Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo and Shueisha Inc. I merely own my original characters.
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Shinigami standing near the Northern Black Ridge Gate watched in shock as electric blue energy collided against the invisible barrier above them. The air hissed and sizzled as yellow sparks viciously fought blue, and after what seemed like a long moment the azure energy surged forward, spiraling in multiple directions above them, obscuring their line of sight with their brilliance. Their ears soon reverberated with a powerful roar as the Shakonmaku shattered under the raw power bursting through it. The ground rattled and cracked as a split marred its surface and bodies disintegrated instantaneously, letting only crumbled buildings and debris tumble to the newly formed crater below. Grey smoke billowed, blue shockwaves still lingering within its midst.
"What are you waitin' for? Get in and kill 'em all except for Kurosaki Ichigo. He's mine," declared the smirking man, who had just penetrated the protective barrier of the Seireitei.
The Arrancar and Hollows standing in the air behind him roared in approval as they rushed forward.
The light blue haired man simply watched on, slipping his hands into the pockets of his white hakama.
In the distance, he could see other groups of Hollows and Arrancar plunging towards the now defenseless Seireitei, releasing fiery red Ceros.
"Where the hell are you Kurosaki Ichigo?" he muttered to himself, as he surveyed the area.
"Never thought I'd see the Shakonmaku get vaporized," Gin mused, watching various screens broadcasting the destruction of the protective barrier surrounding the Seireitei.
"Neither did the Gotei 13," Aizen declared with a smirk, eyes flitting across the various images of devastation occurring in the place he once called home. "Of course, they never imagined that an army of Hollows would attempt to overwhelm the Shakonmaku with their Cero. Even the Shakonmaku could not resist the combined high density Reiryoku of Menos Grande and Grimmjow's Gran Rey Cero."
"Guess it was a good thing we picked up that stray kitty."
"I'm glad we were able to retrieve him upon our return to Hueco Mundo. I knew he would prove useful," Aizen said. "As will the others," he added, his smirk widening slightly.
"It'll certainly be interestin'," Gin agreed.
The terrible roar of the sky splitting apart coupled with the rumbling of the trembling earth beneath her rang so unbearably strong in her ears that she merely felt rather than heard her cry of shock as she tumbled to the floor.
Propping herself up with her arms against the ground, Rukia glanced across her and noticed Ichigo had also lost his footing. She saw his lips move, but her throbbing ears scarcely heard him.
"R-Rukia, are you all right?"
His voice finally reached her ears after what seemed like forever.
"H-Hai," she muttered, glancing up at the sky. "I-I can't believe the Shakonmaku has been broken…It must have been some extremely dense Reiryoku…"
"Aizen must have done it," Ichigo said grimly, getting to his feet once the earth seemed to settle.
"He must have," Rukia agreed, following his lead. "He always seems to be able to do the unthinkable."
Watching as the Hollows descended towards them, Ichigo readied Zangetsu.
"W-What the? There's a barrier," Ichigo realized, glancing in amazement at how the Hollows snarled and roared but failed to advance towards them.
"Nii-sama must have erected it," Rukia explained. "Residences in the Seireitei usually have no need for barriers since Hollows usually cannot appear here thanks to the Shakonmaku, but Nii-sama must have thought something like this could happen…."
"Of course, he did. He must have done this as soon as he came back. He wouldn't want to risk his precious manor getting crushed like Fake Karakura's buildings," Ichigo mused. "Not that I blame him. I don't want the Soul Society or the real Karakura to end up like that."
"We need to hurry then and help end this war as soon as possible. I'm afraid the other manors won't be as lucky as this one. Remember, what Nii-sama said, we need to protect this area."
"Right," Ichigo said, following Rukia, who had already started moving.
A crease wrinkled Ichigo's forehead.
"Wait, Rukia, M-Masaki is out there… We need to find her and bring her back here."
"Ichigo, I would want to do that as well, but like I told you, she wouldn't want us to stray from our duties."
"But, Rukia, we can't just let her stay out there now that Aizen is attacking. We need to bring her back…"
"Ichigo, I don't like this anymore than you do, but as soon as we step out of here, it'll be battle after battle. The Seireitei is being flooded with Hollows. We have to stay focused. Remember what Nii-sama said. Besides, she's a Shinigami. She can take care of herself."
