken it away somehow. How shall I face Aizen like that? I might end up under his hypnosis and kill someone else."
"Shit. Don't worry about it. You can do it without your sight. Just keep focused on everything around you ok?"
"What about the others? Do you think they can win against the two?"
"Have faith in them. They will make it somehow."
Shiro pressed Ichigos hand reassuringly and both were about to walk on, when a voice came from up above.

"Oh how touching. Don't you have so much trust in those weak creatures you call allies, dear cousin?"
"Aizen."
A man with wavy brown hair and even brown eyes appeared in front of the two, wearing a simple white suit and a light smile adoring his lips.
"I see you brought the promised child with you. How very kind of you to spare me the trouble of searching for him."
Ichigo and Shiro stared at the brunette, not quite understanding the meaning behind those words.

"Though his fiery outburst just now, remembered me of a young girl that I met on my last visit of the town."
The orangette glared at him, when his smile turned into an amused grin.
"What?"
"Mhh. I almost ate her up. You really look a lot like her, could you be a relative of hers?"
"Bastard! You've been the one who attacked my mother?"

Aizen fixes him in a stare, his smile leaving his lips.
"So you are her child. You shouldn't be so ungrateful to me, should you? Without me you wouldn't even exist."
He says with a cold voice, then turns around to step up the stairs again.

"Come, follow me. The shrine is a much better place to talk."
Ichigo growled at him and was ready to stab him in the back, but Shiro intervened.
"Don't let him get to you. That could be a trap, he might just want you to stab him and in the end you have been under an illusion and killed someone else."
So the two just followed him, readying themselves for whatever might wait at the shrine for them.

Chapter 32
End