A.N: All right, another chapter is done! I know I've never said this before, but I'm actually really happy with the response this series has been getting. It really feels good to know that things have been going very well for the first time. Okay, emotional moment over, onto Chapter 18. Enjoy!

Chapter 18: Pent Up Anger

"What? My Resurreción?"

Tensa Zangetsu simply nodded at Ichigo's outburst. "Yes, I analyzed the power within Benito Muerta when you two fought. The only way to defeat him is to access the power of your Resurrección." Tensa Zangetsu explained.

Ichigo finally realized the meaning behind Zangetsu's words from before. "If one door won't open, find one that will." Ichigo repeated. "That other door is the next stage of my Hollowfication, isn't it? And that next stage is Resurreción?"

Tensa Zangetsu nodded. "You knew? Why didn't you tell me?" Ichigo asked.

Tensa Zangetsu sighed. "You wouldn't have believed me, at that point, Ichigo. The battle with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez should've made you realize a simple truth. You were being overwhelmed by a General until you Hollowfied. You need to strengthen your Hollowfication to the next level in order to defeat Benito."

"Yeah, but my Resurreción…can I really access a power like that?" Ichigo asked.

It was at this point, Ichigo's Inner Hollow interjected. "You actually think you can't do it? Come on Ichigo, you already have accessed it."

Ichigo looked at the Hollow in surprise and confusion. "What are you talking about? I've never used a Resurreción before in my life."

The Inner Hollow laughed at this. "Oh yes you have, I shouldn't be surprised you don't know, considering that I had complete control the entire time."

Ichigo's eyes widened at this. "Allow me to refresh your memory. Remember your showdown with Ulquiorra? Remember how that Emo-Bastard blew a hole in your freaking chest. What do you think happened after that? Did you really think I just took over your body and that was that? Hell no, your body alone was too weak to take down that Ulquiorra. I forcefully advanced your body to the next level and ripped that bastard apart myself." Hollow Ichigo explained with his usual grin.

Ichigo's eyes widened. All of those things that had been done to Ulquiorra were because of an out of control Resurreción? He quickly got over his shock and glared at his Hollow.

"Okay, I've got a Resurreción, how am I going to access it?" Ichigo asked.

Tensa Zangetsu sighed, gathering his resolve before his next request. "Ichigo," he began, "in order to achieve Resurreción, you must face your Inner Hollow."

Ichigo was surprised once more. He quickly got over his surprise once again and grinned confidently.

"Okay, fine with me," he said, "I've kicked this pale-faced bastard's ass before and I'll do it again."

The Hollow laughed once more. "Don't act like this is going to be easy, Dumb Ass!" He chided the man who controlled him. "To gain such a great power, you need to complete a great challenge."

Hollow Ichigo's spiritual pressure suddenly shot up as his body started to change. Ichigo gasped as his Hollow formed into his Resurreción. The same one he was trying to achieve at the moment.

"If you want this great power," said the Hollow, "you need to fight me in this form."

Ichigo raised Tensa Zangetsu. The Inner Hollow laughed. "You were a fool to take this challenge," he said, "you couldn't even beat Ulquiorra, and this is the form that killed him. What makes you think you can beat me?"

"I sure as hell think you can't," the Hollow continued, "that's why I couldn't be happier at the moment. Once I kick your ass, I'll become the king and you'll become the horse. Your power will belong to me!"

Ichigo scoffed. "You think I'm letting that happen? I will make that power mine for the sake of everyone else!"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi laughed as he looked at the two girls he despised more than anyone. One was an annoying brat of a girl who he had the misfortune of working with when he was under Kisuke Urahara. The other, to him, was a disappointment in every way possible. When he had created her, he intended for her to show nothing but absolute loyalty to him and him alone. It had gone that way for years until those bastards made her think she was actually someone that mattered. He was someone that mattered, yet they all devalued him!

"Oh, yes, I've been waiting for this." Said Mayuri. "I hate both of you oh so much. It only seems fitting for you two to die by my hands."

Hiyori Sarugaki grinned devilishly at Mayuri. "Ditto, but don't you think you've gotten yourself in a bad situation? It's the two of us against you."

Mayuri glared at Hiyori. "Do you really think I'm afraid of you two annoying brats? Don't make me laugh!"

