A/N: Sorry if that last chapter was a little confusing. I mean to go back and change it, but I've been really busy these past few weeks and haven't been able to. Basically, Yuzu lost her Quincy powers during the Selection, when Yhwach took all the half-blood Quincy powers (and when Masaki and Uryu's mom died). And basically Jungetsu is some portion of Yuzu's own powers augmented with a tiny portion of Kyoka Suigetsu herself, hence the connection between them. I'm gonna edit the previous chapter, though, to make it less confusing.

Also, a little bit of trivia. The orange/amber charm that Kintaro was using in his previous appearances to shield things was supposed to be based off Orihime's shield powers, using information recorded by Aizen and co. during her captivity (obviously not from the same source, but with a similar effect). I could never find a convenient place to explain that in the narrative, so…yeah. There you go.

I can't take credit for Kaigarasu, because the concept for it was given to me by a friend of mine. He probably won't be reading this any time soon, but if he does, he'll recognize it. (I had permission).

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. At all.

Chapter 50: For the sake of the future

Rukia dashed through the streets of Seireitei, one hand securing her sword to her side as Ishida and Orihime ran on either side of her. The other two humans, Yasui and Mari, ran behind them. Shinigami shot them startled looks as they ran, and Rukia heard a few sharp cries of 'Kuchiki-fukutaicho!', but she ignored them, running through the streets towards the center of the district. Masaryu had not come out to meet them as he said he would, and that in itself was enough to get her suspicious.

That, coupled with the reiatsu she was sensing coming from the Third Division's grounds made her pick up speed, brushing aside any other concerns as she moved as quickly as she could.

"Kuchiki-san." Ishida drew up beside her, his eyes fixed on the road ahead of them. "If we have to, we can…"

Rukia shook her head, knowing what he was saying. With shunpo and Hirenkyaku, the two of them could reach the Third Division's district faster than the five of them together. But that would mean leaving Orihime, Yasui, and Mari alone in the streets. She wouldn't do that, any more than she would send Ishida on alone. "No," she said. "We'll all go together. Masaryu and Iwase can hold their own for that much time."

Ishida looked skeptical but nodded, falling back slightly as they ran through the streets.

"Kuchiki-san!" shouted Orihime in warning.

Rukia's eyes widened as the wall beside them suddenly burst open, sending shards of stone and tile shattering. She jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding getting hit, and placed her hand on her sword. Behind her, Ishida and Orihime fanned out, Ishida's hands glowing blue as he formed his bow. Orihime held her hands out in front of her, orange light spreading between her fingertips as the hairpins pinned to her collar started glowing.

A blast of wind shot out of the hole in the wall, speeding towards her. Rukia's eyes narrowed, and she jumped back, moving out of the way just in time as a pair of wind blades struck the ground where she had been standing. A figure appeared on the other side of the wall, a young girl in a high school uniform. She held up her hand, and the wind gusted outward from her, rushing towards them.

"Santen Kesshun!"

A gold triangle spread outward from Orihime's hands, forming a shield between them and the wind gusts. The wind slammed into the shield, howling as it struck, but the barrier held fast. Orihime kept her hands up, gritting her teeth slightly with the effort. Rukia glanced to the right as Yasui rushed towards her, an open bottle of water in his hand. A stream of water had already formed in his palm, coiling around his shoulders.

"Kuchiki-san," said Yasui. "That's Hamano Tomoe. She works with Kiyomizu—with Kyoka Suigetsu. She can control wind and heat."

Rukia nodded at Yasui's explantion, her hand moving Sode no Shirayuki's hilt downward towards her center. Her frown deepened, and she stared at Hamano from behind the barrier, her grip on her zanpakuto's hilt hesitant. Hamano Tomoe was an enemy of Soul Society, but she was still a human child. She couldn't kill her, but neither could she let her continue to attack.

"Kuchiki-san," said Ishida sharply, turning his back to Hamano as he glanced at something behind him.

