Chapter 15: Coming of the Titans

"Due to Yūshirō Shihōin being preoccupied still adjusting to the responsibilities of his clan, you will first begin the interview with Tenrai-chō Tsunayashiro," Byakuya informed Shūhei as he escorted the Lieutenant through the main district of Seireitei where the Nobles reside.

The once beautiful area is still under repair from the chaos caused by Sōsuke Aizen so it has lost nearly all of its luster. Against the protests of the aristocrats, all reconstruction has been halted for the day so the area is largely empty and currently, it's just the two Shinigami with no other shred of life in sight so far.

"You have experience interviewing Nobles, are you not?" Byakuya questioned Hisagi.

"Yes, Captain. I had the privilege of speaking directly to the nobles to write my articles about them, as well as Shinigami who have worked for them to get a clearer picture, and not once have my articles dissatisfied them," Shūhei informed. "The last time I wrote about the nobility was the high-ranking Ise Clan who are second only in power to the Shisonka. However, I wasn't able to interview Lieutenant Nanao Ise about her clan who refused to comment."

"I see," The stoic Captain replied emotionlessly as always. Though, inwardly he is curious about the topic of Nanao's family that he knows as little about like the Tsunayashiro Clan.

"Captain Kuchiki, in your professional opinion, what is your take on the latest Tenrai-chō and the one who came before him? Given that you regularly converse with one another to discuss nearly all matters concerning the wellbeing of Soul Society that Central 46 cannot, would you say that you have confidence in Lord Tokinada leading the future of the Soul Society with honor?"

"Concerning the late Tenrai-chō, Untaro Tsunayashiro was a man who kept to himself and only showed his face when he was summoned to matters of the utmost importance. I felt it a privilege to collaborate with him for the betterment of the Seireitei," Byakuya stated. "Considering that the Shisonka have fallen on hard times before the abysmal disaster that was the Kurosaki Invasion, given how one of the four has not had an able-bodied head for half a century there can be no denying that the Tsunayashiro and Shihōin being quick to crown their successors is a boon for the Soul Society's future."

"So the Heiress of the Kasumiōji Clan is still not suited to become Tenrai-chō? That is unfortunate but expected given the clan's hardships," Shūhei commented with visible concern.

"In regards to Tokinada, there is little I can say. He is a member of a branch family that had a promising future during his time in the Shinōreijutsuin and upon graduating he was supposedly meant to be the first member of his clan in three hundred years to become a Gotei Captain," Byakuya said.

"Is it possible for you to elaborate on why is it that the highest-ranking noble clan is so elusive when it comes to the Gotei 13? Given their importance it is logical for them to have a militaristic influence like the other three great clans but for centuries that hasn't been the case,"

"As you should know, the Gotei 13 were not the first military force of Shinigami that have safeguarded the Soul Society and Human World from the threat of Hueco Mundo. There was another army far more ancient than our illustrious Head Captain," Byakuya began, not believing it improper or disrespectful to give away a topic viewed as sensitive to some but his grandfather never saw it as such so he would not shy away from it.

"The details of this legendary force are scarce, back when the Shiba Clan were considered one of the Shisonka but what is remembered is that the Tsunayashiro were steadfast supporters and members of that army, and following their mysterious disbandment, the Soul Society fell into disarray, leading to what we refer to as the Age of Chaos when law and order were but a fantasy until Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto made them a reality once again. Despite his successes, the Tsunayashiro disapproved of his methods and believed the Gotei 13 would never be as triumphant, thus the top Nobles have not meddled with military affairs ever since,"

"And Lord Tokinada was their attempt in finally giving the Gotei a chance?" Shūhei continued.

"Correct. However, days before his captaincy, Tokinada would fall on tough times and face a tragedy beyond his control, rendering him unable to become a Captain and was disinherited by his Tenrai-chō," Byakuya said.

"What sort of tragedy would cause such things?" Shūhei blurted out almost unprofessionally, the details of this story bigger than he imagined. Seldom has anyone made mention of the Gotei 13's predecessors, even in the Academy so a lot of this is new to Hisagi.

Byakuya did not say anymore, leaving them in uncomfortable silence for almost five minutes. In his confusion, Shūhei realized too late that they had taken a wrong turn from the Tsunayashiro Manor and stopped in a back alley farther removed from possible prying eyes.

Shūhei becomes further confused when a light is cast from Byakuya's hands that surrounds them in a dome of light-based reiryoku.

'Bakudō #26. Kyokkō (Bent Light)…?' He gasped, familiar with this Kidō. A spell that hides the physical form and Reiatsu of the caster by bending light. Right now, unless they are being hunted by someone of Byakuya's caliber or even greater, no one would be able to track or even hear them.

"This is to be off the record but more important than anything else said," Byakuya began, finally looking Shūhei dead in the eye with forlorn and disgust. "Tokinada Tsunayashiro, in my opinion, is far more dangerous than anyone you or I will ever encounter. It can be argued that Sōsuke Aizen is even worse but despite everything, I'm not yet convinced."

The sudden shift in tone overwhelmed Shūhei, not even his Captain Tōsen had managed to spook him and he was a terror when he was serious or angry.

"The reason for his disinheritance is because he was charged with killing his wife. That alone makes him detestable but the details surrounding the crime are unfounded. Officially, he caught his late wife having an affair and he killed them both in self-defense when they tried to dispose of him but Captain Kyōraku who was in charge of the case claimed to have evidence that proved that the affair partner was no more than a friend defending Tokinada's wife when he found him doing her harm and appalled by their defiance, killed them in anger. Unfortunately, because of his noble status, Tokinada's sentence was lowered, and ultimately got off with a slap on the wrist."

"Is such a thing even allowed? Noble or not, letting someone get away with murder is unacceptable before the will of Reiō," Shūhei questioned.

"He has done worse than that but this disgraceful incident is one of many problems concerning the Tsunayashiro Clan," Byakuya frowned. "You may think whatever you want of me considering the crisis with my adoptive sister but in truth, I did what I had to because not even nobles must be above the Law, something Tokinada's family never understood and why my clan has always stood in opposition to them."

"Tell me, has Kaname Tōsen ever mentioned him to you?"

The question further confounded Shūhei but concerning the man that he still sees and respects as his Captain, not that he would ever admit to anyone, he regained some of his composure.

"Now that you mentioned it, he has. He had occasionally taken me to train to hone my senses by using his Bankai against me. We discussed many things during training and once, in a spur of the moment, he mentioned the names of many past criminals he encountered that he swore he had and would one day bring to justice no matter the cost, and Tokinada was among them. A while back, when he was charged with drafting an article about the Shihōin Clan he expressed relief because we were initially supposed to write about the Tsunayashiro," Shūhei explained. "I never dared ask him what was troubling him but those moments have stayed in my mind."

"I believe your former Captain might be involved in that old crime to some capacity, there is much to consider but the fact remains that having that man in a position of power above the Head Captain is not good for us all," Byakuya said. "When you interview him he may start as kind, and even sentimental but either intentionally or as a slip-off he will say something to provoke you. Whatever you do, do not give in to his taunts. Tokinada is a man who believes that everyone is a plaything to him. Don't bother breaking his illusion but when he puts a yoke around your neck do not let him notice you resisting."

"I understand, Captain," Shūhei glared with fierce determination.

If all of this is true, and he prays to Reiō it is, he could hopefully find some answers as to why his Captain would betray him and their Division, and perhaps, find a way to bring him back to their side.


"I am so through with this," Ichigo sighed irritably, walking in the air above Karakura.

Once the next day began, he immediately set out to patrol the town and did not stop to rest until he found Ganryū again. He has not met up with his friends today but he can feel faint traces of their Reiatsu, also searching for him and picking up whatever Hollows show up. The fight last night attracted a lot of them but their aggression seemed diminished, like Kyōgoku affects them.

"Think that valley is doing something to the Hollows? I never would've believed any of them could turn docile like the way we've seen them," Ichigo wondered.

