Authors Note:
Hi, a few points I need to make.
1. Sorry for the delay, things are a bit hectic now and there may be more delays to come but i will try to keep writing and uploading as often as I can.
2. I noticed that I messed up a few names and characters a few chapters back. (536,537,538 at least if not others too). Specifically I accidentally used Mandens name even after he was unconcious and then killed. Pretty sure that was supposed to be one of the other Quincies (Mandarb i thnk), I'll rectify the previous chapters once i get a chance.
Anyways i hope you enjoy
Bleach 544: Who You Really Are?!
Scene opens up on Zaraki and Wairudo. They both seem full of energy but have cuts and gashes all over their bodies. Facing them are the three Quincies, Mashida and Kensei and Mandarb. The fourth Quincy, Wilhelm, is nowhere to be seen.
The Quincies themselves seem to have cuts and gashes all over their body and clothes but no serious injuries can be seen.
Zaraki looks over at Wairudo with a manic grin on his face.
Zaraki: What's the matter old man is that all you've got? Hah!
Wairudo breathing heavily glances over at Zaraki with a look of disdain before replying.
Wairudo: Hmph, I at least managed to take one of them down, what have you managed to achieve, Kenpachi!
Zaraki: Hah, as if you'd have been able to take him down so easily without the support of my Bankai.
Wairudo: Hmph, this is taking too long. We cannot continue like this.
Zaraki: So use your Bankai again, those punks won't let me get close to them.
Wairudo: Still such a fool! Have you not even realised yet?!
Zaraki's manic grin turns into an angry frown
Zaraki: What did you say to me?!
Wairudo: Ever since I took the first one down they've begun to counter my Bankai. I've tried using it multiple times but they've grasped my weakness already and evaded it every time.
Zaraki: Hmph, what weakness?
Wairudo: That it can only go in a direct line. In my Bankai state, the speed and strength of my quickdraw increases greatly. Also it can pass through anything! Any object, any obstruction, choosing to cut exactly when and what I want. There is no blocking it. However, at the very instant my reishi forms, they instantly can judge what its trajectory will be and dodge. They are master level Quincies and natural counters to my ability.
Zaraki: Hmph
Wairudo: and not just mine, even yours.
Zaraki: …
Wairudo: (Sighs) Even though you've only recently managed to gain your Bankai, don't tell me you haven't noticed! Their earlier attacks were used to test out the rules set by your Bankai and they've already got a good grasp of them. It's why they can dodge without being punished because they attack and dodge at the same time! They're effectively re-positioning themselves for better attacks.
Zaraki: Dumb punks
Wairudo: They're dragging this out as long as possible. Can you not see that they're constantly rotating their roles, one healing the others whilst the other two attack.
Zaraki: So what, we'll still win eventually
Wairudo: That's why I called you a fool! They never had any intention of winning. They only plan is to delay us for as long as possible!
Zaraki:?! Why the F*** would they want to do that?!
Wairudo: Because Juha Bach has already left! If he fails, then their winning or losing means nothing, they will still fail and die. If Bach succeeds, then they believe he will bring them back even if they die! So their death is irrelevant. They only want to delay us for as long as possible so that we can't retreat.
Zaraki: Retreat?! Who the F*** wants to retreat?!
Wairudo: If Juha Bach succeeds in his plan to replace the soul king then we've lost. There will be nothing, NOTHING, we can do as we are now! We will have no choice but to try and retreat and hide and see if we can come up with some way to defeat him later…that or die!
Zaraki:…
Wairudo: That's why they're playing for time. They're keeping us occupied for as long as possible until Bach succeeds, after which, if we're still here…then game over.
Zaraki: So what do we do?! I F****** hate fights like this.
Wairudo: …We can't change battlefields or your Bankai will affect the others. We can't finish them off quickly because of their evading and sensing abilities. We can't afford to delay or we'll get taken out…it seems I have no choice left but to risk using her.
Zaraki:?!
Suddenly across from them, the three Quincy snap their heads around and look towards the very distant Soukyoku hill.
