Ladies and Gentlemen, it's probably felt like a very long month due to the cliffhanger of the last chapter, but we're finally back to continue where we left off! Last time, it seemed like Dyspute, Guild Master of Death's Head Caucus, was about to crush the fairy tail guild before he was stopped by none other than Aizen Sosuke! Will this new arrival be enough to save our heroes?
Well, there's only one way to find out, and I don't wish to keep you waiting any longer! Onto the show!
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and Weekly Shounen Magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun!
"What... the hell?" One minute, Jade Ladro had just been in the heat of battle with Death's Head Caucus guild master Dyspute, wrapped up in his shadow bindings as her friends fought fiercely to rescue her, only to now find herself lost in a black void. As far as she was aware, she was the only thing here, all that she could see was herself, her body remaining visible as if it were in the light despite her surroundings.
"Where am I? The last thing I remember was...we were fighting that monster of a guild master...and then he captured me...then Candi-" The minute Jade spoke of her best friend, the last moments of her life prior to being in this empty voided flooded into her mind, the images of the Quincy only mere seconds away from death thanks to Dyspute's Shadow God Slaying Magic. "Oh God, no! Candi!" She looked around feverously, desperate to find some sort of way to help her friend. "No, no, no! I can't afford to waste any time here! If I don't do something quick, then Candi and everyone else is going to-"
"Please, calm yourself, Jade Ladro."
Jade heard the familiar voice echoing all around her, her eyes narrowing with anger. "Sosuke!? Listen here, asshole, I don't have time for any of your shit! In case you haven't noticed, me and my friends are kinda in a life and death situation, so if you don't mind, send me back before it's too late!"
Jade could hear Aizen chuckle before he responded. "You needn't have such urgency while you're here, Miss Ladro. A year here is but a second in the real world. I have all the time I need to speak with you."
Jade looked in the general direction of Aizen's voice and sighed. It was beyond clear to her that just getting mad wasn't exactly going to get her out of this mess. She supposed, for now, she would just have to take his word for it. "Ok, fine. If time really isn't of the essence like you say it is, I guess I don't need to be freaking out after all. But I can't imagine you're bringing me here to simply lecture me again. So, let's just cut to the chase, and tell me what you want."
"You would be correct that there is much more to our conversation than your less than ideal choice of loyalty you've bestowed your surrogate mother with. Come, follow the sound of my voice. There is much to discuss."
Internally sighing at what was no doubt going to be a rather annoying discussion, Jade began to follow to where she had last heard the condescending voice. As she began her trek, various thoughts began to flow into her mind. 'I really hope what he said about time here is true. If it's not...then I've already failed. No, don't think like that. Right now, what I need are answers. It's about damn time I finally learned why this son of a bitch is in my head in the first place… Assuming I can even take what he says at face value.'
Finally, she could see a very dim light in the distance. Figuring that was where she needed to go, she followed her gut instinct to head in the general direction. She was getting closer now, and as she approached, she could vaguely make out a figure of some sort. Strangely enough, she couldn't really describe what it remotely looked like, the visage of it constantly changing like a rippling water effect. Perhaps, if she got closer, she would get a better idea. Finally, she was only about five or so feet away when the strange visual effect faded.
"Excellent, you've finally arrived. We have much to discuss, you and I."
The voice was unquestionably that of Sosuke Aizen's, but his appearance was nothing like it was when she had seen him for the first time in Las Noches, nor the time when he had prevented her from committing suicide. Gone was the white outfit, and in its place was what could be best be described as a black straight jacket of sorts with some white trim and a white rag around his shoulders. His right eye and forehead were completely covered by a massive eyepatch of sorts, though despite this, his aura of confidence was still as present as ever. The last detail that truly caught her eye, however, was that he was currently left immobile, his arms and legs strapped to the large chair he was currently sitting in.
"What the hell is going on!? Jade screamed. "Why the hell are you in some gimp suit strapped to a chair!?"
Aizen let out a light chuckle as his left eye looked at the young woman before he smirked. "Oh, this? This is precisely why I've called for you, Miss Ladro. It seems as if you and I have come at a crossroads where our interests have finally fully intersected."
