Little side project that's been in my mind for years. It might honestly be what I do after Legion.

There were things beyond the comprehension of man, both spiritual and physical. But although not every human knew about the existence of the afterlife, all of them definitely knew about the existence of kaiju.

It started decades ago, with the rise of the first. The King of Monsters.

Gojira.

Ever since he appeared, Kaiju had come and gone of all shapes and sizes.

But none had come close to the King.

Ichigo panted as he ran across the alleyways. Almost dragging his sisters by their hands as he tried to get to the nearest shelter.

A flash of blue.

He ducked as he heard the terrifying roar, his sisters screaming as they tried to clutch their ears.

He stumbled and they crashed to the ground as the building above them exploded and debris crashed on top of them.

Something slammed into his head and everything went black.

"Chi–"

"...ake…up!.."

Everything was fuzzy…and muted.

'What…happened?'

"ICHI-NII/ONII-CHAN!"

Ichigo gasped and coughed out dust from his lungs as he forced himself to get up.

'Got to get them out of here!'

He shakily got back up to his feet, and moved forward, clutching onto his sisters. With a grunt, he pushed against the concrete that held them trapped and managed to make a hole large enough for them to crawl through.

"Come on!" he grunted, ignoring the pain as he pushed through.

"Agh!"

"Karin!"

"Onii-chan! Karin hurt her ankle!"

"I'm fine I-eep!" Karin yelped as she was suddenly pulled up into Ichigo's arms, the latter grabbing Yuzu as well before pushing forward.

Up above, they could hear the jets in the sky and fire in the air as the JSDF desperately tried to push back the King.

'Got to find-there!' Ichigo gasped in relief as he found a shelter across the street.

As he got closer though, he could see that it was severely damaged.

"Damn it!"

But there was nothing else nearby, and he needed to get them safe.

"Come on girls! Get in!"

The shelter door was still open, but the inside had crumpled, blocking the way to the shelter itself, which meant that there was very little space for them.

'It's better than nothing!'

And judging by the sound, it looked like the fighting was getting farther away.

The door was slightly jammed open, he needed to push it in first before pulling it.

"Stay here, I'll be right back, I just need to push the door from the outside for a bit," he said as he kissed their heads before heading back out and pushing against the door.

He managed to get it done, inch by inch, before leaving enough space for him to get through and pull it shut-

SKREEEEEEEOOOOOOONNNGGGKK

Ichigo gasped and turned back to see Gojira roaring in pain, jets flying by with missiles that managed to pierce his skin before exploding.

Ichigo could see the blood splatter across the heavens.

One of those drops was heading straight for them.

"NO!"

With a roar he slammed his foot against the metal, shattering the bones in it but also ensuring that it was sealed.

He grabbed the lock wheel and spun it as fast as he could to ensure that it was tight.

He could hear the bangs against the door as his sisters tried calling out to him.

"Forgive me."

The blood spattered against him and the ground, throwing him against the door before he slid to the ground.

At first, he didn't feel anything. Only wet from the amount of blood now drenching him.

But he could feel it seeping into his wounds, and from where he'd accidentally swallowed.

It began to burn, inside and out, a horrible heat that was beyond fire, beyond anything he could ever imagine.

He coughed, bile and blood falling out as he felt his lungs, his stomach, his throat, his eyes, all of his skin and wounds began to simply burn.

He choked out a scream, unable to breath, the pain so encompassing that it felt like the fire was reaching his very soul.

He collapsed against the door, his hand trailing down it, leaving behind blood and skin.

A single rasping breath escaped him.

'Karin…Yuzu…stay safe…'

The pain goes away soon enough. Ichigo wonders if it's because he's dying or if his nerves have just been shot.

His vision starts to fade and he can see Gojira against the buildings, finally heading back to sea.

SKREEEEEEEEOOOOOOONGGGGKK

He closes his eyes, the rumble of Gojira's roar echoing across being the last thing he hears.

"Rest, Ichigo…"

'...mom…?'

Kisuke stares at the body grimly. Only barely above the state of a corpse.

He'd been forced to have Tessai hold Isshin back, the man bawling over his son.

But he couldn't let him, being so mortal, so weak, put himself at risk from the radiation of Gojira's blood.

"Yoruichi?" Kisuke asked.

"I can sense the girls inside the shelter, they're…fearful, but unharmed," she replied.

Kisuke nodded.

"That proves my theory then, Ichigo must have seen the blood coming and locked the shelter to prevent his sisters from getting hurt, in turn being exposed to Gojira's blood."

Yoruichi flashed over to the top of the shelter and punched through before pulling out the framework.

The light and dust gently fell into the hole to where two pairs of bloodshot eyes stared back at her. The girls had huddled together in their grief, unable to hear anything from their brother.

"Is he alive?" Yuzu tearily asked.

Yoruichi looked back to Kisuke, the man having drawn Benihime.

Their eyes met and he nodded.

She turned back and nodded at the sisters who could only sigh before passing out.

Kisuke meanwhile stared at Ichigo, his hand gripping tightly on Benihime.

He…didn't know if this was the right choice. After what the boy'd been through, it was a miracle that there was even a shred of reiatsu coming from him.

If he did this…the consequences would be-

"Hurgh…"

Kisuke blinked as he saw the boy twitch and groan, before his arm lurched forward to touch the door.

'Impossible.'

Kisuke could see the blood on Ichigo's body begin to…disappear, being absorbed by the boy as he slowly started to get up.

A rumble was heard from his throat as his body began to heal at an accelerated rate, burns disappearing, muscle and skin rapidly appearing to cover wounds, hair sprouting from a seared head.

It didn't stop there.

Claws dug into the concrete and bone poked out of his spine, slightly glowing blue as his reiatsu began to skyrocket.

Steam began to waft off his body

Kisuke warily approached from the side, trying to see Ichigo from the front.

He could immediately notice the sharp fangs that were in his mouth, the slightest traces of blood already evaporating from the heat.

Kisuke almost gasped as he saw his eyes, wild, unfocused, yet burning. No longer the gentle brown of before. Now a glowing orange, so much like Gojira's own.

Kisuke narrowed his eyes.

This was beyond any expectations.

Ichigo growled before taking a deep breath.

"SKREEEEOOOOOOOONNNGKK!"

He shuddered before collapsing on his back.

"Kisuke!" Isshin yelled as he got closer, Tessai having let him go.

"What happened!?"

…

Kisuke shook his head.

"I honestly don't know."

One year later

Ichigo walked down the street, huffing after knocking out a few idiots.

Fortunately, nowadays very few people actually bother him. He'd gained his reputation for a reason.

The young man, at first glance, seemed to be normal. But much like anything that fell into the uncanny valley, if you looked hard enough, you'd be able to tell the things that were wrong.

Skin that was just a bit too tough. Teeth that were a bit too sharp. A growl that was simply…inhuman.

The saving grace was well, his sunglasses.

While normally he wouldn't care about his appearance…he'd put them on as a courtesy to others.

After all, it sucked when people couldn't look you in the eye because of how afraid they were of them.

Not even his sisters could stand to look him in the eye for too long. Karin would try every time of course, but she'd start to shake and look down.

Yuzu…she'd look at his mouth mostly.

Hell, even his own father couldn't look him in the eye, though that was more out of some misplaced sense of guilt than anything if what he smelled from him was right.

