The Magician

The world was blurry behind his eyelids, with shapes and colors that didn't make sense. Ichigo was half-asleep and about to doze off straight to dreamland when he felt the vile and disgusting feeling of a familiar reiatsu turning unstable before fading away as though it had never been there just mere seconds ago.

When he realized what it was that woke him, the reiatsu had already died down into nothingness, and that snapped him wide awake.

Ichigo flew out of his bed and peered through the window slats of his room like a madman just released from prison. Cool gusts of air bristled at his face, but there was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen in the streets. It was empty like it always had been.

The streetlights flickered, and birds of the night cawed high above, just waking for the first time and howling in the distance. He was about to consider himself dreaming still when Renji's reiatsu flared like crazy and he knew… he knew that everything about that situation just felt wrong, like sweat clinging to your skin during a very cold night.

Ichigo wasted no time.

He snatched his substitute badge from his table and turned himself into a shinigami, sprinting toward where he last felt Renji's energy. Sure enough, everyone from earlier that morning was crowding at the still-closed gates while their Lieutenant attempted to hit it with Bankai and open it forcefully.

Obvious to say, it was not working as the Redhead had hoped.

"Renji!" Ichigo called out as he appeared beside the man in a flash, feeling a bit winded at how fast he shunpoed towards them. His mind was running a mile a minute and didn't seem to be slowing down due to adrenaline. And the fact that he'd just woken up and something felt off, he just knew his skepticism was well-founded.

"Are you okay? What the hell happened here?"

He roamed his eyes around the area but the noble was nowhere in sight. In fact, not a trace of his presence was left behind as if he just upped and left for Soul Society. But Ichigo doubted that was the case because then the panic he could feel in Renji's reiatsu and the clear distressed look on everyone's face wouldn't make sense.

"Renji… where's Byakuya?"

Renji spun on his heel, looking both relieved and agitated at his presence. He dove straight into the mess, laying out the whole upsetting event without a second wasted. Ichigo focused despite the quick rundown and cursed himself when his simple question turned out to be the understatement of the century. The day was quickly turning out to be a waterfall of bad news.

"So, let me get this straight. You were resting back at Urahara's place, and then you sensed Byakuya's reiatsu taking a nosedive, and then someone came to fetch you to rescue Byakuya 'cause Byakuya got dragged into Hell? Seriously, by who the heck?"

"Damn it! I'm clueless, dude! I can't believe this. I'm a complete idiot. I just let my Captain get taken without a fight." Renji's hand raked through his hair, tangling red locks in frustration.

"Easy, man. Clearly, nobody's to blame here."

Renji shook his head. "This is seriously messed up. How the hell am I gonna face Rukia now?"

Ichigo knew exactly where Renji was coming from. Rukia would be devastated. She'd probably go hysterical, and they'd be her prime targets for allowing her brother to get snatched by the enemy. Whether or not Ichigo had been nearby at the time, it didn't change a thing. He was in Karakura Town and should've been more vigilant instead of dozing off because he didn't feel like completing his stupid homework.

Never mind that Byakuya was strong either.

"Maybe we shouldn't tell her just yet," Ichigo suggested. He doubted burdening Rukia with this information would help. If anything, it would only intensify their shared anxiety, especially since they were still unable to access the gates. Chances are, Rukia would storm the place and attempt to freeze the door the moment she arrived.

"I don't know... I'd feel even worse if she heard it from someone else."

Renji has a point. Ichigo thought as he glanced wrily at the gate. He tried to imagine how that revelation would go and found that Rukia would feel betrayed that they omitted to tell her something this important.

For a brief, horrifying instant he felt as if the skull imprinted on the door were laughing at them. That the skull knew some curse that would keep them from ever entering. That already some spell was in progress to render them as useless as any other spirit that's slipped into the bowels of the Earth.

Ichigo shook the gothic horrors clear of his head as ruffled his hair in exasperation. "The gate isn't budging, is it?"

"No," admitted Renji, "I've been pushing my Bankai to its limits, trying to crack this thing wide open, but it's like hitting a damn brick wall. I doubt yours would make a difference."

They could try, but something's telling Ichigo that Renji actually hit the nail on the head with this one. If that were the case, then brute force was clearly not the solution.