Jade simply glared at the bound man as she clenched her fists. "Explain. Now. Why are you stuck to a damn chair!? No, why are you even in my head in the first place!? If you really want me to have anything to do with you, you're going to have to at least explain that much, and don't even think for a second I'm going to fall for the 'Fairy God Father' comparison or some shit! You've wanted something from me for a while now, and I want to know exactly what that is!"
Aizen closed his eyes before he spoke. "Yes, I do believe that it was high time that you were told the truth. Do be aware, however, that there is much to take in. You may find it quite difficult to bear."
"Well, it's not like you're giving me much of a choice now are you?" Jade said as she rolled her eyes. "Now come on, out with it already."
"Patience now, Jade. All will be revealed in due time." Aizen said as he opened his eyes once more. I'll start by answering what's probably been the question you've had the longest: why I've taken up residence inside of your mind. Much like your friend Miss Catnipp, I also come from another world. The same as theirs, in fact. It was a world rife with difficulties, as I know your friends have made you aware. An afterlife that treated most of its inhabitants with cruel indifference at best and a hellish existence at worst. The Soul Reapers, guardians of the Soul Society and keepers of the peace were merely content with the world as it was. I was not. In fact, I was quite disgusted with those who continued the status quo despite the many battles they had won to maintain it. A true victor is one who thinks of not how the world is, but rather how the world should be. Thus, I began various forms of experimentation, and finally, began my revolution to stand at the top."
He then shook his head. "However, despite my vast power, the power of those I had recruited into my cause, as well as the hundreds of years of planning that I had spent towards this goal, I was ultimately defeated. The hows and whys are a matter for another time. However, thanks to the greatest of my experiments, I had finally discovered the source of surpassing Hollow and Soul Reaper alike and gained immortality. Because of this, I was not able to be executed for my crimes. Thus, the Soul Society decided to simply seal me away for over 20,000 years in a black, empty void, much like the one we're in now. As a result, I've ended up strapped to this very chair, the vast amount of my powers sealed away."
Jade simply stared before she motioned at him with her right hand to continue. Having her permission, he continued speaking. "After having experienced a brief moment of freedom after a mere two-and-a-half years when my imprisonment started out of mutual interest of myself and the Soul Society, I was once again sealed away. This time, however, the period of time was much more significant. One year, a decade, a century, a millennium. As time continued to go by, even I, with all my intellect and wisdom, began to slowly grow mad from not only the isolation but also the sensory deprivation. Ten thousand years of nothing but darkness, with only myself for company. Yes, even someone like I could only last for so long under such conditions. I feared that I would slowly lose my sanity before my sentence was finally up. That is, until one day, my isolation came to an end."
10,000 years ago after the end of the Thousand-Year Blood War. Muken.
It was madness. Ten thousand years of isolation, ten thousand years of nothing but pitch blackness. When Sosuke Aizen had first been sentenced by the Central 46 to the Muken, he had simply shrugged it off. What was time for a man like him? He was no mere Soul Reaper; he had transcended such limitations as aging long ago once he had fused with the Hogyoku. All he simply had to do was bide his time. Freedom would come sooner or later. He had waited patiently for hundreds of years to get where he had. This would be no different.
For the first few decades or so, everything had been fine. Boring, certainly, but he was above such things. Time would move on soon enough. And time did move on...but 20,000 years was far, far greater than he had originally anticipated. Waking up every day to simply see the same black void over and over again was slowly wearing on him. Eventually, he started to use Kyoka Suigetsu on himself as a means to help pass the time, creating his own world before his very eyes. It helped...for a time. Eventually, as time passed over a thousand years, even this was not enough. There was only so much he could create with his Zanpakutō's power for so long before even that had grown to bore himself. After all, what was the point of watching his own creations if he knew their every action?
Time may not have been a concern for his physical state of being, but his mental one? Without being able to move most of his body with the exception of his left eye and mouth, to see the same darkness for over ten thousand years, it was only a matter of time before he went mad and he knew it. Even Kyoka Suigetsu's company in his own inner world would not be enough to stave off the inevitable.
After all...his sentence was only halfway finished. He still had another 10,000 years to complete.