So, he'd taken to wearing sunglasses, only taking them off when he was alone.

'Wonder what that odd girl was doing in the street earlier…she smelled like…fresh snow…'

Ichigo snorted and shook his head, best not linger on that. Besides, he'd probably never see her again.

As he made his way to school, he picked up the scents of his friends.

Chad nodded as he walked by, his scent was rustic, like the desert, yet calming.

Tatsuki waved at him along with Inoue.

The former smelled like fire to him, but more like a constant series of embers.

Inoue smelled sweet like flowers, but he could always smell the underlying scent of fear coming from her.

He sighed internally, but couldn't blame her. Her brother had died in one of Gojira's rampages and the first time that she'd seen his eyes…

He grimaced but nodded back at them.

"Hey Chad."

"Ichigo."

Ichigo sighed as he sat down and class began, ignoring the whispers around him despite the fact that his advanced hearing meant that he could hear every single one.

"...drenched…"

"I heard he can smell blood from miles away, like a shark!"

"The SDF keeps trying to recruit him, even though he's underage."

"...they call him Gojigo-"

Ichigo growled.

He hated that stupid nickname.

The growl was apparently louder than he intended because now the classroom was very silent.

Ichigo sighed.

"You do realize that I can hear all of you right?"

"Eep!"

He sighs again, and for some reason, the smell of fresh snow is still on his mind.

Finally, after another exhausting day, both school and dealing with his father. He'd enjoyed Yuzu's delicious dinner (she always made triple portions for him and thank goodness for unlimited funds) and a nice, hot shower.

Well…boiling for anyone else but it was good for him.

He lay on his bed and was ready to go to sleep, he balked as a black butterfly flew into his room, animals were usually too scared to approach him.

And of course, the girl from before walks into his room through his window.

Ichigo blinks in surprise.

He's had his fangirls before, the damn kaiju groupies, come up to him out of the blue, come to his house (before he thoroughly scared them away) but none had been so brazen, so audacious, as to come into his room.

Through the window.

"OI! MIDGET GROUPIE! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?"

"It's close." The girl said, pretending not to notice him.

Ichigo blinks before shaking his head in disbelief and grabs his sunglasses. He's going to scare the girl, not traumatize her for life.

"OI! YOU COME INTO MY ROOM THEN IGNORE ME!?"

"Where did it go-"

SLAM!

"OI, MIDGET GROUPIE, WHEN SOMEONE'S SPEAKING, YOU REPLY! AND ANOTHER THING, HOW DARE YOU COME INTO MY ROOM!"

"Wha-what!? You can see me!?" The girl said, rubbing her behind from where he'd kicked it.

"Of course I can see you! I-" Ichigo sighed as he dragged his hand over his face. "Oh great…you're a ghost kaiju groupie, aren't you? Great, I can't even escape you guys even when you're dead."

"What are you talking about, human?" the girl said, growing increasingly annoyed with this upstart who dared to kick her.

"Oi, short stack, cut the attitude to your height, you're the one who barged into my room!"

"You kicked me from behind!"

"Again. My room. And I'll kick your ass out of the window too!"

"That's it! Bakudo No. 1: Sai!"

"Argh!"

Ichigo collapsed as his arms were forced behind him and locked into place by an unseen force and he collapsed.

"What the hell is this?"

"This, little human-"

"Little? I'm pretty sure the only thing not little here is your ego-gurk!"

Her eye twitched as she planted her foot into his face.

"-before I was so rudely interrupted, human. You should know that I, am a Shinigami." she said with imperiousness.

Ichigo snorted.

"Great, the Shinigami is a midget kaiju groupie with a superiority complex, whoopdee doo-HEY!" Ichigo cried out as he tried to wiggle away from the marker that was now on his face.

"There, that's better, I think I shall call you, Mr. Baron from now on."

"Oi!"

"Now then, allow me to explain some things to you, Mr. Baron."

She then began to explain, with a series of horrible drawings, all about hollows and shinigami.

Ichigo was quick to criticize her artwork, and she was just as quick to bash him over the head with her notebook.

"Okay then, why are you here then? Shouldn't you be going off to find that so-called hollow? On that note, if you guys are so powerful, how come you haven't done anything about the Kaiju?"

Rukia blinked.

"What's a kaiju?"

"What's a-what do you mean what's a kai-" Ichigo was cut off as they both heard a howl.

He turned to the door and his heart stopped as he saw Yuzu walk in with blood on her body.

"Onii-chan…Karin…dad…help…" she whispered before collapsing.

Ichigo was already by her side, setting her down gently and was on the move before Rukia had a chance to think.

'He's gone! So fast!'

She chased after him, and only after leaving his room did she feel the presence of the hollow.

'Impossible! His reiatsu is so large that it saturated his room and prevented me from feeling anything else!?'

Ichigo barrelled down the stairs and saw his father lying in a pool of his own blood and Karin screaming her head off as she was raised to a monster's maw.

He snapped.

The girl had barely managed to get down the stairs in time to see what happened and even then it was almost too fast to see.

The boy had snarled, an inhumane sound coming from his throat before he flexed and the Sai snapped. In the next moment, a small crater was left behind from where he'd jumped and the hollow had been knocked back by a headbutt of all things as the boy caught his sister in his arms.

'...What is this boy?'

Ichigo had set his sister down before turning with another snarl as the hollow roared at him.

This thing had dared to attack his family.

He would tear out its throat.

And he went to do just that.

The shinigami was awestruck at how the boy was going toe to toe with a hollow with nothing but his bare hands.

Ichigo snarled again, his claws tearing into flesh, unaware of the glow coming from his back, nor the fire behind his sunglasses.

All he could see was the monster in front of him.

He bit down harshly on its arm and it screamed as he then tore it off, blood staining the ground.

The creature screeched before disappearing into a black portal.

Ichigo panted heavily, glad to have driven off that creatu-

It was pure instinct that let him block the blow, but the force still made him crash through the wall and see stars.

He growled but gasped as the creature was already on top of him.

Blood fell on him again, but this time from the shinigami who had blocked the blow with her own body, her sword piercing through its mouth.

The creature screamed and disappeared again but the enticement of two injured souls was too much to ignore.

Ichigo grunted as he stood up. The blow had broken bones and his regeneration could only do so much.

"Human…we're both injured…but there is a way to save us all."

"Go on, shinigami…" Ichigo grunted.

"Take my sword, and pierce it through your heart, and you shall have the power of a shinigami."

"Alright then, shinigami," Ichigo said, as he grabbed the blade with no hesitation.

"My name isn't shinigami…it's Kuchiki Rukia."

Ichigo smiled.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

Power exploded from him, and Ichigo could see so much more.

He didn't notice however, as scales appeared on his skin; the backs of his hands, the sides of his neck, the corners of his eyes.

They were faint, but there, gray markings that betrayed what lied within him.

Nor did he notice the way the clothing around his body felt slightly tight, how the protrusions on his back had grown slightly larger.

Nor the way his eyes glowed behind his sunglasses, instead of a furious orange, now a brilliant blue.

The hollow roared, and Ichigo grabbed the sword, as long as he was tall, and cleaved it in two.

It's body collapses, before fading away to dust and particles.

Ichigo stumbles slightly, but the heat in his veins, the rush of adrenaline keeps him from falling.

