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"Death surrounds me, Death becomes me, I become Death."
Standing near the edge of Sōkyoku Hill beside the execution stand, Aizen gazed at the besieged Seireitei, with his hands behind his back, a touch of a smirk gracing his serene visage. The dark clouds above rumbled powerfully.
"Aizen Sōsuke," roared ominously a gnarled voice that seemed to want to strike him down with the mere appellation of his name.
"What impressive speed, Sōtaichō. I'm quite honored by your haste and desire to participate in the front lines this time around. Our encounter has long been overdue, hasn't it? I apologize for the delay in my appearance. I had a few final preparations to take care of. I must admit your fukutaichō's power is rather remarkable. I managed to arrive just before he released his Bankai, though it wouldn't have affected me in the least. It's quite a rare occurrence for you and your fukutaichō to engage in battle. It's a testament to the gravity of the situation, isn't it? However, I'm afraid your efforts won't change the outcome of this war." Aizen smiled, as he turned around in a leisurely manner, his hands still tucked behind his back, to regard the First Division taichō, who was standing near the center of the hill, eyes burning with fury.
"Arrogant brat. Do you honestly think you can defeat me? No Shinigami stronger than me has been born in a millennium."
"Yamamoto Genryūsai, your strength is unrivalled," Aizen agreed, "but I'm afraid you have already been defeated."
Brandishing his cane at him, which swiftly revealed his Zanpakutō, Yamamoto snarled, "Reduce all creation to ash, Ryūjin Jakka!"
A fury of flames engulfed his blade and he hurled them towards Aizen.
"You know full well that is the truth, Yamamoto Genryūsai. Your flames cannot erase it."
Yamamoto whirled around.
Aizen was standing several feet behind him, perfectly safe.
"What insolence. My flames will erase your existence," he said, releasing another swirling inferno towards the former Fifth Division taichō. He watched as the figure began to blacken under the sweltering heat.
Yamamoto's eyes widened slightly as the flames encircling Ryūjin Jakka vanished without warning, as though they had been snuffed out by some invisible force.
"Why did Ryūjin Jakka's flames go out?" he demanded, staring at his flameless blade.
"Well done, Wonderweiss. You may retreat."
Yamamoto looked around, unable to detect any spiritual presences around him. Aizen wasn't even visible to him.
"Firing your flames where you think I am won't get you anywhere, Yamamoto Genryūsai. You mustn't be so hotheaded. I'm sure you know that my Kyōka Suigetsu can distort all five of your senses. I'm certain you thought you could destroy me before I could release Kyōka Suigetsu, but the fact of the matter is that once someone is subjected to it, they are always under its influence. That is why it is a perfect hypnosis.
"Surely, you didn't think I came unprepared to defeat you? Ryūjin Jakka is undoubtedly the most powerful Zanpakutō in existence. I certainly never aspired to fight it directly. Contrary to what you believe, I'm not arrogant, I'm merely confident of my tactical skills. I created Wonderweiss Margela for the purpose of extinguishing or nullifying any abilities. His Resurrección, Extinguir has just done that. He's been here this whole time. As you can probably recall, he was the sole Arrancar that survived the Fake Karakura battles. I won't bother showing him to you. What matters is that his duty has been performed," Aizen said, appearing once more, this time in front of the execution stand.
"Do you think sealing Ryūjin Jakka will be enough to defeat me? My power extends far beyond my sword," Yamamoto glared at him.
"Indeed it does."
Yamamoto stepped forward, his aura flaring around him menacingly when he was covered by a large obsidian box of Reiryoku. Moments later, the black box fell away revealing a standing Yamamoto with his kosode and haori ripped apart. Blood dripped all over his face, beard, and chest.
"Is this all you got?" Yamamoto demanded, unimpressed.
"So resilient, Yamamoto."
Yamamoto turned around to see Aizen now staring at him from behind. A dome like barrier materialized over him, enclosing him. The sōtaichō glanced warily at the barrier holding him.
"You can try escaping but it won't do you any favors. Though you didn't feel it, you've just been injected with the virus I've been using on the rest of the Gotei 13 and Rukongai residents. With someone with such a vast amount of Reiryoku, you should be feeling the side effects within thirty seconds and you will probably last about five minutes before your body completely decomposes."
"You bastard." Yamamoto grimaced, as his knees gave way. "You spineless, coward…"
"I'm afraid you're completely mistaken, Yamamoto. The only coward here is you, who founded this worthless organization. No one before me has had the audacity to challenge the institutions of the Soul Society as I have, as I will. Allow me to enlighten you the lengths I have gone to reach this moment in time." Aizen smirked, as he materialized outside the barrier, his gaze upon the collapsed Yamamoto, who had begun to sweat and cough rather loudly.
"If you think I've merely been preparing for this moment for the past century you're sorely mistaken. I've been preparing for this moment far longer than that. You just never realized it. The only way to defeat your enemy is to become them, and that's why I became a Shinigami," he proclaimed smugly.
"I have only ever been loyal to myself and my aspirations. Attaining the Hōgyoku was the final chess piece I needed to ensure my overthrow of the Soul King would be successful, which is why I finally showed my true colors. I knew as soon as I read Urahara Kisuke's research journal after he had been arrested that it would play a pivotal role for my ascension to the throne. I knew he must have decided to seal the Hōgyoku prior to his departure to the World of the Living otherwise it would have been detected by the Spiritual Wave Lab. I tried to search for him but he kept himself well hidden. I was certain he knew I would be keeping an eye out for him since he realized I was researching Hollowfication and I had been the one to frame him.
"Knowing he would have no choice but to act when the seal's protection faded in a century, I decided to concentrate on my preparations for the destruction of the Soul Society to be ready when he would make his move. I had already decided the methods I would use to destroy the Seireitei at that point. I intensified my research on Hollowfication and invaded Hueco Mundo to form my Hollow army as well as researched viruses that could potentially destroy Shinigami. I always kept an eye on the spiritual wave measurements in the World of the Living and when it was discovered Kuchiki Rukia's spiritual signature had disappeared, I automatically knew it was Urahara's doing. I waited until she was found once more and the report of the Onmitsukidō report came through of a rogue Shinigami forcing back a Menos Grande before making my move. I knew these two events were related and I automatically acted to have him killed along with Kuchiki Rukia by sending Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Byakuya. I already had control of the Central 46 at that point as I'm certain you were told. Little did I suspect he would be the son of Kurosaki Isshin and have powers of his own.
"When Ichimaru Gin reported this after confronting the boy, I understood then why Urahara had sent him, why he had obviously attracted that Menos Grande to awake his latent power. I had already suspected that was merely his way of waging war against me, and I went along with it, because I knew I would be able to stop his plan. Look, where we are now. All his efforts to help the Gotei 13 have been in vain; they have merely helped me."
Large drops of sweat poured down Yamamoto's head. His wizened face twisted in a grimace but he did not cry out, instead, he said, "K-Killing me doesn't mean you'll win, you brat…The others will defeat you and squash you like the worthless cockroach you are…Your efforts to attain the Hōgyoku will be in vain…"
"You are a fool, Yamamoto. Komamura, one of your most loyal followers is already dead. Killing the remaining taichō and fukutaichō and anyone else who stands in my way will be child's play. I don't think you realize the true significance of the Hōgyoku's power. It's not just a tool to enable Hollowfication or to create Arrancars, though it has been quite instrumental in building my army. Its real power lies in its ability to destroy any boundaries in nature. Urahara Kisuke realized he had committed a grave sin by creating something that could destroy the world, so that's the underlying reason he tried to destroy it."
Yamamoto's eyes widened slightly at this.
Aizen chuckled. "I see now you understand why I can and will become the new king that will rule a new world that isn't bound by the conventions set forth by that god that claims to balance the world. I will be the true balancer unlike that wretched being. Contrary to what you might have believed, I'm not destroying this world, I'm merely reshaping it thanks to the Hōgyoku."
"T-That'll never happen…" Yamamoto promised, looking agitated as his brows contracted. His hands grasped dirt as he clenched them.
