Chapter 7: We're an Army of Eight, Ready to Fall

"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Zanpakutō"
"Hollows/Vizard"
"{Speaking a different language}"

-]|[-

Ichigo sat awake in his room, watching the window. It was just before 1am, the time Urahara told him to be ready by. Normally being up so late would be a hassle, but Ichigo felt like he couldn't sleep even if he had tried. Besides the nervous energy from what was coming, without his exhaustion from training to distract him, Ichigo found his bed felt terribly empty without Nemu sleeping beside him. Glancing out the window, Ichigo quickly did a double take. He scrambled to open his window just as a large ball with a caricature of Urahara's head flew into his room, exploding against the teen's closet door. The thick red liquid filling the ball sprayed everywhere, forming a message on Ichigo's wall, "Come to the store in the next thirty minutes." Rather than leave immediately, he stared in disbelief at Urahara's chosen contact method. It was like some kind of serial killer wrote a message in his victim's blood! Just as Ichigo thought that, the liquid oozed lower, revealing a postscript, "If you think this is some sort of serial-killer-writes-a-message-in-his-victim's-blood thing, you have no sense of humor." Ichigo deadpanned; in that moment, he truly understood Nemu's distaste for the eccentric shopkeeper. "Fucking Hat-n-clogs. That better not stain," the teenager muttered as he jumped out his open window and headed out into the night.

As Ichigo ran, he crossed paths with Tatsuki and Orihime. The former was wearing her karate gi and a pair of running shoes, while the latter was clad in a pink t-shirt and grey jogging pants with a red stripe on the sides. "Oh, Kurosaki-kun! Did you get a message too?" Orihime was as bubbly as ever. It seemed not even their pending invasion of the afterlife could get her down. Then, less bubbly, she said, "Though Urahara-san didn't have to say I have no sense of humor." Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle at that.

When they arrived at the Urahara Shop, Sado was already there, clad in dark pants and a white sleeveless shirt with a dark red stripe on the left side. As they approached, Tatsuki asked, "How did you beat us here? And without us seeing you?"

In response, Sado simply said, "I was out for a walk." He pointed off to the side as he spoke. The other three turned their heads and saw, less than ten meters away, Urahara's macabre message on the pavement. All three sweatdropped.

At that moment, Uryū arrived. And he'd brought company. Though if Ichigo was being honest, he found Uryū's white getup with its weird half cloak so bizarre that he didn't notice the other two for several seconds. Both were Caucasian women in white clothing and peaked caps, though that's where the similarities ended. One was roughly Orihime's height and had long black hair and brown eyes. She wore a short white trench coat and pleated miniskirt. Her hands were covered in a short pair of gloves and her feet in knee length boots. Finally, she wore a thick black belt with a red heart-shaped buckle. The other woman was considerably taller, only slightly shorter than Ichigo himself. She possessed blue eyes and her waist length hair was lime green and noticeably wilder than her companion's. Her double-breasted jacket was tied up and unbuttoned along with missing fabric on the sides to better show off her bust. The young woman's booty shorts were held up by a black belt whose green heart-shaped buckle was on her left hip. Lastly, she wore elbow length gloves and ankle high boots. In all honesty, the pair were probably just as attention grabbing as Uryū was, if for different reasons. Tatsuki was the one who spoke up first, "Oi, Ishida! Who are these two?"

Uryū looked rather chagrined as he introduced his companions. Gesturing at the brunette and verdette in turn, the Quincy answered, "These are Basterbine Bambietta and Catnipp Candice, my… cousins from Europe. They've volunteered to help us rescue Kurotsuchi-san."

"Bah! More like we weren't gonna pass up the chance to smash some Shinigami faces. And we're not cousins so much as… you know what, let's go with cousins," Bambietta's voice was loud and bold, though noticeably accented, "What's important is we're here to kickass and chew bubblegum, and we're all out of bubblegum." Bambietta's attempted boast was undermined by Candice passing her a pack of bubblegum. Bambietta stared blankly at the gum for a moment, before turning and shouting at Candice in English, "{Why the hell do you have bubblegum?!}"

Candice smirked in response. "{I heard you practicing that line last night.}" The blonde's voice wasn't as loud, but she spoke with confidence and a hint of mischief. Though when she addressed the group, her Japanese was even more heavily accented and somewhat broken, "No mind her. She bomb; flash and bang but little substance. Going by Uryū's comments, you are Kurosaki." She pointed to Ichigo, who nodded. "So big guy is Chad. Boob girl is Orihime." Sado blinked at the misnaming before shrugging. Orihime cheerfully waved at the newcomers. Lastly, Candice pointed at Tatsuki, "And you are… Tasski?"

Recovering from Orihime being crudely (if accurately) described as 'boob girl', Tatsuki corrected her, "Tatsuki. Stress the first syllable."

The brunette Quincy didn't take kindly to being brushed off, but before she could retort, Yoruichi made his way outside and addressed them. "Everyone's here I see, including some… extras." After looking over the two Europeans, he gave that cat equivalent of a shrug, "Well, you have spiritual powers. So if you're prepared to die, feel free to tag along I suppose. Now then, c'mon inside. We'll be giving you some last-minute information while Kisuke finishes his preparations." His piece said, the feline trotted back into Urahara's store, most of the humans following him.

For several long seconds, the two Quincy women stared in silence at the spot Yoruichi had stood. After what seemed an eternity, Candice spoke, "{The cat can talk. The cat can fucking talk! I- I need a goddamn drink.}" Bambietta mutely nodded her agreement. Suddenly, they realized they'd been left alone and promptly hurried inside. Even if they were going over boring details first, the pair didn't want to miss their chance to kick some ass.

-]|[-

Once everyone had settled in Urahara's massive basement, and gotten the requisite gawking out of the way, they had all been given information on the most powerful members of the Gotei 13. Mostly it had been about twelve of the thirteen captains in Soul Society. As Yoruichi had explained, their information was slightly out of date so neither he nor Urahara knew who the 10th Division captain was. In the end, the advice for captains basically amounted to "Run or surrender. Unless it's Mayuri or Yamamoto. Run from the former, surrender to the latter." As for the lower ranks, Yoruichi explained that lieutenants and especially lower ranks change too often for twenty-year-old information to be useful. Furthermore, unless the group got separated for some reason, they could easily handle any lieutenant or below, barring the lieutenant of 1st Division, Sasakibe Chōjirō. Apparently, that man had been a lieutenant for over a thousand years and was stronger than some of the weaker captains.