There had to be another way to open the gate and rescue Byakuya, like an alternate portal to another dimension… a portal… to a whole… other… dimension—

—Urahara!

Ichigo spun around to Renji. "Urahara-san! We should reach out to Urahara-san!"

"You're a genius, Ichigo!" Renji cheered.

"I know right? I bet Hat-and-Clogs could figure out a way to unlock those gates. He always manages to come up with some crazy bullshit to—"

"I'm afraid I can't help… at least not yet," Urahara interjected, materializing beside them, accompanied by Yoruichi and Tessai just right in time to crush their burgeoning hope to oblivion. Their expressions were grave, their atmosphere somber, as they all fixed their gazes squarely on the heart of their predicament. The gate.

It was always the gate.

"Please tell me you can open it, Urahara-san," Renji asked anxiously, his dread about telling Rukia growing. "We can't just let the Captain stay in Hell even for a moment. It's gotta be grim for him, especially if our old enemies are stuck there too. Who knows what kind of trouble they're stirring up?"

"I hear you, alright." Urahara sighed. "However, opening the gates from our side... I haven't figured that out yet. We lack the necessary information, and it's been less than a day since the gate appeared. There have also been no other incidents to draw conclusions from, except for Captain Kuchiki's abduction." Which was unfortunate as far as their situation could go.

Ichigo's brows furrowed as he considered their options. "What do you suggest we do, Urahara-san? Isn't there a way to open a portal or something, like a Garganta?" There must be something they could do. Otherwise…

Otherwise, Byakuya would be in big trouble.

"The Gates of Hell manifests when a Konpaku, a soul, has committed unforgivable crimes before their death. My theory is that to open the gate from our side, we may need to wait for a similar crime to occur, then work from there to enter Hell with a rescue squad."

"What do you mean by that?" Ichigo tilted his head in puzzlement, trying to fit the pieces together but failing. Renji, on the other hand, appeared to have a better grasp of the situation and winced in response.

"Ichigo," Yoruichi crossed her arms and gave him a grim look that spoke volumes about how dreadful the situation was. "What Kisuke means is that we'd need to find a criminal, kill them, wait for Hell to claim their soul, and only then we can enter Hell to rescue Byakuya."

They what?!

"We need to—" Ichigo looked downright horrified at the idea. He couldn't even bring himself to say the word "kill," but it hung heavily in the air. The elephant in the room.

"But of course!" Urahara chirped, trying to dispel the tension. "That's just a theory. I'll continue searching for alternative methods. In the meantime, we should get rest. We can't do anything by tonight, at least not until I find something else."

"Good idea, Urahara-san!" Renji seconded and tried faking a laugh. It made Ichigo feel worse.

He stared at the gravel in his feet, grappling with the frustration of not being able to immediately rush to Byakuya's aid. It felt reminiscent of the times when Rukia was taken for execution and when Orihime had been abducted by the Espada.

Come to think of it… this is exactly the same progression of events—

"You don't have to worry, Kurosaki-san!" Urahara chirped again, breaking the silence that was beginning to smother them. "We won't expect you to take a life. We can handle the dirty work while you focus on saving Captain Kuchiki."

"I'm not worried about that!" Ichigo snapped. "It's just that… I don't think that plan, theory, or whatever you're about to do is in any way good… but I get it." Although the proposed means were morally distressing, the end goal of saving Byakuya outweighed the cost, at least for Ichigo.

It wasn't particularly true that he and Byakuya were close, at least not in the conventional sense. If Ichigo had to put a label on it, he'd say they were more like acquaintances, tied together by their connections to Rukia and Renji.

But something had changed in Byakuya after the whole Rukia mess. It wasn't obvious right away, and Ichigo had his hands full with that war and all, but the Sixth Division Captain had loosened up a lot. His words still cut like a blade, but there was a subtle shift in his personality.

No matter, there was still this unexpectedly significant role that the noble played in Ichigo's life. Some sort of mentor-type vibe that's a bit different from Yoruichi and Urahara, but kind of acted the same. Byakuya reminded Ichigo of his duties as a Substitute Shinigami when he was on the verge of forgetting it during the winter war. It was also Byakuya who had given the green light for Rukia and Renji to join Ichigo when Orihime was abducted (bending the rules he held sacred during their first encounter), and it was Byakuya time and time again who offered his home when Ichigo went to visit Soul Society for a while, letting the redhead rest and feel like he belonged just a little bit in that crazy realm of death.