Instead, a rumble starts in his chest before he looks up at the sky and roars.

"SKREEEEEOOOOOOONNNNGGGGGGKKKK!"

Rukia winced as the roar echoed in her eyes, but she couldn't help but stare in disbelief.

No human, no shinigami, no hollow, could produce a roar such as this boy.

'What are you…Ichigo?'

"Ah…at this point," Ichigo grunted and she flushed slightly as she realized that she'd spoken out loud. "I don't even know anymore."

Ichigo placed the sword in its sheath before gently picking her up, she flushed again once she realized just how light she must have been for him to pick her up so easily before gasping at the sharp pain that lanced over her body.

"Sorry, but I can't just leave you there. Come on, let's get you fixed up."

With shocking gentleness, to almost any stranger that knew about Ichigo at least, he carried her to the clinic before dressing her wounds with all the professionalism of a doctor.

Rukia was impressed.

She knew a few healers that would be hard pressed to show such decorum.

After settling on the bed, Ichigo had taken his father and sisters and had bandaged their wounds.

"...you're still wounded…"

Ichigo turned to face Rukia, the latter looking at him with concern.

"I heal fast…a property of what I am. By the end of the week, my body will be fully healed."

Rukia stayed silent for a moment.

"...What are you? You feel like a human, but…you moved with such speed, fought with such ferocity, and your strength is beyond that of any human."

Ichigo sighed, and Rukia could see the weight of something…heavy appear on his shoulders.

"...You said that you don't know what Kaiju are, right?"

Rukia nodded with a hum.

"...It's late…tomorrow, I'll tell you everything you need to know."

Rukia slowly nodded before lying back and contemplating.

She'd meant to give only a portion of her powers…instead this huma-...Ichigo, had taken nearly all of it.

And that did not provide an explanation for what had occurred.

She could only hope that she would receive her answers soon.

Ichigo had finally fallen asleep, a sort of…rumbling noise coming from him.

It reminded her of a cat's purr…it was kind of cute.

Turning towards the hole in the wall, Rukia's eyes met with those of the shopkeeper.

He smiled.

The next day, after everything had been…explained, though Ichigo could see the doubt in Karin's eyes and could smell…something from his father, Ichigo had sat down with Rukia, who was now in something called a gigai.

She waited patiently, as the boy seemed to be gathering his thoughts.

"...Kaiju, are monsters. That's what a lot of people say, and to a certain extent, it's true. But in reality, I've discovered that they're forces of nature."

He then went to his computer and pulled up videos.

"What you're about to see are actual accounts of their actions."

Rukia paid attention.

And was horrified.

Giant beings, crushing buildings and people with each step, literal forces of nature as Ichigo so aptly put it.

"I…I didn't know…none of us…none of this has been known to us…we knew that there were surges of deaths occurring in the human world since almost 50 years ago…but this…we attributed it to natural disasters…"

Ichigo huffed.

"Well…you're right about that. They are natural walking disasters…"

"But…how does this tie into your powers?"

Ichigo sighed again, and Rukia could see the heaviness return.

"Through the King of Monsters himself." Ichigo said as he typed in the simple, yet terrifying name.

Gojira.

"Gojira, or, if you want to go American, Godzilla, is the undisputed King of Monsters. The first one appeared in 1954. But he was killed by the sacrifice of Dr. Serizawa. After he appeared though, all those other Kaiju came out…then came Gojira's successor, a new incarnation, or the old one reborn, we don't know, but he's far deadlier."

Ichigo took a deep breath as he continued to explain.

"A year ago, my family was visiting Tokyo when he struck the city by surprise. We didn't even see him coming and he was already wrecking through the city…the military was quick to act, and managed to draw blood…I…"

He took another deep breath as he continued to remember.

"I…my sisters were in a shelter…the door wasn't closing. A drop of Gojira's blood was coming fast and I…I kicked the door closed."

He swallowed and Rukia gasped.

"It hit me…mixed with my wounds…it…it burned…"

Ichigo trailed off, his mind replaying the events. Rukia let him settle, recognizing the look in his eyes.

It was very similar to her own.

"Somehow, I survived. My DNA was mutated, my body…absorbed the blood of Gojira. It's what makes me so strong. I've got tougher skin, harder bones, claws instead of fingernails, fangs instead of teeth…my spines got these weird protrusions that almost look like his dorsal spines…I'm faster, stronger, I can smell, hear, and see things far better than any human…"

Ichigo trailed off a bit as he looked at his hand before turning to face Rukia.

"It's…it's also why I don't show you my eyes…nobody can look me in the eye anymore cause I've got his…so I hide them behind these…makes it a bit easier."

Rukia slowly nodded, though a part of her still wished to see them.

She kept that thought to herself however out of respect to his wishes.

Ichigo meanwhile, kept silent on the other facets of his body.

That his heart wasn't exactly a heart anymore, that if he lost control of himself and his emotions, he risked leaking radiation.

And the change to his mindset, how he was very prone to his instincts.\

Prone to fury.

"When you fought the hollow last night, I saw that you had grown…scales…" she motioned to his cheeks and eyes.

"Yeah…I noticed them this morning."

"Your back was glowing blue, along your spine…and your eyes were glowing blue as well…I could see the glow past the sunglasses.

"Hmm…maybe your shinigami powers amplified my Gojira powers…I've noticed that my senses are even better than before…it's actually a bit disconcerting, I was already struggling to maintain my power low."

"What do you mean?"

"I give off a lot of power…I've always been able to see ghosts, even before meeting Gojira. The man who saved my life after I became like this, theorized that if I didn't keep myself under control, I could affect those around me with Gojira's power."

"Hmm, I guess I can sense it, your reiatsu, that is, your spiritual pressure, feels that it is being controlled, however, there is certainly room for improvement," Rukia hummed as she analyzed him.

"After everything that happened, (and a bunch of prodding by scientists), I signed up for Tai chi, karate, and kendo classes to help center myself…if I don't keep myself in check, I could very easily fall into Atomic Rage."

"Atomic Rage?" Rukia asked, not knowing the first word.

"Gojira's powered by radiation, and the madder he gets, the stronger and more savage he gets, and the more radiation he pumps out…it's happened to me once, and I'd rather not let it happen again."

He shuddered, a part of him ashamed of what had happened. It had been a few weeks after gaining his powers when some idiot thug had tried threatening his sisters to get back at him for kicking his ass.

Ichigo had snapped and had brutalized the man so thoroughly that he would never walk again and would be scarred from head to toe.

Ichigo had almost killed him, savagely, and all in front of his sisters.

Chad had been hurt badly trying to calm him down and it'd taken using that to knock him out.

He didn't regret protecting his sisters, but he regretted taking it so far. Especially in front of them.

It was why so few thugs bothered him nowadays except for the really stupid ones.

The fight had gone viral, although the internet in general agreed that, considering everything, the man had practically almost committed suicide by Kurosaki Ichigo.

It was also when he gained his infamous nickname. Gojigo.

He's hated it ever since.

"Anyway, let's move on. How are you feeling? Your powers doing alright?"

Rukia winced.

"About that."

Surprisingly enough, Ichigo took things in stride.

"Thanks to you, I was able to save my family. But thanks to me, you're powerless. I have my own sense of honor, I won't let this debt go unanswered."

