Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Trascender

"You're... Ichigo Kurosaki..."

"Damn straight..."

Ichigo stood tall, white robes clinging to his skin from the rain. He turned back to Loly, who was aiding Mila Rose to her feet.

"Take her away from here... This is gonna get messy..."

"Right away!"

Turning back to face Steiner, Ichigo dodged the blade of a masked soldier who attempt to strike him. Countering, Ichigo slapped him, knocking him far away. He turned to the other Vandenreich members who appeared and blocked the first and second attack consecutively. Dodging the sword of the first person, he returned fire by kicking him into the forest and faced the second one. When he attempted his swing, Ichigo grabbed his hand and tossed him into the trees. Ichigo smirked and slung his blade over his shoulder.

"Is that all? Come on, you can do better than that!"

He watched the remaining Vandenreich soldiers all dash at him. His smirk widened.

"I see... too many openings..."

And the first assailant was sliced down his left half. Turning to the next soldier, he slashed her across her back, sword still outstretched. The last two attempted a tag team, coming at Ichigo with swords blazing. The first was blocked rapidly and he turned towards the dual-wielding soldier, slashing him twice in an X motion. When the last one came back for more, Ichigo confused him by flashing and cutting the enemy down as quickly as possible. Ichigo stood silent, facing away from the fallen Vandenreich as they bled in the air.

"Even when you're dying, it's in slow motion to me..."

Sensing someone behind him, he turned and his blade collided with the leader. Steiner and Ichigo struggled, holding their blades together.

"Ichigo Kurosaki... I'm surprised... I didn't expect you to be here..."

"Cut the crap... You knew I was coming back the moment you made your base in Karakura town. This was Juhabach's plan from the very beginning."

Steiner smiled widened in delight. He knew Kurosaki knew, but knew he didn't know the truth of things to come.

"You're such an intelligent boy, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"And you're an asshole for enslaving Arrancars!"

"We only gave them meaning, Kurosaki. You're the cruel ones for trying to take that away. You're no better for trying to recruit them..."

"I'm not doing the same! I'm trying to create a world where Hollows and Arrancars can exist... without having to worry about being hunted down!" Steiner's grinned widened.

"You are... exactly as he said..." Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint you and Juhaba-" Steiner's teeth were clearly showing now.

"I'm not... referring to Juhabach..." Shocked, Ichigo backed off from his blade.

"Then who are you referring to?"

Shocked, Steiner dodged a red beam of light heading straight for him. Kicking off the wall, he landed on the ground and faced the newcomer, his large Captain's haori flowing.

"Kisuke Urahara."

"Yeah, that's me. Who were you referring to?"

Instead of answering, he suddenly faded away, leaving a shadow behind. Ichigo raged on Kisuke.

"You scared him away, Urahara! We could've interrogated him!"

"There's no need, Ichigo... he already gave away too much..."

"He left because he gave away too much? What the hell are you on about!?"

"He didn't refer to Juhabach as a master...

Ichigo stayed silent.

"He's most likely... planning to overthrow him."

"That was Steiner Begehren, the man who recruits us Arrancars from the prison in Hueco Mundo."

Kisuke, Yoruichi, Ichigo, Loly, Mila Rose, and the other Karakura Arrancars stood inside Gantenbainne's apartment, looking at Asguiaro, who was tied to a chair. Ichigo punched him in the face.

"I'm not interest in his name, bastard! I wanna know who he's been talkin' to outside of Juhabach." Asguiaro's eyes held to the floor.

"You think he respects Arrancars enough to let us in on his plans?" Unforgiving, Ichigo grabbed his head forced him to look at him.

"Then why do you work for him?"

Enraged, Asguiaro's anger caused his chair to fall over. He screamed at everyone in the room.

"Because he offered us freedom! You have no idea how it feels to have no hope! To have nothing or anybody to rely on!" Ichigo's hair fell over his eyes.

"What?"

"The Vandenreich stormed Hueco Mundo... took everything and everyone... and all that stupid shark bitch could do was sit watch as we were takin' away!"

Mila Rose's amazoness face morphed into rage as she moved to strike him, but was held back by Kisuke.

"A woman so weak... could do nothing as she watched our home become ravaged! And she did nothing to save us! She let us rot in prison... while she hid in safety! You don't... couldn't have... you... you'll never understand our despair!"

"..."

Silence overtook the room, as everyone felt the raw rage of Ichigo's Reiatsu lash around them.

"Did... did you even fight back?"

"...What...?"

"While you sit here, consistently bitching about Halibel, did you actually think of fighting back!? Or did you just blame her and use her as an excuse!?"

"How could we fight back!? They-!"

"You had the power! All you had to do was fight!"

Not only addressing Asguiaro, but the entire room of Arrancars, Ichigo raged on them all.

