So someone said I forgot about Gin, I didn't this time. As the title of this chapter says he's in here.
Someone else said I was rushing this, that I skipped 17 months after Aizen. Okay, two things, Karin never lost her powers, she's nowhere near strong enough to catch the Fullbringers attention yet as she doesn't even have Bankai yet. Another thing merely three months have passed not 17 hope this helps clear things up. ^^,
And another thing.
I HATE the thousand war thing with the Quincy, I really really don't like it at all so most of what happened in the manga will not be happening cause it will never get there as Ichigo is A LOT stronger than he is in the manga for the reasons he was never really human and had no concept of never hurting or killing to get stronger. He also never had to fight with his inner hollow and struggle to accept all who he is in order to become stronger.
I am sorry for those who wanted a longer version of his war but I hate it too much to actually put any effort in it…
Sorry.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Chapter 19: Snake strikes back
Shinji looked over to Ichigo as they stepped out of the Garganta, the man was as tense as a bowstring.
The call Karin got was enough to make even him worry.
The Kurosaki family had been attacked by Quincy forces and are now officially held, hostage.
Ichigo sneered as his Reiatsu was barely held in check.
This was going to be one hell of a show.
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In the shadows of the winter Palace, a near frantic Opie ran into people, who looked at the normally composed man in a clear state of horror.
The last person he bumped into made him fall to the ground.
Jugram Haschwalth only arched a fine blonde brow.
"Shouldn't you be in Hueco Mundo?" The man asked as Opie scrambled to get back to his feet. He breathed harshly as he looked into cool blue eyes.
"There has been a… situation… I must speak to his Highness." Opie said barely holding the panic out of his voice. However, Haschwalth still sensed the great fear in the man and was curious as to hear what the situation was. He nodded and turned.
The two men walked through the large white double doors that lead to the throne room that was plunged in darkness at the moment but the king had yet to fall into slumber.
Indifferent eyes regarded the two men.
"Speak." The deep voice nearly boomed in the large room. Both men looked up past the many steps leading to the throne.
Opie swallowed and stepped closer.
"There has been a setback in the world of hollows your Highness." The man's voice was almost steady, all but for a faint quiver that grew as he spoke.
"Oh?"
The king didn't sound amused what so ever.
"We were on track for the making of our army when…" The man paused to find the right way to say the next part of his report.
"Our first war potential had… discovered our plan and reacted rather violently. He along with members of the Espada attacked and killed all Quincy and hollows who had chosen to join us. I-I was spared to relay a message from Ichigo himself."
The bespectacled man looked on as his king sat forward showing half his face.
Shifting from foot to foot Opie took a deep breath and recited Ichigo's message perfectly.
"Stay out of Hueco Mundo, the hollows have nothing to do with your war until now. Your kind made it our war now. Any Quincy found in Hueco Mundo will be slaughtered like sheep and used as ornaments in the Menos forest. Mark my word I will have vengeance."
A deep chuckle bounced off the walls.
"So Ichigo has challenged us. Fine then. Send a squad to the human world."
Haschwalth nodded and stepped out of the room.
Opie wasn't as lucky.
Xxxxxxxxxx
Gin blinked in shock as he watched dark shadows almost spit out a group of four white-clad men, they were obviously Quincy but as for their plans here in the human world, he had no idea.
After Ichigo had everyone distracted in killing Aizen he slipped away knowing he would most likely be trialed and executed.
So he slipped away like the slippery snake he was, now however he was in the dark to the on goings of the afterlife.
So mostly out of boredom he followed after the men in white, he was wearing a familiar grey tan cloak that hid his reiatsu. He followed after the Quincy, they looked all dressed the same making him think of normal foot soldiers.
He was even more perplexed when he saw the men all move towards the Kurosaki clinic, he started to get a rather bad feeling and decided that he would protect Ichigo's family. It was after all the least he could do for killing Aizen.
That decided he watched in horror as the four men, clearly in a rush just simply smash the house's entrance.
He was about to move when he felt the tell tale sound of ripping indicating that someone had just come from the world of hollows. Looking back Gin barely held back a growl as he watched the four men come out of the ruined home with two men carrying a frantic light brown haired teen and an unconscious man who he recognised as Isshin Shiba.