"Think what you will, Yamamoto, but as you well know, this world is already crumbling due to the number of Souls that have been removed from the life and death cycle thanks to my Hollows collecting their remains. The Gotei 13 is in shambles and doesn't have a future. I'm sure the Research and Development Institute has been detecting the effects on the World of the Living and is detecting them even more now, but there won't be any Shinigami to collect the Souls to realign the balance after I'm done. Not that it will be even be necessary. I'm ending that cycle. Just lie there and listen while I continue explaining the depth of my planning. I'm sure you'd like to be aware of just how the Soul Society came to be overthrown by me before you pass on," Aizen pointed out, smirking.
"I've been studying everything about this world since I realized I was incredibly fortunate to possess Reiryoku, the only saving grace in this forsaken world, and apparently very rare amongst Rukongai residents. I died sometime in the Feudal era having witnessed destruction and misery. I had been powerless and weak then. Upon entering the Soul Society, I quickly realized I had been lied to by the Shinigami that had sent me here. This world was neither peaceful nor safe. It was the same as the World of the Living though I was privileged to have landed in a decent district.
"I decided that I would gain strength to avoid getting crushed in this world by becoming a Shinigami. I pushed myself to the limits to be the strongest I could be and honed my skills with Kyōka Suigetsu. My Zanpakutō's abilities are quite delicate and require quite a lot of power and control to handle. All the meanwhile, I studied the Gotei 13 and the social and political structures of the Soul Society. I realized it was the nobility, the descendants of the Soul King, the so called shinkonpaku, who were born in the Soul Society and who not only were endowed with extremely powerful Reiryoku but who also ruled the Soul Society through the Central 46 and their monopoly of the Gotei 13. I desired to become the ruler of it all. In this life, I knew I had the power and means to achieve it.
"With Kyōka Suigetsu's power, which extends far beyond controlling a person's five senses, I was able to infiltrate the then Five Great Noble Clans, the clans the Soul King crowned as the foundation of the Soul Society, in order to learn about the truth about the Soul King and the roles he bestowed them. I even accessed the Daireishokairō. I hope you didn't think I had never used it before my stay there during my apparent murder. I purposely let you discover the records I had accessed, so you would act as you did. I could have erased them if I had wanted to," Aizen revealed, staring at Yamamoto's now enflamed form. He looked incredibly heated and his breathing was loud and ragged. Hacking coughs punctuated every other breath.
"I've known about the true nature of the Soul King for quite some time and I have aspired for a way to overtake him since then. I explored various options of how I would destroy Gotei 13. I studied conquests in the World of the Living and even the Quincy War."
He paused for a moment, as he watched Yamamoto writhe in obvious pain. His furrowed eyebrows dripped sweat above closed eyes. Fresh blood trickled from his lips.
"I have to give you credit, Yamamoto. You taught me that eradicating my enemies was the right way to go. When the number of Quincy grew so much that they threatened the balance, you disclosed that simply suppressing the Quincy of their Reiryoku would not eliminate their threat, since they could still breed and create more Quincy. It's only through their death that their threat is neutralized since all Humans with unusual abilities lose them upon death. If they're lucky, they might have Reiryoku…might even have enough to become Shinigami…Though I doubt any of them would if they retained their memories. But, of course, you made sure that their memories were wiped to avoid any kind of insurgency. I see that as a cruel twist of fate by the Soul King. The Soul King allowed them to develop abilities even though they were Human yet only allows Shinigami to be the balancers in the afterlife."
"C-Cruel or not, that's just the way the world works…" Yamamoto groaned.
"Simply because the Soul King dictates it so. I will become a just god unlike that despicable being. There will be no need for Quincy or Shinigami in my new world because there will be genuine balance. I understand the history and the mechanics of the Soul Society quite well, Yamamoto. It's why you're lying at my feet. Quite honestly, it probably would have happened sooner but I was curious about Kurosaki Ichigo, the half Human, half noble born Soul hybrid boy that is unlike anything ever seen, that even has Hollowfication. He defies the normal conventions of the way the world works and I wanted to study him and even his unusual Human friends before I ascended the throne, which is part of the reason why I kidnapped Inoue Orihime and forced them to come into Hueco Mundo. I gathered interesting data about all of them. It further supports my theory that the division of boundaries is pointless.
"Whether the Espada succeeded in destroying the Gotei 13 was never my concern. I just wanted you to believe that I wanted to wage a war with an army. I knew the virus I had devised would be the most efficient means of destroying the Gotei 13. It is at my mercy that I left you alive in Fake Karakura. You probably merely thought it was because the Hōgyoku wasn't ready. It wasn't, but I did find it amusing how you still maintained the Fake Karakura in the World of the Living in order to protect the real Karakura. Its location was never going to be an issue though I understand your reluctance to undo the teleportation you have done and to risk the lives of those Humans. Do not fear, Yamamoto, I won't be using the Jūreichi to create the Ōken. I'll be using your spiritual remains instead. Your Reiryoku should be more than equitable to that of the Jūreichi."
Yamamoto groaned, hatred seeping from his half lidded eyes.
Aizen watched as the degradation of Yamamoto's physical form continued, accelerating until with a final anguished grunt, it vanished.
Satisfaction gleamed in Aizen's gaze as he regarded the mass of floating Reishi now occupying the dome shaped barrier.
The lightning pillars encircling Chōjirō like a golden halo, pulsated and throbbed intensely, illuminating the darkened clouds around him with dazzling brightness. Hollows no longer dominated the skyline. His power had destroyed them within two minutes. He had begun to direct his lightning bolts downward to the Hollows he saw he could safely destroy from his position. He didn't want to endanger any fellow Shinigami by discharging a bolt carelessly. Too many lives were being lost as it was, had already been lost.
As he finished destroying an Arrancar he had spotted on a rooftop, he stilled for a moment, as his senses detected that the sōtaichō was in distress. He had been aware of the moment the leader of the Gotei 13 had appeared on Sōkyoku Hill to confront Aizen but he hadn't expected him to be in danger so soon. Or at least, he had been hoping the sōtaichō could crush Aizen before he had a chance to use his Zanpakutō. He knew it was the only way Aizen could stand a chance against his taichō. No one was stronger than Yamamoto-sōtaichō.
He flew across the sky, racing towards Sōkyoku Hill, lightning flashing in his wake. His altitude dipped as he found himself over the First Division barracks. He could see the sōtaichō, lying on the floor, enclosed in a barrier upon the hill and he willed himself to go faster. With the heavy clapping from the thunder around him, he scarcely heard the rumble from the ground below as debris and smoke rose rapidly upwards and towards him. The electricity surrounding him crackled as it zapped the obstructive materials hurtling towards him. Smoke swirled around him. He narrowed his pupil-less eyes as yet another wave of debris and dust traveled in his direction and he repeated his previous actions.
To his surprise, he felt a painful, blistering sensation tear through the back of his left thigh. He turned his head, trying to ascertain his attacker, but saw nothing but smoke, debris, and lightning. Pain gripped his shoulder as he felt a hole burn through it. He stumbled backwards slightly, his nose catching the scent of his burning flesh.
His attacker had been wise enough not to attack him directly but with Kidō. Lightning surged around him as he continued forward. He navigated through another barrage of wreckage and dust as he fast approached the edifice of the First Division main office. He could see the tall silhouette of someone standing there.
"Ichimaru Gin!" he proclaimed loudly, in an uncharacteristic yell, as he recognized his attacker's Reiatsu.
Lightning surged towards the smiling silver haired man, hitting the railing of the First Division main office with a powerful blast and shrouding the building in a grey cloud.
He saw a flash of red rushing towards him and he swiftly dodged. Seeing Gin down at the base of the building, he attacked him with another lightning bolt. The former third taichō barely evaded it.
Moments later, Chōjirō felt as though a gale of wind unexpectedly brushed against him for an instant, but the force was gone almost immediately, leaving him with the sensation he had imagined it.
He saw Gin standing upon wreckage on his right-hand side. He was pointing his short blade at him and he could a sparkle of electrical discharge crackling around it. He knew immediately it must have been his blade that had attempted to cut him, but had failed thanks to his Reiatsu.
"You can't defeat me," he said, as he prepared for another attack, hoping to strike him faster than he had before.
