The Mask Is Me

by FurtherClouds

Having been abandoned by the Soul Society, Ichigo is thoroughly defeated by Xcution, leaving him ultimately shattered. Through a turn of events, he is made to make a decision, one that will alter his path significantly. Can he traverse this new path while also managing to discover the hidden truths of everything? And when answers are reached, will he sit by idly? Or will he rise?

The Mask Is Me

Chapter One: "Sinking World"

Ichigo could do nothing but stare wide-eyed in shock, the underline of his expression becoming darker as a broad sword sunk deeper into his chest. His body shook in surprise, his hands subconsciously shivering from the vast emptiness he was being subject to. He was once again weak.

"Ooh. Here it comes," Ginjo excitedly exclaimed.

As those words were announced, Ichigo felt the blade push deeper into his chest, an abyssal, primeval coldness overtaking his existence. And just like that, his fullbringer powers were stripped right before his eyes, the white armor that once clad his body crumbling away into nothingness, only to be absorbed by the same blade that was piercing him. An immediate chill enveloped his soul and the remaining warmth he could feel was extinguished when the sword tore out of him.

He was once again helpless. Worthless.

All he wanted was to restore his powers so he could protect his family and friends. Because of that, he bore his state of helplessness for seventeen whole months, not a single day passing without his mind being preoccupied by the past. When he met the members of Xcution, he believed he finally found a way to end his insufferable state of weakness. He truly thought he found the gateway to protect everyone. But…

'...'

Warm tears cascaded down his anguished face, and as if the world shared his despair, it began to downpour. Within moments of being soaked, his slow stream of tears turned into a heart-wrenching sob, a sight that completely demoralized an injured Uryu who laid off to the side. He couldn't help but look away in shame, his eyes tightly closing to prevent seeing what he could've stopped.

"He's gotten very emotional… I almost feel bad for him," an amused voice spoke, his thin fingers flipping through the pages of his Book of the End, all the while turning towards the person who had stolen Ichigo's powers. Steam expelled from the book, showing the effects his reiatsu had towards the rain, evaporating it before it could even reach the cover.

"Just let him cry. He's of no use to us anymore," started the man who left Ichigo devoid of anything, his left hand clenching tightly to test his newly gained strength, "And to be perfectly honest, we'll probably never see him again."

Upon saying those words, he turned away from the weeping boy, the sound of footsteps making it to Ichigo's ears, his blurred vision beginning to flicker as he attempted to stand up. No matter how hard he pushed though, his body wouldn't reply to his plea of desperation.

In frustration, he slammed his fist into the ground, the rain pelting his frail form as if it were mocking him. As senselessness overtook his entirety, his soul descended into a submerged world of skyscrapers, and unlike the previous occurrences where he despaired, he was sinking while being bound by thick unyielding chains.

This was his inner world.

The borders of this towering domain were limitless, and even if they weren't, no one would be able to say otherwise due to the forever expanding ocean that defied all reason. After an eternity of sinking, Ichigo's body collapsed against one of the many monolithic towers, his strength swiftly dissipating without resistance.

'Is that it? Am… I finished? Completely useless…' Ichigo thought mournfully, his gaze beginning to dull until a bright light from above shook him from his stupor. He averted his stare to the light, its form appearing like an illuminating star that was grandiose beyond measure. Its very existence proved that his despair was not infinite as it shattered through the ocean's surface like some form of spiritual messiah.

Despite the grand spectacle, his eyes remained unfocused, his will to live being almost entirely snuffed. Desperately, the light became brighter, egging him to get up, to break his restraints, and to become the protector he has always been. For a moment, Ichigo allowed a sense of strength to grip his consciousness, an action that caused the cold chains to begin straining, but as fast as it came, it disappeared.

He just couldn't continue moving forwards.

The light pulsed disappointedly, its illumination seceding into the depths as an eerie darkness shrouded his sunken world. Ichigo's head collapsed against the floor, his eyes staring off into random directions. He wasn't sure what that light was, but did it really matter? He couldn't care less about anything anymore.

Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate.

Those words echoed in his head as his vision returned to the living world. He stared at the disappearing forms of Tsukishima and Ginjo, his fists balling wrathfully before he bit his lip harshly, a line of blood leaking down his chin, only to be washed away by the rain.

"W-Wait I–uh… please wait," Ichigo stammered, his eyes shifting to the side embarrassingly. The desperation in his voice didn't go unnoticed as the fleeing fullbringers turned towards the boy.

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Please? Please what?"

Abandon your fear. Failed.

As Tsukishima questioned Ichigo, Ginjo stared down at the boy, an arrogant smirk etched onto his features as he held his sword over his shoulder. Ichigo hesitated to answer, his eyes closing so he didn't have to see their mocking expressions.

Look forward. Move forward and never stop. Failed.

"Please… release my friends from your influence, Tsukishima-san. I'll…. I'll do anything, just release them."

Move forward and never stop. Failed.

A silence overtook the landscape, all before a snide, "You hear that, Tsukishima? He's willing to do anything."

A calm smile sprouted from Tsukishima, his hand rummaging beneath his chin callously. "I believe I did. Although, after all that work I did to obtain my new friends and family, it would surely be a let down if I lost them without receiving something in return."

Ichigo listened to their words, his annoyance growing while envisioning their smug smiles. He knew they were looking down on him. He knew they were feeling high and mighty by trashing his very existence. Did he deserve it? He wasn't sure.

"Just tell me what I have to do!" Ichigo yelled, his eyes searing open as he glared upwards at the duo. Their expressions didn't change, however, Ginjo knelt down to his level and gripped his chin roughly. "Listen, if you want my friend here to release your allies, you better learn manners."

Ichigo merely glared, his gaze shifting to the side before saying with a calmer voice, "Tell me what I have to do, please."

You'll age if you pull back. Failed.

"Better. Now for starters…" Ginjo began, standing up, his head tilting to the side as he feigned thinking. "Ah yes! Our shoes have gotten a bit dirty from the rain, you see. So to begin, you could lick our shoes clean. I am sure that's easy for someone like you, right?"

He couldn't believe what he just heard. He wants him to lick their shoes? Clean?! He was just screwing with him, wasn't he?! They weren't going to release anyone from their influence regardless of what he did. After all, what's stopping them from slicing him with the Book of the End, and making him do it anyways?

Off to the side, Uryu waited patiently for his moment to strike. He knew he had been sliced by Tsukishima's Book of the End, and that he would soon be underneath the effects it exuded, but he wouldn't allow his quincy pride to be stomped out without a fight. As he watched, he was extremely shocked to see Ichigo act the way he did. He knew Ichigo wasn't the type to beg, especially to his enemies. But when it came to his friends and family, he was willing to do just about anything for the slightest chance of success.

"You bastard!" Ichigo yelled as he stood up with a sudden rage, his fist coiling forwards with his entire body's weight. Before his fist could reach its target, a splatter of blood splashed across his face, his rage instantly defusing into confusion. He looked at his arm, his face contorting in panic at the sight of half it missing; muscle and bone exposed from the elbow point.

You'll die if you hesitate. Failed.

Gushes of deep crimson spilled from his body as he collapsed to the ground gripping his bleeding stub. He didn't have time to process the trauma, his breath vanishing when the sensation of metal stabbed through his back, impaling him against the ground. He couldn't move, not even an inch. He tried to force himself upright, but his legs were completely numb. Blood forced itself up his parched throat, spilling out onto the ground. With murky vision, he saw Uryu flash towards him with what he presumed was hirenkyaku, but that was for naught as Tsukishima appeared behind him with bringer's light, slashing down.

Just like himself, Uryu collapsed to the ground, but fortunately without a single scratch since he was cut by Tsukishima instead. That's that then. He failed to save even a single one of his friends. A puddle of deep red encircled his collapsed form, the rain seeming to become even heavier at the tragedy.

Ginjo gazed down at the bleeding boy, a slight sparkle of emotion in his eyes. Was he feeling pity? Perhaps regret? Ginjo shook his head, ignoring such speculations. Without wasting time, he yanked his sword from Ichigo's flesh, spurts of blood spraying wildly before lifting it once more for the killing blow. Before he could strike down, a reiatsu signature flared, one that was located on the other side of town, specifically at the Urahara Shōten.

Tsukishima sighed. "You've had your fun, Ginjo. It appears that the shinigami from the Soul Society won't be appearing after all. You felt that, right? That signature was from that pesky candy shop. If Ichigo were anyone else, I'd say leave him alive, however, Kurosaki-san is different. He's a substitute shinigami like yourself. Meaning, they'll manipulate him when his soul passes to the other side. We can't have that happening."

Ginjo rolled his eyes, his sword transforming back into his combat pass which he then reattached to his necklace. A moment later, he stuffed his hand into his pocket, pulling out a coin-shaped disk that he crushed between his fingers, it dissipating into reishi before sounds of distanced screeches echoed out.