Ichigo compressed his lips.
"Damn it. I guess you're right," he conceded, as they rushed past several servants, who were nervously gazing out over the veranda. "I just can't believe she took off…She knows how dangerous it is…"
"She was pretty upset about last night. She's afraid she might have affected the future somehow by saying something she shouldn't have…"
"She has no idea if that's really true."
"True, but she feels she might have and she obviously wants to avoid that from happening again if need be. Ichigo, she's only been around us due to circumstances. It was never her intention to be around us."
"Well she shouldn't be risking herself for a stupid hunch," Ichigo maintained.
"If it makes you feel any better, I think she probably went to the Kurosaki Manor…"
Ichigo stared at her, surprised. "Let's head over there," he declared swiftly, increasing his stride.
"But, Ichigo," Rukia started.
"What? We'd be getting rid of Hollows along the way. C'mon, it's not that far. We have to tell her to come back for her own safety. This isn't her war."
Rukia gave an acquiescing nod and with that they used Shunpo.
"No!" Masaki gasped, violet eyes wide, as she watched the sky ripple and quiver above her. She pressed the palm of her right hand against the wall of the nearest building to stabilize herself. "I-It's begun..." she murmured, watching as a horde of Hollows burst through a patch of the pulsating sky hundreds of feet across from the building she stood on.
"Aizen's invasion has begun. Damn it. There's no way I can leave the Soul Society now," Masaki said, frustration and concern clouding her features. "I should have tried leaving sooner…No, I shouldn't have even agreed to come here. I should have asked to be allowed in the World of the Living. It's chaos either way…Damn…"
The Hollows burned and blasted everything within their wake almost immediately. Smoke and dust swirled and rose upwards in a dark portentous whirl.
"I-I can't stay here…I need to get away…" she muttered, releasing her hold on the quivering wall and whirling around.
She ran, leaping off the building's edge and continuing her run on the ground below.
With a grunt, Karin ducked the sharp kick headed towards her head. Her feet slid sideways and she felt her body wobble as her momentum bizarrely propelled her to the ground despite her confidence that evasion shouldn't have derailed her equilibrium in the slightest. Annoyance made her grip her bokken harder as her body splayed onto the ground. She could almost hear that red headed idiot howl in delight, but to her surprise, she instead heard an angry remark, "What the hell!" followed by a dull thud.
Karin suddenly comprehended the shuddering ground beneath them had disrupted their balance. She could hear a faint but powerful rumble coming up from above. A sinking feeling gripped her stomach.
"What was that?" she wondered, glancing up at the ceiling suspiciously.
"Hollows," murmured, an anxious but earnest voice.
Karin whipped her head around to stare at the pig tailed girl who had spoken.
"A-Are you sure?" She stammered, her heart starting to race. The rumbling hadn't sounded like that of a Hollow.
"It's got to be them. That wasn't an earthquake. It would have been way louder if it had been. We're underground, remember?" Jinta pointed out.
"But, wait, does that mean they've broken the barrier?" Karin asked, returning her gaze to the ceiling above them, the hand gripping the bokken unconsciously tightening her hold.
"Don't think so," Jinta said, glancing upwards. "The blast would have been huge. Sounds to me like we just felt the aftershocks."
"Aftershocks?" Karin repeated, wrinkling her brow.
"Yep. I think the Seireitei must be under attack."
"It must be," agreed Ururu softly. "I can feel them even from here," she said, closing her eyes, her forehead creasing as her concentration deepened. "So many…Hundreds upon hundreds…So strong…Arrancar…Menos…Adjuchas…Must kill them…" She murmured earnestly, as her eyes snapped open. The beginnings of a deadly gaze clouded them.
"Snap out of it, Ururu, it's not our fight," Jinta said, jumping to his feet and hurrying over to the dark-haired girl and giving her a rather hard, loud slap. "C'mon, Ururu," he growled, giving her another hard slap.
"Oi, stop it!" Karin shouted, outraged.
"She'll be fine," he assured her, as he gave Ururu yet another smack. "She's a lot tougher than she looks."
"But," Karin protested, watching as the red-haired boy continued to subdue Ururu despite her efforts to subvert him.
