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?

2. Chapter 2: Hollow Moon Fortress

The Mask Is Me

Chapter Two: "Hollow Moon Fortress"

The world between worlds was just as Ichigo remembered. Its compass being forever expansive, the barriers of its seemingly endless stretch only reaching an end when one found themself at the entrance of another dimension. Each step he took, he noticed how blue reishi particles would levitate upwards, his pathway chipping away as he marched ahead.

He took a moment to ponder this observation. Despite his improved control, his reishi path was still struggling to maintain a proper form. From what Zangetsu told him, his hollow instincts were most likely responsible for sealing his zanpakutos. But since that only seemed to be true for the sealing of his swords, he wondered if his actual control was still as trash as before.

Shaking his head, he decided he would come back to this issue when he inevitably began his new training. With everything changing, he needed to start from the beginning once more. All the lessons he learned from Urahara would have to be repeated. Then he would have to teach himself how to master his new abilities. This time, he was all alone. He couldn't afford to lean on someone else for guidance. This was even more accurate when he himself wasn't even sure of his true capabilities.

All this time he had been fighting with a false zanpakuto. And funny enough, he STILL was because he doesn't have an asauchi yet. In spite of that, he still managed to claim victory over his opponents. From Kenpachi to Aizen, they all fell to his power, and he would be damned if that changed now.

In a way, there hasn't been a single moment where the odds weren't stacked against him in some inconceivable manner. To save Rukia, he had to fight against the entirety of the Soul Society. To rescue Orihime, he had to defeat the Espada, followed by their leader, Aizen. Each situation, it was undeniable to say that he wasn't tasked in defeating unquestionable might… yet he always prevailed despite the circumstances.

But now he carried the potential to become much stronger than even that. At his current level, he was able to stay on his feet against multiple captain level opponents. He knew they were holding back considerably, especially Shunsui. But does that really matter? They are beings who've lived hundreds of years longer than himself. With that knowledge in mind, they struggled to defeat a seventeen year old human. A human who hadn't even entered the world of spirits for more than three years. This same human, after only a few getsugas and ceros, had all but ceased their advancements.

He hummed at the thought, a smirk appearing for just a moment before it morphed into his trademark scowl. This abrupt change was due to witnessing a tear in space open up at the end of the pathway. Beyond the gate, he could see infinite sandy dunes expand in all directions, the brisk temperatures gushing inwards as if to warn him. Fortunately for him, the chilly climate of the barren wasteland would do him no harm because of his transition into a hollow.

Not wanting to waste time, he took one more step before the sound of static boomed harshly, his body appearing on the sandy terrain as the garganta zipped shut behind himself. He gazed around absentmindedly, his body systematically intaking air from the dry atmosphere. For some unexplained reason, the air from this desolate world actually seemed to calm his nerves, his legs giving out as he collapsed onto his back.

'This sucks. What should I do now?' Ichigo debated. He shifted his attention to the sky, hundreds of memories from his time here filtering through his head. The sight of the never changing moon reminded him of Zangetsu. 'Slaying moon, huh?'

'Don't get sentimental on me, king~!' Zangetsu abruptly teased. If Ichigo wasn't surprised the last time, he surely was this time.

Jolting slightly, Ichigo laid his arm over his eyes. 'What the hell! Do you always have to surprise me like some sort of rat?!'

'Like I said before. That's a you problem. Stop being a pansy!' Retorted Zangetsu, a distorted laugh following his words no less than a second later.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. 'So, what do you think we should do? I'm a hollow now, but I sure as hell won't behave like one.'

'Ya could always go to Las Noches, no? After the battle against Aizen, it sure didn't seem like many of those Espada survived… if any did at all. So, you could possibly take up residence there since I doubt you'll be disturbed. Additionally, I'm sure there is edible food there since the place is huge.'

'What makes you think there is food? And even if there was, it's not like I am going to starve or anything. So what's the point?' The protector inquired.

Zangetsu huffed in annoyance. 'Do you really think Aizen was eating hollow gourmet? If he wasn't, should you?'

That's all that had to be said. There wasn't a point in answering such a question. If Aizen wasn't eating hollow gourmet, that probably meant he shouldn't either. And if there was actual food there, should he really be resisting?

'I suppose you have a point. Though, that would be quite funny, huh?' Ichigo mused, chuckling at the image of the Espada cooking for Aizen. He adjusted his stature, taking a seated position so he wasn't sprawled out on the sand. Or was it sand? He wouldn't be surprised if it was dead hollow dust or something along those lines.

'You're right with that!' Began Zangetsu, his aura shifting slightly. 'But before we head over to Las Noches, we should probably address that one issue, no?'

At this, Ichigo sighed. He knew Zangetsu would pry into what was bothering him. A part of him was glad that he was at least dismissing his larger anxieties. Some examples being the Soul Society's betrayal, the manipulation of his friends and family, and other matters of the heart. On the other hand, he didn't really want to learn the truth around the matter Zangetsu was talking about.

Though, he figured he was acting like a child. So, in reluctant hesitation, he pulled his now restored shihakushō to the side. More specifically, the haori part of his outfit, revealing the right side of his pectoral. The same side where Shunsui had stabbed him.

'He obviously did something. Though, I'm not sure how to tell. Can you check somehow?' Ichigo questioned, his thin fingers running along where he remembered being stabbed.

Zangetsu mumbled to himself about how Ichigo should do it himself, however, he eventually conceded when Ichigo's mood began to sour. 'Tch, give me a moment.'

And so as the action indicates, he waited a moment for Zangetsu to analyze him. 'Ah, that sly old man is crafty, I'll give him that!'

'What? What did he do?!' Ichigo pressed. He wasn't used to letting his anger dictate his reactions, but since the Soul Society backstabbed him, he couldn't trust anything they did to him. Even if it was from one of the most trustworthy captains of the Seireitei.

'Relax. It isn't anything serious from what I can tell. That old dude probably figured you were incompetent at kido… which you are. Because of that, he needed another way to communicate with you without relying on an indecipherable communication kido,' Zangetsu explained.

Ichigo remained quiet at his words, his anxiety building.

'... so it looks like he implanted some form of device in your body instead. From what I can gather, it isn't draining your power or anything negative like that. In fact, it seems to be containing something. Most likely a message.'

Ichigo's scowl deepened. 'He implanted something in my chest? And since Shunsui pointed it out to me, it has to be some form of message. Why else would he have pointed it out to me if it wasn't? Now the real question is… how the hell am I going to remove it? Does he expect me to…'

'... rip it out? Yeah, he probably does. If I were you, I'd get it over with now so you don't have to do it later. Additionally, it's probably safer to do it now than later in case hollows sense your moment of weakness.'

He stared at his chest in disbelief, his expression further straining. He wants him to rip his chest open so he can receive his little message?! Is he a sadist or something? Why couldn't he just tell him another way? For example sake, through a piece of paper?

"Damn it all! This is going to hurt," Ichigo muttered aloud, his hand stiffening as he held it in front of where he was stabbed. He calmed his breathing, his hand trembling slightly before jabbing it forwards. Blood splattered onto the grainy ground, pain visible on his face as he forced his fingers into his flesh. The pain was unimaginable, the warmth of his crimson blood further enhancing the pain of his entry wound.

He cussed under his breath, his fingers swimming deeper and deeper until they touched the corner of a box-like object. He figured that must've been the object that was placed inside of his chest. Just to be sure though, he forced the remaining portion of his fingers inwards, feeling the shape of the object even further. With his minor knowledge of anatomy, he knew the body didn't come with boxed organs, so with great displeasure, he tore the object out.

As fast as the object was out of his body, his vision became diluted, his head swaying side to side as blood spilt down his chest. Lucky for him, his regeneration decided to kick in, healing his gaping wound as a sliver of drool licked the corner of his mouth. After a few seconds or so, his sense of reality kicked into overdrive, his vision stabilizing enough to realize his breathing was aloof.

Taking a moment to calm himself, he rubbed his healed wound with his unbloodied hand, the expression on his face remaining potently negative. Zangetsu noticing this, felt a little regret for allowing him to do that. He couldn't feel the pain himself, but the sunken world surely reflected his misery. Some of the buildings crumbled to pieces, only to begin restructuring a moment after he began to heal.

A period of silence embraced the duo, the vacancy of color making the strawberry hybrid stick out like an anomalous beacon. Even though the lack of color seemed factual, the breeze that brushed against his orange-hair proved otherwise. And as if to symbolize that meaning, the blood that dripped down his exposed skin seemed to glisten brightly over his pale complexion. The blend of milky white to deep red stood out like if the sun were to shine at night.

This fact seemed to relieve his aching mind, his frown lessening if only by a little. Wasting no more time, he drifted over to the bloodied cube, an eyebrow raising at the sight of the object's shape.

"I wonder how he managed to implant such an object with just a sword," Ichigo mumbled curiously. He couldn't understand how an object that's at least a few inches wide could be implanted in his body. Perhaps it was kido after all? He's never seen his zanpakuto's abilities, so maybe that's how?

He rubbed his fingers against the surface, the texture feeling equivalent to marble. As he guided his touch across its axis, the blood that coated it smeared, revealing a glassy obsidian color beneath it. He found everything about the object to be quite peculiar, but he moved past those thoughts with carelessness. With a bit more tampering, his fingers pressed inwards, the sensation of a small latch pressing against his finger.

'Oh, what's this?' Ichigo questioned, his fingers attempting to pull on the latch. In a turn of events that didn't shock him, the lever refused to budge.

