Chapter 23: Close Your Eyes and it's Passed
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Zanpakutō"
"Hollows/Vizard"
"[Reading/listening to a message/letter]"
"{Speaking a different language}"
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Within her personal laboratory (formerly her fa creator's), Nemu poured over the schematics for her design. While she had been grown naturally for the most part, Mayuri had started making physical adjustments to her body from the moment she had manifested a Zanpakutō and thus been deemed "Not a complete failure". Her body parts had been altered, enhanced, or replaced as Mayuri saw fit. From her right arm being modified to act as a drill to the removal of her ovaries and most of her intestines, there was little of Nemu's inner workings that hadn't been modified in some way. Looking over Mayuri's notes, Nemu wondered, 'Why did he even leave my rectum and sigmoid colon in place if he took the rest of my digestive tract after my stomach?' Well, technically, Mayuri had taken her stomach too, he'd just replaced it with an artificial organ capable of fully digesting and distributing nutrients to the rest of her body. Regardless, it would take considerable time and effort to improve her body further. The late Captain had been many, many things, but a poor scientist he wasn't.
Just then, her soul pager went off. "Hm? A message from Urahara?"
Before she even answered it, the screen of the laboratory's main computer lit up. "Good afternoon, Kurotsuchi-san!" Kisuke's cheerful voice came through the speaker as his face appeared onscreen.
Her face didn't move but inwardly, Nemu sighed. She recognized that Captain Soifon's animosity towards the man was grossly disproportionate, but after over a month of collaborating with him, she understood. "Urahara-san. I trust you have an update on the project?" She asked tonelessly.
"Mou, so cold," The shopkeeper playfully chided her. "But yes. We're ahead of schedule for the projected date Aizen can fully utilize the Hōgyoku. Mind you, even I'm not certain I know everything about it so our calculations might be off." Something like that burned the inventor, but how was one to know the full capabilities of a reality warping marble? Especially one created by accident. "Still, we definitely have at least three more weeks, but I can't guarantee more than that."
Nodding, the violette remarked, "And with Ichigo's friends, we'll have five extra fighters above lieutenant level to help deal with Aizen's forces." Though she wasn't keeping a close eye on their training, Nemu nonetheless knew they were training. It would be ideal for them to all be on par with one of the weaker captains at least, but she wasn't sure their growth rate would allow that in the limited time they had.
"Six actually," Urahara corrected her. At her questioning glance, he explained, "Ryūken has informed me that Uryū regained his powers fully two weeks ago. He's since sequestered himself in his father's training grounds to become stronger."
That would certainly explain why she hadn't seen the boy lately. Granted, her relationship with him was even more distant than with the other two Quincy, who were in turn more distant than her students. "Even better. Unfortunately, we don't know how strong Aizen's Espada are nor what abilities they have. By contrast, Aizen knows the abilities of almost all of our fighters. We will need to improve considerably if we're to survive." Nemu paused. She wasn't certain about involving someone else in her project, particularly someone who had recruited Kurotsuchi Mayuri, but Urahara was almost certainly her best bet. "As such, there's a project that I could use your expertise on."
Intrigued, he asked, "Oh? And what might that be?" Kisuke cared deeply for his friends but he hadn't had a proper scientific collaboration in over a century.
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A Hollow knelt before Aizen, awaiting its transformation into an Arrancar. It vaguely resembled a humanoid rabbit with its mask even having a pair of rabbit ears. Around the room, a number of other Arrancar watched the process, some out of curiosity, a few out of camaraderie, and most out of sheer boredom. With Aizen's ban on any serious fighting among the ranks, there was little for most of them to do. Gaining a new member into their ranks would provide at least temporary entertainment.
The current ruler of Hueco Mundo reached inside the case that housed the Hōgyoku and placed his hand upon it. With a flare of his Reiatsu, the orb blackened as it momentarily fused with his being. A bright light radiated from it as cracks appeared all across the Vasto Lorde's form. After a few seconds, the Menos' form exploded violently as the light dimmed. Once the light faded, a nude woman with long curled purple hair was crouched on the floor. The remains of her Hollow mask resembled a bunny shaped hat atop her head. His placid smile in place as always, Aizen asked his newest minion, "What is your name?"
The woman gazed up at her new lord and stiffly answered, her eyes unfocused, "…Monet, my lord."