"There!" Jinta proclaimed, as he knocked Ururu out by wrapping his arms around her neck and applying pressure. "Sorry, Ururu, but the boss wouldn't want you out and about," he said, as he gently laid her on the ground.
Jinta turned his gaze to Karin and said, "Ururu gets all antsy when she detects any weird Hollow activity. The level out there is unlike anything she's ever detected. I just couldn't risk her going into Satsuriku Jōtai.We aren't supposed to leave the house to slay Hollows. It's up to the Shinigami to handle those Hollows."
Karin's face grew solemn.
"Don't worry, I'm sure, your brother will be fine. He's a lot stronger than he looks," Jinta said, sparing a glance at her.
"That's what Urahara-san said," Karin murmured, her mind drifting to what the shady shopkeeper had explained.
Her brother was apparently fighting to protect both the spiritual world and the Material world in some war waged by some lunatic bent on destroying the entire universe. Urahara had explained that at her brother's request, he had taken preparations to keep her and their family safe from harm, and that's why he had knocked them out and brought them to stay with Shiba Kūkaku, who was a trusted ally of his. He had apparently underestimated how long to keep her asleep due to her spiritual sensitivity, but he said at this point there was no need for her to remain asleep. Urahara had assured her that her brother was a pretty strong Shinigami and that he had personally trained him. He revealed that he had been a Shinigami in the past and that he had taken it upon himself to help Ichigo when he developed Shinigami powers due to his contact with the Shinigami Kuchiki Rukia. His explanation had been rather brief, so she knew he hadn't told her the full story about everything, but she was grateful he had given her some insight into her brother's Shinigami life and what was going on.
She could see why Ichigo had wanted to keep that part of him a secret from her and Yuzu and their father. It was what he always did; protect them from anything that could hurt them.
It was what he was doing now…Fighting against an army of Hollows….She hoped he really was as strong as they said he was…She wanted to see her brother again...she wanted to hear from him the truth about being a Shinigami…
"Oi, Karin, are you okay?" She suddenly heard a familiar voice query as the door to the training room slid open.
She blinked, glancing at the being who was borrowing her brother's voice and body. She knew it was not actually her brother standing at the doorway, but Kon, some kind of spiritual being who replaced her brother whenever he wasn't inhabiting his body.
"I'm fine. I just slipped because of the stupid shaking," she muttered, getting to her feet.
"Are you okay, Kon?" she asked, after a beat. He looked a bit wary and uncertain. Things had been awkward between them since his true nature had been revealed. According to him, her brother had also entrusted him to take care of her and the rest of the family.
"Yeah," Kon nodded. "I just wish I knew what the heck was happening out there…"
"You and me both," she said dryly. "I'm not exactly fond of being cooped up."
"Neither am I. I kinda wish we could go help the Shinigami kick some Hollow ass," Jinta said, making a slashing motion with the bokken he had been using earlier.
"Whatever, kid," Kon muttered. "I just wish this whole thing was over. I don't like being here. I want to be back in Karakura. I want to see Ichigo and Nee-san."
"Yeah well, wishing it away isn't going to make it happen any sooner," Jinta pointed out. "I don't like sitting around doing nothing. Kurosaki, how about we get back to training? It'll help us be on our toes in case anything gets through the barrier here."
Karin nodded.
Keeping busy was the main reason she had even agreed to Jinta training her on fighting Hollows, though she knew it couldn't hurt to learn. She really hated all this waiting, and now that things seemed to be worse, there was no way she could just sit and worry. She prayed her brother would be alright. She hoped that the Hollows wouldn't attempt to invade their hideaway, but no matter what, she wasn't going to go down without a fight either.
The scent of stone, concrete, and dust invaded his senses with such an unbearable ardor, he felt his eyes squeeze shut almost immediately and his nostrils shake with force as the intrusive molecules partially departed his besieged snout.
He half coughed, half groaned, as he attempted to move his aching body from the wreckage it had caused. His body felt incredibly heavy, almost as if it were the giant his katana commanded. The armored samurai in actuality lay somewhere behind him. Or was it across from him? He wasn't quite sure. That last series of blows had been quite overwhelming.
His former comrade was not holding back in the slightest. He had not expected any less from him. It was a true testament to his intent, but the intensity of his attacks was on another level thanks to his new power brought about by that perverse transformation….