Rukia's eyes widened as a crack tore through the air, and she quickly moved to the side, the bullet striking Orihime's barrier. When it struck the barrier, the barrier shattered, golden light disintegrating around the site of impact in a circle that was rapidly-growing. Orihime's eyes widened as the shield fell apart, and Rukia glanced behind her. She caught sight of the human—no, she reminded herself—the Arrancar shooter, crouched on the rooftop with a rifle in his hand. He was still dressed in dark clothes, but his mask was more prominent, no longer hidden behind his hair. She only caught a glimpse of him before Ishida disappeared from sight, appearing in the air above them. A flurry of blue arrows pierced the air, and the shooter disappeared, the arrows striking the rooftop.

Hamano moved forward, a grin on her face as she moved to strike. Rukia spun back to face her, her eyes narrowing as she pulled her sword from its sheath.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" she commanded. "Some no Mai, Tsukishiro!"

As the blade in her hands shifted into its release state, Rukia took a step forward, swiping it out to the side. She made sure to hold back some of her power as she moved the sword through the air, focusing only a limited amount on Hamano. Ice sprang up around her, entrapping her, but it was nothing like the pillar of ice Tsukishiro usually produced. It surrounded her, but it kept her alive.

For now, it would have to be enough.

She swept her sword out in front of her, her back to Hamano as she glanced at the others. "We should hurry," she said, already beginning to move.

Behind her, the figure encased in ice glared, twitching as she tried to break free. Rukia had gone two steps when she heard a crack.

Her eyes widened, and she glanced behind her. The ice shattered outwards from Hamano, accompanied by a searing gale that twisted and swirled around her. Where it struck ice, the ice melted, water turning into steam. The girl held her hand up, blades forming out of the heated air and rushing towards Rukia. Hamano's face was contorted in anger as she turned towards them, the wind howling around her.

"I won't let you past!" she said. "I won't let you stop Kyoka Suigetsu-sama!"

The wind rushed towards her, the air hot against her skin. Rukia instinctively raised her hand, holding up her sword.

Masa's sword was already in his hand by the time he arrived on the scene, leaping over the rooftops towards the abandoned stadium. Setsuyoku rippled around him, liquid metal streaming over his shoulders like a ribbon as he landed on the ground, his hand held out towards Kintaro.

"Setsuyoku," he commanded. "Tetsuka."

The sword split apart into small metal shards, the shards flinging themselves at the other man. Kintaro looked up, tugging on the chain at the end of his sword. The blade pulled away from Kohaku, who had her arms up to block the blow, and instead came sweeping down in front of Masa's attack, a loud ear-splitting screech following in its wake. Setsuyoku's blades quivered as shockwaves of sound ran through them, the metal becoming liquid again and falling uselessly to the ground. Masa's eyes widened as Kintaro came rushing through, and he barely had enough time to flash-step backwards, dodging the sword as it swung at him.

He felt the wind of the sword's passing a few inches from his chest, accompanied by that loud whistle. Masa grimaced, but managed to hold out his right hand, Setsuyoku streaming back into it and forming the large, curved sword that was its bladed form. Kintaro's sword slammed against Masa's, the liquid metal parting slightly in the wake of the blow but remaining otherwise unyielding. His eyes narrowed as he gripped his sword with both hands, looking over at Kintaro from over their crossed blades. The other man glared at him, their blades pushing against each other.

Over Kintaro's shoulder, her saw Kohaku getting to her feet, Ayatori's wires lying limp on the ground around her. His eyes traveled past her to the girl lying on her side on the cracked earth of the stadium, struggling against her bonds.

"Kohaku, Hisoka!" Masa said as he jumped back, swiping at Kintaro and jerking his head towards the girl.

