Chapter 2: The High Priestess

Trying to focus on anything was like trying to catch a slippery fish with bare hands, at least for Ichigo who was failing so hard at concentrating.

Byakuya's life was hanging by a thread, and there he was, stuck in a classroom like a sitting duck, smiling sheepishly at Keigo and Mizuiro's antics while waiting for Renji to return and give them the news of Soul Society's verdict.

Urahara told him to train, he could, but who the hell was he supposed to train with? He couldn't ask Ishida without spilling the beans and dragging Inoue and Chad into the mess. The idea of that was just downright awful. He couldn't stomach it.

Even if he did "hypothetically" confide in Ishida and diligently trained for just a day… who was he kidding? Progress would be unlikely, especially not without a shortcut like the one he had used to attain Bankai. If anything, he should do something about his state of mind before throwing himself towards trouble once again, because being a mess mentally is severely worse than being physically unprepared.

"Ah, I'm fucked." Literally and utterly fucked in his dictionary. It was the worst possible choice he could be presented at that moment.

"Kurosaki-kun,"

Ichigo straightened and lifted his face away from his palms as he spun to the voice that called him.

Inoue. Fuck.

A splitting headache racked his brain as he saw the whole crew staring expectantly, and he knew by the looks on their faces that there was no need for him to pretend like everything was normal because they knew what happened.

Double fuck. They likely sensed the reiatsu disturbance from the previous night, and admittedly, they were far better at sensing than he was. Plus, it's not like he was doing a good job at lying either.

Ichigo released a deep breath, wishing they weren't so supportive of him. They didn't have to get involved in his and Soul Society's mess this time around. None of them were directly implicated—only Ichigo, as a substitute shinigami, and because it involved Byakuya.

"Okay," Ichigo began, shoving his hands into his pockets, "I don't know if you've realized or not, but Byakuya's in deep trouble." He explained what happened with the Gates and what was already known information. "Urahara went off to fix things, but it's not looking good. I don't really want you guys getting dragged into this mess, but…" Ichigo trailed off purposefully and watched as Inoue's eyes widened in worry, and Chad's expression grew serious. Ishida raised an eyebrow, waiting for more details. Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't like this any more than you do, but we're running out of options. If you're in, I guess be ready for a rough ride. We're going to Hell, literally."

They exchanged glances, and without a word, Ishida nodded. "I don't really care about the shinigami Captain," he said, and Ichigo looked about ready to murder him, "but if you're going, I'm going." Ishida was not heartless after all, and even if he hated shinigami, he knew they did not deserve to be pulled into Hell just like that.

"We're in!" Chad and Inoue followed suit, determination shining in their eyes, like a spitfire, and Ichigo felt relieved even though he terribly didn't want this.

"Great." Ichigo smiled. Now he had a makeshift team and no idea where to start. Urahara's training was still on the table, but something told Ichigo this was beyond just getting stronger and that nothing of the sort would help him with the real storm that was about to hit them. In fact, he thinks that no umbrella or fancy sword could keep them dry.

But hey, when your back's against the wall, you fight, you win, or at least die trying. And Ichigo was damn well ready to fight for Kuchiki Byakuya.

It was nerve-wracking.

Renji was hard-pressed trying to keep his act together in front of all the gathered Captains, trying not to fidget like a sissy. There were still some irritated looks plastered on their faces (like Mayuri for example) after being disturbed from whatever they were doing, but Renji honestly couldn't care if he intruded on their beauty sleep if it meant getting Captain Kuchiki back.

Captain Commander Yamamoto had already started the meeting minutes ago and so the whole room was informed of what happened at the Living World. There was a varying amount of shock from everyone present, and if any insults were forming in their head at how careless Byakuya had been, nothing had been said.

Ukitake had expressed his concern and asked Renji for details about his Captain's health. But Renji could not answer that, because he hadn't seen with his own eyes what Byakuya's well-being had been before he got dragged inside. He'd just heard from his subordinates that their Captain was bleeding. And to what his well-being now… well, Renji doubted it was anything good.

"Captains," Yamamoto said, and everyone in the room quietened again. "Any suggestions on how we proceed with this matter?"

Urahara's call was sudden. It was in the middle of the school day, Ichigo and the others were eating their lunch on the rooftop when a blob that looked like a red tennis ball hightailed towards the wall closest to them and splattered — like a murder scene. Ichigo felt his eye twitch at the replica of Urahara's infamous bloodied messages, but he did not take too long admiring the handiwork.

It was the sign to head towards Urahara's shop.

"Well?" Ichigo asked as soon as he entered the tea room with his friends.

The look on Renji's face was downtrodden, and somehow, Ichigo knew that he came back from Soul Society bearing grave news. "They said they'll need time to investigate before sending reinforcements for Captain Kuchiki."