Gin merely grinned, as he extended his free hand, his palm facing upwards, and said, "Korose, Kamishini no Yari."
Chōjirō gasped.
The wounds he had suffered earlier began to widen, seeming as though his flesh was being consumed by acid. He felt his flesh rapidly disintegrating. He let out an anguished yell as his entire body was overcome by whatever was decomposing him within seconds.
"Sorry, Sasakibe-fukutaichō-san, but your Bankai, doesn't compare to mine. Nice try though," Gin said, watching as the remnants of the First Division fukutaichō faded away.
My Bankai,Kamishini no Yari, may not be as fast as lightning, but there's no way, you were ever gonna escape from the sliver of my blade coated in poison I left inside ya when my blade turned to dust upon reaching you.
I guess it's fitting you die in basically the same way the sōtaichō has just died. You were always by his side…
"It's the end of an era. Change is definitely upon us," Gin mused aloud, as he glanced at Sōkyoku Hill.
A young Gin is standing beside the body of a Shinigami. Aizen, sporting a Fifth Division fukutaichō armband, is standing beside him, several feet away.
"Regardless of what that third seat said, you have a lot of potential, Gin," Aizen says. "Your record is quite impressive. I know he was an arrogant one. Even those lower-class nobles can be quite haughty especially towards those from Rukongai. It's his own fault that he underestimated you."
"That's right," Gin agrees, grinning slightly. After a moment, he glances at Aizen and inquires, "Aren't ya gonna tell the taichō, about this?"
"Gin, do you want to stop being a Shinigami?"
He frowns. "Not really…I like it…I get to kill things for a livin'"
"Why did you become a Shinigami, Gin?"
"To change things..." he replies. "Life wasn't easy in Rukongai…"
"Yes, most from Rukongai want to change their circumstances. I decided to pursue this path myself to change things. However, true change isn't attained by merely becoming a Shinigami. I'm sure you realized this upon setting foot in the Academy," Aizen points out, eyeing Gin. "Even now as a seated officer you have seen it's all the same. No matter what there is always someone that looks down upon you, I'm afraid. However, I see your potential. I want to help you achieve it to fullest. I could use someone like you by my side. You see, I too, want to change things. The taichō won't have to know about this if you commit to my cause."
"Aizen-taichō must be workin' on the Ōken now," Gin murmured.
"I see," Renji said, letting his shock evaporate. "Well, if you're with Aizen then you got that right. I'm gonna strike you down and any other Hollow that gets in my way. The only reason I didn't try killing you or your friends before was because you seemed harmless, but I guess I should have known better. There's no such thing as a harmless Hollow. I'm not sure if you were just putting on an act back in Hueco Mundo or what, but I don't care. I'm gonna kick your ass all the same."
Dondochakka gave a loud chuckle.
"What's so funny?" Renji demanded, as he swung Zabimaru at him.
With a powerful swing of his kanabō, Dondochakka deflected the segmented blade and sent it crumpling back to its wielder. He jumped into the air with surprising speed. Renji scarcely dodged the blow from his spiked weapon.
The large man kept attacking and Renji kept dodging, unable to use his Zanpakutō due to his proximity. His inability to contend with his quickness and strength resulted in him being struck in the face and being smashed down onto the ground. Blood dribbled down his left temple and cheek.
Damn, he's strong and a hell of a lot faster than I thought he would be.
This Dondochakka was not a joke. The guy he had known had been a clumsy joke with his strange yellow jumpsuit and his creepy yet comical mask. It had been amazing to see him actually do something against Szayelaporro but now that he was facing him in his original form, he knew he couldn't take him lightly. This was somebody worthy of being in Aizen's Arrancar army. Well, he supposed he probably always had been, but he just had been oblivious to his real power.
Using Shunpo, he evaded the incoming blow and reappeared standing several feet behind the cracked concrete slabs Dondochakka had fractured moments ago.
"Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru!" Renji yelled, prompting white smoke to billow all around him.
As the smoke settled down, he smirked slightly as he prepared to move the colossal skeletal snake coiled around him. "Let's see how you deal with something even bigger than you."
Zabimaru untwisted and soared through the air. Its serpent head, roaring, came down upon Dondochakka. The man with the frightening clown like visage whacked Zabimaru's mouth to the side. Renji adjusted his grip, trying to slam Dondochakka with the bone segments of Zabimaru's body.
A crunching noise echoed heavily as Dondochakka slammed into the ground. The Sixth Division fukutaichō pulled back his large Zanpakutō, allowing its serpent head to hover over the Arrancar.
"It's over," Renji declared. "Hikotsu Taihō."
A red beam formed in the snake head and fired towards the fallen Arrancar.
A dust cloud blossomed.
"Don't underestimate me, Renji!" Dondochakka cried, as he appeared behind Renji.
Renji Shunpoed out of the way of a blow that nearly clobbered him.
He appeared several feet away, facing Dondochakka's direction.
He actually used Sonído to avoid it, Renji thought as he maneuvered his sword to smash his opponent.
Dondochakka batted many of his attempts with remarkable strength, causing some minor cracks to form in some of Zabimaru's segments, but Renji eventually thrust him into the ground with his serpent head, wrenching his weapon away and his hand as he did so. Zabimaru fired at it, blasting it away.
"This battle ain't over yet, Renji. I still have some tricks my sleeve, don't cha know!" Dondochakka let out a deep chuckle. As his mouth hung open, a bright light shone and something large and squirming bounded out.
"Damn, I forgot you hid that guy in you," Renji muttered, as he recognized the Bawabawa, the worm like Hollow, he had once ridden upon.
"He's but one of the insects I have in my stomach, don't cha know," the Arrancar said, as he unleashed a multitude of insect Hollows of various sizes though none as large Bawabawa himself.
"I'm just gonna have to squash all of you," Renji said, as he flung Zabimaru at them. "Hikotsu Taihō," he cried, burning half of them.
Bawabawa retaliated by releasing a large Cero.
Renji countered the blast with one of his own.
Bawabawa came at him along with the other insects once more.
As he twisted Zabimaru from side to side, he smashed some of the creatures, but others stubbornly flitted around the large snake, snapping at it. Ignoring them, he caught Bawabawa to the side and rammed him with the spike extending from Zabimaru's segment. Blood flooded the ground.
He heard Dondochakka roar angrily, releasing a yellow Cero.
Focusing his energy on his Zanpakutō, Renji fired a large concentrated blast of Reiryoku from Zabimaru's mouth.
Red clashed against yellow.
Yellow and red fought evenly for a few seconds until the red grew larger, overwhelming yellow.
A tremendous boom filled the air as the crimson energy destroyed the yellow one and consumed Dondochakka.
Thick smoke clouded the air.
Renji hastily finished off the remaining Hollow insects.
He gazed at where he had last seen Dondochakka. A look of pity crossed his face for a fleeting instant as he thought of him as he had known him in Hueco Mundo.
"Renji," a stoic voice called out to him.
"K-Kuchiki-taichō," Renji said, recognizing his taichō.
Byakuya was standing behind him.
"Come, we must go. The sōtaichō and the Sasakibe-fukutaichō have fallen."
"W-What? That can't be…" Renji stammered, stunned.
"It is. We must put an end to this war and Aizen once and for all," Byakuya said.
Orihime stared at the billowing haze issuing from the damaged building she and Uryū had been standing on seconds before. They were now down on the ground near the demolished building they had happened upon several minutes ago.
"Inoue-san, stay here, and try to help the Shinigami if you can. I'm going to draw Pesche away," Uryū said, as he released his spirit weapon, Ginrei Kojaku.
"Okay, Ishida-kun. But how do you know that Arrancar?"
"He's someone that was an ally of sorts back in Hueco Mundo," Uryū said, his expression grim.
He hadn't specifically brought Pesche up during his brief recounting of his battles in Hueco Mundo.
"I see," she said, looking thoughtful.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Uryū said, as he hurriedly released a volley of arrows to counter the Cero hurtling towards them.
The air burst with another explosion.
"Let's take the fight elsewhere, Pesche," Uryū said, as he used Hirenkyaku to cut through the smoke and appear in front of said Arrancar.
"Fine by me, Uryū." He grinned. "The result will be the same."
