A Reaper's Rebirth Into a Larger Mythology

by FallenDispair

After the loss of his powers Ichigo Kurosaki earns a scholarship to Kouh Academy where he tried to move on as an ordinary human. Until he his reborn as a devil and is exposed to the other myths and factions that exist in the world. This is based heavily off fanboys913's Bleach Rebirth of the Guardian. Added characters and lore of Rosario Vampire manga. Better sum inside.

4. Chapter 4

A Reaper's Rebirth Into a Larger Mythology

I don't own anything.

Chapter 4: Rebirth

"Ichigo?" a worried voice over the phone asked.

Ichigo went about drying off the rest of his body with the towel he had taken with him to answer the phone.

"Oji-san?" he replied.

"Are you okay?"

Ichigo frowned at that, "Yes, why?" he answered.

He could practically hear his father strangle out a sharp reply, "I just got a call about how you were admitted to the hospital."

Right, he had been unconscious for that with the severe burns and a major concussion. Granted, whatever Sona had done to him it had worked Orihime-level wonders on him. Thankfully he knew the story he was supposed to tell. Part of him felt bad for lying about something like this, but we wanted to stay at Kuoh as even though she didn't say it directly, Sona hinted at the possibility of gaining power again. The power to protect others once more, even if the powers ended up being different than what he was used to. He just had to wait until she was strong enough to afford him, whatever that meant but he'd take it.

"Fire at the local park, I pulled someone out of it and they wanted to make sure I wasn't injured," Ichigo supplied the lie to his father.

"Yeah, I heard as much," his dad sighed. "Can't you go anywhere without getting into trouble?"

"Probably not," Ichigo admitted simply, "but it wasn't the worst trouble I have been in." Which was the honest truth as he been nearly split in half, holes punched through his torso and left for dead more times than he'd like to admit.

"Are you sure you're fine," his father insisted.

"I'm fine, just a little irritated skin. They gave me a cream and I am pretty much better."

"It seems your medical bills were paid by the Sitri family, whoever they are."

"They're the ones who sponsored the scholarship I'm on and who I am housing with, remember? Sona takes her position and the health of her people very seriously," Ichigo informed.

"Hmm, Sona is it? That is a fairly informal way of talking Ichigo~" his father teased. "Ah, young love and the flowers of youth. Enjoy your-"

"Dad..." Ichigo growled out, interrupting the childish man.

"So, have you taken her out on a date yet?" his father continued to needle him.

"Stop jumping to conclusions you old fart," Ichigo gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Oh Masaki, our baby boy is growing up!" Ichigo glared at his phone and moved his finger towards the end call button. "No, no, no, hold up," his dad quick said, laughing. "Sorry, don't hang up."

"What do you want?" Ichigo forced out irritably, the sound only drawing out more amusement from the man.

"To make sure you are alright, like I said, and to tell you that everyone is doing fine. Your sisters are out right now, and no one is at the clinic, though I think I see someone about to walk in." There was a sound of movement as his father went to the front desk. "When are you planning a visit home?"

His heart did an uncomfortable flutter at the thought of going home.

"The first term ends in July and I should be able to come home for the break around my seventeenth birthday," he offered.

"Great," his father cheerily replied. "Yuzu was concerned about you not coming home for your birthday. She's really missed you Ichigo, so don't disappoint her by not making it."

"I would never," Ichigo declare resolutely.

"Good," there was the sound of bells chiming, "Aright son, got go. Be safe and be sure to call more often, Yuzu is getting angry at your lack of contact."

Ichigo smiled softly, "Will do and I promise."

---

"So, we're finally having our rematch," Kiba said with a grin.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at him while hefting the wooden blade to test its balance. They, by mutual assent, had decided to have their spar out of the way on the far end of the campus, where few people would be walking in the early morning hours. Both had taken off their shirts as neither wanted to see them damaged. Today hadn't been a gym day so neither had their gym clothes on hand.

But that didn't really matter all that much as they were both there to let off some steam and practice their art.

"So, why did you take up the sword?" Ichigo asked as he stretched.

Kiba didn't answer at first as he worked his arms in circles, his expression had become one of serene focus, "It was something a lot of my siblings wanted to do, but never got the chance to do." His mouth twitched into the flicker of a smile that was not one happiness. For a moment his eyes seemed to blaze but it was gone quicker than it had appeared. "I do it to honor them."

Ichigo paused, looking at Kiba and knowing there was much more to that, a incomplete truth filled with a deep sorrow and rage. Yet, it wasn't his place to pry so he left it alone and bowed his head, accepting the answer.

"Why did you?" Kiba asked, turning the question back at him.

"To protect someone," Ichigo answered simply and ended his stretches.

Kiba Yuuto did not seem to register the answer as he merely leveled his weapon. There was a space of two breaths before wooden blades clashed, the sound loud in the morning air. Ichigo immediately felt the difference from last time they clashed. Kiba's strength and speed were perfectly matched to his own. It seemed that Kiba had been preparing for this spar, wanting it to be even and a contest of skill alone. There was still the issue that Ichigo had longer each, but there was only so much that could be done to even the playing field.

With a gentle dip of the blade the attack slid off his defense and Kiba dance under his counter strike, spinning his blade with a flourish that would have connected with his ribs. Ichigo managed to block and was pleased to find that while it was still a shock at how strong Kiba was, it was not the attack of someone far stronger than himself.

They exchange a series of blows, each one seeking out a weak spot only to be met by an ironclad defense.

"You really are good, you know," Kiba commented as they clashed and strained against one another. "Have you ever competed?"

Ichigo stepped back, letting Kiba overbalance but the boy reacted easily, shifting his weight and stance to block a powerful downward slash.

"Never had the time for that," Ichigo answered truthfully, "and I never cared for them." There had always been hollows, invasions, espada and insane masterminds seeking world domination to deal with. He'd never even considered entering a human tournament or anything, he just used the sword to protect all those that he could. There was no real pride in the art of swordsmanship or the like, he just got better because he had to.

"How long have you been doing this?" Kiba asked as Ichigo blocked a slash by striking the blade before its full motion could be completed and twisted his hands to knock the hilt into Kiba's head. The blond leaned back from the strike and forced him back with several fast thrusts.

"Two years, give or take a month."

"You're this good in just two years?" Kiba shook his head in astonishment, "I need to up my game. I have been at this since I was ten."

Ichigo tilted his head as confusion flashed across his face. He had never felt that he had any particular talent for it. Just about every single opponent he had faced had been better than him; Ikkaku, Renji, Byakuya, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, Aizen all of them had been better with the blade. All those fights had been him desperately trying to catch up to their skill, forced to grow at the point of a sword. It was never a matter of skill, or genius, it had just been a matter of survival and victory.

Kiba unleashed a flurry of blows, each attack at the peak of human ability, attacks both high and low. Thrusts and feints were a literal blur of wood. Ichigo's body reacted automatically and without any hesitation. He gave way to the assault, blocking, dodging, ignoring feints and the reading Kiba's every movement like a book. Compared to Ulquiorra, which had felt like reading a machine, Kiba Yuuto was far easier. He didn't have to match the speed or strength of the blows to do so.

"That's what I am talking," Kiba continued conversationally. "That was amazing. You read me like a book and I was trying not to let you."

Ichigo wondered if his skills were as great as Kiba suggested.

"Could you show me how you did that?" Kiba asked. "Slowly."

Ichigo nodded and they took up positions, Kiba going through the same series of attacks but as if in slow motion. Ichigo bent his blade to deflect, as they moved through the feints, he'd point out how he'd seen through what Kiba was planning. Pointing out how his shoulders moved, his core reacted, the smallest of movements that he had to look for. It had been the only way Ichigo had stood up against the likes of the Fourth Espada.

"Where did you learn that?" Kiba asked.

"Experience," Ichigo answered. "It's something I just picked up out of necessity."

Kiba watched him for a moment, shaking his head, clearly happy to ignore the comment. Ichigo flicked a blow at Kiba's head to restart the bout, an action the pretty boy was happy to comply with. What transpired next was five minutes of uninterrupted swordplay, something that was utterly exhausting to a normal human and as trained as he was, Ichigo was still one of those. He broke off to go heave in grateful gulps of air, sweat drenching his body, hands and arms sore. He had not managed to score one real blow on Kiba and from his appearance the exercise had not even winded him. Though, there was a sheen of sweat on his body as well, the unencumbered young man was waiting for Ichigo to recover.

Ichigo forced himself to stand up straight, his body almost convulsing. That fight had been nonstop and was as fast as he had been willing to go. Several times he was sure that if he had his old power he would have been able to land a critical blow. Kiba Yuuto was a talented swordsman but he was too emotional. To be fair, so was Ichigo but for him emotion had always pushed him to strive harder, to become stronger. Strong emotion seemed to make Kiba attack more and after a few strikes he would overextend himself slightly.

"When you get too excited," Ichigo panted, "you overextend. Someone with greater speed than I could take advantage of it."

Kiba frowned at the statement, "That would have to be very fast indeed."

"Almost supernatural," Ichigo agreed. "But the point still stands."

"I... I will ponder that," Kiba said at last, his expression held a world of questions.

"Not much," Ichigo answered the unspoken question. "I'm not big on rehashing things but you can always ask one of Sona's peerage and they can fill you in on my particular situation. I'm not in the know but aware."

"Ah, I see."

"Plus," Ichigo added, "when you get thrown across the room by what amounted to a wild one-armed strike, it makes you think."

Kiba blanched, "Sorry about that. I wasn't expecting a challenge that day."

Ichigo waved it off, "No harm, no foul."

Both raised their weapons as Ichigo steadied his breath, "Ready."

As they moved at each other a sound brought them up short, it was a yell of sorts or closer to a squeal of pure delight. They both turned their heads to see several dozen girls, frozen to the spot, their mouths open. They wore the garb of tennis players and had their rackets out and ready but they seemed to have forgotten about that. Two of them were just staring with red faces at the two of them, another had her phone out and was rapidly typing.

Kiba sighed, "Oh, dear," before turning back to him, "Sorry about this, it always happens."

Ichigo shrugged, "It's not your fault. We still doing this?"

"Of course, if you want to."

"I don't see any reason to stop, we were bound to be seen eventually."

"True," Kiba admitted.

The clash of wood echoed again, and Ichigo found himself impressed with the practice blades. The things were not even dented from their fight, they were fine instruments, perhaps as unnatural as the boy he sparred with. The thought brough a grin to his face and he started attacking in earnest, determined to land a solid blow on his opponent.

Kiba seemed to sense Ichigo's determination and put everything into defending himself, using only the most simple of counter attacks to stop Ichigo from unleashing his full assault.

