Chapter 46: Getsuga Tenshou

Squad 8 Barracks

Tsukishima sweat drops and wears a blank expression as he stares at the jovial captain sitting on the ground before him.

Upon sipping some Sake, Kyoraku explains with a friendly smile, "…so, we really don't have to be enemies here, kid. Let Captain Ukitake and I deal with the setup. In the meantime, it might be better for you all to lay low…"

The Fullbringer narrows his eyes, "No. Your allies will still not hesitate to slaughter mine. I know better than to trust the words of a Shini—"

Both men widen their eyes as intense, monstrous Reiatsu, followed by explosions, can be felt across the Seireitei.

Kyoraku frowns, tipping his hat down slightly, "It seems things have changed. I won't stop you from acting freely anymore, not when Hollows are here."

Tsukishima is silent, his expression nervous as Kyoraku walks off, his own expression serious, "Squad 8—assist the other squads in suppressing the Hollows."

The Shinigami all shoot up, "YES, SIR!"

Without any further delay, the captain disappears with a flash, his Squad following suit shortly after.

Tsukishima sweats somewhat nervously, knowing the Reiatsu of the strongest of the invading Hollows, "Why is a Hollow of that caliber here?"

The man shakes his head before walking towards the exit of the Barracks, "It doesn't matter… as long as they only attack the Shinigami, that is…"

Near Squad 5 Barracks

A white figure, standing atop a building near the Squad 5 Barracks, recalls a particular bird creature from his past, 'Just promise me one thing… one day, you'll destroy the Shinigami!'

The figure narrows its eyes, his right gold with black sclera and the left a normal, brown eye, "Time to start making good on that promise…"

Momo trembles, her eyes filled with dread as a monster begins to descend from its perch. The Shinigami around her; Rangiku, Toshiro, Izuru, and Gin, all share comparable looks of bafflement as a white, horned individual with long, flowing orange hair continues to descend slowly and ominously.

Izuru flinches at the sight, murmuring to the short, black-haired woman standing near him, "Y-you're sure that's White? He carries a Zanpakuto and doesn't have a mask…"

Helpless tears fall from Momo's eyes as she stares at the motionless and bloodied form of her captain nailed to the wall behind the orange-haired figure by a blade. The woman nods her head, however, remains speechless.

Finally, the white horned figure lands on the ground while simultaneously releasing a small burst of Reiatsu, causing a small shockwave that sends wind at the Shinigami, making each of them take cautious stances.

Toshiro narrows his eyes as he draws his blade, ordering, "Matsumoto, call for backup. The rest of you, we'll engage him together…"

Gin would normally add in some kind of remark about Toshiro's age but remains silent as both he and Izuru draw their blades without protest.

Momo, spurred by the younger Shinigami's words, steels herself somewhat, drawing her blade and calling, "Snap, Tobiume!"

The girl's sword turns into a silver, branch-looking blade, which she points in the Hollow's direction with angered eyes, "You'll pay for the Shinigami you've killed today, White!"

Ichigo's gaze is dark, the look in his eyes cold and unforgiving, "…I remember you, girl… this is the second time that you've stood in my path…"

Momo's blade glows with orange fire, which she swings with all her might at the figure in front of her. Ichigo merely raises his left hand, causing the attack to crash against it, denoting and causing an explosion that engulfs him completely.

The Vice-Captain's breaths are heavy as smoke comes off the ground around the Arrancar. Suddenly, an extremely quick red blast comes out of the cloud, landing on Momo and sending her now smoking body crashing through the buildings behind the Shinigami.

Toshiro widens his eyes in horror, "MOMO!"

Rangiku gasps at the sight, "What was that?! That wasn't a Cero! I couldn't even see it coming!"

The baffled Shinigami stare back at the smoke to find Ichigo completely unharmed and letting out a snort, "So that's your Vice-Captain, huh? I expected more…"

Toshiro settles a furious glare on the Hollow, "So you even mock the dead, fiend?!"

Ichigo doesn't bother responding to the young captain, instead performing an action that causing the remaining Shinigami to raise brows. He quickly turns his sword held in his right hand in a reverse grip before holding out his right arm to his side and planting the blade into the wooden floor.

As he releases his grasp from his blade, Gin questions, "You are discarding your weapon…?"

The orange-haired Arrancar cracks a vicious smirk as he approaches the Shinigami, raising his hands in front of him and curling his fingers towards himself—a taunting motion, "Using my sword is overkill against trash like you! If you disagree, then feel free to prove me wrong!"

The white-haired captain hisses, "Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

Toshiro's blade remains a normal-looking katana with the addition of a yellow pointed guard and a long white chain coming from the bottom of his hilt, leading to a crescent-shaped charm of sorts. The captain immediately swings his Zanpakuto to the side, causing the chain to swing at Ichigo before wrapping itself around his right arm and beginning to freeze it—a thin layer of ice forming over it. Meanwhile, behind the captain, Rangiku continues to send out urgent Hell Butterflies in an effort to call in reinforcements.

Ichigo glares at his right arm before his attention is suddenly forced on the other, silver-haired captain, who chants, "Bakudo Number 61, Rikujokoro."