Kohaku stared at him and Kintaro as Kintaro rushed towards him again, sweeping his blade out in front of him. Masa raised his sword, blocking the blow one-handed, and Kohaku quickly flash-stepped away, appearing at Hisoka's side. Her arms wrapped around the girl, and she flash-stepped again, appearing on the stone wall that surrounded the stadium. Kintaro's eyes narrowed, and he glanced back at her.

"I won't let you," he said, hurling his sword through the air.

A shriek, louder than any of the ones before, followed in the sword's wake, and Kohaku let out a cry as she lost her footing, falling backwards off the wall with Hisoka in her arms.

Masa's eyes widened, and he stretched out a hand towards her, taking a step forward. "Kohaku!"

Before he could do anything, Kintaro pulled his sword back, swinging one-handed at Masa. Masa grit his teeth, jumping back and raising his sword to block the blow. As the swords came together, Kintaro raised his other hand, pointing it at Kohaku.

"Bakudo # 62," he said. "Hyapporankan."

A rod of bluish white energy formed in his hand, and he hurled it at Kohaku. It split apart in the air, multiplying into a hundred rods that slammed into the wall, pinning Kohaku and Hisoka to the side of it. Before Masa could react, Kintaro turned, tightening his grip on his sword's chain as he brought the blade down over Masa's head. Masa raised his sword to block, the two blades coming together again.

"Now," said Kintaro, looking back at him. "Where were we?"

Masa scowled, bracing his hand on the flat of his blade. He pushed back on Kintaro's sword with a sudden burst of strength, forcing Kintaro to jump back. Masa's sword continued to move, swinging down onto the ground. Cracks formed in the earth where the blade touched, a stream of liquid metal shooting through the cracks towards Kintaro.

"Setsuyoku: Kousen!"

The liquid metal shot out of the earth towards Kintaro, forming several metal spikes. Kintaro's eyes narrowed, and he jumped back, throwing his sword in front of him and tugging on the chain to pull the blade in a swinging arc. A screech followed the sword's passing and Masa cringed, the sound rippling through the river of steel. The spikes quivered and collapsed uselessly to the ground, droplets of water spattering against the bare earth.

"It's useless," Kintaro said, appearing on the ground beside Masa. He swung his sword at Masa's side.

Masa's eyes widened and he turned to pivot, holding up his hand. The river of steel on the ground flowed towards him, creating a shimmering barrier between him and Kintaro. Kintaro's blade slashed through the air, parting the barrier like a knife to silk. Masa quickly took a step back, holding out both his hands and forming Setsuyoku's bladed rings. He held them both out in front of him, hurling them at Kintaro.

"Setsuyoku: Hakkinrin!" he called.

The wheels spun through the air, coming at Kintaro from two different directions, one in front of another. Kintaro's eyes moved between the two of them, his expression unchanging as he tossed his sword upwards into the air. The blade sliced through one of the rings, bringing that horrible screeching sound again. The second ring wavered on its path, then collapsed onto the ground, falling apart. Kintaro held onto the chain with his other hand, swinging the sword over his head in several rapid circles. The sound intensified, Setsuyoku's metal streams collapsing into smaller and smaller droplets as the screech grew louder.

Masa clapped his hands over his ears and staggered back, the sound seeming to weigh down on him like a physical thing. He grit his teeth, but he could still hear it, a sound that set his teeth on edge and made it difficult for him to think.

The sound stopped, leaving his ears still ringing. Kintaro didn't give him a moment to recover, his sword falling into his hand as he shot towards Masa. Masa's eyes widened, and he quickly tried to call Setsuyoku back to himself, but the metal moved sluggishly, the silvery threads scattered across the old stadium not responding. He jumped back at the last moment, Kintaro's blade cutting through the air. The tip of it cut a shallow gash across his chest, from shoulder to waist. Masa stumbled back as he landed on the ground, his arms spread out to keep himself from falling over.

Kintaro turned towards him, giving his sword a lazy spin as he advanced. Blood dripped off the edge of it. Masa's eyes darted from left to right, falling on the metal pieces still lying on the ground. His heart pounded, and he could see in Kintaro's eyes that the other man thought this was the end.