"Not docile. Conflicted," Getsuhime corrected. "While smaller in comparison, Kyōgoku wields more Reimyaku than any other spirit world. Originally formed from the energy and memory of so many lost souls across the millennia, its power is toxic to lower beings like common Hollows. They want to enter that dimension with the hope that they'll become stronger somehow but their natural instincts are compelling them to flee back to Hueco Mundo from whatever danger awaits. They're very being is off balance and without motion."

"But Dad and Kisuke said that many Hollows have set foot in there in the past and nothing like what you just described has ever happened," Ichigo said.

"Further prove that the Spirituals are in greater peril than the Shinigami can handle," She replied. "If we do not find the Shinenju soon, the consequences will be irreversible."

"No pressure or anything," Ichigo muttered sarcastically.

He's had enough of Soul Society's problems. Who would've thought gods and monsters would be no more than a bother to an ''everyday'' high-schooler, the only reason he is even involving himself in this is because his hometown is ground zero. Maybe Soul Society is ground zero, he can't know for sure until someone from up high shows up to explain the situation.

Maybe he can leave them to Ganryū when they do come.

The man doesn't irk Ichigo but he is worried about him. When they fought, the anger and vindictiveness towards his grandfather through him was apparent, he did not give it much thought before but whenever he clashes swords with someone he can somehow feel what they're feeling in the moment. Ikkaku's love for combat and frustration with being inferior, Renji's initial hatred towards Ichigo and himself, Kenpachi's lust for combat and bloodshed, Tōshirō and Kaname's devotions and heartaches. He felt these emotions as though they came from him. It was creepy at first but now he sees it as a great opportunity to have a better understanding with those around him without hate and misunderstanding clouding his judgment.

The only people that he couldn't get a read on were Byakuya, Gin, and Aizen. It was as if they closed off their hearts inside boxes made of darkness with no one able to free them.

How can anyone live closed off to that extent?

And out of all of them, Ganryū's emotions were the most visible to him. He hid nothing from the world, his sadness and anger were as real and tangible as his flesh. Whatever compassion he once had is gone and Ganryū is now someone who would do whatever it took to achieve his goals no matter how many people he must sacrifice. All lives are expandable.

What would drive a man to such lengths?

Remembering that Orihime was the first to encounter him, Ichigo went to see if she might have an idea about Ganryū.

It did not take long to find her since her Reiatsu was the easiest to locate. So soft and gentle like a cool breeze blowing right at his face that would make one disappointed when it ends, that's one of many ways to describe Orihime's presence even before she developed her powers. He found her coming out of a bakery after buying some sweets. Said bakery is called Kurosaki's Sweets, which is owned by his mother, and he wishes to God that she would change the name that vexes him and Karin so much.

Not only is the bakery Orihime's favorite place in town but she has a part-time job there that she's had since she was fifteen and becomes a full-time during the summer but she had to take this summer off to partake in helping Rukia.

"Ichigo?" Orihime said, not surprised to see him since she'd been sensing his presence around Karakura, no matter the distance. She is especially gifted when it comes to Reikaku, both Kisuke and Uryū praised her for being more advanced on it than most well-trained Shinigami, although when it comes to Ichigo's overwhelming yet tamed Reiatsu, even when asleep she feels him as though she is wrapping herself with a bed sheet.

She had to fight the urge to not blush when the thought came to her and avoid embarrassing herself in front of him, he already viewed her as a goofball enough as it was.

"Hey, Hime. Just passing by and figured I'd patrol around here for a bit," Ichigo greeted.

Loving the sound of the nickname he had given her, Orihime inwardly cursed that she hadn't come up with a nickname for him, he wouldn't mind so long as it wasn't too childish. Could she get away with the one Yachiru came up for him? No, the little lieutenant only gets away with it because she is so young, and scolding her about it will land him another fight with Kenpachi, and everyone knows how much he wants to avoid that.

"Anything on your end?" He asked.

"Nothing but more Hollows who are doing nothing but jittering so much they might end up cracking their own mask open. That almost happened to one of them too," She revealed. Her opinion on the horrid creatures is the same as everyone but her gentle nature held her back from striking even them down, except for that one fight she was in but their states were so hard to look at that she saw it as a mercy to removed them from Karakura using her Koten Zanshun. "And about the memory pandemic, nothing so far, thankfully."

"Good, at least we had a moderately good morning and noon, though Kisuke with his tech would know more about spontaneous memory problems," Ichigo mused.

"Do you really think everything will get better once we find the Shinenju?" Orihime asked worried.

"Honestly. No. Because that would be too easy and with what we learned of the other side, finding is just step one. The real question is, how many steps is it going to take?" Ichigo said a bit wisely and forlornly.

"I see," Orihime said, sad to hear this but glad for his honesty as she would not have appreciated being given false hopes. She has faith that Ichigo can get them out of this mess safely but that doesn't mean she is ignorant of just how much trouble they are in and what would happen if they are overconfident.

Her real concern is Ganryū and what went down during their first meeting.

Seeing how saddened she has become about the situation, Ichigo takes the opportunity to ask her about the other topic of discussion.

"I know you told us about your encounter with him but are you sure that was all there was to it?" He asked. "I'm not accusing you of withholding things but I just want to reevaluate everything we know and get a clearer picture."

"So you're one of those misguided children who believes that it is important to spread goodness and mercy to others no matter who they are or what they've done, eh?"

"Abandon your innocence and forsake your current ideals. Neither this world nor the next will ever deserve what you offer them. In the end, they will only betray you."

Ganryū's hate-filled words that ridiculed her nature surfaced in her head. At first, he hurt her emotionally by his rejection but the more she pondered it the more she started to worry for him. She kept this a secret because she wanted to make sense of it herself before telling others.

"He's really sad and lonely," Orihime confessed. "I don't think he is a bad person but bad things kept happening to him to the point that he stopped believing that anything good could happen."

Ichigo had already figured that out himself but did not interrupt, knowing she had more to say.

"When the Hollows showed up and attacked him I didn't know how strong he was so I helped shield him from one of them but he just reprimanded me for helping a stranger and warned me to stop being me, otherwise I'll end up hurt by others,"

"A fair warning not even you can rebuke," Getsuhime said.

'Shut up,' Ichigo muttered.

"Okay, so the guy has issues but despite his dick words, he did let you go so he's not a complete ass," Ichigo noted the highlight of the subject. "Don't let him get to you. There are too many awful people like Aizen all around us, and the only reason that they are coming out on top is because other people like you and me can't or won't do anything about it. You're not in the wrong for being who you are."

His words brightened her mood again, relief to have his support and this time she did not hide her blush. Feeling awkward now by her cute stare, Ichigo decides now might be a good time to leave.

"Right… if that's all then—" He unsheathes Getsuhime and tosses her into a more composed Hollow that had just jumped them, instantly bisecting the beast. "—I better get to work. It's infuriating but at least purifying Hollows isn't for free."

"You get paid for fighting Hollows?" Orihime asked.

"Apparently. Rukia neglected to tell me that she was collecting bounties for some of the Hollows I took down in her place, and as soon as Ukitake gave me the combat pass, Dad mentioned this fact and that if I'm going to be an official Shinigami Agent I better have compensation and Ukitake agreed. So, I have two jobs now," Ichigo said satisfied to know that all the effort he put into putting his normal life on hold because of Shinigami duties will pay off. Sure, his Gotei salary is the same as an unranked member, which isn't a lot but with so many hollows showing up, he's technically better off than a 10th Seat.

"Catch you later, and you know what to do if things get serious for you," He shunpo'd away to clear out every single Hollow in the area.

"Good luck," Orihime said before taking her leave. She was only alone for five minutes before she ran into another Shinigami, that being Senna who was passing by while in her Gigai.

"Darn it! Did I miss him again," She pouted.

"Hello, Senna. Are you looking for somebody?" The Fullbringer asked.

"Who do you think? That dummy, Ichigo. He left me in his home's guest room and didn't wait for me to go on patrol together," Senna complained. "Leaving me by myself in a boy's house, seriously. I mean, his dad is really sweet and supportive but man, he can be annoying when he talks about his wife and daughters. I couldn't have run out of there any faster and came close to punching his stupid face."