Six pillars of light suddenly slam into the Hollow's midsection, binding both of his arms against his torso and movement in general.

Izuru appears with a flash behind Ichigo, chanting as he holds his sword above his head, "Raise Your Head, Wabisuke!"

The blade snaps into a black and silver sword, which bends twice in a 90-degree angle, making it appear not unlike a hook. Izuru brings his Shikai down on the Hollow, striking him along the back. The strikes, of course, do no damage through Ichigo's Hierro, however, as the Vice-Captain continues to land blow after blow, the Hollow can't help but notice the way his knees start to strain and buckle, as if they are supporting far more weight than they are used to. Ichigo's eyes widen slightly as he realizes it is significantly more difficult to move under all of these restraints.

Gin has to suppress the urge to express his suspicions, "Something's off… he just is letting us land attacks… I know he's more than capable of dodging, or at least parrying…"

The captain begins to shift into an offensive pose, holding his short blade behind him, readying to strike, "Shoot to kill—!?"

Gin cuts himself off as he is forced to dodge an incoming, buzzing blast, which leaves destruction in its wake. He frowns as he looks towards the shadows next to the large building where the figure of Aaroniero stands.

Ichigo sighs, his eyes relaying a look of slight disappointment as he flares up his Reiatsu, coating his body in a pale red aura that strips away the golden Kido and seemingly nullifies the effects of Izuru's Zanpakuto.

With one blindingly quick motion, Ichigo jerks his right arm, still with Toshiro's chain wrapped around it, to his side. This action causes the young captain to be sent flying around in a circle with his blade and crashing into a shocked Izuru before both slam into the building where Aizen's corpse is pinned, the chain leaving Ichigo's arm and following after.

Toshiro lets out a short groan as he tries to get out from the rubble but gasps with widened eyes as he stares directly at a red Cero charging in the orange-haired Arrancar's left hand. The captain instinctively uses his blade to create an icy barrier around both him and the Vice-Captain before Ichigo releases the attack. As the attack lands, both Shinigami are sent even further into the buildings before the Cero erupts, engulfing the buildings in a violent explosion that causes a small mushroom cloud. Screams of wounded and dying Shinigami can be heard in its wake.

Gin and Rangiku stare wide-eyed at the sight, fully recognizing just how little effort the Arrancar is putting in.

Ichigo, meanwhile, stares at his new companion in the shadows with a hint of appreciation in his gaze, "You should go help the others. I have things under control here."

Aaroniero is silent, merely giving a short nod before vanishing with the signature buzz of Sonido.

This prompts the remaining Arrancar to turn around and glare at the duo of Shinigami. Rangiku tenses under the intensity of Ichigo's gaze, feeling like a small bug compared to the dragon standing before her, who seems to have been doing nothing but figuratively whacking its tail at flies. In other words, they are nothing but a mild inconvenience to him.

Before Ichigo does anything further, Gin immediately rushes at Rangiku, throwing her over his shoulder without warning.

The woman shouts at the captain, "What are you doing?! We can't abandon the others!"

Gin doesn't turn his head back to regard the woman, his expression hidden as he reveals in a stoic tone, "Making sure you're safe is my priority…"

The woman widens her eyes as the pair then disappear with Flash Step.

Ichigo narrows his eyes as he retrieves his blade from the floor, "Don't think you can run from—!"

The teen widens his eyes as he just notices a jagged sword appear right in front of his face before as if in slow motion, shifting his head to the side and narrowly avoiding the attack. The blade reorients itself before coming in for another strike, but Ichigo parries the blow this time with his own black blade.

The blades lock in a clash as the Arrancar's cold eyes stare into the crazed left eye belonging to none other than a cackling Kenpachi Zaraki, "That Squad 10 chick wasn't kidding! You really are the same White, aren't you? It seems you've changed your look again."

Ichigo sends the captain a death glare, "Come back for another ass-kicking, huh? Tell you what, I'll make it so you can never swing that sword again, this time. Call it a bonus."

The two break off from their collision, each skidding back a distance as Kenpachi continues to cackle, "Enough talking! Let's get to killing each other already!"

The Arrancar narrows his eyes as the two continue to clash. Meanwhile, Yachiru sits atop a nearby building, watching the battle with an ever so slight hint of concern covering her features.

Elsewhere, Seireitei

A figure garbed in a white Gi with black highlights releases an intense red blast at a group of incoming Shinigami, which almost immediately turns their bodies to cinders. The figure runs his right hand through his brown hair, which is tied into a ponytail trailing down his back as he gazes upon the charred and bloodied corpses of Shinigami littering the street.

Sora tsks in a sense of perhaps mild disappointment, "It doesn't seem like there are powerful Shinigami around here… most of the captains seem to be going after Ichigo…"

The serpent Arrancar stares off in the distance towards the Squad 5 barracks before looking away, "He'll be fine… he is the most powerful Hollow in Hueco Mundo, after all…"

Sora fixes his gaze in a different direction, settling on a tall tower adjacent to a hill in the distance, "That's where his sister should be…"

Without another word, the serpent disappears with a buzz.