Just then Ichigo appeared along with captain Shinji.
Ichigo gave the scene one look and his reiatsu blew out from its tight restraints. The young girl looked up in fear as the monstrous reiatsu crept into the air around them like a vise. Gin could see they all were breathing with effort.
"Stop! Stay back or she dies!" The one man in white yelled and gripped the teen by the neck and held her and knife point with his sword dangerously close to her throat.
"Let… my… sister… go." Ichigo hissed as his eyes blazed an unearthly orange.
The teen froze and looked at Ichigo with a finer eye.
"I-Ichigo?"
Orange died down to blood red of a dying coal as he regarded the teen.
"Yeah, it's me Yuzu. Karin heard what happened and I offered to come and rescue you." Gin couldn't believe how soft Ichigo's face and voice had become when he was talking to Yuzu. This just made what he was about to do so much more fulfilling.
"Stay back or I will slit her throat!" The man yelled, there was fear in his voice. Ichigo started to shake with anger as he saw Yuzu stiffen with fear. Her eyes so wide they looked ready to pop out at the drop of a hat.
"The Quincy are a real low bunch if you would go after innocents" Ichigo drawled but the look in his eyes said murder.
"That's a joke coming from a hollow!" One of the two men holding Isshin barked out.
"Now that we have your attention, put these on and come along like a good boy and your family will be left unharmed." That was when Ichigo saw the collar and cuffs on his father. A low growl filled the air.
"You sons of whores!" Ichigo bellowed out as the white's of his eyes slowly turned back as his anger nearly got the better of him. He wasn't prone to out burst of anger or losing himself to it but instincts were screaming at him to protect him family and he couldn't as it will cause Yuzu to be harmed.
"Shoot to kill, Shinsõ."
The sound of something metal hitting the ground near him drew Ichigo and Shinji's eyes down on the ground to see two collars and four cuffs. Ichigo growled as he realised that Shinji was in danger as well now.
He racked his brain for a way to get out of this but he couldn't come up with anything. He clenched his teeth and was about to drop to the ground to retrieve the binding when the sound of a blade slicing through bone and flesh reached his ears. His head snapped up and he gawked along with Shinji at the sight that met their eyes.
The man stood mouth agape as the tip of a sword protruding out of his forehead.
"I do agree with Ichigo-san, you Quincy sure are a low bunch of fuckers." A rather angry Gin said as he regarded the now dead man balanced on the tip of his extended sword. His sword was extended to full Shikai and the point was very close to Ichigo's nose, said man, however, was looking at his sister who looked near passing out as she looked up at the blade sticking out of the dead man still oddly enough holding the blade to her throat.
In a matter of seconds, Shinsõ's blade grew shorter making the lifeless body sag just enough for the blade to lower.
When Yuzu blinked she was in her brother's arms with four corpses around them. She was trembling like a leaf while sobbing into his bare chest just barely missing the hole in his chest.
It was this scene that Isshin woke up to, Shinji and Gin were busy moving the bodies out of sight, after all, Quincy where more human and could be seen by humans, their dead bodies as well.
Groggily he got up to his feet, Ichigo looked his way with a worried look. He just smiled to show his son he was fine.
Just then an all too familiar voice spoke in a jovial manner.
"Aaaah Ichigo-san~ Seems we didn't have to come after all.~"
For some reason, Ichigo smiled at the man's cheerfulness even though it wasn't all that welcomed.
"Yeah well your help is still needed." Ichigo jerked his head to the ruined house and then to his father who was looking at the house in shock.
Shinji and Gin came back from hiding the bodies to stop when they saw the blonde shop keeper on his own.
"Soul Society is under attack," Ichigo said in a serious tone making Urahara's merry attitude evaporate into thin air.
"I see, come along then."
The group made way to the Shõten to a Tessai with tea at the low table. Yuzu was first to get a cup to help soothe her frazzled nerves. Urahara helped Isshin out of the suppressant restraints. Yoruichi was sitting on the table listening along with the two kids as Ichigo retold what had happened in Hueco Mundo.
Once that was done Isshin asked to speak privately with Ichigo.
So the two men walked to the backyard of the building and sat under a tree, Ichigo could see Isshin was weighed down by something. Something big.