Ichigo frowned. "Another investigation?"

"Yeah, because they don't know yet why Hell is acting this way, so even if they know how to enter, they wouldn't until enough information is gathered."

Sure enough, that made Ichigo's blood boil. "Is the Captain's meeting still ongoing?"

Renji stared at him dumbfounded, if not a little worried. "You're not going to storm there, are you, Ichigo?"

"You're fucking right, I will!"

True enough, the Captain's meeting was in full effect and a decision had been made when Ichigo (who wasn't at all invited) stormed inside the room, raised his reiatsu, and silenced the Captains present at the meeting.

"Old man, what do you mean you'll just leave Byakuya in Hell!? Didn't you hear a word of what Renji just said?" he was angry that Yamamoto had once again decided that a rescue wasn't the immediate option. It's like they didn't learn from the Inoue situation during the war with Aizen.

"Brat, we couldn't just strike headlong without first knowing who's our enemy. It would only endanger Captain Kuchiki." reprimanded Yamamoto.

"You guys are endangering Byakuya by not sending a rescue squad! You think they'll just wait for you guys to come before they try to kill him!?"

"We are not even certain if Captain Kuchiki is alive," said Mayuri. "Sending troops for a dead man seems counterproductive, no?"

Renji, who reluctantly came by Ichigo's side finally snapped. "He's fucking alive, you dipshit! I would know if he's dead!"

"How would you? I had not attached a surveillance bug on him yet."

"I just would! He's my captain!"

Ichigo mirrored him. "Renji's right, plus Byakuya wouldn't die just from that. So we should send a rescue immediately before it gets worse for him there. Everything inside Hell is surely his enemy."

"Now, now. Let's all calm down, shall we?" Kyoraku admonished since the shouting was getting very heated. "I understand your point, Kurosaki-san, but really, if we just decided to raid hell so suddenly, we might be losing more than just Captain Kuchiki, do you understand what I'm saying, hm?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and scowled. Kyoraku had a point, but that doesn't mean he should like it. "I still think we should at least send some people to investigate, to see what's happening inside and how's Byakuya. Heck, I'll even do it myself!"

Sure enough, Yamamoto straightened at his declaration as if threatened. "The decision is final, Kurosaki Ichigo, and you will not further involve yourself nor try to rescue Captain Kuchiki. If you wish to help, you may wait for your orders, and only then should you involve yourself. Am I making myself clear?" Yamamoto eyed the teen seriously.

Ichigo only glared back, teeth still clenched in frustration. He couldn't believe not one of the other Captains was saying anything. It's like they're all fine that Byakuya was missing.

"Did I make myself clear, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Yamamoto repeated.

Ichigo glared at the ground, cursed himself and these people, and nodded petulantly. He would agree for now, but there's no denying the flames of rebellion that were once again lapping inside his chest.

"The two of you may now leave."

Yamamoto hit his cane on the floor and watched as Ichigo left with an angry bang. Apparently, the captains now still needed to talk about something else, and he and his opinions were no longer needed there.

"Ichigo! Renji!" Rukia, who was worriedly waiting outside, walked up to them and asked how it went. Renji had already explained the situation to her before he went to the meeting, so she knew what they were talking about.

"I can't believe they're just leaving Byakuya to fend for himself!" Ichigo scowled. "And he was a Captain already! No wonder they're okay to let Inoue just die, or something. Piece of shits."

"Ichigo." Rukia held Ichigo by his arm, trying to calm him down from hitting another pillar yet again. "Let's go to the Kuchiki mansion and calm down a bit, okay? Maybe we need a breather." she looked as frustrated as they were, but remained calm for the three of them. Someone needed to be sane, and two of her friends just weren't it at the moment.

"Rukia's right." Renji encouraged. "I get it Ichigo, we're all angry, but we need to think rationally before we make a hasty decision. Let's go back to Kuchiki manor as Rukia suggested, yeah?"

Ichigo sighed reluctantly. "Fine… lead the way."

"We all know Kurosaki wouldn't listen, right?" Shinji drawled, staring at the door where Ichigo left earlier. "He's going to go save Kuchiki whether we like it or not."

"Maybe we should listen to him…" Ukitake suggested. "He had done this before after all, rescuing Inoue Orihime."

"That was merely a fluke, and you know it," Sui-Feng said. She had arrived at a moment's notice after she finished her assassination and learned of the situation from a Hell butterfly.

"Captain Sui-Feng," Yamamoto interjected. "Perfect timing. I want you to mobilize the Onmitsukido and investigate the World of the Living. Call back the troops from Division Six and bring them back to Abarai's lead. Captain Kurotsuchi, I want you to close the Dangai from all access points after Captain Sui-Feng and the Onmitsukido leave. No entry, and exit for the next 48 hours until I say to lift it, understood?"