"What now, Ankoujin?" asked Kintaro, his eyes fixed on Masaryu. "Your zanpakuto is pure metal. If it can't hold a form, you're finished."

He tried to recall Setsuyoku to his hand, but the metal droplets lying on the ground wouldn't move. They simply lay there, reflecting the sunlight. Masa took a step back, his eyes on Kintaro. They swept past him, landing on Kohaku and Hisoka, the two of them still trapped within Kintaro's Hyapporankan. They lingered on Kohaku for a moment before looking back at Kintaro.

"My Setsuyoku," he said softly, "has four solid forms. The shield, the sword, projectiles, the rings. It's true that I can't fight with any of them now. But you should have realized that my zanpakuto has a fifth form, separate from any of those. In fact, you've already seen it."

Kintaro paused for a moment, his eyes drifting across the metal shards on the field. Masa kept his hands loose at his side, opening them.

"Setsuyoku," he said. "Suiginran."

The liquid metal flared up from where it lay on the ground, reflecting the sunlight as it streamed around Masaryu. Kintaro looked around, his eyes wide, but before he could do anything, a river of liquid metal washed over him, the metal streams pulsing and writhing as they rushed at him. The wave of metal knocked Kintaro back, sweeping over Masa as it washed on top of him. For an instant, a shape appeared in the river, a dragon, jaws outstretched.

Those jaws clamped over Kintaro as the river crashed into him, a bright light shining.

When the light cleared, the floor of the stadium shone, covered in drops of silver metal. Kintaro lay on the ground in the center of a small crater, unmoving. Masaryu glanced at him, then held up his hand, the metal streaming towards his palm and forming Setsuyoku's unreleased katana. He slid the sword back into its sheath with as much calm as he could muster, then dropped to one knee, breathing hard as he pressed a hand over the cut on his shoulder. He had only used Suiginran once before, and that in training. The technique took a lot out of him. Everything burned.

But at least it was over now, he thought, breathing hard.

At least it was over.

Shoes scraped against the earth, and Masa looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief as he saw Kintaro push himself to his feet. He was bleeding and bruised, his movements slow and sluggish, but his eyes were hard as he gripped his sword in his hands, pointing it at Masa. Reiatsu flared up around him, pressing down on Masa and making it hard to breathe.

No, thought Masa, his eyes fixed on Kintaro. That's impossible. He can't—

"Bankai," said Kintaro, his sword and body both beginning to glow as he held it out in front of him. "Ranmei Kaigarasu."

The world around Kyoka Suigetsu suddenly shifted, red slowly seeping across the white palace walls like paint spilled across a smooth surface. Part of the wall rippled, becoming like water. Yuzu shot through that space, white droplets streaked with red streaming behind her as she held her swords out, rocketing towards Kyoka Suigetsu.

The zanpakuto spirit looked surprised at her sudden appearance, but her surprise only lasted for a few moments before she raised her sword, blocking both of Yuzu's blades with her own. The force behind the blow caused her to slide back, her feet moving against the smooth marble floor. The room asserted itself again, becoming a spacious hallway with tiled floors and eight pillars outlining a central aisle, the pillars stretching up into the sky. Yuzu's eyes narrowed and she swung her sword again, her reiatsu flaring up scarlet around her as she swung the blade at Kyoka Suigetsu's side. It moved with surprising speed, forcing Kyoka Suigetsu to take a step back to block it. Red continued to seep across the walls and floor of the room from the wall that Yuzu had fallen through, a slow but steady wash of color.

Kyoka Suigetsu simply smirked, as if unconcerned with the fact that she was being driven back. Her eyes fell on Yuzu, taking in the red that was slowly seeping across the white of her outfit. It sprang from a point just below her left shoulder, just over her heart. The pool of scarlet was reflected in the shinigami's eyes as she swung her left-hand sword, this strike aiming for Kyoka Suigetsu's head. The zanpakuto spirit swatted aside the blow as she took a step back, her eyes still fixed on Yuzu.