"Ichigo, there is something you need to know."
Isshin looked at his son to see his son looking at him with a curious look in his eyes.
"… Your mother, Ichigo your mother was a Quincy."
Looking over Isshin was a look he wasn't expecting on Ichigo's face. Instead of anger or shock, a look of thought was on Ichigo's face.
"Is that so?" Ichigo said after a while, thoughtful look still in place.
Sighing Isshin rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Ichigo.
"I met your mother when she was badly injured by a hollow, I… Urahara and I saved her by binding my soul to her to stop her soul being destroyed by the hollow who infected her. We soon grew to love one another and in so got you. Ichigo the reason your mother died… because… her Quincy powers were taken away the moment she tried to save you from the hollow. If… if she never lost her powers she would have easily killed the hollow and you two would have gotten home fine. Ichigo Aizen isn't the real one to blame for your mother's death…"
Ichigo was now looking at Isshin with a dead look on his face as he listened.
"Who then?"
Rubbing his hair into a messy state Isshin looked into the distance.
"Your mother was last of the pure Quincy on earth and was to be married to another family to keep the Quincy bloodline alive but when she was infected with the hollow she wasn't anymore. She was impure in the eyes of other Quincy and the faithful day when she needed her powers the most that… bastard of a king…Yhwach… he stole all half blood Quincy and those he saw as impure's powers away from them. Ichigo The Quincy king is responsible for your mother's death as well as yours."
"…Huh… I need to check something." Ichigo said and closed his eyes falling into his inner world in seconds.
Once there he shared a look with El Fuego and rushed to the unknown power in his inner world. Once there Ichigo focused hard on the amassing light blue energy that was slowly being tinted a brighter shade of orange.
"I don't want this here." Ichigo hissed and turned his back on the blue-orange ball of energy. He could feel how the part of him was slowly waking up. He growled and looked up at the dragon roaming his inner world.
"Is there a way to get that parasite out of here and more importantly not even fucking wake up?"
El Fuego cocked his head to the side. "Ask that blonde fellow, he seems smart."
Ichigo chuckled and nodded his head. "Can you, at least, help me keep it suppressed for as long as possible? I can feel it starting to wake and as much as I like the power it will give me… heh, I want nothing of the man who was the reason for my mother's death as well as mine. Besides…" Ichigo rubbed his stomach. "It's not like I need any more power."
A deep chuckle made Ichigo look to El Fuego with questioning eyes. The dragon's eyes were alight with mirth.
"Ichigo, your potential is endless. I don't see you stopping your power gain anytime soon, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the removal of this… thing will increase your power to the two remaining sides."
Ichigo blinked owlishly at him before snorting with a smirk.
"I wouldn't be surprised either, to be honest."
With that Ichigo left his inner world and opened his eyes to see his father sitting on his knees in front of him with a look of concern.
Frowning Ichigo locked eyes.
"There is Quincy in me, it's still asleep. I have to speak with Urahara about getting it out of me for good. I want no part with that vile excuse of a race, my mother… I do not remember her and I doubt she would have taken offence." Ichigo looked to Isshin who smiled and nodded. He knew Masaki wouldn't have minded and most likely would be happy as she never liked the pride of her people.
Nodding more to himself than to his father, Ichigo stood and walked into the building to find the man wearing a bucket hat.
He found said man in the kitchen with Yuzu.
Yuzu looked up and Ichigo was relieved to see she had calmed down and was smiling at him with joy in her eyes. She rose and all but threw herself at him. Ichigo's arms quickly encased her to his larger frame and he couldn't hold back the smile on his face even of he wanted to.
Urahara smiled and tilted his head at the sweet scene. It was rather adorable.
That smile fell when he met eyes with Ichigo who had a serious look aimed at him, it was a look that meant business.
With a sigh, Ichigo released Yuzu and smiled and looked down at her. "Why don't you and dad have some tea, I need to speak to Urahara-san."
The fairer twin nodded with a smile and walked back to the table where Isshin had sat down and smiled at Yuzu as she got closer.
Walking into the man's lab, Urahara looked back at Ichigo to see the man looking around curious. "Alright, Ichigo-san what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Ichigo looked at him and sighed as he walked to the bookcase and scoured the titles on the shelves. Seeing one on Quincy powers he slipped the book out and flipped the pages to see what was roughly inside.