"Yes, Captain Commander." both of them answered.

"Also, Captain Kurotsuchi, after closing the gate, continue investigating the Gates of Hell. Establish a connection with Urahara Kisuke if needed and some officers of the sixth for a report. I would also like it if you send some of yours to investigate, but since keeping Kurosaki from leaving is the top priority, I expect you to communicate with Urahara more than going there by yourself."

Mayuri isn't pleased with the order, but he had no choice in the matter at all.

"Remaining Captains, guard the Senkaimon as it is closing. It is obvious that Kurosaki Ichigo will brute force himself out of the Soul Society if need be. We should stop him at all costs before he dooms us all with his impulsivity."

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes but understood where the commander was coming from. Ichigo was sure to not like it when he saw them stopping him.

On the other hand, Zaraki grinned. "Heh, I get to fight Ichigo again, this should be fun."

"Meeting dismissed."

"We're saving Byakuya."

It seemed like their breath didn't really help in changing Ichigo's mind. He was still going to be disregarding the order Yamamoto had given. He looked at Renji and Rukia and saw that they weren't surprised by this revelation. In fact, they looked like they were waiting for it.

"Took you long enough, Ichigo." Rukia grinned. "Shall we go now? To Urahara-san, right?"

Ichigo was the one surprised and elated. "Yeah, to Urahara-san."

"Not so fast, Ichigo." Yoruichi suddenly revealed herself from the window, jumping inside and wearing the reiatsu concealing cloak Urahara used before. "The captains are guarding the Senkaimon."

The three of them are appalled. "What!?"

"Yes, yes, they know you're going to ignore orders, so they 're closing off the gates right now."

"They're still closing it?" Ichigo immediately stood up and so did Renji and Rukia. "We should go now before it's too late."

Yoruichi gave them a look. "You wouldn't stand a chance there, Ichigo. I have another alternative…"

The three of them came to another conclusion. "Don't tell me… a Garganta?"

Yoruichi grinned. That's another great alternative (far more noticeable) but wasn't what she was suggesting.

"No… we'll use the Shihoin clan's Senkaimon. I am its former head, remember?"

Byakuya startled awake, swearing before breathing in the fresh air. A wave of disorientation crashed over him and he lay still, surrounded by an unfamiliar environment. The sheets of his makeshift bed were damp with sweat. His breath hitched as the memory of his death deteriorated.

Trembling fingers reached his temple, tracing the line of bandages he believed was hiding the obvious scarring from Teruma's blade. "Not a dream," he mused, disbelief palpable and struggling to understand his current situation. What happened? Why am I alive?

He knew he died. In fact, he was certain he had died. Teruma hadn't exactly been kind and his eyes were cold and unforgiving despite its amusement. The man reveled in brutality. The fact that he hadn't hesitated to impale Byakuya straight to the head was enough evidence that he clearly went from scum to unhinged scum in the decades they were separated.

Hell, it seemed, had not been a gentle habitation for someone like him.

Trying to move, Byakuya winced at the lingering pain. His wounds were treated, his body cleaned, and his uniform was swapped for clothes he found too feminine for his liking, but at least it wasn't stained in grime and blood. The dilapidated temple he now occupied offered little solace, its feeble illumination coming solely from a nearly spent candle.

He was both lost and shivering in the cold. The only thing he truly knew was that he was clueless.

Certainly, Byakuya doesn't know where he was, and what happened after his death at Teruma's hands. He's not even sure himself if he was truly dead or just hallucinated the whole event.

The door creaked open, interrupting his contemplation. He suppressed a flinch as a woman, standing akin to Lieutenant Ise in height, entered. He hadn't felt any reiatsu and did not expect to be intruded so soon after he just woke.

"I see you're awake," her voice, soft and kind (something he clearly did not expect), filled the room. Her long white hair was unbound behind her back, and her most noticeable feature was the strange headpiece that looked like cow horns above her head. There was also a chained cross necklace dangling from her neck that made him remember the cross Kurosaki Ichigo's Quincy friend was always wearing on his person, although this one was entirely different in shape.

Byakuya didn't answer her and watched as she rummaged around the room and replaced the dying candle. The room suddenly seemed to be a tad brighter than earlier and made him notice how different she was from the hellish inhabitants he remembered — if he even was in Hell still.

It was that thought that made Byakuya speak.

"...Who are you? Where am I?"

His question seemed to procure a reaction from her and their eyes met again. Some kind of electric current traveled through his body that made him aware of her authoritarian presence.

"I am Freda and you are in my home."

Byakuya frowned. Her answer did not explain things. "Your home?"

"You are new to Hell, correct?"

"...yes."

She approached, hand reaching to touch his face. Byakuya held still, alert to any threat, but she did nothing but caress his cheek. "You were unconscious and bound when I found you, an unfortunate addition to the ritual," she explained. "I figured you were from above and alive when brought here. Sadly, you were sacrificed."