As the debriefing wrapped up, Urahara loudly clapped his hands together from where he stood near a large stone frame. With his usual almost obnoxious cheer, Urahara announced, "Excellent timing! We should be ready in just a few minutes. This device will convert your bodies into Reishi so you can properly exist inside Soul Society. However, once the path is opened, I can only maintain it for four minutes. If you do not reach the exit in that time, you'll be trapped inside forever. So, consider this your last chance to back out."

While Yoruichi reassured a hesitant Orihime, Ichigo took a moment to move a bit away from the others. Taking out his Gikon, Ichigo swallowed it for what he hoped wasn't the last time. Popping out of his body, Ichigo gave Alfred a moment to adjust to having a body before he spoke. "I'm going to Soul Society now. With any luck, we'll save Nemu and be back here before you know it." Alfred quietly listened, understanding this was something Ichigo needed to say. "My body's all yours until I get back in a few weeks. Just try not to cause any trouble. And… if I'm not back in three weeks," Here, Ichigo cut himself off, struggling to say what had to be said. Taking a moment to swallow the lump in his throat, Ichigo finally asked Alfred, "Take care of my sisters, will you?"

Clapping his hands on Ichigo's shoulders, Alfred looked him in the eyes solemnly and replied, "Whatever happens sir, it has been an honor." The teenager stared at him for a long moment before nodding and heading back towards the others.

"Well, now that we're all ready, we can begin," Urahara announced, "As stated before, the Senkaimon can only be maintained for four minutes. Normally, this would be far more than enough time as travel between Soul Society and the Living World is almost instant with the aid of a Hell Butterfly. As we lack Hell Butterflies, you lot will be traveling through a dimension known as the Dangai. So long as you only touch the floor, you will be fine. However, the walls are composed of Kōryū, a constantly flowing current designed to ensnare anything that touches it. If you come in contact with it, you will be instantly and irrevocably trapped. At which point, the only way for everyone else to possibly survive would be to abandon you to your doom." Despite his grim words, the blonde had his typical carefree grin in place, "Since I'm sure none of you want that, just don't touch anything. Oh, and if you see or hear anything that sounds like a train? Run faster."

With that ominous warning, Urahara moved towards the artificial Senkaimon to start it up. Everyone shared nervous but resolute looks as they got ready. As Urahara and Tessai worked their magic, the gate lit open with a near blinding white glow. "Now!" Yoruichi shouted. All eight of them promptly ran through the gate and into the unknown.

-]|[-

The inside of the Dangai resembled something from the inside of a monster. Or perhaps a particularly unsettling hentai. The floor was mostly normal and seemed to be made of a purple stone. But the walls were made of ever-flowing viscous purple sludge. Despite knowing about the time limit, everyone but Yoruichi paused to gawk, at least until the feline noticed their inattention, "Stare later you fools! We're on a deadline in case you forgot!"

That was enough to jolt them all out of their stupor. Everyone resumed their run through the strange corridor-like dimension. As they went, Ichigo asked Yoruichi, "What did Hat-n-clogs mean when he mentioned a train?"

Without glancing back, the black cat answered, "He was referring to the Kōtotsu, a mass of solidified Kōryū which passes through the Dangai every seven days. Think of it like a street sweeper, if we were a bunch of leaves. For reasons I don't know, it looks and sounds similar to a bullet train. If it catches us, the result will be no different than if we were stuck in the walls."

"Gah!" Uryū's cry of surprise distracted them from their conversation. Looking back, they saw his cape had gotten caught in the Kōryū. Ichigo went to draw Eien-ō, only to be headbutted by Yoruichi, who shouted at him for being a fool. Instead, Sado simply ripped the cape of Uryū, freeing the Quincy.

As they neared the exit, Candice spoke up, "This is why I refuse to wear that damn cape." Tatsuki turned to the girl in confusion at hearing her speak flawless Japanese, but before she could question the European, they made it through the exit. …And out into open air several meters off the ground.

Even as Tatsuki moved to grab Orihime, the buxom girl called out, "Santen Kesshun, I reject!" The large triangular shield formed underneath them, allowing them and the nearby Uryū to harmlessly float down. Sado grabbed hold of Ichigo with his left arm as his right transformed. Unlike the initial form of his Brazo Derecha de Gigante, this new form had a more pointed shoulder extension, and the magenta designs were more intricate than before. With a grunt, Sado punched towards the ground, his massive strength slowing their descent. Meanwhile, the two Quincy women were seemingly descending through the air as though riding an elevator, a small disk of Reishi under each foot. Lastly, Yoruichi vanished from sight for a fraction of a second, only to reappear on the ground faster than any of them.

Once everyone had landed, they finally took in their surroundings. They appeared to be in a village straight out of feudal Japan. Everything from the buildings to the dirt road paved with large stone tiles suggested the octet had gone a few hundred years back in time. Yet strangely, there were no people to be seen. They were definitely nearby; all of them could sense plenty of weak souls nearby, but nobody was out in the streets. While the group looked around, Tatsuki asked the question that had been on her mind. Calling to Candice, she asked, "Hey, how did your Japanese suddenly improve so much?"

The verdette looked at her, blatantly dumbfounded. After an uncomfortably long silence, she replied, "It didn't. And where the hell did you learn to speak Irish so well?" That question caused everyone to stop what they were doing and stare at Candice. Barring Bambietta, all of them heard her speak in flawless Japanese just now, with no hint of her earlier accent or broken speech.

Before they could get too worked up by the mystery, Yoruichi cleared things up, "You're in Soul Society. Both this world and Hueco Mundo are worlds of souls where there exist no language barriers. As such, everyone hears others as though they were speaking their native tongue."

"Huh. Learn something every day I suppose," Tatsuki muttered. A brief flash of light caught her eye, and when she looked towards it, she spotted something she hadn't noticed before. A small metal stud glinted in Candice's navel. Apparently, the Irishwoman had a piercing or two. Looking around, she saw a number of large white buildings in the distance, "Hey, is that the Seireitei over there?"

Yoruichi looked in the direction she'd indicated and saw Tatsuki was indeed correct. But before he could answer, the others took off in that direction. Alarmed, the feline yelled after them, "Wait! Don't just run right in!" But it was too late. Positively colossal slabs of stone came crashing down in front of them, forming an enormous wall all around the Seireitei, as did an absolute giant of a man. Standing nearly ten meters tall, he positively dwarfed even Sado, who was the closest to him. The giant wore a Shinigami's shihakusho though he kept his left arm out of the sleeve. His vaguely apelike face was framed by a pair of sideburns long enough to be tied up in small tufts and atop his head was a giant fez. In his right hand was a massive hand axe. Upon seeing the group, he spoke in a loud booming voice, "Well well. It's been so long since someone tried to invade through the western gate. I am Ikkanzaka Jidanbō, gatekeeper of the White Road Gate. Who are you, tiny intruder?" The last part was clearly directed at Sado.