Having been a few minutes since he last commented, Zangetsu decided to speak. 'Try channeling your power into the lever. It could be one of those objects that require a source of energy to operate.'

Ichigo nodded at the logic. That could potentially work. He stared at the cube before concentrating the flow of his energy. Similar to when he infused his reiryoku into the reishukaku, the device of the Shiba clan — the one he trained with to penetrate the Seireitei's defenses, the cube illuminated brightly. Due to the many energies within himself, he focused solely on distributing his shinigami reiryoku, allowing a pure blue energy to engulf the object. This was followed by a sudden, shrill chime, its piercing pitch resounding heavily before stopping altogether.

A second went by with nothing changing. This confused the orange-haired shinigami, his eyebrow arching in confused conflict. Then it happened. The corners of the box pulled apart, the flat surfaces of each side distorting in a mechanical-like sequence as thousands of smaller cubes shifted throughout the object. In a matter of seconds, the cubes robotically halted, the sides of the box falling open to reveal a piece of paper.

He stared at the piece of paper almost long fully, a vein starting to protrude from his forehead as his previous thoughts came rushing back.

'A piece of paper?! He couldn't have given me this by hand instead?' Ichigo questioned angrily.

Zangetsu intervened. 'The fact he went this far to hide the message should be more than enough evidence to deduce that he doesn't want his fellow captains to catch on. That's why he didn't hand you the piece of paper himself.'

'Yeah, I get that. All I am saying is that he better have a good reason for jumping through all these hoops. Tearing something out of your own body doesn't feel good, ya know?' Ichigo seethed, his non-bloody hand grabbing the piece of paper before shifting his eyes to the first sentence

Typically, I am not one to dismiss pleasantries, however, I'm sure ya can overlook my negligence just this once. Well, not to beat around the issue, if you've received this message, it's more than likely that the news of your hollowfication is accurate. If this is the unfortunate truth, I wish to express my sorrow towards your current circumstances.

From the first few sentences alone, he was beginning to question something that's been bothering him. In fact, this issue has been on his mind since he left the human world. How was it possible that they knew of his hollowfication without having left the Soul Society? He knew it was close to impossible to sense reiatsu from across dimensions, and he knew there couldn't have been someone watching him while he was getting executed. So how?! They couldn't have possibly seen the events because when Shunsui arrived in the human world, he stated that they had come to check out a rumor that they heard from… from...

'Wait a moment.' Ichigo paused, his mind remembering the exact words Shunsui had said.

For why I am here. Well, we heard rumors from the 12th Division that Ichigo had turned into a hollow…

He balled his fists tightly, his nose scrunching in distaste as he now understood everything. The 12th Division has been monitoring him. They had to have been. How else could they have known that he transitioned into a hollow no more than a few minutes after his transformation? They completely skipped the possibility of him having accessed his hollow mask and instead assumed he was a literal hollow. The only way such an assumption could come about is through a considerable amount of eavesdropping. But how were they doing that? Were there trackers on him? A mere tracker alone shouldn't be capable of analyzing his reiatsu signature.

'Couldn't they have been monitoring you through your combat pass?' Zangetsu queried.

This inquiry froze him to the core, his hands visibly tensing as his eyes seemed downcast. 'I… I didn't want to believe that possibility. I've been trying to ignore the numbing question of why I was given the pass. I knew from the start that the pass held no true authority. That much was obvious when lesser shinigami didn't even know what it was. But all along, the answer has been right in front of me. That's why I heard voices from the pass when I was training my fullbring. That's why I always felt like my strength was being restrained by a thin yet impenetrable barrier. The Soul Society was behind it all!'

His reiatsu spiked, the pressure causing the sand beneath him to compress into sharp grains of glass. He was visibly shaking, his mind rattled by the sudden development. For just a moment, he began to wonder if Ginjo had undergone a similar treatment. But as fast as that thought appeared, he vanquished it from his mind. Even if Ginjo had similar treatment, his actions towards innocent people, his family, and friends, was not something he was going to overlook. When you are a victim, you don't hurt people who are defenseless and have nothing to do with your conflict.

Zangetsu remained quiet, a rising anger capturing his essence as he felt nothing but contempt towards the people who seek to backstab and hurt his wielder. He was thinking about suggesting a new course of action, but kept quiet as Ichigo continued to read the letter.

Since you are reading this message, that means you were able to remove the reishashīru from your body. It's an artifact created from reishi to prevent outliers from intercepting messages. It's typically used by the Onmitsukidō, but that's unimportant. Anyhow, if you haven't figured it out yet, I placed that message within you to prevent my fellow captains from figuring out I was trying to communicate with you. As of now, there's an execution out on your head, and knowing you, you won't allow yourself to be killed without a fight. I'm sure whatever my future self sees from you will be quite impressed. Nevertheless, I am not writing this message to raise your ego. I'm writing as a friend to the savior of the Soul Society. Know that not all of us from the Seireitei wish to see you dead. Many captains like Captain Ukitake, Captain Unohana, Captain Kenpachi, and myself have been fighting for the restoration of your powers. Some of us may have different reasons for wanting your life to extend, but don't let that fact dismiss the overall intention. I'm running out of time, so allow me to extend a form of plea. Do not seek revenge against the Soul Society. There are many amongst us that will fight for your pardon, so allow us to return a portion of our debt by fixing this issue. Goodbye for now.

When the message ended, Ichigo gave the paper a weary stare before eradicating it with his reiatsu. He wasn't sure how to feel about the contents. Though, he would admit he was slightly surprised that there were captains trying to help him. Especially when some of them included individuals like Unohana and Kenpachi. He didn't have plans to seek revenge against the Soul Society, but if they ever attempted to harm his family or try to kill him — he would reign hell on them to protect the ones he cares about and himself. And if that meant having to fight the Soul Society, and or anyone else, then so be it.

Now that he knew about the combat pass, he had zero reason to trust them. So even if they were capable of fixing their mistakes, he was not going to be used as their weapon any longer. The only way he'd ever consider giving them his help is if the lives of innocents were at risk. But if it was just the lives of the shinigami, he's more than fine with watching from the sidelines.

Standing up to his feet, the now hardened sand scratched against his exposed feet, the shards incapable of piercing his skin due to his strengthening hierro. Before he could sonido away, he remembered he had forgotten the reishashīru on the ground, his feet stopping in their tracks as he turned towards the cube. The walls of the artifact had unraveled themselves, and the object itself didn't seem to be any rarer than a floor tile, but he chose to keep it anyway. In the future, he could potentially use it to send a message if he was smart enough to learn how to operate it. Stashing it inside of his shihakushō, he turned towards the distant fortress of Las Noches, his feet pressing into the sand before vanishing — the audible booming of static following his fleeing form.

---

Las Noches - With Ichigo

---

In a reverberating boom, Ichigo seamlessly materialized at the entrance of the towering stronghold, his feet touching the ground with gingerly grace. Compared to his first trip, he found the trip this time to be much faster. He wasn't sure if it was because his allies were holding him back or if it was because he didn't know the terrain last time. Whatever the reason, it was clearly evident that something had halted his advancement since it only took a few long-striding sonidos to clear the distance — the same distance that had taken him hours before.

Then again, his power had increased massively since the last time he traveled here. He was sure of that. So, perhaps it was his increased movement speed that allowed him to cross the expansive distance without effort?

He shrugged, stretching his arms tiredly as he took a moment to admire the changes exhibited across his body. He wasn't one to praise bodily beauty, but there was something about his own presence that felt ethereal-like. Be that as it may seem, he knew that he wasn't some sort of divine entity, and that it was presumptuous to believe so. Though, just for a second, he wondered how it would feel to be one. With absolute power, he would be able to protect everything he cherished.

He paused the odd trajectory of his thoughts, his mind finding it weird that he was having such desires. He wondered if his brain had been altered a bit from becoming a hollow. After all, since he transitioned, he felt an inconceivable shift within himself that he couldn't quite pinpoint. If there was indeed some form of change, that would explain why his emotions felt a little off. They felt duller and at times more violent.

The possibility of losing control gripped his thoughts for a split second, but he was quick to wave those worries away. He knew his innate instinct was to protect people, and if seeking power was the way to follow that instinct, what was so wrong with that? Unlike Aizen, he wanted the power to help others. He wasn't climbing an invisible ladder to become some sort of god, he was aiming to acquire godlike power to protect everyone that deserved it. Climbing the world's ladder of influence held no interest in his heart, and even if it did, he would bend that position to his will to make sure the world was safe.

With that said, he steeled his heart, his doubts erasing as he knew even if his emotions were tampered with, it wouldn't cause any issues. He knew this because he held a decent grip over his rationality and was more than willing to gander that he'd reject all ambiguous futures that didn't hold strong for the ones he protected.

'The ones I protect…' Ichigo trailed off.

He couldn't help but question who he was protecting. His friends who hated him? The family that turned away from him? The disloyal backstabbing members of the Soul Society? His father who looked at him like some form of monster?

He frowned, ending his trail of thoughts before they could overcome him.

Scaling his eyes upwards, he took a moment to analyze the enormous structure before himself, his hand moving to his chin as he admonished the grand spectacle. There was no doubt that this massive fortress was nearly impenetrable, but the view was more than unsightly, it was an absolute disgrace. An abomination.

From observation alone, he noted how the walls of this fortress turned dump yard were littered with scorch marks, lacerations, and collapsed pillars. Some of the pillars even leaned against the walls as if there was a storm that pushed them over. He gathered that the damages inflicted were from the battles that took place a year and a half ago. This furthered his belief that no Espada survived since they would've surely repaired the damages. And since this was going to be his new home, at least until issues were resolved, he decided right then and there that he would revamp this entire fortress to suit his tastes. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but it would give him something to do other than train.