They were thirty seconds in and Ichigo could feel fatigue setting in again, but he was old friends with the feeling even if they hadn't really seen each other in a while. He jerked back at a sudden lightning fast thrust that brought a gasp from the onlookers, the sound was so loud it had to have come from more than three throats. They clashed again and he swung at Kiba's midsection, pushing his blade out of the way allowing his legs to come up in a solid kick to the exposed ribs.

Kiba took it well, very well, with only a slight stuttering step, a single weakness of motion, as it caught him off guard. And just as before, a wild swing done more on instinct than intent came hurtling Ichigo's way. Had Ichigo not been expecting it or had the blow been from a different angle, or came at a greater speed it would have struck him and no doubt broken something important. As it was about to land, Ichigo spun and when the air had just started to whistle he ducked, tucking in and feeling the blow pass over his head.

Ichigo brought his blade around, halting an inch before it would have collided with Kiba's exposed head.

A chorus of boos and cheers erupted and Ichigo glanced over, eyebrows shooting up as he saw at least thirty students now, and in front were two familiar faces. Reya looked a little bit out of her element, face dusted red as she looked over the two of them, her mouth opened and closed as if she was trying to speak but the noise was lost in the cheering and boos. He also noticed that she wasn't trying hard to be heard. Though, he was surprised that she seemed to be looking at both of them, after all, she had a major crush on Kiba. Granted he didn't read all that much into it and the two of them were in great shape. That might be most of what he had going for him but it did get him some looks. Kiba got more but that kid was handsome in a way that not many of his gender were.

The second girl Ichigo recognized paid Kiba no mind whatsoever. Koneko was like a quiet rock in that storm of sound the girl's were making. Quiet and focused, focused solely on him with her golden eyes that seemed to smolder, the gaze way too adult for a girl with her body. He turned away from that gaze before his cheeks could flush, some of his previous interactions with the girl came to mind, bringing with it the obvious infatuation she had with him.

"That was amazing," Kiba said, falling back to the ground. "I concede today's spar, that was well done."

Ichigo reached over and hauled Kiba back up to his feet, "It could be considered cheating with the kick I used."

Kiba laughed and it sounded genuine, "I never specified any rules, did I? So, that was your win," he sighed. "I have a long way to go."

"Yuuto," Koneko greeted, walking up to them, heedless of the jealous looks sent her way. She tossed him a white towel which the pretty boy gratefully accepted. She glanced at Ichigo and pointed at the bench nearby while commanding, "Sit."

He tilted his head at the command but given that his legs were trembling, and he guessed that she noticed that fact, he did so with great relief. Of course, Koneko's true motive was revealed when she approached him with another white towel, which he wondered where she was getting them as she hadn't had them on her before. Still, he reached out for it, but she deftly avoided his hand and began to towel him off herself.

The action caught him off guard, paralyzing any response that he might have given. As she wiped off his chest, his body restarted and to his immense embarrassment he went red from the roots of his hair to the tips of toes. Koneko smiled at that and stopped him from shouting at her to let him do it with a wipe of the cloth across his face. Laughter and whispering erupted from the girls watching and he heard Kiba laughing quietly.

She finished with quick efficient motions taking no more time than was necessary, granted if she had not done that he might have found the strength to stop her. As it was, she stepped back, her cute smile still on her face, tossing him his shirt she spoke very quietly so that only he heard her, "Please tell Sona-san fifteen-love."

With that she spun on her heels and for a moment he saw her flush with what might have been her own embarrassment, which made him feel better about the whole thing. Koneko walked away and the crowd of girls parted before her in respect, leaving Ichigo with a lot of things to think about.

---

Tsukune was becoming more and more depressed with every passing day since he'd last seen/fed Moka. Well, he had seen her, but fear, sadness and annoyance would cross her face before she'd turn and run from him, and not always because the small red head with the hammer was chasing her. Even his bad friends were too busy to spend any time with him; Gin apparently going out with the weird girl that didn't talk to people on the student council, and Haiji was feuding with Kurosaki-san over Koneko's affections.

Thus, he was feeling lonely as he trudged through one day after the other, the only excitement lately involving the data dump of photos featuring naked students. Thankfully, Sona-sama had warned him about the people behind the camera incident with the Kendo Club would try framing him and his two friends. He'd immediately handed his phone over to a council member which helped but he was getting evil looks from every girl on campus.

Fortunately, the real culprits were caught, the computer club and all their members were expelled while exonerating him in the eyes of his fellow students.

It was a relief, but it still didn't help ease his depression until he found a letter in his locker from Moka. His heart pounded as he read it:

Tsukune-kun, these past three days have been difficult without you around and I can't bare it any longer. Please meet me at the park fountain where we were last together during our lunch break. I have something important I need to tell you and I really want to see you again.

Love, Moka Akashiya

Tsukune had a smile splitting his face for the rest of the day as he was overjoyed to see the beautiful, kind vampire again. It was all he could think about, making it difficult to pay attention to his classes. He ended up spending most of each class looking at the clock, counting every second until he could be with Moka again.

---

Ichigo had regretted delivering the message the instant it had left his mouth, but Sona had hauled him to her office to demand why he and Kiba had caused a scene that made over fifty-two students late for second period. He had told her the whole story, including how far out of their way they had went to not be seen. Then he had asked how she'd known about it so soon, whereupon she had shown him the YouTube video which was already getting a lot of views. It was, of course, complete with the aftermath with Koneko and with no context it looked a lot more intimate than it had been.

He would not have been surprised to see frost form on her glasses such was the coldness of her gaze. He knew how seriously she took schooling, so he had been expecting as much.

But, when the words, "Oh, and Koneko-san told me to tell you 'Fifteen-Love'," had come out of his fool mouth, well, storm clouds that hadn't been there earlier had appeared over the school.

"Really?" was all Sona said about that, though her actions made it clear that they had affected her deeply. Not hurt, more galvanized and pissed off than anything. "So, you and Yuuto-san decided to practice a rough contact sport with no safety gear, no gym clothing and shirtless?" she asked as if counting off the rules they had broken in her head.

"I'm going to point out that we were not on school time, it was between consenting teenagers and, oddly enough, there is no rule about wearing shirts... which there should be," he defended himself, shaking his head at the last bit. "But all I could find was that pants and skirts are required. There was even an amendment from ten years ago stating that after a hearing from one of the students, underwear was not even necessary. This place makes no sense sometimes."

"You know the school rules that well?" she asked, surprise taking some of the frost out of her sails.

"You told us to," he reminded her. "Gave us the book and everything."

"Right, but it was a reference," she replied. "I didn't think you would memorize it."

"I can't quote the passage and page," he clarified, "but I remember the general ideas and some of the weird ones. For example, did you know it is in the school charter that the skirts can be no longer than what they are now?"

Sona sighed, leaning back in her desk chair," Yes, that was the first thing I looked into when I became Student Council President. The founding board had some... less than savory members and believe it or not this school has come a long way since then."

She shook her head and continued, "Now, back to the issue at hand," taking a moment to breathe through her nose deeply, "I would prefer if you and Yuuto-san would wait until school is over before performing any other such events. Preferably after all the normal students have left the campus."

"Yes, Kaichou," he replied, feeling some relief that he wasn't really getting in trouble.

Sona glanced at the clock, "Good, now go on off, it's nearly time for lunch, I need some time to think."

Ichigo noticed the time but asked, "Think about what?"

"How to make the score 15-15, of course," she answered, turning away.

Ichigo marched out of the student council room, waving to Tsubasa who was also looking at him with more than a little anger, and if he guessed correctly the ice coated workspace of Mizore indicated that she was also angry. Ever since revealing his own nonhuman heritage the others relaxed a little in hiding things but still weren't too obvious about their supernatural side. Though, that begged the question as to why they were so angry. He was also wondering what the hell was going on between Sona and Koneko. The scoring sounded a little like tennis, but he knew that wasn't what the girls had meant.

A part of him whispered in exasperation that they were attracted to him, but he just swept that away. He really didn't want to deal with it for as long as he could, seeing as there were secrets they couldn't share with him yet. If any relationship were to form, which he was somewhat sure was imagined on his part, it shouldn't be one shrouded by lies.

On his way to his locker to pick up his bento, Ichigo noticed an exuberant Tsukune nearly running off towards the park he usual took his walks through. He'd wonder what was making the lately depressed young man so happy. Probably how he was no longer being blamed for the hidden camera incident or so Ichigo thought.

That was when he noticed an envelope was lying on the ground with Tsukune's name handwritten on the front. Curiously, Ichigo picked it up, hoping it wasn't some of the naked photos that'd been leaked to the young man's phone as a part of the frame up. Tsukune had seemed to be distancing himself from the whole perverted trio image he was slapped with, Ichigo would hate to see evidence to the contrary.

Ichigo hesitated, not liking the idea of invading some else's privacy but decided it was for the best to make sure Tsukune wasn't doing something that could reignite the fury of the recent camera incident. Thankfully, and to Ichigo's embarrassment, it seemed to be a love letter to Tsukune from Moka Akashiya.

Ichigo thought the name sounded familiar before he remembered she was a member of the Occult Research Club. Then he also remembered that Sona had mentioned something about Tsukune being a recruit target for Rias, that so happens to be the club president that Moka belongs to. He really hoped they weren't using Moka to recruit the young man and rumors surrounding his predilections.

Just as he was contemplating what to do with the hopefully genuine love letter, Ichigo saw Moka walking toward the Occult club's building with a boxed lunch in hand. Considering that she's supposed to be meeting Tsukune and that the letter belonged to her, Ichigo moved to intercept her.

"Hey," Ichigo shouted out to the pink haired girl, "Moka, one moment please. I have something that belongs to you."

The girl jumped at the sudden shout of her name an turned to see one of the few boys in Kuoh Academy and a member of the student council. She easily recognized him from his orange hair, the... photos of him still circulating the school that she in no way looked at... okay, maybe she glanced but upon seeing that he was nude had deleted them immediately. She also knew of him due to her fellow peerage member's crush on him.

"Oh, Kurosaki-san," Moka replied with a friendly smile, "to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Ichigo had covered the distance quickly and handed her the envelope, "I think Tsukune-san dropped this and seeing as it was from you, I thought it best to return it to you. Though that does beg the question as to why you're headed to the Occult building right now?"

Moka took the envelope, tilting head in confusion as she answered, "Huh? I always eat lunch there with Baichou. And I didn't give Tsukune-kun anything."

Moka pulled out the note inside, and Ichigo saw confusion cross her face before it was quickly replaced by concerned fear. The bento in her hands dropped unceremoniously and her head quickly whipped in the direction of the park Tsukune had run off towards.

Just as Ichigo opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, the pink haired beauty burst into motion, going from ramrod still to a full-blown sprint in an instant. He noticed it was in the direction of the park and he immediately ran after her, knowing the look she had; Tsukune was in danger, and she was rushing off to save him.