Ichigo paled. He was in serious pain. In fact, he was at death's door. But he knew exactly what Ginjo had just done. He had enabled hollow bait. That's what Tsukishima meant by they'll manipulate him when his soul passes to the other side. We can't have that happening.

Their plan was to prevent his soul from passing by having his soul devoured by hollows. Upon realizing this, he placed a clawing hand on the floor, mustering all his strength to seek survival, but falling short with a pitiful groan.

'I-I can't die! I can't leave everybody behind. I have to protect them…' Ichigo bellowed, the last words being ushered with a hushed tone. This isn't how he was going out. He couldn't go out like this. Tsukishima noted Ichigo's sudden panic.

"He can still see reishi despite having his powers stolen moments ago," he mused in fascination.

Ginjo raised his eyebrow at the statement, only just noticing Ichigo's obvious state of panic. He scratched his head. "That's odd. I could've sworn I stole every drop of his power. Well, it doesn't matter. He's about to die anyway. He can keep whatever remains of his pitiful power. "

Tsukishima nodded in agreement. "Let's go."

He turned away from Ichigo, his feet planting on the ground in a sign of retreat. In a flash of green, he vanished from thin air, Tsukishima following closely behind, along with the other fullbringers, minus Riruka who seemed to be missing from the group.

If Ichigo wasn't panicking before, he definitely was now. He continued to grasp at the ground, his vision flickering, and his body entering a state of hyperventilation. He looked around in a frenzy, his eyes falling upon Chad and Orihime, both of whom were staring at him from the tree lines. They appeared conflicted; with pricks of tears in Orihime's eyes and a confused disappointment within Chad's. He wanted to shout towards them for help. After all, he was the one that always helped them, so just this once, couldn't they do the same for him? And if not for him, for his sisters? But that possibility was zero since his voice stuck to the back of his throat, his despair reaching new heights as they turned away and left.

With his energy now depleted, he laid flat against the ground, multiple shadows appearing in his peripheral, shadows that were much too large to be that of shinigami. He closed his eyes in defeat, his consciousness drifting into nothingness.

---

When Ichigo awoke, he found himself once again submerged in a world of sunken skyscrapers, the water swooshing around violently as if there was an endless storm. Just like before, he couldn't break free of his restraints, the chains feeling even tighter as if they were feeding on his despair. He couldn't help but wonder if he was dead. If he wasn't, why the hell was he here? Didn't he lose his powers? Or perhaps a soul is forced inside their inner world after they are devoured by a hollow? He wasn't entirely sure.

His mindlessness was abruptly shattered by a loud static jolt. Before him, a pair of feet with white claws came into view. As his eyes levitated upward, he observed that the figure donned a white shinigami shihakushō, with a deep midnight black inner fabric. The more he analyzed the being, the more familiar their presence felt.

Their ankles and wrists were encircled by black fur. The same fur adorned the trim of their shihakushō's collar, mirroring the black reiatsu that emanated from Mugestu. He knew all too well who this was and confirmed his suspicions upon glancing at their face. Said features were concealed with an intimidating black hollow mask, the very same mask that had brought about Ulquiorra Cifer's death. This mask had also been responsible for Uryu's stabbing, fueling his paranoia and leading to multiple losses. However, it was also the same miracle that had granted him the power to defeat Sōsuke Aizen.

Physically, he didn't wear the mask to victory. Instead he had transformed into Getsuga itself, surpassing the power bestowed by the mask, and reaching heights that seemed impossible. This achievement was only attainable because he had merged his shinigami and hollow powers together. So in truth, if he had never obtained that variant of the mask, he might not have been capable of learning the Final Getsuga Tenshō. Or at least a version of it that was powerful enough to put Aizen down.

He watched with bated breath as they lifted their mask, their long white hair moving with the calmness of the water. This feeling of serenity was only further enhanced when their eerie golden eyes stared into his honey ones, the foreboding shine glistening off their milky pale skin. Zero emotion emanated from either of them. That was accurate until a wild grin spread across the inner hollow's face.

"If it isn't the king~? Or should I say horse?"

Ichigo nearly snorted from the ridiculous statement, a deep scowl appearing. "Don't start saying ridiculous statements like that! Especially as your first words since last seeing me! Speaking of which, how are you here?! No, WHY are you here?!"

"Have you already forgotten, kingy? When you performed the Final Getsuga Tenshō, our essences were suppressed into the deepest pits of your soul," he answered, his smug grin turning upside down in distaste. "As for why I am here, that's your fault."

"My fault..? How?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The hollow began, his arms raised high to emphasize the ruins of his inner world. "Your despair has caused an imbalance within your soul. Because you refused to move forwards, your soul acted accordingly, and began soul suicide!"

This stopped Ichigo in his tracks, his mind not comprehending what he was telling him. "W-What the hell are you talking about?! Get to the point!"

The hollow sneered. "You lost your powers. Then you worked towards regaining those powers only to have them ripped away once more! Your soul has been under constant distress, and that's not even mentioning your mental state, and the physical injuries you've sustained. Under normal circumstances, a person can't undergo soul suicide unless the balance of their soul has been greatly disturbed. But in your case, you've disturbed the balance by allowing your human body to perish!"

Ichigo's heart stopped, his body flexing against his restraints. "That… that can't be right. You're screwing with me!"

"I'm not joking. Your physical body has died," he slowly began, his face softening a bit. "But your spiritual body hasn't!"

Ichigo remained silent, listening intently.

"Unfortunately, your soul has begun to undergo hollowfication…"

"What..?" He stammered out, his mind running on overdrive.

"... there's no way to stop the hollowfication process, but it won't be as bad as you expect."

He couldn't believe his hollow was saying this. It wouldn't be as bad as he expected? That's pure nonsense!

"B-But… I can't die! I can't leave Yuzu and Karin behind! They'll be devastated without their brother! How isn't this bad?! This is the worst case scenario!"

Once again, the hollow scoffed. But as fast as he scoffed, his persona transformed into something akin to absolute stoicism. "I can't continue this explanation without getting something off my chest," the hollow announced, immediately starting to mumble to himself a moment later. "This can't go on any longer, right? That's right! That damn old man can't hold me back anymore!"

A bead of sweat rolled down Ichigo's temple, something he thought was impossible since he was underwater. Nevertheless, he began to innerly panic. Especially at the mention of old man Zangestu.

"Go on." Was all Ichigo could say.

The hollow stared dead into Ichigo's eyes, not a trace of a smile to be seen anywhere. "All this time, from the very beginning, I've been Zangetsu! And no, this isn't a joke! I've told you this many times, but each time I have, you brushed it off as some form of mind game! In some ways, that's my fault for continuously messing with you, but I never had the intention to do more than just help you."

Before Ichigo could retort that nonsense, a black sword resembling a khyber knife appeared in the true Zangetsu's hand. The sword was unique, it being similar in size to his shikai, albeit a smidge smaller. The grip seemed to be wrapped in white bandages, the same type of bandages that he used to wrap around his shikai before unraveling it. And running throughout the middle of the blade, was a thin, hollowed-out portion that extended down the center.

With a single swing of the blade, the chains entangling Ichigo shattered, releasing him from his restrained position. "This is the true blade of Zangetsu! I know you must be confused, and believe me, I understand. But allow me to explain everything to you. Of course, I don't know the entire story myself, but I understand enough to make you believe me."

Ichigo stood up from his seated position, taking a moment to stretch his agitated limbs before admiring the blade before himself. Even without hearing the explanation, he already believed the hol-... Zangetsu. Something about the sword called to him. It was as if a true soul was within it unlike the pseudo sword he used to swing around.

Seeing that Ichigo remained silent, or more so, after feeling the confliction dissipate within his mind, Zangetsu decided to continue. "This might take a while, however, I'm sure you don't mind since you're currently dead. Additionally, time inside your inner world moves much slower than the outside world. So you'll be just fine. Now, let me start," began Zangetsu, his hand dismissing the khyber knife from sight. "I'll start by detailing the events surrounding your parent's initial meeting."

"What?! You know how they met? How can that be possible?" Ichigo blurted out.

Zangetsu smirked. "I'm not actually a hollow. The truth is I'm actually your zanpakuto spirit which merged with the hollow named White. From the limited memories I can view, your father was attacked by this hollow. It was subjugated and or created by Aizen, who then released it for the intent to research hollowfication. Upon making contact with white, your father put up a fierce fight, but was blindsided by Aizen, most likely to speed up the process. This is when your mother appeared. She fought White with her…. quincy powers."

Ichigo's face matched that of ashen snow, his shock becoming more hysterical the more he learned. "My mother was a quincy?! And my father knew about this from the start? Why… that damn bastard!"