For his part, Sado couldn't help but find it odd to be called "tiny" by anyone. Still, he gave his name all the same, "Sado Yasutora."

The giant chuckled slightly, "Tiger huh? A fierce name. I'm afraid that if you want to get through the gate, you'll have to defeat me in combat." Glancing up, Jidanbō saw Sado's friends running their way. Unwilling to deal with their interference, the giant slammed his axe into the ground, causing the stone to heave upwards and block off the pair from the rest. "Hey! Don't you folks know anything? Here in the city we have rules. First, wash your hands when you come in from outside. Second, don't eat anything that's been on the floor. Third, all duels are one on one," Jidanbō scolded them. "Wait your turn. I'll get to you when I'm done smashing your friend."

Turning back towards Sado, the gatekeeper was mildly surprised to see the teen calmly waiting for him, his Brazo Derecha de Gigante already out. Letting out a surprised sound, Jidanbō remarked, "I'm surprised. It seems one of you at least has some manners. Thank you for waiting. Now, shall we begin!" With that, the giant swung his massive axe downwards. The impact kicked up a dust cloud as a loud crash reverberated through the area. When the dust settled, he was surprised to see his opponent still standing, having blocked the strike with his armored fist. "Wha- what!?" Jidanbō reeled back in shock. Nonetheless, he quickly recovered and gave a boastful laugh, "Not bad, tiny man! You're only the third person to ever survive my initial attack! But, nobody has ever survived the second!"

With a heave of effort, Jidanbō brought his axe down with even greater force than before. To the exact same result. Once again, Sado effortlessly blocked his attack. Now Jidanbō started sweating bullets. "What are you?! How could you possibly block my attacks?! I- no. No! I will defeat you with my ultimate technique: the Jidan Ten Strike Festival! Prepare yourself!" Once more, Jidanbō swung his axe, though this time he followed it up with more attacks, counting them off as he did. "One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Seven! Six! Nine! Five!" Unfortunately, it seemed the giant had trouble actually counting to ten. After a few more swings, he decided he must have reached ten by now. "And here comes the final blow!" This time, Jidanbō went in for a horizontal slice in a wide arc, even carving into the wall behind him as he went. The attack even cut through the stone barrier he'd created like air.

However, all of the gatekeeper's efforts were for naught. For there stood Sado, right arm braced against the axe blade it had just stopped cold. The teen hadn't even budged from his spot. For the first time since he'd introduced himself, Sado spoke, "Are you done yet?" In response, Jidanbō laughed nervously and declared that he had one more move to make. Pulling out a second axe, he prepared his ultimate ultimate technique. Unfortunately for him, Sado was tired of waiting. "Sorry, but we're on a bit of a time limit." Before Jidanbō could even begin his attack, a single mighty blow from Sado's right arm felled him, knocking the giant to the ground, and leaving him struggling to breathe.

While the giant laid on the ground, the others stared in surprise, impressed at Sado's new power. Even Orihime and Tatsuki didn't know he was so strong. Though they had trained with him, most of their fighting was against Yoruichi, who always seemed twenty steps ahead no matter how strong they became. Once Jidanbō recovered, he slowly stood back up. With a rueful chuckle, he said, "You're awfully strong for one so small. Still, fair's fair. You bested me so you and your friends may pass. Just give me a moment." Turning around, Jidanbō reached underneath the colossal gate he had been guarding. Giving a groan of effort, he slowly lifted the gate upwards until it was over his shoulders.

As the group moved towards the opened gate, Yoruichi muttered to himself, "I had hoped for a more subtle entrance. But I suppose this will be fine too. Just so long as there aren't any-" The cat promptly cut himself off as he both saw and sensed who was on the other side of the gate. "Oh fuck all kinds of duck."

"Oh my my, what's this? A gatekeeper isn't meant to open the gate he's guarding." The speaker was a tall thin man with short silver hair and a wide mocking smile. Most notably, he wore a white haori over his black shihakusho, marking him as a captain.

Jidanbō trembled in fear at the newcomer. "Ca-captain Ichimaru," he stammered, "What are you doing here? I lost to these outsiders, so it's only right that I allow them passage."

In response, Ichimaru Gin tutted while shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Now, that's not true at all. Didn't anyone ever tell you? A gatekeeper who fails doesn't open the gate." There was a sudden, almost imperceptible flash, and Jidanbō's left arm was instantly severed from his body. "Because a gatekeeper who fails, dies." The gate fell several feet as Jidanbō struggled to hold it aloft with only one arm while dealing with the agony of being dismembered.

'Shit. This is bad. Of everyone who could have been on the other side of the gate, it had to be him.' Yoruichi thought darkly. 'I'm the only one here who could take down a captain, but the situation keeps me from doing so quietly. Not to mention having to protect the kids. By the time I defeat him, we'll have half of Seireitei raining down on us. Right now our only option is to-' "Fuck me jogging!" Yoruichi's exclamation came as the result of all three Quincy firing at the Shinigami captain while Ichigo and Tatsuki charged in to tag team him in melee. Ichigo released his shikai while Tatsuki activated her Ryū no Senshi. Gin deflected both arrows but missed the bullet Bambietta fired, causing it to pierce his hip. Despite his injury, the silver-haired Shinigami blocked Eien-ō with his own Zanpakutō while grabbing Tatsuki's clawed hand by the wrist. Yoruichi shouted after them, "Stop trying to fight him, you idiots! We have to run away!"

"Oh my, such a scary response." At this point, Ichigo felt this man's only tone was blatant mockery. With a surprisingly strong shove, he pushed both of the teenagers backwards, causing them to roughly collide and struggle to stay on their feet. "Well, I'm afraid I don't have any more time for you. And so," As he spoke, Gin raised his short Zanpakutō and pointed it directly at Ichigo's heart, "Shoot to kill, Shinsō!" The now named Shinsō extended forward at tremendous speeds.

A mere instant before impact a triangular shield burst into being between the pair and the blade. Despite stopping the blade from harming them, the shield couldn't halt its progress. As a result, they flew backwards from the attack. Soon both teenagers collided with Jidanbō before all three were sent hurtling out of Seireitei in its entirety. As the gate crashed down, the group could see Gin wave at them with that unsettling smile still on his face. Just before the gate closed entirely, he cheerfully called out to them, "Bye-bye now!"