And most importantly, it was Byakuya who had killed Tsukishima when no other people could find a way to counter his powers and believe that Ichigo wasn't their enemy. Urahara had mentioned to him (emphasized even) how shocked he was when he discovered that even when the noble had been cut by Book of the End, he had gone ahead and killed Tsukishima for Ichigo.

Quote and quote, Urahara told him Byakuya's own words: "You are Kurosaki Ichigo's enemy. I will not hesitate to cut down that enemy regardless of who they might be."

That loyalty had taken Ichigo by surprise, especially coming from the stern Captain of the Sixth Division, whom he'd once been at odds with. Maybe that battle was what had turned things around and put them on good terms.

So, in their current predicament, Byakuya was more than just an acquaintance to Ichigo—he was a friend, and Ichigo wasn't about to let a friend die as long as he drew breath.

"What should we do now?" Ichigo asked and determination was now clear in his voice, unrelenting, and confident like how he's always been.

"Already one step ahead of you," Urahara grinned, "Tessai and I will continue investigating the gate's properties and possible entrances. Yoruichi will work on gathering intelligence about recent spiritual disturbances and any unusual activities here in the Living World. Abarai-san, you should inform the Gotei 13 about what's happened and then maybe investigate on your side too; they'll need to be prepared as well."

Renji nodded in agreement. "Right, I'll leave immediately."

"And me? What do you want me to do?" Ichigo asked as everyone else's roles had been clarified.

Urahara smiled faintly. "For now, Kurosaki-san, focus on your own training and strengthening your abilities. The stronger you become, the better equipped you'll be to handle whatever lies ahead. You're our main fighting force after all."

It wasn't something Ichigo was hoping to hear, but he understood where Urahara was coming from. He wanted Ichigo out of the picture. At least until it's time for them to fight.

"Got it. Keep me updated on any developments."

"Let's reconvene again when Abarai-san returns."

"Kisuke," Yoruichi sauntered over to Urahara, who was busy reviewing the notes he had taken earlier that day. He found a few spiritual excesses from that brief opening of the gate, but it wasn't anything substantial as of yet. He could theorize that there was some imbalance though, because what would prompt a particle to turn into dark energy? But since there was nothing else being revealed from that sample, he couldn't continue. The grave expression on his face clearly indicated that things were indeed very dire.

"Is there something you need, Yoruichi-san?"

"You don't think we'll find any other way to enter, do you?" Yoruichi stated, straight to the point, as always. She doesn't seem to be asking it to know but rather trying to confirm what she already suspected. She's smarter than people give her credit for.

Urahara sighed deeply, pressing his eyes with the heel of his hands. "Not really, if we consider time is of the essence. Apart from being unable to study the inside of the Gate—was it like the Dangai? Was it made of other properties?—we have nothing else to go on. It's best we don't tell Kurosaki-san about this development and continue our efforts in secret."

Yoruichi hummed noncommittal at the pointed look Urahara was giving her. "You want me to find this unforgivable criminal, don't you?"

"I'm sorry to ask this of you, Yoruichi-san."

"Ah, what a hassle," Yoruichi complained, but she honestly didn't mind. She wasn't a saint, to begin with, and if this meant that she'd somehow save her protégé from certain death, then she'd do it a hundred times over, no problem. "Well, are there any specifics you want to tell me?"

"I'd suggest you find someone who's already been sentenced to death. We don't want to condemn anyone who still has a chance for parole. Look for someone bound for Hell due to the nature of their crimes."

"Understood. I'll go investigate some prison and report to you if I find someone fitting."

"Got it. Be careful, Yoruichi-san."

Yoruichi nodded. "Good luck, Kisuke."

Hell wasn't hot — Byakuya had come to learn.

Hell wasn't ablaze with scorching flames, nor was it a subterranean inferno teeming with tormented souls. Contrary to popular belief, the Jaws of Hell was in fact stark cold.