The Quincy led the way, rushing past several buildings until he settled on an empty street.
"I have to admit I didn't think I'd ever seen you again let alone fight you, Pesche. I'm surprised you decided to join Aizen once more. You are putting your life in danger, you know, as well as Nel-chan's," he said, as he eyed the Arrancar standing across from him.
His power is certainly higher than before. Or at the very least he had never shown it to be this level.
"I'm fully aware of that, but Nel-sama finds this a fight worth fighting for as do I. We will finally attain peace once all the Shinigami are killed."
"You really do appear to be a different person," Uryū noted, thinking about how the Pesche he had known had been rather unfocused and cowardly. Not to mention foolish.
"I'm afraid you never knew the real me, Uryū."
"I suppose not. I've never met your true form until now. Little did I imagine you were ever a Fracción in Aizen's army under your old form."
"That was the point back then, but not anymore," Pesche said before vanishing.
Sapphire eyes widened as he realized Pesche had actually used Sonído. Feeling a slash across his back, he grimaced. He hurriedly used Hirenkyaku to appear on the other side of the street. He fired several arrows at Pesche, who dodged some of them but deflected others expertly with his Reishi blade, as he rushed towards him. He didn't seem to care about the arrows that had managed to strike his legs. It was as though he didn't even feel them.
He released a Cero as Uryū increased his onslaught of arrows and blew them up with a large bang. The air puffed with smoke.
Appearing behind Pesche, Uryū shot arrows at his back. The air quivered around Pesche's long antennae as a purple beam suddenly materialized from their ends and vaporized them. Uryū scarcely dodged the blast as he felt the searing heat graze his shoulder.
He hadn't expected Pesche to be capable of creating a Cero with his antennae as well. He had been hoping to pierce his Chain of Fate. He wanted to end this fight as quickly as possible without causing much harm to Pesche. Though it was true he wasn't sure who the real Pesche was, his instincts told him that this Pesche before him wasn't the real one either. He found it too convenient that now Pesche was suddenly inclined to take up Aizen's cause once more.
Raising Ginrei Kojaku, he barely warded off the blade aiming to slash him.
He gritted his teeth as he resisted the glowing blade. He could feel it gnawing away at his bow…
His blade is composed of Reishi…I can use that against him…
Focusing upon the Reishi of the blade, he hurriedly drew it towards his bow, creating a large glowing orb that fired back at Pesche as his blade partly disintegrated. He stumbled backwards as the blast hit him as well and fell to the ground.
"Did you forget that I'm a Quincy? I have control over Reishi. Your blade can't harm me," Uryū said, as he swiftly rose to his feet despite his injuries and stared at the fallen Pesche. His partly diminished blade lay scattered next to him. Uryū could tell he had sustained some damage.
"I was hoping to kill you before you could use your petty Quincy tricks," Pesche admitted.
Four arrows burst forth from Uryū's bow and pierced Pesche's hands and legs.
"I wouldn't call them petty. They did save your life once," the Quincy pointed out, as he walked towards Pesche, his bow at the ready. "And now, I will use them to defeat you."
"Defeat me?"
"That's right."
Pesche laughed.
"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," Uryū warned him, pointing his bow at him, as though preparing to shoot.
Pesche continued to laugh as something green suddenly spurted from his mouth and pooled rapidly on the floor.
Uryū's eyes widened as he tried to step away from the advancing substance. The tip of his shoe touched it and as he tried to move, he felt his body give way backwards. He squirmed, splashing in the adhesive liquid pasting him to the floor.
"Looks like you forgot my tricks, Uryū. You probably thought I wasn't capable of it in this form, but you were obviously mistaken."
"Damn," Uryū muttered, as he continued to struggle.
He heard his arrows snap as Pesche climbed to his feet.
He could see the blond man standing, smiling.
"It's all over for you, Uryū. I'm now going to show you something you haven't seen before. My Infinite Acid."
He spat out a dark green liquid that bubbled as it encountered the lighter green material already on the floor. It sizzled, issuing vapor as it traveled towards Uryū.
Uryū gasped and cried out as he felt the underside of his legs burn.
With a grimace, he shut his eyes, unable to bear the pain assuaging him.
"Stop it!" He heard a familiar voice shout.
His heart began to beat frantically.
"D-Don't, Inoue-san!" he cried out, despite his pain.
"I reject, Koten Zanshun!"
He thought he saw a flash of orange before he shut his eyes once more, grimacing. His entire backside was practically on fire. He heard Pesche scream followed by a loud thud.
"Please hang on, Ishida-kun! I have to take care of Pesche-san first! I can't risk him hurting you anymore!"
He half opened his eyes, but he couldn't really make out what was happening from where he lay, though he could sense Orihime's powers at work.
He then heard the clicks of her pointed white heels on the ground as she ran past him.
"How do you feel, Pesche-san?" Orihime asked cautiously and seriously, as she loomed over the blonde Arrancar.
Pesche blinked as he stared at the young woman with a white long sleeved Chinese collared top with a yellow orange trim and matching ankle length skirt. Wariness clouded her solemn gaze.
His eyes drifted to his slashed arms and then to Orihime once more. His feet hurt. He could feel they had been cut.
"W-Who are you? What have you done to me?" he wondered, sounding confused. His tone was still serious.
"I am Inoue Orihime, and I just stopped you from killing my friend, Ishida-kun," she explained with an uncharacteristically fierce expression. Grey eyes glinted with notable anger. "Don't you remember?" she demanded.
"I-I do…" he admitted after a moment. "I-I was fighting Uryū…I was trying to kill him…I'm sorry…I wasn't myself…I can just vaguely remember being in Las Noches with Aizen…I don't really remember how I even got there…Just that he offered to change me back…"
"He must have hypnotized you just like I suspected. If you're Nel-chan's friend and you even helped out Ishida-kun in the past, I figured he must have forced you to change your mind to join him, not just your physical appearance. I just reversed his hypnosis on you," Orihime explained, the wariness and anger fading from her face.
"You did?" Pesche said, surprised. "But how?"
"I'll explain later. I have to heal Ishida-kun now that I know you won't harm him or me anymore. I'll heal your limbs afterwards," Orihime said, before whirling around and sending her fairies towards Uryū.
Several minutes later, Uryū was on his feet, restored to his original self. Orihime stood beside him.
"Thank you, Inoue-san, for saving me and healing me," Uryū said softly, his eyes catching sight of the incapacitated Arrancar. All his limbs had been cut, effectively rendering him immobile.
I can't believe Inoue-san took down Pesche like that…
"I'm so glad I made it on time to protect you, Ishida-kun. I was able to help one Shinigami and then I quickly rushed here. I figured you could use my help. I knew you'd probably try to stop Pesche-san by sealing his Reiryoku, but I wanted to offer you another option to stop him. As I was on my way, I felt that you were in danger and I realized it was really up to me to stop him. I was so scared I wouldn't be able to save you…"
"Inoue-san, I'm really glad you made it on time too. It seems you have strengthened your resolve to use your offensive powers thanks to your training. You did an amazing job of taking Pesche down," Uryū praised her.
"Thank you, Ishida-kun. I didn't strengthen my resolve due to my training. I strengthened it because of Sado-kun…I want to protect my friends if I am able to do so…" she admitted.
"Well, at any rate, I'm glad you did," the Quincy said, gazing at her with understanding.
There was a moment of silence.
"I heard what you told Pesche. I'm curious. Why would you even think he was hypnotized and how did you know you could reverse hypnosis?"
"Well, if he was your former ally and a friend of Nel-chan, I was certain he couldn't be evil. I was sure Aizen-san must have done something to his mind and not just his body. Unohana-san had a theory that my power could reverse the effects of Kyōka Suigetsu's abilities since I would be changing back the person's brainwaves to their original ones. It was just her theory, and I haven't actually seen if it has worked until now. My Shun Shun Rikka though were pretty confident that I could reverse the effects if I focused on the fact I wanted to revert the hypnosis."
Uryū's eyes were wide with realization. "Inoue-san, are you saying what I think you're saying? Your mission... it's been…."