As Ichigo and Tatsuki clambered back to their feet, everyone present dispersed their powers. Ichigo resealed Eien-ō, Tatsuki's and Sado's limbs returned to normal, and the Quincy dispersed their bows (or rifle in Bambietta's case). The sole exception was Orihime, who quickly set to work using her Sōten Kisshun in an effort to help Jidanbō. Yoruichi headbutted Ichigo in the eye, roaring, "You morons! What were you thinking, charging a damn captain like that?! Are you trying to get yourselves killed?!"

As Yoruichi lambasted the group, Sado used his immense strength to move Jidanbō's severed arm over to the rest of his body, allowing Orihime to properly heal him. At the same time, numerous souls in old-fashioned clothing left the surrounding buildings and started approaching, faces curious. "Who're all these guys? Were they hiding earlier?" Bambietta questioned.

Drawn from his lecture, Yoruichi explains, "They're the inhabitants of this part of the Rukongai. They tend to be wary of strangers due to the trouble Ryoka cause. That they're appearing now suggests they're friendly."

Indeed, one elderly soul in particular approached and bowed deeply to them. "Thank you for healing Jidanbō! Unlike many Shinigami, he has always been kind to us." Straightening up, the elder declared, "Any friend of Jidanbō is a friend of ours. Please, come rest for a while and tell us what brings you here." Most of the group followed the elder towards his home, though Orihime and Tatsuki stayed behind, the former to heal Jidanbō and the latter to keep an eye on her.

-]|[-

As Ichigo followed the rest of the group, a voice called out to him, "I thought I recognized you, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Turning back, Ichigo froze in shock at the one who said his name. "You're-" Before him stood a young girl, her black hair in a simple pageboy cut and her violet eyes alight with recognition. Though her expression was far less malevolent than the last time he'd seen it, there was no mistaking the girl before him.

She nodded in acknowledgement, "Indeed. You knew me as Grand Fisher, though I've been going by Kyoka since you purified me." The now named Kyoka sighed and said, "Once again, I am sorry for what I put you through back when I was… back then. No one becomes a Hollow willingly, but I was especially monstrous as Grand Fisher."

Ichigo shook his head in an attempt to clear it. "You're not responsible for your actions as a Hollow. Inoue's older brother tried to kill her when he was turned. It's not your fault." The situation was too surreal for the Shinigami. Never did he think he'd forgive his mother's killer, especially after they tried to kill his sisters as well. Then again, he'd already forgiven himself. Why shouldn't he also forgive someone else who was involved but not truly at fault? Speaking of, "Do you know where my mother is? Is she around here?"

In response, Kyoka shook her head regretfully. "I'm afraid I don't know. When you purified me, all the souls I'd consumed traveled to Soul Society and were sent all over. Even if I had been trying to keep track at the time, I ate a lot of souls as a Hollow. It would have been like trying to keep track of a specific bird in a flock."

Dejected, but not especially surprised, Ichigo nodded his acceptance and rejoined the others. With thoughts of his mother in mind, Ichigo spotted Uryū and made a snap decision. "Ishida, can we talk? In private?" The bespectacled Quincy looked at him in surprise but nonetheless accepted and the pair retreated to a secluded corner of the room.

Once they had seated themselves, Uryū was the first to speak, "What's this about Kurosaki?"

Ichigo bit back a retort before then said, "Our relationship soured recently and we both know what caused it. But I think we need to talk about the underlying reason behind that." Scratching at his scalp, he continued, "I'm sure you have your reasons for hating Hollows and for your attitude towards Shinigami. But your powers destroy Hollows along with every soul they've consumed. Just now, I spoke to a little girl. Three months ago, she was an infamous Hollow, one who'd killed my mother. If you had been the one to fight her, you'd have destroyed my mother's soul." Here, Ichigo's face set into a look that was just shy of a glare, "That's why I get so furious at the idea of you running around slaying Hollows. At the very least, we could work together. You protecting souls that I can't reach or until I can come and purify the Hollows."

That last sentence caused Uryū to start in shock. After a long moment, he adjusted his glasses and chuckled ruefully, "You sound so much like my grandfather. He too wished that Quincy and Shinigami could work together to better protect the living." Now it was Uryū's turn to glare, "But then he was ambushed by five huge Hollows! He fought bravely but he was overwhelmed! The Shinigami didn't even arrive until well after he'd died and the Hollows had already left! On that day, I swore that I wouldn't allow others to fall because the Shinigami couldn't be bothered to step in!"

"Well aren't we a pair," Ichigo muttered darkly, "Both of us had to watch a family member get killed by Hollows." Ichigo gave his cousin a knowing look, "And both of us blamed ourselves for it."

Uryū tried to sputter a denial, but the disbelieving stare he received eventually caused him to give up. "Yes. I did blame myself. I was hiding nearby; I could have helped. But I was too afraid to fight. And my grandfather paid the price."

Heaving a great sigh, Ichigo put both hands on Uryū's shoulders and told him, "As someone who's been there. And as someone who got the chance to talk to the one he failed, don't. don't blame yourself. Your grandfather loved you and he absolutely wouldn't blame you for his death, nor would he want you blaming yourself."

Uryū held his gaze before looking away. "I'll try Kurosaki. We're still not friends. But I can understand where you're coming from."

-]|[-

While Ichigo and Uryū were having their heart to heart, Yoruichi turned to the elder and asked, "Do you know where I could find the residence of Shiba Kūkaku? It used to be in the southern districts, but that one has a tendency to move around quite a bit."

The elder gazed at him in surprise. "The Shiba? Why would you-? You mean to tell me you're going to use that thing to enter the Seireitei?!" His exclamation caused the others to look at him in curiosity. Clearly, the old man knew something they didn't. But when he didn't elaborate, they returned to their own discussions.

Off to the side, Bambietta was trying to get Candice's opinion, "So what do you think? The big guy's definitely strong but I wonder if he might be too big, if you catch my drift. On the other hand, orange-boy's got that huge sword, which makes me think he's overcompensating."

Candice rolled her eyes in annoyance. Sure, she enjoyed a good dicking the same as anyone, but Bambietta was a little too casual when it came to talking about it. Rather than choose, she replied, "I've known both for approximately an hour. And barely spoken to either."

Candice's blunt reply made Bambietta pout. "C'mon, you gotta have some idea of which one you'd want to feed your kitty. So tell me, who'd you choose to polish your pearl?" Seated nearby, Sado was rather blatantly doing his best to ignore their conversation.