Orihime could only giggle a little at her response. She had a feeling that this would be Senna's experience on her first stay with the Kurosaki residents. She's just lucky that Ichigo's mother isn't around otherwise she would've been better off sleeping in a dumpster. It's why she wasn't jealous when it was decided that Senna would stay with Ichigo.

"He'll be hard to miss since he is hunting any hollow he can find," She assured her.

"He'd better be because I am extremely bored, and for all his stuck-up attitude, he's a lot of fun to have around," Senna mused.

"Yeah, that's how it is with him," Orihime smiled, and the two parted ways.

Once Senna left, Orihime finally took note of something that had been confusing her before the new Shinigami arrived.

"How weird, I don't remember buying all these sweets today. Was it Ichigo who gave them to me?"


"So things aren't all that great back home?" Masaki asked Isshin as the two were talking over the phone.

"I'm afraid not. I can't say it has anything to do with our rescue mission but I wouldn't be surprised if it was," Isshin explained. He would've preferred not to worry his wife over what is going on in Karakura but he never could get away with lying to her, nor does he like to, and he's always been able to trust her with such things anyway.

"So what? Should I try and delay our return for one more day? The girls aren't going to be okay with that since they both want to start making preparations for when school starts," She asked.

"No. Don't make excuses for their sake. Though things are rocky over there, Ichigo and I have gained enough trust from the Shinigami that they will support us, and the Shinenju is something of great importance to their culture, we find it, the problem will be all theirs and Karakura will be fine," He assured her. "And as for Ichigo. You don't have to worry about that numbskull as much, he's much more resilient than either of us anticipated and much stronger."

"Saying that only makes me worry more because either of those things means he is more willing to get himself into more trouble," Masaki bemused, earning a weak and humorless chuckle from her husband.

"Yeah, I supposed it does. But I meant what I said, I'll keep him safe, you just drive home safely,"

"You'd better, or else," She warned and to this, Isshin chuckled with more humor.

"I love you too, honey," He said before the two hung up.

"I'm not saying it was wrong to be truthful to her but I am a little surprised that you would be too open with her about all this," Kisuke said who had just entered the living room of the Kurosaki House. Isshin had to fight the urge to not scowl over Urahara's poor habit of barging in unannounced.

"Right, like even you could get away with keeping secrets from my wife," He said.

"Why, Isshin, my old friend, is that a challenge I just heard? How devious of you," Kisuke chuckled amusedly by the idea. "But no thanks. I like my new balls where they are, thank you."

"New ball?"

"Yoruichi can be creative when she's mad at me, and boy was she MAD at me over a stunt I pulled last year,"

Isshin was so horrified by this revelation that he clutched onto his manhood by the mere implication of what Kisuke went through because of his lover.

"Changing the topic for my own sake, what brings you here? From the way I noticed, you've been avoiding going anywhere near my house because of how things have been going between you and Ichigo's Zanpakutō?" Isshin questioned.

Kisuke's expression turned serious.

"It's about the Shinenju and I wanted your input on the matter," The Shopkeeper said. "Aside from Ganryū Ryōdoji being the main suspect responsible for the Shinenju's disappearance, I believe that our ''new guardian'' may also be involved in all this."

This did not surprise Isshin and he also thought the same but said nothing because he believed that Senna's memory problem was genuine. To say nothing of the fact that she was with Ichigo when his own loss of memory occurred. Thus far nothing has happened to him personally but he is certain that more people are going through this pandemic as they speak.

"Yes, I can tell we're both in agreement. Before I came here, Tessai, Ururu, and Jinta had also suffered from short-term memory loss and it almost caused an incident in my lab that would not have been pretty for the shop, or the neighborhood," Kisuke frowned. "I bet that like me, you haven't experienced any memory loss yet, not that I can be certain of such a claim but I am almost certain about is that anyone with Reiryoku as high as ours shouldn't be affected by the Shinenju's power."

"I'd agree with you on that theory if not for the fact that Ichigo who is already pretty close to our level had gone through this," Isshin said.

"Yes, but it's because your son has gone through this that I believe Miss Senna is at the center of all this, and I'm sure you can conclude why," Kisuke said.


"So why are we here again?" Ichigo asked Getsuhime who urged him to return to the part of Karakura where he faced Ganryū.

"Just making an assumption. While you were clearing hollows everywhere I began to notice a faint trace I never would've caught on if I was searching for any more anomalies besides the Blanks," She said while Ichigo began jumping onto the compartments of the Ferris wheel Senna wanted to go to.

"You're gonna have to be very specific because I don't see why we would bother with something you only ''noticed'' by pure chance," He said skeptically.

"Just focus your gaze on anything unusual," She instructed and her master complied but apart from the Hollows, there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary until a faint light caught his attention. He looked over to where the river was and saw a large circular yellow light in the river.

"What the—what is that?" Ichigo wondered, looking up at the sky for the angle of the sun and deduced that the great star couldn't be the reason for what the yellow light might be. "How could we have not noticed that before? We always stop by here when on brakes."

"Inconclusive, yet," Getsuhime said. "But that is definitely what has caught my eye. I need a closer examination."

"Okay," Ichigo nodded.

"There you are!"

The Agent is halted when he hears Senna heading for him.

"And here comes the unnecessary distraction," Getsuhime said irritably.

"What's with you leaving me alone with your dad? I thought we agreed to work together, and how could you go to the Ferris wheel without me, you jerk!" She started whining to his face.

"First of all, I apologize on behalf of the rest of my family if my dad showed you any discomfort and promise to compensate you for your troubles," Ichigo began. "Second of all, you were fast asleep and I didn't want to disturb you. It was obvious that yesterday was a little too much for you."

"No it wasn't, you're just too overbearing," She pouted.

"So I've been told," He shrugged.

"Fine, if you want to make it up to me, take me on another date," She demanded.

"Whoa there! Who said anything about a date? There was no date yesterday," Ichigo protested with a blush.

"Tell that to everyone who was watching us have dinner. You seem to be popular enough in this town that everyone knows you and none of them believed that you would be with a girl as beautiful as me," She teased.

"We were hanging out! What, a guy and a girl can't spend time together without intimacy being a factor," Ichigo growled.

"Nah. That's too boring,"

"I hate everyone,"

Luckily Ichigo is given a way out of this unwinnable argument as a Hollow pops up behind Senna to attack her while she is distracted. Ichigo acts fast and punches the Hollow's mask, cracking it to bits as it falls to the ground while whaling in pain. Ichigo next wraps Senna in his arms to protect her as more Hollows show up surrounding them.

"Hey now! These guys are in higher spirits than they were a few moments ago," Senna muttered.

"Our own Reiatsu so close to them must've snapped them out of the trance Kyōgoku is putting them through," Ichigo explained. "Also, they're already spirits, that figure of speech makes no sense."

The Hollows march at once to kill the Shinigami. Unbothered, Ichigo makes a circular swing with Getsuhime, releasing a nameless Getsuga Tenshō that wipes the ones nearest to them.

"My turn!" Senna perked, releasing herself from Ichigo's hold, and faced the Hollows. "Call forth the Twilight, Mirokumaru!"

Her blade assumes her staff-like form and she releases a horizontal tornado that rips the Hollows to pieces.

"Good to see you fight against threats for a change," Ichigo mused.

"Shut up, you dumbass," Senna sneered. "Bet I take out more than you can."

"You kidding, I've been cleaning up the town all day. You got no chance," Ichigo said.

"That's a pansy way of saying you know you'll lose if you accept," Senna mocked as she resumed the fight.

"You little brat," Ichigo hissed, now tempted to take her on and show her who is top dog.

"This is a waste of time. Just release me and I'll have the pest disposed of already," Getsuhime said.

"No! This girl is asking for it and I will show her off by not using Shikai," Ichigo declared.

"This girl has already proven to bring out your worst aspects,"


"Renji," Rukia called out to the redhead Lieutenant, walking to meet him.

