"Stark, you have five minutes to explain why you requested this meeting with me, before I leave. For you to have forced Ulquiorra to disobey my orders, and have him come to the mortal world to convey the request, means that something must have happened. What is it? " Ichigo spoke curtly, as he eyed the man in front of him.
Currently, both of them were sitting on a bench in the garden of the Karakura cemetery. Oddly, considering the nature of the two participants of the conversation, in retrospect, the place seemed ironically suitable.
"Aizen has requested another meeting with you, again," Stark spoke softly, as he looked at the boy, whose face showed no emotion as that particular request was made to him.
"And my answer is still the same as it was, no," Ichigo replied curtly, as he gazed at the man after pausing for a second, as if to consider what had been asked of him.
Stark sighed, as he flattened his thick floating mane of hair, which fell back to his shoulders.
"Damn it, Ichigo, do you know what kind of a position this puts me and Barragan in?" the man asked as he gazed at his younger companion solemnly.
"That is your fault for allying yourself with that shinigami in the first place, if you care to remember, I did warn you and Barragan to avoid getting entangled in this affair, but you ignored my warnings, and now, you come to me, with the same preposterous notion," Ichigo replied softly as he gazed at the older man.
"Easier said than done, Ichigo, you are not aware of the abilities that Sosuke Aizen possesses, it was an exceedingly harsh effort for me to force him to treat me as an equal, and he did defeat Barragan, and apart from you and me, can you think of any other person remotely capable of accomplishing that feat?" Stark asked softly, while Ichigo narrowed his eyes.
"So what, are we supposed to fear him?" Ichigo asked as he looked at Stark, whose face remained blank of all emotion.
"You don't fear anyone, Ichigo, that is your problem," Stark replied after pausing for a while, "Fear can be useful, it helps in curbing your impulsiveness, and makes you think rationally, when otherwise you would not. The world seems simple to you, Ichigo, but know this, when you become a king, very few choices seem simple," the elder hollow spoke softly, "We cannot afford to make an enemy of a shinigami of Sosuke Aizen's caliber, not at this juncture, when our entire race stands at the brink of destruction," he concluded with a sigh of regret, while Ichigo snorted.
"Barragan has only himself to blame for his defeat. If the old fool had not been so adamant in refusing our aid, this Aizen would never have been able to set foot in Hueco Mundo itself. He isolated himself, and his people, purposefully, and because of that, we were caught unawares of this shinigami, one who fancies himself a deity, when he snuck in and subjugated him, thus gaining a foothold in our world," Ichigo spoke curtly while Stark shook his head cursing the obstinacy of the youngster in front of him.
"Things are coming to a head, Ichigo; soon, Aizen will declare his war against the heavens, and once again, the Soul Society and the Hollow nation will be at war," Stark spoke softly. "We need you, Aizen needs your help, I need your help, Barragan needs your help, the hollows need your help," Stark spoke as he gazed at the sky solemnly.
"Why?" Ichigo snorted, "Are the hollows tired of fighting each other? Besides, the shinigami have never harmed me. If you wish to ally yourself with a shinigami who wishes to betray his own people, what business is that of mine?"
"Your business is with your people, Ichigo," Stark spoke softly, "When you accepted the mantle of the third king of Hueco Mundo, you became responsible for the safety and well-being of those who live under your protection. You have a duty towards them, you cannot run away from this, not this time," Stark concluded as he gazed at his young friend.
"Is it?" Ichigo asked softly, as he gazed at the older hollow.
"The man has no honor, if he can betray his own people, without a thought, what makes you so certain that he will not betray you, Stark? You know, as well as I do, that the moment he obtains what he seeks, this shinigami will have no need to honor his agreement with you or Barragan, since he will be too powerful for you to oppose then, so, answer me, why, are you agreeing to this farce of a agreement with this shinigami, when you know that he intends to betray you?" Ichigo asked softly.
"This war has been a long time in the offing, Ichigo, it was bound to happen, whatever we may hope for the contrary, and it will happen, this Aizen is just the catalyst to tip the scales, and you know this as well," Stark replied softly.
"Huh, so, you are going along with the tide, so to speak? That doesn't sound like the laidback man who was once my teacher, and was heralded as the strongest of the three kings," Ichigo snorted, while Stark gave a thin smile.
"Times change, people change, even hollows change; I can no longer sit by, and watch our kind be slaughtered like vermin, without a shred of mercy by these shinigami, even though we give them no cause for offence," Stark paused, as he gazed at the boy sitting next to him.