It was a filthy nine-story structure scraped from the very core of the Earth. It floated in the abyss, inhabited solely by corpses and the starving spirits of men still tethered to their physical forms. The biting chill assaulted Byakuya's senses and each glance around him only revealed a contaminated world. The frigid pulled at him like chains and cufflinks.

This was not the fiery pit that books in his Archive described; just an eternal realm of punishment encased in ice. Condemned souls around him were hunted down by starving beasts. The demise was inescapable and all hope they had was crushed to nihility.

Byakuya moved like a reluctant participant in a grim procession. His captor was having the time of his life dragging him by the hair through the place; nine levels down to the very depths. Senbonzakura's sheath scraped along the floor, accompanying him as they walked slowly and painfully over toward a sacrificial altar — where a prostrate body of some sinner was draped on, drowning in his blood, and covering the mystifying green glow of the tablet pinned below him.

Byakuya inhaled a ragged breath as he was pushed into a painful crouch, his hair being pulled out by the roots. He was delirious still from blood loss and the lingering paralyzing effects of his captor's shikai. There was a gaping hole somewhere in his abdomen, making it hard for him to breathe normally. His injuries were nothing compared to his previous ones but the air in Hell was stale and putrid, it stole the life out of him.

Being denied access to medical treatment by a figure in a blood-laden cloak didn't help matters in the slightest either.

The hold on him was released and the noble's weakened form crumpled to the ground without an anchor. His captor then callously kicked the lifeless man off the altar, and the body squelched like the corpse of a farm animal as blood bubbled from numerous lacerations. Byakuya noticed that the dead man's neck was missing. His throat had been ripped out and all that was left was a grotesque mess of torn flesh and exposed bone.

It was a recent kill, as far as Byakuya could tell.

Things happened very fast.

Byakuya stiffened as the cloaked man stood back up with a dismayed sigh. A second later, he was thrown unceremoniously onto a sacrificial altar, cheek scraped against the bloodied emerald tablet, and haori beginning to paint red. Byakuya grimaced at the rough handling but did nothing to complain nor assuage he was beginning to feel faint. He was not going to dignify the strange bubbling fear that was beginning to take root in the recesses of his mind.

No. Not a chance.

Trying to push himself upright, Byakuya knew before he felt hands manhandling him. He put up a bit of struggle, but the man was clearly insulted by his attempt and hit him on the back of his head so he blacked out for a moment. The dark was but a small reprieve from the searing pain his whole body was protesting against, and when he woke, he was chained chest to the altar, with no other choice but to be defiant.

The noble tried to breathe through his nose, but even that seemed to be a struggle to do.

"It's good to see you again, Kuchiki Byakuya."

The shadowy figure stood behind him, cloaked in darkness, but even without needing to see the face, Byakuya already knew who was behind the mask the other was wearing, and it wasn't a pretty sight to see or remember.

"Surely you missed my face?" the figure cackled his familiar laugh that had grated Byakuya's ear centuries ago. It was thick with malice as with the last time they saw each other, but even with their shared history flooding back like a torrential storm of pain and suffering, Byakuya was not one to harbor grudges from the distant past. Especially one so long ago.

"Teruma…" Byakuya rasped and tried to cough out the blood that dried in his mouth. No such luck. "You are dead and condemned to Hell."

Teruma moved himself to the other side of the altar where Byakuya could raise his head and look at him. "Yes, it seems you've noticed."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes at the evident sarcasm. "What do you want? Surely this isn't some petty attempt for vengeance."

"Vengeance?" Teruma cackled at the thought. He waved his hand in the air to dispel such an absurd idea. "No, no, nothing of the sort. I've just been waiting for a long time for our reunion and thought it would be nice to see your face before I try to destroy the world."

Another psychopath with a death wish? Byakuya did not think he'd see another wannabe God after the whole debacle with Aizen. And to think this would come from the mouth of someone who was long dead. It was laughable at best.

"You hope to destroy the world, and for what end? A bid for the Soul King's throne to rule over the three worlds?"

"Nothing of the sort!" Teruma actually looked horrified at Byakuya's suggestion. "Who would want to rule the world such as this? Definitely not me. I only want to destroy it and rebuild it. Its foundations are dubious at best, and the best way to change it was to start from scratch."

