Chapter 20: Skin Made of Iron, Steel in Our Bones

"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Zanpakutō"
"Hollows/Vizard"
"[Reading/listening to a message/letter]"
"{Speaking a different language}"

-]|[-

As Ulquiorra strode into one of Los Noches many large halls, he kept his eyes firmly fixated on Aizen atop his throne, even as he noted the other Espada and most of their Fraccion were also in attendance. The Fourth Espada never saw the purpose of taking subordinates. Even though he knew why several of his fellows did, their reasoning made no sense. For the most part, they just seemed to have Fraccion to stroke their own egos. "Ah, Ulquiorra, you've returned. I trust your mission was a success?" Aizen's words might have been phrased as a question, but they felt more like an absolute. He had ordered Ulquiorra to do something, therefore it must have been done. Yet, in this case, he was wrong.

"No, Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra replied neutrally, "I was unable to measure Kurosaki Ichigo's power as he never made an appearance. Also, I must report that Yammy was slain." It irked him to report his failures, but the former Vasto Lorde was honest to a fault.

Though he didn't outwardly react, Aizen frowned internally. That… was not what he had expected. Kurosaki was to fight the Espada, get overwhelmed by one or both of them, and be forced to draw upon that Hollow power Aizen had sensed back in Soul Society. That would draw out the Vizard and allow him to deal with another faction that might threaten his ascension without having to hunt them down. The humans were proving adept at ruining his plans. Though at the moment, it was the more minor ones rather than anything critical. Regardless of his thoughts, all Aizen said was, "Show us." At his order, Ulquiorra reached up and plucked out his eyeball unflinchingly before crushing it between his fingers. Rather than blood and gore, the ocular organ burst into dust that flitted towards every person in the room, all of them closing their eyes as they experienced Ulquiorra's mission from his perspective. Once everyone had witnessed the event, Aizen reopened his eyes and idly mused, "So, Ichigo was nowhere nearby. An unfortunate turn of events but hardly a significant setback. The humans needed to fight three on one just to match Yammy in his base form, two of the Quincy are barely stronger than them, and the third is powerless. They will pose no threat to my plans."

"Tch. That they're weak now is all the more reason to kill them now," A spiky blue haired Arrancar insisted. Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez, the Sixth Espada, leaned forward from where he'd been slouching, his Fraccion all around him. "If it'd been me, I'd have killed them all without fucking around like you did. What're you gonna do if those other three actually make something of them?"

"Now now, Grimmjow. I'm sure it will be fine," Aizen half-heartedly reassured him. As expected, Grimmjow scowled at his words and stomped off, his Fraccion following. Aizen didn't bother disciplining him. Why would he, when the Espada had just handed him the perfect solution to the kink in his plans. He knew what the Adjuchas was planning to do and so far as Aizen was concerned, he benefitted either way. Putting those thoughts aside, the master of Los Noches addressed his minions, "Well, it would seem we're in need of a new Espada." The three Privaron Espada present all perked up, as did several of the Numeros scattered around the room. "Congratulations, Luppi, on your promotion to Tenth Espada." One of the assembled Arrancar, a short androgynous man, smirked in acknowledgement of his promotion.

-]|[-

The following day, Ichigo was in homeroom, still annoyed that he wasn't there while his friends had been fighting. Sure, no one knew they were going to be in danger at the time, but it still bothered him. Though Urahara's suggestion that his presence might have made things worse if the other Arrancar fought as well, and that his absence seemed to actually hinder them, did make him feel somewhat better. A new Reiatsu signature entered Ichigo's passive range, one that he could tell was only barely bothering to hide their power. As he shot upright, Ochi-sensei announced, "Also, we have a new transfer student starting today." Turning towards the still open door, she called, "You can come in now."

In walked a young woman in the standard Karakura uniform, though she looked like she should be a senior rather than a freshman. Her long black hair was kept in a braided ponytail and she wore a pair of red glasses on her face. Bowing lightly in front of the class, the new girl calmly said, "My name is Yadōmaru Lisa, please take care of me." Her introduction done, she was directed to the sole empty desk in class: the one directly to Ichigo's right. The teen stared right at her, to which Lisa merely gave a knowing smirk. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kurosaki-san. I look forward to… getting to know you better."

-]|[-

"You should be aware, Ichigo-sama, a team of Shinigami will be arriving soon," Nemu shared as they entered the equipment shed.

"What? Why?"

"I wasn't informed beyond that there's reason to suspect Aizen will be targeting Karakura Town specifically. Captain Hitsugaya will be leading the team and will brief us fully when he arrives."

Ichigo paused in his work as he tried to put a face to that name. "Hitsugaya, Hitsugaya… Wait, is he that little kid with white hair?" He'd only met the child prodigy once or twice while in Soul Society. Either the kid was really overcompensating on trying to seem "more adult" or he was simply the most serious child Ichigo had ever met.

"Captain Hitsugaya is indeed the second youngest captain in Soul Society, after yourself," Came the violette's answer. That shut Ichigo up. Sometimes he forgot that even kids who looked roughly his sisters' age were actually something like half a century older than him.

The pair worked in silence for another couple minutes before Ichigo spoke up about something that had been on his mind. "You know," He began, failing to sound casual, "About half my class is convinced we're having sex whenever you have me help put the equipment away?"

Without pausing in her work, Nemu responded, "Perhaps we should." While Ichigo choked slightly behind her, she continued, "If they're going to assume it anyway, why not indulge ourselves?" She bent over to set down her bag on the other side of the gym horse when she felt her lover's hands on her hips. The lieutenant ground her rear against Ichigo's crotch as she teased him, "Oh? It seems you like that idea, Ichigo-sama." Rather than answer verbally, Ichigo instead pulled down her track pants and panties at the same time, exposing her to his eager eyes. To his surprise, he found a jeweled plug in her butt. Rotating her body, Nemu removed her buttplug and stepped out of her clothes even as she placed one leg over Ichigo's shoulder. Understanding her silent request, he pulled down his pants and thrust squarely inside her delicious rump.

As she reveled in Ichigo's passion and affection, Nemu glanced at the cracked door of the equipment shed where a turquoise eye watched.

-]|[-

Two hours later, a much more relaxed Ichigo was laying on his bed reading manga alongside Nemu, him re-reading one of his volumes of YuYu Hakusho while she blazed through his collection of One Piece. Just then, the light cover on the ceiling came loose and fell down onto the bed, thankfully neither breaking nor hitting their legs. "What the-" The moment went from weird to truly bizarre when four individuals poked their heads out of the ceiling. Though Ichigo vaguely recognized all of them, what first came out of his mouth wasn't a greeting, but rather, "The hell are you guys doing in my attic?"