Rubbing his chin with extra fervor, he envisioned what this grand palace could be with his supervision. If he could revamp everything about the place, he'd be more than happy with living here long term. He could imagine it now. The irritating sandy grounds replaced with fields of grass, the artificial sky imbued with some form of science to permit rain to fuel the longevity of the plants. Not stopping with just that, he'd even have artificial ponds spread across the palace, its beauty welcoming all to relax.

An eerie smile spread across his face, his body walking forwards as he found himself inside endless marble corridors. Each step he took, there was no sound to be heard due to his extreme nimbleness, something he didn't even try to exude. His instincts merely pulled on his latent potential, making his footsteps practically inaudible to all who listened.

Every now and then, he would gaze around at the tall walls that encased the halls, their color always remaining a bland grayish white. He vividly remembered traveling through identical halls when he first arrived in Las Noches, but he couldn't tell if they were the same ones he saw or if they were from a different segment of the fortress.

'I'm getting bored. Can you stop wasting time? Are ya tryna make me fall asleep, dumbass?' Zangetsu complained.

Ichigo decided not to respond, but agreed with his complaint nonetheless. He's wasted more than enough time acknowledging the vast errors of the fortress. He now needed to find his way to the center so he could set up his base of operations. From there, he would decide how to proceed onwards with his training. He could tell his decision appeased Zangetsu's anger, his head shaking in indifference as he prepared to travel at a much faster pace.

Before he could though, his eyes captured shadows encircling his position, his head shifting just in time to dodge an incoming hostility. He wasn't sure who or what attacked him, but thanks to his instincts, he reacted just in time from taking a head on blow. With physical speed alone, he kicked backwards, another shadow appearing beside him which resulted in him kicking off the wall.

Demonstrating his agile adaptability, he swiftly reached forwards and grabbed their wrist tightly, their thin bones straining beneath the pressure of his grip. He could feel them tense, their arm pulling tightly to escape, but failing miserably as he swung them down the corridor - their body imprinting against the rough tiles in a resounding thunk.

"Apacci! I told you that you shouldn't have attacked him!" The voice of a worried woman shouted, her body kneeling down to the collapsed form of her fallen comrade.

He watched in confusion, his head turning towards the third member who looked at him with boiling rage. Deciding this was his best moment to examine the situation, he began to observe the enemy before himself.

The woman who stood before him was dark-skinned, her milky softness exuding a feminine appeal that was both alluring and awe striking. Despite this, her toned physique, forged from the hellish conditions of this world, assured that she was more than just beauty, but also a brazen warrior who carved her path through conflict. With cascading brown waves framing her face, her bright emerald eyes darted forwards in combative readiness.

Adorning her head, hollow-mask fragments formed a three-part crown. And below that, another mask fragment having been detached, wrapped the base of her neck in a necklace-like state. Her attire was composed of amazon-like apparel. A corset armored top covered her voluptuous breasts, and wrapping her forearms, were armored gauntlets. Finishing her outfit, a white skirt embellished with slits hung loosely to the middle of her thighs.

Having appraised her appearance, he gazed at her stomach, a black hollow hole resting roughly between her belly button and chest. From his minor assessment, he wasn't able to locate a number. Unless it was hidden beneath her clothing, it meant she most likely wasn't an Espada. A fact that relieved him since that meant he wouldn't have to remove his blades from their resting spots.

"You'll pay for what you did to Apacci!" She roared wrathfully, her hand reaching for her zanpakuto. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't able to reach her weapon in time as Ichigo appeared before her, grasping her forearm tightly which prompted her to stare in shock. His speed alone manifested a primordial fear within her, a rampaging urgency telling her to strike in retaliation before it's too late.

"I am not here to fight," he calmly spoke, his reiatsu bearing down on her body as if forcing her to listen. While saying those words, the woman before him began to pant, her hand trembling as she lowered it to show compliance. She wasn't sure who this was, but if they didn't tread carefully, they'd be dead. She just knew it.

Having noticed her fear, he untightened his grasp and released his hold on her arm. Not letting this act of good go to waste, she jumped backwards, landing next to her two allies who stared at her in disbelief.

"What the hell are you doing, Mila Rose?! Why didn't you kill that bastard?" Apacci yelled, her hands massaging her bruised side which had formed after being thrown by Ichigo.

"Are you stupid? Did you not just see what he did?! He's too strong to defeat, idiot!" The now named Mila Rose bit back, her finger pressing against Apacci's jacket-covered shoulder.

Ichigo remained silent, not exactly sure what to say in this situation so he decided to let them finish their debacle.

"What did you call me?! I am not an idiot, you damn gorilla! Also, you better have been joking about that weakling being strong! He got lucky with me! He better be ready when I get back up because I am going to kick his ass!" Apacci shouted, her gaze aimed towards Ichigo with a menacing grin.

A sweat drop appeared on his forehead, his mind wondering if she actually thought she stood a chance against him. He couldn't help but find her confidence a bit endearing though. In some ways, her attitude reminded him of Riruka, albeit a bit more violent like Hiyori. At the thought of the fullbringer, his eyes darkened a bit, betrayal still fresh on his mind.

Mila Rose seemed to pale a little as she turned Apacci away and whispered, "What are you doing?! Are you trying to get us killed?! I'm not joking about him being a monster. Listen to me!"

The third member of their group huddled up behind their crouched forms, her clothed arm hovering over her mouth. "My, my. What are you two talking about over here?"

They nearly had a heart attack from the sudden closeness of the voice. That panic immediately vanished when they realized who it was that snuck up on them.

"Sung-Sun! This idiot here is telling me I am acting irrationally since that weakling over there is supposedly stronger than us. I don't know about you two, but I am definitely stronger than that wimp!" Apacci smugly proclaimed.

Sung-Sun turned towards the bored Ichigo, her expression relatively calm despite his overbearing presence. After a moment of staring, she averted her gaze back to the two clowns, clear disappointment etched onto her face. "When you two raise your voices like that, it's so very desperate and unappealing."

They both glared at her in anger before shouting in unison. "Shut up, Sung-Sun!"

While they continued to argue, Ichigo connected his thoughts to his inner world. 'Zangetsu, are you sure it was the smartest choice to come here? These people are nuts!'

'What's wrong with a little company? Didn't you want to rebuild Las Noches? I believe your thoughts entailed something about how you were planning to install beautiful ponds all across the fortress for everyone to enjoy? They can be your pond girls~! Ya know, similar to pool girls? See what I did there?' Zangetsu teased, a bright red hue forming on the strawberry's face from the implications.

'W-what type of nonsense is that?! Don't start saying stupid things! Also, there's nothing wrong with my plans!' Ichigo bit back, a slight stutter accompanying his response. The sound of laughter followed his words, making Ichigo grip his fists tightly before turning off the connection.

'T-That damn fool! What's so wrong with my plan? Is he calling me childish or something?' Ichigo questioned, his mind completely zoning out as he leaned against the wall.

His state of idleness didn't last long, though.

"What's going on here?" A calm voice cut through the room. The arguing girls visibly tensed, their necks snapping towards the voice automatically. Ichigo was knocked from his idleness, his eyes widening by the slightest amount. If someone were to gauge his reaction, they wouldn't have been able to spot the slight movement of his eyebrows, but the intruder did.

Before him stood a mature woman with short golden hair, her olive-toned skin glistening across the warmth of her curvaceous body. Matching her stunning hair, her thick eyelashes radiated the same shade as her sunbathed hair — gravitating like black holes to pull all light towards her aqua green eyes, ones that were so mesmerizing that one could easily fall victim to hypnosis.

Covering her well-endowed frame were arrancar-like clothing, albeit modified to have a high collared jacket that fully covered both her mouth and the mounds of ripe flesh attached to her chest. And similar to most other Espada, she wore a pair of white hakama pants, their appearance eerily reminiscent of shinigami ones.

'Is she an Espada? Her reiatsu is even stronger than Grimmjow's… she must either be the third, second, or first Espada. But which one? She can't be the fourth because that was Ulquiorra's ranking, so she has to be between those three ranks.' Ichigo debated, his body instinctively activating pesquisa when attempting to gauge her strength.

He was slightly caught off guard by his enhanced sensing capabilities, but he wasn't going to complain. Nevertheless, he decided to keep that fact in the back of his mind, planning to come back to it at some point so he could fully control his abilities. He liked the autonomous help from his instincts, however, he didn't like the fact that his body seemed to act for him. That was something he would have to learn how to control.

Returning to the issue at hand, he appraised the reiatsu level of the woman with a bit more depth, the help of pesquisa allowing him to determine an exact level almost immediately. 'Wow. If it were the version of me that had fought against Grimmjow, I would probably get pummeled into oblivion. But as I am now, I shouldn't have any difficulties with defeating her if push comes to shove. Although, it'd probably be for the best if I don't escalate tensions. I've never been one to fight for no reason, after all.'

Lifting his body from his leaned position, he opened his mouth to answer, but was stopped by the devious cult members at the end of the hall.

"L-Lady Harribel! H-He attacked us! He's an intruder!" Apacci exclaimed, her finger pointing towards the orange haired boy. It was obvious she was exaggerating. On purpose, at that.

He grimaced as he noticed the now named Harribel stare at him with a sharp gaze. He mentally cursed, his hands wanting to strangle that little pest as he shot her a threatening glare.

She stuck her tongue out towards him. 'He might've been a little strong, but Lady Harribel is even more strong. He's done for! Serves him right!'