At his gesture, the new Arrancar rose to her feet. "Sung-sun will show you to your quarters, Monet." The fraccion obeyed, escorting her newest comrade to one of the (many, many) unoccupied rooms within Los Noches. While the various Arrancar dispersed, Aizen stared in the direction his newest weapon had gone. 'Her eyes were less vacant than Wonderweiss. I suppose her task was simpler than sealing away the strongest Zanpakutō in existence so the cost was similarly less significant.' Granted, the rogue captain was rather certain that Monet wasn't all there, but another specialized tool against Soul Society was likely to be more useful than a simple soldier.
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Punching his sparring partner into another rock outcropping, Kensei found himself getting annoyed. More annoyed. He was pretty damn annoyed to begin with if he was being honest. "If you're gonna beg for a spar, the least you could do is actually put some damn effort into it!" While the boy hadn't literally begged, it was a close thing. Though how he was so good at finding him was another question. So here they were, using Urahara's basement for a spar. Like hell he was bringing the kid to their hideout.
Hisagi painfully pulled himself out of the pile of stone. "I'm giving it my all, sir." He insisted. The lieutenant wasn't surprised he was so outclassed, but damn if it didn't sting his pride that his opponent hadn't even drawn his Zanpakutō, content to beat him barehanded.
"Like hell you are!" Kensei shouted at him. In the blink of an eye he was in front of Hisagi, holding his face in a single hand. "You're trying to tell me you became a lieutenant without even learning your Shikai?!" However, after a long moment of looking into Hisagi's eyes through his fingers, Kensei dropped him. "You're afraid of it, aren't you brat?"
From his position on the ground, the much younger Shinigami was confused. "Sir? A warrior should fear their power, otherwise they have no right to wield it and are nothing more than beasts."
Kensei's derisive expression fell away and was replaced by a sort of flat bewilderment. "What. Who the hell told you that?"
"Captain Tosen, sir. It was one of his core teachings when I joined his division."
"The same Tosen who preached about the 'path of least bloodshed' but has joined a punk with delusions of godhood that intends to erase a hundred-thousand souls from existence?"
"Er…" When he put it that way, it did sound pretty bad.
"Okay, so maybe, just maybe, the lying traitor was full of shit when he taught you that. Respect your power and what it can do, but never, never fear it. Your power is just another part of you. What, are you gonna fear your right arm because it can kill?"
"An arm wasn't made for killing, not like my Zanpakutō is."
Kensei sighed, "Kid, a sword is made for killing. Always has been. You want it to be more than that, you have to figure out who you're meant to kill and why." Seeing the younger man looking contemplative, he walked away, calling over his shoulder, "Take five then we can get back to me kick your ass."
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People tended to underestimate Kurosaki Yuzu. She wasn't a respected, if eccentric, doctor like her father. She wasn't a rough and tumble tomboy like her sister. And she wasn't a monster hunter like her brother. Yes, she had been the second least spiritually aware person (or so she'd thought) only half a year ago but the young blonde lived with someone who apparently had a lot of power and… leaked, for lack of a better word. She hadn't realized what it was at first, but she had noticed feeling an odd pressure when around Ichigo around the same time spirits started becoming more distinct. And then she started seeing him running around with his girlfriend and fighting monsters. Yes, she was officially his teacher, but Yuzu wasn't blind. That and she did most of the laundry; unless Ichigo started wearing perfume, someone was sharing his bed. Then sometime after that revelation came the realization that her father was also spiritually aware. After she realized the pressure she felt came from Ichigo, Yuzu noticed everyone else had varying levels of it as well. Most were minute, difficult to notice unless she was basically standing next to them. Others extended further, with Ichigo's friends being the most obvious, barring Ichigo herself. Then came the day Yuzu found her father talking to a woman who didn't exert any pressure at all.
That woman terrified her. She was beautiful and friendly when she greeted Yuzu, but that didn't change the fact she had no presence. When she wasn't talking, Yuzu couldn't tell she even existed unless she was looking at her. Between that and her exotic appearance, Yuzu could only conclude the woman was from wherever those black robed people she sometimes saw were from. Yet, her father spoke to her like an old friend. Her same father who radiated more pressure every day. He still didn't give off as much as Ichigo, but Yuzu wasn't sure if that was because he was weaker or because he had better control. Then there was that night a couple months ago. All those things had shown up in the middle of the night. She hadn't managed to see any of them, though she had spotted her brother talking to some woman in midair, but all of them felt… dark and predatory. Several other presences made themselves known, some Yuzu recognized and some she didn't, and fought the others. Ichigo, he had fought the strongest one and while the others had obviously won as their enemies faded, he hadn't. Ever since that night, Ichigo had been disappearing for days at a time. Sometimes he left altogether but sometimes he left behind someone else in his body.
