Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo and Shueisha Inc. I merely own my original characters. No copyright infringement or financial gain intended.
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AN: This chapter and the next 3-4 chapters will be primarily fight centric. The subsequent chapters will focus on wrapping up the aftermath. Some of these moments I've been dreading and wanting to write at the same time for many years. I hope they don't come out too terrible. Please keep in mind some of these fights are occurring simultaneously.
"In a battle, the ones who get in the way are not the ones that lack power, but the ones that lack resolve."—Kuchiki Rukia, chapter 228
You better not die, Ichigo.
Kon glared at the ceiling above him. He was lying on a futon in the room he had originally awoken in. He had hurried here when he had sensed the voluptuous owner of this strange house near the training room Karin and the Jinta kid had been in. The lady was gorgeous, even with one arm, but he preferred to stay away from her. Normally he threw caution to the wind and attempted to woo women with his wide assortment of lecherous maneuvers, but he hadn't even bothered with her. Something inside him told him he didn't want to cross her because Ichigo's body would be worse for wear in a way he had never even known and did not want to find out.
Besides, truth be told, he barely had libido. He blamed it all on being here in the freaking Soul Society. He never wanted to come back here. He utterly hated it. It made him feel extremely uncomfortable. He didn't feel safe in the slightest though he knew Urahara had done what he could to provide him and Ichigo's family shelter given Karakura's predicament.
He just couldn't believe there was a full-blown war affecting the Soul Society and the World of the Living. No wonder Ichigo had seemed depressed and tense…He had no idea the situation was so freaking serious. Ichigo had not bothered to keep him in the loop. He vaguely remembered Urahara possibly speaking to him of the situation before he had been knocked out, but his memory was relatively shot. Urahara must have used some powerful stuff.
He almost wished he was still sleeping soundly like Yuzu and Goat Chin because it was torture to be waiting around for this nightmare to be over. Well, he suspected, Ichigo's father wasn't actually in his body but he still envied the semblance of bliss and peace his faux slumber gave his countenance.
He wondered if Ichigo knew by now his father was a Shinigami. He hoped he did. He couldn't believe that man had been keeping such a massive secret to himself all this time. That man owed that same explanation to his daughters, especially since Karin knew her brother was a Shinigami.
He couldn't believe she had known for a while, but then again, she was spiritually aware. She had been bound to notice something about Ichigo's activities. She had seemed satisfied to have received answers regarding her brother from Urahara, though she was obviously worried for his safety. Would she take the news that her father was a Shinigami as well? He'd love to witness it. He was really curious about his history.
You better not die either, Goat Chin.
He hoped both he and Ichigo came back alive and safe soon. He didn't want be the one to tell Karin or Yuzu why their 'father' would never wake up. He wasn't cut out in the slightest to be a guardian to them.
Flesh squelched and hissed with a nasty whimper as Tetsuzaemon punctured an Arrancar from behind with the sharp protrusion near the tip of his curved blade. He yanked it out roughly, letting blood fly, twisting it to the side before ramming it once more into his opponent. A sickening crunch and groan rang as his Zanpakutō penetrated and perforated through the rib cage and organs. With a slight adjustment of his grip, he ensured he left nothing untouched. The wrecked body dropped, transforming into Reishi, as he wrenched his ensanguined blade away.
He panted, allowing his body some rest now that his foe had been slayed and that he sensed no others.
His ragged breathing and the soft plop of blood dripping from Niku Sakugen were strangely the only sounds reaching his ears. A part of him had believed he might have gone deaf from the constant ruckus of battle and destruction his ear drums had endured and yet he was registering such soft sounds. Well, barely, anyway. He was certain he was partly deaf and it was the lack of boisterous noises that was forcing him to push his auditory senses.
He found that his spiritual senses no longer cried out with blaring urgency that Hollows were within the areas beyond his location, explaining the quiet, but he wasn't entirely sure if it was the case throughout the entire artificial town. He could definitely tell the number of Hollows had diminished.
Had all the fighting stopped because Tōsen Kaname had been killed? He'd felt the spike in his Reiatsu, had felt its sudden decline…. He knew the one that must have done it was one of those masked strangers, those ex-Shinigami who had illegally acquired Hollow powers. Officially they had been decreed as dead in a mission, but he vaguely recalled his mother, Iba Chikane, the former fukutaichō of the Third Division, telling him that she had found out they had been accused of acquiring illegal Hollow powers and had escaped execution. She had used that as a warning to him to not do anything foolish that would tarnish his reputation or that of the family by doing something that was against the Gotei 13 like her taichō did. He could tell his old lady was terribly disappointed in her former superior, almost as though she had lost a son (he knew she had a tendency to treat people as if they were her children).
He never imagined her taichō and the rest would reappear after all this time. Komamura-taichō had gathered from the sōtaichō that Aizen must have had a role in their Hollowfication if they had come to fight against him. It had been one of the last few conversations they had. The sōtaichō had suspected they were still within the fake town though he did not care for their arrest. He had obviously considered them allies since they had helped out when the Menos Grande had been unleashed.
If one of these Hollowfied Shinigami had decided to stop Tōsen then, perhaps, the rest had finally decided to help again since the attacks had gotten bad over the past twenty-four hours, seeming as though Aizen had gotten serious about dwindling their numbers. Maybe it's thanks to them that the Hollow numbers had decreased.
He couldn't believe his taichō was gone. He nearly lost his own battle with the shock that had stolen over him at feeling the abrupt absence of his Reiatsu, but he had managed to get on with it despite his unease and the wound underneath his left pectoral. He knew his taichō would have wanted him to continue fighting; he had been very obstinate that they had to give everything they had despite the circumstances.
As much as he would have liked to have been fighting by his taichō's side, he knew he had died trying to do what he felt he had to: opening Tōsen's eyes. Komamura-taichō had been upset he hadn't been able to stop him during their previous battle. For better or worse, he had attempted it again, knowing he could die.
He lamented it couldn't have been his own Zanpakutō, Niku Sakugen, shredding and ripping Tōsen's body apart but he was at least glad he had been eliminated for his taichō's sake. That traitor had not deserved the loyalty and friendship of Komamura-taichō.
"Iba-fukutaichō," he heard an unfamiliar voice call out to him urgently.
He stared at the messenger kneeling several feet before him.
"What is it?"
"Aizen has started his invasion of the Soul Society. The Seireitei is currently under siege by Hollows. At Yamamoto-sōtaichō's order, the Kidō Corps is preparing to transfer the real Karakura back to its original location in the World of the Living. He has requested that you and all available troops return directly to the Seireitei as soon as possible. All injured troops must remain within the artificial town. The Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho is still not receiving any patients. Yamamoto-sōtaichō also wants me to alert the group led by Hirako Shinji that Aizen has made his move against the Soul Society and if they wish to fight him, they should accompany you."