Rangiku was the one who answered, "Well, Captain and I were told to assemble a group and- Hey, watch it!" Her explanation was cut off as she and the others were shoved out of the ceiling.

Nemu grabbed Ichigo and rolled off the bed, dodging the four falling bodies. As the quartet bounced on Ichigo's bed, a fifth form lowered himself out of the hole before continuing, "As Matsumoto was saying, Head Captain Yamamoto instructed me to take a group of officers here to Karakura Town." Tōshirō sat down at Ichigo's desk, ignoring the grumbling pile on the bed. As he did so, Ichigo idly noticed all five were wearing Karakura High uniforms. "According to intel found by Captain Ukitake, we have reason to suspect that Aizen will attempt to create a device known as the Ōken, which he needs to access the palace of the Soul King."

Having a feeling he knew where this was going, Ichigo sighed, "I'm going to really hate how an Ōken is made, aren't I?"

The white-haired boy nodded in agreement. "It requires the sacrifice of one hundred thousand souls and a spiritually rich area of land measuring two spiritual ri in diameter."

"In that case, why couldn't Aizen just use a bunch of Hollows and some land in Hueco Mundo?"

"Oh! I know the answer to that one!" Kiyone exclaimed as she struggled to get out from under both Hisagi and her older sister. "According to Captain Ukitake, Hollow Reiryoku has to be purified before it can be used. Otherwise, it's 'taint', for lack of a better word, would corrupt the Ōken's creation and render it worthless. And since the only reliable way to purify a Hollow's Reiryoku is to slay it with Shinigami arts…"

"Right. All he'd be doing is wasting resources," Ichigo commented. "And those… Arrancar, that attacked the other day?"

"Ah, those." Tōshirō's perpetually serious face darkened. "Urahara explained that Aizen is apparently using the stolen Hōgyoku to empower Hollows by giving them Shinigami-like powers, creating Arrancar, humanoid Hollows with incredible power. Previously, Arrancar were exceedingly rare, especially ones with fully developed powers. But with the Hōgyoku, Aizen can turn any Hollow into one with ease."

"While technically accurate, any common non-Menos would be too weak to bother and most Gillian will likely be just as mindless even should they become Arrancar," Nemu offered matter-of-factly. "Aizen would be better served focusing on the Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes instead."

"Great, rather than legions of weak Hollows, we just have to worry about an army of Hollows that can already give Captains a hard time all becoming stronger." As he spoke, Hisagi unconsciously ran a finger across his facial scar. He still remembered that night nearly 40 years ago, when his group of students had been ambushed by a horde of Huge Hollows.

"Not to derail the conversation, but you lot are going to be staying in town for a while, right?" At the group's collective affirmative, Ichigo then asked, "So where exactly are you going to be staying?"

All five Shinigami shared a look. Clearly, none of them had actually considered that. "Well, I was going to stay here and get to know our newest captain!" Rangiku declared boldly, one hand on her chest.

"Not happening," came Ichigo's instant reply.

"Oh," Rangiku pouted, "Don't be so mean, Ichigo! I know, maybe you need some incentive~" Reaching up, the orangette lieutenant started unbuttoning her blouse. As her shirt had already been mostly unbuttoned (to "let her girls breathe"), she quickly reached the final button. Yet when she looked up at Ichigo, intending to tease him with the full reveal, she found him staring at her blankly, almost boredly. Next to him, Nemu seemed mildly curious, like she was a vaguely interesting specimen. "Oh wow. You actually meant it. Never mind then!" She quickly buttoned up her top once more, to Hisagi's audible frustration. "Tōshirō and I will go crash at Orihime's!"

The taller woman quickly hooked Tōshirō's arm and near dragged him out the window. Given what he knew now, Ichigo couldn't help but wonder if they were deliberately avoiding his father or if it was just coincidence. For her part, Nemu reached into her cleavage and pulled out a set of keys, which she tossed to Isane. The argent haired lieutenant caught them with a questioning look on her face. "The keys to my apartment. It's small but I don't use it so you may sleep there during your stay."

"Thank you, Nemu," Isane beamed. Turning her head, she saw Kiyone staring up at her with puppy eyes that she knew were bullshit, but also knew she didn't have a prayer of defending against. "Of course, you can stay with me, Kiyone. What about you, Hisagi-san?" She asked the final member of the group.

The scarred man waved off her concerns, "No thank you. You two enjoy yourselves. I've got an idea of my own."

With that, the trio all went their own ways, leaving Ichigo and Nemu alone in his room once more. Turning to look at her lover, Nemu simply asked/demanded, "More cuddling?"

-]|[-

"Matsumoto, you can't just barge in, assuming she'll have room for both of us!"

Rangiku cheerfully ignored her superior's complaints as she knocked on the door to Orihime's apartment. The other girl had been wonderful to chat with back in Soul Society, even if she sometimes went off on odd tangents. "Trust me, captain. You'll be glad we came here!" A few seconds later, the door opened. "Hey there, Orihi… you're not Orihime."

Standing in the doorway, Tatsuki stared at the newcomer, unable to see Tōshirō standing behind the much larger Rangiku. Wearing what could best be described as a "slutty evil sorceress" costume, Tatsuki took in this woman wearing a porn movie's idea of a schoolgirl outfit before turning back and calling into the apartment, "Hime, what are you doing hiring a hooker?" She was not up for sharing her girlfriend. Not to mention, even if her aunt sent her money, Tatsuki knew Orihime couldn't afford to blow it on prostitutes.

Rangiku's face flushed deep red as Tōshirō burst out laughing behind her. "You're right. I am glad we came here."

Rapid footsteps approached the door before it opened further, revealing Orihime in what any sci-fi nerd would recognize as a Slave Leia costume. "Rangiku-san! Tōshirō-san! I didn't know you were coming!" Despite being caught in the middle of what was clearly some sexy roleplaying, the young woman showed no hint of embarrassment or shame. "What brings you here?"

Blushing down to her neck, Rangiku couldn't help but mutter, "I've made a terrible mistake."

-]|[-

Later that night, Ichigo was enjoying some cuddle time with Nemu when he felt the new girl's Reiatsu outside his house. And unlike before, she was less trying to hide her power and more blatantly flaring it. "For fuck's sake," He grumbled under his breath. Knowing how awkward Alfred found affection from anyone, but especially Nemu, Ichigo instead used his badge to exit his body, leaving the trinket behind so he wouldn't have to worry about it suppressing his power too much. Jumping through the open window, Ichigo landed in midair above his home. Spotting Lisa across the street, also standing in midair, he called out, "I don't know what the hell you want, but come back at a reasonable hour, huh?"