Squad 13 Barracks

Gin arrives at the Squad 13 Barracks and promptly puts Rangiku down, allowing her to move freely.

However, she stays in place, demanding with a serious face, "Gin, what's going on…?"

The captain turns and begins walking away, "I'm sorry… it's… difficult to explain. Once this is all over, everything will be as it should be, and you will be safe."

The woman furrows her brow, "Wait—"

Her call is for naught as Gin disappears with Flash Step, refusing to elaborate further.

Shortly after, Rangiku is approached by various Shinigami from Squad 13, including the captain, "Vice-Captain Matsumoto, why are you here? Don't tell me you've abandoned your captain?!"

The Vice-Captain, forcing herself to dawn a more stoic expression, explains, "Captain Ichimaru removed me from the battlefield by force… that Hollow… he already defeated my captain…"

Rangiku's gaze is downcast, prompting the veteran captain's eyes to soften. He sighs, grabbing a document from his Gi and handing it to the woman, causing her to give him a questioning look.

Rangiku furrows her brows, "What is this, sir?"

The captain explains, "Bring this to the Central 46. It may prove Isshin Shiba's innocence. Tell them I have suspicions about Captain Aizen's testimony."

The woman's eyes widen as she nods, however, not without questioning, "Alright… but, why me? Can't you take it to them? I'm sure they'll listen to you more than me…"

Ukitake stares intently at the shrine before eyeing the Senkaimon Gate, offering, "I'm not sure how they got here, but we must ensure that these Hollows do not escape to the living world. The chaos that would ensue would be unlike any we have ever seen—I've seen it first-hand if you recall. I am the last line of defense."

Rangiku nods, "I understand, captain. Leave it to me."

The woman disappears with a flash, leaving the older captain to muse, "I just hope we have enough time…"

Secret Underground Passage, Seireitei

Ganju walks alone amidst the darkness of the passage, the light of the Kido in his hand being his only aide.

The man groans, "Why're a bunch of Hollows attacking? Scratch that, HOW did they even get in here anyway? It's not like they had a cannon like us to blast through the barrier…"

As the man continues to explore the passage, completely unaware of which turn leads where, he ponders, "That green blast… a Cero, I think. It came out of nowhere and split the tunnel in two. Ginjo and Hanataro were on the other side, so it's just my luck that I'm left to fend for myself… I hope they're alright, though…"

He pauses before shaking his head, "What am I saying? Of course, a guy as strong as Ginjo is gonna make sure both he and Hanataro are safe! I just need to focus on finding an exit!"

As Ganju marches off to continue his search for an exit, a somewhat lanky figure garbed in white observes him from behind a corner. A purple tentacle-like appendage sprouts from its arm; however, it merely continues to watch, not expressing obvious bloodlust.

Aaroniero lets out a muted chuckle as he removes his mask, revealing the face of Kaien Shiba, "Well, would you look at that? This could be an interesting trip after all…"

Ichigo vs Kenpachi

Ichigo brings his black blade in for another swipe at Kenpachi, which the captain parries before pressing the offensive himself. The Arrancar uses Sonido to retreat a distance, completely evading the blow.

Ichigo grunts, "He's gotten stronger… again…"

A voice from within the Hollow's mind urges him on, "C'mon, King… use that move…"

The Arrancar raises a brow, beginning to question, "What move—?"

He widens his eyes as he cuts himself off, instinctively knowing exactly what his internal voice is talking about after glancing at the blade in his hand, "Oh…"

Kenpachi, meanwhile, can't help but grin, "This battle is a lot less brutal than last time. How about we start fighting for real?"

Ichigo flinches as Kenpachi suddenly removes his eyepatch, releasing vicious, golden Reiatsu, "LET'S KILL EACH OTHER!"

The captain suddenly charges at the Arrancar, who instinctively charges a blackened red aura around his blade, which is released into a beam of sorts upon swinging it at his opponent. Kenpachi merely brings his sword against the beam, cutting it in half with ease and continuing his charge. Ichigo brings his sword in for a parry, however, finds himself unable to do so due to the sheer intensity of the blow. The young Arrancar widens his eyes as he is forced back under Kenpachi's might.

The captain taunts, "What's the matter? Don't tell me that's all you've got. Where's your killing intent?"

Ichigo snaps back coldly, "Oh, I'll show you killing intent…"

The Arrancar suddenly places his hand on his blade, waning under the pressure of the captain's, before running it across, leaving a trail of blood from his palm to smear on the blade's surface. Kenpachi widens his eyes as Ichigo points his left, bloodied index and middle fingers at him, a distorted, purple blast beginning to form at the tips.

Soon after, the Arrancar utters, "Gran Rey Cero."

What follows is a purple explosion that engulfs the captain and many buildings behind him. In the wake of the attack, the battlefield is leveled to a barren wasteland. However, there remains signature cackling, which causes Ichigo to narrow his eyes.

Kenpachi, whose Gi and Haori are a smoking mess, grins madly, "That's it! More attacks like that! At this rate, this battle should be the best in a long time! Come on! Show me your true power!"