"Understood."
Chaos and destruction reigned throughout the Seireitei. He could feel Reiatsu flaring everywhere. Shinigami battled the invading Hollows and Arrancar who had broken through the formerly indissoluble Shakonmaku. Never had he imagined such a thing would happen to the Seireitei. Never had he ever imagined that the man he had called taichō would support such terrible violence.
How could he consider this the path with the least bloodshed? How could he not see he had chosen the bloodiest path possible? Countless blood had already been spilled and would continue to be spilled until this senseless war ended.
Shūhei wondered for the umpteenth time if his former taichō had merely been lying about his beliefs all this time, or if Aizen had somehow corrupted him. He had failed to glean an answer from him when he had briefly fought him in Fake Karakura. He hated that he had been cut down early in the fight, that he had failed to assist Komamura-taichō in opening Tōsen-taichō's eyes and putting an end to this horrid conflict.
He had to make sure he would not fail the next time if the opportunity presented itself. He knew it would be all or nothing and that it would mean the end of this bloody path. For the time being, he would fight and defend his division and the Seireitei alongside his men. This was certainly his most important mission.
He split the creature that had intercepted his path in half and then twisted his katana to the side as he cut through another one attacking him from a side angle. He quickly bounded over to block the claw intending to maim his subordinate from behind. With a slight grunt, he pushed back the massive appendage and shredded it.
"A-Arigatō, Hisagi-fukutaichō," panted the man he had saved, when he had finished off his own opponent.
Shūhei merely nodded, already preparing to move on.
Yells pierced the air. Shūhei tensed for a moment as he scanned the area. The men around him seemed to be holding their own. He took a step forward, his grip around his katana tightening slightly when the north wall exploded and dust and debris peppered the area.
Shūhei shielded his eyes with his forearm for a moment then hurried forward. He could sense a particularly strong Reiatsu. It wasn't a Menos, it was beyond that.
Through the lingering dust cloud, he glimpsed a triangular shaped head sitting atop a rather tall body. He thought he could see the carved hole sitting on the left-hand side of his chest.
He's big and strong, but he's not an Arrancar. I think he must be an Adjuchas. I've never seen one before…
Such Hollows were supposed to be taichō class worthy opponents, though he figured it probably wouldn't be as bad as an Arrancar. Findor Callius had claimed to be at taichō level but he hadn't been.
Bracing himself for the upcoming fight, he watched as a burst of red light headed straight for him. Springing backwards with one hand, he dodged. Concrete melted and now the air smelled like it was smoldering.
His feet barely touched the ground when crimson filled his vision again. He dodged. Repeatedly.
"Stay back!" Shūhei bellowed at the men closest to him, who had managed to stay away from the Cero blasts. "Leave him to me!"
The men gave tense nods before they proceeded to back away.
"That's no fun. I always say the more the merrier, you know."
"I'm the only opponent you need," Shūhei said, eyeing him. "I'm Ninth Division Fukutaichō, Hisagi Shūhei."
"A fukutaichō, eh? A worthy entrée," the Hollow grinned, as he twisted slightly to the side and something dark burst forth from the shell adhered to his back and cut through the smoke still hugging the ground.
Shūhei used Shunpo to avoid it, appearing in the air above.
"But I wouldn't mind an appetizer," the Hollow said with a cackle.
Hearing surprised shouts and agonized cries, Shūhei half turned his head.
"Shit," he muttered, as he caught sight of the tail now sporting spikes and impaling several of his subordinates. Blood rained down upon the cracked ground.
The deadly appendage, dripping crimson, continued to stretch out past the dead men and Shūhei appeared just before it struck the last of his men within its reach. He reduced the spikes to nothing, halting their bloody rampage, but the tail slinked away from him before he could nick it.
"Go!" he urged the scrambling man.
To his horror, Shūhei watched as the retreating tail reformed spikes and punctured his fallen comrades, instantly transforming them into Reishi. The Adjuchas greedily absorbed the particles.
"You bastard!" Shūhei cried out, aghast.
"Don't worry, you'll soon join your companions. It's all part of Aizen-sama's orders. I just couldn't afford to wait until I finished dealing with you since he wants us to kill as many Shinigami as possible. I don't want to disappoint him, especially since he has granted me, The Guardian of the Forest of Menos, the privilege of assaulting the Soul Society along with all my underlings."
"The Guardian of the Forest of Menos?" Shūhei repeated, furrowing his brows.
"Let me guess. You had no idea that within Hueco Mundo there exists a forest underneath the vast desert where I rule over all the Gillian class Menos and Adjuchas."
"I see. So, I suppose all the Hollows are coming out of this forest and into the Soul Society?"
"That's right. You Shinigami all you ever considered as a threat were the Espada, but all the Hollows, created or otherwise, are under Aizen-sama's rule. We've been waiting for this moment. The moment we hunt down every Shinigami scum."
Grey eyes narrowed.
"I'm afraid that isn't happening," the dark-haired man said, as he rushed forward.
He sliced the creature's tail that had rapidly appeared in his way. The Guardian followed up with a slew of wicked sharp spikes from the shell on his back and Shūhei was forced to retreat with Shunpo.
With his sword raised above his head, Shūhei reappeared behind the Guardian. His blade found nothing but air.
Sensing something headed for his back, he leapt over the arm intending to punch him and spun around to stave off the incoming tail. The force and weight of the appendage pushed him back with startling viciousness. Bracing his sword as best as he could against it, he felt the ground beneath his feet fracture as he slid backwards. As spikes started to emerge, he slipped into Shunpo, letting the hefty spiked tail strike the ground.
The Guardian released the other appendages from his shell to attack Shūhei when he tried a sneak attack. The Ninth Division fukutaichō parried and struck at them and was soon forced to do a back handspring to circumvent the Cero directed towards him.
"Bakudō #62. Hyapporankan," he said, creating a blue white energy rod in his sword-less hand and hurtling it towards the Guardian.
The rod split into multiple ones that struck the Guardian all over his body, pinning his tail and feet to the ground.
"You bastard," the Guardian growled, noticing that his shell had cracked. "I'll make sure you to riddle your body with holes before I'm done with you."
"Your threats are meaningless. You're finished," Shūhei stated calmly.
As he prepared to finish him off, his senses prickled as he noticed the air surrounding them begin to ripple, revealing large, swirling cloak like bodies behind the buildings to the right and left and behind them. Shadows loomed over Shūhei as six Menos Grande finished materializing around the outskirts of their fighting area.