"It's been to undo the effect of Kyōka Suigetsu on the brains of the Gotei 13 taichō and fukutaichō," Orihime confessed. "I'm not sure I can complete it now with everyone all over the place."
"Who have you managed to reverse the effect on?"
"Unohana-san, Tōshirō-kun, Ukitake-san, Kenpachi-san, Madarame-san, Ayasegawa-san, Yachiru-chan, and Kurotsuchi-san, and Nemu-san."
Uryū gaped at her. "Five taichō? That's half of the available ones…That should be more than helpful, Inoue-san…W-Wait a minute, you were alone with Kurotsuchi?" Sapphire eyes flashed with concern.
"Nemu-san was there too. It wasn't bad. He didn't hurt me or anything," Orihime said quickly.
Uryū frowned. "He may not have hurt you but I'm fairly certain he acquired data on you. He's always wanted to. He might have you even implanted surveillance bacterium on you like he did with me. You should use your Shun Shun Rikka to get rid of them."
"Okay, Ishida-kun, I will. I should help Pesche-san and then we should leave. I'd like to try to find the other taichō and fukutaichō that I haven't treated. I promised myself and Unohana-san I would do everything I could to help end this war."
"I will help you, Inoue-san, though it might be difficult. What you've done so far is certainly tremendous though. You've negated Aizen's advantage over half of the Gotei 13 provided the Gotei 13 manage to take him out before he uses it again on them."
"It's the least I could do," Orihime said softly, her gaze dropping slightly.
"Don't say it like that, Inoue-san. You're changing the course of this war with your power. You should be proud."
Orihime half smiled.
Uryū frowned slightly.
Before he could say something, shock rippled through him.
"That Reiatsu…that was the sōtaichō…it's gone."
Orihime looked stricken.
Metal chimed and rang across the darkened alleyway. Grinning, Arder Llamas bounced on his heels as he exchanged blows with Masaki.
"I'll admit you aren't as pitiful as the others, but it was unwise of you to send the others away. You're just postponing the inevitable for your pals. You look like shi —" he paused, as he brushed aside a stroke that nearly nicked his cheek. His scarlets bangs shivered with the motion.
Masaki batted away his retaliating blow and struck one of her own.
Arder pushed her blade to the side and spun, entering her defense and hiking his knee up half way through the turn, but found that Masaki had catapulted over him. She pivoted quickly as her feet neared the ground, thrusting her sword forward. Arder hastily brought up his sword to block the stroke as he slipped out of his spin.
"I'm surprised you're able to move the way you do. You look like you need a nap," Arder said, as their blades slid apart and scraped against each other again and he studied Masaki's impassive but weary countenance. "I can help with that," he said, smirking sardonically.
Their blades separated.
"What's a matter, Shinigami? Too worn out to talk?"
"Quite frankly, I'm not in the mood to talk. Besides, words are pointless in battle. Our swords should be the only ones engaged in conversation. That's what becoming acquainted means to me," Masaki replied, as she attacked him once more.
"Are you saying I'm talking too much?" as he began defending against her strokes.
His coat whirled as he swung his blade hard, pushing her back.
Masaki slipped from his field of vision.
Without turning around, he brought his sword behind him to impede Masaki's blade. He roughly repelled the edge of her katana away from his back. She rolled in midair level to the buildings, coming to stop with her right knee bent and the left one half up. She swiftly rose to her feet and dropped to the ground once more, her hands adjusting their grip on her Zanpakutō.
"I see. You're the cold, clinical type, aren't you? I'd say that was almost bold of you to say, but it just sounds to me like you have a death wish, which I'm all too happy to oblige with." He grinned, exposing his canines.
"Unlock, Infierno!"
Masaki watched from a distance as dark smoke unfurled around Arder and enveloped the immediate area around him and above him. A heavy, putrid odor clung to the atmosphere. Two glowing blood red orbs flashed within the swirling smoke. The bearer of those sanguine like eyes stepped forward, revealing a large canine form rather than a humanoid appearance. Two large pointed ears twitched atop of Arder's head and his scarlet hair now longer, flowed around like a mane around his neck. His mask now covered his entire face. Red stripes covered the bridge of his large, wolf like snout. Saliva dripped from the huge canines he was baring at Masaki. The liquid scalded the ground below with a nasty hiss, issuing more dark smoke. Clusters of flames curled around his four paws which contained massive, wicked looking claws. His tail composed of three distinct flame whips swished about menacingly. His Hollow hole resided at the center of his broad chest.
"Behold my Resurrección. It'll be my pleasure to acquaint you with this form. Consuming your soul will definitely be much more enjoyable," he jeered, licking his lips, letting more of his drool droop out of the corners of his jowls and splash onto the concrete below.
He opened his mouth and released a large fireball straight at Masaki.
Calmly, Masaki stuck out her Zanpakutō before her, letting go of it and letting it float before her, facing downwards. She gave it a gentle tap on the side of its hilt and it immediately whirled around rapidly like a high-speed fan. As soon as it came to a sudden stop, she grabbed the hilt and shouted, "Hadō 58: Tenran!"
A powerful, swirling torrent of air fanned out from her sword just as the flames loomed a few feet from her. The tornado roared as it battled the hissing flames and struck the buildings on either side of the street.
Masaki retreated backwards with Shunpo as the canine Arrancar barreled through his flames and wind, unscathed.
"As if my own flames could hurt me," snickered Arder. "You're going to have to try harder than that if you actually want to hold on to your life."
With a swish of his fiery tails, he bounded forward, the ground lurching beneath his feet as he loped towards Masaki.
"Hadō 33: Sōkatsui," Masaki said, sending a wave of blue Reiryoku towards Arder that ended up merely striking the ground where his right paw had been instants before.
The Arrancar nimbly dodged the subsequent blasts and continued dashing towards her.
Masaki jumped backwards away from the ground just as the Arrancar plunged downward to pounce on her. The ground gave way beneath him with a loud grunt. He tilted his head upwards and breathed flames in Masaki's direction.
Holding her Zanpakutō horizontally in front of her, Masaki said, "Hadō 32: Ōkasen."
A wide yellow beam the length of her blade shot across the air, plowing through the flames.
Out of the corner of her right eye, Masaki caught sight of a movement behind her. She partly turned, blocking the claw intending to strike her, but the downward force sent her plummeting to the ground. Dust rose as her body cratered stone. Fluttering her eyes open, Masaki winced slightly. A long shadow fell over her. Arder hovered at the end of her feet. Saliva droplets dropped onto the side pleats of her hakama, eroding the fabric there and releasing swirls of ebony. Within seconds, Masaki vanished and Arder let out a frustrated howl.
Arder's ears twitched at hearing metal whistling behind him. Masaki stood on his back, swinging her sword over her head and downward. His three tails reached out to strike her, the flames licking at the back of her Shihakushō but she continued to bring her Zanpakutō down over his head when his entire form erupted into a blaze that reached the dark sky above.
Arder whirled around, annoyance flickering in his scarlet orbs upon finding Masaki standing on the ground, lightly winded, a pale lavender aura covering her body.
"Hmph. I was hoping I had incinerated you but your Reiatsu was strong enough to counter my own, even if you're clearly someone with ice based abilities from the feel of it. I suppose you know it's useless to use them against me, which is why you haven't bothered to release your sword, right?"
Masaki narrowed her eyes.
"Bakudō #4 Hainawa," she said, creating a sizzling yellow rope in her hand that she quickly threw around his snout.
While Arder pawed at the bindings with his right paw, she pointed a finger at him. "Hadō #4. Byakurai."
A powerful, concentrated burst of blue Reiryoku pierced Arder through his other standing front leg and through his hind leg. He dropped to the ground.
Masaki leapt towards him, raising her sword overhead. She slashed, nicking his forehead slightly before cleaving through empty air.
Violet eyes widened as she sensed him behind her. Arder's claw struck the back of her kosode and she immediately pulled away, the fabric tearing as the flames surrounding his leg flared and nipped it. Arder found himself with a burning scrap of torn fabric. He let it drift into the air and burn away.
He narrowed his eyes as Masaki reappeared further down the street. Though she was still wearing the front portion of her kosode, frayed edges were visible at the seams near her shoulders. The fabric was sagging slightly around her shoulders.