Ichigo figure it something to do with whatever was happening around Sona and Rias' people, their society of supernatural beings. With how fast Moka was leaving him in the dust, shouting something into her phone, and how she was connected to the Occult Research Club, odds where she wasn't an ordinary human. Technically he should stop, go get help from Sona and leave whatever was happening to the people with the power to help, but Ichigo refused to ignore when some was in danger.

Perhaps a part of him was trying to prove that he could still help people, that he wasn't useless. The times when his friends back home would run off to fight a hollow and all he could do was stay away flashed through his mind. The pity that'd appear on Chad's face, the regret on Orihime's and how helpless he felt at those times hit him.

Something burned inside him, and he moved faster, but Ichigo also accepted the reality of the situation and pulled out his own and dialed Sona.

"Ichigo?" Sona answered, a gasp in the background from her peerage at the usage of his name without honorifics was audible.

"Tsukune is in trouble," he yelled, catching sight of Moka still several feet ahead of him, "I think something not human has lured him into a trap. You need to-" the phone cut off, as the phone was completely dead.

He slowed, looking around wildly, and saw Moka looking up, to which he panned his own vision upward to see a curtain of purple energy. Even to his own human senses it gave a malignant force. A cold fear flickered through him, not for his own safety but Tsukune's as they'd not be getting help anytime soon. Ichigo pushed the fear aside and moved after Moka, who'd picked up speed again towards the fountain.

---

Tsukune had rushed to the park fountain as quickly as he could the very moment the bell for the lunch period rang. He'd even reread the letter on the way to make sure he wasn't getting the time or location wrong, absently tucking it back into his jacket pocket midstride upon confirming just that.

He was out of breath when he arrived, bent over, bracing himself on his knees and taking in deep breaths. Once he'd caught his breath, Tsukune panned around, looking for the pink haired girl he couldn't stop thinking about.

There was nobody in sight, but that didn't worry him as he'd ran there as fast as could, as soon as he could. He'd probably just beaten Moka to the magnificent water fountain, and he started to daydream about Moka asking him out on a date or how he would finally meet the Baichou lady that'd allow him to finally spend time with Moka again.

"I'm so glad you showed up, Tsukune-kun," a feminine voice mocked, getting Tsukune to turn towards an approaching figure.

The figure stepped out from the surrounding forest's shadows to reveal a girl around his own age with long, silky black hair and light violet eyes set on a lovely face. Well, it could have been lovely if not for the twisted malicious grin on her face. She had a sinfully luscious body barely covered in what could liberally be called a striper's outfit that only slightly covered her nipples and privates.

"Umm.. I-I... uh," Tsukune mumbled out intelligently. "W-who are you?"

"Raynare," she answered, her lips twisting into an even eviler grin that sent chills up his spine.

The sense of arousal he'd originally had upon seeing the beauty had faded with her creepy smile, but it completely died when the sky turned purple. Then every cell in his body started screaming at him to run, yet his legs had frozen up in fear.

Raynare raised her hands and a red light glowed between them, a purple light twisting and forming into a spear crafted by her hands, "Won't you die for me now?"

"W-wha…," Tsukune squeaked out as his body trembled, the woman just smiled her twisted, malicious grin and the spear of light thrust forward.

Suddenly, pure, hot agony shot through his stomach as warm liquid poured down his legs. Numbly, through the absolute pain that racked his entire being, Tsukune looked down to see the spear of light was plunged into his guts, the clothing and flesh surrounding the light sizzled and burned away.

He wordlessly tried to say something but all that came out was a choked gasp followed by globs of blood.

"Eww," Raynare's face scrunched up in disgust, "Your piss is getting on my shoes," and she ripped out the spear, blood, stomach acid and bile flowed out of the open wound. She sighed, "I suppose I should be thorough," and she swung the spear horizontally to decapitate the boy.

A part of Tsukune recognized the oncoming danger to his life but it was background noise to the screaming agony. He almost wanted to die, just so that the pain would stop but at that very moment a pink blur slammed into him, the light of death passing over them and to the side as an orange blur rammed into Raynare, causing her to scream in pain.

Tsukune wasn't sure what was happening, the pain made it hard to think, fuzzing his mind, but he noticed the beauty on top of him. How could he not, idled mind or not, as Moka had been on his mind all the time as of late. But there was something very wrong; she was crying.

"Tsukune! No! Please no, j-just hang on," the angelic beauty wept over him, her hot tears landing on his rapidly cooling face. "You can't die! W-we've only just became friends! I-I..."

The sounds of a battled echoed in the background, along with taunts, grunts and screams. Something was fighting the cruelly beautiful monster girl that had impaled him. Moka had even turned her head and shouted something that sounded like stop, but he couldn't be sure.

Tsukune wasn't sure when, but he'd been in Moka's arms, a hand pressed to the gaping hole in his stomach, thus he saw Raynare's terrible visage. One eye closed with a trickle of blood pouring out like a tear, her nose bent and a chunk of her cheek missing, and her eyes blazed with an enraged edge of cruelty.

The monster now had black wings, which should have frightened him but that was washed aside by the fact that she was moving towards them. Looking up he saw fear and anger on Moka's face, along with a resolve. Was she going to fight the winged terror?

NO! his mind shouted, only a bloody gurgled escaping his mouth as his vision dimmed. Worse than the pain that... that was starting to fade into numbing nothingness... was he dying? He shook that off as the absolute terror of Moka getting hurt pushed him away from his own demise. He shakily reached out to her beautiful, kind, strong face and desperately forced out words.

"R-r-run... M-Mok-ka..." he weakly uttered, practically inaudible and his hand fell, catching on something for a moment before pulling it down with his heavy arm that'd lost all its strength, the rest of him not too far off.

Then there was an explosion of dark energy that surged out of Moka, her vibrant pink hair turned silver, her eyes blood red and her fangs elongated. The vampire side of the bubbly girl was on full display, the dark, oppressive energy sweeping aside the terrible aura of Raynare in an instant.

All that Tsukune could think was that she was truly stunning, monster or not.

There was fury in Moka's predatory, crimson eyes and all gentleness was gone from her face as she stared down the wing terror. Said terror flinched back, fear overtaking her previous rage.

Moka looked down at him, a gentle smile, one not as wide as her pink haired self but just as breathtaking, spread her lips. "Hold on, Tsukune. I'll put the oversized bird in its place and get you fixed up," her voice was the same but there was a colder timber to it, but it was still pleasant. She then gently laid him down, putting both his hands on his wound firmly, "Just stay alive."

The last thing he saw before falling into unconsciousness was Moka stand protectively over him, a glare of pure hatred on her face as she prepared to take it all out on Raynare.

---

Moka was furious.

For the first time in six years, she had control of her body, and what does she awaken to? A friend that made her outer-self happy, brazen even, dying at the hands of a Fallen Angle bitch. Moka's blood was practically boiling as she moved slowly towards the soon to be dead bitch.

Moka could feel the enormous power flowing through her entire body now that the seal was removed. From the feel of it, she knew she was much stronger than she remembered being. At ten her power bloomed, which was common for vampires, but what she had now was an ocean apart from that growth. Perhaps that was why her power had been sealed? Moka still couldn't remember what happened but after turning ten and being sent away to live amongst humans she had been sealed, another personality controlling her body.

And her mother was gone, missing from the world.

It must have had something to do with the massive increase in her power. It was now standing at the high end of S-class yokai power or in devil terms, as she was now half devil, High Class Devil, and not on the lower end. She would put her raw power on the level of her older sisters and peak High-Class devils, even stronger than her King, Rias Gremory.

That also brought up another prickingly irritation; her softer self had agreed to be reincarnated as someone's servant. She wasn't subservient to anyone, especially someone that was weaker than her. Thankfully, Rias had the power of absolute destruction, a rare devil power and was connected not only to the well-known Gremory family but the sister of the strongest Devil in history, the Maou, Sirzechs Lucifer. He was stronger than her father and was considered to be amongst the top ten most powerful beings in existence.

More than that, Rias and her peerage gave her outer self a place to call home since their mother went missing, and friends that eased her sadness. Despite the initial hatred Moka had for the outer personality taking over her body, she had come to care for her. They talked, commiserated and cared for one another. The outer her gave her a sense much like her mother and that helped ease her own pain at losing her mother.

Which returned her fury to the Fallen Angel that had made her outer-self cry, nearly killing Tsukune, the only friend she ever managed to make on her own. Her true self approved as he'd given her softer outer self the backbone to speak back to Rias and act like the powerful vampire of the Shuzen family that she was. That and his blood was really delicious, the best she'd ever tasted, and it'd be a shame to lose such a willing morsal.

Looking at her prey, Moka noted the body of Ichigo Kurosaki laying on the ground not too far off. He'd put up an admiral fight for a human, actually injuring a superior being with little more than his skills in karate. Though, she'd taken notice of the blue lines that had periodically appeared underneath his skin during his fight against the Fallen Angel that her outer self hadn't. He was now lying face down with hole in his chest, having been run through by a light spear, previously pinned to a tree. She idly noted he wasn't bleeding out as quickly as should have.

Moka also remembered that Kurosaki-san had a point value on par with Tsukune and figured his powers, whatever they were, had started to awaken but not quickly enough.

"W-what- How? Y-you're just supposed to be some vampire slut-" Raynare didn't get to finish as foot collided with her face, sending her rocketing back, nose completely shattered along with her jaw. The winged monster flew back, crashing through the very tree she had impelled the orange haired boy.

"Shut your dead trap," Moka coldly growled out.

Raynare hacked up blood and a few teeth before rising to her feet unsteadily, surrounded by the splintered remains of what had once been a tree.

"You're nothing," Moka taunted. "You barely defeated an ordinary human, but that's to be expected. Weaklings like yourself only target prey much weaker than themselves, afraid of a real fight. Of running across a real predator, like me." Her eyes glowed brighter as her power spiked, making the angel tremble.

"S-shut your filthy mouth," Raynare blustered in rage. "I'm a pure being of light and y-you're some blood sucking whore that crawled out of the mud!" She was seething, breathing heavily.

Moka calmed and focused on the issue at hand. She needed to kill the pathetic bitch so that the barrier would fall, and Rias can teleport to finally reincarnate Tsukune, saving his life. If the red headed pain had simply swallowed her pride and reincarnated him early, like she should have done, then he'd not be dying right now. Moka would have take her outer-self to task and get her to be more confident and forward when dealing with their King. If she'd been in charge of her body, inner Moka would have physically knocked some sense into Rias and made her reincarnate Tsukune days ago.

Moka shook it off and moved, Raynare was screaming obscenities and was preparing to attack. Moka was a blur, getting into the angel's personal space, twisting into an upward kick, one leg firmly planted into the ground and the other slamming to the Raynare's ribcage. The sound of shattering bone puncturing organs was audible from the perfectly landed blow.