Zangetsu nodded his head at the sentiment. "Yes, she was very much a quincy. Anyhow, after her confrontation with White, she allowed the hollow to bite her so she could kill it while it was distracted. If she were a shinigami or another hollow, this would've worked, but quincies are susceptible to soul suicide if a hollow infects them," Zangetsu paused, his mind trying to remember the rest of the explanation from White's memories. "When White infected your mother, he entered her soul, corrupting her very essence. This threatened the balance of her soul. And if my memory serves right, shinigami are opposite to humans, as quincies are to hollows. So the only way the balance in her soul could be rebalanced was by adding another balance to stabilize it."

The pieces were all fitting together. Believing where Zangetsu was going with his point, Ichigo's mouth opened to speak, "My dad was responsible for balancing out her soul, right?"

Zangetsu seemed shocked by Ichigo's sudden intelligence, a scowl appearing full-force on the strawberry from sensing his zanpakuto's emotions. "I'm surprised you were able to deduce that with your… short sightedness."

This earned Zangetsu a glare, but he chose to ignore it. "As you guessed, your father was the needed balance. With Urahara's assistance, he placed Isshin inside a special gigai that reverted him into a human. From there, your parent's souls were linked, creating the balance that ultimately saved her life."

Another moment of silence overcame the two, Ichigo's thoughts once again running rampant at the revelations. 'Kisuke knew about this too?! Does everyone know besides me? Will I have any allies after all is said and done…?'

"I suppose when my dad made that balance, he lost his shinigami powers since his powers were responsible for suppressing White?" Ichigo questioned, his mind temporarily pushing the negative thoughts away.

Zangetsu nodded. "Correct."

"I see," Ichigo muttered. "So am I to speculate that after my mother's death, White somehow transferred over to my soul?

"That's partially correct. White did transfer over to your soul, but it happened much earlier. To be precise, it happened at the moment of your birth. The moment you had a life signature, White attached itself to your soul, carrying over your father's shinigami powers — which in turn awakened your dormant powers. Sensing this awakening, White latched itself to your shinigami powers, leading to his eventual merging. And thanks to this, your soul became the perfect balance to prevent its separation. In a way, it was fundamentally screwed the moment it decided to connect to us. A well deserved fate if you ask me."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, not fully grasping what Zangetsu was telling him. "I make the perfect balance? How so? I have shinigami powers, hollow powers, and… wait…"

Zangetsu cackled, his usual grin appearing once more. "Yes, that old man is the source of your quincy powers. This entire time, he's been subjugating my influence so I wouldn't be capable of enhancing your true potential. The only good thing to come from your death is that he's still locked in the deepest parts of your soul, and that's specifically because of your transformation into a hollow," he explained, his thumbs pointing towards himself. "But since you've begun hollowfication, my soul was forcibly pulled to the core, most likely as a last ditch effort to correct your imbalance."

That explanation was the most logical. Since Zangetsu was a fusion of both hollow and shinigami energy, the combination should be more than enough to overwhelm and suppress his collapsing soul. Furthermore, the explanation about hollows being opposite to quincies would then explain why the old man was still being suppressed. It was to prevent his quincy energy from harming his transition into a hollow, thus stopping his soul from killing itself.

"Why was he subjugating you? Why was he preventing me from reaching my potential?" Ichigo asked angrily, a sharp pang striking his heart. He's been betrayed by almost everyone. The shinigami abandoned him in his moment of need, Kisuke and his father have been keeping him in the dark, and everyone else is under Tsukishima's influence. And now the old man has also been lying to him? A literal part of his soul?!

"Unfortunately, I have no idea why that bastard did any of this. If he were here now, I would beat his ass to a bloody pulp before restructuring him into a bench," Zangetsu spat, a bloodthirsty aura surrounding him. Ichigo gave him a scrupulous side eye, but didn't say anything in response. "He always talks about doing what is right for you. Saying things like how you'll never understand the life he's saving you from. Like, what is that jackass even talking about?! HAHAHA! Is he an idiot?!"

Ichigo's lips twitched, finding slight humor in Zangetsu's antics. "Though, I wonder what he's thinking right about now. Knowing that he caused you to lose your human life… something you cherished more than anything. If he hadn't held us back, we would've reached our full potential, and none of this would've happened!"

Ichigo was surprised by Zangetu's anger. In a way, it was comforting to know that someone else was there for him. Additionally, it confirmed that he was truly his real zanpakuto. After all, a zanpakuto was a mirror of the wielder, and Zangetu's emotions aligned more with his own than the old man's ever had.

"Damn, so that's everything you know? If so, this has become a lot more aggravating. We need answers from the old man, but that won't be happening anytime soon due to the hollowfication process. Speaking of which, you mentioned me turning into a hollow wouldn't be as bad as it seems. Care to explain now?"

Zangetsu eagerly answered, "It's simple, kingy~! As I already explained to you, I'm both your shinigami and hollow powers. As such, I can override your hollowfication with my own hollowfication. Your current hollowfication will act as the catalyst to reawaken your reiryoku, which then I will rewrite with my reiryoku. With my full powers added to your own hollow energy, you'll be much stronger than you have ever been before… not counting the Final Getsuga Tenshō, of course. The negative part of this is that you won't be human anymore, but more so a Vasto Lorde classed arrancar; the strongest."

Ichigo stared at his feet, not wanting to accept this outcome, but acknowledging that it's much more preferable than dying of soul suicide. If that happened, he wouldn't be able to release his family from Tsukishima's influence. He wasn't sure if his anger was overcoming his instinct to protect, but a part of him couldn't see his friends in the same light anymore. He understood what Tsukishima's ability did, but said ability also showed the true morality of his friends.

For theory's sake, let's say Tsukishima didn't influence his friends, but a close friend of theirs was instead framed by himself. As an example, Tatsuki. Based on what he's seen, they would undoubtedly leave her to perish if it were for his sake. Such loyalty was admirable, but to allow an innocent to have their soul snuffed is despicable! Especially for his sake!

He huffed in agitation. "Oh well, I suppose this is the only way I can save my sisters. How can we do this?"

Zangetsu sensed Ichigo's plight, however, he knew there wasn't anything else he could do for him. With an outstretched hand, he summoned the khyber-knife zanpakuto, placing it right in front of Ichigo's heart.

"Do you trust me?"

Ichigo spent a few moments with his eyes closed, enjoying his last moments as an actual human, whether it be in spirit form or not. Suddenly, he opened his eyes with a newfound strength, his hands grasping the zanpakuto.

"Yes"

And with that, the blade pushed forwards, piercing Ichigo through the heart, and changing his life forever.

---

At Urahara Shōten

---

Fierce orbs of yellow glared at Urahara, obvious annoyance depicted within her posture. As time continued to waste away, she gripped the edge of the open window, her lavish purple hair becoming increasingly damp from the intruding rain. This was Yoruichi Shihouin, the former Captain of the 2nd Division, and now more or less, reduced to a reconnaissance agent for the shopkeeper. She watched with impatience as he continued to pour reiryoku into what appeared to be a spectral sword of energy.

Across from her, sitting with his legs crossed, an irritated Isshin piqued, "Kisuke, how much longer is this going to take? We're running out of time!"

The humble shopkeeper stopped his assignment, wiping away a bead of sweat before readjusting his striped hat. "My my, impatient are we, Kurosaki-san~?"

Isshin rolled his eyes, his hand anxiously rubbing the collar of his neck. "Can't you go faster? Don't you sense what's going on out there? My son is in danger!"

"Now now, don't blame me for your inaction. I didn't tell you to allow those people to manipulate your family's memories. Nor did the Soul Society. You had the choice to interfere and you chose not to."

These words hit Isshin hard, his head bowing in shame knowing that he should've done something earlier. His inaction had progressed to this extent because he assumed the Soul Society would've done something by now. After learning that they were going to leave his son to suffer, he decided it would be for the best if Ichigo wasn't near anyone spiritual. That way he wouldn't learn of their betrayal and feel even worse. It wasn't until he noticed the actions of Xcution that he adamantly began to assist Urahara, helping in any way possible.

Ignoring Isshin, Urahara continued, "If I could operate any faster, you know I would. I owe just as much of a debt to Ichigo as the Soul Society does. However, with the Soul Society staying out of this situation, and with their refusal to aid in the restoration of Ichigo's powers, I had to reconfigure the way the soul restoration blade works."

His hands moved back to the sword as he continued to allocate his energy towards it.

"The initial plan was to have each of the captains pour their energy into this weapon, and in turn, would create a reaction within Ichigo's soul after being stabbed. But since they denied assistance, it took a few extra months to reconstruct a version that would work with our energies, and of course, with the energy of the vizards. This method expended more time than expected, but…," Urahara paused, his eyes widening when he felt a surge from the blade.

Yoruichi noticing his reaction, narrowed her eyes in curiosity as he lifted the sword high, inspecting every little detail with pinpoint precision. From the look on his face, that being a slight glimmer in his eyes, she deduced he had finally completed the sword.