Regardless, she needed to know what her brother was up to. And that was why Yuzu was going to confront the fake he sometimes left behind. And so here she was, knocking on Ichigo's door when she knew he and his girlfriend were gone. Not that that stopped "Ichigo" from opening the door. "Oh, uh- Yuzu, is something wrong?" The fake wasn't terrible but he clearly didn't have a lot of practice pretending to be Ichigo to those who knew the teen.
"What has my brother been getting into?" Yuzu asked, not even pretending she didn't know the person she was talking to wasn't Ichigo.
The fake froze for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. With a weary sigh, he opened the door all the way, "We might as well get comfortable for this talk, I suppose." At his gesture, Yuzu sat on the bed while the false Ichigo sat at her brother's desk. Sitting perfectly upright, another departure from her brother but she imagined he wasn't bothering with the charade anymore, the imposter asked, "Before I begin, how much do you know about what Ichigo's been up to?"
"He's been running around in black robes and fighting monstrous spirits like some kind of magical ghost samurai while leaving you in his body. And his girlfriend is in on it."
Making a so-so gesture, the imposter stated, "Not an inaccurate statement, but one missing a great deal of context. And for the record, my name is Alfred. Now, to start with, your brother is what's known as a Shinigami…"
15 minutes later…
Yuzu stared at Alfred for several long seconds after he finished his explanation. Finally, well after the silence had stretched into awkwardness, she gave an incredulous, "What?" As Alfred opened his mouth to explain once more, she cut him off, "No, no. I understood you the first time. But, what?" The blonde's eyes widened as she realized something, causing her to quickly stand up and begin pacing the room. "Oh my god. My brother's a shonen protagonist… no wait, he's had sex with his harem," A quick glance at Alfred had him hesitantly nod in confirmation, "And he's killed someone. He's a seinen protagonist. Wait, dad knows, does Karin?"
"She confronted Ichigo last month about it, if memory serves," Alfred answered, tapping his chin.
Yuzu waved her arms angrily, "And she didn't tell me?! I'm her twin sister!"
"Well, if it makes you feel better, she doesn't know you have family in Soul Society." He offered.
"Mom?" Oh how Yuzu missed her. She could barely remember the woman some days, but what she did remember was the warmth and love her mother projected.
Unfortunately, her fake brother winced at her hopeful question. "Possibly? Apparently where souls get sent in Soul Society is random so you'd have to search for her the old-fashioned way. I meant living family. Sort of living family. Your father's family is still around in Soul Society!" Quieter, he muttered, "That always gets confusing," before continuing louder, "Your father is from Soul Society and his family is still there, including at least a pair of cousins. From what I understand, they'd be happy to meet you all once the current crisis is dealt with."
Taking a few calming breaths, both to process that she had (sort of) living family on her father's side and to fight the urge to punch Alfred for getting her hopes up, Yuzu replied, "Well, that will at least be something to look forward to. I'd always hoped to one day meet dad's family. …Wait, they're not all as… excitable as he is, are they?"
Alfred's answer didn't get her hopes up, "I couldn't say; I've never met them. Though apparently one of them rides a boar and picked a fight with your brother." And like that, her hopes were dashed.
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Looking over Captain Ukitake's latest medical report, Unohana fought back a sigh. While her treatment of her junior had slowed the progression of his disease to a crawl, that was all it had done. His attacks were growing more frequent and more severe. It wouldn't be long before his Third Seats ran the 13th Division in its entirety with how much time the sickly captain had to spend resting. As things were, Jūshirō might have another century if he was particularly lucky. Given how… eventful things were becoming lately, she honestly wouldn't be surprised if her colleague didn't last half that.
While everyone died eventually, Jūshirō was such an amicable and welcoming person that it felt almost blasphemous that he would either die in battle or by a debilitating illness. A man like him should die old and peacefully. Putting the form down, Unohana spun her chair to stare at the wall, not really seeing it but needing something else to look at. She had considered outright replacing Jūshirō's lungs once and had even gone to Mayuri about it. For once, the scientist had (very reluctantly and rather angrily) admitted he couldn't provide a solution. While he admitted to replacing his own and Nemu's internal organs, doing so had required extensive prior modifications that Jūshirō's weakened constitution couldn't withstand. And so she was at an impasse. Her best Kaidō couldn't cure Jūshirō's disease or undo the damage it continued to wreak on his body, nor could the late Mayuri's science fix him. And it wasn't like they could simply turn back time.