"Just like you were prepared to defend your underlings, mine are prepared to defend me," the Guardian laughed. "They're always within my reach if need be and thanks to Aizen-sama they are able to conceal their presence now."
Shūhei gazed in disbelief as Menos Grande seemed to have formed a semi-circle around him and were preparing to emit Ceros simultaneously.
He found himself dodging and skirting Ceros until he felt his shin take a blow. Breathless, he ignored the pain and readied himself to move once more when he saw someone suddenly dart into the air and into the path of the new volley of Ceros aimed towards him.
With amazing speed and dexterity, the figure blocked and reflected the crimson energy back at the Menos Grande, destroying them.
Shūhei stared at his savior, who had now dropped down to the ground between him and the Guardian.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
A shaggy, brown fur coat ornamented with an assortment of Hollow masks clung to the frame of his rescuer. From his vantage point, he could see antlers sticking out from his head.
Is this guy an Arrancar? No, that can't be…He doesn't feel like one…He feels like a Shinigami, but why is he wearing that strange coat? Why are there antlers sticking out of his head? Why are his feet bare?
"How the hell did you get here?" demanded the Guardian furiously.
"The same way you did," a solemn voice replied. "I was curious as to where all the Hollows were fleeing to from the Forest of the Menos and I decided to leave the forest as well once I realized why."
"Well, I suppose it's fitting that you will die here along with all your fellow Shinigami."
"The Seireitei will not succumb to your invasion."
The Guardian merely crowed. "It's already too late. Its downfall is just around the corner."
"You mean yours."
The Guardian pulled out some of the Kidō rods from his arms and hurled them at the strange Shinigami. Shūhei watched as they were deflected with ease and the Shinigami charged forward.
The air popped as vermillion energy flashed.
A powerful crash resonated as it surged forward.
What is he using to hold back the Cero?
Shūhei attentively watched the stranger attempt to contain the Cero. He couldn't quite make out what the guy was holding but he could tell he wasn't using his Zanpakutō. His arm was holding it off to the side.
Heat began to permeate the atmosphere as the Cero began to flare and expand.
The Shinigami merely shifted his stance, continuing to brace himself against the crimson energy barraging him. His figure began to brighten with the discernable glow of his Reiatsu. The Hollow masks clinging to his coat looked eerily ghoulish with the olive-green illumination.
What is this guy thinking? Does he really think he can continue holding it off?
The red energy continued to grow and grow.
It's too strong, Shūhei thought as he prepped to move.
He caught sight of the guy flying backwards before he used Shunpo. A deafening crash saturated the area seconds later.
As the smoke and red light faded, Shūhei instinctively moved cautiously, ready to confront the Guardian once more, but instead found the eccentric Shinigami, lying on his stomach on the floor. He was staring at the white cracked pieces of a Hollow mask that he had been wearing and were now in the palm of his hand. Half of it was still on the right side of his face. It resembled an antelope and it was beginning to crumble as well.
"Are you all right?" Shūhei questioned.
He received no answer.
The guy's eyes were hidden from his view by spiky chocolate bangs.
"Are you all right?" Shūhei repeated.
Nothing.
"Oi!"
"I'm fine," came the earnest reply. "I was able to deflect the brunt of the Cero with my Zanpakutō…and this mask helped deflect what my Zanpakutō couldn't. My shield did not survive though. I didn't expect his Cero to be so powerful…His power was stronger than what I've seen in the past, but I managed to finally destroy him."
"You deflected it with a sealed Zanpakutō. That's impressive," Shūhei commented, noticing that his unreleased Zanpakutō was in his other hand.
The remains of the man's mask crumbled away as he finally lifted his face towards Shūhei. A clump of bangs fell over his nose, but the rest of his spiky hair did not quite fall into his slate grey eyes. His eyebrows were slanted downward, giving him a rather solemn look, but his overall expression was unreadable.
"Who are you?" Shūhei asked, as he extended a hand out to him to pull him up to his feet.
Ashido reluctantly seemed to release the mask pieces in his hand. His countenance, however, did not denote any emotion. Shūhei considered it strange. It was almost as if his countenance remained inexpressive, or as if he had perhaps forgotten how to make facial expressions.
"Kanō. Kanō Ashido," the man replied quietly, taking Shūhei's hand.
"You're the Ninth Division fukutaichō," noted Ashido, his eyes zeroing in on Shūhei's fukutaichō armband as he stood on his feet.
"I am. My name is Hisagi Shūhei," he replied, noticing that Ashido's Shihakushō looked ragged. He had the impression that it was old rather than recently worn down by battle.
"Did you really come from Hueco Mundo? Did you collect all the Hollow masks on your coat from there?"
"I did."
"You look like you've been there a while. What were you doing there and what do you mean you've fought the Guardian in the past?"
"I have been there for about a century."
"A century? But how can that be? No, Shinigami has ever had such a long-term mission let alone in Hueco Mundo," Shūhei said, surprise glittering in his grey gaze.
"I didn't end up there because of a sanctioned mission."
"What do you mean?"
"It was an accident. My unit and I were fighting some Hollows and ended up chasing after them as they headed towards Hueco Mundo and we ended up crossing over before we knew it. We fought them and the others that appeared. Eventually my comrades died and I was the only one left. With no way to return to the Soul Society, I decided to continue fighting for as long as I could in their memory and to help decrease the number of Hollows that appear in the World of the Living."
Shūhei looked stunned.
"The place that my comrades and I had appeared in was the Forest of the Menos, which was ruled by the Guardian as I'm sure he told you. We fought many times throughout the course of my stay there, but I could never defeat him because of his power and his underlings. They were always near him, hidden or in plain sight, and they always intervened before I could finish him.
"I never imagined he would be brazen enough to lead an attack on the Seireitei. I couldn't believe that the inhabitants of the entire forest were leaving the Forest via Garganta and Kumon. I suppose this might be related to the changes I've heard occurring at the heart of Hueco Mundo in Las Noches, but I didn't think it would affect the Forest of the Menos.
"The Guardian was merely following Aizen's orders."
"Aizen? Who's Aizen?" Ashido asked, his face remaining blank.
"He's the source of all the changes in Hueco Mundo. I'm surprised you haven't heard of him."
"I have only picked up bits and pieces from the Hollows when I leave my shelter to gather food and to slay Hollows. I suppose he must be one of the Vasto Lorde that are living in Las Noches."
"He's not a Vasto Lorde, he's a Shinigami."
A flicker of surprise finally arose in Ashido's emotionless slate eyes, though his face remained remarkably impassive.
"A-A Shinigami ordered this invasion? I don't understand," Ashido said, his eyebrows wrinkling a bit.