An easy smirk on her face, Lisa replied, "I didn't think you'd want your family being involved in spiritual matters, Ichigo-san." Casually, she lifted the sheathed nodachi at her side, holding it up for inspection in her right hand. "I'm sure you know what this is, of course. But… do you recognize this?" With her left hand, Lisa reached up and swiped across her face, summoning a diamond shaped mask with a cross shaped opening in the center. Ichigo's eyes widened and his grip on Eien-ō tightened. "That's right. A Zanpakutō and a Hollow mask. Sound… familiar?" Lisa's voice had changed with her mask, gaining a strange echo as though two people were talking at once. Moreso, her power had changed. Not only had her reiatsu spiked massively, but it's… feel, for lack of a better word, had been altered. She felt almost like a Hollow to Ichigo's senses.

"What the hell? How can you do that?!" Ichigo demanded. She was right; it was familiar. But unlike when it happened to him on Sōkyoku Hill, Lisa was clearly still in control of herself.

With a wave of her hand, the young woman dispersed her mask. "I am a Vizard. Like you, I am a Shinigami who gained Hollow powers. So tell me, can you summon your mask yet?" A rhetorical question. She knew he couldn't. If he could, Urahara wouldn't have asked them to train the kid. "If you can't, well, some day that Hollow inside you will be the one in control, and you'll be the one reduced to a power boost."

The dramatic mood was unfortunately shattered by two things happening back-to-back. The first was a sudden gust of wind informing Ichigo that the self-titled Vizard didn't wear panties (nor shave). Second, was a Garganta opening only a few kilometers away and spilling out several high level Reiatsu signatures. "Goddamnit, more of them?!" Ichigo growled, taking his attention off Lisa to focus on the new threats. When he glanced back, she had already vanished.

Nemu flew out of his window, already in her Shinigami form. "Ichigo-sama! Eleven Arrancar have been detected entering Karakura town!" Unfortunately, while knowing the exact number helped, even as she spoke, the various signatures split off and raced in different directions.

-]|[-

Grimmjow exited the Garganta along with his Fraccion and tagalongs. "Alright, find and kill anyone with even a trace of Reiatsu! No fucking around like Ulquiorra!" Really, what kind of moron left an enemy alive simply because they "weren't a threat"? That's how you end up with a lot of enemies becoming a threat later. Better to just kill them while they were weak. 'Now, which one is the strongest?'

Grimmjow's thoughts were interrupted by one of the tagalongs. "I do not take orders from you, Sixth," Patros snorted derisively. For someone who wasn't an Espada, not even a former Espada like the Privaron, Patros had a truly massive ego. More than one Arrancar had overheard his tirades against being forced to serve a "mere Shinigami", as though there was anything "mere" about a Shinigami who cowed even Baraggan. Hate your enemies, plot their deaths, but never forget their power. Of the nine other Arrancar present, only Patros's goons, Menis and Aldegor weren't giving him looks of disbelief or contempt.

"Big talk from a mere Numeros," the Espada shot back, flexing his Reiatsu. Really, if the moron wanted to turn this into a pissing contest, Grimmjow would end him here and now. Surely, he could spare the three seconds it'd take. But it was not to be. In a rare show of wisdom, Patros instead turned his attention back to finding Reiatsu signatures, eventually choosing one and rushing off to engage. Within moments of his departure, everyone else had their own targets selected and sped away.

-]|[-

Sado was rushing towards the powerful Hollow signatures he and Hisagi had sensed. While he had encouraged the Shinigami to rush ahead, he nonetheless found himself cursing the fact he was so slow. Speed had never been his strong suit but it felt that lately this was coming back to bite him far worse than ever. His senses blared a warning and the giant teen brought his transformed arm up to block a strike just in the nick of time. "Ha! Not bad, Shini- you're not a Shinigami. Damnit, just my luck to get stuck with some weak human," Sado's attacker, a much shorter man in white clothing with a large mask fragment like a helmet on his head, grumbled. "Whatever. I'll kill you quickly then move on to the other weaklings." The Arrancar drew his sword and leapt at his prey, "Now die!"

Only for his sword to collide with Sado's Brazo Derecho del Gigante. The blade held for only a moment before snapping off. Sado's fist continued onward, striking the unnamed Arrancar in the face. The extensions on his arm opened up, charging with Reiryoku in a manner resembling flaming car exhaust. For the first time in their encounter, Sado spoke, "El Directo." A great blue blast launched from his fist into the Arrancar's head, killing him instantly. As his enemy's body dispersed into Reishi, Sado tried to determine how the others were doing. After several seconds, he found two who needed help and ran as fast as he could in that direction.

-]|[-

The wave of Hollow Reiatsu forced Bambietta to quickly leave the bar she'd been enjoying herself in, not coincidentally leaving behind an unpaid tab. Summoning her rifle, she took to the air. "Dammit. That one guy was cute too." At that moment, a blonde man in white clothing with a plate of bone atop his hair appeared before her. "Huh, you're not bad looking either," Bambi mused, "Shame you're a Hollow though. At least you'll still be getting blown!" Without giving the man an opportunity to speak, she immediately opened fire.

The Arrancar contemptuously dodged or deflected each shot fired at him. He tilted his head slightly as he frowned at how weak her attacks were to him. "Hm, is that the best you can do, human? I am Arrancar #15, Yylfordt Granz, and I will be your executioner." He made a punching motion towards her, firing off a yellow Bala, but Bambietta dodged in a burst of Hirenkyaku.

Appearing behind him, the German woman charged a shot before firing at his back. Though he turned in time to smack the bullet away, it exploded on contact, leaving his hand burnt and bloody. "And I'm gonna fuck you up," Bambietta boasted.

"You're not as weak as you appear, human. Very well." Yylfordt drew his Zanpakutō and held it close to his body, pointing towards her as he declared, "Skewer, Del Toro." A cloud of smoke engulfed his form as his Reiatsu spiked drastically. When the smoke cleared, his upper body was covered in bone white armor that made him look like a minotaur. Worse, his injury was fully healed.

"What the fu-" Bambietta's curse was cut short by a charge from Yylfordt, who was suddenly far faster than before, much faster than someone so top heavy should be. Though she moved to dodge, the Arrancar's horn still carved a deep gash in her thigh. "Motherfucker!"

Yylfordt snorted behind his reformed mask, "You should give up now, brother. It'll make your death much easier."

"And you should eat my ass! I'm going to use your horns as kebab skewers for your goddamn balls!" As she spoke, Bambietta charged her rifle with power, "Now hold still and die!"

-]|[-

"Hime, stay back!"

Orihime pouted (adorably, though she wouldn't want to hear it right now) as her girlfriend tried to keep her out of the battle. "I can fight too, Tatsuki-chan!" She hadn't trained against Yoruichi or invaded Soul Society for nothing. She could pull her weight without dragging the others down.