"You have not seen the brutality of the shinigami, Ichigo, they care for nothing, absolutely nothing; they follow their own skewed moral code, believing only their school of thought as the righteous path, and that everything else is irrelevant, and if they find someone irrelevant, then they instantly murder them, in cold blood, under the spurious justification of maintaining order. What do they know of us? Do you think that they even pause to consider whether we truly desired this accursed life? We did not become hollows because we desired to be, we simply had no choice, and we are killed for it, just because of the reason that we exist. Animals hunt other animals to eat, to survive, we are no different, and yet, they let those creatures exist, claiming it is the cycle of nature, while we, are butchered like cattle. Why? We never asked to be hollows, but now we are trying to make do with what we do have, and yet, this is the fate we face. Do we not have a right to exist? Can you not see the hypocrisy of the shinigami? I allied with Aizen, so that I could at least use this war as a pretense to kill as many shinigami as I could, to ensure that at least most of the hollows under my rule, survive, and Barragan is no different," the man concluded as he stood up.
"You have changed, Stark Nii – san," Ichigo spoke as he stood up, "whether it is for better or not, I cannot yet tell, but know this, I will not ally myself with this shinigami, he who would so casually slit the throat of his own comrades for his personal gain; a man with so much ambition can never be trusted. If you need my help, I will help you personally, but my realm, and my people, will have nothing to do with this war. Send this message to that would be Godling," Ichigo spoke curtly, while Stark stood up, realizing that this meeting was over.
"Very well, I hope you understand the significance of what I wished to convey to you today, I only pray that it is not too late by then," Stark replied as he got up, while Ichigo just shrugged his shoulders in return.
"And one more thing, Ichigo, it appears that the shinigami have finally learned of your existence; be warned, Aizen has informed me that they are sending their foremost assassin to eliminate you," the man warned him as he ripped open the Garganta to Hueco Mundo.
"Really?" Ichigo drawled in a silky tone, while his entire demeanor changed instantly.
Stark recognized the signs immediately, and became alert.
"Don't take any foolish risks, Ichigo, not now," Stark warned the boy, who shrugged off the warning with a casual wave. At that, Stark truly became alarmed. The fact that made Ichigo Kurosaki, otherwise known as Ezekiel Nefarria, the third king of Hueco Mundo, famous throughout the Hollow world, was his penchant for taking extraordinarily bold risks, which would have been considered as suicidal to attempt, even for hollows of Vasto Lorde class. Not for nothing had the boy ascended to the pinnacle of their race within ten years after becoming a hollow, and if there was one thing that Stark knew, it was that the boy never backed away from a challenge, and this situation could be most certainly termed as one.
"And who … may I ask … is this assassin? The one said to be Soul Society's greatest executioner?" Ichigo inquired in a quiet tone, while Stark frowned.
At last, grudgingly, he replied, "Her name is Soifon, the Captain of the Second Squad, and the commander of their Covert forces," Stark replied truthfully, while Ichigo's eyes slightly widened in surprise.
"A woman? And a captain no less! This gets better and better, I hope she can provide a better challenge than Barragan's daughters," Ichigo smirked slightly, while Stark just stared at the boy.
"Don't take any unnecessary risks, Ichigo," Stark warned once again, While Ichigo snorted, "You know me better than that, Nii – san," he dismissed the older man's apprehensions, at which Stark sighed, "That's what I am afraid of," the man spoke in a saracastic tone as he entered the Garganta to leave towards Hueco Mundo.
"So, Soifon … eh? I do believe a visit to the Soul Society is in order," Ichigo whispered to himself as he made his way towards his home.
Five days later, in Soul Society,
Soifon and Jushiro Ukitake were surprised to receive a summons for an emergency meeting of Captains, especially when they were preparing to depart for their mission to the real world. To go so far as to interrupt a mission before its inception meant that something of enormous importance had occurred.
Frowning, they ordered their squad members to depart to the real world, and to prepare for their arrival, while they moved ahead to attend the meeting of Captains immediately.
With a curt nod, the two respective squads departed immediately for the real world, while the two captains made their way towards the Captain's meetings.
Amongst the members of squad 13, Rukia Kuchiki slowly made her way towards the Senkaimon, not knowing the fate that was to befall her shortly, one that would be the precursor to the greatest conflict of all time, in the history of Soul Society.
First Division Headquarters,
Soon, all the captains assembled in the chambers of the first division while the commander brought the meeting to order.