"Neither do I. He defected from the Soul Society several months ago along with my taichō" —he furrowed his brows —"and the Third Division taichō. He wants all Shinigami dead so he can rule over the Soul Society. He gained control of the Hollows and is using them as his army."
"I see. Power and greed has corrupted them. I never imagined there would be a day Shinigami would turn on their fellow Shinigami and align themselves with Hollows."
"No one did," Shūhei said, continuing to study Ashido.
He could see what appeared like disgust, disappointment, and anger in the man's grey orbs, but it unnerved him how stoic and undecipherable the guy's face was. He could understand that his inability to emote was likely a result of his time in Hueco Mundo, if it was true, but it bothered him that he couldn't get a better read of the guy. Not that he was good at that apparently. Tōsen-taichō had had him fooled. All he knew was that he didn't want to get fooled again.
What if this guy was secretly an ally of Aizen and was merely putting on an act by saving him and destroying the Guardian? He had heard that the Onmitsukidō had failed to ascertain all of Aizen's allies in the Fifth Division and that Hinamori had uncovered them. If they had fooled even the Onmitsukidō, who's to say this guy wasn't also capable of fooling them if they interrogated him to verify his story?
His mind couldn't help but drift to what he had tried to put at the back of his mind—the Ninth Division would be betrayed again in the future. What if it was this stranger who would be named taichō after the war? He was certainly powerful. He might have a Bankai. A perfect candidate for captaincy as far as the Gotei 13 were concerned.
He had never even considered what his life would be like beyond now, but he certainly never expected another betrayal from a taichō. The fact that it even happened once was absurd let alone twice. That was just ludicrous. His mind could not comprehend how it even happened. He should have been warier.
He had resolved to prevent his division from being betrayed again, and if he acted now, perhaps he could spare it such a fate. The only problem was that he wasn't entirely sure if this guy was the one who would be his taichō. It wasn't his style to engage in violence unnecessarily and he wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of killing this guy based on a mere hunch. It was unfortunate that Kurosaki hadn't mentioned the name of the future Ninth Division taichō. If she had said it was Kanō Ashido, he would be more inclined to act for the good of his division.
"Watch out!" Ashido suddenly shouted, knocking him aside as a burst of crimson lanced through where he had been.
Shūhei glanced behind him. A fresh new horde of Hollows had arrived. He tightened his grip around his sword.
"Our forces will be crushed before the hour is up. There's no way they can keep up with the sheer numbers of Hollows that keep appearing let alone the ones that have already arrived. I must use my Bankai to help lessen their numbers," said Chōjirō, as he stared out at the grand sweeping view of the Seireitei in the First Division barracks.
"Go, Sasakibe. Your Bankai is suited for such a task unlike mine," Yamamomo approved. He was seated behind his desk, his expression grave.
"I will leave at once. Be careful, Yamamoto-sōtaichō. The Hollows seem to be conspicuously avoiding the First Division. I believe Aizen intends to finally battle you himself. You are the last obstacle that can stand in his way. He demonstrated Kurosaki Ichigo was not a threat to him in Fake Karakura, but he fled when you decided to finally enter the battle."
"I'm well aware that is what he likely intends. I'm looking forward to crushing that traitorous brat and ending this war once and for all."
The First Division fukutaichō gave an understanding nod and walked over to the railing overlooking the Seireitei and withdrew his sword from his waist and said, "Pierce, Gonryōmaru."
He swiftly placed a foot on the railing and climbed it and, without another word, flew into the sky. The Hollows he encountered vanished with little effort as he speeded towards the center of the sky.
"Bankai, Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū!" he yelled, raising his Zanpakutō above his head and releasing a golden burst of lightning that struck the air above him and the Hollows that had been above him in a Garganta that had suddenly manifested itself.
The air sizzled and crackled as lightning congregated into a massive glowing dome high above Chōjirō. Lightning pillars pulsed and throbbed all around him, itching to unleash their energy. And suddenly a lone lightning pillar surged from the top striking everything within its reach.
Dark storm clouds converged all around Chōjirō as he began to wave his hands. The sky roared and rumbled as lightning ignited it. With a simple hand gesture, Chōjirō commanded the lightning at his disposal, striking Hollows all throughout the sky overlooking the Seireitei.
There's lightning and thunder, Momo realized with a start, as the roar of thunder reached her ears. She felt her racing heart falter for an instant then begin to pulse anew with renewed vigor.
Has Hitsugaya-kun recovered?
Panting from the exertion of the fighting she had been engaged in several moments ago, Momo looked up at the heavens, now even darker than before but surging with a brilliant golden glow that was nearly blinding.
"Why hasn't it started raining?" Momo said, staring at the rumbling, lightning laced atmosphere questioningly. As she strained her senses, she understood. "It's not Hitsugaya-kun," she murmured, disillusioned.
"No, it's not," Nanao agreed gently, approaching her now that she had finished her own battle. She sounded winded as well and looked partly disheveled. "It's Sasakibe-fukutaichō. I heard from Kyōraku-taichō his Bankai was capable of generating such powerful lightning and thunder storms. He apparently gave Yamamoto-sōtaichō one of the scars on his forehead with his lightning."
"This is his…Bankai?" Momo said, shocked. "I didn't even think he had one…"
"Sasakibe-fukutaichō isn't the type to go around boasting about his abilities or showing them off, but it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. I mean, he's the oldest serving fukutaichō of the Gotei 13. I think too many people around the Seireitei often forget that and mistake his quiet, refined demeanor as a sign of weakness."
"You're right, Ise-san. Even I have made that mistake," Momo admitted sheepishly. "Poor Sasakibe-fukutaichō has been the butt of many jokes…"
"Well, now all of the Seireitei will have to remember it's his power that is obliterating all the incoming Hollows. The static build up from that powerful storm will surely zap any others that attempt to come through even when he stops his Bankai."
"Good point, Ise-san."
"Hinamori-fukutaichō, we must continue to eliminate the Hollows that remain in the Seireitei," Nanao reminded her, as she pushed up her glasses on the bridge of her nose.
Momo nodded. "Right. Let's go."
The two women rejoined the five Fifth Division members in their unit, who had also been gazing at the storm raging above them as they awaited their orders. They all seemed somewhat fatigued, but they appeared relieved to see that the Hollows that had been constantly crossing over from Hueco Mundo no longer clouded the atmosphere.
After a quick injury assessment, the men began marching forward, prepared to resume battle. Upon passing the threshold of an underpass, the first two men found themselves tangled in something and rising away from the ground. The other men stopped short, surprised and wary.
"Byakurai," Nanao rapidly shouted, pointing her index finger at the glistening thread hanging above the captive men's heads.