3 Quincies:?!
Scene change to Masaki and Ichigo
Masaki smiles as she reaches Ichigo. She has released her Bankai and now holds her normal sword once again.
Masaki: So, how much did you observe Ichigo?
Ichigo: Your bankai-
Masaki: Not my Bankai, my final strike. What did you observe?
Ichigo: …I couldn't even tell where it began. You seemed to flow from one stance to the other. I could only react to it once it happened.
Masaki: (sighs) It's because you've not had any focused or strict training. Fighting isn't just about strength and speed. Attacks or defence. Reiatsu and abilities. You need to refine your swordsmanship too, refine your movements. Only then can you stand at a level to protect everyone.
Ichigo: …
Masaki: If this is the level the real you is at then it will be difficult to defeat Bach without help, very difficult.
Ichigo: …I thought I had grown soo much…but still, I keep falling short.
Masaki: (Chuckles) You look down on yourself too much my darling. You want to stand with masters who have been training for hundreds or thousands of years and yet have you even turned 20?
Ichigo: …?!
Masaki: (takes a deep breath) It seems like we're going to have to take the risk.
Ichigo: risk?!
Masaki: I'll explain later, I doubt we have much time as it is. We have to finish up before Bach and the real you arrive before the soul king.
Ichigo: ?! Won't they have already?
Masaki: No, even if Bach can immediately defeat everyone up there, getting to the soul king himself isn't so straightforward, it'll take him a little time. Now tell me, what did Urahara tell you about yourself.
Ichigo: …
Scene changes back to when Urahara stabbed Ichigo with his sword.
Urahara's sword is still in Ichigo, however he has let go of it and is now staring at Ichigo.
Urahara: …I'm gratified with your trust in me Ichigo. That you didn't strike back or try to dodge shows how deeply you trust me to let your guard down.
Ichigo: (scoffs) trust you. How can I trust you when I know you'll always pull stunts like this instead of explaining things. I just know that I can depend on you. If I hadn't dropped my guard for a moment I really would have struck back out of instinct. However that brief moment gave me the chance to hold back. So, now can you explain?!
Urahara: We needed to have a conversation. We really should have had this long ago but I was too afraid of how it might affect you. So foolishly, since their wasn't a need at the time, I chose to stay quiet about it…and now that there is a need, we don't have any time to talk properly.
Ichigo: What are you talking about?!
Urahara: (Deep sigh) Well since I've managed to borrow a variant of Mayuri's superhuman formula earlier I suppose we do have a little time now. I've used it to create a small area around us in which we'll have a bit more time to talk, just stay still for now and only talk and don't move.
Ichigo: … ok go ahead.
Urahara: (sighs again) I'm not sure the best way to say this Ichigo so I'll just lay it all on you. You are special…different from the rest us.
Ichigo: Special?
Urahara: Back when Masaki had you kids, I had a talk with your parents. We thought that there was a high chance that you'd be…different, but we couldn't be sure.
Ichigo: …Wait! my sisters are effected too?!
Urahara: No they're fine for now. What I'm about to say only applies to you.
Ichigo: For now?!
Urahara: (sighs) trust me on this Ichigo, they are fine. Let me get through this in one piece and you'll understand by the end.
Ichigo: …
Urhahara: as I was saying, back then, there had never been a case where a Shinigami had effectively, for all intents and purposes, changed into a human and then gone on to have a child. Thanks to the gigai I created for your parents, they did exactly that. You may have been just a normal human or maybe some combination of a human and a Shinigami, we couldn't say. What I can say is this only applies to you and possibly your sisters alone and not your parents. If I were to guess, I'd say that you have to be born this way. Anyway, since you kids were fine and your lives were normal we didn't bother to dive into it further…or should I say Masaki didn't want to dive into it further then.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: Eventually we realised that you were indeed different once we knew that you could see the spirits of those that died. However, what this truly meant for you was still uncertain so again Masaki didn't want to investigate it further.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: But…I truly became certain about my assumptions…on the day you became a shinigami.
Ichigo: When I became a Shinigami?