"High speed regeneration," Masaki muttered, noticing how the damage she had inflicted was gone.
"That's right, Shinigami. You didn't think, it was all over, did you?" he scoffed. "How foolish. Let me show you the true capacity of my flames. Boca del Infierno!"
He opened his mouth wide and roared deafeningly, releasing a huge expanse of flames that scorched all the area directly in front of him. Ashes permeated the air.
Further down the street, on top of one of the buildings that hadn't been scorched, Masaki's orange hair flashed amidst the falling ash as she ran. Soot stained the back of her Shitagi.
Arder smirked and began chasing after her.
"Run all you like, Shinigami, you can't escape death," he taunted, as he leapt on the rooftop she was on.
The sullen clouds above them, crackled ominously.
"Damn you," Masaki whispered, her eyes narrowed, as she increased the distance between them and moved to another rooftop.
"Descend, Hyōketsu, Kiri," she said, and a pale lavender glow surrounded the Zanpakutō in her right hand. Mist flowed from the now white translucent blade, bathing the area in a hazy, cool cloud.
A burst of red orange sizzled behind Masaki.
She leapt down on the ground, dodging the blast that charred tiles and created a gaping hole on the roof, and kept running.
"How pathetic!" Arder sneered, as he watched another wave of mist cloak the area. "Hiding will get you nowhere!" Appearing on the smoking rooftop Masaki had vacated, he sent out another blast of fire in the direction of the orange hair still visible in the distance, burning through the mist hanging there. He jumped down, scampering after her.
Mist continued to saturate the area, growing thicker and more opaque until it became an indiscernible fog. Red eyes glared at the dense, endless white cloud surrounding him and that stretched out in every direction. His visibility was limited to the radius around his body.
I can't sense her anymore. Is her fog hiding her presence, or did she merely run away? If she did run away, it'd be pointless to burn everything.
With a snort, he let out flames that evaporated the fog before him and exerted fiery Reiatsu from his body, destroying all the white haze surrounding him.
"Come out, Come out, Shinigami! Your stupid fog can't hide you. It's useless against my flames. Don't tell me you high tailed out of here?" he said, his gaze scanning around the area. "Whether I sense your presence or not, it doesn't matter. I can still track you down with my nose. I won't let you escape!" He raised his snout upwards, sniffing the air, just as more fog descended upon the area.
He ignored its icy presence, focusing upon sniffing Masaki out. His Reiatsu continued to dissipate the fog nearest him. Smirking, he whirled around, paws slapping the ground as he hurried through the thick fog, dissipating it.
"I got your scent now, Shinigami. It doesn't matter where you move to. You can't lose me. I'll catch up to you," he warned her, even as new fog continued to amass around him.
"I got you," he growled, as he bared his fangs and blew fire in the direction of where he suspected his prey was. He saw a flash of orange but then saw nothing as more fog formed.
"Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō!" He heard her voice behind him.
Arder tried to turn his head, but he realized he couldn't. His paws also were immobilized. Unbeknownst to him, his midsection now contained six yellow rods of light.
"W-What?" he growled, emitting more Reiatsu, letting it rage all around him.
Feeling a sudden piercing in his back, he roared.
"That won't be enough to kill me! I'll take you down with me!" he cried out, as his fiery Reiatsu surged all around him and Masaki, who stood on his back with her sword entrenched into his backside behind the Kidō spell she had inflicted upon him.
Grimacing, Masaki increased her Reiatsu as she held onto the hilt of her Zanpakutō. The faint wisps of fog emanating from what was visible of her glowing blade kept evaporating as they constantly met with the intense heat. Her hair whipped wildly about her as her lavender Reiatsu constantly clashed against the red orange one lashing at her. Cracks in Rikujōkōrō were slowly starting to appear as the flaming Reiatsu loosened its Reishi bonds.
One rod burst with a loud pop, followed by another. Their particles burned away into nothing.
Masaki furrowed her eyebrows as she noticed the other rods shuddering and breaking. She withdrew her Zanpakutō just as the last one snapped and dissolved and Shunpoed away.
Arder swished his tails vigorously, annoyed that Masaki had managed to escape.
"You missed your chance, Shinigami!" he said, preparing to pounce on Masaki, who was several feet ahead of him, her back turned to him. He could tell she was no longer wearing the torn kosode. The white sleeves of her shitagi were tainted with soot and he could see something dark gripping the side of her left arm. He could smell the faint scent of dried blood emanating from it. He could hear her panting.
He ran, leaping towards the air, his claws outstretched.
His sensitive ears thought they caught the faintest murmur of something. It was practically unintelligible. He almost felt like he had imagined it and then as he landed on the ground, he found the Reiatsu around him suddenly vanish along with the flames that made up his tail and those around his paws.
Masaki was beyond him.
"You feel it, don't you?" she said in a quiet, solemn tone. "Your flames have been extinguished by my useless sword."
"That can't be," he said staunchly. "That's impossible. Your stupid fog couldn't have extinguished my flames!"
He growled, attempting to release flames but found that nothing came out. He tried to generate Reiatsu but nothing emanated from his body.
"This is impossible! What the hell?"
He closed as he closed his eyes as if help his concentration. He barked angrily as he grimaced.
I can't generate Reiatsu or use my Reiryoku! I would have felt it if she had pierced my Chain of Fate…
"This can't be possible! You didn't freeze me nor did you pierce my Chain of Fate…"
"My sword piercing you is the same as if I had physically pierced your chain of fate," Masaki said gravely, her back still turned to him. Her eyes were closed. Smudges of soot covered her entire face. There were even smears of it on her orange tresses. Both her hands gripped the white hilt of her Zanpakutō. Fog flowed from the ethereal, translucent blade, straight up and over her head, surrounding Arder.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Arder demanded.
Masaki remained unturned.
"Your assumption that my Zanpakutō had ice based abilities wasn't wrong, but my Zanpakutō doesn't work like other ice based Zanpakutō that I know of. It doesn't freeze my opponents from the outside; its true power is to freeze my opponents from the inside-out. The water droplets in the mist generated by Hyōketsu Kiri rapidly transition into a gaseous state upon making contact with my opponent, penetrating them at a subatomic level. Hyōketsu Kiri's Teishi technique allows me the possibility to freeze and manipulate every Reishi molecule they possess, including their Reiryoku. It essentially means I can kill them in a single attack if I chose to do it. I refuse to use this technique unless it's necessary. I may be cold and clinical in battle as you said, but I'm not so coldhearted that I would mercilessly slaughter my enemies without giving them a fighting chance. Only those with Reiryoku beyond my control can survive it."
"Fire is naturally a defense against my mist, but you aren't the first opponent I've faced with fire based abilities and you certainly won't be the last. The range of your abilities was certainly formidable and you gave me no choice but to pierce you directly with my blade. The effectiveness of Hyōketsu Kiri's Teishi technique is dependent on the level of mist that enters my opponent's body and knowing I wouldn't be able to hold you off for long, I targeted the area of your Chain of Fate in order to ensure Hyōketsu Kiri's mist would render you powerless."
He burst forward, swinging his right paw, but found it frozen in midair.
He tried to tried to swing his left paw but it remained on the ground. He growled when he realized none of his legs would obey him.
"Now that your Reiryoku has been frozen, my mist has entered your entire body and it is under my control. There's nothing you can do. Your power isn't beyond my control. You said it yourself, you can't escape death."
"Bitch!" he yelled.
"Be quiet and listen while I let you."
His eyes were wide as he realized he could no longer open his mouth.
"Throughout our battle you acted as if you were death, but I'm afraid you don't compare to my Zanpakutō. Hyōketsu Kiri is Death itself. She's cold, callous, and indiscriminate. She will take any life without warning regardless of their abilities. I hate to say it but she likes to think of our Reiatsu as the cold, chill of death. I tend to hold back on how cold it can feel. I don't like to instill dread in my enemies. I don't usually bother explaining this to my opponents, but I thought you might want to know what a true embodiment of death is before I claim your life."
Arder's eyes shone with surprise.