They dropped unceremoniously onto the ground with a loud thud and their companions hurriedly pulled them underneath the underpass by their feet and then attempted to free them from the silver bindings wound around their shoulders and middle.
"What is this?" queried a man with a thick mustache, as he stared at the silk like material in his fingers.
"I'm not sure," replied the wiry man with curly hair standing on the other side of their fallen comrade.
There was a scuttling noise followed by a hissing sound as a green substance shot out of pincers from a snarling white head with bright gelatinous red eyes, hanging upside down behind them on the other end of the underpass.
Nanao moved to the left while Momo moved backwards, both narrowly dodging the toxic material that had eroded the floor where they had been standing.
Seeing the strange white mask with the eerie red eyes again, Momo stuck out the palm of her hand and shouted, "Shakkahō."
The creature ducked back, letting the enflamed energy sail by. It then landed with a heavy clunk on the floor. It was big, the size of a car. Its large, black, bulging abdomen was supported by eight skeletal legs.
"Let's get out of here," Momo ordered, firing another Kidō blast, which the arachnid Hollow adroitly avoided.
The men hurried out of the underpass.
Nanao shot another Shakkahō aimed at the belly of the overpass, allowing stones to fall to hinder the path of the creature as the women used Shunpo to flee.
As soon as they landed on the ground, shock flitted across the fukutaichōs' faces, noticing that the men were actively attempting to fend off miniature versions of the Hollow that had been on their tail. The little spider monsters made the task difficult as they attacked their bodies from different directions. Some nipped at their backs while others crawled up their legs and their arms, even their hands.
"Bakudō 9: Geki," Momo cried out, paralyzing the bugs crawling up her men on her left-hand side. Nanao took care of the men on her right. The men then swiftly destroyed the Hollows.
"Wait a minute, this whole is placed is filled with them!" Nanao exclaimed, as she saw little arachnids start to descend from above them.
"Its web is all over," Momo murmured, noting the silvery, nearly invisible threads hanging above them from where hundreds of the spider creatures dwelled and were starting to come down.
"Did you think it would be easy?" crooned a husky, amused voice.
Nanao and Momo frowned as they stared at the large spider Hollow, who had melted away the stones in its path.
"I've been wanting for some more Shinigami to step into my trap."
"You hid your presence well," Nanao observed, "but we are not trapped."
"Big words from a little girl."
"Little girl?" Nanao echoed, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not a little girl, Hollow. I'm Eighth Division Fukutaichō, Ise Nanao."
"And I'm Fifth Division Fukutaichō, Hinamori Momo."
"How exciting. Finally, some high ranked Shinigami."
"You'll pay for those you've hurt," Momo warned him, glaring at him.
Hearing commotion increase behind them, she exchanged a quick look with Nanao, who gave a slight nod.
Raising her already released Zanpakutō, which she had released in her previous fight, Momo emitted a large fire ball.
The spider like Hollow released a rapid-fire Cero to counter it and Momo utilized Shunpo to back away from the ensuing blast.
Nanao felt the heat of the explosion against her neck and back as she raced to aid Momo's men. She could also feel something else touching her head. Her lips let out a gasp and squeak before she could stop herself. Knowing it was the Hollow's companions, she raised her Reiatsu, allowing her body to visibly display the defensive aura surrounding her body. She heard the little companions cry out as she incinerated them.
Running once more towards the men, she looked stricken, as she realized that hundreds of little arachnids were scuttling down their webs towards her and the men.
"Hadō #54. Haien," she blurted out several times, firing a series of purple oblong shaped discharges that transformed into large flames that hungrily consumed its targets and the webbing behind them. An orange glow fell over the area.
The parent Hollow released an enraged growl. "You're gonna pay for that!"
She heard Momo intercept its attack, so she hastily repelled the tiny spider Hollows clinging to the men with Shō. The men were bleeding all over and one of them looked grossly ill.
He might have been poisoned, she surmised with a sinking feeling. They had nothing to counteract such a condition.
Hunkering down by the wiry man, she began using Kaidō to heal the lacerations on his arms. Her ears were attuned to her fellow fukutaichō's battle. The Hollow had evidently eluded her attempt to ensnare him with Hainawa. Loud explosions ensued shortly, which she deemed to be the result of her colleague's fireballs clashing with the Hollow's Cero.
A few minutes later, she heard Momo cry out and she paused in her work. Turning around, she saw that Momo appeared to have been knocked down from behind and was wrapped in the Hollow's silky bindings. Judging by the Fifth Division fukutaichō's struggles, the binding was stronger than it looked. The Hollow itself was approaching her from behind.
Nanao rose to her feet and pointed her finger at the Hollow and unleashed a rather powerful Shō spell that caused it to roll several feet. It managed to land on its legs and with a menacing twitch of its mouth pincers, it scurried forward with amazing speed, leaping over Momo and heading straight towards her. Nanao danced out of its path but before she knew it, pain tore through her upper back near her right shoulder. Her eyes widened as she gasped.
"You're mine," he growled, excitedly.
She could hear the grinding of its mouth pincers behind her and she could practically sense another incoming strike. Twisting the index finger of her right hand towards the direction of the monster, she muttered, "Byakurai."
The movement was so quick she hardly felt pain as he withdrew his leg and she lost her balance and fell forward. Ignoring the pain in her upper back, she quickly rolled onto it and hastily pulled her upper body up.
"Not bad, but I'm afraid your time is up. I'm going to burn you just like you burned my little ones."
A crimson blast, aimed right at her, hurtled through the air.
"Bakudō #81 Dankū!" Nanao cried.
She dropped her gaze away from the trembling barrier that had protected her and reached into her robes, pulling out what appeared to be a sheathed dagger. She unsheathed it, revealing a small sword. A cross shape decorated the sword's guard. Diamonds flanked each corner of its rectangular shape and two questions marks adorned either side of the area where the blade protruded.
She quickly slipped its sheath into her robes and held out her sword in front of her, with one hand wrapped around its short hilt and the palm of her other hand resting under its blunt edge and said, "Illuminate and Reflect, Shinken Hakkyōken."
A magenta glow enveloped her sword and body.
Her sword began to swell in size, transforming into a medium sized sword that was remarkably rectangular shaped, bladeless, and ended on a flat end rather than a pointed end. Across its flat, rectangular surface four inlaid diamonds adorned it. A decorative band guard with two tassels on either end occupied the area where a guard usually rested on a katana. Two other tassels hung from a ring attached at the end of its hilt.
Nanao closed her eyes briefly, as her blade continued to glow and she adjusted its position in her hands. Her expression almost seemed as though she was praying or performing some kind of offering. Her lenses reflected the glow of her sword.