Tatsuki's inhuman eyes softened as she spared Orihime a quick look. "I know you can. But I can't heal. And the Shinigami only brought one healer of their own. So please, let me handle this guy. I won't stop you from saving my ass," Despite herself, the orangette found herself glancing down at said posterior, hidden as it was beneath Tatsuki's spandex shorts and tail, "But don't go getting yourself hurt. Please."

Orihime nodded, "Okay, Tatsuki-chan; I trust you. Now kick his butt!"

With a confident smirk, one made far more ferocious by her fangs, Tatsuki replied, "With pleasure." Addressing the silent giant across the street, she called, "Hey big guy. Thanks for waiting. Now, shall we?" Her opponent was a silent overweight Arrancar, the right half of his face hidden by the remains of his Hollow mask. Tatsuki knew he was faster than he looked from that Shunpo knockoff ability he'd shown to arrive, but he also felt much weaker than Yammy had the other day.

Testing the waters, the ravenette teen launched a fairly basic side kick. The Arrancar blocked with his hand, but let out a surprised cry of pain when her talons sank right into his flesh. "Huh, not as tough as that other guy was." A vicious grin split Tatsuki's face, "Works for me." She launched a fierce combination of attacks, utilizing both her years of karate lessons and her weeks of incorporating her form's extra body parts. The man did his best to block or counterattack, but it quickly became apparent that while he could move quickly, he could not fight at that speed. His blocks were avoided, his attacks dodged, and his morale destroyed. In just a matter of seconds, both combatants knew he didn't stand a chance as he was.

Jumping forwards, Tatsuki grabbed her opponent's face as he reached for his Zanpakutō. With a great heave, she jumped off the air itself to add to her momentum, slamming the back of the Arrancar's head into the sidewalk hard enough to shatter the concrete. A sickening crack filled the air on impact. Though Tatsuki watched her adversary carefully, his body dissipated into Reishi, showing she had well and truly killed him.

Looking back, she saw Orihime staring and looking rather green. It occurred to Tatsuki then that even though Orihime had fought human looking enemies, she hadn't killed any or even tried to. Deactivating her powers and shrinking back down to her normal size, Tatsuki wrapped her girlfriend in a hug. "Hey now. C'mon, it's alright," She whispered soothingly into the girl's ear. After several seconds, Tatsuki felt Orihime's breathing slow down to a more normal rate. Pulling back, she looked the other girl in the eyes, "You okay now, Hime?" The busty orangette nodded hesitantly, paused, then nodded again more firmly. Unable to help herself, Tatsuki gave her a quick kiss before smiling, "Let's go help our friends now."

-]|[-

Two Arrancar appeared in front of Ichigo and Nemu. One, a bulky muscular man who stood two meters tall, had an odd hairstyle where half his hair was long, black, and shaggy while the other half was bright red and shaved. The other one was somewhat shorter but, much like Ulquiorra and Yammy, was clearly the stronger of the two. His jacket was open, revealing a large hole in his stomach. He had bright blue hair and half a jaw on the right side of his face. He was the one who spoke up, "Edrad." His apparent subordinate looked at him in askance. "Fight the woman. The other one is mine."

Without taking his eyes off his self-proclaimed adversary, Ichigo addressed his girlfriend/subordinate, "Nemu. Can you take him?" He knew her skill with a sealed Zanpakutō but he'd never truly seen her fight before. Not all out anyway.

Nemu assessed Edrad for a moment. "Yes, Ichigo-sama."

"Good. Kick his ass, and don't die." With that, the two weaker fighters vanished, off to fight their own battle where they wouldn't have to worry about a stray attack from their superiors killing them. "So, who're you?" Ichigo asked of the blue haired Arrancar.

"Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez, Sixth Espada. Remember it Shinigami," Grimmjow sneered before launching himself at Ichigo. The teen unsealed Eien-ō wordlessly and positioned his sword to block the Espada's attack, only to be shocked as Grimmjow's punch sent him rocketing backwards into a cement wall. To his surprise, Grimmjow didn't immediately follow up his attack. Instead, he stood in midair, smirking cockily down at him. "C'mon Shinigami, don't tell me that's all you got. Show me that Bankai of yours."

Pulling himself out of the destroyed wall, Ichigo challenged, "You're going to regret asking. Bankai." Once Eien-ō Tenmai manifested, Ichigo blocked another punch with his shield and counterattacked with a thrust towards Grimmjow's chest. But the Espada caught the blade in his other hand, the edge scraping against his hierro. "That's that hierro I heard about then? Say, what's the difference between an Arrancar and an Espada?" He asked as the two struggled to overcome one another.

"Suppose I could grant a dead man's last request," Grimmjow bragged. Though, despite his words, even he'd have to admit the Shinigami had decent power. Not enough. Nowhere near enough. But more than he expected. "The Espada are the ten strongest Arrancar. That buffoon who manhandled your friends the other day was the tenth and weakest. I'm the sixth. You do the math."

Ichigo's reply was to headbutt Grimmjow, slamming his helmet into the blue haired man's nose.

-]|[-

The Kotetsu sisters' first indication that there was trouble was the numerous Hollow signatures appearing within Karakura. Their second indication came only seconds later as a large fireball and a spinning disc of lightning crashed right between them, creating an explosion of smoke and dust. The pair quickly leapt apart, each drawing their Zanpakutō even before they landed. "It seems we missed, sister," a neutral voice called from the smoke cloud. Out of the cloud stepped an extremely short woman, one dwarfed even by Kiyone, with vivid crimson hair. She was wearing what appeared to be a sleeveless white sweater and red pleated miniskirt. Reaching up to her headpiece-like mask fragment, she pulled out the hilt of a sword, which promptly sprouted a blade of flames.

"Indeed we did, Yang dear," A second, more bloodthirsty, voice answered. The other Arrancar was nearly identical to her sister, except for having longer hair and blue where her sister had red. From her own mask fragment, she withdrew a small handle that extended into a whip, electricity crackling along the length of her weapon. With a crack of her whip, she conjured a lightning bolt from the heavens, sending it careening towards Isane.

"Bakudō #81, Dankū!" With an upraised palm, Isane created a transparent barrier to block the attack even as she drew her Zanpakutō with her other hand. "Fracture and shine, Kesshōgiri." As she grabbed one of the crystals, it grew and warped into a jade kanabō within her hands. With a single Shunpo, the lieutenant appeared behind her enemy and swung her club for the Arrancar's skull. But the woman proved too fast, dodging away and wrapping Isane's kanabō in her whip before jerking it out of her arms. An instant later, the Arrancar wrapped her whip around Isane, pinning her arms to her sides and flooding her body with lightning.