"Rukia. How are you?" Renji asked, happy to see her. He hasn't been able to see her much ever since they were set free and she has spent much of her time in the Kuchiki manner having a much-needed reconciliation and bonding experience with Byakuya, which he is happy for and hopes it goes well for both of them.

"Better than either of us was in that horrid dungeon," She said feeling relaxed, like a huge amount of weight has been lifted off her and she can finally move freely again. "I hear you were selected to join Captain Hitsugaya in investigating the odd occurrence in Karakura."

"That's right. What may await us in the Human World could be dangerous so the Captain's team must be composed of our most capable. I don't mean to brag but Chōjirō Sasakibe aside, I am the most capable Lieutenant the Gotei 13 has, so it was a no-brainer why I was selected." Renji said smugly.

Rukia just looks at him with annoyance before she kicks him in the right leg, making him cringe in pain.

"What was that for?!" He cried.

"You're as much a dumbass as Ichigo, and I'm ashamed I never noticed,"

"How dare you! Comparing me to that no-good brat!" He snapped at her.

"Don't get mad at me for telling the truth," She huffed while folding her arms.

"Whatever. So are you just here to visit or do you intend to tag along with us?" He asked, settling down once the pain numbed.

"If I'm lucky. My brother will be busy aiding Lieutenant Hisagi with his interview so I better find something to keep me busy because I don't like being in the manner alone with the other members of the clan," Rukia said looking troubled.

"Those old bastards are still giving you grief?" He asked with his temper now rising again.

"Not directly but I rather not stick around and find out,"

"Then let's speak with Captain Hitsugaya about letting you tag along. You know Ichigo better than anyone in Soul Society so they'll want to have someone that can temper that brat's temper," Renji suggested.

While a good idea it still had the undesired effect of irritating Rukia again because of the implication of being chosen for a mission because of convenience rather than her skillset but chose not to lash out, appreciating Renji's support.

"By the way, I hear that Captain Ukitake might try to partake in this mission as well. Is that true?" Renji asked.

"Yeah, he is really jumpy when it comes to the Shinenju. He has a huge amount of faith in Captain Hitsugaya's abilities but if he's right about this, we're gonna need more than one Captain,"

"When in doubt, just throw Kenpachi at the enemy,"

"You want Karakura to be destroyed, you degenerate!"

"No but you have to admit that was an awesome fight," Renji said recalling how spectacular the second showdown between Ichigo and Kenpachi was.

"Screw you! That fight was revolting," Rukia snapped, remembering how she and Orihime were on their high heels struggling not to step in and stop the fight. Ichigo was bleeding so over that his skin practically turned red, and they were not sure if it was all Ichigo's blood or Kenpachi's.

She just wished Ichigo had summoned forth his Dragon to fight. From the looks of it seemed that he wasn't as powerful as he was when he fought Aizen, as though the increased Reiatsu he can give himself is split between him and the dragon, and unless they're both together, Ichigo will deprive himself of his full potential.

Not that it surprises her since that does sound like something stupid Ichigo would do to himself.


"You're a cheater," Senna accused with an even bigger pout.

"Me? You're the one who went Shikai from the start and still lost," Ichigo teased with a grin on his face that made him look stupid in her eyes. "Just accept your loss like an adult."

"I want a rematch," She demanded.

"Rematch? We pretty much got rid of every Hollow that was currently all over Karakura, what else is there for us to fight against?"

"I don't know yet, but next time I will beat you," She swore, and Ichigo could only look at her with amusement. He'll never admit it but she's way more fun to have around than Rukia ever was. She makes his blood boil in a way that doesn't make him want to go crazy and just go with the flow.

The day is turning out to be interesting that the thing he found in the river was pushed to the back of his head, to Getsuhime's chagrin.

The duo spent the rest of their time searching around for clues about the Blanks and the Shinenju while in their Shinigami forms but thus far found nothing else.

Along the way, Senna discovered a lost plus. He was a young boy no older than 10 named Tomoya and he had lost his father in a car accident on the way to a festival. He seemed optimistic that the spirit of his father was still around.

Ichigo had attempted to perform a Konsō on the lad but Senna stopped him and insisted that they find his father first. Ichigo protested lightly but Senna had already made up her mind and for the next few hours they searched for the young boy's father. Soon they started walking up a hill and at the top was where the festival that they were going to was supposed to be.

Tomoya was currently walking ahead of them and for the first time since they had met him, Ichigo finally had a moment to talk to Senna in private.

"How much longer are we gonna keep this up?" Ichigo asked her. "It's pretty obvious there's no festival around here. There would have been flyers and many parked cars but look around… There isn't a parked car in sight and I haven't seen a single flyer around previewing this festival. Besides, there's no guarantee his father's still on this side."

"We're gonna find him," Senna said determinedly with a small smile on her face and she walked with her hands placed behind her back. "There's not much time left until he has to leave this world. That little boy's gonna have a long journey ahead of him. This will be his very last wish. Think how sad it would be if it didn't come true. I can't bring myself to perform a Konsō like this."

"Huh?!" Ichigo blinked surprised. He shamefully never thought of it like that. He simply performed the Konsō on the plus so that it could be free from the chance of becoming a Hollow. He never thought to grant a plus, especially a young one a last request.

Getsuhime said nothing but deemed Senna's view to be foolish. Regrets or no regrets, the ties Pluses had in this world ended when they died and they should not bothered with it when they're top priority should be how will their new life in Soul Society turn out because things will most likely get worse in Rukongai.

"I just want… I want to give him that, just one last and good memory," Senna explained to the Substitute Shinigami.

"Senna!" Tomoya shouted up ahead. He had already reached the top of the hill and was waving back enthusiastically.

"I'm coming!" Senna shouted and began jogging up to him.

"Hurry up! I found it, I found it! Come on!" Tomoya shouted cheerfully with a large grin on his face.

Senna laughed in excitement and Ichigo just noticed how exuberant and beautiful her laugh was. Ichigo looked closely at the young boy's face and realized it was similar to the one that he used to wear when he was a child. Senna seems to be able to draw people in because of how much she cares and how abnormally cheerful she is. Ichigo even found himself being drawn into her orbit.

He quickly jogged up to catch up with them and when he reached the top of the hill he was surprised by what he saw. To his right, there was a white wall with red linings and an opened gate. Ichigo entered it and was amazed to see that there was indeed a fair and it was quite populated. There were many different booths, some sold food, clothes, and jewelry. While others had different games that could be played and prizes could be won.

"I don't see him. Where is he?" Tomoya asked sadly standing a meter in front of Ichigo with Senna by his side.

"Don't worry! We will find him," Senna told him reassuringly and she gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Okay!" Tomoya nodded.

Senna quickly glanced around with her usual grin and bright eyes, "I am glad that this place exists. We came here a lot when I was a little girl."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. How could she possibly remember that? After what Getsuhime told him, she shouldn't know that many details about her living life. It looks like he wasn't the only abnormal Shinigami after all.

"Is that you, Tomoya?!"

"Dad!" Tomoya yelled happily seeing his father standing with a relieved smile on his face not too far away from a temple. Tomoya sprinted 20 meters, jumped into his father's arms, and sobbed heavily in relief.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Tomoya…" His father apologized holding onto his son tightly.

"I never thought we'd find him," Ichigo admitted. He was a little embarrassed seeing the emotional scene in front of him.

Tomoya's father looked up at them and told them gratefully, "Thank you so much!"

"See! We did it!" Senna said excitedly to Ichigo. Her eyes had watered slightly at seeing the touching scene before her.

"It's all thanks to you!" Tomoya's father informed her.

"Huh? No, please, I didn't do anything." Senna replied bashfully.

"It's hard to believe. I guess you were so wrapped up in helping Tomoya that you didn't even notice," The young boy's father explained with a smile. "All the souls who are gathered here… I was able to find this place thanks to them."

Senna looked around at the large crowd around them. "All these people led you here…?"

'I don't like this…' Ichigo thought suspiciously. He had a bad feeling that something bad was going to happen. While Senna was focused on what the man was telling her, Ichigo readied himself for another fight against Ganryū.