Urahara: Yes. Back when you were in my underground training area, when your chain of fate encroached all the way to your chest, at that point without question, you should have turned into a hollow if you had been an ordinary human.
Ichigo: ?!
Urahara: It was possible even then to rescue you, however, I noticed that unlike the norm, your mask was being created before your spiritual body exploded
Ichigo: …and this meant?
Urahara: (sighs) Masaki never wanted you involved with the Shinigami, the spiritual world, the war, any of it. We planned everything in the hopes that the human world wouldn't be affected and you kids could just live your lives normally. But she also knew that you may be unable to avoid it. Unfortunately her worries proved to be true. Aizen learned of you and began to suspect what you were and eventually tried to draw you into his plans by sending Rukia over.
Ichigo:?!
Urahara: After that, apart from locking you up and throwing away the key, there wasn't much that could be done but to let things play out. You not turning into a hollow when your chain fully encroached and your mask beginning to form showed me that your final…evolution had begun.
Ichigo: ?! Final…evolution?!
Urahara: Kurosaki san, why do you think there have been so many coincidences around you?
Ichigo: ?
Urahara: Your continuous rapid growth at such a fast pace, that inner hollow of yours that continues appearing, what you turned into in Hueco Mundo when you should have died, the fact that your powers were able to return after they had already been lost are to name but a mere few of them. Even your Zanpaktou has been an indication of this.
Ichigo: My zanpaktou?
Urahara: You were told that it's always in a released form because of your vast and uncontrollable spirit energy. Though that has a grain of truth in it, do you think that still to be the case?
Ichigo: …
Urahara: Unlike Zaraki Kenpachi, you've trained tenaciously to control and use your abilities, both before and after losing your Shinigami powers. Your skill in controlling reiatsu easily rivals most other Shingami. Your control has not been the issue but rather you're understating of who and what you really are.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: After all, how can you truly control that which you do not understand.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: Though many other factors were involved in all your coincidences, there was one consistent factor that played a major role throughout…one factor without without which the outcome would most likely have been completely different…
Ichigo: …
Urahara: …That you are different from everyone else…you are…the natural occurrence of what Aizen and I had always been aiming to artificially achieve!
Ichigo:?!
Urahara: You are the combination of a Shinigami, a human and a hollow…You are a soul that has transcended the boundaries that limit the rest of us!
A long pause takes place whilst Ichigo, in shock, digests this information. Urahara stays silent throughout, patiently waiting. Finally Ichigo speaks.
Ichigo: What does this even mean? Even if I'm a combination of a Shinigami, a human and a hollow…what does that even mean?!
Urahara: …Truthfully I don't honestly know for certain. Earlier we may have had time to look into it, to figure it out, but now…there's barely enough time to tell you this much.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: I do know though that it gives you greater power and advantage than any other being there is. You have the strengths of all three, shinigami, hollows and humans!
Ichigo: …strengths?
Urahara: …There is a balance to the world Kurosaki Ichigo. The humans are at the middle of that balance. The spiritual soul, specifically Shingami in our case, are at one end and the hollows at the other end maintaining a balance. Each one is tied to the other but each one also has its own distinctive strengths.
Ichigo: …?
Urahara: The Shinigami have a limit on their growth. No matter how long long they live or train once they reach whatever their limit is they can advance no further. It is why Aizen was so obsessed with his experiments as he wished to break past that limit. On the other hand this limit is offset by the strength they can obtain by the merger of their Reishi with their souls creating a unique existence and ability for themselves.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: The hollows are similar, they also have a limit and additionally their natural destructive tendencies and hunger mean very few ever manage to reach that limit. This again is offset by the fact that they can, simply through eating and absorbing other hollows, increase their abilities and skills as well as having their superior regenerative abilities.
Ichigo: …and humans? What is it that a human can do…
Urhahara: Humans have no ability to regenerate per se, nor have they any ability to merge Reishi with their soul either. Their lives are brief and bodies frail.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: However this is offset by the fact that they have absolutely no upper limit placed on their growth!
Ichigo:?!
Urahara: The Quincies are a good example of this. Through their training they could increase their power and skills exponentially and the only thing restricting or limiting them was their life span.