As her older sister screamed, Kiyone grit her teeth, dodging fireballs from her own enemy. "Back off! Hadō #31, Shakkahō!" Though her attack was negated by Yang's fireball, it bought her time to draw her Zanpakutō. Bracing the back of the blade against her forearm, Kiyone declared, "Rend their flesh, Tōga!" With a bright flash of light, Kiyone's sword broke apart, forming a dozen strips of light. Each strip wrapped around her forearms, forming a solid band, and when the light faded, the bands had formed into twelve chakrams. Each one appeared to be made of brass and was engraved with silver in the form of a Nagini. With a quick series of jabs, Kiyone launched four of her chakrams at Yang while running to help Isane.

As Kiyone readied herself to launch another chakram towards her sister's tormentor, another fireball slammed into her back, rocketing her forward into the ground. Said fireball dispersed to reveal Yang, her knee lodged in Kiyone's spine as the Shinigami slid along the ground from their combined momentum. Yang's own sister paused in her electric torture, letting her victim slump down in quiet agony, to snark at her, "Oh? Let her get away from you, did you?"

"Silence, Yin," Yang retorted. "She only distracted me for a moment. I'm not the one playing with her food like an overgrown cat." Despite her apparent anger, Yang's voice was as flat as ever, even as she grabbed the back of Kiyone's head to smash her face into the pavement. "Say, where's that one's Zanpakutō?"

"Hm? Oh, it's those cry…stals," Yin trailed off as she realized the crystals revolving around Isane had vanished. In a small, confused voice, she pondered, "Where did they go?" Her question was answered a moment later when a series of jade spikes erupted from the ground, aiming for each Arrancar twin as they leapt away from their opponents. Both landed in midair and stared down at the Shinigami sisters. "Clever bitch," Yin muttered in reluctant respect.

As Isane helped her sister stand, the twelve crystals of her Shikai formed a circle in front of her, her kanabō resuming its original form to join the orbit. Raising her free hand, Isane pointed it palm first towards the center of the formation. "H-hadō #44, Gaki Rekkō," With her words, a green circle appeared just behind her Shikai and began firing numerous green lasers directly into the crystals. The crystals shone for a moment before the lasers refracted out of each one into the adjacent crystals. After a few seconds, the tip of each crystal fired an additional laser towards the center of the formation, where they all then converged into a single beam which fired upon the Arrancar twins. "Kaizō Hadō, Hisui Hadō-hō!"

Yin and Yang swung their respective weapons, conjuring up a disc of electricity that was then engulfed in flames, in order to counter the attack. The electrically charged fireball flew true and struck the laser head on, only to fail to stop it in the slightest. The green blast plowed straight through without slowing down for an instant, engulfing the pair in a massive explosion. After several seconds, Kiyone asked, her voice hopeful, "Think that got them?" An eruption of Reiatsu blew away the smoke to reveal a pair of humanoid dragons with arms like praying mantises: scorched, bleeding, and undeniably pissed. "Of course not," Kiyone sighed.

-]|[-

"You know, I've never had the opportunity to test this old idea of mine before. Suppose I should thank you for that," Candice offered. She was bleeding from multiple light injuries while her enemy, some Arrancar named Shawlong, was completely unmarred. Unfortunately, the bastard had proven too fast for her usual sniping to do the job. And worse, he was too fast for her to keep out of melee range. Hopefully, what she was about to do would fix that.

"Oh? And what idea would that be, Quincy?" Shawlong asked curiously.

Candice snorted, "What kinda idiot explains their powers and plans to the enemy? You'll just have to wait and see." With a deep breath, she concentrated, channeling her schrift through her own body. The Irishwoman didn't have the best grades, but she had certainly done well in biology and chemistry. And something she remembered was that her nervous system worked via electricity. 'If I can speed up the electrical reactions in my body without frying my nerves…' A moment later, bright blue electricity sparked along her body. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff," Candice purred just before vanishing.

To Shawlong's eyes, he was surrounded by dozens of copies of the Quincy, each one firing at him over and over. He dodged as best he could with Sonido, but his enemy was smart and fought three dimensionally, her arrows raining from every possible direction. Adjusting his grip on his Zanpakutō, Shawlong prepared to unleash his resurreccion and show his true power. "Snip, Tijer-" His declaration was interrupted by an arrow impaling his wrist. The Arrancar stared in horror as his limp fingers released his blade, sending it plummeting to the ground.

Though he wasted no time in rushing after his fallen Zanpakutō, this also made Shawlong's path predictable. Just as his hand brushed the handle of his blade, Candice roared, "Galvano Blast!" An arrow radiating with electricity struck Shawlong directly in the throat. From the arrow, an overwhelming current of electricity flowed into his body, frying nerves, burning muscles, and causing his body to lock up so tightly that his own bones broke under the pressure. It was over in seconds but each second lasted an eternity as the man's body was cooked from within.

As the burnt corpse struck the ground, Candice sniffed, "Fucker." At that moment, her usage of schrift caught up with her, leaving her entire body tingling like her limbs had fallen asleep. "Whoo, I can't feel my… anything. That's gonna take some work. Shit, hope I didn't fuck up my nerves pulling that stunt."

-]|[-

"Daiguren Hyōrinmaru. You wanted my Bankai, Arrancar? Take a good look," Tōshirō boasted. His face was bloody from the Arrancar's initial attack. The young captain wasn't sure what it was honestly. It was too fast to be a cero, but also much too weak.

Patros sneered. "Hmph. You covered yourself in ice and call it a Bankai? Pathetic. Is that truly the best you can do, Shinigami? Allow me to show you true power." Ready to prove his might, the Arrancar once more gripped his Zanpakutō, ready to unleash another energy blast. But the moment his hand grasped the hilt of his sword, Patros realized he had a problem.

"Did you really think I didn't notice you resheathed your Zanpakutō after every attack?" Tōshirō questioned rhetorically, "Furthermore, did you really think I would simply let you continue using that little trick of yours?" Indeed, the entirety of Patros's Zanpakutō was covered in ice, his blade frozen within its sheath. Though he couldn't see it, the ice even extended into the sheath itself, ensuring the Arrancar couldn't simply break it free.

Patros tried not to let it show as he panicked. He could fight without his Zanpakutō but his fighting style revolved around it. "Don't think you've won just yet, Shinigami! Pollute, Gerifalte!" However, his resurreccion refused to manifest. Naked horror blossomed on his face as he once more stared at his frozen Zanpakutō. Patros did not live long enough for regret, either of his decision to go against Aizen nor of taking his eyes off his opponent. The blade of Daiguren Hyōrinmaru burst through his chest from behind. Blood spurted forth from the wound, only to immediately flash freeze as ice enveloped the blue-haired man's body entirely.