Raynare vomited blood, which would have coated the vampire underneath her if not for the fact that said vampire was gone. The fallen angel was in too much agony to contemplate that fact, her spear having dissolved in particles of light.

Before Raynare could touch the ground again, having shot several feet into the air, she was gripped by the back of her long black hair. Then in an instant a knife-hand punched through the back of her neck and out her throat. With one jerk of her hand, Moka ripped the woman's head clean off, a contemptuous look on her face.

"Pathetic," Moka spat, "you should have known your place, little bird. You'd have lived longer."

---

Sona had to bite back a scream of horror as the teleportation ended. Rias was kneeling over Tsukune Hyoudou, the power fading as she turned him and a furious silver haired vampire glaring at her. Rias looked properly nervous as what could be felt from the vampire suggested she was stronger than her and Sona herself. An angel or fallen angel was in the process of disintegrating, most of her now being nothing more than the very light from which her God had forged her.

But none of that mattered to Sona as on the ground was Ichigo Kurosaki. His hair was matted with blood, his body bruised, burned and cut horribly as he laid in an ever-increasing pool of his own blood, a fist sized hole visible from his back. A surge of hot rage flashed through her at the sight of Rias finishing her claim on the other boy.

She did not remember her body moving but she was at Ichigo's side before she realized she was moving. Her own power flaring, water twisting its way into existence, and she turned him over as water blocked the exit wounds to stop the loss of blood from his body. He was pale, so very pale and his breathing was almost inaudible to her inhuman senses.

"No, no, no," she whispered. "No!" she'd mentally wondered what in the seven hells had happened and why it had involved Ichigo.

Her sister's warning about the fallen in town rushed back to her head, but they had looked and found nothing, Oh, no, her sister. How would she take what happened? No, it wasn't right, it wasn't fair. There was still so much that she wanted to learn about him, to know, to see him grow... to... to... perhaps one day be something... more. And now it was all gone, fading before her eyes and she could do nothing as she didn't have two rooks, eight pawns or a queen piece. She only had a rook and knight piece remaining and that was nothing at all... unless.

Sona's head shot up as Rias approached her, the vampire staying back to hold the healed Tsukune. Rias' face was fraught with her own worry, doubt and self-loathing. She'd made the decision to save Tsukune, someone she'd been targeting for months and Moka had been berating her over for dragging her heels. Sona was galled at the thought, more than it should have as he'd have died from his own injuries if Rias hadn't, but she still didn't agree with it. She just didn't want to lose Ichigo. Rias was they only one that could have saved him, maybe her sister but she was too far away. Even if Sona called her right then and there it'd take too long even for a Maou to make it there before Ichigo died.

"We can get him to the hospital..." Rias suggested, though her words were empty as she could see as well as Sona could the pointlessness of that.

"Rias," Sona whispered, I want to do something very stupid. Something that I know shouldn't work," she looked down at Ichigo, the eight points of his worth floating over his head in her King's sight. "Will you help me?"

---

Ichigo fell into the black void that was his broken soul, mostly content with himself. He'd given the woman everything he had, breaking her nose, blinding one eye and took a piece of her cheek before falling. In that fight he noticed the blue lines running through his blood, it was a rare quincy power his mother excelled at called Blut. He actually noticed those blue lines running dimly throughout his broken soul, but they were fading like he was.

He could hear the remnant of his soul cracking under him far below. Ichigo wondered if Tsukune would live, the blow he'd taken before they got there was bad, but before he'd blacked out, he saw Moka change and even felt the vast power she produced, eclipsing the black wing woman with the spear of light. Tsukune might have a chance if Moka can get him some aid.

Well, it didn't matter as he was dying.

It wouldn't be a peaceful death knowing that he would hurt those he cared about with his passing, but it would be as close to peaceful as he could hope to get. He kept his eyes open as he laid waiting for the crash landing in his broken soul. Then there was a sound, a great sound like the tolling of a massive bell.

Ichigo blinked into the sudden rain as sudden movement pierced the stormy sky of inky black. Whatever they were, they were huge monoliths, alien in scope. Two dark shapes fell from the heavens, faster than him, and the holes in the sky they left in their wake created a path for light to shine down once more. He twisted his head to watch the shapes as they descended into the void of his soul, down and down they went until there was a sound so vast that his inner world, his soul, shook. The sound of two incomprehensibly large structures found purchase in what he had assumed was an endless void. The grey surroundings shattered, and color returned on a flood, allowing him to see the monoliths and he recognized them as massive rook pieces that scrapped the sky.

There was a moment of silence as his inner world stopped its shaking. Then from the crown of the right rook came a cascade of water, spilling out over the edges in a tide so vast that it struck the void with the force of an ocean. From the left rook's crown black fire erupted like a volcano, starting at the top before wreathing its way down the entire length of the rook.

They both crashed into the soul void and met with great force, causing a wave of agonizing steam to erupt where they collided up at Ichigo's falling form. All vision vanished and there was only pain and something else... Power, conflicting power twisted its way through his inner world, both trying to do something, but both were canceled out. No, that wasn't the right term, they were fighting each other, just like he and his hollow had fought each other. Even with the mask they had fought, and only when he had taken in his power, the entirety of his power, both the hollow and Zangetsu had he reached his true strength.

Without his eyes he could sense the powers and he did as he'd done when learning the Mugetsu and drew them into himself willingly. While it wasn't the worst agony he'd ever experienced, it ranked quite a way up there, the feeling being crushed between the weight of the ocean and a vast all-consuming fire of darkness. His body, or the spiritual representation of his body became the dividing line that stopped the conflict and merged them together inside of him.

There was a tingling at the base of his spine, a small spark at first that grew into heat that spread up to just below his naval. The heat grew, rising to his stomach, building like an unstoppable force. He screamed as the heat passed through his heart, throat, eyes and lastly his head. Something clicked and his eyes glowed bright blue, his scream became a call, a summon with the force of an atomic bomb and his soul responded.

His body glowed blue, his inner world matching that glow, and he drew in everything, the power flooding his soul, now reinforcing his will. The two contrasting energies were brought into him fully and as it had always been with Ichigo Kurosaki, child born of three conflicting powers, a hybrid from the beginning to end, the powers found balance. It was simply how his soul worked, how he worked, how he'd been born. Always existing with conflicting powers that found balance in him.

That was when he realized that his soul had never been broken, not really, it just needed a spark to be reignited.

Arms caught him, slowing his fall to a gentle drop, the steam still shrouded everything. Visibility was so low that he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face, yet Ichigo knew who held him. As the one who held him was intrinsic to his own existence.

The steam parted around them, revealing a swirling, raging ocean of blue and red-black fire surrounding them on all fronts. Only the small outcropping they'd landed on, large enough for only four or five people, was spared from the destructive ocean that made up his inner world. The first thing he saw was the familiar figure, the strong sharp features, pointed nose, the scruff of a beard, the dark cloth that was black on the outside but white on the inside.

Zangetsu, the part of soul reborn in fire and water, in will and hope.

"Welcome back, Ichigo," Zangetsu's rough voice greeted with genuine joy, but Ichigo detected undertones of sadness and trepidation.

That was when Ichigo noticed an odd creature shrouded in pure white light that was concernedly similar to the woman he'd just fought. It was a bone-white man tinted with a purplish-black hue, two small mouths instead of eyes that breathed, had teeth and a tongue. Instead of a mouth it had the bone white teeth of his hollow mask, the two horns coming from its temples and black lines going down both sides of its face. Its white hair just like his own and twelve wings, six on each side, made of white energy edged with the same purplish-black hue as the rest of the creature.

Ichigo was about to ask what the hell that was, but it died before his mouth even opened as he felt what it was. But that couldn't be...

He looked at Zangetsu with wide, disbelieving eyes, who's own gaze was downcast, a heavy rain pour started at that very moment. A queasy, terrible feeling storming through his entire being, matching the monsoon that was raging, the ocean around them becoming even more turbulent.

"Yes," Zangetsu confirmed his fears, "that is your Zanpakuto, Ichigo. The hollow named white that Aizen created was made from layers of many soul reapers, that hollow entered your body and melded with your soul reaper powers. It became your Zanpakuto."

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock, "Wait a second.. then w-who are you?"

"Your Quincy power," Zangetsu replied and corrected, "and I'm not Zangetsu."

The sky cracked with an otherworldly lightning, the ground beneath them shattered and all three of them sunk beneath the sea.

"Are you really not Zangetsu?" Ichigo asked desperately.

"I am the source of the Quincy power inside you. I am Yhwach and not Yhwach."

That struck Ichigo down to his core, the ocean of his inner world shaking so badly that he could barely see anything. Even the monolithic rooks shuttered from the tossing waves that represented the turbulence of his soul. Yhwach was the name of the Quincy King that was responsible for his mother's death. The only remaining target for his vengeance other than himself, the primary reason for her death. If not for Yhwach she'd have easily killed Grand Fisher, his mistake for falling for the hollow's lure wouldn't have cost him and his family the center of their joy. The sun that kept them together.

Ichigo was hyperventilating, his whole soul trembling, "I don't understand!" he started yelling out. "Are you, my enemy?! Did you kill my mother?! Or are you, my friend?! Was everything you said to me a lie?! Which is it?!"

Th spirit that was formerly known as Zangetsu kept his face neutral as he answered, "I'm not your enemy or friend, but there are no lies in my words or heart. Except for the name I gave you. Ichigo, I know you've seen it; when I taught you how to handle a Zanpakuto I always had the help of your hollow power."

The memories of those events flashed through Ichigo's mind, thinking on them through a new context.

"When you couldn't handle your Zanpakuto's power, or when you were truly on the verge of death, your life was saved not by me, but your hollow power," not-Zangetsu/Yhwach continued somberly, Ichigo's eyes going wide at the revelation. "I... I didn't want you to become a soul reaper. That is why I suppressed your power that was still maturing and personally became the center of your power."

"Why?"

"Why?" the imposter Zangetsu parodied in confusion. "What is there to question about wanting to keep you far away from danger, from conflict?"

That stunned Ichigo into uncertainty.

"If you had become a soul reaper you would have been dragged into battle whether you wanted to or not. You'd get hurt. You'd suffer," the manifestation of his Quincy power's face and tone became severe. "And eventually, I would have had to kill you myself."

With the flap of his cloak, opening up to reveal a white undershirt and with his right arm extended downward, he conjure a cross-like sword of blueish-white spiritual energy. Ichigo's own gaze hardened and he griped his fists tighter in preparation for a fight.

The imposter raised the blade and kept talking, "I couldn't let you be a soul reaper, if you became one I'd have to kill you," the flowing energy blade reached his face, "That is what I thought."

Ichigo's gaze softening ever so slightly, but his posture was still prepared for violence.