"And besides, even if by some miracle you manage to stand a chance, it won't matter in the end. I've already completed the preparations for the invasion. Very soon, an entire army will invade the Seireitei, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it!"

Hiyori's eyes widened at this. She immediately turned to Nemu. "Yo, Nemu, did you hear that? We've got to beat this guy quick and then find some way to…"

Hiyori couldn't go on when she noticed something about Nemu. She was shaking. But she wasn't shaking from fear or sadness at the sight of Mayuri. No, she was shaking from pure anger.

Mayuri noticed this and smirked. "You look like you have something you want to say, Failure."

Nemu glared at Mayuri. "I used to look up to you, idolize you, show nothing but loyalty to you because I thought that was my purpose."

"Every beating you ever gave me, every insult," Nemu continued, "I thought that mattered little, as you and your orders were everything to me."

"That was how I created you. You were a tool, nothing more." Said Mayuri. "And furthermore, you always will be. You'll never be considered a person. Just a creation meant to serve your superior, me."

"That's where you're wrong Clown-Face!"

Mayuri turned to Hiyori. "If she's just a tool meant to serve you, and not a person, than why did she save me when she didn't have to."

Hiyori was referring to the incident in the Menos Forest. "She didn't have to rescue me, but she did. A person would've done that, not a tool. So don't you dare say that she's a tool when she clearly is more of a human being than you are!"

Mayuri looked at Hiyori. "I had forgotten how irritating you are, Hiyori." He said disdainfully.

Mayuri drew his Zanpakutō. "Tell me, have you forgotten how terrifying I can be?" He asked.

"You never once scared me," Hiyori replied drawing her Zanpakutō, "all you ever were to me was just a sad little clown who was always lost in Kisuke's shadow."

Mayuri glared at Hiyori. "Clearly," Hiyori continued, "nothing has changed."

"Mayuri," Nemu began, "as I said before, I used to look to you as my master, the reason for my existence. I felt nothing but admiration."

"But now, I feel nothing but anger towards you." Nemu continued. "Anger for all the physical and emotional abuse you gave me in return for my unwavering loyalty. I've had enough of that! It's time I showed you that I am capable of walking my own path."

Nemu got into a fighting stance. "Mayuri Kurotsuchi, you are a treasonous bastard who betrayed everything the Soul Society stands for. And it's only fitting that I'm the one to take you down, wouldn't you agree."

Mayuri smirked. "I would if you actually had a chance. Since you don't, I disagree."

"Now, claw out, Ashisogi Jizō!"

Hiyori glared at Mayuri's Shikai. "Damn, I forgot how disgusting that thing was." She growled.

"So," Hiyori turned to Nemu, "how are we gonna do this?"

"Fighting him is a problem," said Nemu, "If that thing cuts us, we're paralyzed and left defenseless. If we had skills similar to Soul Society's Kidō masters, or a long ranged specialist like Captain Kuchiki, this could be so much easier."

Hiyori nodded. "And I guess that's where the problem lies," she noted, "my Shikai is a direct combat type and you prefer using your fists to fight."

Nemu nodded, but then smirked. "That may be true, but my Zanpakutō is capable of fighting Mayuri and his Ashisogi Jizō."

Hiyori grinned. "Kick-ass!" She shouted. "So than use it!"

Nemu shook her head. "Mayuri knows what my Shikai is capable of. He actually trained extensively in the art of Flash Step for that reason."

"So what can it do?" Hiyori asked.

"To be perfectly honest, it acts as a gun of sorts."

Hiyori was surprised. "A gun?"

"I'll explain later, but right now I can't use Oniya now, not when Mayuri is so good at fighting against it."

"So what the hell are we supposed to do?"

Nemu quickly thought up a strategy. "Hit and run tactics." She decided.

"Huh?"

"We attack, and then move away to give him no chance to counterattack."

Hiyori sighed. "Well, if that's the best we got at the moment, than I'm game."

"Have you two finished planning whatever second-rate strategy you think is going to give you a fighting chance."

Hiyori scowled. "I had also forgotten how arrogant this prick is."

Hiyori drew her Zanpakutō. "At some point, I need to chop his damn mouth off to shut him up."