'Or can we?' Setting aside the report for a moment, Unohana quickly left her office towards the records room. 'Room' was perhaps a misleading title; it would be more accurate to call the storage area a records library. Thirty thousand Shinigami wasn't that much compared to a number of places in the human world, she knew, but for humans, living for a century was impressive rather than average. Not to mention how even spars often resulted in multiple broken bones and major blood loss. Suffice to say, most Shinigami had a rather extensive medical history, even with Kaidō reducing much of the need for documentation. Quickly making her way to the section set aside for 12th Division (next to the far more expansive section for the 11th), the medic grabbed Kurosaki's own folder. Right there, nestled into the paperwork for his first official stay was a series of observations on the arm Inoue had regrown for him. The healing hadn't been quite as fast as Mayuri's regenerative serum, but it also didn't cause any stress on the boy's body. More importantly, Ichigo's arm hadn't just regrown; by all indications, it had never been lost to begin with. Had she not done the deed herself, Unohana would swear the teen's arm had never been severed to begin with. "I can use this," She muttered to herself.
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"Thank you very much for doing this, Orihime-san," Jūshirō thanked the young woman as he laid down on the operating table. It had taken a couple days to get everything set up properly, not to mention making sure Jūshirō was feeling well enough for them to try, and escorting Orihime to Soul Society. Within the room were just himself, Orihime, Unohana, and Hanataro, the last of whom was there to act as the two healers' assistant. Unohana had already given orders that they were not to be disturbed for anything less than the death of the Soul King himself.
Placing a glowing green hand over her patient's chest, Unohana gently chided him, "Perhaps save your thanks until after we see if the operation is a success, Jūshirō-kun." The white-haired man blushed slightly at the admonishment.
"I just hope I can help you." Was Orihime's cheerful reply. It was a hell of a thing to hear; that she might be able to heal someone that Soul Society's best medic couldn't. She'd been shocked when she'd heard Captain Unohana's theory about how exactly her healing powers worked. But Urahara had admitted to having a similar theory: that Sōten Kisshun didn't truly heal so much as rejecting that the damage had ever existed to begin with.
With a quick glance at Hanataro to make sure he was prepared, Unohana told Orihime, "We'll begin whenever you're ready, Orihime-kun."
Nodding firmly in resolve, Orihime spoke the full incantation for her power, something she hadn't needed for months but which helped her focus regardless. "Ayame. Shun'ō. Sōten Kisshun, I reject." The two fairies formed from her hairpins and conjured a bright orange dome over Jūshirō's chest. A frown of concentration on her face, she tried to find the damage she was meant to fix.
In a soothing voice, Unohana offered, "The damage to Jūshirō-kun's lungs is millennia old. Do not become frustrated if your powers can't find it right away." Indeed, the man's body was so used to the condition it was in that his lungs were registering as normal. But Orihime refused to give up. She had the power to help someone and so she would. The seconds crawled by before finally she could feel it. The progression of the captain's sickness, which his body was struggling to fight against. Though neither knew it, in some ways Ukitake's previous treatment had made things harder. With his disease slowed as it was, his body barely reported that there was "damage" that needed to be fixed.
But now that she could feel what was wrong, Orihime's Sōten Kisshun truly got to work. Ever so slowly, the damage to his lungs was reversed. Bit by bit, his cells were restored. The work took considerable time, minutes ticking by as the orangette worked. Sweat dripped from her brow and the teen's energy levels steadily dropped. With a gesture of her free hand, Unohana signaled Hanataro over. The 7th Seat's own hands glowed with Kaidō as he placed them on Orihime's back, his own Reiryoku flowing into her to restore hers. Finally, after nearly two hours of work, the orange dome faded away. Orihime nearly collapsed backwards, her legs cramping from standing still for so long combined with fatigue from using so much of her Reiryoku. Fortunately, Hanataro's hands were still on her back, allowing him to steady her.