As Tōshirō withdrew his blade, the frozen Arrancar's body shattered like glass. Deactivating his Bankai, Tōshirō pulled out his Soul Pager and contacted 12th Division. "This is Captain Hitsugaya requesting a status update. Are there any more targets in the area?" While he waited for news, Tōshirō idly wondered if there was a way to just let everyone on the battlefield easily communicate rather than having to go through a third party like this. Well, technically Shinigami in the field could just call each other, but without knowing if they were currently in combat or even hiding from a dangerous enemy, doing so was just asking to get them killed. Either way, he could bring up the idea with Lieutenant Kurotsuchi later. No offense to Captain Kurosaki, but he gave the impression of being a little more 11th Division than 12th Division if Tōshirō was honest.

-]|[-

Yylfordt paused as he realized his latest charge had hit, but done no damage. His horn had certainly pierced the Quincy's clothing, but it had stopped cold on her skin, barely indenting it at all. When he looked at where he struck, a difficult proposal given the ridged brow of his mask, he saw the woman's skin had a strange glowing blue pattern across it. "What the-" How could she have stopped his attack? He had already gored her once, not to mention the other blows he'd landed.

Bambietta sneered angrily down at him. "It's called Blut Vene. Studied up on it when I got tired of assholes like you sticking it in me." From her back sprouted a pair of pink wings as a pink star formed over her head. "Now, you know what happens to cattle like you?" Sensing the danger of her new form, Yylfordt frantically retreated. Luckily, the Quincy didn't manage to do more than brush his head before he got away. Such was the Arrancar's speed that he'd never know what killed him as his head violently exploded in a shower of gore. "They're led to the slaughter," Bambietta finished smugly. Internally, her thoughts told a different story, 'Hell yeah! That was such a cool one liner!'

-]|[-

Kiyone absently wiped some blood from her chin as she tried to keep her older sister alive. It was funny in a twisted sort of way. Normally, she was a little under half as strong as her sister. But with that damned limiter on her, Isane was currently about half as strong as Kiyone was. And their enemies were much stronger than the blonde unfortunately. Right now, Isane was barely conscious and it was all Kiyone could do to carry her while keeping ahead of the blasts of fire and lightning the Arrancar twins were launching at them. Not to mention she had lost five of her chakrams so far, either in trying to counterattack or simply sacrificed to absorb an attack she couldn't dodge. So far, the only upside to their transformation was that they seemed to be nearly immobile, simply firing long ranged attacks over and over without moving. A chime from her sister's chest informed both that the various officers had received approval to remove their limiters, something that'd be a lot more useful if Isane was in any shape to fight. "You know, this would be an amazing time for a dramatic rescue," Kiyone suggested, only slightly joking.

Just as the Arrancar twins prepared to fire upon them yet again, a cry of, "El Directo!" rang through the air and a blast of blue Reiryoku smashed into Yang's head. The Arrancar's attack exploded in her face, turning a grievous injury into a mortal one. As the draconic Arrancar gave off a dying scream, Sado landed in front of the Kotetsu sisters. "Are you two gonna be alright?" He asked in that deep, quiet voice of his.

"Holy crap, big guy! You've the best sense of timing!" Kiyone exclaimed in joy and relief. "Yeah, we'll be alright. I can heal Sis up if you can deal with the other one." She nodded towards Yin as she spoke. The remaining Arrancar was going berserk over her sister's death and was charging a cero far more powerful than any attack she'd used so far.

Sado nodded his agreement and began walking towards the draconic Hollow, the extensions of his arm flaring up with power as he approached. "I've got this," He said calmly. It was funny, he mused. It felt like he'd fought more in the last year than he ever had back in Mexico. Yet, these days he always fought for someone else. And that is what made all the difference. Yin fired her electric cero, seeking to kill the Shinigami and the human who had killed her sister. "El. Directo!" Sado was launched forward by the power pouring from his arm. He made contact with the Arrancar's attack and power right through, coming out the other side as the blast split around him. Pulling back his fist, he launched a mighty punch directly into Yin's face, shattering it and the whole of her upper torso with a single strike.

Her hands over Isane's chest as she poured Kaidō into her, Kiyone whistled in amazement. "That was so badass."

-]|[-

"You'll never get anywhere like that, Shinigami. You've yet to even bruise my skin," Edrad boasted. Indeed, unlike Nemu, he hadn't even drawn his Zanpakutō yet, merely attacking and defending with his bare hands. Her sealed Zanpakutō couldn't pierce his hierro and the Arrancar didn't give her the opportunity to cast any high level Kidō, always attacking the moment she started an incantation.

Adjusting her grip on her blade, Nemu calmly replied, "Very well. We shall move to the next phase of the experiment then. Pierce everything in sight, Tengoku Shibari." As she spoke, Nemu stabbed her Zanpakutō into her palm. Rather than pierce her flesh, the blade sank into her skin in a flash of light. Once the light faded, a quartet of vaguely metallic violet bands adorned her wrists and ankles. Before Edrad could comment on her seemingly worthless Shikai, the lieutenant leapt forwards and launched a kick towards his face. The Arrancar once more smacked her leg aside, only for a ribbon to shoot forward from the anklet on said leg. The ribbon barely grazed his cheek, yet the slight pain and wetness on Edrad's face told him this was no mere strip of cloth.

-]|[-

A glowing red orb charged in Grimmjow's open hand and he roared, "Let's see you handle this, Shinigami!" His cero fired, screaming through the air towards his prey. The attack collided with Ichigo's shield, and though he poured his Reiryoku into it, the shield eventually cracked and then shattered under the onslaught. As the remaining power of the attack washed over Ichigo, sending him flying through a nearby building, Grimmjow outright cackled. "I thought you said I'd regret demanding your Bankai, Shinigami! Is this really the best you've got?!"

From out of the rubble, Ichigo climbed, stumbling slightly. His helmet was gone and his armor was cracked in places, but he was still raring to go. 'Let me out. Use me.' Ichigo recognized that voice. It was the knight he'd fought. And the one who'd hijacked his body in his first fight against Unohana. The Hollow. 'Never,' he mentally retorted. Out loud, he simply called, "Don't worry, I was just getting warmed up. Eikō no Yari." His armor vanished as his sword elongated into a spear once more.

In a burst of Shunpo, Ichigo swung his spear around, seeking to slash Grimmjow's chest open vertically. But the Espada was no idiot. He could tell there was more to Ichigo's change than merely replacing his weapon. The Arrancar moved to dodge and was almost successful, but the tip of the spear still caught his shoulder. The sheer lethality of the blade severed his entire arm off.