Rukia smiled softly as she felt a pulse of reiatsu come from him during his declaration.

The sheer conviction and power from it enveloped her like a protective blanket.

It was…comforting.

So, they moved forward. Ichigo was quick to introduce her to his friends at school since she'd need a cover story to attend.

Ichigo was quick to come up with one.

"Ichigo! Who's this!?" Keigo excitedly asked. "A new girl, and already walking to school with you? You sly dog!"

Ichigo sighed, but refrained from slamming Keigo with his fist. He'd almost hurt the guy a bit too much one time and settled for growling at him.

"It's not like that."

He noticed Chad and the others approaching.

"You guys know about the truck that hit my house right?"

Various nods of agreement were given in return, quite a few of them had been worried when Ichigo had been reported hurt by the truck. Many wondered how badly it'd been considering his unnatural strength.

"Well, I got hit pretty badly by the truck itself. Rukia was nearby and saved me."

A lie, but not a complete one. That hollow did hit like a truck.

"I'm paying back the debt by showing her around since she's new to the place." Ichigo said firmly.

And that was that.

Nobody said anything else, to his face at least.

Ichigo was glad that Rukia didn't have his heightened sense of hearing.

"Do you think she's ah…tamed the beast?"

"Giggle, giggle…"

Ichigo huffed, but decided not to pay them any mind.

Annoying.

Within the span of a month however, he found himself growing attached to the petite soul reaper.

They had their ups and downs, of course. They were both stubborn, and butted heads many times over the course of his training.

But then came the serious moments.

Like Inoue and her brother Sora.

"YOU! YOU HAVE ITS EYES! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME AGAIN!"

Ichigo slammed Sora against the ground, growling deeply, making the hollow shiver in fear.

"...please…I can't lose her again…" Sora begged.

"...Do you know why older siblings are born first? It's to protect the ones that come after."

Inoue had taken the chance to speak with her older brother, to amend what had been broken between them.

Sora had twitched before looking up at him.

"Please…before I lose my mind again…free me."

Ichigo nodded grimly.

"Be at rest, Inoue Sora."

Ichigo had also learned the darker aspects of being a shinigami when they encountered Chad's little friend and the hollow Shrieker.

He could see the creature that hid behind those doors as it pierced a pleading Shrieker, an unholy gaze looking into his own.

Ichigo knew that whatever it was, it could see what was behind the sunglasses.

He maintained his gaze, as the doors to Hell closed, never blinking until they disappeared.

He'd put it off his mind then, focusing on other things.

He steadfastly refused to remember the incident with Kon. It'd taken a lot to convince everyone that he'd been messed up due to a new medication he was forced to take.

He sighed before focusing on the now.

It was almost time.

The day before, he's calm and even gives a slight smile to a few people, much to the confusion of many.

Tatsuki is the first to realize and explains it in hushed whispers.

Ichigo ignores them.

He is awfully silent when they reach home, and Rukia gives him a slight hug.

"I know not what grieves your heart…but you have become my dearest friend…I will be here for you, Ichigo."

He stiffens and she almost retracts herself, but gentle arms hug her back and she can feel the minute vibrations of his trembling frame.

"I…it's been 6 years…since I lost my mother…"

He pauses…he hasn't shared this with anyone, not even his own father…yet for some reason, he finds himself opening a locked door to this girl.

"Since I got her killed."

The night is long, and he shares the saddening tale.

Rukia notices the way his claws gouge into the desk, carving trenches through the wood. How they try to pierce his palms, blood being drawn as the skin breaks in his state.

She holds his hands then, tightly, to ensure that he does not hurt himself.

It is grounding, he forces himself not to hurt her but she can still see the way his jaw clenches and his fangs crack.

She holds him once his tale ends, and whispers all the things he needs to hear.

He collapses against her fully, sobs wracking his body as he lets go and she holds him for the rest of the night.

When they wake up in the morning, it's to equally blushing faces. Both know that something has changed between them, but are hesitant to bring it up. Instead, they move forward with the day and Ichigo joins his family for their yearly tradition.

He is gentle with his sisters, as usual, but they lean on him more fully. Even Karin, the stubborn tomboy that she is, sheds tears for the mother they lost.

He gives them a few moments as he heads to the tree where Rukia is hiding.

"...you could join us, if you'd like…I think…my mom would have loved to meet you."

Rukia hesitates, and he asks why.

She surrenders, and gives her theory…the dark thoughts that had been lying in the back of her mind.

An accident is instead murder.

Ichigo growls, a low rumble in his chest that gives her pause, but she grabs his hand and he shudders.

"...I don't want…to admit it…"

"I know." she gently says, her hand trailing up to cup his cheek.

"...Rukia…I-"

They both pause and move as they hear the sound of shattering gravestones and the screams of his sisters.

Ichigo is already on the attack, fighting against the beast that has dared to harm his family and defile this sacred ground with its presence.

He stills, recognizing the creature and the hollow known as Grand Fisher laughs.

He only has to mock the death of his mother for two seconds before Ichigo snaps.

In Karakura, to the thugs that inhabited it, there were two rules.

One. Do not, under any circumstances, cause harm to Kurosaki Ichigo's sisters. That was a quick trip to the hospital.

Two. Do not, under any circumstances, mess with Kurosaki Ichigo when it's the day of his mother's death. That was also a quick trip to the hospital.

The last man who had dared to do both was now in a wheelchair for life and was deemed: The Stupidest Man Still Alive by the internet.

"SKREEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGKKKK!"

The sound strikes fear through the heart of every person that lives in Karakura, thug and non-thug alike.

There were only two circumstances in which one would hear such a furious roar. First, was an actual Godzilla attack.

Second, was in relation to the man who'd broken previously mentioned rules at the same time.

The thugs of Karakura unanimously agreed to head back indoors and mind their own business today. After Kurosaki was done with the poor bastard who dared to incur his wrath, he'd be on the warpath.

Across the city, those who knew Kurosaki were worried, the last time such a powerful roar had erupted from the young teen...

"Ichigo…please, don't let yourself fall into an atomic rage again…" Chad whispered as he idly touched his shirt, a scar underneath the fabric.

"For your family."

Ichigo snarled as he barrelled into Grand Fisher, teeth and claws already hard at work, tearing into fur and flesh.

Grand Fisher cried out in pain at the sudden onslaught, the noise was music to Ichigo's ears.

Ichigo did not yet realize, but his body had become slightly more animalistic as he crawled on all fours, managing to barrel the larger hollow over and tear into him with his claws.

Grand Fisher wouldn't admit it, but he was terrified.

He didn't remember his previous life, but he certainly remembered dying during Gojira's rampage. For this boy to possess his power, he had to either kill him or failing that, escape!

But no matter what he did, no matter how much he tried, the wounds kept healing and the boy kept attacking him.

Finally, however, he managed to get through the savagery and land a brutal blow, his claws cutting deep into the boy's skin making him roar in pain.

Grand Fisher smiled, the next time the boy attacked, he'd be ready with his lure.

Ichigo snarled and Grand Fisher forced himself not to freeze. His last attack had also knocked away the boy's sunglasses and he could see the burning fury in those eyes, steam coming out of the boy's mouth as his fangs still dripped with blood.

Grand Fisher grinned wickedly as the lure transformed.

Ichigo stumbled a choked groan coming out of him.

"Ichigo…" he hears his mother call out to him.