Ichigo: …how can that be?! Bach has been alive for over a thousand years!
Urhahara: (Takes a deep breath) Not exactly.
Ichigo: ?
Urahara: The reason that the crown of the Quincy king never changed from Yuha Bach to one of his descendants like Uryuu, even after they separated from him, is not because he's still around, it's because of their own legends.
Ichigo: ?
Urahara: When a Quincy dies and goes to soul society, they lose all their spiritual energy and thus ability to control or use reishi. In fact they even lose all memories of their human self once they reach soul society knowing nothing of their past life. Some human souls can awaken their spiritual energy and thus become a Shinigami, however, this has never been the case for Quincies. Thus a Quincy has always and ever merely been a mere wandering soul spirit upon arriving in soul society and nothing more.
Ichigo: ?!
Urahara: Not a single Quincy was ever able to change this, to awaken their spiritual energy after their death…that is until Juha Bach. Quincy legend states that their last Quincy king would be one that is not human but a soul spirit of a human, one that could awaken his Quincy memories, awaken his Quincy abilities, one that could forever stand and guide the Quincy race to their ultimate future.
Ichigo: …so Bach actually…
Urahara: Yes, he died as a human over a 1000 years ago, then regained his Quincy powers and memory as a soul spirit, was crowned as the "Last Quincy King" and eventually led to the tragedies that came after.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: and now it seems he's also been able to assist other Quincies to be able to do the same as well.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: Kurosaki Ichigo, the reason I've chosen to tell you this is so that you finally understand one thing.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: You are not the same as us, as them or anyone else. You are on a whole other level. It's why you've been able to get as far as you have, done the things you've been able to do. Why you've been entrusted with soo much.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: Whichever battle you go into next you need to remember, though you may lack knowledge or experience, though you may not fully understand your capabilities and limits, you are not the underdog. Not a single one of us, anyone, can hope to stand where you are.
Ichigo: …
Urahara: You need to put aside all doubts and fears Ichigo, you need to truly understand and accept who and what you are… because now, if there is anyone left with even the slightest hope of changing the outcome of this war… of defeating Juha Bach…then that is only you, Kurosaki Ichigo.
Scene changes back to Masaki and Ichigo
Ichigo: … He said that I was an evolved soul. Someone with the strengths of a Shinigami, hollow and a human. But…he couldn't tel me what that means…
Masaki: (chuckles) Well of course not
Ichigo: ?!
Masaki: Ichigo my darling, can a dog tell a cat how high it can jump?
Ichigo: ?!
Masaki: Can it tell how far it can fall safely? How it can attack? What its fastest speed is to run? No!
Ichigo: …
Masaki: Unfortunately you've subconsciously put a restraint on yourself, that of a Shinigami. You've been training with an awareness of how Shinigami fight, what their limits are, what they can and can't do! I bet there are things that you think are impossible for you to do, right?
Ichigo: …
Masaki gently strokes his face.
Masaki: It's like and adult playing with a child, they restrain themselves knowingly, you've done it unknowingly because of a false belief.
What you can and can't do, no one knows, not even you until you remove those restraints you've put on yourself. Have you never done something that you simply could not explain?
Ichigo: !
Ichigo recalls when he changed into a hollow like being in Hueco Mundo.
Masaki smiles seeing his shocked expression.
Masaki: I see that you have. That's what you need to put your faith in. That you can do anything, that nothing that you have seen up till now can compare to what you are able to do my darling.
Ichigo: …But…what use is that now? I'm not even the real me and he's already gone after Bach!
Masaki gently flicks Ichigos forehead. Making a pretend angry face.
Masaki: Do you think your mother is that old that she's gone senile?! (Chuckles) Don't worry, you'll understand soon enough. Come on let's go.
Ichigo: ?! Where are we going?
Masaki: We're going to see your father, he needs a few flicks to the forehead too.
Suddenly close by Urahara appears. He's carrying a few people in his arms and Inoue is by his side.
Ichigo:?! Inoue?! What are you doing here?!
Masaki:! Ohh?
Bleach 545: Reunions