"That blade won't help you!" she heard a familiar, husky voice say behind her. "It's too late!"
As the foreleg of the Hollow hovered near her neck, Nanao tilted her blade slightly upwards and a laser like magenta flash burst from the inlaid diamond facing the direction of the Hollow as she murmured, "Haraikiyomeru."
His scream pierced her ears.
Blue eyes reappeared, looking violet like due to the glow of her sword.
She climbed to her feet.
She could see the Hollow hovering in the air above her, looking agitated. She had managed to burn the top part of his abdomen. In a blink, she moved herself across from him and fired another blast, but he moved out of the way.
She could sense him behind her and she shot another blast behind her towards him.
"It doesn't matter where you move the purifying light of my blade will reach you and extinguish you like the vermin that you are," Nanao assured him, even as he dodged her strike yet again. "It's capable of dispersing attacks from eight ways. And by eight, I mean it in the figurative sense of an infinite number of ways. I can attack from any angle or side, or even the entire blade itself."
"Well, try deflecting all of my Cero," he said, as he began to release a flurry of small but powerful Cero from each of his eight limbs. He flitted about generating more Cero as he did so.
Nanao raised her blade upwards and began twisting it in her hands as she released continuous bursts of light from her radiant blade to cancel out the incoming Cero. She just narrowly finished destroying them when she had to evade the sneak attack from the Hollow.
She used Shunpo to put distance between herself and him. The arachnid seemed to be grinning at her. She suddenly felt a slight tug on her foot. She resisted but found that his force was greater.
With a determined look, she said, "Haraikiyomeru," and simultaneously shot a discharge at the string tied to her foot and another towards the Hollow.
Even though he averted her attack yet again, she began to rapidly release multiple blasts from her sword in numerous directions.
"It's over," she murmured, as her attacks finally connected with the creature in a brilliant flash of magenta light.
She then turned, touched down on the ground, and hurried over to Momo. Her Zanpakutō had returned to its original state and she began to free the Fifth Division fukutaichō from her confines with it.
"T-That was amazing, Ise-san!" Momo smiled in amazement, as Nanao cut away the webbing surrounding her back. "Your Zanpakutō is incredible. I've never seen one like it."
She had seen the Eighth Division fukutaichō wield her unreleased Zanpakutō once against Iba-san, the other tantō wielder among the fukutaichō, in a tantō wielding demonstration, but she had never actually seen her released blade. Whenever they had trained together, they had usually fought with Kidō and she was exceptionally skilled with it. She knew it was Ise-san's forte and her passion, but she had always been curious about her Zanpakutō. The stern woman never spoke about it.
"Thank you, but I'm just glad I could be of help. As you well know, Zanjutsu isn't my thing and I only use my Zanpakutō if I must. It's been quite a while since I've used it in battle. As you know, Kyōraku-taichō tends to keep me from fighting on the front lines if possible even though he knows I can handle myself. Case in point the battle in Fake Karakura," Nanao said, as she now cut away at the webbing near Momo's legs.
"But, Ise-san, you were supposed to act as the second line of defense in the Seireitei if needed," Momo pointed out. "Kyōraku-taichō and everyone trusted your judgment when it came to tactics and organization. You're the one who took the risk to send me in when Akon-san warned you that Rangiku-san was struggling since you weren't allowed to enter battle yourself."
"I'm honored by his faith in me, but the point is Kyōraku-taichō seized this opportunity to keep me from the front lines. A part of me used to think it was because he didn't want to lose another fukutaichō like he did in the past, but sometimes I think it really is just because the division would fall apart if I were to get hurt like he says," Nanao said, as she began to push aside the webbing around Momo's back.
"It might be a little bit of both, but he genuinely cares about your wellbeing as a taichō should," Momo said, as she began to wiggle out of her loose bindings.
"Hinamori-san," Nanao murmured, guilt flickering in her blue gaze, as she stood up and offered Momo a hand.
"Anyway, I'm glad you do keep your skills sharp just in case you're needed. That Hollow was strong. I think he was an Adjuchas. He was pretty nimble and quick and didn't allow me to use Tobiume because he kept darting in the direction where everyone was," Momo said, as Nanao helped her up.
"I see. Well, we must hurry and help the others now."
With an exhilarated chuckle, Renji pulled back Zabimaru and then swung it forward once more towards the other side to destroy the remaining beasts. The Hollows growled angrily but they were quickly silenced by his blade and the groan of the building wall struck by his blade. Debris and dust cloaked the already murky air.
Hurrying onward, he jumped and whipped around his Zanpakutō to ram and split the crab faced Hollow hovering there. Detecting no further enemies, he returned to his original location near the foot of the rubble he had just caused. The whole area around him was trashed.
His strategy of rushing the stronger Hollows himself with his released Zabimaru hadn't exactly lent itself to minimal damage, or even the complete safety of his subordinates (some of the bastards had evaded his attack), but he had managed to keep them alive. For now, anyway.
He turned around and hurried towards his subordinates, ready to lend them hand, now that his opponents had been taken care of. He could hear them still fighting. As he neared them, he saw amidst the dust laden air his subordinates strike as a team and kill off a large beast. He let out a whoop in praise when his senses went haywire.
He saw his subordinates soar as the floor shook and concrete slabs flew upwards. Renji raised his arm to ward off the dirt from blinding him. He lowered his arm shortly upon feeling more trembling beneath his feet. He could see an indistinct humungous figure within the remaining dust. Something dark and large was in his hand that he was raising and on the verge of lowering.
A heavy clang reverberated as Zabimaru connected with a large, black kanabō with spikes protruding from it. Renji gritted his teeth as he felt the gigantic man apply pressure on his spiked weapon. His large, rounded nose was covered in white bone and so was the area around his mouth. Black blobs running the length of his eyes decorated his cheekbones. He had an eerie look of a sadistic looking clown. He wore the familiar white Arrancar garb.
"Get them out of here," he yelled to the men who had been unaffected by the Arrancar's appearance. "I'll take care of this guy."
"Don't go far!" taunted the Arrancar.
With a burst of strength, Renji shoved the Arrancar several feet away.
"You need to worry about yourself, big oaf. You won't be going anywhere."
"Big oaf? That's rude, don't cha know."
"Tch. You're the rude one for barging in here and trying to kill my subordinates."
"You're one to talk, Renji. Didn't you do the same thing to my comrades when you came to Hueco Mundo?"
"W-Wait, how do you know my name?" Renji asked, nonplussed.
"Isn't it obvious, Renji? I can't believe you've already forgotten me."
"Obvious? What the hell are you talking about? I've never seen a big oaf like you in my life! Are you related to the Yammy guy or something?"