"However," he lowered the blade to the side and away from Ichigo, "you chose the path of a soul reaper. You where given the opportunity. You strengthened yourself through pain and suffering as you traveled down that path of your own free will. As I watched you, I could almost hear my heart wavering. Eventually, my wish of keeping you far away from soul reapers tilted toward helping you become one."

The Yhwach/not Yhwach gestured toward the creature that felt like Ichigo's true Zanpakuto, "Thanks to the powers of the Biblical Factions you've been separated from the power and influence of the Quincy King and the Soul King through this Sacred Gear version of an Asauchi. Buried deep in very essence of your soul, even deeper than your soul reaper power was a piece of the Biblical God's power that created its own unique spirit that forges a soul reaper's Zanpakuto, removing the Soul King's influence on your spiritual power and soul."

The older man gestured at the dark ocean they were submerged in, "And the devil power changing your flesh and blood from that of a human to a devil's, severing the real Yhwach's influence and control of your Quincy blood."

The blade's tip was put into the ground, the Quincy power placed his hand on the pommel as his body started to disintegrate which was being absorbed by the Asauchi and blue lines started snaking through it, "With that severance I can now step away."

Ichigo frowned in shock at his words and state of dissolution, along with many questions about being a devil and a god power hidden in his soul.

"Ichigo, you've grown strong. I was blessed to get to watch your growth right beside you. There's been no greater joy in my brief existence. I am content."

"W-wait, Zangetsu!" Ichigo screamed out, trying to move towards his long time companion, "I still haven't..."

Zangetsu's eye behind his glasses became sorrowful, a single tear falling as he cut him off, "Ichigo, what you've been using was merely a fragment of your power that I couldn't contain. You can now fight with your full power."

The spiritual energy of the sword was no longer being held, Zangetsu imposter's half that was holding it had been broken down and absorbed by the Asauchi, and peeled back to reveal a hilt. Like a shark scenting fresh blood the winged, horned, hollow-like Asauchi moved on it, crashing through the remains of what had been Zangetsu to Ichigo. The moment its hands grabbed the true source of Ichigo's soul reaper power, there was an enormous explosion of power that shredded the fake Zangetsu, swallowing his last words and pushing back the entirety of the destructive ocean they were submerged in.

Ichigo could feel the spirit that was his Quincy power being broken down to its fundamental essence and incorporated into his newly forming Zanpakuto. He could feel that the power would be fully taken in but the individual personality that'd been with him since the beginning, that'd never lied, who'd helped save him by stopping the times he'd been bleeding out and even lent him the power of a quincy to become stronger in times of need; like his battle against Kenpachi. Ichigo didn't care who he really was, he was also Zangetsu alongside his hollow power.

So, before the Zangetsu he'd always known was gone forever Ichigo leapt at the Asauchi, his hand sinking into its core and the explosion expanded in a flash of light that consumed his entire inner world. In that brief, yet long moment Ichigo thought about how he wouldn't ask for Zangetsu's help anymore, or tell the hollow to stay out of his way. How they were both him, his power and they'd fight as one, together to protect all that they loved and prevent the rain from falling upon his inner world.

When the light faded and his senses returned he found his inner world was rebuilt, massive skyscrapers built of the black destructive flames as the frames and the deep ocean blue filling out the shapes. Though it was all standing upright instead of sideways like it used to be, most likely signaling the change to his power and soul. It might be centered around the monolithic Rook pieces touching the clear blue sky and the ocean that made up the ground of the world holding up the buildings.

The ocean was being fed by the pitch black Rook on the right, cascading down over the crown, but now it had an odd symbol at its center that he'd never seen before; the top curving like a paper fan with a heart shaped space, a long thin rectangular pointed edged shape running through the middle, the bottom small but similarly shaped at the top with a large cut out, all of it a vibrant, glowing blue (the Sitri family symbol). Then the faint blue pattern of Blut running through the Rook piece emanating from the blue symbol.

The second bone-white Rook piece that supplied the mass for the skyscraper frames was being supplied by the red-black flames rising from its crown. In its center was a crimson rose tinted in black encased in a circular shape, black lines spreading out and curving around in a similar fashion as the hollow's hole he'd had when his hollow power took over in his fight against Ulquiorra.

"Thank you, Ichigo," a younger, softer version of Zangetsu's voice with an echoing timber like that of his hollow-self.

Ichigo turned to see a young man, maybe in his twenties in a white shihakusho that was open at the chest to reveal a hollow's hole there, and tapered down like a flowing cloak, very much like his bankai's clothing but black on the inside. Actually, this Zangetsu looked like Tensa Zangetsu after it'd formed with his hollow power when he learned the Mugetsu but with two horns, yellow eyes and black sclera, two black streaks going down his face from his head to his jawline, wavy shoulder-length white hair, and two wide spread wings with pitch black bone frames and four blue-white energy 'feathers' per wing. (Energy Wing System from Code Geass Guren Seiten)

"Zangetsu?" Ichigo tilted his head in confusion.

"Tensa Zangetsu," his Zanpakuto spirit corrected.

"Am I in my bankai state?" Ichigo asked.

A guilty look crossed Tensa Zangetsu's face as he answered, "No, my true name was always Tensa Zangetsu. Your bankai of before was being suppressed by my Quincy half, the bit making it out was my full shikai name and power. This," Tensa Zangetsu held out his left hand and his blade appeared; resembling a Khyber knife the size of his body with no tsuba and proper hilt that was a cloth-wrapped tang, just like his shikai used to always be like, "is your Zanpakuto in its sealed state."

"Wait, are you telling me what was my bankai was just my shikai?"

"Yes, when you attempted to reach bankai using Urahara's device my Quincy self had use all its power to suppress it," Tensa Zangetsu clarified. "Thus, giving full access to your true shikai's power."

"So, I never achieved bankai?" Ichigo asked, disappointment evident in his voice.

"Correct," Tensa Zangetsu confirmed, shame lacing his voice. "You'd touched on it near the end when you used Mugetsu. That was an attack of your true bankai but without having actually achieved it you burned out your soul reaper powers."

The newly formed inner world trembled as realization struck Ichigo hard, "T-then you..."

"I purposely allowed you to lose all your powers," Tensa Zangetsu explained. "I-I, a part of who I was, wanted you to be safe and thought being reduced to an ordinary human would be the best way to go about it. It hurt to never see you again but it was the sacrifice I was willing to make to stop you from being hurt ever again."

"And how'd that turn out?" Ichigo asked redundantly, the fresh memory of being cut up and impaled at the forefront of his mind.

Tensa Zangetsu closed his eyes, and bowed his head, "I was wrong, you can't avoid danger as long as there are those that you want to protect. I wasn't sacrificing anything... I was selfishly doing what I wanted for you. Can you forgive me, Ichigo?"

Ichigo took a deep breath and looked up at the sky that'd clouded from the turmoil of his heart at knowing the being closest to him, and the spiritual manifestation of his power, was responsible for the months of useless, emptiness he'd suffered. But the clouds faded away as he released his breath and accepted it was all in the past, no changing what has happened. Also, that if it hadn't happened he'd not have come to Kuoh and ended up learning the truth about his powers and Zangetsu.

"That's all in past," Ichigo replied. "Sure, it'd have been nice to have had access to my full powers during certain fights and hadn't been forced to struggle with my helplessness," he shrugged. "But all that's important is that I finally have the power to protect again."

Tensa Zangetsu smiled softly as he replied, "You're right and thank you, Ichigo. We should focus on how we've changed."

"I take it has something to with your wings and the massive Rook pieces," Ichigo supplied and Tensa Zangetsu nodded his head.

"You've been turned into a devil by those Rook pieces, they function similarly as I do, being the representations of your devil power. Though, there's no intelligent spirit to teach or aid you in its use, it acts solely as the source of its power and the changes to your physiology. I suggest seeking out the two young women responsible for it."

Ichigo thought on that instead of asking and figured that at least one of them was Sona. Before Ichigo could push further on that topic he was ejected from his inner world.

---

Sona knew she'd made a mistake as she was hurdled back from the explosion of power that burst from Ichigo. A towering pillar of black energy laced with blue, red and purple shot into the sky, destroying the fountain, and a significant portion of the surrounding forest. She was battered and bruised, she even had a few burns from the occasional discharge of power that came off the pillar of black.

"W-what I have done?"

Sona could feel the chaotic mix of powers clashing unstably; her cool, deep ocean of demonic power fighting Rias' destructive flame of demonic power for dominance. There were traces of other contradictory powers in that mix, ones she'd never felt before. Most likely the powers Ichigo had told her about, that he'd lost.

Then there was the powerful turbulence of emotions coming from that torrent of power consuming the sky. Pain, rage confusion, lost and longing swirled around and attacked itself in a vicious cycle. Emphasized by the roaring, inhuman howls that frightened every living thing and sent shivers through her very being.

But what concerned her even more than all that was how much power she could sense coming from Ichigo. It was hard to grasp but even at its weakest it was High-Class Devil level and at its height his power was up there with her sister.

Sona could see Rias and Moka, who was carrying an unconscious Tsukune approaching her, glancing at the pillar on enormous power with trepidation and fear. They were as banged up as she was, their clothes tattered and torn in certain places.

"We shouldn't have done this," Rias uttered out in horror. "We killed him."

"I-it was the only chance he had," Sona weakly defended, "and he could still pull through." Her words were barely heard over the terrifying, soul trembling roars coming from the pillar of darkness that could very well be tearing Ichigo to shreds.

"We need to put up a multilayered barrier to keep this contained," Moka stated. "Damage control takes president over whether or not Kurosaki-san survives your monumentally stupid action."

Both Kings glared at the impassive silver haired girl, but both of them had to turn away as Moka returned their glare challengingly. Using two evil pieces from two different sets was monumentally stupid as it was doomed to fail and kill the subject involved. The vampire also made a valid point as just about everybody in all of Kuoh must have seen the massive pillar of darkness shooting into the sky, and more and more of the park was being destroyed with every passing second just from the wind force being generated from it. That wasn't even counting the bolt of destructive energy randomly discharging and annihilating everything they came in contact with.

"You're right," Sona lamented and pulled out her cell phone to call her peerage to set a barrier to surround the entire park.

"That won't be necessary So-Tan," Serafall's voice cut in with an out of character seriousness when visiting her beloved baby sister, "I've already taken care of it."

All eyes turned to the Maou, dressed in a simple tank top and skirt but her severe glare at the pillar of darkness made them turn away from her. They decided to look up to see a shimmering barrier of purplish energy taking up the sky. Then with a wave of her hand an intricate pentagram encircled the storming pillar of energy, stopping the discharge and gale force winds.

"Onee-Sama," Sona exclaimed, "I'm so glad so see you. I-Ichigo's... he's..." she gestured towards the contained vortex of raw power.

Serafall narrowed her eyes at the pillar, then to Sona and Rias before letting out a deep sigh, "You two tried reincarnating him together. What happened?"