"You all ran instead of fighting back! That's why you're in this mess!"

Shocked, Asguiaro faced Ichigo, who looked down on him with something akin to... pity?

"They... they gave me the power to fight back, and that's what I'm gonna do! I'm gonna end this... and save everyone! Whether you all want to sit here and bitch about your problems in hiding, it doesn't concern me! I'll finish this war with my own two hands if I have to!"

Turning away, Ichigo began to storm out of the apartment.

"You're... not going to kill me?"

Ichigo paused before he glanced back over his shoulder.

"I'm trying to save the Hollows... I'd be no better than them if I killed you..."

And he turned back, storming into the distant night.

Aizen landed in Karakura town, sensing his favorite Ryoka had come home. As he stepped onto the streets of a small park, he walked to a house that has been long abandoned. Walking in, he discovered Ichigo, who stared at a picture of his twin sisters.

"I'm not in the mood, Aizen." Aizen smirked...again...

"You're never in the mood..."

Aizen walked past him, sitting at the table in the kitchen.

"What do you want?"

"You can't save everyone..."

Ichigo turned and looked at Aizen, whose face was uncharacteristically serious.

"Ginjo... and Tsukishima. I've been to see them. Your family... and some of your friends... they were nowhere to be found..."

Ichigo stared in shock at Aizen, who was turned towards the window.

"...You...?"

"...The Vandenreich got to them."

Aizen turned away and walked back outside.

"Are you going to save the Arrancars? Or are you going to your family? Either way... someone will be abandoned... and they will hate you for it..."

Ichigo watched Aizen fade into the darkness..

"...And the reality... will devour your very soul... Ichigo Kurosaki..."

Across the town, an auburn-haired woman dressed in a white, thigh high dress with a black jacket ran through the night, water splashing underneath her heels. A lone name was glued to her brain, driving her with every step that she took.

Ichigo...

"I've been to see him..."

Steiner stood in front of a desk, where chair was turned around, staring out into the distant Karakura town.

"I know... I watched from here."

"Heh... so why did you want me to do that? I was rather interested in the rather... fitted Arrancar woman."

"Keep your horny thoughts to yourself, Steiner. I have no time for it."

"No wonder your wife left you..."

An arrow shot by his head, nearly decapitating him. Steiner smirked.

"You're a scary man..."

"And you're an idiot."

"I tried to get him, but It didn't work like you planned."

"Obviously."

"So what do we do now?"

"We can no longer wait. Ichigo Kurosaki and the girl has made their way here, along with Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin. We have to move quickly while Juhabach is busy."

"So it starts now?"

"Yes Steiner... we start now. Let's go."

The man got up from his chaired and walked out of his office. Steiner stood still for a moment, staring at the name on the desk along with the pictures on the table.

"This... irony... is the best thing to have ever happened... It's about to get interesting around here.

He glanced at the name one last time before turning the lights off and closing the door.

'You're one scary man... Ryuken Ishida...'

Ichigo walked away from his... former... house, looking down both ends of his... former... street before taking to the rooftops. He stood on the highest building in Karakura town, overlooking everything... thinking about his life had changed so much in the past few weeks. He was unaware of his Fraccion sneaking up behind him.

"This looks like a cool place to chill."

Craning his head, he noticed Loly sitting next to him, swinging her legs off the sides.

"Loly..."

"Your outburst... it was a little expected. Only seventeen, and you have to build an army and lead them... You're not used to that. You're no Aizen... and no one really wants you to be..."

Ichigo's silence prompted her to continue.

"Aizen scared us... offered power to us, and convinced us to fight for his cause. Creatures without true reason... would accept all those because that's the way of the world. You, who fights with the poor hand that fate has dealt you, is the one who can recruit them a different way."

"A different... way?"

"...Inspiration... You inspire us to fight back... because we couldn't do that in the first place."

Ichigo turned as he watched the group of Arrancars, including Asguiaro, standing behind him.

"...So you're gonna help us, or what?"

Walking down the streets of Karakura town, Orihime sensed that Ichigo's Reiatsu was coming from above the city, so she ran into a building and traversed its stairs.

Ichigo... wait for me!

She ran up the stairs, Ichigo swimming through all her thoughts.

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo, dressed in the typical Karakura gray school uniform, turned at the sound of Orihime's voice. Her overjoyed look fell at the crestfallen look on Ichigo's. Obviously fake, the corners of Ichigo's lips perked up.

"Hello... Orihime. How are you feeling?"

Orihime pouted as she listened to hurt tone in Ichigo's voice.

'He... is still hurt from losing his powers... or is it because Rukia hasn't come to see him?'

"Fine... but are you? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine, Orihime... Don't worry about me...

"Hey Ichigo! Tatsuki's celebrating because of her Karate tournament victory! Are you coming?"