"Well," she said. "This is a change. A simple power and speed enhancement? Or something else?"

Yuzu didn't respond, pivoting around and swinging both her blades at Kyoka Suigetsu's chest. Kyoka Suigetsu jumped back, nimbly avoiding the blow and raising her own sword in answer. Their blades clashed against each other once, twice, three times, the two of them moving across the floor of the grand hallway. Yuzu's mind was still on the conversation she had had with Jungetsu, on the things that her zanpakuto spirit had revealed.

It was true that she should have been a Quincy. It was true that a part of Kyoka Suigetsu lay within Jungetsu—that in some way, the powers that clashed in the space created by her bankai were one and the same. All of that was true, but none of that mattered. Jungetsu was still Jungetsu, her zanpakuto. Jungetsu had been her friend and confidant for over ten years.

And now, they fought together. Now, they had to win, for everyone's sake.

That was all that mattered.

The red continued to spread, crawling across the walls and floors like wine spilled from an enormous glass. It mirrored the spreading of red across Yuzu's dress, mirrored the red light in her eyes. Yuzu jumped over Kyoka Suigetsu's sword as the other woman swung low, touching her foot lightly to the ground before leaping inwards and attacking in a flurry of blades. Kyoka Suigetsu blocked each one, but took a step back, tilting her head back as a thrust came dangerously close to her face. It cut a line across her cheek, a droplet of blood trailing across her ivory skin. Yuzu pressed on, her breathing coming in short pants from the effort of attacking. She didn't let herself let up the assault, her eyes fixed on Kyoka Suigetsu as she swung her sword again and again.

None of that mattered, nothing mattered outside of this fight.

Nothing.

She pivoted around, swinging her left-hand sword at Kyoka Suigetsu. The zanpakuto spirit blocked it, bracing her hand on the flat of her own blade and sliding in before Yuzu could attack. Yuzu quickly jumped back, ducking out of the way as Kyoka Suigetsu swung upwards, her sword passing just over Yuzu's head.

The red continued to spread, covering the sleeve of her left arm. Kyoka Suigetsu's eyes moved toward it as Yuzu took a step back, shifting her grip on her swords. The left side of the room was almost entirely red now, the two pillars behind Yuzu awash in it. The red walls and floor glowed with their own light, an eerie, faint light that washed over the room. Yuzu breathed hard, her eyes still fixed on Kyoka Suigetsu.

"What was it you called this technique?" asked Kyoka Suigetsu. "Gesshoku? A lunar eclipse…a blood moon. That's surprisingly dark, coming from you." She smirked, a flash of teeth. "But we all know you're not nearly as innocent as you pretend to be."

"It's my blood," said Yuzu, the red beginning to stain the white of her left-hand sword. "My heart. What else would I fight with?"

"Your blood," said Kyoka Suigetsu, smiling at her. "Your heart. It makes me wonder, Kurosaki Yuzu, what will happen when the eclipse is complete? When everything is stained red. Will there be anything left of you?"

Yuzu didn't answer, pressing the attack. She swung her sword at Kyoka Suigetsu, a red blast following the path of the blade. Kyoka Suigetsu raised her arms, crossing them in front of her to ward off the blow, but Yuzu leaped into the air, swinging her other sword and forming a second crescent-shaped blast. Kyoka Suigetsu jumped back and out of the way, the blast slamming into the earth and cracking the tiles. The castle shuddered with the force of the blow, a large crack appearing down the length of the hallway.

It was true that Gesshoku was as much a time limit as it was an enhancement. It was true that when the red spread across her entire body, when there was no more trace of white left on her, that her bankai would collapse, that the palace would break and shatter, and that whatever was inside it could die. All of that was true, but none of that mattered.