"My, it certainly seems like you're in quite the pickle right now, aren't you, Sosuke Aizen?"
Experiencing the sensation of surprise for well over 10,000 years caused Aizen Sosuke to look about wildly as best he could to locate the source of the voice. Was he starting to hear voices now? A woman's at that! Had his madness already begun to set in? No, he hadn't snapped quite yet. Whatever this was, however, he knew one thing. He wanted to know more, and he wanted it to last as long as he could manage. Thus, he quickly regained his composure before he replied.
"It most certainly has been a few irksome millennia. However, I've also found it to be a rather...enlightening experience." He wasn't exactly lying per se, the one thing he could do this entire time in the Muken was reflect, to look upon past plans and actions and see what had gone right...and what had gone wrong. Whom most of the blame for his defeat could be blamed on...only to find that each and every single time, it has always come back to three men. Kisuke Urahara, Ichigo Kurosaki...and himself.
"So, to whom do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" Aizen spoke out into the void. "I don't happen to get many visitors these days, so I'd like to meet you face to face, were it possible." Was he asking for too much? Would she leave for him simply asking to see whoever this was? He prayed that would not be the case. Any kind of new company at this point would be welcome, even if it came from the likes of Marechiyo Omaeda or Don Kanoji. Anything to put an end to this lonely isolation.
"Oh yes, of course, allow me to formally introduce myself." Appearing in a flash of light before his eyes was a woman with long dark blue hair, green eyes, wearing a purple tunic and tights with a black cape, along with a golden scepter. But what surprised him the most, what truly got his attention, was her Reiatsu. This was no mere Soul Reaper. No, the woman before him was much like himself. A being that transcended Hollows and Soul Reapers entirely. A god. "My name is Sylphia Nelia Labelle. It's a pleasure to meet you. It's not often you find someone who manages to elevate themselves to the level of the gods."
"My sentiments exactly," Aizen responded as he smirked. "So, what brings you here to the Muken, Miss Labelle? Have you come here to seek advice on how to utilize those powers of yours? I can assume that you've only very recently acquired them." She had to have as far as he was concerned. The mere idea that a being like this could exist prior to his own transformation was laughable. Prior to himself, the only person who had ever reached this height of spiritual power was none other than the Soul King himself, and afterward, only Ichigo Kurosaki and the Quincy Kaiser Yhwach after absorbing the Soul King had managed to achieve it since. At least, so he had believed until now.
"Oh no, I've had these powers of mine for quite some time," Sylphia replied as she waved her hand in front of herself. "No, my reason for coming to see you is of a more...urgent matter." She smiled then as she slowly walked in front of him, twirling her staff as she did so before coming to a sudden stop. "I believe I have an offer that would adhere to your interests as well as mine. A once in a lifetime opportunity, even for someone such as yourself. The chance to experience and explore a whole new world."
Sosuke Aizen's eyes came to life then, feeling a sense of curiosity and excitement he hadn't felt in hundreds of years. "By all means, do tell."
"Her offer was quite simple really," Aizen spoke. "I was given the opportunity to explore a whole new world that I knew nothing about in exchange for my services."
"And those services are...what exactly?" Jade inquired.
"Many of your friends were simply brought here on the behalf of the gods to fight for an upcoming war for the fate of humanity. I myself, however, will not be partaking in the war. I was simply brought here for one reason, and one reason only. To slay a being from my world that the gods of your world deem a threat to their existence." Aizen answered.
"Okay, but if that's the case, then why the hell are you in my head?!" Jade demanded. "I fail to see how you being inside of me correlates to defeating whatever the hell it is the gods are afraid of!"
Aizen closed his eye before speaking. "Just because Sylphia came to recruit me to their side doesn't mean that there is any trust between us. It seems that my past actions have made them quite wary of me, not that I blame them. No, they are afraid that if they simply brought me over that I would scheme to rule over their heavens in place of my own once I've completed my task. Thus, to keep me in check, they believed that simply placing me in a human host would help prevent such an outcome. Furthermore, they placed several seals on both of my power and the actions I can take while inside of your body. It's why the manifestation that you see before you appears as it does. These are not the seals the Soul Society placed on me, no, these are the seals of the gods."