Soifon immediately took the initiative, "Sotaicho – sama, if I may, can I ask why we were ordered back here, when we were on our way to begin our mission for the search of the elusive Vasto Lorde?"
The Captain Commander glared at the young girl, well, she was more than two hundred years old, but to a shinigami of his age, everybody was young, regardless of their status and age.
"Yare, Yare, so impatient, Soifon – chan," Kyoraku muttered softly, while she glared at him with a icy look which made even Toshiro Hitsugaya's Hyorinmaru pale in comparison.
"Some new developments have occurred, which warranted this impromptu meeting of Captains. We have recently gained a source of information on this elusive hollow, and the information that we have gained is … quite troubling," much to everybody's surprise, this came not from the commander, but from the captain of the 4th squad, Retsu Unohana.
"Unohana – senpai, I do not understand," Ukitake replied as confusion marred his features, while the rest of the captains became more attentive, chiefly among them, Sosuke Aizen.
"Three days ago, one of the scouting parties sent by the eighth squad to the periphery of Hueco Mundo returned with a lone shinigami, who had been trapped in that desolate world for the last three centuries. It appears that after his patrol was killed there; this boy remained in Hueco Mundo alone, fighting off those hollows for more than three centuries, until he was rescued by the eighth squad. And, let it suffice to say that the information he has given us is quite dangerous in its scope," Unohana continued, while the eyes of most Captains widened.
"A lone shinigami survived within Hueco Mundo for more than three centuries? Most impressive, who is he?" Aizen asked quietly as most of the other captains nodded slowly in agreement at the assessment, even as his mind immediately began to analyze the new information furiously. He already had an inkling as to who this shinigami could be, but he wished to confirm it, before acting further.
"You will find this to your liking, Jushiro, I guarantee it," Kyoraku replied with a cheeky grin, while Ukitake became flustered at that, however, Kyoraku continued, "He was in your squad, after all. I believe you took Kaien – kun as his replacement."
"My squad?" Ukitake spoke in shock, while the other captains also stared at him in surprise, when suddenly realization dawned upon him like a bolt out of blue, "Wait … you can't mean … Ashido? Ashido Kano? Is it really …," Ukitake spoke in amazement, while Kyoraku gave a full-blown grin.
Instantly, Ukitake whirled around, to go to the fourth squad, when he was stopped by Unohana, "He is still too weak, Ukitake – san, you can go to him afterwards, but for now, please stay here," she spoke gazing at him softly, while Ukitake curbed his impulse and stood still.
"It is indeed Ashido Kano, the former lieutenant of the thirteenth squad who was presumed to be killed in action, that was rescued from Hueco Mundo, and he, was the one who provided the information, that in all aspects, we would have been unable to gain otherwise," Yamamoto replied again, taking control of the situation, before the meeting degenerated into out of control.
"So… what is so damn special about the information that this kid brought out then?" Zaraki, ever the impatient one, ground out.
"The hollow … that you were being sent to apprehend … is none other than the 'King of Hollows'," this time, it was the voice of Mayuri Kurotsuchi, which came out.
The effect of this statement nearly rocked all the captains back to their feet.
"King of Hollows?" Hitsugaya asked in shock, while the other captains seemed too stunned to react.
"What kind of delirious nonsense is this? Hollows have no King, they are mindless beasts, they have not an ounce of civilization, to have something like a 'King'," Byakuya Kuchiki retorted, while Kurotsuchi shook his head, feeling sorry for the naiveté of the pompous noble.
"Captain Kuchiki, henceforth, kindly refrain from making such comments, until you don't have a clear picture of what you are talking about," the man retorted, while Byakuya narrowed his eyes at the implied insult sent his way by the Captain of the twelfth squad.
"Enough, Captain Kurotsuchi, why wasn't I informed about this development? I believe, as the leader of the Onmitsukido, it is my job to conduct such interrogations?" Soifon asked testily.
"Once he was brought back, despite his severely injured condition, the young man insisted on delivering this information to the commander and the Central 46 chambers first of all, before anything else, and immediately after that, he was interned at the 4th squad barracks, while the twelfth division was ordered to evaluate this information, along with the information already in their possession," Unohana replied softly, while Aizen narrowed his eyes as he took in all the information, without so much as a twitch showing up on his face.
"So, A king of hollows, eh? Sounds like it could be one hell of a fight," Zaraki hungrily licked his lips in anticipation, already imagining the prospect of such a heavy battle.