"WHAT?! Why the hell would I attack you?! I was minding my own business and then you pack of monkeys decided to jump me! I was defending myself!" Ichigo pointed back, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

"That's defending yourself?! You THREW me across the room! Look at my bruised stomach, this is because of you!" Accused Apacci, her heterochromia eyes narrowing vengefully. "And we… are not monkeys!"

Deciding to speak, Mila Rose voiced, "What she said! We aren't monkeys! You foul garbage spew!"

Ichigo sighed, rubbing his temple slowly as he turned towards the third girl. "You seem smarter than those two. Would you mind telling… Harribel here," he motioned his hand towards the blonde arrancar. "... that I didn't attack you three?"

Sung-Sun waved her sleeve in front of her face, the compliment about her intelligence causing a minor redness to blemish her face. She was quick to extinguish her embarrassment, her appreciation forming into a smile — one that was hidden behind her thick sleeve. Turning her head upwards in a thinking manner, she spoke calmly, "He's right, Lady Harribel. These idiots never listen to me. I told them not to attack him, but they were fully under the impression that he was an enemy without even analyzing the situation first."

The two arrancars looked backstabbed. In fact, their expressions were so humorous that Ichigo had to place a hand over his mouth, barely containing a chuckle from escaping.

"Do you two never listen? I told you not to attack people for no reason. My orders shouldn't be that difficult to follow," Harribel spoke, each word spoken with absolute clarity. They looked away in shame, their pride taking a massive hit as they found interest in fiddling with their fingers and staring at the ground.

They ushered out, "We're sorry, Lady Harribel!

Continuing, Mila Rose added, "We thought he was one of those intruders that have been popping up outside the canopy lately. We didn't want to risk the chance of a security breach."

"Yeah, it's as she says. Although, if you were to ask me, he's still a suspect! Just who the hell are you anyways?! You… y-you stupid strawberry?!" Apacci questioned, casually throwing an insult at the end, before giving him a lopsided smirk.

He couldn't believe this girl. He simply closed his eyes, shaking his head side to side. "This must be a nightmare or something. Then again, is my imagination even capable of creating someone this monstrous?"

"Why you little…-" Apacci began, only to be interrupted by Harribel's reiatsu flaring, warning her to stay silent.

"Ignore their provocations. They can be a bit protective. Their protectiveness is always welcomed until they start ignoring my orders to do so," she coldly stated, giving the seated arrancars a disappointed stare that froze them with shame. "What they don't understand is that if you were someone more violent, they'd surely have been torn to pieces by now. I… can sense your power and it exceeds even my own. That's telling."

The three arrancar, Sung-Sun included, paled. The man that stood before them was even stronger than Lady Harribel? They couldn't fathom such a possibility. If that was true, why hadn't he killed them yet? He could most likely do so with a twist of his wrist. Was he going to torture them or something? After everything they said to him, they wouldn't be surprised. They paled even further.

Sensing their fear, Ichigo rolled his eyes, giving a Tch to show he was annoyed by their pitiful reactions. Harribel picked up on his odd reaction, not quite understanding why an arrancar of his level was being so passive despite being irritated.

"That begs the next question. Who exactly are you? Your power is much too vast. It's so vast that I can't even see the depths. You must be someone decently important. If that word can even describe your power," Harribel pried, her eyes narrowing slightly.

This question caused Ichigo to pause, his expression shifting through many different states. One moment he was calm. Another moment he was enraged. Then as fast as those emotions shifted, it came crumbling back down to sadness. Who was he? He knows he is Ichigo Kurosaki, but after being backstabbed, could he really claim that name? Was it his to take?

The further he questioned his own identity, the more he began to realize who he was. His sisters are Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki. His mother is Masaki Kurosaki. They are the names of the people he cherishes most. He would do just about anything for their sake. Could he in good faith rid that name? The name bestowed to him by his mother? The name that means THE ONE WHO PROTECTS. He couldn't rid it. He wouldn't rid it! That's who he is!

"I am Ichigo… Ichigo Kurosaki."

Shock spread across the room. Even Harribel, known for her stoicism, carried a look of utter disbelief. Her lips parted open, her eyes enlarging to express her monumental surprise. As for the others, they were in a similar state. They never met him, however, they knew of his importance. He was the Soul Society's winter hero, the man who had single handedly defeated Aizen — the man who had betrayed Harribel in the final battle against the captains.

The stifling silence was broken by Harribel. "Y-You are Ichigo Kurosaki?! How can this be? You were nothing besides a shinigami with hollow powers. A substitute one at that! How is it that you are now an arrancar?! And your power… it's clearly many times larger than when you fought Grimmjow."

The others shared a similar perspective. They weren't able to fully watch his fight against Grimmjow because the colliding reiatsu was too strong, but they remembered his presence all too well. Since they now knew he was the man that had redeemed Lady Harribel, they felt a sense of shame for attacking him. Even more so for insulting him. They figured he was a spy trying to bury himself into Las Noches. Sort of like a form of parasite or something. They were farther from the truth than they could have ever anticipated though.

Ichigo was a bit surprised that she knew of his battle with Grimmjow. He surmised it wasn't too odd that she could've known. From what he could recall, Aizen didn't leave for Karakura Town until after Kenpachi had defeated the Séptima Espada, Nnoitra. Meaning, all of the Espada who weren't fighting were probably sensing the fights happening. He assumed she must've been one of the Espada that went to Karakura Town, and if that is the case, he wondered how she was capable of surviving. When he arrived at the scene, all the Espada were already defeated. The only people left standing were the captains, vizards, Gin, and Aizen.

Shaking his curiosity away, for now, he reconnected his thoughts to his inner world. 'Zangetsu, I am unsure if I should share anything with these people. For all I know, they could be actors just like Ginjo and Tsukishima.'

'Ya hate to see it, but I'd have to agree with you. For now, you should gather as much information as possible. If sharing a few stories with them will get you that information, then why not?'

Ichigo understood his point, nodding mentally, if that was possible. 'Furthermore, if we can determine their motives, they might be willing to explain their hollow techniques so you can learn them. Instincts will only get you so far as you have seen already. Understanding hollow techniques will be fundamental in mastering your powers. Of course I can teach you a few things too, however, most of the techniques I've learned are things you've instinctively utilized already.'

Once again, he found himself agreeing with Zangetsu. He wondered how the old man would've responded to these questions if asked instead. Would he have given him some half-assed puzzles like he usually does? Or would he have repeated the same stuff about never looking back?

"That's a long story. If you'd like to know, perhaps we can relocate this discussion elsewhere? I'm getting tired of standing and I'm sure each of you would like to find a more relaxing area as well. I also have some questions for all of you too, so it's the logical choice, is it not?"

Harribel calmed her shock, giving a curt nod before waving along her fracción. "I agree. Come now, we will talk in the meeting room. Hopefully it meets your expectations."

"If there are seats, then that's already good enough. I'm a bit exhausted from all the nonsense that has happened recently. So a seat would do me wonders right about now," he replied, rubbing the spot where he had stabbed himself earlier. The fatigue of turning into a hollow, regaining his powers, fighting the captains, and healing from multiple injuries was starting to get to him.

'... and your hollowfication had healed your severed arm and stab wounds when you initially transformed. That's another factor towards your fatigue, king.'

He had almost forgotten about that. That damn monster, Ginjo, had sliced half his arm off. He was still a human when it happened too! He would surely pay him back tenfold when he found him. As for Tsukishima, that was an entirely different story. He was going to suffer a thousand times more and the punishment would be even worse if he refused to set his family and friends free.

"I'm glad to hear. Come then," Harribel gestured forwards, her body turning away as she began to walk. He stood still for a second, his eyes casting a gaze towards the slowly standing arrancars. His eyes lingered on the heterochromia girl's bruised waist, a slight tug of his heart telling him that he felt a bit guilty.

He walked towards them, their bodies tensing slightly. "Yeah, relax now. I have no intention of harming any of you. I was actually going to offer my assistance in carrying your friend here. It's the least I can do for causing her injuries."

They hesitated at his kind gesture, a mix of emotions shifting across their faces. They were still mad at him for hurting them. Even if it was self-defense, their pride couldn't look past it. To the contrary though, they were very grateful that he had defeated Aizen. That monster had led them to their deaths. If it wasn't for their last moment actions of dragging Harribel through a garganta, she would've died — and without Lady Harribel, their deaths would have eventually occurred too.

"I.. I appreciate your concern, but no thanks. These injuries are nothing to me!" Apacci stated confidently, her body standing shakily before nearly tripping. The other two looked away, obviously embarrassed by their friend's lack of steadiness.

He would've facepalmed at her circus act, yet decided to remain serious. He wouldn't be able to get information if he was continuing to rile them up. He gave a slight smile. "You know, I recently learned a lesson. Sometimes it's better to put aside your pride so you can ensure the safety of the people you care about. This simple act can also protect oneself from harm. So, just this once, why not allow me to help? It'll repay the debt I owe for having given you those injuries, so it's only fair."

Sensing the apprehension from the others, he was about to dismiss the offer, but something changed. "O-Okay. Just this once, understand jackass?! After this, you'll stop feeling pity for me because it's pissing me off! It was my fault for disobeying orders, so this amount of embarrassment is deserving."

The other two whispered to each other, Mila Rose beginning by saying, "Damn, she's actually going to allow him to carry her? I think being thrown has damaged her brain a bit."

"If she had listened to me the first time, you included, she wouldn't feel the need to embarrass herself further, would she?" Sun-Sung stated matter-of-factly, irritating both of her companions since she talked aloud.