Even though it was her idea, Unohana still found herself amazed. In less than a single afternoon, this girl, not even an adult by her society's standards, had done what no one else could in over two thousand years. As the green glow faded from her hands, Ukitake did something he hadn't done in centuries; he took a deep, lung-filling breath. Then he coughed. But these weren't the painful, bloody, chest wracking coughs he was used to. No, these coughs were more akin to when some of his water went down the wrong pipe. This snapped Unohana out of her shock and she gently patted his back. "Easy now. Your lungs are healed but your body isn't used to getting so much air at once."
Once his breathing was back under control, Ukitake got off the table and stood to his full height. Turning to face Orihime, he bowed low at the waist. "Once again, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Orihime-san. You don't know what this means to me."
A tired smile on her face, Orihime bowed back. "I was happy to help, Ukitake-san."
Taking over, Captain Unohana insisted, "Both of you should get some rest. Tomorrow, if nothing drastically changes, you can return to your division Jūshirō-kun. As for you, Inoue-kun, I'll escort you home in the morning."
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Everyone was crowded into Orihime's apartment, waiting for the meeting that Yamamoto had called. Given the sheer number of people, things were a little cramped. Kiyone was piggybacking on Sado just to be able to see the screen, the larger teen holding her up with ease. Just as Candice was going to start finding ways to entertain herself (possibly something to do with Ichigo's captain's haori he was wearing for once), the screen finally flickered to life. The elderly head captain wasted no time getting straight to the point, "Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Kurosaki, the time for playing defense has come to an end. Lieutenant Kurotsuchi has informed me that preparations are complete and we are ready to make our move against Aizen. In two days' time, Captain Unohana will lead a strike force into Hueco Mundo to eliminate as many of Aizen's forces as possible. Captain Kurosaki and his companions will accompany them." Uryū looked like he was going to protest, only for Sado to take a hand off Kiyone's legs to grip his shoulder, shaking his head when the shorter teen looked at him. Either ignoring or simply not noticing the byplay, Yamamoto continued, "Once your task is complete, you are to return to the Living World where our battle against the traitors will commence. Urahara and 12th Division will be replacing Karakura with a replica, which should fool Aizen long enough for us to trap him and force him into battle."
Raising her hand as though she were in class, Orihime asked, "What about the people?" All eyes turned towards her at her question. "If you're going to swap out Karakura Town, what will happen to the people in it?"
Yamamoto opened one eye fully to look at her before answering, "A widespread version of the Bakudō Hakufuku will be used to put the inhabitants to sleep. After the battle, they and the original Karakura will return to the Living World. According to Urahara, a cover story has been prepared to minimize casualties, and a portion of 4th Division will be patrolling to handle any casualties that arise anyway." Orihime nodded, her question properly answered. "Any other questions?"
This time it was Candice who spoke up. "{Are we getting hazard pay for this? Because you're asking me to go to an entire world of monsters that will obliterate my soul if they kill me.}"
The elderly head captain pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. At the same time, Tōshirō turned to give the Irishwoman a Look, one which had no effect on her. Sue her, she had bills. Any further reprimanding was avoided by Yamamoto speaking up. "Yes, you will be paid for this. Effective immediately, all humans in Kurosaki's group who help fight spiritual threats will receive lieutenant level salaries." He paused and made a point of looking each of the three Quincy in the eye. "After Aizen has been dealt with, you three will be paid to not fight Hollows."
A cheeky smile on her face, Bambietta chirped, "{Works for me. Nothing like getting paid to not work.}"
The matter settled, Yamamoto addressed the Shinigami present. "Lieutenants Kotetsu and Kurotsuchi, as part of the strike force, you will remain in Karakura until it is time to invade Hueco Mundo. The rest of you are to return to Soul Society tonight. Do not misunderstand. The war is upon us and what we've experienced up to this point were merely minor confrontations. All of you, do your duty until your last breath." With those final words, the screen went black as the device turned off. Around the room were serious faces. Everyone was preparing themselves for the coming battles.
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Uryū was finishing packing up supplies, his new Quincy uniform already donned, when he sensed his parents behind him. "You're going then," His mother stated. It wasn't a question; all three present already knew.
Turning around to face his parents, Uryū replied, "I am. Aizen is a threat to more than just the afterlife. He'll sacrifice our entire city for his goals."
Ryūken nodded solemnly. "If that is your intention, I will not stop you. However, restoring your powers comes with a condition." Uryū gritted his teeth at that. He should've known his father hadn't truly changed. "After this is over, you must never involve yourself in spiritual affairs again."