The Arrancar hears a voice beckoning him, "Use that move! You won't win as you are now without calling it by name!"

Ichigo snaps at the voice in his mind, "What do you mean? I could use my Resurreccion!"

The voice hisses, "Absolutely not! This piece of shit must know how weak he is! He thinks himself special—worthy of facing our true power! We need to show him that he never had a prayer—send him into despair… like what they're doing to Yuzu!"

Ichigo trembles before tilting his head to the sky and letting out a roar as red aura coats his body. Kenpachi, likewise coated in a golden aura, howls as he rushes at the Hollow.

A black and red aura swirls violently around Ichigo's blade as he raises it skyward. Visions of all of his past battles rush through his mind—with particular focus on the blackened red blade attacks. The essence of the attack is at this point instinctively understood by his soul, to the point in which he knows its name despite never having heard it before.

Kenpachi closes in on the Hollow, cackling madly as he brings his sword down on him. At this moment, Ichigo's eyes focus purely on the opponent in front of him, the blood from his left hand mixing in with the blackened attack, changing the red to purple, appearing not unlike Barragan's Miasma in terms of color.

Ichigo begins to roar, adjusting his hold on his blade as Kenpachi's sword is a hair's length away from him, "GETSUGA…!"

Kenpachi flinches slightly, now fully recognizing this attack. A brief image of a younger Isshin striking an identical pose covers Ichigo's features in Kenpachi's vision.

The Arrancar finishes, "…TENSHOU!"

Ichigo's blade is brought down at such speed that Kenpachi is completely unable to react, merely able to hold his blade protectively in front of him as Ichigo's onslaught comes down upon him. As the blades connect, Ichigo's attack immediately slices through the Shinigami's blade, breaking it in half, and carrying through to cut through his midsection. The blast immediately carries through and parts the very Earth behind it for a good mile, leaving a fissure in the ground in its wake.

As the attack subsides, Ichigo breathes heavily, now short of breath, yet still speaks, "You lose… Kenpachi…"

On the ground in front of the Arrancar is the dying body of the Squad 11 captain, who has lost consciousness. Kenpachi's upper right torso has been completely cut through, a large space of an open, bloodied wound serving as evidence. Despite this, his right arm and the former right side of his chest are still connected to his body near his lower stomach.

Ichigo approaches Kenpachi, turning his blade in a reverse grip as he prepares to bring it down at the captain's neck to ensure the kill. However, his instincts go into overdrive, prompting him to step back and retreat a distance with Sonido, barely avoiding the strike of a silver, curved Katana.

Ichigo's gaze settles on a woman with black hair which is tied in a braid at the front. The woman's expression relays a sense of death, the look in her eyes more vicious than any Hollow Ichigo has ever encountered.

The teen narrows his eyes, "Another captain…?"

A voice calls from behind, "Two, actually…"

Ichigo glances back at a bearded Shinigami wearing a straw hat, holding a pair of two huge Scimitar blades, "They both passed through my Pesquisa—!"

Before the Arrancar can so much as finish his thought, he realizes that the woman is right in front of him, bringing her blade down for a fatal blow. Ichigo barely manages to block with his blade, causing the attacks to clash. The woman doesn't hesitate as she immediately moves her left hand at Ichigo's neck, planting a hidden dagger directly through his windpipe.

Ichigo staggers as blood gushes from his neck and his breath is robbed from him. The woman, Unohana, takes this opportunity to break the clash before slicing Ichigo across the chest with her Zanpakuto, causing even further blood to spurt from his new wounds.

The Arrancar continues to stumble but manages to somehow find it in him to defend against Unohana's next flurry of blows. As he finds his footing, he unknowingly casts a shadow behind him. Immediately afterward, Kyoraku appears through the shadow and attempts to pierce the Hollow through the chest with both of his blades, however, Arrancar can sense it coming, so vanishes with a buzz.

Ichigo reappears a distance back, glaring at the pair of Shinigami with hate-filled eyes. He narrows his eyes, attempting to heal his wounds with high-speed regeneration, but panics when he realizes that something is wrong.

Unohana sees the panic in the teen's eyes, so explains as she stares back at him coldly, "You're probably wondering why you can't heal your wounds, White. Well, that would be because of the poison-coated dagger that I stabbed through your neck. Don't think we haven't dealt with your type before—we've had ways of dealing with your kind's irksome regenerative abilities."

As if to add emphasis, the woman opens her coat to reveal all kinds of hidden blades beneath, "I've killed your kind for over 1000 years, and you will die just as they have."

Ichigo's eyes dilate upon hearing this, something within him giving way and snapping. In the next moment he moves his left arm towards his neck and forcefully rips the dagger out, leaving blood to gush everywhere.

The captains widen their eyes in shock as Ichigo's body glows a fearsome red, his neck healing despite Unohana's claim just enough to roar, "You think this is enough to stop me?! NOTHING WILL IMPEDE ME!"

Ichigo points his Zanpakuto directly at the captains, roaring, "HARM AND DESTROY, ZANGESTU!"