"Fine!" Candice snapped, "If you must know… Tatsuki."

"Really? I, huh," Came the brunette's eloquent reply, "I guess I could see it. But I figured you preferred your girls curvier. Remember that one-"

She was promptly cut off by her verdette friend, "Yes, I remember! Orihime's got a great body, but it's not about the boobs. I want some fire. Some passion." Now that she'd gotten started, Candice was really getting into it, "Man or woman, I want someone who could get punched in the mouth and would spit the blood in their opponent's eyes then break their nose. …Also Chad's too tall for my tastes." That last tidbit got Bambietta cackling loudly enough to draw the attention of the whole room.

-]|[-

Hours later, the group was waiting for Yoruichi to arrive from wherever the cat had wandered off to. Orihime was sleeping, having almost completely drained herself to fully heal Jidanbō. Suddenly, they heard a commotion outside. Moments later, a figure hurtled into the door, knocking it off its hinges. The figure stood up, revealing itself to be a tall solidly built man who laughed as he brushed himself off. In a boisterous voice, he called, "Sorry about that! Bonnie threw me off again! Crazy boar." The man had black hair, covered by a red and white bandana. Combined with his blue pants and black vest, he looked rather like a stereotypical biker.

The elder was less than amused. "Ganju! How dare you break down my door again! And behave yourself in front of our guests!"

But Ganju merely laughed him off, "Don't be like that old man! Is that any way to treat an old friend? Besides, it was an accident; you know I can fix it!" However, Ganju's good cheer evaporated upon spotting Ichigo. "What's a Shinigami doing here?" Despite the taunt, Ichigo simply ignored the brutish man. Apparently, that didn't sit well with him. Stomping over towards the Shinigami, Ganju started mockingly patting him on the cheek. "I said, what's a stinking Shinigami doing here? Huh? Well, Shinigami? You gonna say something?" By this point, Ganju had grabbed Ichigo's jaw and cheeks in one meaty hand, "I asked you a question, punk! What're you doing here?"

In way of reply, Ichigo punched him in the face hard enough to send the delinquent flying back out the door. Storming outside, he shouted, "I was resting after spending all day fucking your sister!"

Proving to be tougher than he looked, Ganju quickly sprung back to his feet, outraged. "Nobody talks like that about big sis! Hope you've got your affairs in order, because you just signed your death warrant!" Faster than expected, he shot forward and launched a fierce haymaker at Ichigo's head. Ganju's friends, all riding on boars, loudly cheered him on. But Ichigo had years of experience fighting delinquents and street toughs. He ducked under the attack and sent a quick jab to his opponent's kidney. Unfortunately, while Ganju was staggered, he wasn't done. With a gesture from his foot, he cried, "Seppa!" The ground beneath Ichigo's foot turned to loose sand, causing him to sink in up to his ankle and lose his balance. While Ichigo was unbalanced, his opponent landed a strong punch to his back and another to the back of his skull.

Rather than fight to stay upright, Ichigo followed the momentum of the attacks and tumbled forward. Putting his hands beneath him, he pried his leg free and promptly kicked Ganju in the chin before completing his tumble and getting back to his feet. "Tough bastard," Ganju spat, "Guess I'll have to get serious." With that, he pulled a short sword shaped like a meat cleaver from its sheath on his back.

However, before he could attack, a loud alarm went off. The thug quickly turned towards his men, and sure enough, the giant clock one wore on his back read 9pm. "Oh shit, is it that time already?! Sis is gonna kill me!" Ganju quickly ran towards a riderless boar, presumably his own, and jumped on. As the group rode off, he yelled back, "I'll be back to finish this fight tomorrow, Shinigami! Don't you puss out on me!"

All of Ichigo's friends watched in bemusement at what they'd just witnessed. It seemed Soul Society was even weirder than they had thought.

-]|[-

The next morning, as everyone was waking up, Yoruichi finally returned and with good news. "I have a way for us to get inside the Seireitei, but we'll need the help of an old friend of mine. Fortunately, Kūkaku owes me a favor so it shouldn't be a problem." With that, the cat walked back out the door, calling over his shoulder, "Come along. It's an hour or so walk from here."

They obediently followed along, though Bambietta grumbled about not getting her morning coffee. Out of curiosity, Candice asked Ichigo, "What about that Ganju guy? Aren't you going to wait to fight him again?"

Ichigo snorted and replied, "Fuck him. If I wanted to get into a pissing match with some thug, I'd have stayed home. We're here on a mission." Up ahead, Yoruichi was silently glad Ichigo hadn't acted like a typical hot-headed teen and let his ego get in the way of his reasoning. At least, not this time.

As they walked, Orihime asked, "Yoruichi-san, what's this Kūkaku person like?" The rest all perked up, rather curious themselves.

Yoruichi chuckled a bit, "Kūkaku is a bit eccentric really. Despite their station, they prefer to live away from everyone, on top of frequently moving around. But you can always recognize their home when you see it. In fact, I believe I see it now." Up in the distance was a modest home with a large spire behind it. But what really drew the eye was a giant pair of stone arms holding up a banner proclaiming "Shiba Kūkaku!" The humans all goggled at the ludicrous display. For his part, Yoruichi cheerfully stated, "I told you, you can always recognize Kūkaku's home at a glance!"

When they approached however, two towering men barred their way, both larger than even Sado by a significant margin. The pair were nearly identical aside from one wearing a yellow top and the other wearing white. "Intruders!" They even spoke in unison, "Who are you to trespass on the property of the Shiba clan?" Before they could say more, Yoruichi approached. The duo instantly recognized him and bowed, "Yoruichi-dono! Our apologies! We did not know you'd be stopping by, or that you'd be bringing your entourage!"

Yoruichi waved them off, "It's fine, Koganehiko, Shiroganehiko. Is Kūkaku available? I'm afraid this isn't a social visit."

Bowing once more, the guards said, "Yes, Yoruichi-dono! Kūkaku-dono is currently in the lounge!" The teens were starting to think the duo were incapable of talking at a reasonable volume. "Please, right this way!"

-]|[-

Led inside, the group descended a long set of stairs, traveling far deeper underground than one would expect for such a small looking home. Finally, they were brought to a set of old-fashioned shoji doors. One of the guards lightly knocked on the frame and called, "Kūkaku-dono! Yoruichi-dono and guests have arrived!"