Grand Fisher idly noticed three gasps and smiled as he felt the reiatsu of the shinigami as well as the two girls nearby staring at the lure tearfully.

'Siblings and two shinigami, all with such delicious reiatsu!'

Karin was the first to break free from the spell.

"ICHIGO! SHE'S NOT REAL!" she cried out.

Ichigo huffed, backing away from the imposter, but it was too late as Grand Fisher had stabbed him in multiple places making him screech in pain.

"STILL JUST A LITTLE BOY!"

"ICHI-NII!"

"ICHIGO!"

Grand Fisher turned to the girls, Rukia having come out of the bushes to grab the twins only for a pulse to make everyone pause.

They turned to where Ichigo had started to growl, the sound becoming deeper and choppier.

'No, that wasn't right…it wasn't a growl, it was something else…'

Rukia gasped as she noticed Ichigo's sword began to glow blue, only now did she see the odd markings along the top of the blade. His pose was unlike any swordsman, instead, he appeared to be an animal.

'Like Gojira…'

r…rr…rrr…rrrr…Rrr…RRr…RRR

The blue traveled up his sword before seemingly jumping to his spine

Ichigo took a deep breath.

PTOOOMMMMM

And spat out blue fire.

Grand Fisher screeched in agony, as the girls gasped in shock upon seeing Gojira's signature attack, as weak as it was compared to the mighty beast, be replicated by Ichigo.

The attack finished and Ichigo stumbled, smoke and blood coming out of him, his throat seared and his mouth nearly hanging.

'That attack hurts him too!'

She could see him begin to regenerate, an ability that would be astounding to see were it not in this particular set of circumstances.

But he was slow, that attack had obviously taken a lot out of him.

And Grand Fisher was furious, the pain making him snap as he saw the weakness and brutally attacked.

Ichigo screeched as he collapsed against the gravestone, making his sisters shriek.

The hollow glared at him before grinning as he took in the girls.

"I'll make you watch again, boy! As I tear apart your family!"

The girls shrieked but Rukia was quick to get them away, leading them on a chase.

"Come on!"

"W-wait, who are you!?"

"No time! I'm a friend of Ichigo's!"

"What is that thing!?"

"LATER!"

The girls ducked as Grand Fisher swiped, his claws just barely cutting the tips of their hair.

Rukia could only hope that Ichigo was alright, but in the meantime, she would ensure the safety of his siblings.

She would not fail her duty once more.

Even if it meant her life.

They managed to lose him in the dust, and Rukia was fortunate that Ichigo's heavy reiatsu had littered the area, it seemed to be muffling Grand Fisher's senses.

"Come out, come out, little girls…" Grand Fisher crooned. Rukia hugged them tightly to her body, her hands over their mouths as they tried to hide any sound.

"Don't you want to join your mother?"

Their breath hitched and Rukia seethed, this hollow was cruel beyond measure.

They stared at her and Rukia shook her head, holding them tighter.

"Karin! Yuzu! Come join me! Won't you join your dear mother?"

The two begin to cry yet desperately keep silent, burying their faces into Rukia to muffle their cries.

A snap of a twig.

Rukia burst out of their hiding spot with the two as the tree they were hiding behind shattered.

The girls screamed in fear as the creature above them grinned.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

They couldn't get away, he was already on top of them, knocking them down with a single swipe of his paws, its claws nicking into her back.

Rukia cursed herself for being so weak, but she still held onto the girls tightly, hiding their eyes from the creature.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered.

"A nice appetizer!" Grand Fisher laughed as he got close, his breath touching her back and making her hiss.

'Please, ICHIGO!'

Grand Fisher opened his jaw.

CRUNCH

"...auarkgk…"

Rukia blinked as she felt liquid on her back, thick and warm like blood.

She turned and looked up, Karin and Yuzu also looking up, now fully exposed to the world of the dead thanks to the amount of reiatsu in the area.

Ichigo's bright orange hair contrasted greatly against Grand Fisher's fur, blood trailing down in rivers from where he was biting into the hollow's shoulder.

Grand Fisher choked as he was suddenly wrenched back, screeching in agony as Ichigo tore out the flesh with his teeth.

He croaked as Ichigo then grabbed the jaws of his mask and pried them open with a crack of bone.

At the same time, the noise from before was happening again.

r…rr…rrr…rrrr…Rrr…RRr…RRR

Grand Fisher couldn't even scream.

Blue fire erupted once more as Ichigo shot the atomic blast down his throat. His limbs quickly went limp as fire erupted from his neck, decapitating the hollow.

Its corpse fell to the ground as Ichigo carried its head in his hand before roaring to the raining heavens in defiance.

SKREEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGKK

As he let go of the head, the last remnants of Grand Fisher disappeared.

Ichigo rumbled as he saw what seemed to be floating orbs in front of him.

One floated right in front of his face, a warm, comforting yellow.

He teared up, recognizing its presence.

Her presence.

"...Moooooommmm…." Ichigo says, more of a rumble than a word really, but the emotion is no less there.

The orb pulses and he can feel everything.

Love.

All encompassing love.

The orb disappears, the Soul of Kurosaki Masaki is finally free.

Ichigo is relieved.

He rumbles as he looks down at the three girls in front of him, his sisters stare at him with slight fear, yet it is overshadowed by awe.

Rukia looks into his eyes, concerned yet unafraid.

"Ichigo?" she whispers.

He rumbles again and falls to his knees, his power ceding to his will.

"Ichi-nii/Onii-chan!"

He hugs them tightly as he begins to weep. Deep, heart wracking sobs shake through his body as 6 years of pain finally washes away.

Rukia, feeling that she is intruding, moves to leave, but a quick arm drags her back and she crashes into Ichigo's chest with a squeak.

"Thank you…hehe…thank you…hahahaha…" Ichigo's laughs are subtle, but soon become honest chuckles before turning into joyous laughter as he picks her up and spins her of all things.

"I-Ichigo! What are you doing?"

Still laughing, much to the astonishment of his sisters, who were also wondering who this new girl was, he held her tightly.

"She's free…she's finally free…I'm free…"

Rukia gasped before giving a huff of amusement, hugging him back just as tightly, slightly tearing up in joy for Ichigo.

"I'm happy for you, Ichigo."

A rumble was heard, a soothing, constant noise that filled them with warmth.

"Ichi-nii."

Karin's voice catches their attention and they slowly turn to the now smirking twin.

"Who is this girl? What was that thing? And are you…purring?"

"NO!" Ichigo clammed up, but unfortunately, the noise would not go away.

"Aww, it's so cute, onii-chan!" Yuzu said, perfectly willing to put everything bad that just happened on the backfoot to focus on the now.

"Ahh…great." Ichigo muttered.

"Ichi-nii…you still haven't answered my questions," Karin said as they got closer.

Ichigo sighed…and began to explain.

The two paid rapt attention as he explained everything he could, about shinigami and hollows and about how he'd met Rukia and had saved each other.

Rukia held his hand as he broached the topic of their mother's death and the true cause behind it.

"That monster, Grand Fisher…he was the one that killed mom…that took her soul…but…since I killed him…she's free…she's free…" he choked out, quickly falling to tears again.

The twins could only sob in joy and Ichigo held them tightly as he too wept again.

Even Rukia could not escape the hug as she was dragged into their embrace by the three of them.