However, his guard remained open due to shock after noticing a familiar face amongst the crowd, a certain brown-haired girl that was no older than ten waving at him with a smile.

"What—it can't be!" Of all the supernatural oddities that he has come across thus far, this one has left Ichigo with the coldest sensation in his heart.

"The latest Plus we Konsō'd was never sent to Soul Society after all," Getsuhime said almost as caught off as her master.

"That's not true! I helped her move on. I know it!" The Agent almost yelled but the evidence was undeniable. The Konsō was more imperfect than he realized and the true fate of this girl is a tragic one.

"Yeah, don't you understand? They're here because of you. I'm surprised you didn't know. If it wasn't for you, they wouldn't be here." The father explained. He looked down at his son who was holding his hand, "Tomoya, it is time to go."

"Okay! Bye-bye!" Tomoya waved. Seconds later both father and son were enveloped by blue spiritual energy and they disappeared.

'What just happened?' Ichigo thought incredulously. 'Can a plus simply move on to Soul Society without a Konsō? I've never heard of that before!'

"They shouldn't. Once a soul refuses to move on the first time, they're trapped in this world unless a Shinigami aids them," Getsuhime narrowed her eyes.

"What is going on? Where did everyone just go?!" Senna asked worriedly.

Ichigo suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and noticed that the ''festival'' no longer existed. All that remained was a couple of run-down booths selling some cheap items along with the fact that there were no customers anywhere. He and Senna were the only people in this garden that wasn't behind a booth. This place had been crawling with at least fifty people just seconds ago.

"Are these guys…? Why me? Why are they all attracted to me?!" Senna demanded urgently wanting some answers.

The dots began to connect in Ichigo's head… He knew now just why Ganryū was after Senna.

"I understand now. How foolish of me for not realizing it sooner. All the people surrounding us earlier were all Blanks that have been purified with their memories restored," Getsuhime concluded. "It wasn't just on this occasion but back in the mall. Our memories weren't just tampered with but we were surrounded by more blanks that were being purified throughout the time we were there after it closed."

"Purified Blanks? But the only one who should be able to do that is…"

"Ichigo… I think that… I must be…" Senna whispered worriedly and Ichigo could easily see how scared she was, "Is it true?"

"Senna…" Ichigo muttered unable to find a way to tell her what he believed. He didn't look directly at her because he was glancing around to see if anyone was preparing a surprise attack. His instincts just seemed to scream at him that something was about to go down.

The image of the Seireitei in the sky had grown in the last twelve hours and Ichigo knew that it was a bad sign.

Light from their left suddenly caught their attention and the bad feeling in Ichigo dwindled a little when he saw that a Senkaimon had appeared. Out of the Senkaimon appeared a group of Shinigami and the moment the doors closed, it disappeared. Now standing before them were familiar faces to Ichigo, the first one he noticed was Rukia standing beside her Captain, Ukitake. Joining the two is also Tōshirō, Rangiku, Renji, Ikkaku, and Yumichika.

"Rukia?" Ichigo asked deeply surprised, not expecting to see her this soon after parting ways.

"What is with that dumb look on your face? Surely you didn't think we wouldn't come to see how are things here in the Human World after the oddity with Kyōgoku," Rukia claimed. "Surely, your dad or Urahara must've informed you about it, and the Shinenju."

"He has, and your arrival is atrocious. We have a miniature but still terrible pandemic of people all around Karakura experiencing short-term memory losses and Hollows are swarming the place," Ichigo protested.

"We are aware of the situation. Hollows have also been appearing in large masses in the Soul Society due to Kyōgoku's abnormal effects on the Balance of the World," Tōshirō said. "And as we predicted, you're somehow in the middle of all this, which makes things easier for us to put a stop to this, and it starts with putting that girl in our care."

"What?!" Ichigo muttered and Senna released a small gasp and took a half a step back.

"Kurosaki, we have searched every record of the Gotei 13… The Onmitsukidō, and the Kidō Corps, as well as the Shinōreijutsuin… There is no Senna listed anywhere," Captain Hitsugaya informed him. "We have also verified that the Zanpakutō the girl uses, Mirokumaru, was swallowed up by the Kōryū in the Dangai because of an accident one hundred years ago, along with its owner."

"Hang on," Ichigo interrupted before Senna could defend herself, "How do you know the name of her Zanpakutō? I was the only one that saw her release it and I didn't tell anyone!"

"The Zanpakutō are an important part of our culture as well as our military might, therefore we have ways of identifying any blade without difficulty," Ukitake told him calmly.

He is lying. Getsuhime knows this for a fact but will disclose this to Ichigo another day.

"But that's not possible. What you're saying isn't true." Senna protested, "I know I am a Shinigami!"

"Then when did you come to the Human World? How long ago?" Tōshirō questioned her.

"It's so confusing…" Senna muttered clutching her head for a second as memories assaulted her. Once she shook them off she explained, "I remember walking up by the banks of that river two days ago. And I'm not confused about my name. I know its Senna. I remember that river when I was a little girl I… but I… but then I was all alone, and there was no one else!"

"Don't you see? All those different memories are mixed up in your head," Tōshirō said knowingly.

Ukitake shook his head slightly, "I know it's hard to comprehend, but the divine one we've been searching for… the Shinenju, is you."

Senna clutched her head and shook her head before giving them a fearful look, "Me?"

'How ironic for a God of Memories to have no memory of what she even is. Things can't possibly get any worse,' Tōshirō thought bemused by how things have turned up.

Jūshirō thought the same as him but will take a more gentle approach to this matter.

"None of us can begin to fathom the heartache you're going through, and I'm sorry this happened to you at all but the truth is something that none of us can deter," He said while he spared a moment to look at the Seireitei above. "We're running out of time. Whatever disaster is to occur because of the attack done to you could be irreversible."

"Attack on me?" Senna uttered.

"I am Jūshirō Ukitake. You may not recognize me but we have met many times. I am an ally of yours. Like many of the Gotei Captains, I am sworn to protect you and all who are linked to your father,"

"My father…" Again flashes of memories come into Senna's mind of more than one person she considers a dad to her but like before it makes no sense as to why she would have more than one in her memories.

"Whoever, or rather how many men you're thinking of at this moment are all false. Try as you might I doubt you will be able to recall your true parent in your current state," Jūshirō said, correctly deducing her troubled mindset.

Despite having trust in Jūshirō's intentions, Ichigo still has the urge to remain close to Senna and protect her, as evident by his tight grip on her shoulder that offers Senna comfort.

"You don't have to accept things now, it be easier to prove to you what we claim to be true but if you want clarity, you must first want to have it," Jūshirō pressed, confident that despite Senna's initial rejection the yearning for the truth will be much stronger, he just has to press forward without sounding forceful. Even if she doesn't remember him there are key parts of her personality that will not be the result of all the memories she has absorbed into herself.

"How about this, why don't we take this conversation somewhere more comfortable, like the sky," He suggested with a more optimistic smile.

"The sky?"

"Yes, you would always say that you like to be in high places. How all the things that seem confusing or messed up suddenly become clear,"

That did the trick and suddenly more memories pup into her head but these were different. Unlike before when she was bombarded with memories related to life with the humans, these new memories are tied to the Shinigami.

She sees herself walking out of a great palace, being summoned to go to the world below by someone greater than herself. Descending into Soul Society, she would repeatedly be greeted by hundreds of Shinigami bowing before her as though she were some goddess. Then she would embark on a voyage into a barren wasteland filled with nothing but red dirt, rock, and mountains. There was no water, no grass, and no plants but there were residents there. Lost souls in need of aid and she would always come for them, for she alone could bring salvation to those without identities.

"Captain Ukitake," Senna finally replied but unlike before where there was doubt and confusion, the only thing they could hear from her was certainty and clarity. "Every time I was set to leave from the Royal Palace, you would almost always volunteer to escort me to Kyōgoku to complete my voyage."

Jūshirō smiles with relief, happy to have at least achieved one part of this mission.

"So it's true then," Ichigo frowned not sure how to feel about this as Senna looked him dead in the eye.