Her speculation wasn't a wrong one either as the cheerful persona of Urahara appeared in all its glory, "...but it would seem like those months of preparation weren't for nothing. The blade is finally complete!"

Isshin jumped from his seat, a cold yet excited happiness radiating off his person. The flash goddess shared a similar reaction as she placed a foot on the open window, her body preparing to flash towards Ichigo.

But before any of them could react, an expansive pressure, one so large that it felt as if an ocean hovered above their heads, crushed down on their bodies. From the three, Urahara seemed the most panicked, his senses picking up on hundreds of hollows, but amidst them all, was one signature that made his heart go cold.

The signature's strength was comparable to that of Sōsuke Aizen… the version of him that hadn't bonded with the hogyoku yet. To some, that feat would seem redundant. But to him, it couldn't be anything aside from phenomenal. That wasn't the part that freaked him out the most, though. It was the familiarity of the signature. It felt a lot like Ichigo's and that simply couldn't be possible… unless…

The hat he wore shadowed his eyes, his grip tightening on his cane while looking in the direction of the anomaly.

"What… what is this presence? An arrancar..?" The feline former captain guessed, her stance strengthening to prevent the pressure from dropping her.

Urahara opened his mouth to answer, but was soundly stopped by the sight of dark red energy tearing through the heavens, seemingly splitting the clouds, causing the rain to stop. The further the blast traveled, the wider it became. For just a few moments, the landscape was bathed in eerie crimson light, the time of day appearing almost day-like.

The trio shared a look before each of them vanished in a shunpo.

---

At the same time - 12th Division

---

Across all laboratory monitors, ones that were designated to survey Karakura Town, alarms blared to life. This was followed with flashing red lights that notified all members that this was an emergency of the greatest kind.

Akon, the vice-president of the Research and Development Institute, hollered orders over the intercom, sweat dripping profusely as he read the scanners.

"T-This can't be!" He gasped, his hands navigating through hundreds of recordings, only stopping until he stumbled upon what he was looking for. What he found was a recording from the substitute shinigami's combat pass, the contents entailing many mind numbing revelations. The key takeaways consisted of; Ichigo's family and friends betraying him, his battle against Tsukishima, Ginjo's backstabbing, and ultimately the loss of the substitute's powers.

What didn't make sense was the deafening silence that followed, only for the pass to reawaken moments later to something monstrous… something that was more hollow than shinigami. Then the combat pass ceased to exist altogether.

As the president, it didn't take him long to realize what happened. He may not understand how it happened or why, but he knows it happened.

Ichigo Kurosaki has hollowfied. To the extent, he wasn't sure. But the last reiatsu reading, if accurate, was immeasurable.

Not wasting time, he stood up, grabbing a few pieces of evidence before running out of the barracks.

---

Seireitei - Captains' Meeting

---

Since the defeat of Sōsuke Aizen, many events have transpired. For one, the vacant positions left from the traitors were still empty. The vizards were willing to take over those roles, but after hearing of their transgressions towards Ichigo, they couldn't in good faith reclaim those spots. So with no other candidates, the lieutenants of said squads were left to take over until suitable replacements were ready.

Those squads being Squad 3, Squad 5, and Squad 9. Without their traitor captains, that left Izuru Kira in control of Squad 3, Momo Hinamori in control of Squad 5, and Shūhei Hisagi in control of Squad 9. Aside from those squads, the only other squad that had any change was Squad 13, and that was because Rukia Kuchiki became a Lieutenant, albeit reluctantly.

That leads over to the next topic. The one regarding the substitute shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki. A shinigami that earned the moniker of winter hero and savior of the Soul Society. Throughout the months, dozens of meetings were arranged, all discussing what they should do about his powers, and situation. Each time they discussed, it ended in angry debating, and an equally impatient Head Captain.

When Urahara made his initial suggestion, some captains agreed… those being the likes of Kenpachi Zaraki, Toshiro Hitsugaya, Jushiro Ukitake, Shunsui Kyoraku, and Retsu Unohana. But there were those who were split between shinigami pride and allowing Ichigo to have a human life… those being the likes of Byakuya Kuchiki and Sajin Komamura.

Then, of course, there were those who didn't care or wish to see Ichigo at all… those being Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Soi Fon.

Since the votes were always split 5-5, a decision could never be reached. Although, with the neutral party starting to lean in favor of Ichigo, another meeting was adjourned.

"We can't have a substitute shinigami making a mockery of the Soul Society! He constantly disgraces our image by neglecting the rules! These rules are put into place for a reason… yet he constantly ignores those rules, setting a precedent for other criminals!" Snapped Soi Fon.

A raspy voice chimed in response, "Blah, blah, blah! Who cares about all that nonsense?! All I care about is strength! He's proven that he's much more capable of backing up his talk than you ever could!"

Soi Fon's face turned bright red, her anger fuming. "How dare you?! You're merely projecting your dissatisfaction at having been bested by Kurosaki… no less when he was still immature, and without a bankai!"

Kenpachi broke out into laughter, bloodlust encompassing him. "And you think you would've done better? With that puny sword of yours that has no sharpness? Get real. I doubt you'd even be capable of breaking his skin! BWAHAHAHA!"

Before their battle of insults could continue, Shunsui cut in. "Now, now. Let's not fight like children. That'll get us nowhere."

"I agree," a man with long white hair wheezed, his arm covering his mouth as he coughed. "The substitute shinigami has saved us more than a couple of times. If we didn't help him in his time of need, would we really be living up to our names as protectors of the Soul Society?"

This collected multiple nods from around the room… and a furious glare from the hornet queen.

The next one to speak was Unohana, her gentle aura calming all but those who know of her true strength. "In my opinion, Kurosaki-san is an essential marker for the Soul Society to progress any further," she began, her words surprising many in the room, including Yamamoto. "During the winter war, when I was healing his injuries in the garganta, Kurosaki-san explained to me how his shihakushō is a part of his bankai."

Byakuya raised a curious eyebrow, not having known this despite being the first person to have fought against his bankai. He knew the shihakushō transformed, but he didn't know it was a literal part of his bankai.

"The topic came into discussion when I jokingly mentioned his sloppy control. But as he does, he fought against my words, telling me he'd be capable of controlling his power if he had even half of his energy available. Thinking he was joking, I dismissed his words as simple ego boosting, but then he explained how his shihakushō operates. Apparently, the more complete his shihakushō is, the more energy he possesses. And when he possessed only a single sleeve worth of his shihakushō, he was equal to that of most captains."

All of the captains were shocked, even Yamamoto who didn't really care for the human boy. But he wouldn't lie, he was more than mildly impressed by the boy's power, and more so by the fact that his potential was far from being realized. If he were born in the Soul Society, he would've trained him personally. Perhaps he could've been his future replacement? Nevertheless, there was also a part of him that was disappointed that not even a single captain, besides Kenpachi, carried a similar potential. Yeah, there was Aizen, but that insufferable brat was a traitor, and would forever remain in Muken!

Breaking the silence, Mayuri eagerly chimed, "That's a very intriguing proclamation. Wouldn't it be best if I could 'borrow' him as a test subject? Such a specimen would prove most excellent! So many unearthly secrets could be discovered!"

Scrutinizing gazes fell upon him. Something he could hardly care about.

"Is that all you ever think about?"

Mayuri scanned the room, trying to find the person who asked such a ridiculous question. What came next puzzled him.

"Down here! I'm talking to you!"

Absent mindedly, almost as if his eyes were jiggling around like googly eyes, he averted his stare downwards, the sight of an angry Toshiro filling his sight. "Oh my, how long have you been there? I didn't know children were allowed to attend such meetings."

A vein burst forth from Toshiro's forehead, his eyes closing so he could focus on breathing, and not strangling. "I'm Captain of the 10th Division, Captain Hitsugaya! I'm not a child, I am a Captain!"

"Ah yes, accept my dearest apologies, Captain Hitsugaya."

The last part was obviously laced in sarcasm, multiple more veins appearing on the short captain's forehead. Before things got too heated, Rangiku placed her hands on her captain's shoulders, redirecting his attention elsewhere.

A light-hearted laughter broke the tension, of course belonging to Shunsui, one of the only captains to find humor in anything. "As enlightening as that was, let's get back on topic. So the substitute shinigami has a reiatsu level that's presumably three to four times greater than most of us here? That would explain his amateur control over his power. He doesn't have a proper teacher to help him along. So, why don't we help him? If we assist him now, we'll have acquired a long term ally, one that we can eventually train when he passes on? It's just a thought."

His suggestion seemed to register with everyone, minus Mayuri who couldn't care less. Even Soi Fon, who was still bitter, hesitantly agreed. Despite her dislike of the boy, perhaps she could mold him into something useful? And he is already a student of Yoruichi-sama… so it only made sense, right?