After collecting themselves, and also remembering their father which made them quickly run back to the scene only to find him standing by the grave perfectly healthy.

Ichigo was immediately suspicious.

He long knew that his father was different, there was an underlying scent in him that metaphorically raised his hackles…

It wasn't until now however, that he realized what it was.

Rukia. His father smelled like Rukia.

He smelled like Death.

Now, Death wasn't a rotten smell. No, that was Decay. Instead, Death varied in smells, and truthfully, smell wasn't the perfect word for it.

Ichigo theorized that it was a sixth sense he possessed that combined his other senses along with something else that he couldn't quite pinpoint.

But for now, he'd use smell, since it was his nose that picked things up first.

Plus souls, as he now knew them, smelled like iron, from the chains that held them back.

Hollows smelled like hunger, if that made any sense at all, he could 'smell' the emptiness from them.

'Hmm…maybe feel would be a better word?'

And shinigami, barring the fact that he'd only met one, had an undercurrent of Death beneath their normal scents, much like Rukia's freshly fallen snow.

Isshin normally smelled like a warm fire, like a hearth.

Now he was a burning inferno that smelled of Death.

"Girls. Stop!"

The twins paused at their brother's command, and Isshin grimaced.

'He's noticed…'

"Who. are. You?" Ichigo growled as he placed the girls behind him. "You smell different…like Death."

The twins gasped and Isshin sighed.

"Ichigo…sigh…I was hoping to spare you from this, but you've always been perceptive…and your power is so potent…Yuzu…Karin, you can see them clearly now, can't you?"

The girls looked around, now noticing all the spirits in the graveyard before nodding slowly.

Isshin sighed again.

"I…a long time ago, I was a shinigami as well, just like the girl."

They gasped and Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"I also lost my powers…protecting the love of my life…" Isshin said as he turned to the grave with a solemn expression.

Ichigo blinked, feeling the sheer grief from his father.

"I'm so glad…that even after I failed the second time, that her soul is free."

Ichigo's stance softened and he looked at the twins before nodding at them. They quickly broke away and tackled their father in a hug, the latter falling to his knees as he clutched the girls tightly, apologizing multiple times.

Ichigo came up and gently placed a hand on his father's shoulder before also giving him a hug, understanding being achieved between them.

Rukia stayed to the side, not willing to intrude in this family moment.

She wallowed in her thoughts instead.

"I'll have to report this…but you know how reports go, they take so long to be read…"

Her time would be running out…

She didn't find it in her to care.

It would be later that night, that another thing was brought up while they all had dinner together.

"I like your eyes…I don't see why you hid them so long." Rukia idly commented.

She heard utensils fall and looked up.

"What's wrong?"

"Ichi-nii…she's right…you haven't put your sunglasses back on." Karin said as she looked at her brother.

Ichigo blinked before keeping his eyes closed.

"I-let me get my back up pair, wait just a-" he was cut off as he heard movement before soft hands gently took his. A cold touch on his face made him shudder and he gulped in anticipation.

"Don't." Rukia whispered. "Don't hide them again. I saw them earlier, at their brightest, I saw them as you unleashed that blue fire…I wasn't afraid then."

He slowly opened his eyes, staring into her own.

"I'm not afraid of them now."

Ichigo's eyes seemed to tremble, too much had happened today and everything seemed to be falling apart.

"Hmm…like blue fire…very soothing, though that orange from before was alright, reminded me of your hair."

Ichigo blinked.

"Blue?" All four asked.

"Yes, blue. Is something the matter?"

"My eyes have always burned orange, like Gojira's. They've never been blue before."

"Hmm, yes, I saw the orange earlier, though it was a mix between red and orange. Your fury was quite a sight to behold but…then you unleashed that blue fire, and they glowed blue."

Ichigo blinked at her before looking at the ground.

Rukia then had an idea.

"Karin. Yuzu. Come here, please."

The girls came over at Rukia's command and she gently held them.

"Now look, what do you see?"

The girls gulped, but knowing that Rukia could look their brother in the eye and not flinch gave them the resolve to do it as well.

After all, he was their brother.

Karin was the first, and she gasped in surprise.

"They're not as fiery…there's a little bit of orange, but…there's a lot of blue too…I've missed your eyes Ichi-nii…"

Yuzu, upon hearing this, also looked into her brother's eyes.

"Onii-chan…they're so beautiful…"

Ichigo's eyes widened and he actually flushed a bit before the same rumbling noise appeared.

"YOU'RE PURRING AGAIN!"

"AM NOT!"

Rumble~

"Damn it!"

"Onii-chan, it's so cute!"

"What's this!? Masaki! Our dear boy is nothing more than an angry putty-tat!"

"Why you-!"

Rukia laughed as she saw the house fall into chaos again.

She was happy to be here.

That night as they prepared to go to sleep, Ichigo surprised her by hugging her tightly from behind.

"Thank you…for everything…for coming into my life, lending your power…saving my family…"

He trembled and she held his arms tightly.

"My mother's soul is free…and my sisters can look me in the eye again…all because of you."

"Ichigo…" she turned to fully face him and blushed at how…warm his gaze was. Amber mixed with orange, a hint of blue around the edges of his eyes.

Before she knew it…they kissed.

It was a soft thing, she could tell that Ichigo was trying to be as delicate with her as possible, especially considering his fangs, but he was still so…loving.

It was quickly overwhelming her but he broke away, flushed completely.

Unfortunately, a side effect of his instincts made things slightly…uncomfortable, so he had broken away and rested his forehead on hers as he tried to calm his heart rate.

And his body heat for that matter.

After some time, they separated and went to bed, he didn't say anything as she lied next to him, and she didn't comment when he started to purr again, much to his chagrin.

Her soul was cold, she was used to the cold and preferred it.

But tonight, she felt warm in Ichigo's arms and didn't mind at all.

The next morning, she was…interrogated by Tatsuki.

"What did you do?" She asked, astonished.

Well, it wasn't really an interrogation.

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked in confusion.

"I mean, that yesterday, you left with Ichigo, and he doesn't let anyone be with him on the anniversary of his mother's death. Next thing I know, in fact, next thing we all know, is we hear his roar across the entire city, and now today he's without his sunglasses and is smiling." Tatsuki says, slightly shaking Rukia's shoulders.

"You don't get it, I haven't seen a smile like that since his mother was alive…what did you do?"

"I'm afraid that I can't share the details, Arisawa-san. But…yesterday, Ichigo was finally able to find some closure…and I was there for it…I…" Rukia trailed off.

"She helped me out, Tatsuki…and I was able to finally let go of the rage in my heart."

Tatsuki turned and gasped as she accidentally looked him in the eyes.

Yet she couldn't find it in herself to look away.

"Your eyes…"

"You can also thank Rukia for that."

Ichigo then had to deal with a gaggle of girls now looking into his eyes and commenting on how 'pretty' they were.

He sighed, but as long as it got Rukia out of her little interrogation, he bore with it.

Rukia, fortunately, dragged him away to the roof for lunch and sat him down before sitting on his lap and eating her own.

Ichigo had already eaten his so he simply set his chin on her head and let himself rest.

Rumble~

"Ichigo…are you purring?" He heard Chad ask.

"Damn it."

"BOHAHAHAHAHA!"