"I am the Shinenju,"


After Senna's revelation, they take her to the Kurosaki house to discuss the next course of action. Shortly after, Orihime, Chad, and Uryū arrive after feeling so many Shinigami Reiatsu in one location.

"Rukia! You're back," Orihime cheered, overjoyed to see her friend again, and wasted no time in hugging her.

"Only until this mission is over, but yes, it is great to see you too," Rukia smiled.

"Orihime!" Rangiku snuck up on the two and caught them in a forced group hug. "I sure hope you didn't forget about me. I know it hasn't been that long but I was also looking forward to seeing you all again."

"Rangiku!" Orihime cheered again, having quickly developed a bond with the buxom Shinigami, and like Ichigo before, a lot of people quickly made the comparison of the two being long lost sisters which caused a lot of embarrassing drama but not for the two women who just laughed it all off.

"It would seem that Soul Society owes you a debt of gratitude once again. This is the first time the Shi—pardon me, that Senna has ever set foot in the Human World so it was the last place we thought to look, besides Hueco Mundo," Jūshirō said to both Ichigo and Isshin. "Looking after her in our stead means more than you could realize."

"I do, though back when Kyōgoku popped up when I was still a Captain, I wasn't selected to go there with her," Isshin said, recalling the first time he saw the Shinenju descend from the Reiōkyū, it was quite a sight to behold. Everyone, especially the Head Captain was adamant about making sure she was welcomed in a way fit for a goddess. "Kisuke and I concluded that she might be the one but she looks vastly different than when I last saw her. Way younger even."

"Yes. Not many people seem to get it the first time but like Reiō, our Princess is not what she seems. The truth is that Senna and Reiō aren't alive in the same sense as any of us, their existence is much grander. Her true form is that of a beautiful, brilliant diamond as red as a ruby but she can assume the true appearance of the Blanks she extracts that are instantly absorbed into her with each Blank that is tragically formed over time and only when she has absorbed the memories of thousands, if not millions of souls is she allowed to leave the palace and do her duty," Jūshirō explained.

"What's going to happen to her now?" Ichigo asked, looking anxious and not sure he'd agree with whatever the Shinigami wanted Senna to do.

"We believe that whoever is responsible for disrupting the Shinenju's Voyage is planning to use her power for his nefarious deeds. How or why we are not sure yet but what we are certain about is that our top priority is to restore the balance between the worlds by fixing Kyōgoku," Tōshirō explained.

"Fixing? How bad are we talking about?" Ichigo questioned.

"Apocalyptically. As we speak, Kyōgoku is interfering with the Dangai and disrupting the natural flow of the Soul Society and the Human World. Surely I don't have to explain to you what would happen if the Dangai is damaged or removed from the Balance," Tōshirō frowned at the severity of their situation, causing horrified gasps from the humans in the living room.

"Okay… so how do you keep a world from causing the end of two other worlds?" Uryū asked, the most composed besides Chad of their group.

"We have two options. Our best bet is to take Senna to Kyōgoku and have her fulfill her divine duty by purifying all the Blanks within, this will appease the Valley and cause it to fade away, restoring order," Jūshirō said.

"What's the second, and I bet the least favorable option?" Chad asked.

"To blow the smaller world to bits using a cannon powered by supercharged Kidō," Ikkaku explained with a bit too much enthusiasm over the worst solution.

"You guys have a world-ending weapon?" Ichigo questioned more terrified about that fact rather than the end of the world happening right now.

"What? Do you think this is the first time the Gotei 13 had to deal with a crisis like this? The universe is much bigger and more dangerous than you kids even realize," Renji half-chuckled.

"The Kidō Taihō (Demon Way Cannon) seems a bit too flashy for my taste but if we're going to go down then we might as well go out in a blaze of glory," Yumichika mused.

"Surprised Aizen didn't try to steal that as well,"

"Not as surprised and relieved as the Head Captain was when we checked that it was still in our possession, and not an illusion of some kind," Rukia added.

"Based on Captain Kurotsuchi's estimate, we have until midnight before the end and the Head Captain will fire the Kidō Taihō an hour earlier so the choice must be made now, milady," Jūshirō said addressing Senna who has been hiding behind Ichigo, her head placed on his back, still processing everything that's been happening to her.

"Senna," Ichigo whispered.

"I… I wanna go home," She confessed. "I can't stand this. I've forgotten who I was and lost control. I've robbed so many humans of their memories and may have caused irreprehensible damage to them. What have I done?"

No one could say anything to this, especially not Isshin who recently discovered that there were a few fatal accidents that occurred around Karakura like car crashes because of people spontaneously forgetting things happening to them in those exact moments. Not too many casualties but even one death would've been enough to break her heart.

"We understand. And we promise that will take you back to His Majesty," Tōshirō swore. "But first, we implore you to help us save our worlds from impending doom."

"Senna. Whatever happens, I promise I won't leave your side," Ichigo strongly assured her, and this got her to respond with a firm nod.

Her memories haven't fully returned but she is sure that she will regain the rest of her identity once she reaches the valley.

"Thank you," Tōshirō said as he and Jūshirō show her a vow of respect.

"That just leaves us with one problem. Where the hell is the Gate that will take us to Kyōgoku?" Renji asked. "The damn thing was supposed to be easy to find but instead we had better luck looking for a cockroach inside a boot."

"Well, if the Princess ended up here over here then surely it's the same for the gate," Rukia concluded.

"That makes sense, and now that you mentioned it, I think I know where it might be," Ichigo said, recalling what he and Getsuhime found near the river.

Ichigo leads everyone to the main bridge of Karakura where they gaze upon the yellow circle within the river that flows with Reiatsu that while enormous is so well suppressed that it was only a stroke of luck that anyone would find it.

"This is it, and we have more than enough time to settle things peacefully," Jūshirō said overjoyed that no more time has been wasted finding the gate.

"Nice job, kid. Guess there is a big brain underneath all that brawn after all," Ikkaku praised.

"Well, it helps to have a guiding hand here and there," Ichigo muttered, wanting to give Getsuhime all the credit but she declined his intent.

"This feels like looking at another Senkaimon," Uryū said, examining the Gate.

"It is like the Senkaimon, therefore I'm afraid you three won't be able to go in with us as you did without Kisuke's machinations," Rukia informed to Uryū, Chad, and Orihime.

"That is probably for the best," Isshin, who will accompany the Shinigami and his son to Kyōgoku said as he stared at a distance the numerous Hollows that have shown up. "As we grow closer to nightfall, I'm sure the coming chaos will make the Hollows go berserk so we need you three along with Urahara's group to fight them off and not harm anyone while we are away."

"We understand," Chad nodded. Uryū made no reply, simply adjusted his glasses, focused solely on the Hollows that he would have to exterminate next. Orihime also said nothing and just stared at Ichigo with worry, somehow certain that whatever awaited them when they went in would be gruesome.

"Light the signal Rukia," Jūshirō ordered. The petite Shinigami complied by gathering spirit energy into her hand and firing a Sōkatsui spell directly at the image of the Seireitei that imploded once it was within inches. Nothing occurred because of it but that was not her intent.

"What was that for?" Ichigo asked.

"Communications with the Soul Society is still not well because of the disturbance Kyōgoku is causing so alternatives are in order," Jūshirō said. "If successful in finding Senna we would fire something that shines a blue light to signal the Head Captain that we were on our way to our final destination with her and if we were to fail, a red light would signal the Soul Society all hope lies with the Kidō Taihō."

"But the old man is still going to ready the cannon?"

"If the end of the world is upon us, then let us hope there is at least some comfort in knowing we did all we could to save ourselves," Jūshirō said somberly before glaring at the Gate.

"Onward then!" Tōshirō declared and all of the Shinigami and Senna jumped into the Gate, entering Kyōgoku.

"Good luck, Ichigo," Orihime whispered, sad that she couldn't go with them.

"They're coming," Uryū warned, seeing the Hollows draw closer so he readies his bow and Chad morphs his right arm to fight them.