"What do you mean? I'm Dondochakka Birstanne, don't cha know!"
"Y-You're Dondochakka?" Renji gaped at him in disbelief. "What the hell happened to you?"
"Aizen-sama has changed me to my original form."
"This is your original form?" Renji echoed, thinking back to his fight against Szayelaporro Granz when it had been revealed that Dondochakka and Pesche had been Fracción in Aizen's army. The form he had known had definitely never been something he would ever think Aizen would allow in his army.
"That's right."
"How come you're with Aizen now? I thought all you cared about was protecting the Nel girl."
"They only way to protect Nel-sama is to get rid of you, Shinigami."
Renji gaped at him in disbelief.
Lightning flashed and zapped the throng of Hollows overhead with a powerful blaze. Uryū watched in amazement as they crumbled away into mere particles, lost amidst the tenebrous clouds. It was nice to see the Hollows filling the sky being cleared away. He knew this war would be ugly, but he scarcely imagined this quantity of Hollows darkening the heavens of the Soul Society. It was infinitely far greater than the number of Hollows drawn by the Hollow bait he had used months ago. That certainly hadn't been one of his best decisions to date. Strangely enough, he was yet again fighting side by side with another Shinigami, Inoue-san's escort, this time as a means to ensure the survival of the Soul Society and the entire world. He was certainly relieved Inoue-san had asked him to accompany her. He didn't think Minami could have handled all the Hollows that had descended upon them as they traveled towards the Tenth Division.
He had killed some, but knowing the balance of the Soul Society was in a precarious situation had tried to incapacitate them so that Minami could purify them with his Zanpakutō. Inoue-san had helped shield them when appropriate to ensure their teamwork paid off. He was certain this was something his grandfather would have liked to see in his lifetime. It was unfortunate that it was mutual annihilation that was bringing Shinigami and Quincy together.
"What amazing power," Orihime said, as she also gazed up at the lightning stricken sky.
"Indeed," Uryū agreed. "We must hurry and continue on to the Tenth Division, Inoue-san, so you can finish carrying out your mission."
"Right," she nodded. "Let's go, Minami-san."
Their Shinigami escort broke into a run and they followed suit, dashing away from the building they had sidled up to after the Hollow attack they had endured.
As they rounded a corner, they heard anguished yells and then an explosion. The trio tensed, but with a wary frown, Minami led the way once more. They soon came across the damaged building. Several Shinigami limbs were visible amongst the rubble.
"Who did this?" Minami demanded, disgusted, as he glanced around warily for the culprit.
"Oh no, I have to help them!" Orihime cried, looking horrified.
"Wait, Inoue!" Uryū yelled, grabbing her arm and whisking her to safety as a violet blast seared the path she had meant to take. A terrible scream filled the air.
"Minami-san!" Orihime cried, recognizing his scream, but the Quincy shielded her against his chest, preventing her from viewing the man's demise.
"Sorry about your friend, but I'm just following orders," replied a serious voice. "Wait a minute, you aren't Shinigami. Uryū, is that you?"
"How do you know my name, Arrancar?" Uryū said, as he released Orihime from his grasp and stared at the slender blonde Arrancar male standing on the rooftop of the building across from them.
He wore the typical white Arrancar uniform with sleeves that puffed out over his shoulders. Two long antennae popped out from the beetle like mask covering his head, which partially covered the area over his yellow eyes, and looped over his head and ended at his lower back. In his right hand was a sword that radiated pale blue light.
"Maybe those antenna thingies allow him to read minds," Orihime whispered.
"I don't think so, Inoue-san."
"Don't tell me you've forgotten about me, Uryū."
That sword and this Reiatsu are familiar…but I don't recall ever interacting with such a guy…
"You're Pesche Guatiche," Uryū realized, disbelief glimmering in his sapphire orbs.
"That's right."
"What happened to you?"
"Nothing's happened to me. Aizen-sama just returned me to my former glory and reinstated me into his army."
"But, why? I thought you wanted to live a peaceful existence for Nel-chan."
"I do want Nel-sama to live a life free from suffering, but there's no such thing if there's always Shinigami around. I would think a Quincy like you would agree with me."
"I'm afraid I don't. You're the one shattering the peace, not the Shinigami. I don't condone violence that threatens the existence of the world."
"I see. I suppose I can't hold it against you. You're a Quincy after all and that makes us natural enemies, doesn't it? I guess I have no choice but to get rid of you too, Uryū, because I don't condone violence that threatens my existence or that of Nel-sama," Pesche said, pointing his Zanpakutō at him and generating a purple Cero from its tip.
So many Hollows…So much death and destruction occurring everywhere…It's worse than I ever imagined…I can see why Okada would be bitter and ill tempered…why no one hardly ever talks about the war…. How did the Gotei 13 survive? How did Tou-san and Kaa-san survive? Wait—there's lightning and thunder…. but this isn't the work of Hitsugaya-taichō. Who does this powerful Reiatsu belong to?
Violet eyes peered at the sliver of dark sky visible through a high ceiling window above. The orange strands that normally drifted over Masaki's wide set eyes fell to the side joining the thicker chin length strands that framed her face with the tilting of her head. Her eyebrows were contracted and her lips were pursed, concern shone in her gaze. Darkness cloaked the room and behind her, rows and rows of crates shadowed her.
She lowered her gaze to the floor, looking lost in thought. She stood there several moments.
"There's Hollows here now," she murmured, her right hand hovering over the hilt of her Zanpakutō while her left hand drifted over her sheathe, as though preparing to draw her sword.
The sounds of a scuffle sounded somewhere and she relaxed her hands.
She listened attentively, looking slightly relieved for some moments but then tense.
"An Arrancar."
Upon hearing pained yells and groans, she shut her eyes though her hands resumed their previous course. She lowered her hand to grip the hilt, but pulled away the left hand intending to hold her sheathe away from it and clamped it down over it.
She furrowed her brows further as she murmured to herself, "I shouldn't interfere…I'm not needed…I'm not even supposed to be here…"
The yells and clang of metal continued.
Masaki tightened her grip on her wrist.
"T-This is torture…How can I hide here and do nothing like some kind of coward?" she grimaced, conflicted.
More yells.
"T-This is ridiculous…I can't just wait around to protect myself in self-defense when others are struggling to survive…What does it matter if I change their fate? For better or worse, I've already affected my present somehow because of my foolishness last night…All that matters is that I survive this war along with the Gotei 13," she said, snapping her eyes open. She released her hand and reached for her sheath, liberating her Zanpakutō shortly.