In response, Grimmjow's smile widened as his bloodlust grew. "Now we're getting somewhere!" Finally drawing his Zanpakutō, Grimmjow held it as though he was going to perform a low sweeping cut. "Grind, Pantera!" A tremendous gust of wind enveloped the area, forming a miniature tornado around the Arrancar, hiding him from view. As his Reiatsu skyrocketed, Grimmjow gave a great roar, the shockwave of it dispersing the whirlwind. His newly revealed form was more feline, with black paws instead of feet and a long white tail. His hair was far longer and his body was covered in white segmented armor. "Here I come!" He shouted as he burst forth in a blur of speed.

-]|[-

"You know, I expected more from a lieutenant," Aldegor commented as he floated in the air. He was already in his resurreccion, his upper body and arms covered in armor and hinged appendages, rather like blunt spider legs, grew from his back. "But I guess a Shinigami just can't match a proper Arrancar."

Down on the street below, Rangiku lay in a crater, her form bloody and bruised. She and Tōshirō had initially been together when the Arrancar attacked but their opponents had done a good job of separating them. 'Damnit, what's taking so long on getting the limiters removed?' She had called in for a limiter removal almost immediately upon sensing the power of the various Arrancar but had yet to hear back. Unfortunately, she couldn't just release her limiter and accept punishment later. The damn things physically couldn't be removed if they didn't receive the proper code from Soul Society. 'Something to bring up at the next meeting. Assuming we all survive that long,' a dark part of her mind snarked. Out loud, she called up to her enemy, "Sorry, I'm just used to guys being more gentle rather than just smacking me in the face with their balls."

"Cute," He snorted. "Your jokes won't save you Shinigami. Just be thankful I'm willing to kill you quickly." His piece said, Aldegor used his extra limbs to form a sphere around his body. Spinning rapidly, he launched himself at the orangette, seeking to crush her into paste. Rangiku quickly moved away with Shunpo, but the Arrancar just kept coming, bouncing off the air and crashing into buildings like the world's most violent pinball. Even glancing blows scraped off bits of her uniform and flesh from the rotation.

Finally, a chime came from her seal, telling her that she (and every other Shinigami in Karakura) had received the approval code. Taking a hand off her Zanpakutō, Rangiku pressed her thumb to the daffodil tattooed on her breast. "Limiter Release!" The sudden wave of Reiatsu rolling off her drove her opponent back as Rangiku stood tall with her full power finally at her beck and call. "Growl, Haineko!" With the release of her Shikai, her Zanpakutō dispersed into a cloud of volcanic ash. "Neko Rinbu!" The lieutenant declared, causing the cloud to suddenly engulf Aldegor in a violent cyclone. To his horror, the bits of ash quickly eroded his armor. The Arrancar attempted to escape via Sonido, but the tornado matched his speed easily, grinding away his flesh into nothingness until his injuries became too much and he finally died.

-]|[-

As he clashed with the Arrancar that identified himself as Menis, one of Hisagi's arms hung limply, having been impaled early on when his adversary released his Zanpakutō at the very start of their battle. It made wielding Kazeshini tricky; the dual scythes weren't meant to be used one-handed. "Having trouble with your Zanpakutō there, Shinigami?" Menis taunted, his three tentacles never giving Hisagi a moment's rest from their relentless assault.

Hisagi scoffed, "I've always had trouble with my Zanpakutō. Kazeshini is a weapon meant for taking lives. He doesn't understand honor and duty." Spinning one of his scythes by the chain, Hisagi hurled it towards the Arrancar and quickly grabbed on to the other end, keeping it from flying off entirely.

Menis dodged the awkward attack, catching the scythe in one tentacle before the Shinigami could pull it back to himself. "Whatever. All I'm hearing is a weakling who can't even fight properly. But don't worry," he 'reassured' Hisagi, "You won't have to worry about any of that once I'm through with you!" Menis cackled as he sent his other two tentacles towards the lieutenant, seeking to skewer him.

Hisagi smirked, "Hadō #11, Tsuzuri Raiden." An electrical current flowed from his hand, up Kazeshini, and into Menis himself. His attack halted as his muscles locked up from the electricity. His smirk fell as Menis jerked on Kazeshini's chain, reeling him in like a fish. Menis slammed his armored head into Hisagi's face in a vicious headbutt, sending him reeling.

As he fell, the lieutenant heard a chime coming from the poppy tattoo on his bicep. Thankfully, it was on his injured arm, allowing him to press it with his other hand. His limiter released just before he impacted the ground. Unaware of the change in his opponent, Menis loomed over him. "If you have any last words, Shinigami, now's the time."

"Yeah, I got a few," Hisagi answered, staring up at the shorter man, "Hadō #57 Daichi Tenyō." Faster than Menis could react, the Kidō took hold of Hisagi's fallen Shikai. Controlling it with his mind, the dual scythes embedded themselves within the Arrancar's skull, killing him instantly.

-]|[-

From where she weakly stood, burnt and nearly nude, Nemu heard the chime from the thistle on her stomach. Edrad smirked as she jerkily moved to press the tattoo, confident in his victory given how badly injured his opponent was. He'd admit that the lieutenant had fought well for how weak she was, but she could barely scratch him regardless of her determination. And she had no prayer of matching the power of his Volcánica. Even when Nemu finally pressed the flower and her power soared, Edrad was unconcerned. She was stronger now certainly, possibly as strong as him, but she was still half dead.

"I feel Ichigo-sama might be upset if I risked myself like this. But he'd be more upset if I died," Nemu quietly stated. Then, before Edrad's eyes, something about her changed. Her power skyrocketed even further and she no longer seemed to even register her injuries. "You seem confused," The violette observed, "I am able to push my body closer to its breaking point in exchange for greater power. Fortunately, I shouldn't require too much for this."

"Such arrogance." Edrad snarled, drawing his flaming fist back in order to end her once and for all. Yet, faster than he could see, Nemu leapt towards him, her right arm encased in one of her violet ribbons and spinning in incredible speed. Her hand struck just below his ribcage and, unlike her previous attacks, didn't slow for even an instant. Her arm easily sunk in, tearing apart the Arrancar's insides with its rotation. The force of her attack was such that her entire body was propelled through Edrad's torso, leaving him ripped in two as he collapsed to the ground. "Damn. That was… one hell… of an attack," he gasped as his life faded.

-]|[-

It was time to end this fight, Ichigo decided. Ever since Grimmjow used his resurreccion, he'd been overwhelming him. His strikes hit harder and his hierro was stronger, but that wasn't what was really screwing him over. The real problem right now was that Grimmjow was faster than he was, not overwhelmingly so like Shunsui had once been, but more than the teen was able to compensate for. After severing the Espada's arm, Ichigo hadn't landed another blow, merely taking more and more hits himself. Hefting his spear, he thrust it directly at the Espada, who was once again charging straight for him. "Tenka-ICHIKEN!" Ichigo roared, pouring all his power into his attack. The golden energy pouring off the blast was akin to a second sun, a shining beacon for the spiritually aware. Grimmjow aborted his charge at the last moment, throwing his hand up in a hasty defense against the massive blast. As the Tenka-Ichiken struck him, it exploded, temporarily turning night into day for anyone with even a hint of Reiryoku.