"Head Captain, the blue signal," Chōjirō informed Yamamoto who noticed a bright blue fire from the image of Karakura above the Seireitei.

"Then she is safe," Yamamoto said stoically, revealing no shred of emotion while he sat at his desk. "Now we must put our faith in the strength of Captains Ukitake and Hitsugaya."

"I am sure that they will succeed. Those that were chosen for this important mission are very gifted," Chōjirō affirmed. "Still, the fact that we do not know if Ganryū Ryōdoji is acting alone is concerning."

"Indeed but it is out of my hands since I cannot risk leaving the Soul Society in case of any more possible dangers happening," Yamamoto pondered the situation. "Regardless if they will succeed, inform the Grand Kidō Chief to begin preparations for the Kidō Taihō immediately."

"Yes sir," His Lieutenant vowed before vanishing from the office.

"Be very careful Jūshirō. The future is darker than any of us could ever prepare for," He said finally allowing himself to have a brief moment of vulnerability and concern for one of the two men he sees like a son to him.


"Can you be any slower? My ruse won't be able to keep the 1st Division troops guarding the compound for much longer," Fujimaru warned his sister who was researching some forbidden text.

"I would if there wasn't a bug buzzing in my ear every few seconds," Matsuri said irritably.

The Kudō Twins are currently in the great archives of Soul Society that lie within the Central 46 Compound. Even before the deaths of the council, this area was heavily restricted without consent but Matsuri was adamant about coming here certain that she would find answers to the vision she witnessed and her brother aided her by creating a bait to distract the members of the 1st Division guarding the Compound.

Renji knows about it but is easily convinced to keep quiet since he has more faith in Matsuri than any of the Captains, not that he wasn't dead curious about why she wants to be here.

"I got it!" Matsuri cheered finding the information she sought within the computer she was using, accessing a file that contained photos of ancient scripts and paintings of Lovecraftian monsters that are uncomfortable to look at.

"Wait, haven't we seen these things before?" Fujimaru wondered.

"Yeah, these are the Titans. An ancient race of immortals that roamed the Soul Society thousands of years ago and were once worshipped as gods but were enemies of our world and were a bigger problem than the Hollows," Matsuri explained. "According to this, the Shinigami Army that preceded the Gotei 13 should've eliminated them all long ago. The Great War known as the Titanomachy ended with the emergence of the Age of Chaos."

"And in your vision, you saw these things make a comeback?"

"Only one, and if what I saw is accurate, Rukia and Renji's team are in for a world of trouble but that's not what concerns me," She said deep in thought. "Orient. That's the last thing I heard before the vision faded. If I could figure out what that means we could be one step closer to figuring out the truth as to why they would come back."

"Are you sure it was a Titan and not just some incredibly strong Hollow?"

"The only kind of Hollows that should have a beating heart inside them are Arrancars, who tend to look more human except for the imperfect ones,"

"True but we're no strangers to Hollows with abnormalities beyond what we can imagine,"

"I'm not fully convinced that the monsters Aizen created that we hunted fall in the same category," Matsuri said, reminiscing certain events when the two fought against Hollows with bizarre abilities that could only be artificial.

"That's a tale that demands full context," The twins become alarmed to hear the voice of someone else, so sure that they wouldn't be caught but become at ease when they see that is Yoruichi who found them.

"Mother," Matsuri muttered.

"That's gonna take some getting used to," The Flash Goddess said softly, liking the sound of it.

"What are you doing here?" Fujimura asked with a bit of apprehension in his tone that Yoruichi did not miss and felt hurt by it.

"Fuji," His sister hissed at him.

"No, it's alright. Nothing me and your father didn't see coming," Yoruichi shrugged. "Let's not kid ourselves about this being easy for any of us. But let's also bear in mind that we're all on the same side here and you kids still have a long way to go before I feel like you can get away with stunts like this all the time because you made at least one blunder that would've gotten you caught."

"We've snuck in here before and never been caught," Matsuri said innocently.

"Yes, but the old Central 46's guards were incompetent. The 1st Division aren't pushovers so you're usual tricks won't do," Yoruichi smirked, feeling pride by how sneaky and deceptive her two little angels already were. "Lesson #1—"


"And I thought Uryū's room was depressing to look at," Ichigo said as he bore witness to the Kyōgoku before them. "Not exactly a holy sight."

"It's not supposed to be one. This world was forged through the combination of so many lost souls without memory or identity. In essence, this is a place of despair," Rukia surmised, feeling forlorn herself after laying eyes on the valley of legend.

"The Reishi-filled air is magnificent, though," Yumichika said as he inhaled and took his time before exhaling. "It feels as if inhaling too much could fill my insides with reiryoku that would last me for a lifetime."

"No kidding, it now makes sense why so many Hollows keep trying to come here. If used correctly, Shinigami could heal our wounds by absorbing Reishi alone," Ikkaku said.

"Indeed. This realm bears more power and spiritual force than any Gotei Captain or Vasto Lorde could ever hope to achieve in a thousand lifetimes," Jūshirō explained. "I've been here many times and on each visit, I feel rejuvenated. It is quite an experience if you can dismiss how it came to be."

"Where should we go from here, Captains?" Renji asked.

"Further ahead, we must reach the center of this world. There Senna can commence the purification of the Blanks," Tōshirō informed. "It should be a safe process."

"Only so long as we can keep the Blanks from overwhelming her," Jūshirō added. "The true purpose of an escort of Shinigami is to ensure that only a handful of Blanks approach her at a time. All of them will be desperate to be purified and there is only so much she can do. She can save them all but we have to give her space. Normally we need only four Captains to accomplish this but the situation asked for more."

"In hindsight, bringing you two along is overkill," Rangiku said, referring to Isshin and Ichigo.

"Probably but one of us will be more occupied keeping Ganryū at bay," Isshin said, sparing a glance at Ukitake and noticing his reaction become serious at the mention of that name. He seemed surprised when they informed him of the identity of Senna's assailant but unlike Ichigo, Isshin knows he was acting and knew before they told him.

"You okay?" Ichigo asked Senna.

"I've been here so many times. Yet, it feels different every time," She said feeling so far away from all of them. Ichigo is sure that her true nature hasn't sunken in yet and she is just going through the motions, hoping that everything will just get better once she reaches the finish line.

"Senna—"

"Let's just get this over with. I want to go home," She interrupted him. She did not mean to be harsh, he could tell, she was only acting on impulse.

"Right…" He muttered, not having more to say.

The group makes a high leap, jumping from a cliff and landing on the red dirt, and march at their top speeds to their destination.

There was silence for a moment that felt awkward, mostly because of Ichigo and Senna. As far as they knew, the two became fast friends when the former assumed the latter was Rukia's replacement as Karakura's Guardian but he understandably doesn't know how to approach her now as the Shinenju.

Rukia wanted to try and talk to him, snap him out of their trance but she acted too late as their problems began with the arrival of Blanks that now stand above them from the cliffs and more appearing phasing through the walls on the ground.

"The Blanks have finally taken notice of Senna. Form a perimeter around her!" Tōshirō ordered everyone to stay close to Senna and even have their Zanpakutōs ready to swing at them.

"Do not worry about harming them. Blanks are locked in a state of existence known as Ammortality. Neither living nor even dead, they just exist and will reform no matter the injury we inflict. They can only be undone by Senna so do not hold back if they begin to swarm us," Jūshirō instructed.

Ichigo's grip on Getsuhime is tight and strong, more than ready to eradicate anyone who tries to bring Senna harm.

But strangely, nothing happens. The Blanks are just standing by and doing nothing, they seem to be waiting, just like Hollows back in the Human World.

"Ukitake?" Isshin questioned.

"I don't understand. This isn't like them at all," Jūshirō muttered in disbelief, unable to fathom this uncharacteristic behavior. "They seem to be organized, as though they are waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike."

Saying so made the Shinigami more apprehensive, expecting the worst.

"Things just got worse," Tōshirō said, noticing something up ahead that almost left him without words.

There's a village or rather a town of some sort. The Shinigami and the Shinenju reach a fairly large city that is occupying what should've been an open space, the buildings all resemble the architecture of the Seireitei but with a black color.