There it was. Stepping forward, Uryū furiously grabbed his father's collar and snarled, "How dare you?! Just because you choose to ignore your heritage until it suits you doesn't mean I will! I am a Quincy and I will not pretend otherwise! If I have the power to help people then it's my responsibility to do so."
"So you'd rather risk your soul to destroy the souls of others?" Kanae's voice was quiet, her tone sad, yet her disappointment was louder than a gunshot. Uryū turned his head to stare at her in shock as she spoke. "Yes, we have great power and we can stop Hollows from consuming others, but is that what you really want? Are you truly motivated by wanting to protect others? Karakura has several powerful defenders, dear. You aren't some lone champion standing between the ignorant masses and certain death. Our powers destroy souls, Uryū! They're not something to be used lightly!" His mother took a deep breath to calm down from having gotten so worked up. "Worse, Hollows are toxic to us. If one killed you, your soul would be destroyed. At least if you simply died, we could be reunited one day. But if a Hollow kills you… Every time you use your powers to fight, someone will cease to exist forever." Staring her son in the eye, Kanae was resolute. "Either swear it or you aren't going." In an instant, the cannon she called her Heilig Bogen formed, the implication clear.
With gritted teeth, he agreed, "Fine. I swear it. But what about the other two? Are you going to have them make the same promise?" His argument was weak and he knew it, but Uryū didn't care right then.
"If we could make them follow it, we would," His father answered. "I told you before, there's nothing to be gained from being a Quincy."
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The day of the attack on Hueco Mundo, Ichigo once more found himself in Urahara's basement, this time with Nemu and Isane. 'Feels like I spend a lot of time in basements these days.' He'd already let the Vizard know of the coming plans, though apparently they'd heard about it from Urahara before he had. Now, he was just waiting for everyone else to show up. A Senkaimon opened up nearby and out stepped Retsu and some timid looking guy Ichigo didn't know. "Ah, Ichigo-kun. How wonderful to see you again. Isane-chan, have you been well?"
While the two lovers made small talk, Ichigo took the time to speak with the unknown Shinigami. "So, who're you?"
The diminutive Shinigami started at being addressed, doing nothing to help Ichigo's opinion of the guy. "O-oh! I'm Yamada Hanatarō of 4th Division, pleased to meet you sir!" The Shinigami said while bowing deeply. If Ichigo was feeling generous, Hanatarō seemed like a passive but kind person. If he wasn't feeling generous, the medic basically screamed that he was weak and easily bullied.
"Right. Well, none of that sir stuff. Just call me Ichigo. I'm guessing you're here to patch us up when we get injured?"
"Yes sir. Captain Unohana felt the group could use more support, stating you already had offense covered."
"She's not wrong. Our group only has one healer and the rest of us are pretty much just fighters through and through, even if we have different fighting styles." At that moment, Candice and Sado both descended into the basement, each opting to simply slide down the ladder rather than climb down. Once they reached the bottom, Ichigo called out, "Hey guys. Don't you get friction burns from that?"
"Nah, you just need to reinforce your hands with a little Reiryoku," Candice explained dismissively, Sado nodding in agreement. "So who's the pipsqueak?"
"I'm Yamada Hanatarō, 7th Seat of 4th Division. It's very nice to meet you both." Once again, the boy bowed as he introduced himself.
A contemplative frown on her lips, Candice thought out loud, "I think I used to steal lunch money from you in school."
Sweatdropping, Hanatarō replied, "I don't believe that's possible, ma'am. I've been a Shinigami for nearly thirty years."
"Ma'am, huh? I like the sound of that. From now on, you're only allowed to call me ma'am." Sweeping her hand to point at the other two men present, she declared, "That goes for both of you too!"
"No." Was Sado's simple reply.
"I'm not calling anyone I've spanked 'ma'am'." Ichigo retorted.
While Sado blushed, Hanatarō looked like he was about to faint from how red his face was. Pouting, Candice stomped her foot childishly, "Fine, but don't expect me to call you daddy."
Appearing at Ichigo's side, Nemu offered, "I could call you daddy if you want, Ichigo-sama." Naturally, that was when Orihime, Tatsuki, and Uryū all arrived. While the bespectacled teen choked on nothing and the martial artist facepalmed, Orihime simply nodded with an adorably serious expression on her face at Nemu's offer.