A brash voice came from within, "Let them in then! I haven't seen Yoruichi in ages!" The guards opened the door and allowed them inside. On the far end of the room, lounging on a plush cushion sat a young woman who appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties. Her long messy black hair was partially covered by bandages. She wore a white skirt and a provocative red robe exposing her expansive bust. A short sword was strapped horizontally across her back. Lastly, her left hand contained a long pipe while her right arm ended a few inches above the elbow. With a cocky smirk, she asked, "Ah, Yoruichi, it's good to see you! Have you come for a drink?"

Yoruichi answered, "I'm afraid not Kūkaku. I'm here to call in that favor you owe me."

The woman's lackadaisical cheer vanished at those words and her face grew serious. "Really? Must be serious if you're finally cashing that in." In the background, Ichigo's group was shocked that this woman was the Kūkaku they were meeting. Half of them rather expected her to be a cat like Yoruichi. "Well, if you're serious about it, I have no choice. What do you need?"

"Thank you," Yoruichi said sincerely. "We need your help to infiltrate Seireitei. Can you do it?"

Taking a long drag from her pipe, Kūkaku held it for a few seconds before breathing out the smoke. "Mah mah, you sure don't ask for simple things do you, Yoruichi?" After a moment, her cocky grin returned, "Of course I can! But I trust you; I don't trust your friends. So I'm gonna insist on sending one of mine with you, my little brother, Ganju."

She reached up and pulled a cord nearby. A side door slid open to reveal the delinquent from the night before, albeit dressed in higher quality clothing than before. In a tone of false manners, he bowed lowly and spoke, "My name is Shiba Ganju, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Then his eyes met Ichigo and his false manners turned to anger. "The hell are you doing here, you stinking Shinigami?! You that eager to die for what you said about my sis?" Ganju quickly rose to his feet and charged at Ichigo. In response, Ichigo drew Eien-ō from his hip.

But before their fight could truly start, both were laid out by Kūkaku who kicked her brother into a wall while punching Ichigo to the ground, both leaving craters where they struck. Everyone else, barring Yoruichi, was in awe of her speed and power. They couldn't even see her move! "Oi! You wanna fight, you fight outside! Don't go starting shit in my house!" Pointing at Ganju, she shouted, "You know better than that Ganju!" Pressing her foot into the back of Ichigo's head, the one-armed woman addressed him next, "And you! What kind of guest starts a fight with his host?! Didn't your mama teach you any goddamn manners?!" After a moment, her little brother's words registered. "And what the hell did you say about me?!"

By now, Bambietta was more amused than shocked or frightened and laughingly informed the spitfire, "Your oaf of a brother was picking a fight last night, so Ichigo told him he was tired from spending all day filling your holes."

Kūkaku frowned and kicked Ichigo over onto his back. Looking him over for a moment, she scoffed, "Tch. I might give him a ride if I'd had a few in me. But the only way this cherry boy is spending all day filling anyone's holes is as a carpenter." That was the last straw for all four human girls. While Orihime fainted with an incandescent blush, Tatsuki, Bambietta, and Candice nearly fell over as they cackled in delight.

-]|[-

At the same time, groups and individuals around the Seireitei were pondering recent events. Lieutenant Kotetsu Isane headed towards the Senzaikyū, carrying its prisoner's daily rations. Ordinarily, such a duty would be beneath her station and be assigned to one of the lower seated officers, if not an unranked Shinigami. But Isane felt a sort of kinship with Nemu; both of them were quiet and often overlooked, especially compared to their more famous captains. Or even simply compared to the other members of the Shinigami Women's Association. Soul King knew that most paid more attention to the outgoing and flirty Rangiku, the refined and elegant Unohana, or even the strict and fierce Soifon. Isane and Nemu? They tended to fade into the background together. So, Isane might have abused her position a little to assign herself as Nemu's liaison until her execution.

Once the guards allowed her passage, Isane entered the tower itself. She wondered what she'd run into this time. Sometimes she'd find her fellow lieutenant gazing out the window or writing complex formulas on the walls and floor or really anything to occupy her time. "Kurotsuchi-san, I'm here with your- oh my god!"

Spotting Nemu, Isane immediately turned and looked the other way. Apparently Nemu had taken up the pastime of prisoners everywhere: exercising. The violette was currently performing handstand pushups with only one hand, the other folded behind her back. Given her position, the simple white robe she wore had ridden all the way up and was now doing more to conceal her face than her legs. Isane had been part of 4th Division for over eighty years and a lieutenant for forty-six. She'd seen all kinds of people in all states of undress. But that was almost always in a medical setting, where she was more focused on healing them than their exposed skin. Not to mention, she'd always been rather shy about her body, her height in particular; as such Isane rarely joined the rest of the SWA on trips to the hot springs or indulged in what Rangiku called "skinship". Seeing so much of another woman on display so casually was quite a shocker for her. Risking a glance back, Isane saw that Nemu had apparently decided to increase the difficulty of her training by performing splits while she did pushups. Whipping her head back, Isane awkwardly cleared her throat, "I uh, I brought you your food Kurotsuchi-san."

The violette finally took notice of her company, "Oh. My apologies Kotetsu-san, I must have been overly focused on my repetitions." Showing off remarkable flexibility, she bent her legs backwards until her feet once more touched the floor, nearly folding herself in half, then swung the rest of her body back up into a standing position.

Fighting down her blush, Isane handed over Nemu's daily rations. Admittedly, said rations were about what one would expect for a prisoner: bland nutrition bars and a jug of water. As Nemu put the "food" near the thin futon allotted her, Isane spoke up again, "I do have some interesting news for you." Nemu made an inquiring noise as she consumed one of the bars. "Some Ryoka tried to infiltrate Seireitei earlier. One of them was an orange haired Shinigami with an unusually large Zanpakutō."

In an instant, Nemu stood directly in front of her, her eyes more intense than Isane had ever seen. In a voice that was far too calm to be anything but forced, she asked, "Did they get his name?"

The argent-haired lieutenant shakily nodded, finding herself unnerved by her colleague's reaction, "Captain Ichimaru said one of the Ryoka called him 'Ichigo'."

To her surprise, Nemu immediately slumped, seemingly drained of energy. The violette stumbled off to the wall and sat down heavily against it, muttering to herself. When Isane hesitantly moved closer to make out what the other woman was saying, she heard, "You fool. You marvelous, wonderful fool. You're going to get yourself killed, and for what? For me? I told you, I'm artificial. Replaceable."