The surroundings explode in intense, blackened energy, causing the captains to retreat a distance on the wasteland of a battlefield. A smoke cloud is produced, which clouds the Hollow's features, save for haunting golden eyes with black sclera piercing through. Unohana and Kyoraku are both wide-eyed for a moment, now feeling how truly monstrous Ichigo's Reiatsu at full power is. However, as expected of seasoned captains like them, they quickly compose themselves, taking battle stances.

The dust settles somewhat, revealing the form of Ichigo's Resurreccion—which is identical to his form as a Vasto Lorde, save for the addition of black fabric which covers his torso underneath his white armor and above the red fur on the lower half of his body. Further, a black tail sprouts from his back with orange fur at the end, a call back to his days as a literal dragon. The masked creature's eyes are cold with rage and killing intent—nothing else is present in them at this moment, which reflects the being's current state of mind.

Suddenly, Ichigo disappears with a buzz, before appearing directly between the captains, Kyoraku to his left and Unohana to his right. The captains swing their blades at him in a flurry, however, the Arrancar's arms move with even greater speeds, deflecting each and every blow with his bare hands. The Hollow suddenly grabs Unohana's blade, holding it in place in a vice grip. The woman widens her eyes as she is pulled forward before being slammed in the gut by a kick, which causes her to spit up blood before flying across the battlefield and into distant buildings with great speed.

Kyoraku gasps as his blades are still being parried with ease, not able to believe what he is seeing, "This Reiatsu is completely different than before… it's like…"

The captain widens his eyes as Ichigo turns his face towards Kyoraku slowly, revealing the toothy, evil-looking smirk that peeks out from beneath the teeth of his mask, "…he's a completely different person!"

Just as Kyoraku finishes his thought, Ichigo charges his left index finger, still parrying the blades, with a small red light, which launches at the captain with great speed, scorching the left side of his face. The captain staggers as he holds the right side of his face, his eye bubbling in into nothing.

The Hollow quickly follows up with an insanely quick punch to Kyoraku's face with his right fist, followed by a left hook, which begins a flurry of punches that hit the captain without relenting. Blood flies through the air as Kyoraku's body begins to turn into a bloody pulp. Ichigo suddenly stops, smirking viciously with still completely black, dilated eyes as he charges small red blasts at the tips of his right fingers before swiping them at the captain, leading to an explosion that sends the captain's scorched body flying through the air and landing a distance away.

The seemingly possessed Ichigo takes a step towards the downed Kyoraku before immediately pausing and glancing back at the form of Unohana standing behind him, her hand gripping her blade.

Ichigo fully turns to regard the woman in interest as she utters, "Bankai…"

Unohana's hand runs along her Zanpakuto, bringing a trail of blood along it, causing it to fall limp, turning into a blade of blood, "…Minazuki."

Ichigo's smirk widens as the battlefield becomes drenched in Unohana's blood, which begins to heal her allies. The Arrancar ignores this, however, as he disappears with a buzz. Unohana swings her bloodied blade around her defensively, throwing blood into the air and deflecting Ichigo's incoming attacks, slashing the crazed Hollow's right arm off.

Ichigo retreats a distance, his arm regenerating itself almost immediately as Unohana explains, "This blood of mine acts as an extension of my blade. It also heals all of my wounds. Either you die, or we are locked in this dance of death for eternity, Hollow."

The Arrancar stares down at his blood-smeared hands, feeling them being cut at, a sign that Unohana's claim holds truth to it. Suddenly, multiple lances of blood rise from the bloodied lake around the captain, which launch at the Hollow as the captain similarly throws her whip-sword at him.

Ichigo's grin becomes even more vicious as his hands suddenly turn into black blades and he lets out a roar to the sky, causing a shockwave that blows any blood currently on his body off. He then charges in at the captain with great speed, imbuing his blades with blackened red energy, deflecting the blood blades and the whip. Unohana sidesteps to dodge as Ichigo swings his right arm at her, launching a blast. The woman then throws the whip-sword at the Hollow again, which this time wraps around his neck. Blood blades then suddenly rain down at him from behind, stabbing him in the back.

The woman pulls the whip back towards her, bringing Ichigo with it, as she forms a massive blood lance in her left hand in preparation for a fatal blow. However, and much to her shock, Ichigo cackles as his right arm turns back to normal and rips one of the bloodied lances from his back. Unohana pierces the boy through with her lance, causing blood to spurt from his mask. However, the cackling remains as Ichigo, now within close quarters of Unohana, swings the blood lance, infused with his own Reiatsu, behind the woman's neck and grabs it with his other, now normal hand.

The captain widens her eyes as she realizes what is happening, "He's wielding my own Bankai against me?!"

Ichigo smirks madly as he tilts his body and slams his feet against Unohana's torso, sending her crashing through her own blades and bouncing across the bloodied battlefield, like a pebble across water. Ichigo isn't done yet, as he appears directly above the captain and slams a vicious flurry of punches down at her, causing shockwaves that shake the very ground itself. The gleeful expression under his mask remains as he continues to send punch after punch at her, not even noticing that she has lost consciousness and her Bankai has begun to recede.

As the teen is about to send another punch, he feels some prick at him from behind, the cause: Shukuro Tsukihima.