Byakuya scoffed at that. "And your point in doing this? In case you've forgotten, there's no place for you in the cycle of rebirth. You've forfeited that privilege with your own death."

A grin spread on Teruma's face, one that was not so easily forgettable as it was eerie. "That is why you are here. Your power will still serve my purpose and bring me back to life."

Me? Bring him back to life? Byakuya doubted he had a hold of such power. He was not the Soul King. He wasn't even the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13. What kind of delusions was Teruma trying to spit here?

"Even if I have the power to revive you, what makes you think I will cooperate?"

"Oh, you're going to cooperate, alright." Teruma smiled and monologued as if remembering all the suffering he had gone through since his death. "I had watched you, you know? Day and night, I learned everything there is to learn about you. I know your strengths and your weaknesses. I know what'll make you fold."

The man still spoke too much — at least that hadn't changed. Because apart from that, Byakuya had no inkling of what to expect from the dead. There was no way this whole escapade was what Teruma was trying to paint. And there was no way as well that he would be coerced to participate.

Suddenly a gong struck and the bell echoed throughout the realm. Byakuya's brow furrowed at the sound, as Teruma lightened at it. "Ah, they're calling me. Better finish this quick,"

Teruma leaned in toward him, all malicious and menacing, whispering in his ear with that malevolent voice of his. "Byakuya, have you ever wondered where your father is in the cycle of rebirth?"

My father? Byakuya turned his head a bit to get a look at Teruma's expression, but the man's face was hidden underneath his hood and the blonde shock of hair draped on his face.

"Perhaps Sojun hadn't been rebirthed, you know? Perhaps he was sent to hell?"

Byakuya's eyes widened in horror at the implication of Teruma's words. There was a possibility he was telling the truth… shinigami with high spiritual pressure was often sent to Hell to keep the balance, and although Kuchiki Sojun was never made captain, he served as a Lieutenant before dying.

He tried to recount if the ritual had been given to his father, but couldn't remember it for the life of him. To think he hadn't before considered Sojun was sent to Hell instead of reincarnating as a human soul was a testament to how fragile his father had been. He was so gentle that Byakuya couldn't imagine Sojun being sent to Hell at all.

"What are you trying to say, Teruma?" Byakuya asked, trying to keep his voice level even if his composure was wavering.

Teruma saw this anyway and felt glad that he could make the arrogant Kuchiki lord he remembered tremble in apprehension. It was so satisfying… so blood-curdling to be so in control.

"All in good time, my dear Byakuya. For now, just know that your suffering will be instrumental in opening the Gates completely and freeing me from Hell. You will be the world's undoing."

Without a delay, Teruma unsheathed his blade, pointing it at Byakuya's forehead. He chanted unknown words and let no questions be asked, nor any exchange of conversation. When Teruma finished, a wicked grin adorned his face as horror flashed across the captain's eyes at realizing what was about to happen.

There's no way he's killing me now. He still needs me!

Byakuya could only stare at his would-be executioner, powerless to even move an inch. Byakuya tried to scour Senbonzakura with his eyes and found his blade discarded a few feet away from him. Too far from his reach.

"As above so below, Kuchiki Byakuya. Goodbye and see you later."

His thoughts were cut off by the rightful panic that bubbled within him. Byakuya struggled against his bindings, trying to keep away from Teruma's blade, but they were draining his reiatsu — like sekkiseki stone.

His captor pulled at his hair once again to keep him from moving, and while he tried his best to angle away from Death Door's callings, the inevitable sword slowly pierced through the flesh of his forehead and deep into his skull.

Byakuya's eyes roll to the back of his head. The pain was unlike any other, and the scream torn out from his ragged throat was a testament. The darkness was perpetual and real, and there was no mistaking. Teruma's laughter resonated through the chamber — a triumphant echo of success.

The beat of Byakuya's heart halted.

"Finally," Teruma adorned that satisfied little smile at completing one of his dreams. He released his unyielding hold on his captive's hair, letting the man drop on top of the altar to choke out his final breaths. He had claimed the life of Kuchiki Byakuya, his executor, the man who had confined him within Senbonzakura's slaughterscape and forced him to a death he did not deserve. This wasn't an act of vengeance, no, merely his time to shine.

This time, he would make sure, that the sun would rise in Hell.