Because if it came to that, she would be taking Kyoka Suigetsu with her.

Yuzu pushed off the reishi platform beneath her feet, launching herself at Kyoka Suigetsu. She held up both her swords, holding them out in front of her as she fell through the air, her lips parted in a cry.

The castle hung in the air above the crest of the hill, its base facing the sky as its spires and turrets pointed at the ground. Byakuya reached the hilltop first, his hand on Senbonzakura's sheath as he came out of his flash-step. Beside him, Ichigo arrived as well, his eyes narrowed as he studied the castle. There was only a moment before Hitsugaya appeared, the young captain coming to join them. Ichigo took a step forward as Hitsugaya arrived, his eyes fixed on the castle.

Byakuya held up an arm to stop him from walking past, not turning to look at him. He extended his reiatsu sense, feeling for the battle that they had just left. Ichigo came to a sudden stop, turning towards him.

"Byakuya—," he began. "What—?"

A fourth reiatsu crackled in the air as Kurosaki Karin appeared behind them, one hand keeping her sword at her side. Byakuya glanced back at her, then slowly let his arm fall. Ichigo turned towards Karin, his eyes widening as the younger Kurosaki stepped forward to join them. Blood ran down her arm from a gash in her shoulder, and as she walked forward, Byakuya noticed that she was favoring her left foot, but her eyes were fixed on the castle, her expression resolute.

"Karin…" Ichigo said.

Karin ignored him, glancing at Byakuya. "Thanks for waiting," she said.

"Hn," said Byakuya in reply, turning away from her and studying the castle again. It looked different than it had before, duller somehow. A splash of red stained the upper left portion of the castle, near the base. The red was spreading, slowly but surely starting to cover the walls. Ichigo turned away from Karin to study it, standing next to Byakuya.

"So this is Yuzu's bankai?" he asked.

"Hakkyokan Jungetsu," said Byakuya, his eyes moving over the walls. "There should be a door."

"I see one," said Hitsugaya.

Byakuya followed his line of sight, his eyes landing on an opening in the side of the castle. The door itself was upside down, but a stone awning provided a platform on which they could stand. Ichigo's eyes moved towards it, and he didn't waste any time, flash-stepping there. Byakuya followed. As he moved, he caught a glimpse of Hitsugaya placing a hand on Karin's arm to steady her, the both of them flash-stepping onto the platform. The door was white stone, carved ornately with spreading vines. Ichigo reached for one of the handles and paused as the door shimmered and wavered, tendrils of red already beginning to sweep across the white.

"This is bad," said a new voice from among them.

Byakuya glanced behind him and saw shadows pooling next to Karin, forming into the shape of the young boy that had guided them through Kurosaki Karin's inner world. Ongetsu. Only the upper half of the child seemed solid. The rest of him seemed to be made of shadow, and curled away like smoke. His eyes, fixed on the castle, were huge and golden, making him look more like the child he was as he held his stuffed rabbit close to himself.

"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked, frowning at the child.

"She's used that technique…" said Ongetsu, his eyes fixed on the spreading scarlet color. "The palace is becoming unstable. If you enter it now, and it collapses, there's a chance you might not come out again."

"You're saying we could die," said Karin, turning towards her spirit.

"There's a chance," said Ongetsu, frowning at the door. "But I'm guessing you're still going anyway."

"I'm going," said Karin, taking a step towards the door. "I'm not afraid."

"Me neither," said Hitsugaya, moving to join her.

Byakuya took a step towards the door. He had come this far. A simple thing like that wouldn't stop him. He had to find Yuzu, bring her back to Soul Society, and then…what?

The words of her letter came back to him for an instant, but he chased them away, banishing them to a corner of his mind. That was just a childish dream.

"I'm going," said Ichigo, joining them. His eyes narrowed as he faced the door. "But I have no intention of dying today. There's too much I have to live for."