Noticing the decreasing apprehension, Yamamoto slammed his cane against the ground, pulling the attention of everyone. "It's been decided. We will assist Ichigo Kurosaki in…"

The sound of the meeting room's doors opening stopped him mid sentence, his eyes opening in annoyance. "What is the meaning of this?!"

At the entrance, Akon stood, sweat trailing down his complexion as his eyes swept across the room. Not to make the captains' wait any longer, he cleared his throat, and announced something that would ensure chaos.

"Ichigo Kurosaki's has… hollowfied."

Everyone stared in shock, an immediate sense of emergency falling upon them. To Akon's delight, Mayuri hurriedly snatched the items from his hands, his eyes glazing over the evidence.

"This… shouldn't be possible. He's not just hollowfied…," began Mayuri, years of research dropping into the trash from the facts before him. "It's almost as if the composition of his soul has morphed into that of a TRUE hollow."

Byakuya, having faced off against Ichigo's hollow before, voiced his thoughts. "Captain Kurotsuchi, are you implying that Kurosaki has fully transitioned into a hollow? If so, what are you basing this on?"

"UGH, the idiocy of you bunch. Take a look at this!" He exclaimed, pressing a device that caused multiple projections to appear in the air. From the center one, audio recordings from the combat pass were played. The same events Akon had witnessed moments prior played from start to end, showcasing the betrayal, loss, and grief of Ichigo. Some of the captains looked away when the recordings played his crying, feeling as if they were intruding in something that they weren't supposed to be hearing. But then again, they were at fault for allowing Ginjo's group to run rampant. They should've tracked their position the moment Rukia mentioned her attempt to speak to Ichigo from the combat pass.

No more than a few moments later, they collectively cringed at hearing Ichigo's 'bartering' skills, only to then get speared into the ground by Ginjo's sword. Then the projection went quiet, nothing happening due to the last remains of Ichigo's powers vanishing, preventing the pass from recording anything more. That being until a large reiatsu signature reawakened the pass, only to be instantly eviscerated before it could record anything more.

Mayuri waved his hand over the next projection, said projection displaying a list of graphs that showcased the spikes in Ichigo's reiatsu.

"As you can see for yourself, the reiatsu spike near the end was the highest recorded reading we've ever witnessed from the substitute. We witnessed him losing his powers, and then getting presumably stabbed by Kugo Ginjo. With no powers to stabilize his body, and with two dormant souls within himself, his soul must've forcibly caused hollowfication to occur to prevent soul suicide; an anomaly that triggers when the balance of a soul is disrupted."

Despite everyone disliking Mayuri, they understood why he was a captain. He possessed a great deal of intelligence. Not to the level of Urahara, but don't get caught saying that in front of him.

The room remained oddly quiet, glances being shot around the room before the booming sound of a cane once again slammed into the ground. "With these unfortunate turn of events, we have no choice but to search into these matters immediately. If Ichigo Kurosaki has truly turned into a hollow, we cannot allow him to walk around freely. He must be killed and purified!"

Having stayed silent the entire meeting, Rukia hurriedly voiced her opinion. "W-Wait! It could all be a misunderstanding! And… and even if he has hollowfied, he's still Ichigo! He would never hurt anyone! Please hea-"

Before she could continue, a solid hand gripped her shoulder. She turned to see Jushiro, his head shaking to signify that she had to stop. She bit her lip in refusal before storming past Akon, leaving the meeting room in a hurry. Renji looked as if he was about to run after her, however, stopped when he caught Byakuya stern stare.

"The insolence of that girl! Does she have no shame?!" An irritated Soi Fon shouted, mixed reactions emanating throughout the chamber.

Jushiro coughed a few times, pulling the attention of the other captains. "Please forgive my lieutenant. You know very well that she has a close connection to that human boy. Perhaps there's another way to solve this without having to kill him? Rukia was right about his will power. Even as a hollow, I'm sure he would never hurt a soul unless attacked first."

Following his lead, Shunsui continued from his spot. "Jushiro is right. When we fought the espada during the winter war, there were many amongst their ranks that were highly intelligent. Jushiro and I fought against a particular espada who had a companion! From what I could see, they dearly cared for each other. My point is if they could have bonds, I'm sure Kurosaki-san will be just fine."

"I disagree. What we represent would be compromised if we allowed a hollow to run free!" Sajin Komamura, Captain of the 7th Division, voiced adamantly. Following his statement, Soi Fon's obligations returned to her duties, nodding her head in agreement. Byakuya, on the other hand, remained oddly silent.

With too much talk, and no action, Yamamoto raised his reiatsu, making all of the captains go silent. "Enough! The insolence to go against a direct order! I'll say it once more! Ichigo Kurosaki is to be executed on the spot if evidence of his hollowfication is accurate. The role of this mission will be carried out by Captain Kuchiki, Captain Soi Fon, Captain Komamura, and Captain Kyoraku! This mission is to be carried out immediately. Dismissed!"

Orders being ordered, everyone funneled out of the room, Jushiro whispering something into Kyoraku's ear before walking past him.

'Why does old man Yama always make things difficult?' Shunsui sighed.

---

Karakura Town - With Ichigo

---

Ripples of energy dripped from Ichigo's collapsed body, his figure lifting slightly off the ground as a blinding light concealed his form. When the star-like illumination died out, his appearance had changed significantly, many alterations coexisting across the plain of his demonic yet alluring image. Starting from his feet, he had undergone a similar evolution as Zangetsu, his toes transforming into sharp, dagger-like claws. They were awfully reminiscent of thinly sculpted blades.

At his ankles, a layer of red fur encased the area, partially concealed by the length of his black shihakushō — the very same shihakushō that appears when he releases his bankai — an attire that Ichigo both accepts and appreciates. Identical to his ankles, red fur also enveloped his wrists and collar. The fur snuggling his wrists tightly, while the sleeves of his shihakushō were just long enough to avoid covering them. The collar of his shihakushō, cut inward in a v-shape, is also adorned with the same fur, but less prominent compared to the other regions.

Moving to bodily changes, his once neutral skin tone became many times paler, the shade comparable to slightly tampered paper, but nothing darker. When compared to Zangetsu, he was clearly a few levels darker, something akin to neutral white tainted by a light gray. Despite the brightness of his complexion, the texture of his skin was obviously softer, and dare he say creamier. Something that would have Rangiku begging for his skin care secrets.

Complimenting his eerily white guise, long sunburnt hair, once short, hangs loosely to his lower back. The contrasting shades of pale white and bright orange creating a tantalizing, almost feminine, portrayal of absolute grace. With these combined attributes merging to showcase ethereal perfection, they work together in unison to allow the remaining changes to shine the brightest.

Starting from the most eye-catching change would be his large white horn — a horn that looks identical to ones he had when he fought Ulquiorra Cifer. The location of this horn is on the right side of his head, the same side where his partial hollow mask is located. His mask extends no further than the cheekbone, a bright golden eye casting a faint glow through the mask's eyehole.

Seemingly portraying the duality between his humanity and hollow side, his right eye remains its usually bright honey… albeit a hint of amber can be seen swimming throughout.

And not to forget the most important change, the singularity of both his heart and mind. This of course being the pitch black hollow hole amidst the center of his chest. If turning into a hollow wasn't already ironic, the location of his hole was exactly where Ulquiorra's was. A fact that squeezed a dry chuckle from his throat.

With his transformation complete, his feet collided with the damp earth, the weight of his body feeling featherlike compared to his human vessel. Averting his gaze, he noted three swords, each of which were laid next to his deceased corpse.

The longest sword, also the most familiar, was a black daitō sword — the length roughly 120 cm, with it being slightly smaller than Tensa Zangetsu. From the appearance alone, he would've assumed it was Tensa, but the guard wasn't its usual shape. Instead, it was rectangular, the color a shiny black with red lining outing its authority. Just below it laid a grip that was an exact replica to his bankai.

The second sword, carrying an almost dull glimmer, was a silver wakizashi — the length estimated around 60 cm due to the size being half of what the daitō was. What stood out the most was the lifeless aura that resonated from its core. He would have assumed the sword was entirely void, however, there was something about its essence that screamed undeniable presence. And just like the previous blade, this one carried an identical guard, albeit the grip's colors were a bit different. Instead of laced crimson segments, it now bore deep blue ones, the encircling color remaining a midnight black.

The third and final sword, the least familiar yet most beautiful, was a pure white o katana — the length surmising an exact 100 cm. Despite its unfamiliarity, the blade beckoned him the most, begging for his aura to soothe its existence. Out of the three, this one carried a mountain of differences. The guard was circular in shape, the material a translucent glassy steel that was snow white in color. The grip was an even brighter shade of white than the blade, the length of its hold embezzled with orange gems as if it were trying to match its wielder. Protruding from the buttcap, a sequence of white chain links stretched outwards, bringing forth a storm of memories that were related to his bankai.