"But, when did the hollows become so organized as to form such a civilized society? I thought that hollows didn't have the mindset for such endeavors?" Komamura replied with a worried tone, while the other captains became silent as the implications of that statement hit them.
By nature, they found it hard to deal with hollows already, which in their mindless frenzy and bloodlust were difficult to counter. But, if they were to become organized like a military, much like the Gotei 13, then the damage that they could wreak upon the world would be … incalculable.
"What information … did this boy divulge with regards to this 'King of Hollows'?" Aizen asked softly, while Kurotsuchi's face took a look, which could only be termed as gleeful.
"This hollow's name … is Ezekiel Nefarria," Kurotsuchi replied, at which, even the stout heart of Aizen Sosuke, nearly skipped a beat.
"Ezekiel Nefarria … quite a unique name," Kyoraku muttered as he scratched the stubble on his chin, while Kurotsuchi continued in the same vein.
"A unique name, for a very unique hollow indeed," Kurotsuchi continued again in the same chipper mood, much to the annoyance of the other captains, and finally, Zaraki lost his patience "Quit your damn yapping, get on with it already."
"It appears that this particular hollow is not a Vasto Lorde as we suspected," Kurotsuchi continued, while the other captains narrowed their eyes at the behavior of the captain of the twelfth squad. Anything that could make him so happy usually meant that the news was very bad indeed.
"Not a Vasto Lorde?" Kaname Tosen asked in surprise, while the other captains had similar looks of astonishment on their faces.
"Indeed, for this hollow, has evolved to the stage … beyond that of a Vasto Lorde," Kurotsuchi grinned maliciously, as even some of the captains reflexively took a step back in shock at the information.
"You can't be serious," Kyoraku blurted out, his demeanor changing from joviality to full-blown seriousness instantly.
"On the contrary … I have never been more serious in my life. This is a chance of monumental proportions. From the new information that this child has given us, combined with the information that we already have, we have built up a fairly accurate profile of this hollow, and it is intriguing to say the least," Kurotsuchi continued, while most of the captains gave an involuntary shudder at that point.
"I still maintain that this hypothesis of yours is inaccurate. You are basing your opinions on the information, which has been given to you by a lone shinigami, who has been trapped in enemy territory for more than three centuries, and we have no idea as to what damage he has suffered to his mental faculties, being forced to endure the torture of that world alone, for three hundred years. How can you be so certain that this information provided by this boy is accurate? Unohana – taicho, as a healer, even you too must admit that my concerns are valid, and have a basis in fact. Might it not be so, that this boy is exaggerating the information given to you, to goad the Gotei 13 into taking action against the hollows in Hueco Mundo, so that his fallen comrades may be avenged?" Byakuya spoke out, while Kurotsuchi narrowed his eyes.
An extremely tense silence followed Byakuya's declaration as most of the captains looked at each other with unease.
Before Unohana could reply, Kurotsuchi cut in with an icy clarity, "Just because you do not like the nature of the information that has been conveyed to you, doesn't mean that that information is inaccurate, Lord Kuchiki. In future, I suggest that henceforth you leave the actual evaluation of such information to people who actually have some knowledge in these matters. Just as I don't question your competence in the areas of your proficiency, I suggest you show a similar courtesy with regards to my work," the man finished snidely, while quite a few eyebrows were raised at the manner in which Kurotsuchi had spoken.
For one thing, no one could ever remember someone speaking so strongly to Kuchiki Byakuya of all people, it seemed that this matter was far more serious than it appeared, if Kurotsuchi was willing to go so far as to risk offending the head of one of the four great noble clans of the Soul Society.
After a moment, Byakuya merely gave a guarded nod, before the Captain – commander could intervene, and Kurotsuchi continued, "As I was saying before, this 'King of Hollows' has indeed evolved into a stage beyond that of Vasto Lorde, because according to the pattern with which we tracked his forays into the living world, we now know clearly, that his control over Reishi is exceptional. No, not exceptional, he has achieved complete dominance over Reishi," the scientist concluded, at which Ukitake intervened.
"Dominance … but that would mean …," Ukitake began in a whisper, while Kurotsuchi nodded, "Yes, it appears that he has the ability to control the level of spiritual energy within not only himself, but also in other spiritual beings. In other words, this hollow has the ability to control your spiritual energy, and even turn it against you, if necessary," Kurotsuchi concluded, while quite a few captains began to feel apprehensive.
"Based on all this information, I can safely say that a hollow stronger than him has not been born in the last 1,000 years," Kurotsuchi concluded flatly, while a ripple of unease spread throughout the captains.