"Sacrificed," Byakuya echoed, the word heavy on his tongue. He figured that was what happened, but having it confirmed didn't make him feel better in the slightest. "So, I am dead?"

"Yes."

"How am I here then? Being reborn in Hell needs a Konso Reisai, a Soul Burial Ceremony Ritual, 12 years after the funeral rites."

"That is the case normally, yes. But the ritual enacted by Teruma earlier serves a purpose," Freda continued, "It's meant to collect souls of the departed and then mold them together into one and revive a being to existence. The addition of a living soul to it cements the ritual to completion."

Byakuya frowned. "I have never heard of this ritual you speak of."

"The Yomigaeri Reisai or Resurrection Ritual, is technically considered a forbidden ritual due to its main purpose of resurrecting a soul. It acts similarly to the Konso Reisai you speak of, by breaking down reishi, but it does not require purifying a hollow in front of a grave to work, but rather killing a living soul — a being untouched by the taint of Hollow, casting them to Hell, and reversing the process." she looked at him straight in the eye and continued, "Being killed in Hell instead of in the Living World or Soul Society speeds up this process, and these unsuspecting captured souls, 9 gongs after their death, are expected to become the vessels through which the condemned are to be resurrected. And you, Kuchiki Byakuya, were chosen as the sacrifice to this ritual."

The disquiet in his thoughts after her explanation sent a chill down his spine. He did not know what to make of it and found himself very unfortunate to be involved in this kind of catastrophe.

"And I am chosen, why? What purpose could I possibly serve here that others do not have?" He does not wish anyone this fate, but there is nothing special about him that differentiates him from the rest.

"You are a noble lord, are you not? Your high-density reiatsu is considered one of the best catalysts for this kind of ritual. Your choosing, however, was at random."

At random? Byakuya retraced his memory to what Teruma had told him.

"...your suffering will be instrumental in opening the Gates completely and freeing me from Hell. You will be the world's undoing."

That does not sound random. Even if Byakuya tried to flip his words upside down, it still sounded like he was targeted specifically. He honestly wouldn't put it past Teruma to do so, and he consider the man's stance on vengeance as some kind of fraudulent attempt at deception anyway.

"...Are you with them?" Byakuya asked because she knew too much, even for someone who had just come across him.

"No." she pulled away from him and went to the other side of the dilapidated temple where a jagged chest was situated. Inside, she pulled free a purple-handled sword with a rectangular guard.

Senbonzakura!?

Byakuya did not react when Freda handed him his sword and he tentatively took it from her fingers. "...why are you helping me?" he looked at her and tried to reason in his mind about this strange play of events.

"I am a mediator here in Hell, someone who keeps the normalcy. I am tasked with investigating the Phantom's movements."

"The Phantom?" The word felt like a cryptic invocation in his tongue.

"The Phantom is a group of malevolent forces, souls that grouped up in Hell. They deviate from the natural order, and their actions have far-reaching consequences. I am tasked with understanding their purpose and preventing any disturbances it may cause. The information I told you is but a fragment of their recent activities."

Byakuya mulled over her explanation, trying to connect the Phantom with the events surrounding his own sacrifice. But the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle seemed to be scattered in disarray, and every answer led to more questions instead.

"If the Phantoms act independently, is there a warden governing Hell?"

"Yes, our King."

"You are not allied with the Phantom?"

"No, my loyalty lies solely with the King."

"If so, what is your purpose here? Are you disrupting their plan by saving me?" Byakuya questioned, his gaze piercing through the dimly lit room, directly at hers.

Freda's eyes held a glint of resolve. "Yes, and no. All I seek is to maintain the balance. To ensure that the unnatural occurrences triggered by the Phantom's actions do not plunge Hell, and in effect, the world, into chaos. Your sacrifice, though orchestrated by the Phantom, has disrupted the equilibrium, and I must correct it to not further destabilize it. Surely, a shinigami such as yourself understands these reasons, balancers as your kind are."

Byakuya tightened his grip on Senbonzakura, the cold steel grounding him to his current reality. He understood, far too easily, and can sympathize with her reasoning. It does not make it clear though what she wanted from him.

As if she could pick up on the questions forming in his mind, Freda nodded toward his sword, eliciting a curious raise of Byakuya's eyebrow.

"Do not let go of your sword, shinigami, it is a manifestation of your spiritual energy. It will serve as a beacon, as it is now attuned to the Phantom's presence that you are contaminated with. Perhaps, with it, you'll be able to aid me in stopping their ambitions."

Byakuya nodded in understanding and prepared himself to get thrown head straight into chaos, with no stop in between. "I will do my best to aid you then, Freda-san."

"I welcome you thee in Hell, Kuchiki Byakuya."