He half hoped he had imagined it, but Tōsen stood there with his face hidden behind a smooth white mask with a single, straight dark line bilaterally cutting across it. His chest, protected now by a white chest plate instead of the orange strap that had been attached to his shoulder, matched his mask along with the shoulder pads that had appeared. The dark, ominous aura surrounding him was unmistakably that of a Hollow.
His friend had been Hollowfied by Aizen. It was absolute proof he had cast aside his Shinigami heritage.
His heart grimaced at the sight. Where was the friend he thought he had known? Had he truly never existed? Had his heart been consumed by hate and anger?
"Komamura, haven't you heard the expression? Let sleeping dogs lie. You would do well to heed it," Tōsen proclaimed sardonically. "You won't be able to continue much longer."
Golden eyes widened slightly then narrowed at the figure standing several feet away with his sword hanging loosely at his side. Was it his imagination, or were Tōsen words meant as a dig at his physical appearance? But how could that be when he knew nothing of his true nature?
He had never confided in his friend what he was though he had admitted he was ashamed of his appearance. He had never felt the need to elaborate on the specifics. Tōsen had always seen his inner self and had never cared about how he looked like. He had thought he had found a kindred spirit in him. Tōsen, too, had known what it was to be misjudged due to his appearance.
"Yes, Komamura, I know you are a transfigured Soul, a dog. I noticed the difference in the sonar images since you stopped shielding your face from the world, and Ichimaru was kind enough to elaborate on your appearance. Now I understand why you've always been ashamed of your appearance though I cannot deny it suits you. You are truly loyal to the Gotei 13 just like a dog is to its master."
"I'm afraid Ichimaru was incorrect. I'm no dog, I'm a wolf," Komamura said, glaring at Tōsen.
"Close enough. A member of the canine family, is it not?"
Komamura's ears twitched slightly.
"If your words are meant to hurt me, they're pointless. There is no greater wound than your betrayal. You're the one who needs to heed that expression, which you've clearly misunderstood. You're the one who needs to let go of your anger and resentment. It has blinded you with a false sense of justice that has led you astray and corrupted you," Komamura retorted, climbing unsteadily back to his feet.
The ground trembled beneath him, signaling that his Zanpakutō had followed his lead.
"You're the one who is blinded by a false sense of justice," Tōsen countered. "Attaining the powers of a Hollow has not led me astray or corrupted me as you put it. I have merely surpassed your weakness as a Shinigami…I told you I would do whatever it took to enact justice. Neither Shinigami nor Hollow are essentially good or evil yet the Gotei 13 maintains that façade in order to maintain their power. Aizen-sama sees beyond the world as it is and is willing to change it for the betterment of all."
"Betterment for all? I don't understand how a Shinigami becoming closer to a Hollow or vice versa is in the best interest of anyone. Shinigami are supposed to purify Hollows, not become them."
"Komamura, your loyalty to the Gotei 13, who has upheld such ideals for centuries, prevents you from even entertaining the thought they have misled you."
"You're the one who has been misled, Tōsen!" Komamura shouted, exasperated. "Open your eyes, Tōsen! You've always been able to see the truth. You can't possibly believe Aizen will change this world for the better. He only wants to destroy this world—"
"I may be unseeing, but I assure you my eyes are fully aware of the truth. It is you who refuses to see the truth. I grow weary of your pointless words, Komamura. It is time we end this once and for all."
"As you wish, Tōsen, though I have never desired such an outcome," Komamura said, bracing himself for the renewal of their battle.
"I always knew our swords would cross blades one day and that one of us would end up dying," Tōsen said, raising his katana and charging forward. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this day. The day justice will finally reign…"
Komamura swung his katana downward, intercepting the orange hilted blade.
He could not believe the coldness of his former colleague and friend.
Tōsen braced himself for a several seconds, before pushing aside Komamura's enormous blade. With incredible speed, he zipped in and around the giant katana, slashing and striking at the armored giant's body, aggravating old wounds and creating new ones. New streaks of blood flowed congealing with the old.
The giant and Komamura stumbled back as Tōsen cut off Tengen Myō'ō'sright horn. Komamura half howled, half growled. He tried to shift away from Tōsen, but it was useless. He couldn't see where the man was. He was too fast, and his slow-moving body dripped with crimson.