Just like the previous time, they both shouted, "Shut up, Sung-Sun!"

Decided enough was enough, Ichigo scooped Apacci onto his back, her face reddening by the sudden action. "W-W-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

He was about to plug his ears with his fingers, but realized he couldn't because he was holding her legs to prevent her from falling off. "What do you think? I just said I am going to carry you, did I not? Unless you want me to hold you bridal style, stop whining."

She was beet-red, her nails digging into his shoulders… well, she tried to but couldn't break past his hierro, which only served to anger her more. "Don't keep me suspended here all day! Get a move on or Lady Harribel will get impatient, you moron!"

"If you insist," he smirked, giving Harribel a head nod. She kept a steadfast emotion of blankness, yet understood what he intended by his actions. She found his actions to be somewhat humorous. Hopefully this would teach Apacci to listen to orders. Nodding back, she boomed out of existence, vanishing faster than the others could notice.

Before the girl on his back could process what was happening, the air around them distorted, hallways passing at rates that were far too fast for the eye to process. A few seconds later, they were within a room that possessed a large marble table, and around the table, there were at least twenty uncomfortable looking chairs. He stopped a frown from manifesting, a quenching disappointment filling his soul.

'Aizen, you bastard! These chairs are horrible! No wonder the Espada hated your ass.' He couldn't help his dismay. The chairs were beyond horrid. They might as well have been sculpted from rocks. No cushioning or anything. Insane.

"So what do you think? Were your expectations met?" Harribel questioned, a knowing slant growing on her lips.

'King, I think she knew that the chairs were trash from the sta-'

'You don't say! I can see that smirk growing on her face. She knew the chairs were absolute garbage! Well, I'm glad the people of Hueco Mundo are at least more funny than the people of the Soul Society.' Ichigo snapped, begrudgingly accepting the comedy.

Silence.

"Well… uhm, I wouldn't say they are the comfiest looking chairs. But they at least meet the bare minimum requirement for me to sit," he answered slowly, giving a slanted smile.

She agreed with his words. "Indeed."

The head of Apacci pressed into his shoulder. "Yeah, what are you doing back there? And why are you so silent? Awestruck by my capabilities, are you? I get that from time to time. What can I say?"

The silence persisted.

"She passed out. There's no way she's capable of keeping up with our speed. Luckily, I agreed to your plan because she needed to wake up to her actions. This is fair punishment," Harribel proudly spoke, her smile growing a bit more. She was decently surprised that she was feeling this comfortable around this man.

Perhaps there's something different about him? He hasn't let off a single negative intent his entire time here. Additionally, she hasn't been able to feel any negative emotions besides a heavy, overwhelming sorrow. That and his speech earlier resonated with her philosophy. You can't allow pride to cloud your judgment. If you do, you could potentially cost the lives of your allies and personal well-being.

As for Ichigo, he was a bit conflicted. He wasn't trying to knock out Apacci, he was merely attempting to make her feel a bit nauseous.

"W-What? She passed out? Wait… what is this wetness on my neck?" He questioned quietly, his head turning slowly to see Apacci drooling on his neck. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

His face reddened. No less than a second later, he opted to place her down, her head resting against the marble table, unconscious. He was about to rub the saliva away with his hand, but opted to rub it into his shihakushō instead.

'There better be showers in Las Noches!' He demanded, his mind already making plans to install some if there weren't any. He wasn't sure how he would do that. One thing was certain though. He would make it happen one way or another.

Gazing back at the chairs, he motioned his eyes across each one, evaluating them with the utmost attention. When he got to the chair sitting at the far end, he squinted his eyes carefully. Focusing his pesquisa, he condensed it directly onto the chair. His observation bore no results as there wasn't even a speck of reiatsu residue left to analyze. Had this been Aizen's chair? Why was it so spotless?

He walked over to the chair, his fingers rubbing the cold surface subtly. He sighed under his breath, not hesitating in the slightest to sit down. Harribel continued to be amazed by his immense aptitude to do the unpredictable. Following his example, she took the seat closest to his right, the sound of footsteps reaching their ears as they turned towards the agape door. No less than a second later, two panting girls ran into the room, a few sweat drops rolling down their faces.

Their vision focused onto the unconscious form of Apacci, their faces expressing confusion as they readjusted their sight towards the seated duo.

"Don't mind Apacci. She lost consciousness after traveling at high speeds. She'll most likely awaken soon," Harribel informed, her hand motioning for them to find a chair. They were a bit winded from trying to catch up so they were quick to obey her instruction. Almost in a comedic fashion, they chose to sit on the same side as Harribel, leaving Apacci the only one on the left side. As if to capitalize on this comedy, Apacci's eyes opened, her head lifting from the cold table as she looked around with half-lidded eyes.

"Wh.. where the hell am I?" She asked no one in particular, her head turning to see a smug looking Ichigo. Memories came rushing back, her face reddening a great deal before reaching over to grab the collar of his shihakushō. "What happened?! Why… why was I unconscious?!"

Harribel interjected. "Calm down. You merely passed out after moving at speeds you weren't adjusted to. He did nothing so you can let go."

"Oh… I-I see," was all she could say in response. She released her hold, her body pulling back as she decided to resume resting against the table's surface. Her head was aching from having passed out and her waist was still irritated from the newly formed bruises.

Noticing they've wasted a great deal of time, Harribel turned to Ichigo. "Well, shall we commence?"

He nodded affirmatively.

"Great. Let's begin with the obvious question. Why are you a hollow? You should rightfully be in Karakura Town living your human life."

The others listened intently. They were honestly very curious to know the answer. Even the agitated Apacci listened with her full attention.

"That's a difficult question to answer. I'll have to explain a few things before answering that. Firstly, when I defeated Aizen, it came at a massive loss," Ichigo started.

Harribel's eyes slightly widened. She knew he had defeated Aizen, however, hearing it from him personally was even more bewildering. Just how did he accomplish that? Even all the Espada fighting together would've failed.

"Did you die during that fight? Is that why you are a hollow now?" Sung-Sun asked.

Ichigo shook his head negatively. "To some, I'm sure that question could be answered with an affirmative yes. To me though, I hadn't died yet. At least I believed I hadn't. You see, after Aizen fused with the Hogyoku, he had reached levels of power that were nigh impossible to overcome. Even my teachers, Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi Shihouin, were defeated with ease. His power ascended to the next plane of existence, making him undetectable to all. Only I, who possessed a similar level of reiatsu was capable of still detecting him."

Harribel was even more perplexed. She knew she had a perfect reading of his presence when he was fighting Grimmjow. How was he able to reach a level of power that she thought was impossible in just a day? He went from being weaker than Grimmjow to defeating Aizen who surpassed all of them. Was it for that kidnapped girl, Orihime Inoue?

"Since I was the only one who could still sense his reiatsu, that opened only a single pathway for me to walk. With the assistance from Isshin Kurosaki, my… father, I was told about a secret technique called the Final Getsuga Tenshō. With this technique, I would be able to ascend to the next plane of existence, exceeding the powers of Aizen's by a whole level. This came at a massive sacrifice…," he stopped, his right hand gripping the ledge of the table from the flood of memories.

"What was the… sacrifice? If it wasn't death, what else could it be?" Mila Rose asked, the others also confused by the ominous statement.

"... by using the Final Getsuga Tenshō, I was forfeiting my powers completely. To reach a level of power that would secure the lives of my family and friends, I sacrificed everything to put Aizen down. With a single attack, he was eviscerated into near nothingness. Even then, he healed using the Hogyoku only to be sealed by Urahara Kisuke a few moments later," Ichigo solemnly stated, the events feeling as if they just happened a few hours ago.

They knew that Aizen was sealed. News spread quickly of the outcome. How can it not when everyone talked about it? What they didn't know was how massive the final battle really was. A battle between two transcended beings, both of whom were beyond the scope of anything talked about in legends.

Sun-Sung felt a wave of sadness for him. "You… you sacrificed your powers to protect your family and friends?"

This question was important. After all, Harribel's aspect of death was sacrifice.

"I did. But in the end, it seems as if that sacrifice was for nothing," he mustered out regretfully.

Apacci's head perked a bit. "How can you say that? Aren't you happy that your friends and family were protected by you?"

"You are misunderstanding," he bit back venomously. "I was happy that they were safe! I was happy that they were allowed to live their lives! As for me, I got to finally live the normal human life I've been longing for all my life. The thing is, once I lost my powers, everyone began treating me like I had the plague. If I had to guess, they did this because they thought I wouldn't be able to handle the fact that they had power and I didn't."

Apacci frowned at his answer, her mouth zipping shut as he continued. "They were right, seeing them protect things that I should've been protecting was bothering me. But what stung more was how they continuously distanced themselves from me to the point they didn't even talk to me anymore. The Soul Society never visited through the use of gigai, not even once. Predictably, I was upset about how useless I was. Wouldn't any of you?"

The arrancar girls were quick to nod their heads. Without their power, they wouldn't have been able to befriend Harribel. Furthermore, they would've been useless to her if they were weak and powerless. They knew Harribel didn't seek strong allies. She instead searched for kindred souls who were female. Everyone knew that female hollows were typically weaker than male ones, so consuming the souls of those types was seen as an easier alternative to become an Adjuchas and/or Vasto Lorde. For this reason, Harribel had saved them, protected them, and allowed them to live. Not because they were fodder, it was because she sympathized with their morals and lifestyles.

Harribel nodded a moment after they did. If she couldn't protect, the meaning of her life would be for naught. She wouldn't accept a life where she was powerless. For this reason, she felt a sense of sadness for the orange haired hero.