Nope, Ichigo refused to remember that stupid night, sure he took Rukia along cause she asked, and overall it was a nice little date, but damn if that man wasn't stupid.

You'd think he'd recognize him, though in hindsight, it was better that he hadn't.

Now if only he could get Rukia to stop with that incessant laughing.

Ichigo looked at the boy dressed in white in front of him carrying the hollow bait.

He quickly felt his rage rising.

"I…but a short time ago, found the hollow that killed my mother," he saw Ishida flinch slightly. "And tore open his jaw before shoving atomic fire down his throat. Yeah, I can do that now."

He saw Ishida gulped and could feel the fury begin to be reflected in his eyes.

"My sisters are both spiritually aware, if they get hurt from this, what do you think I'm going to do to you?"

Ishida gulped.

"I don't care about what history you have with shinigami, I'm doing this because Rukia can't and I care about her."

Ishida gave some sort of reason, but Ichigo was quickly losing his mind to the rage that was boiling.

He broke the bait.

Ichigo roared.

The ensuing battles were chaotic, bloody, and only served to fuel Ichigo's rage as he killed hollows with his sword or by tearing them apart with his bare hands.

Then came the Menos.

Ichigo roared again as the cero impacted against him, but he could feel himself getting stronger as he let his rage fuel him.

He didn't notice his spine glowing, the energy of the cero flowing into the bone.

He didn't have the range, so he decided to improvise.

r-r-rr-rrr-Rrr-RRr-RRR

Ichigo pointed his sword at the monster and the energy traveled through his body and blade before erupting into blue plasma that tore through the Menos like a hot knife through butter.

He roared to the heavens once more in victory before collapsing to his knee.

"Ichigo!"

"You stupid fool." Rukia said as she sat on the bed, Ichigo's head on her lap while she played with his hair.

He had some bandages on his body, a few of the wounds translating to his physical form much to her chagrin.

She also noticed that his body was becoming more…Gojira-like.

The spines along his back had become more pronounced, and she noticed that along the center, there were the beginnings of other columns coming out of his skin.

She idly touched one, the bone rough and jagged to the touch.

Ichigo shivered.

"Something wrong?"

"No, just feels odd. I don't have nerves there, but I can feel the pressure. Kinda like teeth I guess."

Rukia chuckled before her expression became grim.

They'd be coming for her soon.

She kisses his forehead and leans her head back, unwilling to show her tears.

Ichigo frowns as he smells her grief.

He tracks her down, putting on his sunglasses. He senses them, harbingers of Death. One smells rustic, like an animal, the sharp bite of a serpent and the savagery of a baboon.

The other smells like way too many cherry blossoms.

His eyes pick them apart in the distance, and an idea comes to mind.

It's been a while since he's done a good prank.

Ishida falls.

But before Renji can deliver the final blow, a voice calls out to them.

"Oi! Rukia! What's going on here? And why can I smell blood?"

Rukia gasps and Renji pauses as he turns to what appears to be a blind man walking forward, ridiculously long sword being used as a cane as he sweeps it to the left and right.

A blind man.

Rukia gave her powers to a blind man.

"What's this joke? You've got to be kidding me…you gave your powers to a blind man?"

"OI! Monkey-boy! I might be blind but I'm not deaf!"

"Monkey-boy!?"

"You smell like a jungle, primarily a baboon, but henceforth, you shall be known as monkey-boy."

Renji growled.

"Though with that growl of yours, I might as well call you mutt. There we go, Monkey-mutt."

"You-"

"Anyway," Ichigo cut him off. "Can someone explain to me what's going on here? How about you ma'am, since monkey-mutt is too busy snarling to say anything."

Renji and Rukia choked.

Ichigo had to desperately shove the grin that wanted to appear on his face.

"You little, that's Captain Kuchiki Byakuya! He's the Captain of the Sixth! And I'm Abarai Renji, LT. of said division!"

Ichigo blinked.

Before turning his head towards the captain and taking a deep whiff.

"...You're a man? I have never smelled a man that smelled that much like cherry blossoms…huh, guess the Soul Society isn't homophobic-"

Rukia and Renji choked again.

Ichigo steadfastly ignored the increasing smell of annoyance coming from the obvious bishonen.

"-power to them and all that, yada yada yada."

He then turned back to Renji.

"Anyway, can someone explain to me what's going on here?"

"It's simple, Rukia here, has committed treason by transferring her powers to a human, a blind one at that-"

"Oi, that's ableist."

"-WILL YOU STOP INTERRUPTING ME!?"

"Gomen, gomen, monkey-mutt (grrr). Please, continue your explanation."

Renji's eye twitched at the mocking tone.

"And now, we're taking her back to be punished!"

Ichigo hummed. Unfortunately, he was of two minds right now. The rational part of him wanted to explain things. But his instincts were being very possessive of Rukia right now and absolutely did not want her to leave with the bishonen and monkey-mutt.

Still though, he had to try.

"I don't suppose it'd help her case if I said that she only did so to save the lives of myself and my family?"

Renji appeared over his head, sword in a descending blow.

"...sigh, I thought not."

'I've got you-'

CLANG!

"What?"

"You're really loud."

Ichigo moved Renji's blade out of the way just in time to punch him in the face.

Renji crashed against the ground before flipping up.

"You bastard!"

"Oi, what are you blaming me for? Your monkey ass was so loud, how could I not block it?"

The two traded blows, Ichigo's instincts helping him dominate the fight.

Renji was growing more and more frustrated, this blind human was holding up to him on equal grounds!

"Damn it…to be forced to this point, I suppose that it speaks of how much of Rukia's power you stole for this to happen. Listen well, human. Abarai Renji. That is the name of the man who will kill you. ROAR, ZABIMARU!"

Ichigo stiffened, sensing the pressure on top of him, monkey-mutt was definitely stronger now, and that blade change...he paid attention as Abarai explained zanpakuto.

He needed to be careful.

The two fight again, and Ichigo can feel the blade dig into his scales from where it strikes, the slightest hints of blood.

"You've got good reiatsu there, to resist my blade so much!" Renji compliments, even as he grins wickedly. "But it's not enough!"

Ichigo grunted as the serrated blades cut across his face, shattering his glasses.

Blood trickles down his face as he glares at the other man.

"What the hell!? You're not blind!"

"Heh, yeah, I just wanted to mess with you, monkey-mutt. But now that I don't have to pretend, I can go all out!"

Ichigo then blurred forward and Renji cried out in pain as his blade was knocked out of his hand, a deep trench carved into his body.

'Impossible!'

Renji crashed to the ground with a snarl of pain before getting back up.

Ichigo moved forward, but a sudden movement made him pause.

"Brother, no!"

Then came the pain.

Ichigo choked as a soul searing pain wracked through his body.

It was nearly as bad as when he got his Gojira powers!

"You're slow. Even when you're falling."

Ichigo collapsed to the ground, glaring at the other man who had turned his back on him.

"Captain! Why did you interfere?"

"You were wasting too much time, Abarai. To think that a human could best you, utterly pathetic."

Renji snarled, embarrassed and in pain.

"I have severed his Sanketsu and Hakusui. His powers are gone. He will die a normal human."

A hand grasped onto the Captain's ankle.

"Do you wish to lose that hand, boy?"

Ichigo growled, the sound coming from his chest before a foot kicked his hand away and he looked at his snow queen who was staring at him with such anger it made him recoil.