'Do… these swords belong to me?' Ichigo queried.

Looking around, he found no sign of anything besides the shadows of hollows that stepped back hesitatingly. They were more than willing to consume his soul moments ago, but now they were questioning their decision. Especially after feeling his immense reiatsu. His pressure suffocated them more than any other Vasto Lorde within Hueco Mundo, this mere fact signaling alarm bells.

Ichigo ignored the hollows, his full attention moving back to the blades. He cautiously bent down, his pale hand wrapping around the white o katana as a surge of power crept into his body.

'About damn time!' Zangetsu broke through the silence.

Ichigo nearly jumped. His heightened senses barely preventing his instincts from taking hold of himself. 'What the hell! Don't surprise me like that!'

The sound of laughter filled his head. 'Yeah, yeah. Don't blame me because you're a pansy!'

'Tch. So, how are you even talking to me? You've never displayed the capability to do that before. Only the old man has been capable of that. Though, that's usually when I'm at death's door.'

'I'm sure you've seen the swords, right?'

Ichigo nodded. 'Yep'

'That's your answer! You see, those swords are your zanpakuto. When I overrode your hollowfication, or well more so, suffocated it with my own powers… our hollow energies merged, and created that white sword. During the battles against the espada, remember how they transformed after calling upon their sword? For them, they have a similar power as the shinigami's shikai and bankai. But instead of imprinting their soul onto an asauchi, they achieve a similar feat by sealing their hollow powers and form to create a zanpakuto. Through this, they are able to obtain what they call resurrección,' began Zangetsu.

'But since you don't possess a hollow form of your own, our hollow energies merged together to create a unique transformation, resulting in the creation of that blade. When you touched the sword, the combining energies resulted in this communication link.'

Ichigo pondered his words. 'Our hollow energies merged? If that's the case, something tells me if I had fully hollowfied, I would have been a pretty powerful hollow. After all, our energies together formed an entirely new blade. Am I wrong to assume this? Or am I simply underestimating your own hollow power?'

'Aye, you're finally startin' to use your brain! Perhaps becoming a hollow is what you needed to grow your intelligence! But yes, you're correct! Since your soul has had time to develop, you would've most definitely skipped through the hollow evolutions to become either an Adjuchas or Vasto Lorde. Though, since that sword was created from our merged energies, it's safe to assume you would've been a Vasto Lorde.'

Ignoring his insults, Ichigo merely nodded, his eyes drifting over towards the remaining two swords. 'And what of those? You said your hollow energy merged into the white blade. So what could those be?'

Zangetsu frowned. 'Never mind, I take back my words about you having a brain. It should be obvious what those blades represent. The black sword looks identical to Tensa Zangetsu, does it not? That's not a coincidence! It represents your shinigami powers!'

'Wait… wouldn't that make it my actual zanpakuto? Why does it look so different from the one you were holding in my inner world?!'

Zangetsu nearly facepalmed.

'It looks different because it's sealed. SEALED! A part of me understands your confusion, but the other part finds your lack of foresight to be unsightly.'

Ichigo was shocked. 'W-Wait, my zanpakuto can be sealed? Why didn't you ever tell me this?'

'You lacked the control to do so. Additionally, there was no point in telling you because, for one, you didn't trust me. Secondly, you wouldn't have been able to suppress your powers for the life of yourself.'

'So how is it sealed right now? I didn't seal it.' Ichigo asked.

Zangetsu paused, a brief silence overcoming them before he spoke. 'I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I believe it has to do with you not having an asauchi. Since your powers are being strained without a proper conduit, the energies must've called upon your hollow instincts to seal them.'

'You mentioned that word before. What exactly is an asauchi?' Pressed Ichigo.

'The old man would be better at explaining this. Though, I'll give you a brief explanation. So basically an asauchi is a blank zanpakuto which a shinigami utilizes to imprint their soul onto. Without an asauchi, a shinigami would be incapable of harnessing their zanpakuto spirit's abilities,' Zangetsu disclosed.

Just like many other explanations, this one confused him. 'If that's true… then how come I've been capable of wielding Zangetsu?'

'Earlier, I explained how White attached himself to your shinigami powers, remember? With his existence being bound to your shinigami power, he inadvertently became the sword's scabbard, thus acting as a form of conduit for your powers to take shape in,' Zangetsu elaborated. 'But without a way to materialize, the scabbard remained unattainable. That's where the old man comes in. He's been manipulating his control over reishi to create a vessel for your scabbard to encompass, allowing you to wield a projection of your zanpakuto. It's never been a real zanpakuto, it has always been an imitation so you'd be capable of fighting. That's why your zanpakuto looked different when I showed you it earlier.'

Ichigo rubbed his temple. Why was there a complicated explanation for everything? Is this why Aizen screwed with him constantly? Because he was some form of hybrid with untold secrets?

'I see. But as we know, the old man is sealed in the depths of my soul. How are these swords out here if he isn't here to project them? You can't control reishi.' Ichigo brought up a good point.

Zangetsu smugly exclaimed, 'Well, that's a funny story actually! Ya see that third blade?'

Ichigo turned towards the wakizashi. 'I do.'

'That blade represents yer quincy powers. When I was being pulled from the core of your soul, the old man shared a portion of what remained of his power. With that remaining power, I was capable of linking the scabbard, gaining access to those blades. Although, when he manages to recover, the projections along with his quincy powers will not be accessible if he so decides. Since he shared his power, I'm sure he won't reject you, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.'

As Zangetsu explained things, Ichigo started to relocate his zanpakutos across his body; both the black and white ones being attached to his waist while the inactive quincy blade was hidden beneath his shihakushō — it clinging tightly to the inside of his shinigami hakama pants.

'In conclusion, we should probably obtain an asauchi so you can obtain full control over both your quincy and shinigami powers. Until then, your zanpakuto will remain split between three different swords. Once you combine your quincy powers with your shinigami ones, you'll be left with two swords. Your hollow zanpakuto and your merged zanpakuto consisting of quincy and shinigami energy,' Zangetsu finished.

'I agree. We definitely need to acquire an asauchi. Though, that'll be a bit tricky since the Soul Society is the only place that has those.'

Before Zangetsu could reply, Ichigo's instincts kicked in, his body vanishing in a static boom as he appeared a few feet away from a hollow. He shook his head disappointedly, his vision taking in the sight of a few dozen hollows charging, all of whom found the gall to attack after seeing the actions of one.

He wouldn't waste his time by removing his swords from his waist. Instead, he hunched forwards as a tiny red orb manifested from his horn, said orb suddenly growing many times larger until it resembled the size of a meteorite. It was too late for the hollows. Some of them tried to flee, but they knew what awaited them.

The sound of a heavy bass-like booming ripped through the hollows, evaporating their bodies instantly as a powerful wave carried throughout the heavens. The sight of splitting clouds filled his vision, his mouth parting in awe from the beautiful spectacle. Without looking away, he raised his arm, catching the fist of one of the remaining hollows. He glanced to the side, fear radiating from their aura before he slammed his reiatsu onto their body, crushing them to death near instantly.

He turned towards the remaining hollows, each flinching after seeing what he had just done. They turned to run, but just like their ally, they found themselves pinned to the earth — a massive pressure crushing them into oblivion. Ichigo sighed, his eyes staring down at his hands. He wondered if he was perhaps a bit too harsh. Before he could ponder this thought, the presence of three reiatsu's appeared behind him.

"Ichigo… i-is that you?" A burly voice questioned.

His father. Or was he now a stranger? He didn't know anymore. His father always had a way of screwing with him. One moment he was praising him for just about anything. The next moment he was hiding everything he knew. Does he not trust him? Does he think he can't handle the truth? A sigh nearly escaped his mouth, but he held it back as he turned towards the trio.

When he faced them, he noticed his father's flinch, an action that made Ichigo feel shame. He knew he shouldn't feel that way. He didn't ask to be killed. He didn't ask to be turned into a hollow. But it's just the fact that his father was the one giving him that look. He decided to avert his attention away from him, his hollow hole burning as he placed a hand over it. He shifted his attention to Urahara and Yoruichi.

For the most part, Urahara seemed normal. He held his fan in front of his face, a calm reassuring smile always etched onto his lips. Sharing a similar reaction, Yoruichi analyzed Ichigo's new appearance, her eyes lingering on him longer than they should've. Her face was slightly flushed, but aside from that, she reacted the way she always did. That of course by exhibiting signs of worry.

"W-What happened to you Ichigo?!" Yoruichi yelled in worry, her soft hands grabbing his arm as she began to inspect him.

He gave a slight smile, his face almost a pure mask of emptiness. "Isn't it obvious? Those damn people from Xcution killed me. Because of it, I turned into a hollow… well more so an arrancar, but what's the difference?"