Down below, Ichigo panted in exhaustion. That last attack had almost completely drained him. As it was, he could barely maintain his Bankai. If the Sixth Espada was still able to fight, Ichigo didn't know how he'd be able to win. 'Let me out.'That damn Hollow wouldn't shut up already.

'Go away. I don't need you.'

'Ha! You don't stand a chance without my help. Stop making things harder on yourself and let. Me. Out!'The dark voice taunted him once more.

'Fuck off!' As Ichigo raged against his Hollow, black started to ooze into his sclera and his irises lightened from their usual brown.

Unfortunately, it seemed like luck wasn't on his side and Grimmjow wasn't willing to wait for him to resolve his internal conflict. The smoke cleared, revealing Grimmjow was still alive but badly injured. His entire form was burnt and bleeding heavily, one eye clenched shut while blood poured down his face. The bone fragment on his forehead and one of his ears were simply gone. "You, hah, goddamn Shinigami! You think you've, hah, won?!" Grimmjow panted, enraged to the point of ignoring his wounds. Lifting his remaining arm, he wiped his hand across one of his wounds before pointing it at Ichigo. A bright blue light formed in his palm, jagged lines swirling off it in every direction. "I'll show you! I'll show you why I am the king!"

Before he could unleash this devastating new attack, a Garganta opened behind him. Pausing in confusion, Grimmjow looked behind him as a mocha skinned woman stepped out of the void. "Grimmjow, Aizen-sama has called off this attack of yours. Return to Hueco Mundo at once," She stated imperiously.

Ichigo watched this newcomer warily. At first glance, the blonde woman didn't seem particularly threatening. Her sword was attached to her back at a rather awkward angle and her clothing seemed designed more to titillate than anything, revealing basically everything between her nipples and thighs except for her crotch. Yet, her Reiatsu was at least as strong as Grimmjow's was in his released form. The teal haired Arrancar showed no such reservations as he snarled at the interloper, "Fuck off! What makes you think I'm going-"

His angry retort was cutoff as a gloved fist collided with his temple faster than he could see, the woman knocking him out with a single punch, the cero fading from where it'd been charging in his hand. "I wasn't asking," She calmly retorted as she caught Grimmjow's unconscious form, his resurreccion undoing itself with him no longer able to sustain it. Glancing down towards Ichigo, she saw the young captain forcing himself into a ready stance. "Don't bother, Shinigami." A brilliant yellow glow enveloped the Espada, for what else could she be, and the weight of her Reiatsu massively spiked, crushing down on the weary teen and pushing him down to one knee. Even as he was forced to use his spear to prop himself up, the ground cratered beneath Ichigo as he was pressed straight through the pavement. "I have not been ordered to kill you, so kindly do not force me to." Slinging Grimmjow over her shoulder, she walked back into the Garganta.

Just before he passed out, Ichigo heard one last parting shot from his Hollow, 'That is why you need me.'

-]|[-

AN: So here we see an actual result from Ichigo's training. He actually fights a new enemy without getting wrecked relentlessly, even if he was losing. As for why Halibel specifically was sent to call off Grimmjow: Nnoitra wouldn't stop him, Ulquiorra would've just killed Ichigo in all likelihood, Barragan would refuse or wipe out Karakura, and Stark would just grab Grimmjow and peace out faster than anyone could react. Needed someone whom Ichigo could confront without dying. So yeah, author fiat right there. Tōshirō did better than canon because the idea that a captain can't even beat a numeros without both Bankai and releasing his seal is just silly to me. That and I remembered that Patros can't do much of anything if prevented from sheathing or unsheathing his sword. Otherwise, fights were organized by "What would be interesting but also not a canon fight?"

More importantly: Nemu's Shikai! I actually had several ideas for her, including a scalpel, metal gauntlets and greaves, several chakrams that she'd keep on her forearms and calves, and a single giant chakram. Tengoku Shibari translates to (to the best of my knowledge) Heavenly Binding, which takes the form of a quartet of violet bands adorning her wrists and ankles. From them, she can produce metallic ribbons of incredible length that can be used to bind, slice, or (through altering the tip of the ribbon) pierce her targets. Inspiration was taken heavily from the first form of Zetsuei from S-Cry-Ed anime.

Kiyone got to actually do something, which I don't think I've ever seen before. Admittedly, she was a last-minute addition to the chapter because I got the idea to use Yin and Yang and needed an extra fighter. I can only assume that Ukitake had her go because he needed a break from his co-3rd Seats constant bickering. Kiyone: "I respect you the most, captain!" Sentaro: "No, I do!" Ukitake: "Hello liquor, my old friend. I've come to talk with you again." Also, Kiyone's Shikai design is one of my discarded designs for Nemu's and yeah, I took inspiration from "Shang Chi and the Ten Rings". I might feel the rings were overhyped, the idea of YET ANOTHER secret organization ruling the world from the shadows contrived, and that Shang Chi was the weakest character in his own movie, but the rings were still rather creatively used given how nerfed they were. Also, Wenwu was fucking great.

Hisui Hadō-hō, if I didn't massively fuck things up, means "Jade Wave Cannon". Also we got to see more of what Isane's Shikai can do.

Lisa was chosen because why not have the actual schoolgirl infiltrate the school to meet the new guy? Also, she at least looks late teens or so rather than the others who are either a loli, terrible for any serious stuff, or are blatantly well into their 20s at a minimum. One of the weird things about filler arcs was how they loved "Filler character is introduced as a transfer student" even when it's Rurichiyo who looks 10 and her bodyguards who look 20 and 43.

Last thing: Yes, Ichigo's shield was obliterated. No, his Bankai is not permanently damaged. His Bankai got pretty fucked up during his initial fight against the Murder Milf after all. In Vow, Bankai generally take longer to fix or at least much more energy than fixing Shikai, which we've seen will be repaired completely in about the same time as it's wielder is healed. Personally, I felt the "Bankai can never be repaired" thing was just last-minute drama added for the sake of drama and to give Ichigo his seventh or eighth powerup. "Renji's Bankai never recovered from his fight against Byakuya". Really? Because Byakuya shredded Renji's Bankai until it was nothing but a handle and some tiny fragments. Also, Ikkaku's Bankai would be unusable after his first fight given how much damage it took.

Next time on "Vow of the King": Is it still BDSM if the one trying to dominate you is yourself?