Oddly enough the pages stopped abruptly at the Quincy known powers. He scoffed and turned around to Urahara who had been looking at him, examining his every move. It made him smirk when he reached the man.
"A smart man like you should surely be able to help me with a little problem I have."
Urahara arched a brow, he was curious now oh yes he was.
"And what problem would that be Ichigo-san?"
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"Something… is wrong…" A black haired beauty said with a slender frame and a golden ornament on the back of her head in the shape of a crescent moon with small lines coming out from behind it going in numerous directions. Her face was youthful as she looked on at the Soul King who never really reacted to much but he did when something big happened that was unplanned or unexpected. The last time it happened was when the Quincy king called back a lot of his given powers and in doing so caused many deaths.
No the Soul King was looking into the distance, his eyes had shifted, went wide by a millimeter or so but that was a radical shift when it came to the Soul King.
"I wouldn't say something is wrong, looks more like he was surprised." A large man with red eyes and bushy eyebrows and a vast bear wearing large red beads around his neck looked at the Soul King as the male figure tilted his head minuscule to the left.
"Oh, he's curious about something now." Said a well-embowed woman with thick purple hair and cheerful face.
In front of the Soul King, a large glass-like sphere appeared and inside the sphere was the makeup of a specific soul. The Royal guards' mouths dropped.
"Holy…" Someone murmured, they didn't care who said it but they all nodded as they took in the monster of a reiatsu being looked at.
There was a little bit of Shinigami markers there and a faint amount of Quincy but the rest was more hollow but what surprised them all was well, the Shinigami and Hollow markers were in a sense pushing the Quincy marker out, cornering it. In fact, it looked like the soul was gathering all traces of Quincy in them and compressing it, making it as small as possible.
Why they couldn't possibly know, what amazed them as well was the pure strength of the soul, it was looking at one of their own. It was massive but felt trapped as well as if it were under lock and key.
Who the soul belonged to they wouldn't know until the king saw fit to tell them.
The Royal guards looked at one another and looked back at their king, the Quincy were back and they had plans set up incase the Quincy king gained entrance into the Soul King Palace but if they were to work was another thing.
Sighing they all went back to their own spaces and knew somehow, that things were not going to go as they first thought when the word of the Quincy's return was announced.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"This is looking so bad right now." Rukia gasped as she bent forward to gather her breath back into painfully strained lungs.
Renji groaned and shifted as he shrugged his new gear, the days were different to that of the human world but as he knew it three days had passed since they came back from Hueco Mundo.
Still no Ichigo.
A lot had happened and even worse things were going on, Kira and a few others as far as he knew were in critical stages and Orihime couldn't get to them fast enough. They were all getting tired, Captain Byakuya and the rest who had lost their Bankai had successfully fought and stole them back and were busy defeating them as they ran.
It was a small victory at least but things were still looking grim.
Karin, Renji, Rukia along with her friends moved around the corner to see Matsumoto in a bad position, she was surrounded by Quincy soldiers and was looking just as tired as the rest of them.
Just then a large meteor appeared where Kenpachi was fighting on a large white square, just as more Quincy troops poured in.
Matsumoto's fatigue caught up with her and she made a bad move, they were too far away to get to her in time and Renji and the rest watched in horror as what they thought would be the death of one of their friends.
"Shoot to kill, Shinsõ"
Matsumoto's eyes went wide as the man who was about to take her life was skewered through the chest, the extended blade continued to pierce the man next to him as well as the woman behind him. The three gasped and gurgled blood as they stood shocked looking down at the silver blade going through their chest and stomach.
All heads turned to the side to see Gin still wearing his tan cloak and a down right pissed off look on his face. Eyes wide open glaring at the slowly dying Quincy. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the sword's blade to the left cutting the Quincy troops nearly in half.
"G-gin!" Matsumoto yelled before she stumbled and fell to one knee. That was all it took for the whole group to quickly get rid of the other remaining three Quincy.
Once they were all dead on the ground Gin quickly made his way to Matsumoto who looked ready to faint.
"I-I knew you weren't dead." She whispered tiredly and finally succumbed to her tired body's screams for sleep.