Turning from her conversation with her subordinate/lover, Unohana asked, "Is this everyone that is coming?"
"Well, I thought Bambietta was coming but-"
"Wait!" A loud voice called from above. A few seconds later, Bambietta came flying down on the wings of her Vollständig. "{Fucking subways. Should've just come on foot.}" She irritably muttered. Louder, she announced, "Here now!"
Candice, seemingly noticing Uryū for the first time, asked, "Wait, how the hell you get your powers back? Thought Letzt Stil meant no powers ever again?"
Pushing up his glasses, Uryū replied, "Just because you prefer power over technique doesn't mean all of us do. I found a way to restore my powers stronger than ever."
As the Irishwoman worked her way through his answer, Urahara clapped his hands from where he stood near two rock formations with a pair of wooden posts sticking out of them. Allegedly, those posts were how their group would reach Hueco Mundo. "Alright, everyone's here now! Now, this device is different from the one you took to Soul Society, so you won't have to worry about the four minute time limit. However, as the Dangai only exists between Soul Society and the Living World, you will be entering the Garganta itself. You'll need to use the turbulent Reishi within to move through it. More importantly, make sure you stay together." Urahara paused to look each group member in the eye, making certain they knew how serious he was. "Getting separated means it will be impossible to predict where you will come out. You could arrive literally anywhere in Hueco Mundo, the Living World, or even Soul Society. Suffice to say, do NOT get separated. Now, is everyone ready?"
Looking around, Unohana received nods from each person present, some more hesitant than others but all resolute. "We are, Urahara-san."
"Very well. I'll begin." Hopping up onto one of the posts, the shopkeeper placed his cane firmly down upon it and chanted. "My right hand is the stone that bridges worlds. My left hand is the blade that binds reality. The black-haired shepherd is hung from a chair. Stratus clouds come, and I strike down the ibis." As he spoke, a light blue glow traveled from his hand, through his cane, and into the post he kneeled upon. The glow suffused the wood before connecting to the other post like a rope. As both radiated with light, the rope of Reiryoku between them split open like an eyelid, showing a featureless black void beyond.
Unohana took a moment to explain their planned formation for moving through the void. "I will take point with Yasutora-san. Isane-chan, Inoue-kun, and Yamada-kun will be in the middle. Ichigo-kun and Kurotsuchi-san will take up the rear. The rest of you will guard our healers from the sides. Stay on the pathway I create and we should arrive safely." A round of various confirmations sounded out and the group leapt into the portal.
Once the last of them were in, the portal closed and Urahara dispersed his Reiryoku. "At least this time, it's not entirely up to you kids," the scientist commented to the air. "Now it's time to finalize my preparations."
-]|[-
Bonus Scene for Shy Snu-Snu: Into the Depths
AN: Sujin's text is also bolded to show how loud and deep his voice is due to his sheer size
As Ichigo sank into his Inner World, he found himself actually sinking. He opened his eyes but found the gesture pointless. There was nothing but darkness in every direction, only the sensation of liquid moving against his body told him he wasn't in an empty void. He panicked at realizing he was almost certainly underwater, desperately holding his breath. He swam as fast as he could in what he hoped was upwards, but his lungs burned. Finally, he couldn't hold it any longer and his last breath of air escaped him. …Yet, he wasn't drowning. The shock of being able to breathe caused Ichigo to stop moving entirely, simply allowing himself to float.
"Are you done, boy?" The voice in the darkness boomed from all around. Ichigo felt it reverberate in his very bones almost as much as he heard it.
Whipping his head around, Ichigo looked everywhere for the source of the mysterious voice. Suddenly, a series of pale white lights appeared in the distance. They weren't quite circular and formed a long trail that twisted this way and that. Trying to follow the lights with his eyes failed when he found them forming a giant cluster below him. Then, near the center of the cluster, six more lights appeared. Larger than the others, they were a ghastly yellow and arranged in two rows. It was only as the yellow lights shifted that Ichigo realized what he was looking at. They weren't lights; they were eyes.
"Finally noticed me, have you?" The voice echoed again, but this time the pale lights allowed Ichigo to make out a gargantuan maw of far too many teeth. Without a frame of reference, he couldn't say how big the monster was, but the fact its body seemed to be visible in almost every direction pointed towards "extremely". Then the ocean grew brighter. Though still dark, Ichigo could at least make out more than the faint outline of the spirit's body. It had a body like a massive serpent and a vaguely crocodilian head, around which sprouted six tentacles. With an undulation of its tentacles, it slithered closer through the water, coming to a stop in front and somewhat below him still. Now, Ichigo could understand just how massive the beast was. Its body stretched out further than he could see and its eyes, which had seemed so small in comparison to its head, were larger than cars.