"Surely, that is an overstatement, Captain Kurotsuchi, you can't possibly expect us to believe that," Ichimaru Gin, the captain of the third squad spoke out with a murmur of protest in his voice, while Kurotsuchi shook his head.
"Oh, you think so, do you know, Captain Ichimaru, that this hollow has been within the Seiretei already?" Kurotsuchi, spoke in an uncharacteristically soft tone, while even the Captain – commander stood up, his nostrils flaring at that bit of information.
"What do you mean Kuro …," the captain commander began, when suddenly a commotion could be heard from outside the doors of the chambers, interrupting the Captain – Commander's tirade.
Before any of them could react, the doors of the chambers opened, and in walked an extremely haggard looking Mayuri Kurotsuchi, bleeding like a skewered animal, with his eyes bloodshot and looking irate.
"Where is he … where is that wretch who attacked me? So help me, I will pickle him limb from limb in vats of acid," the man screamed hoarsely, as he clutched his zanpakuto in his hands, even though he was barely able to stand properly.
"What in the name of …," Hitsugaya turned around instantly, only to see that a wicked grin adorned the face of the Kurotsuchi Mayuri who was in the chambers already with them.
Almost all of the captains looked stunned at the turn of events, and they looked back and forth between the two Kurotsuchi Mayuri's, unable to discern the meaning of this debacle.
Sosuke Aizen, a man whose brilliant scheming and Machiavellian plots had completely fooled the entire population of the most powerful military in any dimension; a man known for nothing so much as his multi-layered genius and unimaginably complicated plots, both amazing even considering the millennia he'd had to practice them; a man who was, in short, possibly the most clever schemer Soul Society had ever seen, stood entranced, watching in fascination as he saw something that he had never imagined to be possible, occur in front of him, and for once, with him being unable to discern the current situation. He found that feeling rather irritating.
Before, any of the captains could react, the Kurotsuchi who had been with them, since the beginning, vanished in an extremely fast Shunpo, so much so, that even most of the captains had difficulty in tracking his movement.
By the time they had recovered from the initial shock, they saw that the man had moved behind Soifon, and had taken her captive, by holding her own zanpakuto to her throat.
"Well, it looks he escaped much earlier than possible, still, I guess it couldn't last forever," the man muttered with a small sigh, as the rest of the captains withdrew their swords and turned as one and faced the man, while Soifon furiously struggled to get out of his hold.
"Identify yourself," Yamamoto thundered as his cane vanished, and Ryuujin Jakka materialized in his hands.
"Well, Yamamoto – dono, you … may call me … Ezekiel Nefarria," the man spoke with a flourish, as he took out a scroll from his robes and lobbed it towards the old commander, and before anyone could react, he ripped open a Garganta, and entered it; dragging away with him, Soifon, the Captain of the second division, as his prisoner, while the woman struggled futilely to get out of his grasp.
All hell broke loose in the chambers the next moment.
The King of Hollows had just kidnapped a Captain of the Thirteen Imperial Court Guard Squads from amidst the presence of all the other captains, including the Captain – Commander himself.
Authors Note:
1. Well, I say that went well, wouldn't you say? The next few chapters are going to show how Soifon will spend her brief period as a captive of Ichigo, while on a parallel note, Rukia and Karin get in contact with each other, and the Rukia execution arc will begin in the next chapter as well. How do you think Aizen and Yamamoto will react to this development? The best suggestion will be added as a part of the story, if I can finagle it; that is, after giving due credit to the one who suggests it, of course.
2. And before any of you jump on my case, stating that Ichigo's status as the hollow king is supposed to be secret, please remember, the fact that is secret is not that he is the king of hollows, but the fact that Ezekiel Nefarria has a double life as a human teenager named Ichigo Kurosaki. The only one's who know this secret currently are Stark and Ulquiorra, and even Barragan doesn't know that fact. Same holds true for Aizen. He is searching for the third king of hollows, but he doesn't know that Ezekiel has been living as a mortal in the living world all this time. Ezekiel and Ichigo have personalities that are polar opposites, much about this will be explained in the later chapters.
3. On a side note, I wanted to say that one of my earliest stories, 'The Uesugi Clan' is now completely reworked, and I must say it looks damn good. It should be up by, say Tuesday. It is a massive chapter with words exceeding more than 30K, definitely the longest that I have ever written, and it will be up by Tuesday night, after which I will move on to updating Sarutobi Naruto after a long, long hiatus. So, stay tuned, and please, review.