"Now that we have become acquainted and that you have even forced me to use the attack I loathe I will share with you my full name and title. I am Kuchiki Kurosaki Masaki, the Seventh Division fukutaichō under Abarai-taichō."
There was a moment of silence.
"Do not fear, Arder Llamas, your death will be painless. It's probably the best thing about using this ability on my enemies," Masaki admitted.
"Rest in peace, Arrancar."
The Arrancar stiffened as his eyes glazed over and his form became rigid.
"Mugen Hyōhen," Masaki whispered.
The temperature dropped and the mist surrounding Arder converted into sharp, miniature quartz shaped ice prisms. They all flew at him at once, leaving only Reishi in their wake.
"My life was never going to be yours. I cannot die here," Masaki said, opening her eyes and glancing over her left shoulder at the spot where the Arrancar had been.
Wrecked buildings, red-hot fires, bloodstained stones, Hollows gorging upon Shinigami Reishi remains, and mangled bodies had met Ichigo's eyes within seconds upon setting foot on the war-ravaged domain of the Gotei 13. Thick smoke, ashes, and dust hung around like a smothering blanket everywhere he went. It was overwhelming, but he was doing his best to focus upon killing the Hollows he encountered alongside Rukia.
He knew things would be bad but the knowledge hadn't prepared him for the gruesome reality that had greeted him. This was pure, undiluted devastation. The Gotei 13, with their weakened army, were barely hanging on even if the First Division fukutaichō had wiped out the arriving Hollows. Too many had already come through, had already destroyed so much within such little time. Hell, he wasn't even sure if the Gotei 13 would be in better shape even if Aizen hadn't used the virus…
It was incredibly frightening to feel as though the world was on the brink of collapse…as if hell had been unleashed…
He truly hated this situation.
He hated that he and Rukia hadn't come across Masaki and forced her to return to the Kuchiki Manor.
He had been hoping they would even though his gut had been telling him they wouldn't. He had wanted it to be wrong. He had had a sinking feeling ever since he had read the note she had left behind. Notes and running away did not bode well in his experience.
He understood she probably wanted to stay away from everyone to prevent what happened last night from occurring again due to Yachiru visiting her, but he didn't understand where she thought she could go to if she knew real danger lurked everywhere, knew this was going to happen. She normally wasn't so illogical. He blamed the hangover and fatigue. Though she had seemed fine when he had talked to her, he still wanted to blame them for her poor judgement.
Compromising her safety for what she might have said, or could say was just stupid. She couldn't undo what was said last night and there wasn't even a guarantee any revelations could affect the future. From what he had seen in movies and books about time travel, it was a tricky business. Knowing the future didn't necessarily mean you could alter it or that you could force it to happen much sooner than it had originally happened. Some things were changeable but others were apparently unchangeable. He remembered Shakespeare writing that, "We are time's subjects, and time bids be gone."
He wasn't worried about how Masaki being here would affect the future, he was worried about her safety. She was likely caught up fighting now wherever she was. Rukia hadn't considered any of the side effects of her hangover an issue when it came to fighting. She assured him that the fact Masaki seemed to be on the mend from her hangover symptoms was probably due to her not drinking as much as she had thought and her high Reiryoku. Having Reiryoku did not protect a Soul from the effects of sake but it did help with recovery as with any other ailment. It made him feel only slightly better. It's not that he doubted her abilities, it's just that she was all alone and there were too many Hollows out there. No Shinigami could withstand fighting so many Hollows by themselves. Fatigue would eventually wear them down and cause them to make a mistake.
He and Rukia were feeling fatigue now that they were within the Gotei 13. He could sense Rukia was physically more worn out than him. He, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as tired. He could tell his battles in Hueco Mundo had increased his stamina. He hadn't released his Bankai, partly because he hadn't found a need to and partly because he wanted to conserve his strength for those that truly merited it.
He had felt Gramps' Reiatsu minutes ago and was certain he was engaged in battle with Aizen, but Rukia had told him if the old man was on the front lines, which was rare, to let him fight alone. It reminded him that the old man had actually allowed him to fight Aizen in Fake Karakura and that he had failed to stop him.
"Ichigo," he heard Rukia speak say his name warningly. "Hollows at three o'clock."
He spotted the four Hollows, swooping low and fast, clearing somewhat the smoke, one of them forming red Reiryoku with his anteater like snout. He elevated Zangetsu and fired a Getsuga Tenshō. One of the creatures managed to dodge and was still hurtling towards him. Ichigo cut across him in an instant just as more Hollows appeared.
Ichigo Shunpoed behind Rukia, as they assessed their opponents.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"
Most of their opponents were obliterated.
As the survivors attempted to rush them, Ichigo felt his blood run cold as he felt as though Yamamoto's Reiatsu had been plucked away from existence rather than merely vanished.
"Gramps is…that can't be!" Ichigo shouted, as he swung his sword, firing another Getsuga Tenshō.
"Impossible!" Rukia cried out, releasing another wave of ice.
"We have to head to Sōkyoku Hill now! We have to stop Aizen!" Ichigo said, his eyes narrowed.
"Let's go," Rukia agreed, her expression resolute.
"Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu!"
As the smoke flowed away, revealing his Bankai Shihakushō, Ichigo heard a voice he thought he'd probably never hear again. It sounded strangely cold and serious.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, you aren't going anywhere now that I've found you!"
"Nel?" Ichigo stared at the teal haired Arrancar woman, standing across from him, dressed in the white uniform Arrancar belonging to Aizen's army typically wore. The mask resembling a skull sitting atop her head was no longer cracked. Her sword was pointed in his direction and crimson droplets dripped from its blade.
"W-What are you doing here in the Soul Society?"
"I've come to bring peace to all Hollows by killing you and all Shinigami as Aizen-sama wishes."
Ichigo gaped at her. "I-Is this a joke, Nel?"
"Does it look like I'm joking?" she retorted calmly, her expression solemn and cold.
"N-Nel, what happened to you? What did Aizen do to you?" Ichigo demanded, disbelieving.
"What do you mean? He hasn't done anything but restore my mask and my position as an Espada."
"Your position as an Espada has been restored?" Rukia queried, surprised.
"That's right. I was a formerly the third Espada. Now I'm one half of the Ultima Espada alongside Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," Nel said, prompting shock to erupt across Ichigo and Rukia's faces. "You Shinigami foolishly believed all the Espada to be destroyed but that wasn't the case. Grimmjow and I are still alive."
"I-Ichigo, I thought you said you had defeated Grimmjow. How could he be alive?" Rukia said quietly.
"I said I defeated him, not that I killed him."
"You fool," Rukia cursed, closing her eyes briefly.
"It was a foolish mistake," Nel agreed. "Letting an enemy live will only cause problems later. He wants your blood, you know, Kurosaki Ichigo, but I had a feeling I would beat him to it." Nel smiled.
"How can you say that, Nel? I thought we were friends!"
"I'm an Arrancar. How can I be friends with a Shinigami? You've been murdering my brethren."
"B-But, Nel," Ichigo protested.
Before he knew it, her sword flashed before him. The sound of their blades meeting resonated loudly against his eardrums.
"Nel, I don't want to fight you," he said beseechingly.
"Then you're going to die faster than I anticipated," Nel responded, increasing her pressure against his sword and making him retreat backwards slightly as he grimaced.
"Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō," Rukia shouted.
Ichigo pulled his sword away from Nel's and Shunpoed away, noticing that Rukia was going to unleash Hakuren.
He appeared by Rukia's side as Nel became encased in ice.
"That won't hold her for long," Rukia stated grimly.
"I know," he agreed.
"She was the little Arrancar that was following around in Hueco Mundo, isn't she?"
"Yes. This is her true form. I ended up realizing she was actually a former Espada during my fight with Nnoitra, the fifth Espada. He apparently beat her up and cracked her mask, causing her to turn into a child and lose her memories. She reverted to her true form to protect me from Nnoitra."
"I see," Rukia murmured.
"I can't believe she's an Espada again... Aizen must have done something to her to get her to join him. She isn't evil…she's different than the other Espada…She didn't even want to kill Nnoitra…We can't kill her…"
"You fool," Rukia spat, violet eyes brimming with disbelief and anger. "I can't believe you believe in her innocence over Masaki's."