Their reactions were just as he expected. His father's face was etched in regret. Yoruichi's face was shocked, her hands tightening their hold on his arm. And Urahara kept a calm demeanor, almost acting as if he knew about his fate before even arriving.

"Oh boy. I knew things were bad, but I didn't think they were this bad," Urahara muttered, his hand gripping the spiritual sword that he had invented. Ichigo eyed the sword cautiously, unsure of what its purpose was. Yoruichi, who was still holding his arm, felt his body tense. She followed his gaze to the sight of the sword.

"Relax, Ichigo. That sword isn't meant to harm you," she assured.

Urahara nodded at this, his goofy grin appearing at the first opportunity. "She's correct, Kurosaki-san. This sword was actually made to restore your powers. Though, the world has a cruel way of showing its gratitude. I had just finished the final touches less than thirty minutes ago, but I was much too late. Please accept my apologies," the shopkeeper bowed, his eyes covered by the shadow of his hat.

"It's… it's fine. You were at least trying to help me," Ichigo began, his eyes turning cold. "But I won't forgive you for not helping my sisters. You had every possibility to help, but you decided against it. I'm smart enough to know that you're always aware of everything that happens. You wouldn't have overlooked what was happening!"

Urahara kept his head bowed. "You may not believe me but I honestly thought the Soul Society would've intervened. That's why I stayed out of the situation. Now I know I shouldn't have relied on someone else to ensure the success of such a basic objective."

Ichigo gave a wary stare. "If you want to make it up to me, why don't you undo the memory nonsense that Tsukishima did to their minds? There must be a way to override his ability!"

Urahara raised his head, his eyes once again becoming visible. "I'll do what I can. But I can't promise anything. With the current developments, I wouldn't be surprised if the Soul Society was soon sniffing their nose into business that doesn't concern them."

Not being able to hold back his disappointment, Ichigo stared into the sky, his eyes trailing the stars as if it would be his last time. He felt Yoruichi's hand move over the hand that was covering his hollow hole, his gaze shifting to her. "What do you think you're doing?"

She glared defiantly.

"Why are you hiding your hollow hole? Do you think we'll judge you? You should know by now that Kisuke and I would never judge you for such a simple thing! Even if you are a hollow, you have a heart of pure gold. Nothing will change that."

This turn of event surprised him, his heart throbbing as if his emotions were trying to break free from their shackles.

"She's right, Kurosaki-san. Whether you're a hollow, human, or shinigami, it doesn't matter. In the end, it's your actions that prove your standard. Do you really think I would've trained you if I thought otherwise?" Urahara chimed in.

He could do nothing besides nod, allowing Yoruichi to remove his hand. He turned to his father once more, his thumb held upwards in a sign of affirmation. "Sorry for my odd reaction, my dear son! I was taken aback by the revelation. Nevertheless, what they say is correct. It doesn't matter what you are because you'll always be my son! So no more of this pity nonsense or I'll give you the ol' one, two, three morning surprise assault!"

'Jeez, that old man always ruins the moment. Right when I start believing him, he has to mention something about surprise attacking me?'

Then again, despite his actions of always hiding stuff, would he have him any other way? He took a deep breath, a calm smile relaxing his exhausted features. Why was he allowing all of this to affect him so much? He was almost positive that Urahara could help him with Tsukishima. As for his appearance, the crazy shopkeeper should be capable of crafting him a gigai that conceals both his appearance and power. Why wouldn't he?

He opened his mouth to speak, the air around him shifting just barely as the first syllable exited his lips.

"Y-"

A sharp pain tore through his chest, a curved tachi sticking through the right side of his pectoral as he narrowed his eyes in confusion. A thin stream of blood left the corner of his mouth, a static boom implying he ripped himself off the blade, using sonido to vanish dozens of meters away. He nearly collapsed to the ground from the sudden strike, blood leaving his mouth as he covered it with his hand.

"My, my. Holding a party without me? It's rude not to invite guests," a laidback voice spoke, three more bodies appearing beside him.

Urahara moved his hand to his cane, the spirit sword vanishing into a small device before unsheathing his actual blade. "If it isn't Captain Kyoraku. A captain of your stature in the world of the living? You don't see that every day."

"You speak too highly of me," Kyoraku drawled, his hand adjusting his straw-hat. "For why I am here. Well, we heard rumors from the 12th Division that Ichigo had turned into a hollo-"

He was cut off by an agitated Soi Fon. "We're here to cleanse that hollow filth! If you try to stop us, you'll be joining him, Kisuke Urahara!"

Hearing her words, Ichigo glared with a rising anger, his hand squeezing tightly to prevent himself from gutting her right then and now.

"Ah, I see. That lovely smile of yours truly makes everyone feel at peace, ya know?" Urahara jokingly taunted.

Soi Fon glared, the flash goddess cutting in before her student could embarrass herself further trying to taunt the shopkeeper. "Soi Fon, think things through before you act rashly. Remember my teachings. I didn't instruct you to behave in this manner. If you can't see the true meanings behind my lessons, then you have failed my expectations."

The furious bee captain halted. "Yoruichi-sama, you taught me to cleanse hollows in the most effective way possible! To ensure the safety of the Soul Society! How is this any different?!"

Ichigo listened to their babbling, the wound on his chest finally healing. It would've healed much faster if his instant regeneration was working properly, but his soul was still stabilizing the energies within himself. Because of this, he wasn't capable of healing any faster than the current rate. Having finally healed, he turned towards the debating shinigami, his anger increasing by the minute.

'I save them on multiple occasions and this is how they repay me? By killing me?!' Ichigo angrily thought, his mind remembering what Urahara said moments ago.

'The soul society knew that I was struggling with the loss of my powers, huh..? They knew about Xcution too, didn't they? Why else would Urahara have expected them to help me?' He grit his teeth, his hands gripping his new zanpakutos — his right hand holding the black sword while his left hand held the white one.

"Enough of these silly games! Captain Soi Fon doesn't answer to your whim. She answers to the law of the Soul Society! The orders of the Head Captain are absolute!" Captain Komamura cut in, not wasting any more time on pleasantries.

Beside him, the Captain of the 6th Division, Byakuya Kuchiki, nodded his head solemnly. Despite having been bested by the human boy, he was unsure of what he could do to prevent his fate. His battle against him at Sōkyoku Hill taught him that sometimes going against the law is the right choice. But following the morally correct path has its disadvantages. For one, if he were to fail, what would happen to his sister, Rukia? Personally, he wasn't scared of the concept of death. What truly scared him was the thought of what would happen to the ones he cared about after he passed. That's something he grew to care about the more he fought alongside Ichigo.

With closed eyes, and a heavy shame, he grabbed the handle of Senbonzakura. "I'm sorry, Ichigo Kurosaki. This is the only way."

Time froze for Ichigo. He wasn't sure what his 'allies' would do if the captains decided to attack him. Would they fight alongside him? Or would they sit aside so they didn't get in trouble with the Soul Society? He figured his dad would fight alongside him, but is that what he wanted? If he were to die, or better yet, if he were to be labeled disposable… what would that mean for his sisters? He bit his lip, the taste of blood still potent in his mouth.

He knew there was only one way out of this. An option that guaranteed the safety of his family, but destroyed any chance for him to live a normal life. His entire mind fought against his moral dilemma, however, he knew he had already made his decision the moment he started to debate his family's safety. Noticing the many adversaries drawing their weapons, he flashed Urahara a stare, giving a sideways head nod.

Urahara's eyes widened, his head giving a curt shake even though he still felt a sense of reluctance. Ichigo frowned, his hands pulling his swords free from their restraints before vanishing in a flicker. As fast as he vanished, he appeared in front of a 'surprised' Urahara, his black blade crashing down on Urahara's cane sword.

This act caught Yoruichi and Isshin off guard, their defenses activating as the rest of the captains prepared to attack. They were confused by the backstabbing as well, but only two of them saw what was truly happening.

"What are you doing Ichigo?!" Isshin yelled.

Ignoring his question, Ichigo raised the white blade before whispering, "Getsuga Tenshō."

A large wave of blackish red energy shot towards Isshin. He barely managed to draw his Engetsu in time to counter the strike, his own sword releasing a fire-like getsuga to counter the crescent wave.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura." An ocean of cherry petals shot towards him, his foot kicking into Urahara's stomach before flashing backwards, barely avoiding a side sweep from Yoruichi who reluctantly attacked. Behind him, twin swords aimed to once again pierce his defenses, but he avoided this by ducking, only to be met by the stinger of Soi Fon.

'Shit!' Ichigo mentally shouted as a butterfly marking appeared on his shoulder. He wondered if he should activate his bankai. He wasn't sure if the pseudo projection of his sword could handle that much power. Especially without the old man controlling his reishi. His thoughts then drifted towards the hollow zanpakuto, the only sword of his that seemed capable of transformation without the worry of a projection shattering. After all, the white blade wasn't created from a projection. It was created from the merging of his hollow powers.