Moka was the one to explain, as she was the only one there for what happened, "Tsukune-san was lured here with a forged letter by a fallen angel that attempted to kill him. Kurosaki-san had fortunately found said letter and brought it to my outer-self, seeing as it was supposedly from her. Realizing what was happening she ran towards the park fountain, Kurosaki-san following me here. She tackled Tsukune out of the way, preventing his decapitation while Kurosaki-san attacked the fallen angel."

"Why was he, an ordinary human fighting a fallen angel instead of you?" Serafall accused with narrowed eyes.

Moka wasn't one to flinch or back down... usually, but a Maou was beyond her so she looked bashful as she answered, "My outer-self hates violence and can't fight. It wasn't until Tsukune managed to removed my seal that I came out, regaining control of my body and full power. By then Kurosaki-san was impaled and lying in a pool of blood. He'd managed to wound the angel to a reasonable degree." Her voice became cold, "Then I tore her head off."

"When the fallen angel died her barrier fell and we were able arrive," Sona added.

"Tsukune-san was dying with a hole in his stomach, so I revived him," Rias guiltily said.

"Ichigo was on verge of death when I got there," Sona somberly stated, "but by then neither of us had the right pieces to reincarnate him. So... I suggested something very stupid," she hung her head in shame.

"We used our Rooks," Rias clarified/added, "so it could have worked."

"No, it won't," Serafall replied with dread and looked at the pillar in concern, her hand still raised in its direction, having to constantly reinforce the seal containing it. "I'm surprised he didn't just explode into a pile of blood and guts like the last time a pair of idiot tried just that."

Rias and Sona flinched at the accusation and what could have happened.

"Then why is this happening instead, Leviathan-Sama?" Moka asked respectably.

"I don't know," the Maou admitted, a puzzled look on her face, the worry for the young man still evident. "There seems to be a complex mixture of conflicting powers inside that pillar of dark power, several of which I can't identify. They could be the cause but how were they introduced?"

"I think they were his," Sona supplied.

Serafall raised an eyebrow at that, Sona answering the unasked question, "He told me about how he used to have powers that he sacrificed to defeat someone too strong to be beaten otherwise. About his father not being human and his mother was a human with supernatural powers."

"What exactly?" Serafall asked, an inquisitive look focus on the pillar that held Ichigo.

"Mmmm… Soul Reaper and Quincy," Sona said after a moment's thought.

"Soul reaper... quincy?" Rias reiterated in confusion. "What are those?'

"Hmm," Serafall hummed thoughtfully as Moka just shrugged, jostling the sleeping young man in her arms.

"Onee-Sama, do you-"

Sona's question was cut off as the black pillar suddenly expanded, breaking past the seal Serafall placed, which was terrifying in of itself, making the Maou take a surprised step back. Serafall's power surged as she quickly forged walls of ice between the incoming energy and the lesser devils around her. Several of the layers shattered, Serafall raising both hands to reinforce the last layer, stopping the pillars advance, the clash causing the air to ripple, power to crackle and her ice to crack.

Just as Serafall was about to let loose the pillar of energy collapsed back into itself, becoming and orb of absolute black. The cracked ice wall shattering away just as the orb did, revealing an unconscious Ichigo in his torn, bloody school uniform, but his flesh was flawless.

---

Ichigo opened his eyes to a familiar, yet different ceiling and sensation hit him like a hurricane. He took the briefest moment to bask in it, as senses once familiar returned in full force. It was like his mind was awake again, casting his spiritual senses, a force that crossed an unimaginable distance. He sensed Orihime, Ishida, his father and sisters, sensing they were all alright, and could barely sense the presence of Rukia and Nel worlds apart. Then the input was gone, his sense shrunk, and he could feel new people or rather he could feel new friends. They were close by and given the feeling of an unfamiliar bed beneath him he had a guess as to where he was.

The first and easiest one to sense was the cold power emanating from a soul that seemed to hold an ice age at bay, a swirling power fit to swallow the world. And yet, he didn't fear it, for it was controlled and measured, but most of all because in that soul he felt a kinship and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were of a similar purpose. In fact, that soul seemed to hold more, much more under its protection than he once did, and might now again.

The second noticeable soul held the power of a crystal clear, perfectly still lake. Utterly controlled, perfect in clarity, and yet it was deep, perhaps deeper than the person themselves knew. In its depths was a boiling power, sleeping deeply, waiting to be called upon.

The third was a dark fire, a heat that rose and felt like the breath of a dragon. It had a color all its own that matched the flame that now burned in his soul. It smoldered under its own tight control, held in a grasp that had a desperate air to it, and a potential of great power much closer to the surface than the seconds.

There were others, each had a mixture of two different powers that created a new being, a new soul. Each soul was tinged by the dark flame or the smooth water. Mixtures of burning white light, blue flame, song, beast, lust, ice, four with a similar feel to a Zanpakuto and one that felt human. Ichigo opened his eyes and let out a breath as his senses retracted from the vague sensation of the other souls.

They were in the main room of Sona's mansion. He could feel that he was naked, though given that Raynare had pretty much destroyed his school uniform it made sense. His hand came up and he looked upon it, as if in response to his scrutiny lines of blue that traced his veins seemed to shimmer.

He lowered his hand and went over to redress himself, pulling on a pair of paints, a shirt and slipping his feet in sandals. "So, I know you threw me out, but are you going to speak to me?" he asked aloud.

"What do you wish to know?" Tensa Zangetsu asked directly into his mind.

"Do I need to go get the badge to use my soul reaper powers?"

"No, a part of the changes allows you to directly manifest your powers while still in your body as it isn't entirely human anymore. Just reach towards it and it'll come."

Ichigo smiled, his heart pounding in sudden burning joy and reached inward, there was a rush as his soul seemed to explode outward and twisted around him. It solidified, clothing him in his own power the sensation power greatly missed embracing him. As the transformation ended, he turned his eyes to the mirror, he was in his familiar shihakusho, red strap going across his torso keeping the cloth wrapped Zangetsu on his back and all. There were a few noticeable differences, like the added white and black armor wrapping around his neck, a series of crossing black markings with matching pinstriping and four black lines tracing the bones on the back of his hands branded into his skin (Fullbring Shikai form).

He looked at the markings on his forearms and the back of his hands, rubbing them to confirm they were infused with his skin. Lifting one foot and then the other, coming down on the air above the floor and feeling a solid footing. He drifted down to the ground and was about to release the form when he felt around a dozen senses land on him. Thus, he decided to maintain the transformation as a part of the explanation he'd have to give.

He took a deep breath, calming his excitement and forcing his mind to focus on what had happened. He'd not been the only one attacked by Raynare and he needed to find out what happened to the young man. Ichigo walked into the main room where Rias and Sona with their respective peerages were gathered, along with Serafall. They'd all been staring in his direction the moment he'd entered, probably since they'd first sensed his power.

"Is Tsukune okay?" Ichigo asked, shattering the silence.

That seemed to catch them all off-guard, except for Serafall, her head tilted as she looked him up and down, recognition in her eyes. A few of the others like Saji were wide eyed in disbelief, not at his appearance but High-Class devil power coming off of him.

"So," Ichigo said into the silence, "is Tsukune still alive? I was not in a good position to tell."

Koneko rose from her spot on the couch, a complicated look on her face, one that had gone through a range of emotions in a very short period of time. Her walk was stiff and rigid as she moved towards him.

"Koneko," Rias called gently, though the girl ignored her.

Ichigo waited until she was right in front of him, her face a mask of conflicting emotions of anger and relief. He put a hand on her shoulder, "Hey," he said in a low voice, "I'm fine, better than fine actually. I'm whole again."

She shuddered at the words and half growled, half sobbed a wordless response before latching onto him and hugging him hard enough to bend steel. It felt a little tight for comfort but other than that he was fine.

Gently he patted her back, looking up at the others, "Tsukune?" he asked yet again.

"He... he is fine," Rias carefully answered. "Sleeping in the Occult Research Club building with Moka-chan and Haiji-san standing guard over him. Though, I should have known when you woke up."

Sona nodded in agreement with that.

The relief that Tsukune had survived or at least something like what had happened to Ichigo gave him some room again for other emotions and thoughts, allowing him to start paying attention to the others.

Serafall's eyes flickered down to Koneko, her expression one of relief, amusement and a very comfortable desire, "Well, I for one, think it is good that you are among the living."

"I feel the same way, Levi-tan," he replied.

The words struck her hard, though not in a bad way. It was almost as if she expected something about him to have changed. Perhaps the vast power he sensed from her was the cause. Power that was comparable to Ulquiorra, Head Captain Yamamoto and Gin Ichimaru. He smiled at that, understanding that she feared the large amount of power might frighten him like it does others. Even now, most of the others showed Serafall respect heavily enforced by their fear of her power. But her strength was used to protect, thus he felt no fear of her whatsoever.

"Some things have changed," Ichigo reinforced his lack of fear, "but not that much. You're still just Levi-tan to me."

The look Serafall gave him almost made him take step back; a look so molten that the sun would melt but it was gone before he could study it.

Serafall laughed, "Good, I was worried."

He gently pulled Koneko from him and thankfully, she didn't resist. His eyes flickered to Sona, who looked torn between rising and not wanting to move. He walked over to one of the empty love seats and sat down, dismissing his Zanpakuto and shihakusho as he landed on the cushion. Serafall simply appeared beside him, though he could track her movements now, claiming the other side. Koneko didn't even pause to glare, she just sat down in his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world. That got Sona, Mizore and Tsubasa to grit their teeth but they chose to let it go for the moment.

"So, I think I'm ready for that full explanation you promised," Ichigo stated politely, looking a Sona. "Starting with who the hell was Raynare and what's the Gregori?"

Serafall, Sona and Rias stiffened at the last word.

"Was that her name?" Sona asked.

"She introduced herself as 'Raynare of the Gregori' right before trying to kill me," Ichigo confirmed.

"We have questions for you as well," Rias added. "Like what that form was and what happened while you were in the massive pillar of dark destruction."

"Pillar of destruction?" Ichigo wondered aloud. "If someone could explain what is going on, I would be more inclined to share what I know."

Koneko leaned back against him and mouthed 30-Love at Sona, who let out a sigh, though Tsubasa glared at the girl from her spot as ice daggers floated around Mizore. Rias just looked amused along with many others.

"I don't know how much you think you know already," Sona started.

"I only know about what I told you the other day," Ichigo informed. "Soul reapers, hollows, and Quincys. What'd Saji call it... a faction?"

Serafall's eyes widened, recognizing the names, unlike the rest of the peerages.

"The basics then," Sona stated firmly. "First and foremost, just about every myth you've ever heard of is real. Gods are real, monsters are real, angels and devils are real, as well as a thousand other things."

"So, you're all devils I take it."