Swallowing the primal fear that threatened to overwhelm him, Ichigo asked, "Are you my Zanpakutō?"
"What else would I be?" Apparently, being large enough to consider Godzilla a light snack didn't prevent Ichigo's Zanpakutō spirit from being snarky. In a weird way, it was reassuring. It humanized the leviathan of a spirit, made it less alien. Now if only its voice wasn't so loud and so deep that it made Ichigo feel like his bones would vibrate out of his body.
"So, do you have a name? Or should I keep referring to you as the Big Fucking Kaiju?" Ichigo snarked back.
Seemingly growing bored of floating motionless in front of him, the spirit began to swim around the teen in a winding circle. Despite its immense size, doing so only caused a light current, rather than the whirlpool Ichigo half expected. "Of course I have a name. Everything has a name. The question is if you're worthy of hearing it. If you're capable of hearing it." As large as it was, the sea serpent circled him completely and simply kept going, forming another loop around him. Soon, all Ichigo could see in any direction was the bioluminescence of his Zanpakutō spirit. "Perhaps a wager?"
Having given up on trying to find the spirit's head in the giant mess all around him, Ichigo just looked ahead and slightly upwards as he answered. "What kind of wager exactly?"
"Oh, nothing much," was the not-remotely-reassuring reply. "I'll tell you my name. If you can hear it, you'll leave here stronger than ever. If you can't, you won't leave at all."
"Not gonna lie, I feel like this is less of a wager and more of an ultimatum," Ichigo answered, "But what the hell, let's hear it."
The spirit chuckled at his reply. "Very well. My name is-"
In the real world
Ichigo's eyes snapped open. Though his hands were bound, they grasped at his sealed Zanpakutō as it formed from nothingness. "Rise up from the depths, Suijin!"
-]|[-
AN: Well this took fucking forever. To be fair, I did post a like 18k word MHA one-shot just last month. On a semi-related note, I'm regretting using Hisagi. Yes, I like the little character arc I'm working for him, but he's a pain in the ass to write. As you might have guessed/noticed, this Ukitake wasn't possessed by Mimihagi. I'm not doing that arm, heart, kidney, and taint of the Soul King nonsense. Not helping that it was completely and utterly pointless in canon. Seriously, Ukitake bought them like 47 seconds with his sacrifice. He performs the ritual, Mimihagi stabilizes the Soul King as Yoruichi puts a barrier around it. Then Uryū immediately fucks things up (it's a pattern with him), breaking the barrier and letting Yhwach just absorb Mimihagi and the whole thing accomplishes nothing except killing Ukitake. If Wonderweiss had killed him when he impaled him back in Fake Karakura, none of the story would have actually changed. At any rate, with this, we're finally done with the arc and starting Hueco Mundo/Fake Karakura. Thank fuck. This is when the shit I really wanna write starts. Well, every arc has stuff I really want to write, but the further in we get, the more stuff there is.
So there I am, looking over my notes and the actual story and I realize something: I don't think I ever established my intention to have Soul Society be paying Ichigo's friends. Like, it was gonna be a thing at the end of Soul Society that they'd be getting paid to deal with Hollows. Or not deal with Hollows in the case of the Quincy, a case of "We will give you money to not do that, please." So I added it in here rather than fuck around with previous chapters.
Suijin in the bonus scene was based heavily on the Gargantuan Leviathan from various Subnautica mods. If you don't know, Subnautica is a game designed to induce thalassophobia. I understand it's pretty damn good at it.
As this is the end of an arc, it's that time again
Chapter 18: Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom! by Vengaboys
Chapter 19: Toss A Coin To Your Witcher from The Witcher series (Dan Vasc cover)
Chapter 20: Diggy Diggy Hole by Yoggast (Windrose cover)
Chapter 21: A Fight I Must Win by Arch Enemy
Chapter 21.5: A Thousand And One Nights from Twisted
Chapter 22: One by Brothers Of Metal
Chapter 23: Story Of My Life by Social Distortion
Next time on "Vow of the King"! Children shouldn't have safe words or spend their nights playing with a guy's giant snake.