The admission tugged at Isane's heartstrings. Despite their kinship, Isane knew she and Nemu weren't particularly close. But hearing Nemu disregard herself so hurt. Sitting down next to her, Isane put an arm around her fellow lieutenant's shoulder, "Hey now, none of that. Even if you are artificial, it doesn't mean you're replaceable. You're the only you there is." Looking up, Nemu offered the taller Shinigami a soft, but ultimately weak, smile.

Before anything else could be said, a loud voice called from outside, "What's taking so long in there, Lieutenant Kotetsu?"

With a start, Isane called back, "Just a moment, I'll be right out!" Giving Nemu's shoulder one last comforting squeeze, Isane stood up and collected the remains of yesterday's rations. Just before she left, Isane looked back and quietly reassured her, "You're not alone, Nemu."

-]|[-

Elsewhere, a group of Shinigami were drinking in one of the local bars. One of them was a tall woman with wavy orange hair, a bust that dwarfed even Orihime's and Kūkaku's, and a uniform that showed it off. She was Matsumoto Rangiku, current lieutenant of 10th Division and the third longest serving lieutenant currently in the Gotei 13. And right now, she was loudly and drunkenly speaking to the rest of her group, "I'm just shaying it's ridic- ridicu- redick, bullshit! The Sōkyoku ish meant for killin' captains and traitors. Not a lieute- loot- lieu, girl who stayed out too long!"

A Shinigami with spikey purple hair and a sleeveless shihakusho groaned, "We get it Rangiku. You've said the same thing three times." He was Hisagi Shūhei, lieutenant of 9th Division. Also at their booth, three more Shinigami made various sounds of agreement. One was a blonde man who looked constantly depressed and another was a petite woman with her black hair tied up in a cloth covered bun. The duo were Kira Izuru and Hinamori Momo, lieutenants of 3rd and 5th divisions respectively. Rounding out the group was Renji.

Rangiku didn't take their complaints well, energetically waving her arms as she shouted, "I know, I know! But aren't you guysh curious? Or worried? I've been lieutenant longer than all of yous combined, and I've never seen the Sōkyoku used! Now they're usin' it someone who hasn't even earned a couple centuries in the Maggot's Nest?! It's BULLSHIT!" With that final declaration, Rangiku slammed her fist on the table with enough force to knock over the sake bottles closest to her. In a flash, her outrage turned to despair as she cried, "No! My sake!"

-]|[-

In his office, Aizen Sōsuke pondered his plans. While the Kurotsuchi girl's execution was on schedule and the Ryoka had arrived as he'd foreseen, there were still more variables than he'd liked. If Nemu had some friends of reasonable power, he'd be able to manipulate them into protesting the execution, preferably with violence. Doing so would remove a few more of the major players from the board. If things went well, he could probably count on Kurosaki and his allies eliminating maybe one or two captains along with perhaps half of the lieutenants. Perhaps he could use Kyōka Suigetsu to remove a captain himself? If so, he'd have to be extremely careful; it wouldn't do to give the game away too early by making the other captains overly suspicious. 'Hm, best table that option for later.' Aizen found himself sighing. 'Perhaps the Kuchiki girl would've been the better option after all? I'd have had an easy way to turn Renji, Kyōraku, and Ukitake against Yamamoto.' "Oh well, no point dwelling on could-have-beens," The traitorous captain muttered to himself.

Now that he thought about it, Kyōraku had apparently bonded slightly with that Kurosaki boy. Perhaps that could be exploited. And Ukitake would certainly follow along if Kyōraku opposed the execution. Those two would tie up Yamamoto, eliminating three of the biggest threats to his plans. And if Shihōin could be drawn out into the open, Soifon would ignore everything else to confront her. Yes, perhaps things weren't so dire after all.

-]|[-

The Ryoka were currently practicing with Kūkaku's spirit cores, the orbs that would allow them to survive being fired from her Flower Crane Cannon into the barrier around the Seireitei. Except for Orihime, who got it perfect on her first try, all of them had some defect in the barriers they created. Ichigo's barrier was often too powerful while Bambietta's was remarkably unstable and Tatsuki's kept fluctuating in shape. Regardless, all were approaching acceptable aptitude actualizing a proper barrier with the basketball sized orbs.

And while they were doing that, Kūkaku was speaking privately with Yoruichi in her chambers. It was hardly the first time Yoruichi had spent time in her bedroom, but this was likely to be less enjoyable than those occasions. Sitting on one of her overstuffed cushions, the fireworks expert addressed her old friend, "First, lose the disguise. This is too serious for me to be willing to talk to a cat."

"Very well," The feline replied. A burst of smoke filled the room, which Kūkaku quickly shoved away with her Reiatsu. Where once was a small black cat stood a curvaceous nude woman with chocolate skin and long purple hair. "Ah, I haven't been in this form in decades." Even her voice was drastically different, turning smooth and teasing from her previous rough old man voice. "Feels weird not having any fur." Settling herself on another cushion, Yoruichi casually sprawled out, unheeding of her undress. "So, what's on your mind?"

Kūkaku lit her pipe and took a few puffs before answering. "Ganju might be too young to remember Kaien clearly, but I remember his face clear as day. So let me ask you," Here, her voice grew deadly serious, "Who the fuck is that Ichigo kid and why does he look like my brother's clone?"

Yoruichi sighed in response, tilting her head back to look at the ceiling. Honestly, she wasn't surprised by her friend's inquiry, even if it was rather inconvenient. 'Suppose it was too much to hope for that she either wouldn't notice or would chalk it up to coincidence.' Before her fellow noble could become too impatient, Yoruichi replied, "He's not your brother or your nephew. He's your cousin."

With a snort of disbelief, Kūkaku demanded, "The hell are you talking about? None of my family's had a kid since Ganju! It's not like some long-lost family member is gonna- …fuck. He's Isshin's, isn't he?" When Yoruichi nodded, Kūkaku slapped her hand over her face. "Ffffuuuuuck. Nobody's heard from him in over twenty years and his damn brat just shows up out of the blue."

"In his defense, it wasn't entirely of his choosing. Isshin temporarily lost his powers all those years ago and is only now starting to regain them." At Kūkaku's look, Yoruichi elaborated, "He allowed his powers to be bound to protect another soul, one whom he eventually had a family with. At his current rate of growth, Isshin should be back to full strength in a year, maybe less. Though you could always see him sooner by visiting yourself once this whole ordeal is over."

The ebony haired woman took another drag from her pipe to buy herself time to collect her thoughts. She'd never been particularly close to Isshin. In fact, she didn't think they'd seen each other since Kaien's funeral nearly thirty years ago. When Isshin had disappeared, she'd been saddened, but only in the general "losing a family member" sense. Still, to hear he was not only alive, but had a family was good news. Excellent news even. "I'll think about it. One more thing though. Does the kid know?"