"Now," Hiyori continued, "butcher him, Kubikiri Orochi!"

As Hiyori's Shikai took shape, Nemu got into her own unique fighting stance. "Those determined looks on your faces are so amusing." Mayuri taunted. "You look like you actually think you can beat me."

Hiyori did not reply and simply vanished with Flash Step. She reappeared in front of Mayuri with Kubikiri Orochi raised above her head. Mayuri quickly raised Ashisogi Jizō in front of his face as Hiyori swung downwards. Hiyori then suddenly vanished away from Mayuri's view. Nemu then suddenly appeared behind Mayuri with her fist raised and prepared to strike him. Mayuri took notice of this and grabbed her before she could strike him.

"Attempting to strike your creator…" Mayuri growled at her.

"You may be my creator, but we have no real bond." Nemu growled back. "You made sure of that."

Mayuri glared at Nemu and prepared to swing Ashisogi Jizō at her, only for Nemu to forcefully wrench her fist away, ignoring the pain of his fingers digging into her flesh, and disappear. The minute this happened, Hiyori appeared and struck Mayuri again. Mayuri ducked and prepared to counter, only for Hiyori to disappear again.

"Stop running from me!" Mayuri shouted furiously.

At that moment, Nemu appeared underneath Mayuri and uppercutted him straight in the face. Mayuri grunted in pain and stumbled backwards. Before he could recover and retaliate, Nemu disappeared and Hiyori reappeared and slashed him across the chest. Mayuri gasped as the wound opened. No blood sprayed out, the madman had removed it all years ago. Mayuri recovered and then sensed Nemu behind him. Spinning around, Mayuri launched his artificial hand at her.

"Die!" He screamed in anger.

Nemu's eyes widened in surprise as the hand grabbed her. Mayuri smirked at this. "You're done for."

Before he could pull Nemu towards her to attack her, Hiyori suddenly appeared at his side with Kubikiri Orochi raised again. Mayuri's eyes widened. Dammit! He cursed mentally.

Hiyori swung Kubikiri Orochi down like an executioner's axe. Mayuri cried out in pain as Hiyori separated his arm from his body. He leapt backwards before Hiyori could strike him again.

"You damned bitch!" He screamed.

Nemu leapt to Hiyori's side. "Thank you for that, Hiyori." She said.

"Don't mention it." Hiyori replied.

Mayuri glared at the two. "The fact that you two aren't dead yet is irritating." He said angrily.

"Yeah, well we don't always get what we want, Mayuri." Said Hiyori.

"I intend to remedy that." Mayuri growled at them.

Mayuri then called out. "Open the door to Test Subject 010!"

A door suddenly opened. Hiyori and Nemu stared at it intently. Their eyes widened in shock as a grotesque creature lumbered out of the shadows. It was a monstrous creature with the body of a snake, or centipede. What was incredibly frightening, however, was that the creature had two faces. Both faces were the faces of women with the remnants of Hollow masks on their faces.

Hiyori immediately realized what was going on; what Test Subject 010 really was. "Mayuri…how could you." She said in shock.

Mayuri smirked evilly. "This is Test Subject 010, the only success I had from experimenting on Arrancar."

A.N: Writing the fight between Nemu, Hiyori, and Mayuri was tough. We've only seen Hiyori fight twice (a brief confrontation between her and Ichigo, and the fight with Halibel), and we've barely seen what Nemu can do. That being said, I feel like I did pretty good on this. I hope you all feel the same way.

Changing the subject for a moment, I've made up my mind that I'm soon going to release some new stories along with finishing up this series. However, I've also decided that I'd rather leave it up to you guys as to what I release first. Currently, I've gotten chapters finished for my One Piece story and my multi-anime crossover story, I'm currently working on the first chapter for my Naruto story, and I'm still developing my Fairy Tail story (in case you haven't figured it out by now, I have a lot of free time). What some of the stories are about was, if I remember correctly, touched upon briefly in my last AN in chapter 17, so if you want to get an idea as to what some of them are about, check the last AN in chapter 17. Anyways, I leave it up to you guys. Tell me in your reviews or a PM what you want to see next and once I've reviewed what you want, I'll do my best to get it out when I feel it is appropriate to do so.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. ND2014, signing off.