The Fullbringer, with his Fullbring drawn, narrows his eyes at the limp Squad 8 captain, "It's a good thing I decided to come back and help you—"

He doesn't get so much as a chance to finish his sentence as Ichigo immediately, and instinctually, slams his right fist against Tsukishima's torso, causing bones to crack before he is sent flying through the air and into a distant building.

The dilation of Ichigo's eyes suddenly wears off, prompting him to blink and rub his helmet-like mask, a headache coming on, "Ugh… what… what was that…?"

He widens his eyes to find his hands smeared with blood, prompting him to look around, regarding the two additional downed captains, "Did I… do that…?"

Steam comes off the Arrancar as his Resurreccion flakes off, turning him back to his base, once more dawning his white clothing. His eyes widen as he notices something in the corner of his vision, shifting his face to regard a large white tower in the distance.

Ichigo narrows his eyes in resolve, "That's where Yuzu should be…"

Without any further interruption, the Arrancar disappears with the buzz of Sonido.

Distant Rooftop, Seireitei

Tokinada, holding out a pair of binoculars from a faraway building, cackles to himself, "I've gotta hand it to you, Aizen, you sure did find quite the catch!"

The man then rises to his feet, carelessly discards the binoculars, and throws out both of his arms, screaming in sick amusement as he lords over the devastation below, "You finally got what was coming to you, old man! I'm just sorry I didn't have the privilege of killing you myself! Ah… I can't wait to see what other interesting things you Ryoka and Hollows have to offer!"

Two Shinigami suddenly appear behind the noble, each bowing before him. One of the Shinigami is a tall man with long, chin-length green and yellow hair wearing a standard Shinigami Shihakusho with a white lab jacket on top. The other is a younger-looking girl with similar length green hair of the same color wearing a modified Shihakusho with a black skirt that ends just above her knees and long white socks that end similarly just above her knees.

The girl is the first to speak, "Milord, it would seem that Shunsui Kyoraku let that group of Fullbringers escape…"

Tokinada's expression drops to a much more neutral one, "…I can see that, Nozomi… is that all the information you have to report?"

The girl, Nozomi, shakes her head as she purses her lips, "Our spies informed me that there may be… a Mod Soul with them…"

The noble cracks a slight smirk, "Oh? And here I thought that you were the only one left. What have you to say for this, Kageroza?"

Tokinada's gaze shifts to the man, who stiffens and bows apologetically, "I apologize, My Lord, but Nozomi really should be the only one left. She was the only subject I could salvage from my mentor's research. However, speaking bluntly, it would be no surprise if some of her experiments may have slipped through the cracks or have been inherited by her successor, Kisuke Urahara."

The noble's expression becomes a degree more twisted, as he finds his underling's words amusing, "So, you're saying it's possible that Kirio Hikifune would've 'lost track' of this other Mod Soul, and potentially many others, which lead to them being passed down to the likes of Kisuke Urahara? Hell, what's to say she didn't 'lose track' of Nozomi, here, either?! Hah! The very thought of a member of the renowned Zero Squad breaking the law is hilarious!"

Tokinada continues to laugh madly in amusement, leaving his underlings to wait patiently until he has finished.

The noble exhales before eyeing the pair of Shinigami before him dubiously, "Do not concern yourselves with the Fullbringers. As you recall, I've come to an agreement of sorts with the current regent of the Kasumioji Clan—Gyokaku Kumoi. As you both are no doubt aware, their assassins are the second most powerful in the Seireitei, behind the ones belonging to Tsunayashiro, besting even the stealth force itself. …a shame, too. I miss when Yoruichi was in charge, things were better then, but you can't turn back the clock, unfortunately…"

Tokinada shakes his head in disapproval, before further elaborating, "Anyway, as I was saying, Kumoi's elite assassins will deal with the… 'harvesting'."

Kageroza tilts his head, questioning, "Then what do we do?"

The noble's expression drops as he now frowns deeply, pondering briefly before he once more smirks, "You go back to Squad 12, Kageroza. If I have need of you, you'll know."

The man nods before disappearing with Flash Step.

Tokinada shifts his gaze to the young girl, "As for you, my dear… I want you to engage this Mod Soul in battle. Bring him back to me, alive, if possible."

The girl closes her eyes and nods reverently before disappearing with Flash Step as well.

The man narrows his eyes, still smiling crookedly as he murmurs, "Now, I think it's time I paid the family a visit to pay my condolences…"

Repentance Cell, Senzaikyu, Soul Society

Yuzu stares out of her cell with furrowed brows, "Ichigo's Reiatsu… No. That wasn't him! It couldn't have been! It was too… evil…"

The girl starts fiddling with her ponytail, clearly anxious about what she just felt. Suddenly, she hears noises coming from outside of her cell, specifically the yells and voices of the guards, as if there is a struggle. She immediately walks up next to the side of the door, balling her hands into fists as she hears something bang loudly against the cell door.

Yuzu gulps as faint blue lines form on her hands, "I think someone is fighting the guards… if one of those guards comes in here to use me as a hostage, I'll slam them on the head with my Blut! …as weakened as it is…"

There is another bang against the cell door before the door gives way and flies open.