"How…how dare you, touch a captain with your dirty hands, you lowly human. Can't you see?" she was shaking, and he could see the tears in her eyes that refused to fall. "This is the end? So stay there…save your strength…try to live…and don't come for me, or I'll never forgive you."

She then straightened herself before turning towards her brother.

"Let us go, nii-sama…I am ready to face my punishment."

The captain stared at her, no emotion in his eyes before turning.

"Very well, Rukia." He said before turning to face his lieutenant. "Abarai. Open the senkaimon."

"Yes, sir."

Rumble….

Rukia froze, desperately hoping that she hadn't heard what she'd heard.

'Ichigo…don't.'

"OPEN!"

Growl…

'Please…don't do this!'

r-rr-rrr-Rrr-RRr-RRR

The captain finally noticed her expression of fear before moving to grab her.

"WATCH OUT!" She yelled as she moved to the side, her brother following her as blue fire cut into and through the senkaimon before splitting it, the blast also hitting Renji who screeched in agony.

'Impossible! The senkaimon was destroyed!' Rukia thought before the three turned to a now standing Ichigo, his eyes burning in fury. His body, unknowingly to them, had been amplified by the shinigami powers but also kept in check by them.

Rukia could see the changes to his body, he grew taller and hunched over as scales quickly began to cover the majority of his body, blood fell to the ground like a river as his dorsal spines exploded out of his back.

His mouth and throat, which had been severely burned by the atomic fire was already regenerating and the shinigami could only stare in surprise and horror.

Rukia saw his eyes, now burning in fury and fire as he snarled incoherently.

"Atomic Rage…" Rukia whispered out.

It was not unnoticed by her captors.

'She knows what this is?'

SKREEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGKKK

The captain narrowed his eyes and drew his sword, before approaching with shunpo to finish the boy off.

Powerful jaws clamped on his sword, shattering it to pieces.

'Impossible! He saw me?'

"KARGH!"

The Captain grunted in pain as claws pierced through his body.

'What is this boy?'

"Scatt-kurgh!" He grunted in pain again as the boy clenched his fist and grabbed the wrist with his sword, inhuman force was exerted on it, crushing the bones and making him groan as he dropped the remnants of his sword.

"Hado No. 4: Byakurai."

Ichigo screeched as the blast tore through his body, but in his rage, tore out his hand from the captain's side and grabbed the other hand before crushing that wrist as well.

Byakuya grunted, barely able to keep his groans to himself.

This boy wasn't human.

Which was proven by the animalistic growl coming from him before the same sound from before appeared.

'His eyes are glowing blue.'

r-rr-rrr-Rrr-RRr-RRR-RRRR-RRRRR-RRRRR-RRRRRR

The charge was longer and Byakuya's eyes widened as he saw the boy's chest, throat and eyes glow blue as he took in a deep breath, the spines on his body popping out before punching back in.

SHANG!

PAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

The blast pierced through the night sky and Byakuya's eyes remained wide as he felt the burns across the left side of his face.

A sword was pierced through the boy's chest and he could hear a disbelieving rumble.

Ichigo wheezed and looked down at the familiar metal, he shakingly turned his head.

Amber eyes met violet.

"Rrrrrruuuukiiiaaaaa…."

Ichigo fell to his knees and Rukia sobbed as she guided his head to her lap.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorryI'msorryI'msorry…"she kept apologizing.

She had betrayed him.

She sobbed wretchedly, holding him tightly.

The blade that she had struck him with was one that he had given her. A safety measure, should he ever fall into a full Atomic Rage and be unable to return, it would forcibly stop his Gojira powers by shutting down his heart with its special metal.

He had entrusted it with her.

And she'd used it for his enemies.

"I'm sorry…even if you'd beaten nii-sama now…you would have fallen later…I…I'm so sorry…" she barely managed to whisper out.

Ichigo didn't reply, blood pooling out of his mouth as his eyes darkened. She could see the scales falling off his body and could feel the boy protrusions along his back turn to mush as blood drenched the ground where they were.

"I've only had this used on me once. It looks gruesome, but that's all it is. I'll regenerate and recover, it's just a pain in the ass."

'Please let it be true.' she prayed.

"T-try and live, Ichigo…please…forget about me…go back to your family…"

Ichigo rumbled at her, a low moan emanating from him as he tried to raise his hand to hers.

She clutched it tightly, feeling the claws that were so gentle with her break away into dust.

Byakuya and Renji stood to the side, the latter taking a step forward only for his captain to hold out his arm.

"Sir…"

"Leave her, Abarai. She has killed someone she cares about for the Law. Let her say her goodbyes. The boy will die soon. Reopen the senkaimon."

"Yes, sir."

Rukia stayed with Ichigo as his breath became shallower.

She gently pressed a kiss to his forehead, whispering the words she'd dared not say.

"I love you."

Ichigo shuddered, a last shaky breath coming out of him as the fire in his eyes died completely.

Rukia wept for a moment before drying her tears and gently setting Ichigo's head down and shutting his eyes before rising and walking towards her fate.

Head bowed, neither of the Kuchiki siblings said anything as they walked through the senkaimon with Renji in tow.

The rain fell and Rukai closed her eyes, never looking back.

If she had, she'd have noticed a notorious shopkeeper approaching Ichigo's body.

"Well…I do say that I have my work cut out for me." The shopkeeper said before turning to greet the others in the vicinity.

"Wouldn't you say so, old friends?"

"Hmph, you overestimate yourself, Urahara Kisuke." Was the reply. They'd encountered this shinigami turned shopkeeper many times.

He certainly left an impression each time. Somehow each one worse than the last.

"Oh, how you wound me so!" He theatrically cried before turning serious. "But I digress, what exactly are you here for?"

Three pairs of eyes met each other.

"Shobijin?"

Definitely gonna make a few more chapters of this, at least so that I can cover the major events I want to.

I watched Godzilla: Minus One twice now, I love it too much! Especially the Divine score! Imagine that plays for when Ichigo's charging up to kill Byakuya (which he probably would have considering it was at point blank, longer charge, and definitely a larger power).

Just to understand a few things, due to the unique nature of Gojira's power, especially its radiation base, I thought it'd be interesting if it bypassed reiatsu and its protection because of the fundamentally different energies.

Just to get the gist of it, if Ichigo used an atomic blast and a Danku was put in front of it, it would quite simply go through the Danku.

Hierro? What's that?

And it would not be a fun day for the zanpakuto that gets used to block that.

On that note, hardening enough of your reiatsu would limit the physical portion of the blast and perhaps some of the heat, but wouldn't do crap for the radiation.

Like in Minus One, (spoilers) Ichigo's Atomic Ray hurts him and he has to regenerate from the damage before he can fire off another.

On that note, still deciding how radiation would affect shinigami, as in, radiation sickness and stuff like that since it's unlikely that they'd have anything for that.

Also, yes, there is a reason why the shinigami don't know about the kaiju.

As a final decision, this Godzilla is mostly millennium based design, barring the spines which are Minus One based. The roars being millennium as well, though I might include a few Minus One roars…maybe.

For this story, I also have special plans for Rukia, Orihime, Tatsuki(yes, she gets included), Chad, and Uryu.

For that matter, Karin and Yuzu too since they know the truth now.