Rias nodded, "We are all devils, Ichigo."

Zangetsu's words rang through him, and he nodded which Sona took as a reason to continue, "You almost died Ichigo, and I... I couldn't let that happen, and thankfully I had a friend with me."

Rias nodded with a troubled look taking over her face as Sona kept going, "To make a long story very short, and I will give you the whole story later if you want, our Pantheon has three factions: the Devils, the Angels and the Fallen Angels. Raynare being a fallen angel, was one of the Biblical God's creations who has given into sin."

Ichigo felt it was a good thing he was being informed about theses thing as he came to terms with the fact that there was a lot he didn't know about. Though, he wouldn't have been surprised if Urahara knew about all this Pantheon stuff.

"These three factions had a major war in which there were many casualties," Sona said.

"Which was followed by a civil war amongst the devils," Serafall added with a smile that did not reach her eyes, "Because, yes, fighting over scraps like children while our race dies are exactly what one would expect from sensible people." She sounded like she had a lot of pent-up aggression.

Sona winced, but moved on, "So, our species population was at a staggering low number and normal birth rates were not going to allow us to sustain ourselves as a viable population. Which led to the creation of these," she held up a hand and a black king appeared floating above her palm.

"I'm going to assume those are not just chess pieces," Ichigo supplied.

"You would be correct," Sona quipped, her mouth quirked in amusement. "This is a magic item, perhaps the closest so far to matching the Sacred Gears created by the Biblical God." Ichigo noted that Tensa Zangetsu had mention sacred gears and the biblical god. "These items allow for those granted to them to gift unto those they wish to reincarnate as devils."

"So," Sona kept explaining as Ichigo nodded his understanding, "going into the finer details there is a system behind who, what and how someone can be transformed. Each candidate is worth a certain number of points to differing people. You, for example, were worth eight points. To give you an idea of what that means, a knight piece is worth three, a pawn one, a rook five and a queen piece is worth nine."

"So, that was what those two rook pieces were," Ichigo mused. "I guess you overspent on me."

That got a pause.

"What do you mean?" Rias asked.

"Well, I watched them remake most of my soul and now it makes sense why," he answered simply.

"...remake your soul?" several voices from Rias' people said together.

Ichigo sighed and retold what he'd said about his former powers and heritage to them all, Sona's group mostly ignoring it. He added to the end of it, "Then you two gave me those pieces and reignited my burnt-out power, my soul."

"Well, we didn't have any options at the time. I was desperate and Onee-Sama was not in town yet," Sona's fingers played over each other. "So, I acted, and it worked, saving your life."

"And causing a massive pillar of darkness that scrapped the sky and destroyed the park," Rias added. "If you were as powerful as you suggested then I guess it'd make sense," though she sounded uncertain.

Saji couldn't hold back the scoff, despite having heard his story before, Kiba looking contemplative but uncertain while Akeno muffled a giggle with her hand. Koneko patted his arm in a comforting manner and said softly, "I believe you, Ichigo."

Serafall just gave Ichigo a knowing look and a smirk as she could sense the hidden depts of his power just as he could hers.

"Anyways," Ichigo moved things along, not carrying if they believed him, all that mattered to him was that he had his power back, "Thank you for restoring my power, Sona-san, Rias-san."

"By the way," Serafall chimed in, leaning against Ichigo's shoulder, "can either of you command him?"

"I assume that has something to do with the King piece?" he asked.

"It was meant to be a control mechanism in case someone who should not have been given this gift could be controlled," Serafall explained with a grimace, and Ichigo got the idea she was not so sure of that. "We, or at least those with any sense, make it a point never to use it, as the whole point of people having brains is for them to use them. I wouldn't see any potential wasted, much less by my own words."

"Still," Ichigo grumbled, "I don't like the idea of someone having control over me, so could you try it and see what happens."

Sona sighed and looked at him, "Stand up," her voice reverberating with her King's command, but nothing happened, and he shook his head.

Rias tilted her head and gave her own command backed by the King's authority, "Rise to your feet, now." Again, nothing happened, no flicker of compulsion, or struggle against an order.

"Hmm, maybe having two kings scrambles the command," Sona theorized.

"Or," Serafall supplied, "he might be that strong willed. There have been cases where creatures of great power and mental fortitude have been able to ignore the command. My Beli-chan, for example."

"Your Queen is the Behemoth, the first," Sona said carefully. "So, that makes sense with her..." she went quiet, thinking about the pillar of destruction that pushed her sister, the Leviathan herself to suppress it and just barely, that ushered in Ichigo's rebirth.

"She's just infatuated with him," Saji scoffed/grumbled under his breath to Kurumu. "No way he's as power as the Behemoth. It has to be the pure, astronomical, dumb luck of surviving the implantation of two evil pieces from different kings." Kurumu nodding her head enthusiastically at Saji paying attention to her, even latching onto his arm, making sure to press her breasts into him.

"Why do you call her Beli-chan and not Behe-chan?" Ichigo asked, ignoring the not so quiet rebuke from Saji.

"It sounds better, and she was fine with it," Serafall answered chipperly.

"Okay, so commands don't work," Ichigo mused, "I feel a lot better about that, no offense," he looked at Rias and Sona.

"None taken," Rias replied. "It is often the largest reason for refusal among mortals."

"So, to sum it up, I'm a devil and I work for both of you now?"

"It's closer to you are part of our families now, and we are the heads of that family," Sona corrected.

"You two saved my life and gave me back my powers, I will always be grateful for that and I'll do my best to repay that debt," Ichigo pondered his next words before continuing, "I do not mind seeing where this goes but I will let both of you know," he looked them both in the eye with an intense severity, "if you ever do anything that goes against what I am, what I believe in, what I'd die to protect... I will stop you."

He let that warning hang in the air for a moment.

"Wow," Serafall, practically swooned, leaning closer, "is anyone else feeling hot in here?"

Koneko, Tsubasa and Mizore raised their hands, though Saji and Akeno glared, both insulted at Ichigo having the gall to disobey and threaten their respective Kings.

"I understand that you seem to have a well-developed sense of morals and I will try and respect that," Sona leveled her own gaze at him. "But I would ask that you speak to me should there be an issue so I can explain myself and for you to do the same."

"I can work with that," Ichigo conceded. "Rias?"

"Fine by me," she shrugged. "I honestly don't have any overarching plans yet, save to grow my own powerbase, become an asset to my brother and most importantly, keep my freedom."

"Okay," Ichigo nodded. "Now are there any other fallen like Raynare around town. I don't want any more murder attempts."

"No worries," Serafall smiled. "When I heard what happened to you and your destructive rebirth ended, I was mad, very mad." Sona winced at the words as Serafall's smile grew malicious. "So, while you were asleep, my peerage and I went over this whole town with a fine-toothed comb. There were three other fallen along with a whole church full of their cultists, fallen priests and excommunicated exorcists. They tried to attack me, so I went all Miracle Levi-tan Ice Love on their mentally deficient asses."

Tsubaki raised an eyebrow and walked over to the window, pulling back a curtain to reveal a several hundred foot tall, pointed glacier in the distance, towering above the forest.

"So, given that you like secrecy," Ichigo looked at Sona, "how are you going to deal with that?"

"I'm not. There are whole companies in the underworld dedicated to helping with this sort of thing and my sister can afford the best," Sona responded, putting her hand over her face, pink touching her cheeks.

"Aww, I'm not that bad," Serafall giggled through a mock pout.

"You know more than you're letting on," Mizore accused.

"Well, the black pillar from Ichigo-kun's reincarnation will be harder to cover up than my little ice sculpture," Serafall admitted, "but-"

"I'm not talking about that, Serafall-Sama," Mizore cut her off, eyes narrowed on the Maou. "You know about the Pantheon Ichigo-san is from."

"I noticed that as well, Onee-Sama," Sona agreed, "You have this knowing look on your face every now and again."

Every eye was on the Maou expectantly, even Ichigo and she sighed, "I don't much about them, only the basics as they disappeared like six hundred years before I was born, but as a Maou I do have access to most secrets."

"Disappeared?" Ichigo wondered in confusion.

"Yup," Serafall replied. "Unless we actively use a spell, ability or magic item all supernatural beings are visible to even ordinary humans. Originally the Isolationist Soul Reapers or Balancers depending on how far back you go were just as noticeable as us, but they had found a way to be unseen and unable to be sensed even by supernatural senses in their entirety."

"I thought that was because Soul Reapers are spirit beings," Ichigo said.

"That's true," Serafall agreed, "but spirits that grow strong enough to interact with the physical world can be sensed and even seen by regular humans. Its why most human ghosts go unnoticed until they grow stronger, usually through an accumulation of negative emotions. Then we're able to deal with them through magical means. Exorcists are actual best at dealing with ghosts."

Ichigo managed to catch an enraged look cross Akeno's face, but it was gone nearly as soon as it formed.

Serafall shook her head, "I'm getting off topic, sorry. The Soul Reapers had ended up ruling over Japan, killing off the other Japanese gods and most of the Yokai populations with their god leading the charge. Eventually, the rumor was that they turned on and killed their own god to rule their Pantheon themselves."

"They killed their own god?!" Tsubaki uttered out in shock.

"That's stupid," Reya stated, "Without a god it'd leave them vulnerable to the other Pantheons that still have their gods."

"That explains why we never heard of them," Saji commented, "Overestimated their own power and were crushed by stronger factions, hiding away to survive." He had a smug look on his, looking at Ichigo.

Serafall had an almost pained look on her face for a moment before correcting Saji, "They actually still control most of Japan because whatever they did to hide themselves affected all the souls in Japan. So, despite having multiply Pantheons invading and taking territory, all the souls were unclaimable, thus not worth the resources needed to keep the territory they took. We can only claim ones that we make deals with before they die, which is why we have Kuoh and little else in Japan."

"Wait," Gin interceded, "are you saying that these Soul Reapers are the ruling Pantheon of Japan?"

"Yup," Serafall answered, "and not just because of the little hidey trick they pulled. Sure, they had the Norse, Greek and Yokai Pantheons all coming down on them hard, so they had to hide but they had a few reported heavy hitters on my level."

Ichigo nodded his agreement to that, "Yeah, the head captain Yamamoto is at least as power as you, Levi-tan but I've never seen his bankai, so I can't be certain of his full power." He paused and thought before adding, "Actually, there were several captains who's bankai I haven't seen before."

"Bankai?" Sona asked.

"It's the second released and full power of a soul reaper's Zanpakuto," he answered, holding out an arm and manifesting his blade and changing into his Shihakusho form, the blade as long his body held out in front of him. "This is my Zanpakuto Ten-

"Oooh," Rias interrupted him, "your scared gear. I can sense it now."

"I can as well," Sona agreed. "So soul reapers all have scared gears then?"

"Uh?" Ichigo lamely said.