As a figure walks into the room, Yuzu instinctively assaults the individual by slamming both of her Blut-infused fists down on their head, "Take that!"

The sound of the punch echoes along the walls of the cell as the figure is knocked to the ground, screaming, "OW!"

Yuzu widens her eyes as she recognizes the figure who is wearing a black trench coat and hat, "Y-Yukio…?"

The boy, now with a large bump forming on his head and tears in his eyes, frowns at her, "Is that how you thank people for rescuing you?"

The girl is silent, continuing to stare at the boy with widened eyes.

Suddenly, a small plush lion comes bursting through the cell doors, jumping at the girl with tears in its eyes, "YUZUUUU!"

Yuzu gasps as Kon crashes against her leg, rubbing his face against it, an emotional mess, "I'm… I'm so sorry! I should've been with you to protect you from the Shinigami!"

The girl is finally hit with the realization of who she is with, her emotions fully processed as her eyes begin to water, "N-no, Kon! I-it was my fault! I shouldn't have run away!"

Kon looks up at the girl, backing up as she looks away, hot tears of frustration with herself falling, "I should've listened to Bambi and Ginjo's warnings… the Shinigami hate Quincies like me and they'll go to any lengths to get rid of us… I see that now…"

Yuzu looks at Kon and Yukio before her, tears streaming down her face, "I'm sorry for being such a nuisance! You all are risking your lives just because I couldn't listen!"

The girl then looks to the ground, balling her hands into fists as the tears fall freely. Yukio frowns before seemingly making a split-second decision by taking his trench coat off and placing it over Yuzu's shoulders.

The girl widens her eyes and stares questioningly at the boy, now only wearing his black pants and a white collared long-sleeved shirt.

Yukio elaborates, in his typical casual fashion, "It's no big deal. We'd do it for anyone… well, maybe not everyone… anyway, it doesn't matter. We wanted to come here, rescue you, and give the Shinigami a piece of our mind while we're at it! So, it's really nothing to cry about, alright?"

The boy's words have the opposite effect as Yuzu's tears grow more intense, "But it IS a big deal! How can you say it isn't?!"

Yukio scowls, rubbing the back of his still very much hurting head, "Alright, I get it! How about this? You give me a proper thank you for coming to rescue you, and we'll call it even."

Yuzu rubs her teary eyes before managing a light-hearted smile, "I'm sorry for hitting you before, Yukio. Thank you so much for coming to rescue me! You're the best!"

At this moment, the light peeking in from the outside shines down on her features, making her appear as an angel before the boy's eyes.

Yukio blushes profusely before looking away awkwardly, "Y-yeah, don't mention it…"

Yuzu shifts to a pouting face, "You're not being fair! I just thought we decided it was a big deal! You can't just take that back!"

The boy groans, "Oh, c'mon! I said that on instinct and you know it!"

Yuzu frowns and looks to the side, huffing, "Now you think I'm a mind reader or something too… so unfair…"

Yukio's brow twitches, before continuing this pointless argument. Kon, meanwhile, watches the exchanges with a blank, unamused expression.

After a couple more exchanges, Kon finally decides to cut in, "Hey, as much as I know you two want to catch up, we've gotta get out of here before those guards wake up! The last thing we need is a captain coming after us!"

The preteens stare at Kon and then at each other before nodding.

Yuzu widens her eyes, however, as she realizes something, "Wait! What about my dad and… Karin…?"

Yukio's expression is blank, clearly thinking about something, before offering her an answer, "I'm sorry, Yuzu, but I doubt Ginjo would want to rescue Shinigami in any capacity… and even if he did, they don't need our help."

The girl furrows her brows, "What do you mean…?"

Yukio does his best not to scoff, "You serious? Your sister has got to be at least as strong as you are by now, I'd think. And even if she isn't, they'd be fools to get rid of someone of her talent who came here willingly. I think they're keeping all of this from her, so she doesn't turn against them. And as for your dad… yeah, I don't think I need to explain why them getting rid of a captain like him during a Hollow attack of this magnitude is a bad idea."

Yuzu is silent, prompting Yukio to continue reasoning, "I say we regroup with the others and then we can break your dad out… getting to his cell is going to be more dangerous than it was to get to yours, believe it or not."

The girl nods slowly, "Yeah… I guess I can do that… as long as you promise to help my dad and Karin, too…"

Yukio sighs, "Alright. Now that that's out of the way, I'll need you to get in this new Game Boy. We can move around easier since all of the Shinigami will be looking for you as soon as they realize you've escaped."

Yuzu looks up, raising a slight brow, "Sure, but… since when did you get a new one? Did your old one break?"

The boy sweat drops, recalling a particularly ugly battle with a certain bi-speckled Shinigami, "It's a long story…"

Outside Central 46 Chambers

Rangiku stands in mild confusion before gates of the Central 46, "W-why aren't they answering? A request from a captain and more evidence should at least get a response… and…"

The woman turns to regard the smoke rising in the distance further in the Seireitei, "We could really use someone like Captain Shiba helping us right now…"

Rangiku regards the doors once more before narrowing her eyes and turning away, "No use staying here any longer… especially not with Hollows and Ryoka running rampant."