"Yes," said Byakuya, glancing at his brother-in-law. "There is."

Without warning, Byakuya flash-stepped towards Ichigo, closing the distance between them. Before Ichigo could react, he locked his foot behind the other shinigami's, sweeping his ankle out from under him. One arm hooked around his shoulders from the front, pushing him back. Ichigo let out a shout of surprise as he fell backwards through the air, beginning to tumble off the platform.

Byakuya activated the charm Urahara had given him with a thought, pulling the silver bracelet off his wrist. It landed square in the center of Ichigo's chest as he fell, already glowing.

"Byakuya!" Ichigo shouted as the glow surrounded him. "What? Don't—!"

"BYAKUYA!"

Light swallowed him, emanating from the bracelet on his chest. It drowned out the last of his cry, imploding inward and vanishing from sight. Ichigo was gone before he had a chance to hit the ground.

Byakuya stood at the edge of the platform for a moment, looking down over the Shattered World. A breeze stirred the air, coming from the space where the portal had briefly been opened. His wrist felt strangely light where the bracelet no longer touched. After a moment, he stepped back and away from the edge, turning to look at the other two. They were watching him, near-identical looks of shock on their faces.

Without a word, he strode past them, walking towards the door. He pushed it open with one hand, stepping into the center of a stone hallway.

"We should hurry," was all he said as he started walking, leaving the entrance and the Shattered World behind him.

There was only a brief pause before Hitsugaya and Karin followed, the both of them falling into step behind him.

Light swirled around him, colors and shapes flashing by at breakneck speed as he fell. He fell through shining iridescence, still shouting, and then through darkness, and finally through open air as he landed with a thud on a familiar rocky ground. Ichigo sat up as soon as he landed, his arm outstretched, but the only thing above him was blue sky, stretching on endlessly in all directions. There was no castle, no Shattered World, no sign of anyone.

The bracelet on his chest fell to the ground, steam rising from its surface. There was a clink, and then the silver bracelet around his wrist fell open too, landing on the ground. Ichigo stared at it, his eyes wide as he looked from it to the sky. An artificial sky, the same sky as in the training room beneath the Urahara Shop.

The Urahara Shop, in Karakura Town.

His hands curled into fists as he realized what his brother-in-law had just done.

"Damn you, Byakuya!" he shouted at the sky. "Damn you!"

His voice echoed in the space of the training ground, but there was no answer. There wouldn't be, not with everyone else gone. Not with Yuzu and Karin still trapped in the Shattered World, fighting where he couldn't reach them.

He lowered his eyes to the ground, squeezing them shut. Ichigo clenched his fists tighter, feeling them begin to tremble, his fingers having scratched furrows in the earth.

Damn it…he thought, placing a hand to his head.

If Byakuya survived this, Ichigo decided, he would kill him. If they survived.

Damn it, please, let them all survive...

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: Setsuyoku: Suiginran (切翼:水銀乱, cutting wings: mercurial rebellion) is the fifth and final shikai technique of Ankoujin Masaryu's zanpakuto, Setsuyoku, and it is the technique of Setsuyoku's first and last form, the amorphous, liquid form. While all of Setsuyoku's other forms and techniques represent people Masa admires and traits that he aspires to, Suiginran is a reflection of himself, and his own inner turmoil and uncertainty. It manifests as a flood of liquid metal, sweeping over and piercing his opponents, and does not need to hold a solid form to be effective.

Hakkyokan Jungetsu is both an extension and a reversal of Yuzu's shikai ability Shinkyo. In her shikai, she could turn Jungetsu on her opponent like a mirror, to create a reflection of the thing they most desired at that moment. Her bankai, Hakkyokan Jungetsu, creates a palace where everything Yuzu desires can be manifested, but only within the bounds of the palace. Note that Hakkyokan Jungetsu manifests anything she desires, not anything she imagines, which means that her bankai is virtually useless (and perhaps even self-destructive) unless she has enough control over her emotions and resolve to make it do what she wants it to do, hence Jungetsu's insistence on resolve. The architecture of the palace reflects Yuzu's state of mind as a default—orderly rooms suggest she's calm and focused, whereas chaotic, bizarre architecture suggests that she's overwhelmed and missing components like walls or floors suggests that she's not fully invested in whatever she's doing. She does have some active control over the architecture, but again, she needs to be fully resolved and aware of what she wants before she can exert it.