With determination burning in their eyes, several Shinigami surrounded a tall, slender Arrancar wearing white hakama and a tight fitting white trench coat that flapped around his ankles. Messy scarlet bangs partially swept over the left side of his face while the rest of his hair spurted from a short ponytail. On the right side of his face perched the remnants of his Hollow mask. A white pointed dog like ear rose from the bony encasement framing his face. Blood red eyes twinkled with pleasure as he evaded a blow and slammed his elbow into the gut of another Shinigami and sent him flying back several feet. Without missing a beat, he sent the other incoming Shinigami sprawling.
Smirking, he approached the nearest fallen Shinigami and swung his vermillion hilted Zanpakutō downward, but was surprised to find that a blade halted its path. He barely registered the newest newcomer who was holding the Zanpakutō horizontally as he was pushed back brusquely.
Masaki reached down to quickly pull up the man to his feet.
"Take the others and leave. I'll handle him," she said, as she moved in front of him once more.
"B-But…"
"There's no time to argue. Go!" she said in a commanding tone. "There are plenty of Hollows out there for you. This one is mine."
The man hesitated for a moment.
"Let's get out of here! Leave the Arrancar to her!" the man shouted to his companions, as they too scrambled to their feet.
"Where do you think you're going?" demanded the Arrancar, annoyance flaring in his red eyes.
"Forget about them. I'm your opponent now," Masaki said, appearing before him.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Does it matter?" Masaki retorted coolly.
"It doesn't really," he conceded, "but I was curious as to the name of the Shinigami who would be foolish enough to challenge me alone."
"I was told never to say my name to strangers," Masaki said.
"Heh. How rude of me, I'm Arder Llamas, the Arrancar."
"I see."
"Well, what's your name?"
"As far as I'm concerned, you're still a stranger and I cannot reveal my name to you."
"Now, who's being rude?" he bristled. "But I suppose you're right. You're about to end up as a pile of ashes, anyway. Excuse me, I should say Reishi. Aizen-sama doesn't want me to destroy you completely."
Masaki wordlessly clashed her blade against his.
The clouds above the Seireitei pulsed and hummed with electrical discharges. Standing at the center of his office, Yamamoto solemnly surveyed the Seireitei. The power of his fukutaichō had undoubtedly helped eliminate the incoming Hollows, but down below, Reiatsu still vibrated and shook the city's streets. Fires still raged and smoke and dust still perfumed the air. It sickened him how Hollows like vultures feasted upon the Seireitei as though it were carrion. He despised how that image painted an accurate picture. A weakened Gotei 13 was scrambling to fend off those foul creatures, not the robust one of yesteryear….
He had faith the fighting Gotei 13 officers would do everything within their power to fight, but the situation was unquestionably precarious. His fukutaichō's judgment was correct. The Gotei 13 could not handle this many Hollows with such little manpower for an extended period of time. A contingent of Ninth Division soldiers had been sent out to defend the Academy, but it seemed that the advanced students, would have to take part in the fight as well. It was a fierce fight for survival that affected all available soldiers.
He had surmised Aizen's move was imminent when Hollow activity had intensified in Fake Karakura and had lessened in Rukongai, but he hadn't expected such excessive force, not when his victory seemed forthcoming. In theory, all he had to do was crush the remaining taichō and fukutaichō of the Gotei 13 and it would be over. It infuriated him how Aizen seemed intent on crushing the Seireitei into nothing. He wanted to pulverize him into oblivion for his audacity.
"This dismal weather certainly sets the mood, doesn't it, Sōtaichō? It looks as if the rain will surely wash away the remnants of the Gotei 13 at any time. It would certainly save me the trouble of cleaning up afterwards."
Yamamoto opened his eyes, anger flaring in them.
"Aizen," he snarled, recognizing the voice that had penetrated his mind.
"I believe our meeting has been overdue, Sōtaichō. Let us reprise our encounter at the Sōkyoku."
Quick Glossary:
Kaidō- Healing Kidō
Tenkai Kecchu- World-Shifting Binding-Posts
Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho- Coordinated Relief Station
Reiryoku- spiritual power/spiritual energy
Reiatsu-spiritual pressure (spirit energy in the form of an aura)
Reishi- spirit particles
Tantō- short sword (dagger like)
Hakama- traditional Japanese pants
Kanabō-traditional japanese club
Zanjutsu- swordsmanship
Niku Sakugen- Flesh Reduction
Shinken Hakkyōken- Divine Eight Mirror Sword
Haraikiyomeru-To Purify/Exorcise
Arder Llamas – Spanish for To Burn, Flames
AN: I'm not fond of creating characters unless I have to, so I was glad there are some characters I could throw into the story to resolve their story. Pesche and Dondochakka's original masks were never shown so I made them up. Pesche was shown to be rather serious in the past, but Dondochakka's past personality wasn't too clear so I'm making him serious yet a bit like the version we know.
I always wanted to try and give all Shinigami a little moment if possible. Chojiro's moment got expanded due to Kubo's revelation of his abilities.
I decided to give Iba's Zanpakutō a name. I had debated not to and merely give him a small moment in an actual battle. Poor guy has been working hard in the background. I figure his Zanpakutō's special ability is just for the protrusion of his Shikai blade to extend so that he cuts up his enemies. Its release command is "Tear 'em up."
Nanao's Zanpakutō is one that I decided to scrap my own ideas and modify Kubo's. I always figured it would be a Kidō type. I'm disappointed Kubo's canon makes it a sword that is passed down from generation to generation. That to me is not an exception to what a Zanpakutō is. He might as well have said it's just a clan sword handed by the gods, just like the artifacts the Shihōin clan possesses. It seems like Kubo changed his mind on her Zanpakutō too. Remember, back in chapter 155, it seemed like she was going to take out her Zanpakutō. It's supposed to be a blade she carries in her robes or her sleeves. Tite Kubo had revealed all the fukutaichō Zanpakutō a long time ago in his art book, All Color but the Black. Look it up on Bleach Wikia. It grated on my nerves how Kubo did so much rewriting in the final arc to justify it, especially when it comes to the Zanpakutō. A broken Bankai is just ridiculous. That's just an excuse for Royal Realm power ups.
In case you don't know, Ashido was a character that was slated to be in the manga but was taken out due to "time" but was shown in the anime. I always wanted to use him and I have worked in his original backstory with a few alterations into my story. I think a century in HM is enough rather than centuries. Kubo's concept notes say he lost his expression to emote. If interested, just type in Ashido concept sketch.
A little preview of the next chapter's fights:
Yamamoto vs Aizen
Chōjirō vs Gin
Renji vs Dondochakka
Uryū & Orihime vs Pesche
Masaki vs Arder Llamas
Ichigo & Rukia vs Guess who?