"I might've been capable of living life without my powers if everyone had kept going as if nothing had changed. At least then, I wouldn't have felt like my sacrifice was for nothing. As my foolishness to reclaim my bonds gripped me entirely, I watched as my sister was attacked by a hollow. I couldn't do anything. I threw my feeble human body at it, yet I was tossed aside like a grain of sand. Insignificant. Useless."

Harribel decided to intervene. "What you did doesn't make you useless. Having the guts to sacrifice everything, despite harboring no power, is quite remarkable. To sacrifice oneself for the people they cherish, that's very honorable."

"I… agree with you. However, it's because of that event that changed everything. During that hollow attack, I watched as another person protected my sister. I'm not angry that my sister was saved by someone else. I'm mad that the person who saved my sister was only manipulating me for their own twisted goals. They offered me a way to reclaim my powers. They offered me a way to reclaim the bonds I lost. All I had to do was train with them," Ichigo recounted, a visible aura deepening around his frame.

The further the story progressed, an unmistakable, intolerable presence of anxiety engulfed everything. The arrancar girls didn't view Ichigo as a friend, nor did they hold an attachment for him. In face of that, they still felt their stomachs churn, their pulses increasing by the slightest amount. They were nothing short of puzzled. What was this emotion?

"Expectedly, I chose to believe their words. They trained me nonstop. Just like they had promised, I had begun to reclaim my lost powers. A few of my friends, sensing my presence, had even started to talk to me again. It's ironic that it took reclaiming my powers for them to return, but I expected nothing less. Anyhow, all of my training was just a front for them to use me. They restored my power, they helped me protect my family. Then they stole it all!"

"What do you mean they stole it? Lady Harribel said you are even stronger than her. How could they have stolen your powers?" Apacci asked, her brows furrowing.

Ichigo defeatedly inhaled. "The signs were in front of me from the start. When I meet someone, upon clashing blades with them, I'm capable of deciphering their emotions. I'm not a mind reader, nor do I claim to have the ability to understand someone perfectly. But I do have the power to understand someone's base emotions. If suppressed, I will find it extremely bothersome to sense their intent. If I search deep enough though, I will find the smallest fragments to take hold of. The person who found me and trained me, they had no intent at all."

The silence was deafening.

"All along, they were working with someone who had the ability to alter memories. Even now, I'm unsure of how it works. Nonetheless, they utilized that ability to alter the memories of my friends, family, and even themselves. By using it on themselves, they were able to stay off my radar, always acting like the perfect mannequins without my suspicions rising. Their goal was simple. They were to restore my powers, push me into a corner via the manipulations of my allies, and then take the opportunity to steal my powers."

The silence was shattered by Apacci. "WHAT?! How could they do that? Didn't the Soul Society intervene to help you? Aren't you the winter hero or whatever? Don't they respect their only reason for still living?!"

"I would have to agree with Apacci. Their actions are very unappealing," Sung-Sun concurred.

A frown adorned Ichigo's face. "No, they didn't help me. In my final moments, my friends watched as I had my power ripped from me. That's not even the worst part. I had my arm severed and my chest ran through. I died in a puddle of my own blood, alone. That's how I transformed into a hollow. But thanks to my zanpakuto…" Ichigo patted both the swords on his waist. "... I was able to retain my memories and powers."

Harribel was visibly appalled. She couldn't fathom the corruption the Soul Society must possess if they are willing to discard their hero. Even more so, she was horribly angered by the recounted events he spoke about. To have everything you care about get crushed in a single moment, what could be worse?

"Damn those shinigami!" Apacci shouted. "I just want to kill them. They have done nothing good for anyone! They slay hollows to prevent humans from dying, right? But what is that philosophy if they don't even protect the human that saved them!"

Mila Rose didn't express her emotions as aggressively. "No kidding. They are monsters. It's a surprise that you were a shinigami yourself if they are so inept."

Sung-Sung merely shook her head at their words. "They are not wrong."

"That's a… tragic story," Harribel began, her palm pressing against her cheek in thought. "But there's something you haven't told us yet, right? Something seems to be missing from the overall picture. Mind enlightening us?"

For this last part, he stared at Harribel. "You are quite perceptive. That's a lovely trait to have. If I had such awareness, I'm sure I wouldn't be dead now. But enough of my self-pity. You are correct. There's something I didn't mention. After my transition into becoming a hollow, the Soul Society attempted to kill me."

"What… what did you say?" Harribel slowly muttered.

"It's as I said. I'm unsure of their goals… or why they attacked me, but something tells me this isn't the end. And if I am being honest, this is probably just the beginning. Why else would they send four captains to kill me?" Ichigo revealed.

Harribel knew he was strong. But he was that strong after regaining his powers? She could sense his power, the density so invigorating that it could evaporate the very rain before it decided to weep. To have fought four captains and survived, that was nothing short of a miracle.

"Four captains? How'd you face such opposition and live? Harribel pried.

Ichigo shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't call it much of a fight. On the fly, I developed a new technique that allowed me to uncover an opening. I believe I left a decent statement by defeating one of the captains before escaping. As you can guess, I had only one escape route, that of course being through a garganta. So I pressed the opening and fled."

"You make it sound so easy, jackass," Apacci sarcastically mumbled. Despite getting annoyed by him, she was starting to see that he wasn't half bad. Since Harribel herself hadn't attempted to destroy him yet, she could only guess that she had not sensed any hostilities from him. Which was sort of relieving.

"It may sound that way, however, it was anything but that. Before the fight began, they launched a surprise attack and managed to pierce me through the chest. Without my regeneration, that would've been the end of the battle right there," Ichigo admitted.

'Instant regeneration too?' Harribel questioned, becoming even more impressed.

She broke away from her thoughts. "I believe I am starting to put the pieces together. After you left the living world, you decided to travel to Las Noches because it's the only place you're familiar with? And that leads us back to where we are now, correct?"

"Yes, you'd be correct."

"And what of your plans?" Harribel pressed. "Do you intend to exact revenge?"

Ichigo hesitated for a moment, not entirely sure himself. "At the current moment, I have no intent to exact revenge. That would only lead to my sisters being endangered. So for now, I am going to train my new abilities. Once I have a decent grasp of my powers, I need to discover why the Soul Society did what they did."

"You are actually going to give the Soul Society another chance? Do you like being a slave or something?!" Apacci hissed.

He gave a slight eye roll. "You are so dramatic. Of course I am not going to give them another chance. I'll never forgive them for what they caused me to lose! I didn't only lose my life, but my sisters were manipulated like puppets on strings. The most I am going to do is expel their orders to kill me. After that, I'll have nothing to do with them."

"And if they don't?" Sung-Sun questioned.

That was the question that feared him the most. If they weren't willing to undo their orders, what would he do? From what he knew already, there were a few captains that were willing to fight for his pardon. Even knowing that, he didn't believe in their capabilities to complete such a task. He was always the one cleaning up their messes. So if he wasn't the one fixing things, what would they do? Peacefully negotiate with the over one thousand year old Head Captain who has a traffic cone stuffed up his rear? Like that'd work.

His expression darkened, his determination building to the same degree from when he had rescued Rukia from execution. "If they refuse to drop their orders, I will gather enough power to destroy all who desire to crush me and the ones I hold dear! To destroy without reason is the mindset of a monster. But to destroy those who oppose you for simply living, what is wrong with that?"

Harribel noticed a flame light in his eyes. They weren't the eyes of a killer, destroyer, monster, or anything of the sort. She couldn't exactly express what she saw in his eyes. Though, a single word did come to mind.

'Resolve.'

She was right. His resolve was returning. He could feel it. The same resolve that allowed him to slice through Kenpachi's skin. The same resolve that permitted him to continue his battle against Ulquiorra. If it wasn't for this resolve, he would've succumbed to his despair before realizing his Final Getsuga Tenshō training. And without that, the worlds would've fallen apart due to Aizen's machinations.

"But don't you destroy hollows for simply living?" Mila Rose inquired.

"I only destroy those who seek to hurt others. It's unfortunate that most hollows seek death from the moment of their creation. If there was a way to turn all hollows into arrancar, that instinct of death would be crushed beneath their humanity. The ones who allow that instinct of hate to corrupt them are simply not trying to be good people."

Harribel agreed whole-heartedly. For years, she has only killed those who decided to attack her or her allies. She prevented the others from devouring since she didn't believe those actions to be the morally just ones. When they were turned into arrancars, their dark emotions were significantly suppressed, supposedly sealed away into their zanpakutos. With that came a sense of clarity and stillness.

Harribel gave a genuine smile, the first real one in a long while. "We share many of the same ideals. I now understand why you were successful in defeating Aizen. You're quite remarkable."

"Oh… uh thanks. Same to you. You know, since we share the same ideals and whatnot," he nervously laughed, not really used to having compliments sent his way.

She noted his embarrassment, finding it a bit odd. She'd ponder that another time. Realizing a lot of time has gone by since they began talking, she moved things along.

"I wouldn't want to waste any more of your time. You still have to get adjusted to this place so we will finish with a few of your own questions. The rest of my…." she paused, glancing between the members of her fracción. "... our questions can wait until tomorrow."

He perked up, a bit baffled. "Wait, you don't have any issues with me staying here? Are you sure I won't get suffocated in my sleep by that one over there?" He pointed towards Apacci.

"You damn strawberry! It's like you are asking me to kick your ass," Apacci grumbled.

Mila Rose grinned. "I mean, she was willing to be carried by you. I wouldn't be surprised if she snuck into your room."