"I don't think so," Serafall supplied. "From what Ajuka-kun once told me, they're more like specific versions of scared gears they make, much like our Evil Pieces. Though it does have a very familiar feel to the biblical God's Sacred Gears..." She just shrugged it off.

Rias suddenly straightened and look off, "Oh, it seems Tsukune-san has awoken. I should go and explain things to him as his King." She stood from her seat and gave Ichigo a nod, "Good to see you have recovered so well and," she glanced at Sona, "we will need to work out a schedule on his time. After all, it's now fifty-fifty on him."

Sona nodded her agreement, "We will talk later."

"Koneko, Kiba, Akeno," Rias said.

Akeno and Kiba had been silent the entire time but as they stood to comply with Rias unspoken command, she bowed slightly, hands folded in front of her, "Welcome to our peerage Kurosaki-san."

Kiba gave him a grin and said, "Now that you are more than human, we can have a real spar sometime."

Ichigo returned the pretty boy's grin, "Sure, I'd like that," releasing his form and blade in a melting stream of black energy.

Koneko reluctantly got off his lap, turning to punch him lightly in his chest, "Do not get yourself killed again. I would be very sad if you did."

Ichigo put a hand on her head," I don't plan to."

That got a sigh from the small girl, "It that what you say every time?"

"Pretty much," Ichigo admitted after a moment's thought, "and it's always true."

That didn't seem to help her mood and Ichigo knew that, but he wouldn't be himself if he said otherwise.

"Then I guess I will have to watch your back," Koneko conceded before walking over to Rias.

Serafall grinned and took Koneko's place on his lap. Every hair on his body stood on end at the sensation of her power washing over him and the soft cushion that was her butt landing on his privates. Koneko glared her heart out at the woman who just smiled glibly in return.

"Nee-san," Sona whined in mortification.

"Hey, this is me relaxing," Serafall defended. "Isn't that what you wanted me to do?" There was an undercurrent to her words, something small, but powerful, a need of some sort.

Sona's expression changed and Ichigo knew she had caught it too as she answered, "I... did, but it's not fair," she voice a barely audible whisper.

"Indeed, Tsubasa agreed, moving to take the seat beside him, taking his arm and wrapping it up with hers.

"Yura-san," Sona growled, said girl simply replied with a Cheshire grin.

Saji looked like he wanted to attack Ichigo, ignoring Kurumu's attempts to calm him down with her impressive assets pressing into him. Mizore was a mixture of jealousy and trepidation. Most of the others looked amused or disinterested. Though, Koneko had bared her teeth at the exchange, much to Rias' amusement.

"Well," Rias cut through the building tension with a grin plastered on her face, "we need to get going now, see you tomorrow, Ichigo." With that Rias and her peerage members vanished as red circles appeared under them.

"Ah, teleportation," Ichigo said, fighting the growth of his lower half from the firm, bubbly butt pressing into his appendage and the arm firmly squeezed between Tsubasa's breasts. Serafall tilted her head to grin mischievously at him, feeling the hardness pressing into her and wiggled her rear-end forcing him to grunt out, "Neat," in a vain attempt to not let any pleasure escape his mouth.

Sona held up a hand and took several calming breaths, though her gaze at Tsubasa told them all that she would be having words with her.

"So, all the members of the student council are your... peerage," Ichigo moved the conversation along, "is that the right word?"

"Yes and yes," Sona answered. "Tsubaki here is my Queen, San my Bishop, Gin stands as my Knight, Tsubasa is my rook," she paused for a moment to glare at the girl, "Mizore, Reya, Kurumu and Saji are my pawns."

"Do those different pieces do anything or are they just ways of turning stronger creatures into devils?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, to both of those," Sona answered. "A pawn does not gain any real special traits, save for promotion as in chess if they reach enemy territory they can promote to another piece. Bishops, for example, gain increased magical potential. The Knight piece grants the user enhanced speed and mobility, whereas the Rook is the opposite; granting enhanced strength and durability." She gestured to Ichigo's hands and commented, "I honestly expected some damage to the environment by now. It took Yura-san about a week before we could let her out of my house."

"Kaichou!" Tsubasa snapped out, her face blushing as several of her fellows chuckled.

"I have dealt with enhanced strength over my two year stretch as a Soul Reaper," he replied with a shrug. "Do multiple pieces stack?"

"Not in the original benefit, but should the pieces mutate, which is possible, they could grant further separate effects."

"How do you know if they mutate?"

"They look different from the original," Sona explained with a wave of her hand.

Ichigo remembered how odd the two rook pieces looked in his inner world and asked, "Can you take them out of your body?"

"Not normally, you can manifest them," Sona answered with her hand held out, her king piece appearing. "But it's merely an astral projection of the real thing, the same in every way. The projection can be studied and tested, but the real piece is still inside you."

Ichigo let out a breath, leaning back, Serafall giggled as his breath tickled the back of her neck. "Well, things just got a lot more complicated." he said aloud.

"I know," Sona agreed.

"Hey, at least you got near immortality out of the mix," Serafall helpfully added, then paused. "More like an enhanced lifespan in which you can be killed, but otherwise you stick around, forever youthful, if not young and strong."

Ichigo chuckled awkwardly, "That is good, I guess," as he'd been thinking about what he was going to tell his family about all of it. His eyes closed, which was a mistake as the feeling of Serafall's body against his seemed magnified, and he was certain she knew as she started grinding into his stiffness with a shit eating grin.

That was another matter; all the sudden female attention he was getting, even the quiet and reserved Mizore had moved to behind the loveseat he was sitting on, peering up at him every now and again. He wasn't complaining but he was curious. It wasn't like he had done anything other than be himself.

"N-E-E! S-A-N!" Sona gritted out through clinched teeth. Serafall grinned at her and then slid off his lap to the floor, and Ichigo leaned forward, crossing his hands over his lap, so as not to give an obvious show as to what effect the woman had on him. Tsubasa and Sona still glared at him like it was his fault, he could even feel the stealthy Mizore's icy stare on the back of his head.

"So, about these chess pieces?" he moved things away from his stiffness issue.

"They are actually called Evil Pieces and before you ask Ajuka-kun was having an off day and is too proud to admit his first name was stupid," Serafall shrugged from her spot on the ground between his legs. "I said that Miracle Devil Transformation Pieces would have been better, but he said no."

"Hmm," Ichigo replied, "Okay, good to know but, um, what happens to the person if the Evil Pieces mutates?"

"Odd things," Serafall answered. "Most of the time they grant odd special powers, or ways to manipulate the rating game, sometimes just simple power boosts."

Sona was nodding her head at her sister's explanation.

"So, what do you think these do?" Ichigo asked as he held out his hand and manifested evil pieces. For the water piece, water began to run off his hand and onto Serafall, who did not seem to mind. She just craned her head to look at him and gave him a good view of how her wet shirt clung to her well formed chest. The other rook piece was bone white and burned with black flame.

The room just stared at him, "Both of them mutated?" Reya asked. "I thought there was a one in a million chance of that happening."

Serafall laughed and drank some water, "Not bad," she proclaimed as Ichigo dismissed the piece, trying and failing not to look at her soaked shirt.

Tsubasa tightened her grip on his arm, but he barely felt it, though he did feel the ice crawling up his back from Mizore's annoyance. Her infatuation with him was the oddest as he hadn't really spent much time with her outside council work. Sona took the more sensible approach waving her hand and a blanket appeared over her sister who snuggled in it gratefully.

"What was that?" Ichigo asked.

"Magic," Sona answered, pleased at his interest. "It's a trait all devils bear and most can use. Though we do it differently from the human mages. For one of our species we require three traits to use magic; One is imagination," she held out her hand, I picture water in my head, I understand it, I have studied it, I know how it works, how it's supposed to move and operate. Now, while all that does help me in using it, all I really need to do is picture how I want it to look in my head. Second, I channel my power through it and have to sense when there is enough, when that is complete..."

An orb of water floated above her hand. "This of course does not stop me from learning human magic, or other such systems, but for our kind this is how we do magic."

Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment and only found his reiatsu, though it had a different feel to it. Not that it was different, but tinted with something else... perhaps the devil's power of magic? "I want to learn that," he said simply."

Sona again looked pleased, "I will be happy to teach you, when there's more time. A lot needs to be done to clean up all the chaos the Fallen caused."

"And I will show you how to use your rook skills," Tsubasa added, seemingly annoyed that she had not gotten much of a word in.

"Okay," Ichigo replied. "This has been quite the Q&A today."

"It's a start," Sona agreed.

"But I think I want to take in what you've told me before I get anymore. So, in the meantime, who wants dinner?"

As it turned out San and Gin already had plans, Saji simply said no and left with Kurumu following after, offering up treating him to a meal. The others all agreed to the free meal.

"Good, but first, I need an ice cold shower," Ichigo replied. "Thanks you for that by the way, Levi-tan."

"Always happy to help," Serafall said with another Cheshire grin.

Ichigo stood up and turned away from the remaining girls, mostly to hide his annoying biological reaction that was refusing to go away. He'd forgotten about the silent Mizore, who was staring at his bulge with a crimson blush. He'd better covered himself by moving his hands to cover more area and hunched, scrambling off to the shower. At least the shower should give him some time to figure everything out and what he was going to do next.

But for the moment, his powers were back, he was not dead, he oddly had the attention of several beautiful girls, to which he had no idea as to what he was going to do about, but things were good. He was going to have retrain to reacquire his bankai or more accurately, truly awaken it and he still doesn't know how he'll explain this to his family and friends. Which was going to be a pain, but he was whole again. He could fight against monsters like that Raynare woman and protect all those that he can.

Life was good and he could handle whatever this large world of myths would throw his way.

---

An assistant of the R&D department of Squad 12, a nameless grunt not worth anyone's attention was dreading his job at the moment. He'd been monitoring his assigned section of the nationwide spiritual detection network and got an anomalous signal to appear in one of the restricted areas. It was an enormous reitsu signature that read more like an Espada's but with abnormalities he and the database couldn't identify.

As the least valuable and most junior member of the network detection team, he'd been the one that had to bring the results to Captain Mayuri. The captain had been engrossed in the materials he'd acquired from Los Noches and didn't react well to interruptions that weren't at least equally as interesting.

The last member of the division that brought a priority notice to the Captain's attention was used as a control subject of his next experiment... the poor soul eventually died. In short, anything less than an absolute priority with promising potential to lead to a new discovery or a direct order from the Central 46 and Head Captain Yamamoto.

But one could be punished for failing to file such a unique report to the Captain. Thus, the grunt entered the Captain's main office/lab and placed the report into the priority bin, which was three tiers below the highest bin of importance.

The assistant had held their breath the whole time and felt like death was barring down on them. Until he'd successfully delivered the report and escaped his Captain's lab alive and unnoticed.