Squad 1 Barracks

A robed figure suddenly appears in the office of the Head Captain, urgently explaining, "In light of the death of the Tsunayashiro Head, and with the Hollow White and his cohorts attacking the Seireitei, the Central 46 have decided to postpone the execution of Yuzu Kurosaki until after this crisis is handled."

As proof, the figure reveals an official scroll signed by each member of the Central 46. Of course, in actuality, this document is not but an illusion, and the figure is none other than Sosuke Aizen in disguise, but Yamamoto has no way of knowing this.

Despite that, the ancient captain offers an alarming response, sighing when he does, "As much as I wish I could obey those orders, sadly I cannot."

Aizen, still disguised as the messenger, widens his eyes in disbelief, "…what?"

Yamamoto glances at the man, "Lord Tsunayashiro handed me an official document with signatures from three out of the four Noble Clan Heads, including himself at the time. It stated that Yuzu Kurosaki would be executed, regardless of what the Central 46 had to say about it. The word of three of the Great Noble Clans far outstrips that of the Central 46 on this matter. In fact, the document also states that should any of them suddenly be killed prior to the execution being carried out, it would be carried out immediately by myself."

Aizen stares in complete bafflement, "T-this is… not according to plan! All of my surveillance suggested that the Tsunayashiros were too arrogant to think things that far ahead! And even if they did, this is a clear and obvious breach of etiquette from the clans! And yet, Yamamoto cannot deny the word of three Noble Clans… Blast! To think that even in death, that spineless weakling would go to any lengths to ensure that the Tsunayashiro's petty grudge against the Shiba Clan would endure!"

Yamamoto elaborates, "Currently, Yuzu Kurosaki is not in her cell, either. This means all Shinigami must search the Seireitei for her. She is to be captured on sight…"

Aizen is quiet as the Head Captain continues, "The Sogyoku is being prepared as we speak. I shall use it to end her life. After that, the Hollow White and his allies will also be burned until not even ashes remain of their bodies!"

Aizen flinches as Yamamoto's body is coated in an intense, orange aura—his burning Reiatsu leaking out unconsciously, as he stares out at the Seireitei, enraged.

The disguised captain nods, taking his leave, "Very well. I shall inform the Central 46 of this, then…"

As Aizen leaves, he can't help but sweat beads, "My timeline for finding the Hogyoku just shrunk significantly! I… I would've preferred to aid in her rescue to gain Ichigo's trust, but if Yuzu Kurosaki dies while I'm looking for the Hogyoku, so be it."

Author's Note:

Life has been busy, but good. Anyhow, I was able to find some time and motivation to write this chapter. I'm satisfied with how it turned out.

While writing this chapter, I thought that it would be a good idea to include filler characters among Tokinada's inner circle, which was particularly fun to think about. Some of you may be wondering why in the hell Nozomi is ok working with a shitbag like Tokinada… I'LL GET TO THAT, LET ME COOK. (Short answer is she's not). Further, in my fic, I have changed a bit of the lore about these characters; for example, Kageroza is not a Mod Soul but a normal Shinigami and he and Nozomi are their own, distinct characters.

To clear any confusion, Resurreccion/Vasto Lorde Ichigo is equal to, if not, slightly stronger than the Fully Hollowfied version that killed Ulquiorra in canon. As Ichigo is right now, he comfortably scales above Aizen and is relative, if not a bit stronger than Yama using his Shikai, I think. Of course, he is also above Stark, so dealing with Kyoraku with low difficulty is expected.

Regarding Unohana, I have always scaled her as relative to Kyoraku and Ukitake, which makes sense to me as it puts her up there but also keeps her definitively under the monstrous trio of endgame captains at the end of the series: Byakuya, Kenpachi, and Toshiro, who, in my opinion, are all relative to Bankai Yamamoto with one arm (the one who fought Yhwach), or at the very least Bankai Kenpachi is (it's hard to scale them). Keep in mind that this is Unohana far out of her prime, who is merely waiting until the day that she can battle Kenpachi once more and help unlock all of his mental blocks so he can move forward and become someone worthy of passing her title to. Lastly, the fact that Unohana wasn't even considered a threat by Aizen, while Kenpachi and Yamamoto were, should speak for itself. This all might be a bit disappointing to some of you who love Unohana, but I've felt that her fans have always tended to overhype her due to us not having anyone except a variable Kenpachi to scale her against. Either way, she isn't standing against the monster that is Ichigo in his Resurreccion.

Another important thing I must clarify, the release command Ichigo used in this chapter is NOT his real one, which is why he seemed to become unhinged, handing over full control to his killer instinct when activating his Resurreccion. This came with a boost of his already fearsome power with the downside of forgoing all reason. I thought that if Shinigami releases change based on how they are called, Resurreccions should change likewise.

Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter regardless! The next one will come out in roughly a month (maybe earlier depending on motivation and schedule), continuing the precedent I mentioned in the last chapter.