"What is this place? None of this is supposed to be here," Senna said, marveling at the town in awe. It's beautiful in her eyes.

"You're right. This is unbelievable," Jūshirō said. "It doesn't seem like anyone has lived here in a long time but none of this seems to be all that old."

"The design and decoration reminds me of the Noble sections in the Seireitei," Rangiku said.

"So, you finally arrived," Everyone raised their blades at the sound of the voice of the enemy as Ganryū Shunpo'd into the village square.

"You!" Ichigo cursed while pulling Senna to him for her protection.

"Ganryū Ryōdoji. I prayed it wasn't so but you were behind all of this," Jūshirō glared daggers at the man.

"That's right, Captain Ukitake. It's been a long time. I welcome you to my home. The new residence of the Ryōdoji Clan," Ganryū greeted while smirking, as though he had already won.

"You're home? What do you mean by that? How could anyone think it is a good idea to live in this valley with how dangerous and short-lived it is," Tōshirō questioned.

"You are mistaken, young man. It is a common misconception that throughout history there have been multiple Kyōgoku that are erased once the Shinenju cleanses the Blanks but that is wrong. There has only ever been one Kyōgoku, for a dimension created by Reiō cannot easily be destroyed," Ganryū revealed. "This dimension merely fades away into the darkest reaches of the void between the Three Worlds named by the Hollows as Garganta, unable to be reached when it is not filled with enough Blanks."

"If what you say is true then does that mean that when your clan was exiled into the Dangai you stumbled onto Kyōgoku and hid away here?" Jūshirō questioned bewildered.

"Precisely. For more than two hundred years after the fiends of the Seireitei betrayed and banished us, we evaded our cruel fate in that realm of darkness and stumbled here just as it was emerging. We hid ourselves well so that not even the Shinenju could discover our presence and after many years we learned how to manipulate the godly Reishi of this world similarly to the Quincy and forge a new home here. Before long, food and water became irrelevant as spirit energy was all we needed to survive."

"But then where is everyone else? This place looks like it hasn't been inhabited for at least a few years," Tōshirō asked.

Ganryū sighed, expressing sadness as Blanks began to enter the town, not to surround them but more like to occupy it.

"Oh god…" Ichigo muttered, already having a clear picture.

"You're a sharp one, boy. Unfortunately, our last hope for living on ended in tragedy. Over time Kyōgoku infected us one by one, stripping us of our memories until we became Blanks ourselves. I alone survived," Ganryū confessed. "And if you had not extracted the little Princess when you did, the town of yours would've met the same fate but on a rapid scale with her there."

Senna gulped, horrified by Ganryū's sad tale.

"There's no point in trying to leave. The realm's curse has plagued all of my being. My earliest memories are all gone and soon I shall become a Blank. But before that happens, I will at last even the score with the ones who betrayed me," Ganryū declared.

"So you plan to take the Shinenju's divine powers as your own and use her to bring chaos upon the Soul Society," Jūshirō accused.

"Not chaos, Ukitake. Revolution," Ganryū boasted. "Every last vermin among the Nobles and the miserable Shinigami dogs who blindly serve them will perish until there is nothing left of them. Especially the accursed Tsunayashiro who orchestrated the deaths of my wife and unborn child. The Seireitei will be rebuilt from the ground up and forge a true Heaven upon Reiō's abandoned soil."

After his declaration, the entire world began to change rapidly and now everything goes dark with a violent storm that affects the land below it, followed by an earthquake.

"What's happening?" Rangiku gasped, each of them trying to maintain their footing as the tremor was getting worse.

"What do you have planned now, you asshole!" Ichigo yelled.

"See for yourselves, I think your pet will enjoy it," Ganryū grinned sinisterly.

Right behind them, a huge portion of the valley soon crumbles apart as something huge emerges from underneath.

A gargantuan beast, standing over 50 meters tall. its skin is a deep purple with a figure that is slander but with a fair amount of muscle, possessing four arms with the upper left hand having talon-like blades instead of fingers and the lower right arm is a tentacle. Its lower torso is elongated like a snake tail with no legs. Lastly, the head has four ox-like horns and it lacks a face, instead, there is a hole in its head with nothing but inky darkness within.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Renji cried in terror at the sight of this monstrosity.

"Whoa, whoa, hey… what is that thing?" Ikkaku uttered.

"I think it was a bad call after all not to bring Captain Zaraki with us," Yumichika muttered.

"Pretty sure this calls for Captain Komamura instead," Rangiku gasped.

"I can't believe this," Rukia could not stop herself from shaking in fear. The sight alone of this monster is unlike anything she had ever seen.

"Reiō help us all," Jūshirō prayed.

The hideous beast howls with merciless fury and hate into the sky, provoking the storm clouds to shout out more thunder and bolts of lightning to shoot out from the ground.

"Dammit! Burn, Engetsu!" Isshin shouted, releasing a massive stream of flames that clashed with the lightning strikes, protecting them from the fury.

"Purge, Getsuhime!" Ichigo screamed, unleashing and gathering destructive light from his sword. "GETSUGA TENSHŌ!"

He fires the biggest Getsuga he can muster with explosive power almost half the amount he used to destroy the Sōkyoku Hill but it proves ineffective as the Giant merely tosses the Getsuga Tenshō with its tentacle arm, diminishing it.

"No way…" Ichigo gasped.

"The end is nigh, Shinigami. Not even your God can save you now," Ganryū smirked, already tasting victory in his grasp.

Three miles away from where the battle between Ichigo and the Giant is taking place, a portal to the Garganta opens up, and from the darkness three individuals emerge.

One of them is a slender, yet fairly muscular, man of average height with a melancholic appearance. He has fairly short, messy black hair, pale white skin, a black upper lip, and green eyes with small slit-shaped pupils, similar to a cat's. Part of his bangs fall between his eyes, and he has distinctively thick eyebrows. He has teal lines which descend from the lower part of his eyes. He wears a white jacket, a black sash, and a white hakama. However, his jacket has longer coattails than others, and the collar is higher. He also has what resembles a fragment of a Hollow Mask on the top-left side of his head, forming a broken horned helmet.

Beside him is a humongous man with tan skin, a powerful build, and a ridge-lined cranium. He has brown eyes, black hair, long, bushy sideburns, and a thin ponytail reaching his upper back. Aside from this, he is bald. He has orange eyebrows, and red markings under his eyes. He wears a white open jacket. He also has a Hollow mask fragment of jawbone on his chin.

"Huh. So this is Kyōgoku. Looks boring but the air feels amazing," The tall man said, breathing in the air and enjoying every second of it.

"Indeed, and we're right on schedule," The smaller one said noticing the immense amount of Shinigami Reiatsu located in one direction. "We best not keep the Shinigami waiting."

"I get ya. But to clarify, we're to direct their attention at us, right?"

"Yes, Yammy, this is not a covert mission. Why would you ever assume our Lord would select you for a task that requires a subtle approach?"

"Que Suerte!" Yammy cheered. "If we meet the Kurosaki kid, you leave him to me. Alright, Ulquiorra?"

"Don't blame me if you lose a limb or two," Ulquiorra lectured uncaringly. "And as for you."

Ulquiorra turns to the third one accompanying them, a rather slim individual with medium-length black hair and grey eyes. Her mask fragments take the form of half a skull covering the right half of her face. She wears a long green striped dress with a turtle neck and black boots.

"I trust you know how to do your part to play in this, Roka?"

"Yes. I will not fail the Master," She assured him.

"Onward then. There's not much time before those foolish Captains use their cannon to blow this place up and we better not be here in case their ridiculous plan actually works."


Finally got this done! My personal life continues to be complicated so I'm surprised I remembered this story. Things aren't awful, just tiring that the only saving grace was getting to play the new Spider-Man 2 game that by the way, I highly recommend to anyone who still likes Marvel if you haven't bought it yet.

The next chapter will mark the end of Memories of Nobody. When will it arrive and what comes next, I'm afraid I can't make any promises. I wish you all better luck than me.