Ichigo looked startled.
"You were so adamant that Aizen had sent Masaki to get close to you, to distract you, to possibly kill you yet you believed the word and actions of this Arrancar? How can you be sure that wasn't all an act? How could you be sure she wasn't following you around under Aizen's orders? How can you be sure she hadn't been planning to kill you before? Her child form was certainly a good guise. She seemed harmless. I never would have thought she was an Espada."
"T-That's different, Rukia," Ichigo said, looking contrite.
"The only difference is you formed an attachment to this Arrancar while she was in her child form and allowed it to blind you."
"That's not true! I know Nel isn't evil like the others…she's reasonable and—"
"Ichigo, she was and is an Espada. You said that she lost her memories, but that's just what you've been told. You don't actually know her true nature. This must be her true nature. We have to stop her for the sake of the Soul Society. Have you forgotten what the duty of a Shinigami is? Shinigami do not kill Hollows, they purify them. The fact that she's an Arrancar doesn't change that. I understand you not killing her before because she was child and she wasn't attacking you, but she's attacking you now. You can't hesitate to kill her. If you can't do it, then I will. I won't let you die due to your inability to accept the truth."
"Rukia," Ichigo murmured, his eyes shining with unease.
"What I don't understand is why you didn't kill Grimmjow. He's too dangerous and powerful to be left alive."
Ichigo lowered his eyes. "I -I couldn't kill him…it was enough that I had defeated him…"
"No, it wasn't, you fool! A Shinigami is not supposed to leave their opponent alive if they can help it."
"I-I didn't kill any of my opponents in Hueco Mundo," Ichigo confessed, his gaze still on the ground. "I couldn't…I just wanted to defeat them, not kill them….I didn't want to be like them. My Hollow was the one who wounded Ulquiorra to the point of killing him…..He also killed the one that I fought when I helped out Masaki….The Hollow I killed when we first met Masaki was a fluke….My Hollow was taunting me and well…it happened…"
Rukia closed her eyes for a moment. "I see."
There was a beat before she reopened her eyes and said in a soft but firm voice, "I understand your hesitation, Ichigo. An Arrancar may look Human and may possess reason unlike regular Hollows but it doesn't change what they are at the core. You aren't like them, Ichigo. You may possess Hollow powers but at the core you're Human—no, you're no longer Human, you're a Soul. A Soul with Hollow powers. You've always had the capacity to reason and you subjugated your Hollow because of that instead of allowing it to consume your soul. Arrancar, on the other hand, would turn to a mindless beast if their Shinigami powers were to be removed. You aren't like them in the slightest. You aren't defined by your Hollow; you're defined by who you are. And you aren't a monster by a longshot. Your reluctance to kill clearly proves it. You have to find your resolve to kill Arrancar, because if you can't, how do you even expect to kill Aizen?"
Ichigo looked stricken.
The sound of cracking ice began to pierce the air.
Quick Glossary:
Korose, Kamishini no Yari- Kill, God Killing Spear
Kanabō-traditional Japanese club weapon
Shinkonpaku- New soul- soul born in the Soul Society
Sonído- Arrancar's high speed
Hirenkyaku- Quincy's high speed
Infierno- Spanish for hell
Hakama- traditional Japanese pants
Kosode- Japanese robe
Boca del Infierno- Spanish for hellmouth
Hyōketsu Kiri- Freezing Mist
Teishi- Deadlock
Reiryoku- spiritual power/energy
Reiatsu- spiritual pressure. Defensive aura that is formed by Reiryoku, whether visible, or invisible.
Reishi- spirit particles
Kosode- black outer robe of Shinigami uniform
Shitagi- white undershirt worn under kosode
Mugen Hyōhen- Infinite Ice Shards
Ultima- Spanish for last, final
AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. There are some things I want to comment on.
Whenever you have a powerful character in a series such as Yamamoto, I think it's very difficult to kill them off without coming across as ridiculous. I think it's inevitable that it will be the case. I feel like the best solution is that they at least be sacrificed. Hence why that happened in my story. The point of this battle is that it's a battle of wits, not raw strength. That is Aizen's true strength and what makes him interesting. I don't think Kubo used him to his full potential. I don't think I'm using him to his full potential either, but that's what I'm gonna focus on. I have always felt the Deicide arc was not what Kubo originally intended for Aizen but was rather the moment he was roped into writing more Bleach (I've already commented this back in 2010). I feel like what he ultimately wrote for Ywach was what he probably meant for Aizen. It didn't even make sense for Ywach, I think. At any rate, now you can see what I meant by Kubo and I sharing wavelengths because my storyline is a natural progression of events for someone who wants to become a god. I had previously commented that I thought back in 2010 Kubo was gonna do something similar to me but instead we got Butterfly Aizen.
I think it was a wise move of Aizen to create Wonderweiss which is why I still decided to use him while utilizing Aizen's illusion potential to the max. The idea that he can nullify any ability makes him even more useful. I'm using that to explain Kensei's defeat while in Bankai back in chapter 367, which happened off the panels.
Also, I know Aizen expressed shock when he first heard of the Royal Guard back in the Turn Back the Pendulum Arc, but it was all a façade. He already knew about them in my story. I did find it curious that he even expressed shock. Rukia knew about it. I always wondered if the explanation is that since she's a noble she would know about the Royal Guard.
I hope you can now understand why Masaki has been saying this blade doesn't suit her style now that I have finally revealed the true nature of Hyōketsu Kiri. I always wanted her to be an ice type that was different than what has been shown in Bleach and symbolic of something darker. I withheld the last bit from the sword's profile on my Deviantart page since I wanted it to be a surprise though I did describe her as, "Beautiful but deadly." I know most people were thinking she had a Hollow. Hyōketsu Kiri's spirit is actually an underworld nymph and her mist is an embodiment of death. Years ago, a reader, I think, kitsunelover300, wanted me to make Masaki have a Hollow and I said I would consider it if the readers wanted it. I was going to let you vote after her next fight, but after much pondering, I have to say I just can't do it. I'm sorry. I'll dedicate the next chapter to you if would like and I offer you an unrestrained Hollowfied Ichigo. As much as I considered it, I never saw her as a Visored and I felt it would ruin the moment. I do have an explanation of why that isn't even possible. I always saw Masaki as someone with different hang-ups from her father. I think she would feel overly burdened having a Hollow and I never wanted her to come across as overpowered.
Teishi is the technique Masaki utilized back in chapter 4/5 since she couldn't let Okada die. She tends to inaudibly whisper or mouth the name of this technique and hide the fact she's freezing her enemies from the inside out if in the presence of others. Remember, Shinigami, aren't supposed to go blurting out their powers. I hope you can see that Hyōketsu Kiri does respect Masaki enough not to use Teishi on her. I was deliberate about it back in chapter 24. Hyōketsu Kiri has constantly made references to this technique much to Masaki's chagrin (she has been wanting Masaki to kill). The poem at the beginning of the chapter was written for Masaki.
I kinda freaked out when it seemed Kubo was giving Sode No Shirayuki the ability to do something similar during the Quincy Blood War arc, but I'm relieved it wasn't the case. She can just freeze Rukia herself. It's hard to be unique with elemental powers and I tried my best. I know Kubo and I share some brain waves, but that was gonna be too much. KnightoftheWorld was on point thinking Sode's powers are related to freezing itself. I don't like that Kubo didn't follow the traditional Bankai naming for Sode No Shirayuki. I think Hakka no Togame (Censure of the White Haze) is more suited for Hyōketsu Kiri.
The subtle hint I gave early on that Renji was Masaki's captain was that they had an indoor soccer team back in chapter 20. Well, I technically should have said futsal, but it's better than calling it kickball like the Bleach Bootleg mistakenly called it. Big Renji fans, who are aware of his likes and dislikes, should have caught this. He has a team with the top seats in the Sixth Division.
It's rare for Rukongai citizens to become Shinigami per the Bleach Souls data book.
I ended up realizing that the anime says that Ukitake found Aizen's Reiatsu when discovering what Aizen was searching for but the manga says they just found remnants of what he was searching for. This is an example of why Reiatsu is misused so much in the Bleach fandom.