Gin smiled down at her.
"Gin… um… Cap… Um…" Renji looked confused as to what he was to call the man who was once the third captain, the sneaky smile came back onto Gin's face now that Matsumoto was out of intimate danger.
"Just call me Gin." Everyone blinked at the normal speaking Gin, the ma cocked his head to the side with his eyes back to their closed selves making it hard to read the man.
"Ah, he's here."
Just then three things happened at once.
They were surrounded by more Quincy forces.
The Quincy King was looking down at them for some reason.
A long paper screen door appeared in the middle of the sky.
All eyes snapped to the screen door as it slid open revealing the red light, breathing suddenly became hard to do for most who stood too close to the red light.
From the viewpoint of the Quincy, they saw a demon, a demonic dragon with glowing orange eyes. Orange as the flames that licked the white plated arms with deadly claws for nails.
Karin's hope soar higher than ever.
Those Shinigami who didn't know Ichigo's release form were near shitting themselves but somewhat calmed down when Shinji appeared beside the monster. Orange eyes flickered over to Shinji who nodded and used Shunpo to get to Karin's group. The man's face was tight with worry as he too looked up at Ichigo just as he released a might hollow roar that made a shockwave of power.
Glowing orange eyes surveyed the area. Some captains who were close enough, he could see were near ending fights. In the far distance, he saw what looked like a giant square platform where he could feel Kenpachi's raging reiatsu but far more stronger than before and further in the distance was a tower where he felt a powerful Quincy reiatsu with a lesser powerful one.
The growl that left his throat made many Shinigami shiver in fear.
"I will destroy all Quincy." With that, he opened his mouth with a crack and charged a fully charged cero and released it into the thick of oncoming Quincy troops causing a massive explosion that took out those standing too near.
Without skipping a beat he charged another and released it near Byakuya aiming it so precisely it smacked the Fear Quincy dead on obliterating the man from the world of Shinigami. The beam, however, didn't stop as Ichigo moved his head into the direction of another thickly packed area with Quincy troops destroying all that was in the way of the beam.
A white hand moved to the still open jaws and with a wince all watched as Ichigo bit into the fleshy part of his right hand only to smear in all over the white-fanged teeth of his mask.
Slowly the jaws opened wider and a large ball of orange reiatsu built up and those close by all fell to their knees. "Grand… Rey CERO!" With the command, the large beam of destructive force shot into the air and right at the meteor that Kenpachi was about to destroy. He had sensed Ichigo, how could he not. He might be bad at sensing but no one could miss that massive force of nature. He was just quick enough to look over his shoulder to see the beam heading in their direction to get the hell out of dodge.
He along with the rest watched in awe as the beam hit the meteor in the middle causing it to implode before it exploded into thousand pieces of burning rock that fell quickly to the ground hitting people along the way.
Kenpachi looked to Ichigo and knew something was terribly off.
But he didn't have enough time to think on this as his opponent launched himself at him.
It was a shock to all the Quincy when the next Grand Rey cero was launched right at the tower where Yhwach and Haschwalth stood smack bam head on making the whole tower crumble to the ground in a large roar of falling chunks and smaller pieces of debris.
Ichigo knew that wouldn't have done it but he did it to get the bastard's attention.
He used Sonído to get closer to the tower, in a matter of seconds, he had destroyed half of the Quincy forces with just four ceros. His power was now known to all yet Shinji still had the tense look on his face.
Byakuya looked to where Äs once stood, now he was just a dark spot on the ground there wasn't even a hair or bone left. He had been completely destroyed. He looked up at the man and shivered in fear.
His opponent may have seen his biggest fear which was losing Rukia but he was nothing against the man now fighting for them. Byakuya was more frightened of Ichigo than the Quincy king and that in itself made him even more scared. He shunpo'd to where Head Captain Yamamoto was sitting. He would have been dead if it hadn't been for Orihime and her friends who came just at the right time to save the older soul.
When he came to stand by the man Hitsugaya was where with Ukitake and Shunhei.
He got nods of greeting before all eyes went back to the man in the sky.
Karin looked up at her brother with a proud look on her face.
"What the hell is that?"