He roared, golden eyes wide, as he felt his chest burn.
He could see Tōsen's katana protruding from his chest.
"It's over, Komamura. You have done your best, but there's no way your power could match mine."
Unable to stand any longer, the Seventh Division taichō slumped to his knees with a heavy thud. Komamura attempted to move his arms, but they remained limp on his sides. Tōsen had ripped his arms to shreds.
"I-I'm sorry, I failed you, Tōsen," Komamura bit out, grimacing. His left eye was shut.
"You're sorry you failed me?" Tōsen repeated, quizzically.
"I-I failed to make you see the truth. As your friend, I sought to return you to the path you had deserted. I promised Hisagi I would…"
"How absurd. I never strayed from my path. It was a foolish promise. Do not worry, your death will not be in vain. You will finally see the truth yourself…and so will Hisagi," Tōsen assured him.
Komamura let out an anguished howl as Tōsen withdrew his katana.
"Yes, you will finally see the truth," he reassured, as he raised a hand and it began to glow purple. "I'm not as heartless as you think…"
"Is that so?" Komamura said, glancing at him from his open eye.
"I will allow you to partake in helping Aizen-sama," Tōsen explained as he extended his hand, the purple glow surrounding it, brightening.
Komamura watched as his body suddenly became enveloped in its glow. He felt his weakened, dying body throb and pulse. He felt as though his insides were coming apart. To his horror, he felt the weight of his legs diminish into nothing. Ignoring the pain in his head, he watched as his legs became Reishi and flew towards Kaname's outstretched hand.
Within moments, the rest of his body vanished.
"Komamura, you will know true justice. Your death was not in vain," Tōsen promised, his gaze focused upon his shining hand.
"Tōsen-san, did it!" Gin chuckled, observing the last traces of the former Seventh Division taichō vanish.
"Yes, I can feel Komamura's power within the Hōgyoku," Aizen murmured, his eyes closed, head tilted back in his chair, lips curled slightly into a content smirk as his hands hovered over the pulsating Hōgyoku near him. "I will soon have them all," he whispered smugly, opening his eyes.
Glossary:
Reiryoku- spiritual power
Katana-sword
Bokken- Wooden practice sword
Satsuriku Jōtai- Slaughter Mode
Reishi- spirit particles
AN: Hello there! I, of course, did not mean to be away for so long, but last year was busy for me and I just couldn't get update this year before the anniversary of my last update. All I can say is that I'm not abandoning this fic and that I will try my best to update as soon as possible. I believe the next chapter will be up soon. Remember good things come to those who wait.
As far as Bleach ending, I'm relieved it has ended. It was an incredibly bittersweet ending. Emphasis on the bitter, but I just wanted it to end already. I had longed since stopped considering the series as canon due to its poor writing. For many people, it was a wakeup call that Bleach has always been subject to Shounen Jump's whims. I always found it obvious and as I've told you before, I thought Bleach shouldn't have continued past 423. Regardless of the things that needed to be shown/told, Kubo should have taken care of them properly by having the series end with Aizen's defeat albeit in a completely different way than what he wrote. I'm grateful to Kubo for his series and I hope his health improves. While I believe that bit of his Twitter message that he released a few months after Bleach's end, I'm not convinced about the final chapter reflecting what he had envisioned as the last chapter of Bleach. I don't get what he means by that, because the last chapter was purely ironic. I'm really sorry he didn't get to write a good ending or that he didn't take breaks so that his writing wouldn't suffer.
Anyway, I hope my fic provides you with a more enjoyable ending. It has always been meant to be an alternate ending to Bleach. It's highly ironic that Bleach ended up paralleling my fic in some ways as you guys have noticed despite the direction it went off to. Even until the end. I never imagined that would be the case even though I felt my plotline was a natural progression of events. I'm not like KnightoftheWorld, who by his own admission has a knack for apparently envisioning the end of a series i.e. Harry Potter. It's pure coincidence and I'm saddened that Kubo didn't write that for Aizen. I warn you now that I have decided to modify some abilities of certain characters that Kubo revealed during the last arc rather than use my own (they at least were in the same realm of abilities). However, for others I decided to stick with my own ideas.