He spun in the air, dodging a second stinger attack from Soi Fon before swinging at her, causing her to crash against the ground. He continued to fly backwards, a red orb charging from his horn which caught everyone off guard.

"Cero."

A blinding light encompassed the landscape as a wide energy attack scorched the earth. Before the attack could reach them, Shunsui shunpoed in front of it, his swords striking forwards, eradicating the blast with ease.

Ichigo was taken aback by the lack of effort he displayed. He knew that wasn't a fully charged cero, but he still negated it with a single strike. His shock was broken when a barrage of cherry blossoms consumed his body, thousands of tiny cuts tearing through his natural hierro. His regeneration fought against the building damage.

Annoyance radiated from his expression, dark red energy swirling around his body before he shouted, "Getsuga Tenshō!" The petals that covered his body were halted, turned to dust with a flick of his wrists.

"Bankai: Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō!" When those words reached Ichigo's ears, he nearly panicked as a massive giant swung towards him.

His cero had given him some distance from the assaulting captains, his 'former allies' still debating if they should attack him or not. He looked up at the giant armored figure, a distant memory reminding him of its weakness.

'That's right. When the giant is injured, the wielder is too. That's how Aizen defeated Komamura's bankai each time he fought him. The first time at Sōkyoku Hill and the second time during the Karakura Town invasion,' Ichigo remembered. 'I have a plan… but I'll have to hold back to prevent downright killing him. I'll use the chaos to escape.'

Raising his white sword, he slashed the air sideways. A thin, yet condensed arch of purple energy becoming suspended before he charged his black sword. The captains halted their advancement, analyzing his movements cautiously. A smirk adorned Ichigo's face as he charged yellow reiryoku into the blade, slashing forwards as he struck the levitating energy.

"Getsuga Jūjishō."

What came next surprised even him. A large X shaped getsuga exploded outwards, the raw energy slamming against Tengen Myō'ō as it shattered the giant's sword. The energy broke through its defenses and sliced him from the shoulder downwards, creating two splitting diagonal cuts across his upper body. Matching the giant, blood splattered from Komamura's form as he fell to the ground, motionless.

"W-What the…?" Soi Fon exclaimed. Byakuya shared a similar reaction, his Senbonzakura receding backwards defensively.

As for Shunsui, he knew he would regret coming here. He had been fighting to prevent Ichigo from being executed, but he might have to take this fight a bit seriously to stop him from killing the other captains. He wondered if Ichigo would be capable of finding his message. He'd find a way to tell him.

Yoruichi watched from the sidelines, quite impressed with Ichigo's power, but still confused by his actions. Though, from what she could gather, Kisuke seemed to know something. She determined this by seeing his casual, but reluctant hesitation. It wasn't the hesitation you'd see when determining if you should attack. It was the type of hesitation that gripped a person when they knew something but couldn't act on it. She would confront him afterwards. That was for a damn fact.

Out of the three, Isshin seemed the most confused. He was split between fighting back and watching like the others. He felt like there was more to Ichigo's behavior, however, he couldn't say for sure.

Seeing the state of everyone's distress, Ichigo took his chance to escape. With a swipe of his hand, he tore space time to open a rift to the garganta. If he were still a human with hollow powers, he would've needed Zangetsu's help to achieve such a feat. But now that he was a true hybrid hollow, his instincts told him what to do. That's how he was able to fire off a cero two times without ever having done so before. He stepped foot into the dark realm, his eyes drifting backwards as he caught Shunsui's gesture. He was pointing at his pectoral, the same place where he had stabbed him. Was he insulting him? No, there was something else to this message. He knew there was.

Turning away, he stepped fully into the gateway. With a zip, the dimension closed, leaving the captains in a mixed state of mind.

"He got away?! Are you all incompetent?!" Soi Fon snapped.

Shunsui remained calm, disengaging his zanpakuto before kneeling down to assist the injured Captain of the 7th Division. "That was a powerful attack. I'm surprised you survived that head on, Captain Komamura."

This earned a pained huff from the wolf captain, his body wracked with so much damage that he couldn't move a muscle.

"Although, I could tell he was holding back considerably. If he so decided, he could've leveled you with his full power. And what I find the strangest is that he didn't find the need to activate his shikai or bankai. From mere observation alone, I'd say he's become much stronger than he was before. Then again, none of us were using our full power so he probably didn't feel threatened enough to take us on seriously," Shunsui speculated.

Footsteps approached the ranting captain, the stoic voice of Byakuya cutting in to add, "He also had a second zanpakuto somehow. I didn't think it was possible for zanpakuto to evolve in such a manner. Only Captain Ukitake and yourself have been known to possess a dual wield type zanpakuto."

"Yeah, I noticed that. Perhaps you know something about this, Urahara-san?" Shunsui questioned, his stare side-eying the humble genius.

Urahara feigned ignorance, staring around the landscape before catching his gaze. "Oh, are you talking to lil ol' me?"

This earned him a smack from Yoruichi. "Okay, okay! Sorry to break your hearts, but I have no idea how Kurosaki-san obtained a second zanpakuto. Before I could ask him, you decided to surprise attack him with your… let's say… interesting backstab."

The shopkeeper's tone was suggestive, a sly smile appearing on his calm mask as he gave the captain a brief wink. This went unnoticed by everyone besides Shunsui and Yoruichi. Finding his antics somewhat comical, Shunsui slumped his shoulders. "That's unfortunate. Though, I am sure someone of your caliber has an opinion? Perhaps one that you'd be willing to share with an old, crippled man like myself?"

"Ah! When you say it like that, I might have some inclination of what is going on."

An agitated Soi Fon looked on in annoyance. "Can you hurry up? We have to return to the Soul Society to report on our mission. The Head Captain isn't going to be happy about this."

"Oh, you'd be willing to leave faster if I explained things? You should've said so from the beginning!" Urahara teased.

She merely glared in anger. She knew it was pointless to let his words get to her. Anytime she argued with him, she only seemed to piss off Yoruichi. At the moment, that was something she was trying to prevent from happening. She figured she must've severely angered Yoruichi by attacking the ryoka, but she did it for her! That boy has become a savage. If she can't see that after he attacked them, she would have to find another way to prove it to her.

"Anyways, if you were to ask for my humble opinion, I would have to say that his hollowfication has caused the creation of another zanpakuto. Since he's more like an arrancar now, he most likely has a sword like them too. If you can take a guess, that probably means he has access to both a bankai and a resurrección."

Everyone seemed startled by the idea of the boy having two release states. Even more so when they realized he's still a newbie when it comes to controlling that power. If he were allowed to fully enhance those skills, he'd be an unstoppable menace.

Shunsui nodded his head, having a similar theory that matched his explanation. "Well, we better head back. Explaining this to the Head Captain is going to be a hellish nightmare."

The rest of the captains shared his sentiment as Byakuya and Shunsui lifted the injured captain from the ground. After a few departing words, they vanished through the senkaimon, leaving the trio of former captains behind. As fast as the gateway between worlds closed, the purple haired speedster spoke up.

"You have something you want to share with us, Kisuke?"

Beside her, Isshin nodded his head, his expression shifting from downright confusion to somewhat angry.

"Yeah, about that. What I tell you right now stays between the three of us. Not a word of this is to be shared to anyone until we can find a way to fix things. Do you understand? This isn't a joking matter."

Yoruichi and Isshin noticed his seriousness, their masks changing to match the seriousness of his words. They weren't dumb. Anytime he was serious, the matter was always that of life and death. If one were to ignore his words, they'd most definitely find themself dead within a week.

Almost if there was a timed rhythm, they nodded their heads in synchronization.

"Wonderful. So the truth is…"

---

Well, that's the first chapter! At the current time, there are a few directions I could bring this story. I'm not entirely sure which path I'll choose, but I guess we'll eventually find out, huh? Anyways, the pairings are undecided at the moment. But from the trajectory of the plot, the pairings could be just about anything. Then again, there's also the possibility that no pairings will happen. Just as its possible that there could be a harem, albeit reluctantly.

Furthermore, I Intend to include the Wandenreich, Zero Division, and many other groups/people to enforce multiple perspectives. I already have a few ideas of what I'll do with a few of these groups, so things should become a bit interesting.

On another note, if you have any recommendations for the story, feel free to leave your thoughts. I always read the reviews since it's useful to see what people think about the story. And even if you don't have a specific opinion, suggestions and ideas also help in crafting new ideas. If you have suggestions/ideas that you don't want to share through review, feel free to PM me. I always respond to messages.

Oh! Before I forget, the next chapter of "Redivivus ex Cero" has basically been finished... in fact, it's been that way for a few months. But I have been too lazy to edit it since I've been working on my personal novel. With that said, I'll find the time to edit it soon so it can be officially uploaded.

Well, that's all for now. See yah!