"Nah... you go have fun..."

Ichigo, backpack thrown over his shoulder, turned and walked away from Chad, Uryu, and Orihime, water forming in her left eye.

Ichigo barely moved away from the claw that almost hit him. He tried to spot the Hollow, but cursed the fact that he lost his powers.

"Shit, where's a sword through the chest when you need one!?"

Ducking through the alleyway, Ichigo ran until a pyramid of light block him from moving.

"I reject, Shiten Koshun!"

The Hollow was blasted through the mask, cleansing its soul and sending him to Soul Society.

"Are you okay... Ichigo?"

Kneeling, tears in his eyes, Ichigo smacked her hand away and ran, unaware of the sorrowful look upon Orihime's visage.

As Orihime sat in the video game, set up by Yukio, she watched as Ichigo, covered in jet black Reiatsu, did battle with Ginjo. She smacked her head multiple times when a voice telling her to call Tsukishima kept appearing in her head. She forced it back down and watched Ichigo continue to fight. She noticed that even though Ichigo was being beaten, banged, and bruised all over... the joy in his eyes were as clear as day.

And Orihime smiled... because as long as Ichigo was happy... she was happy.

When she was witness to the murder of Ichigo Kurosaki... she didn't know what to feel. When she watched Uryu being cut down... she didn't know what to feel. She gazed across at them, looking into Ichigo's eyes.

Despair.

Pain.

Distress.

The betrayal in them... was too much to bear. She turned away when Ginjo grabbed her by the shoulder.

"You're coming with us..." Tsukishima appeared next to her.

"He was sick and confused, Orihime. He... it was better that he was put down... or would you have wanted him to live and suffer?"

She shook her head and turned away, Ichigo being pushed into the back of her mind.

In the middle of a Tokyo, Orihime stood on the top a building, looking down at the people below. A flash of green appeared behind her and Ginjo was standing next to her.

"Are you thinking about him?"

"Who...?"

"Don't appear with that stupid look... I know Tsukishima's abilities are wearing off."

Shocked, Orihime began to stutter. With a finger, he silenced her.

"You believe he's still alive somewhere... You want confirmation before you attempt to kill me."

He turned and looked into her frightful eyes as she backed away. He chuckled as he turned around.

"I'm not going kill you... I wouldn't be surprised if you were right... He might be still out there somewhere."

He turned away and walked off before gazing at her over his shoulder.

"You know... if it makes you feel any better... I wished it wasn't him... that had become the Substitute."

Orihime watched him jump away, and didn't give him a second glance.

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo turned around at hearing his name, eyes opened with clear shock on his face.

"Orihime!?"

She pushed past the door blocking her from Ichigo.

You looked so confident, standing there... Ichigo

She waved and smiled at Ichigo, never stopping.

Your smile... I like it... I wished it was permanently etched on your face...

Ichigo's grin was tearing his face apart.

I wish... that I could have been the one... to make that happen...

Ichigo suddenly stopped smiling.

But that face... was because of someone else... Someone else gave you hope... and the will to live.

"...Orihime..!"

Someone... that loved you more than I... do you hate me for that... Ichigo?

She could barely feel the blue arrow of light as it pierced through her chest.

Do you... hate me for that...?

Trivia

-Chapter Title is the name of a Bleach song, Sen no Yoru wo Koete, in English.

-First fight scene before Ichigo speaks at beginning of chapter is based from a Kenpachi vs. Ninjas gif I watched. Go to Kenpachi's wiki page and look down under powers and abilities.

-Second fight after Ichigo speaks is the same as Aizen vs. Hitsugaya, Sui Feng, Shunsui, and Shinji. His pose is the same as Aizen's after he defeats them. His quote is based from Byakuya when he defeats Ichigo in Karakura before taking Rukia back.

-In this story, Ryuken's Wife/Uryu's mother leaves them. Why she did so is an important factor in the story.

-Since the Espada makes their appearance and are numbered next chapter, I'm going to release them now, along with their aspect:

Ichigo Kurosaki-Despair

Tia Halibel-Sacrifice

Neliel Tu Odelschwanck-Naivety

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez-Destruction

Tesla Lindocruz-Servitude

Luders Friegen-Condemnation

Rudbornn Chelute-Execution

Cyan Sung-Sun-Suffocation

Asguiaro Ebern-Treachery

Gantenbainne Mosqueda-Dishonor

Note: I actually didn't realize that both Ichigo and Nnoitra shared the same aspect. But it really doesn't matter.

Note: Gantenbainne is 10th because he's a naturally-made Arrancar, meaning he can't use Segunda Etapa. Nel was made closer to the time of Nnoitra and Szayel meaning that she might be a Hogyoku-made Arrancar.