Apacci flushed red, her expression flickering between angry and embarrassed. "L-Like hell I would do that! Keep your fantasies to yourself, idiot!"

"At it again you two? Haven't I told you many times that such sightings are tragically humiliating to witness?" Sung-Sun slyly commented.

Before their argument could continue, Harribel spoke up. "Yes, I have no issue at all. Your words and actions have proven more than enough that you can be trusted. After your questions, I'll show you around the fortress so you can get an understanding of the layout."

'Yo king, I am sort of getting bored. Can't you just ask those questions tomorrow? Your soul needs proper rest to fully stabilize.' Zangetsu asked, but to Ichigo, it sounded more like whining.

'I'll save most of the questions for tomorrow. Though, I am going to ask a few of the lesser questions now.' Ichigo retorted back with a minor attitude. Zangetsu groaned in irritation, starting to regret suggesting Ichigo to speak with them.

"How'd you know I fought Grimmjow? Were you watching the fight or something? And if you were watching, are you one of the Espada that invaded Karakura Town?" Ichigo questioned.

Harribel wasn't surprised. "Yes, when you began your fight, I was watching from my living quarters. My fracción also witnessed the battle, but they weren't capable of comprehending the events due to their reiatsu levels being immature at the time. Upon your victory, the upper three Espada along with their fracción were summoned to invade Karakura Town. That was when your friend, Orihime Inoue, was kidnapped by the Primera Espada, Stark."

"That was the Primera?!" Ichigo blurted. "I should've known. His sonido was basically untraceable. Though, I am sure I could easily follow his movements now."

Harribel shook her head. "That won't be possible. During the Karakura Town invasion, he was killed by the captain who wore a pink kimono. From what I could tell, he didn't even release his bankai."

'Shunsui killed the Primera Espada?! That's… a surprise. I knew he was strong, but to defeat the strongest ranked Espada with no bankai is sort of shocking.' Ichigo marveled, wondering if he had an inaccurate reading of Shunsui all this time. 'If I had fought Shunsui, would I have won?'

He dismissed his thoughts, returning his thoughts to the topic at hand. "... and what of your battle? Who was your opponent? And how'd you survive when no one else did?"

"I fought against the…" she stopped to remember the name of the ice wielder. "I believe I fought the ice wielder, Captain Hitsu- something."

Ichigo nodded. "Ah, Captain Hitsugaya"

"Yes, he was somewhat capable. If the battle hadn't been stopped, I would've won though," she smugly added. "Since I was the last Espada living, I was labeled disposable and betrayed by Aizen. Before I knew it, he slashed me across the stomach. I attempted to retaliate but his Kyōka Suigetsu misled my senses, and before I knew it, I was stabbed through the shoulder. From there, I fell from the sky and plummeted to my impending death," she seethed, the corner of her mouth lifting to express her disgust.

Her fracción were equally as angry. The fact they were expressing their anger made him respect them just a bit more. It showed him that their comradery was legit and not a farce like the other Espada.

'I wonder how he can treat his comrades that way without feeling regret. When I collided with his sword, I only felt loneliness. I don't understand how someone with his capabilities could act in such a way.' He was genuinely curious. He knew he would never get the answer since Aizen was sealed away for 20,000 years. Despite that, his curiosity would always rise to question such a mystery.

"That bastard," Ichigo growled. "If it helps, he was shouting like a little coward when I was about to release my final attack against him. You should've seen his expression when I managed to slice him. Even more so when he was getting sealed. He was fuming."

"Wait, really? That dumb bastard was yelling?!" Apacci questioned with a grin.

Seeing her grin, he gave a cheeky grin back. "He sure was. I asked him why he was backing away from me since he had asked me the same question the fight before that one. He was obviously embarrassed that I had caught him in his own game so he yelled at me," he cleared his throat, attempting his best Aizen impression. "Are you pleased you overcame my kido? Are you pleased that you put a scar on my body?! Don't be so full of yourself, HUMAN!"

The three arrancars giggled, quite happy by the revelation. Even Harribel gave an appeased smirk.

"That's what that monster gets for harming Lady Harribel!" Mila Rose declared, her arm rose high to express her satisfaction.

Sung-Sun agreed. "Indeed."

Straightening his expression, he continued to question. "Anyways, how did you survive those injuries?"

"She was too injured to move and we ourselves were also heavily damaged from our fights. So we dragged her into a garganta. As if luck was on our side, the garganta opened up near your friend Orihime Inoue, and she offered her assistance. We would've denied her help but it was our only hope of saving Lady Harribel," Mila Rose answered in place of Harribel. She witnessed the events unlike Harribel, so it made more sense.

Ichigo never liked how Orihime healed enemies who would be more than willing to kill her after healing. He found it to be naive. He himself was naive, however, he'd never heal an enemy unless he knew they were good people. Not that he can heal, but his point still stands. Nevertheless, this time he would give her some credit for healing the correct people. These arrancar were good. He could tell.

"I-... that makes sense. She's always healed anyone who was hurt. Whether they were an enemy or not," he stated with some hesitance in his voice.

Apacci lifted her head from the table, her headache mostly subsided. "She might've healed Lady Harribel… but she's changed."

"What?" Ichigo questioned, a little disheartened.

"She didn't heal you when you were betrayed, right? That's more than enough evidence that she has changed," she explained. "All I am saying is that rescuing her was pointless. The only good that came from it was Lady Harribel's restoration."

Those facts caused a frown to etch itself onto his face. Harribel also frowned. She could tell Apacci was beginning to sympathize with Ichigo, her words carrying a slight defensive edge and anger towards Orihime.

He didn't know how to respond. Averting his gaze, he gave an unsatisfying shrug before changing the topic altogether. "I only have one more question before I call it quits for the day. Or well, more like a request. I plan to stay here for quite some time, and I noticed the damages to the fortress, so I was going to suggest a complete restructuring of everything."

Harribel was a bit intrigued by what he meant. "How would you do that? This fortress expands for miles. That's a lot of work."

"Well, I haven't figured that out yet, but there must be some way to do so. Urahara Kisuke has a massive underground training space beneath his shop. If he developed such a location by himself, then it shouldn't be impossible for me to redesign everything as well," Ichigo explained.

"I see. When you discover a way to make that possible, we'll talk more," she answered, standing up slowly as she began stretching her limbs. Almost like puppets, the three arrancars followed her lead, standing up. Not wanting to be the outlier, he stood up as well, his back aching slightly from the ridiculously uncomfortable chair.

"Shall I give you a tour of Las Noches?" Harribel queried, walking towards the open down while talking.

"Sure, why not?" He agreed, quickly catching up to her as he stood beside her. Harribel turned towards her fracción, their expressions showing uncertainty. They didn't mind Ichigo, but they were slightly distrusting still due to the previous betrayal. "You three are dismissed. We'll talk afterwards, understand?"

They nodded their heads understandingly, walking past the duo. They glanced at Ichigo a few times while walking away, their thoughts cycling between many different emotions. When they were out of range, Harribel proceeded to walk in the opposite direction, Ichigo following her closely as he wondered how expansive this place really was.

'This is going to take a while, isn't it?'

---

Seireitei - 4th Division Barracks

---

Just like any other day, the barracks of Squad 4 were empty. The occasional squad member from Division 11 would appear every now and then, but for the most part, it was deadly vacant. Ever since the end of the winter war, the amount of injured has decreased by a large amount. Many felt it was unnecessary to train any longer than necessary since the largest threat, Sōsuke Aizen, was nullified. Furthermore, the issue regarding Xcution was only known to the captains, lieutenants, and Central 46. Since the threat was practically invisible, no one, including the people aware, were being cautious of impending threats.

In the midst of the barracks, the 4th Division Captain, Retsu Unohana, stared blankly out the window. She felt the opening of senkaimon, and by the feel of the reiatsu, it belonged to the captains responsible for Ichigo's execution. Upon closer inspection, she could feel one of the reiatsu signatures flashing from steady to rampant. Her lips crept upwards before reforming back into an indistinguishable mask of kindness.

Upon collecting herself, a large blur flashed over to the entrance of the medical dorms, revealing three of the four captains that were assigned to execute Ichigo. In the middle of the trio, stood the bloodied almost mutilated form of Captain Komamura. From first glance, she could tell he wasn't in critical condition, but if he was left that way — he definitely would be. After a moment of analyzing the injuries, she averted her stare to the others. On each side of the bloodied wolfman, Captain Kyoraku and Captain Kuchiki stood holding the giant up with their arms. They did this to prevent further blood loss.

"Ah, good evening Captain Unohana. Well, it hasn't been that long since I last saw you, but what's better than a nice pleasant greeting?" Shunsui drawled, his hand tilted his hat with his other hand.

"What happened?" Unohana asked worriedly, her expression creasing from the sight before herself. "Did Kurosaki-san deliver those wounds?"

The trio walked into the room, helping the injured captain onto one of the medical beds before averting their attention to the kind captain. Deciding to answer, Shunsui turned towards her. "He sure did. Before anyone could see it comin', he used a new technique called… uhm…"

"He called it Getsuga Jūjishō. Implied by the name, the technique seemed to combine two getsugas, creating a cross-shaped arc of energy," Byakuya tagged in, his stoic voice carrying a wisp of dejection.

Unohana pondered that revelation, her mind racking around the idea of how he managed to create a new technique after being inactive for nearly two years. She was rather impressed. If only he wasn't so naive and enjoyed the taste of battle like herself. Then maybe…

Shunsui coughed with feigned embarrassment. "Yes, Getsuga Jūjishō was the name. The technique was quite a spectacle. As a mere observer, I could tell he was holding back significantly. In fact, I'm confident in saying if he didn't hold back, Captain Komamura would be dead right now."