Karin looked over to see it was Momo and Hisagi who were looking at the man but it was Klyone Kotetsu with her mouth wide open, Sentarõ Kotsubaki who looked equally shocked as they looked up. Klyone got over her shock first and looked at the group.
"Head Captain wants you all to report back to him with us, come on." She said barely breathing as she spoke waving her hand over and over in a come here motion. The group followed after quickly.
Yamamoto was shocked when he saw Gin carrying a still passed or sleeping; he saw when he looked closer Matsumoto. Hitsugaya was there in a flash glaring menacingly at Gin who opened an eye to look down at the younger looking captain.
"Yes?"
"What did you do to her?" He nearly shouted.
Gin's playful demeanor dropped like a rock in a lake as he opened the other eye and glared down at Hitsugaya with open annoyance.
"I did nothing but save her life." He hissed out making Ukitake jump in shock.
"Captain Yamamoto."
Heads looked to Shinji who looked as tight as a bowstring as he looked up at the man he loved who was now talking to a long-haired blonde man who was admittedly more attractive than him and he worried a little but he knew Ichigo wouldn't betray him.
"Gin was in the human world when he helped Ichigo save his sister from the Quincy. Had he not step in both myself and Ichigo would have fallen into their hands. He is responsible for Ichigo even being here."
That got Yamamoto to look at Gin who was now looking at him with a serious look on his face, it was so unlike the man that Yamamoto knew it was a serious situation.
"For now, Gin is excused for his crimes until this is all over and he can explain later." All the Shinigami nodded and some even smiled at Gin, glad to have another powerful ally.
Just then Ichigo's powerful reiatsu exploded onto them and even choked the weaker Shinigami while the captains all looked up in shock to see Ichigo going at the long blonde haired Quincy like a mindless monster that took each blow only to heal almost instantaneously.
"This… is going to be… one… scary battle." Karin gasped as the two fighting males ventured farther away allowing them to breathe better.
"You have no idea."
Shinji's words made all look to him to see his face no longer tense but outright worried.
"What do you mean? Captain Shinji?" Shunsui asked lowering his straw hat to hide the bandage around his face that spoke of his injury. He had waved Orihime's offer to heal; saying that her skills were needed for those who were close to dying or badly injured.
Shinji sighed and looked off into the distance where the two men were battling it out, the air around them were cloudy with dust as Ichigo no doubt gave his opponent now time to even fight back properly as Ichigo was like a mad animal intent on killing every Quincy before him.
"Have any of you wondered what those black bandages were for?" He asked not taking his eyes off the fight he could not really see.
"Eh, I thought they were just for show…" Karin said scratching her chin.
Shinji chuckled.
"I did too till he told me what they were for, you see Ichigo here in front of you all is only half of his power. When he faced Aizen he only had half of his available. Same here. Ichigo has only ever used half his power up till now."
There was a moment of utter silence behind him. Looking over his shoulder he smirked when he saw that even Yamamoto looked shocked.
"How is that even possible?" Ukitake asked in a whisper.
"Ichigo… it's for him to tell."
With that they all looked back at the fight they could no longer see.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"How is it going?"
Szayel looked over his shoulder to see Grimmjow looking at the tank.
"Yes, all is going well. It's the least we could do…" The pink haired male looked back at the screen before him as he calculated the numbers and made adjustments. He turned to a table with vials and other odds and ends. Grimmjow watched as the pink haired male mix a few liquids of various colours only to end up with a dark teal blue. He used a syringe to draw it all up only to inject it into one of the many tubes leading to the tank.
"Yeah, with this he will be a little stronger."
The pink haired man nodded in agreement as he went back to the numbers on the screen.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
So…
Yes, I skipped the part where Soul Society gets a major but kicking, again I DO NOT LIKE THIS PART IN BLEACH, I DON'T EVEN READ IT WHEN IT CAME TO UKITAKE. I know it's probably childish of me but I don't care I do not like the Quincy arc. I am terribly sorry if I disappointed any of you but I just can't get to read more.
I will read about the powers of both Yhwach and Haschwalth if they are even there…
Also, the Bounts and Fullbringers are next and they will be more focused on Karin and the humans growing in strength.
I would guess on or two more chapter of this will be it for the Quincy arc.