While Hakkyokan Jungetsu has some illusory components, the things it manifests are real, in the sense that any injury sustained within the moon palace will be reflected outside of it. Hakkyokan Jungetsu and Mukai Ongetsu cannot be used together without Ongetsu allowing it (house rules), in which case they actually stack quite nicely. (Due to their relationship, Ongetsu will allow Jungetsu to use the full extent of her abilities as a default, only blocking them if Karin orders him to.)

Just like Mukai Ongetsu, Hakkyokan Jungetsu creates a space in which Jungetsu the zanpakuto spirit can freely manifest, as was shown when Jungetsu approached Byakuya while pretending to be Yuzu. While Mukai Ongetsu is based on an arena presided over by Ongetsu, Hakkyokan Jungetsu is Jungetsu's palace, so instead of staying in one place, she tends to wander around and cannot always be found in the same place.

Gesshoku (月蝕, lunar eclipse) is a technique of Kurosaki Yuzu's bankai. Like Nisshoku, it's named after an eclipse, in this case, a lunar eclipse which can happen during a full moon. Using Gesshoku increases Yuzu's strength and speed. However, it only lasts for as long as it takes for both Yuzu and Hakkyokan Jungetsu to become completely red, after which her bankai will collapse. Because Hakkyokan Jungetsu is potentially dangerous to its wielder, allowing the bankai to collapse in an uncontrolled manner may hurt or even kill the wielder.

Aside from being based off the blood moon that forms after a lunar eclipse, Gesshoku can be looked at as a form of Blut Arterie, a Quincy technique that absorbs reishi particles into blood to greatly increase attack power. When Yuzu uses Gesshoku, her eyes, reiatsu, and bankai uniform become red.

Omake

"Kuchiki-san, it's been so long since we've had a chance to talk," said Orihime as the five of them made their way through the gates into Seireitei in the early morning. "The last time we saw you was at your wedding."

Rukia nodded in agreement, smiling at Orihime. "Yes, it's been a while," she said. "When this is over, I'd love if you could stay and catch up."

"That would be great," said Orihime, smiling back. She clasped her hands together. "I'd love to see yours and Kurosaki-kun's house! I never got a chance to see it last time."

"R-Right," said Rukia, sweatdrops appearing on the back of her head. "Our—uh—our house. O-Of course."

"Is something wrong, Kuchiki-san?" asked Orihime, frowning at her.

"Oh, nothing," said Rukia, waving her hands as she quickened her step. "Nothing at all."

Ishida frowned at her in suspicion, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as Rukia pushed her way ahead of them, walking into Seireitei. The four of them began to follow.

Meanwhile, at the Kurosaki Residence

Hinamori sighed, staring at the wreckage of the house in front of her. Even though the betrayal had been a few nights ago, the ice that had broken through the roof and walls of the house still stood tall, water collecting beneath it in rivulets. There were holes in the walls too, she noticed, most likely from Kurosaki Ichigo's attacks, and most of the windows were broken. It was amazing the house was still standing at all.

Beside her, one of her seated officers stared at the house, shifting nervously. "It's—uh—it's a good thing the captain gets a captain's salary," he said. "N-Not to mention, Kuchiki-fukutaicho has money too. Do you think Kuchiki-taicho would pay for this this time?"

"I don't know, but you should probably go air out the captain's quarters anyway," said Hinamori, turning away from the building. "I…um…have a feeling it'll be a while."