Her eyes widened slightly, glancing towards the injured captain momentarily. 'He's right. Those crossing lacerations would've scattered his limbs all over the place. If he had only exerted a bit more power into his attack, Captain Komamura would surely be deceased.'

"You're right. Those injuries are rather deep. If a little more pressure had been pressed into that attack, Captain Komamura would have perished," she breathed, her hand stroking her soft braid ever so gently.

Shunsui's aura became a bit more serious, his hat tilting to expose his eyes. "But he didn't, did he now? Even though we backstabbed him, he chose to flee from us instead of fighting. Doesn't that show us that he's clearly of the right mind?" He voiced questioningly, his words aimed at each of the captains present — except Komamura who had already fallen unconscious.

These words stabbed Byakuya a million times, his guilt overtaking his mind. He wondered if he did the right thing. Was attacking Ichigo Kurosaki the right choice? Would Hisana have respected his choice of protecting her sister over the man who saved her sister? Or would she have expected him to complete both tasks like any good person would. He was so lost in his regret that he didn't even notice Shunsui waving in front of his face.

"Hello! Anyone home?" Shunsui exaggerated, shaking him slightly. The sudden contact prompted the raven-haired noble to flinch, his arm sweeping the older captain's hand away from his shoulder.

"Yes, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment," he coldly murmured, his eyes crestfallen. The hat on Shunsui returned to shadowing his eyes, a slight smile cast on his face. Even if Byakuya didn't know it, Shunsui knew for a fact that he cared about Ichigo. His reactions, his hesitation to attack the boy with his full power, and many other factors. All of it pointed to that.

"I see," Shunsui said.

A few feet away from the talking captains, Unohana had taken a seat, her hands glowing a dim green over the wolf captain's injuries. "Captain Kyoraku, I'd have to say I agree with you. It's as I mentioned during the last captains' meeting. Ichigo is a necessity to not just the Seireitei, but the entirety of the Soul Society. Cutting off such a person, no less one who saved the Soul Society, would be a dishonor to everyone, everywhere."

He nodded his head, grunting slightly. "Indeed. Though, old man Yama is going to be a pain to convince otherwise. He's stuck in his old ways of doing things."

Unohana, despite having many colliding intentions, agreed with his words. Her past was full of nothing except bloodshed, violence, and murder. She knew the importance of change and how it would bolster everything for the better. Even though she didn't personally care about those trivial matters, she was certain such a world carved by those things would allow her dreams and goals to become reality. Wars lead to the deaths of both the strong and weak alike. But through peace, both sides can build upon their faults, growing even stronger than they would've been after having survived a nonsensical conflict.

Byakuya took a step forward, his mouth parting, insinuating he was going to speak. Though, as if the very air grabbed him, he stopped. Turning away, he began speaking. "I'll have no part in your silly games, Captain Kyoraku."

The older captain's face stood unwavering, watching the young noble walk away in an elegant manner. "But I won't mess with any of your plans regarding Ichigo Kurosaki. In fact, I was never here to witness anything you talked about."

Unohana remained silent, an aura of gentle green expelling from her hands as the many gashes across Komamura's upper body began to stitch back together.

A dry chuckle escaped Shunsui's lips, his hand rubbing his chin softly. "That's what you say. But what will you do when your sister runs off to his side?"

Byakuya stopped mid stride, his head turning to give Shunsui a side eye. "Ridiculous. She's not as fragile as you make her seem. She's a proud Kuchiki. I'm confident that she'll make the correct decision when the time presents itself."

"My, such confidence in your sister," he laughed. "It's admirable that you've managed to change so much in such a short amount of time. Almost two years ago, you were willing to let Rukia be executed for the sake of the Soul Society. But now you're different, aren't you?

Byakuya remained silent.

"Well, I wouldn't want to sour the mood any longer than necessary. Just remember my words in the future, will ya?" Shunsui advised light-heartedly. "On another note, Captain Soi Fon should almost be finished delivering the report. If I had to gander, another meeting will be adjourned soon to discuss the details. We'll see you there, Captain Kuchiki."

In response, a slight breeze was cast in their direction, the spot where Byakuya had stood now vacant. Blinking his eyes slowly, he glanced at the healing form of Komamura, the injuries almost completely erased.

"Kuchiki sure is a riot. But he's still maturing so it makes sense," Shunsui mumbled.

Unohana smiled eerily. "That he is. A majority of the new generation captains are but buds ready to blossom. They are incapable of sprouting, not because of their weakness, but because they lack the necessary push to advance them. If another invasion similar to a thousand years ago were to happen, I fear most of the current captains would face a terrible fate."

"You are absolutely right. If it weren't for Ichigo, Sōsuke Aizen would've sacrificed Karakura Town to forge the Ōken. We aren't sure of his exact intentions… but it's more than likely that he would've stormed the Royal Palace and killed all of its occupants. To prevent such an event from ever happening again, we need Ichigo's strength to deter such aggression. For without it, the Seireitei may be doomed."

He may not have fought in the war a thousand years ago. He was much too young, after all. But he did remember the mass amount of casualties caused by the invasion. From his experiences, he hardly got to witness the original Gotei 13, however, he was more than certain that they were many leagues ahead of the current generation – excluding Yamamoto, Unohana, Ukitake, and himself. If the disparity is that great, what would they hope to achieve against a new enemy who is stronger than themselves?

"Certainly. We can only hope to push an agenda that will allow a fair and just introspection of Kurosaki's character. If the new era cannot see reason, everything may already be doomed," she droned, the faint glow from her hands diminishing as the remaining gashes healed.

He stayed silent, agreeing with her. He motioned for the window, climbing onto the open frame lazily. "Well, good talk. It would be a waste to continue this conversation as there is a meeting soon to discuss these details."

"Of course, Captain Kyoraku. Though, I should advise something…"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I advise you to walk out the door like a normal person. The medical barracks is no place for your uncouth behavior," she eye smiled, a shadow casting over her form threateningly.

Shunsui's skin dwindled to a blanching white, a drip of sweat running down his face. "O-Oh, yes… that's right. Ha-ha, how careless of me."

Before she could continue her lecture, he booked it, shunpoing out the front doors to what he saw as a safe haven. She shook her head passively, a ghastly smile sprouting. "He forgot there's no running in these barracks either. I'll have to remind him later."

Recomposing herself, she stood up and walked towards the open window, a slight breeze shuffling inwards as its strength motioned her hair delicately. She inhaled breathily, her eyelashes fluttering against the serene atmosphere. Off in the distance, a captivating orange hue burst forth from the horizon, a barely visible sphere of light rising through the barrier to reach its daily precipice.

'Ichigo Kurosaki, you carry a potential that could easily surpass Zaraki's. When you were but a mere human, I knew it would be nigh impossible to draw forth your latent power… but luckily for me, you went and died. If I could just draw forth your unrealized emotions, you could easily be the one that quenches my thirst for battle.'

She knew she could possibly find a worthwhile fight from the current Kenpachi, but there was something about fighting Ichigo that caused her blood to boil. When she thought about it, she theorized it was due to his vacant state of mind – a trait that allowed her to forge him into anything she desired. He could be the ultimate fighter. That human, or well former human, could be the one that brings absolute change to this disgusting existence of a system while also subsequently satiating her bloodthirst.

She's wasted too much time waiting for the current Kenpachi to reawaken his potential. If he wouldn't, the only plausible conclusion pointed towards his evolution being permanently halted.

She disliked the idea, yet she knew it was the truth. It's been nearly 800 years since Zaraki sealed his own power, and since then, nothing has changed. He's only managed to obtain minor levels of advancement, albeit nothing more impressive than what Ichigo displayed against him during their first battle.

'It's been long overdue.' She sighed disappointedly.

Without hesitation, she placed her hand on her upper chest, a vibrant hue emanating from her as the damaged flesh caused from the hidden scar began to reform into a silky smooth touch. After a few moments, the scar that had plagued her for many centuries had finally vanished. She thought she would feel absolutely devastated, a reaction that seemed obvious due to wasting so much time. For some unknown reason, she didn't feel the slightest ounce of emotion. This piqued her as something strange, but she shrugged away those pointless thoughts as she redirected a malicious smile to the sky.

'Now, let's go see what this captains' meeting is about.'

---

That's the second chapter! At the current time, I still haven't decided what the pairing will be. There are still many characters that have yet to be introduced and all. Furthermore, I am still uncertain if the story will be a harem type or not. After a few more chapters, I'll probably be able to make up my mind. Though, if the demand for one type is excessively more wanted than the other, I'll most likely opt for that path. Anyhow, if you read all the way through the chapter, you'll notice I am slowly progressing each event. After a few more chapters, things should start to pick up. I just hate rushing things when dialogue is involved. That's why much didn't happen this chapter.

Besides that, there isn't much else to mention. Though, don't forget to leave comments. That will allow me to see opinions, suggestions, ideas, and whatever else that is said. It doesn't matter how short or long the comments are, I'll most definitely read them. And like I mentioned the last chapter, if you don't feel comfortable relaying your thoughts in the comments, you're always free to send a private message.

Oh, as for Redivivus ex Cero, I'm still editing the chapter. Though, I think I will add a bit more so I can expand a bit. After all, it's been a while since the first chapter has been added, so I'll likely adjust a few plot points to make it a bit more intriguing. With that said, you should see another chapter or two of this story before you see one of that one.

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