"Not to our knowledge. Isshin seems to be waiting for something to tell him."

"Eh. I'll leave it to him then. Not my business one way or another at the moment. But the kid is family. If Isshin dawdles too long, I'll handle it myself as head of the Shiba clan." Knowing a dismissal when she heard it, Yoruichi once more resumed her feline form and exited the room. Left to her own thoughts, Kūkaku muttered, "What a fucked-up situation this is. What would you do, big brother Kaien?"

-]|[-

The next morning, everyone was gathered at the base of the Flower Crane Cannon, awaiting their final instructions from Kūkaku. The boisterous woman stepped forward, carrying a spirit core far larger than the ones they'd been practicing with. It was nearly the size of a beach ball! When she dropped it to the floor, the resulting boom echoed throughout the area. Kūkaku put one foot up on the orb to keep it in place and said, "This here is my largest spirit core. Normally we use those smaller ones you were practicing with, but I doubt all nine of you could touch it at the same time. While you're in the cannon, you all need to channel your Reiryoku into this core to form the barrier. Make sure you all channel the same amount or the barrier will destabilize and explode. Do it right, and you'll pierce right through the barrier formed by the Sekkiseki around the Seireitei. Do it wrong, and someone will be sweeping up your remains." Unsurprisingly, her speech was hardly encouraging. Shrugging it off, she continued, "Just focus on keeping your output even with each other. Me and Ganju will be handling the technical parts. Now get on in there."

With that, Kūkaku kicked the spirit core towards them. Sado caught it and carried it with him as the group entered the cannon. As they formed a circle around the large orb Sado held out, Bambietta cheekily asked, "Everyone ready to get blown?" Her joke was met by a combination of sputtering blushes and tired groans.

The entry to the cannon resealed itself and a sound came from outside. Ganju declared, "It's starting! Everyone, put a hand on the spirit core and channel your Reiryoku into it!" Everyone reached out and touched the orb with a hand, besides Yoruichi who stood on top of it, and a large blue barrier encompassed all nine of them.

Outside the cannon, Kūkaku stabbed her sword into the ground at the base of the cannon. Channeling her Reiryoku, she began chanting, "Far away! Copper-colored greed desires the domination of 36 degrees! Seventy-two pairs of illusions! Thirteen pairs of horns! The right hand of the monkey grabs the star! Embraced by the 25 wheels of the sun, the cradle of sand bleeds!" As her chant finished, she removed the bandages about her head and punched the ground, firing a burst of Reiryoku from her fist. Thus, the cannon fired, launching the nine far into the sky. "Good luck, to all of you."

-]|[-

Within the cannonball, Yoruichi gave a few last second instructions, "Remember all of you, stick together once we get inside. Do not engage any captains, no matter what! And finally, don't take any unnecessary risks. Our mission is to rescue Kurotsuchi Nemu, not pillage and burn like a bunch of barbarians!" Everyone nodded, even Bambietta who muttered about wanting to pillage and burn just a little.

From within his robes, Ganju withdrew a large, folded scroll and told the others, "Everyone, focus on the cannonball. I have to recite the second incantation to complete the ritual! And don't distract me!" With that, he turned all his attention towards his writing. While everyone was focused on keeping their outputs even (with only a few corrections to be made), Ichigo found himself looking at Candice across from him. When she noticed him staring, she winked and stuck out her tongue, a metal stud gleaming in it. In the background, Ganju's voice recited, "The fate of the three sparrows, the fate of the four dragons, enclosed on five sides, unable to return six ri! Winds of heaven, orangutan, spoon, cane of elm... a thousand ashes and a thousand wisdoms, the plan of the white clouds... close to the moon, not stepping on the shadow of scarlet... scarlet…" Suddenly, his voice trailed off. After a moment, he muttered, "Shit, I smudged the next line. What does that say?"

The result was instantaneous as everyone looked at the man and shouted, "WHAT?!"

They had no time to lambast him though, for Uryū noticed another problem, "Guys! The barrier's coming up!"

Ganju tossed aside his scroll and stated, "Nothing for it! If we can't use the Kidō to make a smooth entry, we'll have to brute force it. Everyone! Pump as much Reiryoku into the spirit core as you can!" With no other option but to trust his advice, everyone promptly cranked up their output as high as they could. Not a moment too soon either, as they impacted the barrier around the Seireitei. While they weren't instantly vaporized, neither did they immediately break through. It was the classic case of unmovable object versus unstoppable force. "C'mon, more power!" Everyone forced themselves to find more Reiryoku to pump into the core, further strengthening it. Finally, they broke through. But their own barrier, destabilized from the uneven power being channeled into it, promptly violently broke apart. Down below, the assembled Shinigami watched as the invading Ryoka were hurtled in six different directions all across Seireitei.

-]|[-

AN: And that's a wrap. Yes, we are introducing Candice Catnipp and Bambietta Basterbine early. They were foreshadowed in both the last chapter and in chapter four. However, don't think this means Yhwach and the Sternritter are going to be kicking down Soul Society's door any time soon. Or ever. As those who read "Extra Vows" know, Yhwach is super dead and never coming back. In fact, the only reason I had him reincarnate rather than let Yamamoto incinerate his very soul was so people wouldn't declare "They didn't find his body! He's probably still alive!"

Unlike canon, everyone got something to do at the start. I like Ichigo (usually, fuck that idiocy at the end of his final fight with Ulquiorra) but the MC shouldn't be doing everything. Also Sado basically never got to show off after his fight with Shrieker in canon. Either he fought mooks or he got curb stomped to show how badass someone is. Dude even lost against Di Roy, someone Rukia killed with a single attack. And I mean, it's Rukia. I'm not sure what's impaled her more: Enemies or Ichigo's cock.

Also, just because someone gets some more screentime, doesn't mean they're going to be a major character in the story. Nor does showing attraction towards someone mean the two are gonna fuck. Let's be real, if everyone fucked everyone they were attracted to, human's population would be more like thirty billion right now, probably more.

Lastly, while I have no intention of leaving any cliffhangers (yet), I'll be moving between the groups as we go. I'm not entirely sure what system I'll use, but each fight will be completed before we move on to the next one. Not gonna do something like cut off Tatsuki vs Komamura to switch to Orihime fighting Omaeda.

Now for the part you've all been waiting for.

Next time on "Vow of the King"! Orihime watches her girlfriend take a huge pole deep inside her while Ichigo is blueballed by a midget!