"I...I..." All of the information she was hearing was too much to take in. A war of the gods for the fate of humanity? A being from another world that the gods feared enough to bring this man here to deal with them?! It was all so surreal. Still, there was one question that burned in her most of all. "Tell me why then… Why me? Why the hell did they pick me!?"
"Because Sylphia knew that you were the only host that would be compatible with my ability to control all five senses, along with the rest of my power," Aizen answered.
"How the hell did she know that!?" Jade asked. "It can't just be because of my magic, I know plenty of people who can use better illusion magic than me, so how did she narrow it down!?"
"Because she knew about you from the beginning," Aizen told her.
"Cut the crap! What the hell do you mean she knew about me from the beginning!?" Jade demanded. "I didn't get these powers until I-"
"What I'm saying to you is that Syplphia knew about you from the moment she chose to reincarnate you into this world." Aizen interrupted her.
Jade's eyes widened in shock as she heard his response, her heart practically skipped a beat as she heard his answer. "She...what?"
"Do you believe that my world was the first she had looked for to find suitable champions for their war game?" Aizen answered her. "Far from it. The reality is that she spent many years looking through the various worlds that existed to find a world that had beings suitable enough for the war. Your world simply didn't make the proper cut with the deceased warriors it possessed. However...when she came across your departed soul, she took pity on you and took you in as if you were her own child, watching over you from afar ever since you were reincarnated into this world. That's how she knew about you being the perfect host for me. Because she had already known about you several years before the war would begin."
Jade's entire body began to shake then, as she heard Aizen speak. "That's...that's-"
"Of course, she never wanted to see you end up as the host for someone else, but unfortunately for her, there was no alternative. Still, she cared for you like a mother and wished for you to have as long of a normal life as possible; thus, several seals were placed on me to prevent me from taking complete control over you." Aizen spoke. "Honestly, you and Miss Basterbine owe her quite the debt for giving you both a second chance at life."
"LIAR!" Jade yelled as she took a step back. "That's not true! You're lying! It's bullshit, all of it! I'm not special! I'm not someone from another world, I'm not the adopted stepchild of some goddess or a piece on a damn chess board for a war for humanity! I'm just a street rat who managed to get into Fairy Tail! Everything you're saying right now, it's all a lie!" She was only brought here because of some damn goddess? She only met her friends because of her!? That's the only reason she had ever even met Emberella in the first place? Everything that had happened in her entire life, was out of some sort of pity?!
"You heard what I said, then called me a liar. Now you refuse to believe what I've shared." Aizen spoke. "Your mind may not want to believe these revelations but inside of you there's a voice saying "Accept it, it's the truth." You're hearing it right now are you not?" When he was met with stunned silence, he continued. "Soon you'll believe, time will help. I feel sorry about your confusion, but this world has never really been about truth or lies. In reality, there's only one thing that's worth knowing. Hard facts. Despite this universal truth, people misguidedly choose to only accept the facts that appeal to their way of thinking. They're so limited, they can only accept the truths that are comfortable for them. Realizing things may not have been as we accepted them tends to unsettle us, it's overwhelming. Your current reaction is simply your desire to hang onto that reality you wish to cling to."
Aizen then looked at the shaking woman then, as she fell to her knees. "Your reaction isn't unexpected. If anything, it's quite natural. However, you were the one who wished to seek out these answers, and now, you finally know."
Jade could only look down at the ground then as the weight of these revelations hit her like a brick. As much as she hated, loathed to accept it, everything he had just told her about the concept of truth was right. She didn't want to believe any of it for those exact same reasons he stated. To have everything she knew to have all been from a charity case was a hard pill to swallow. Even harder to know that she now played some sort of grand rule for the gods of her world. He could have been lying, certainly, but coming up with such an overcomplicated and elaborate lie seemed...unlikely. The easiest lies to keep and maintain were those that were simple and to the point, a lesson Emberella had taught her years ago. Besides, what else could really explain what was going on with her at the moment? Yes indeed, it was just as Aizen had said. There was a voice in her head telling her to accept it...and she currently saw no alternative to it.
However, even as life-shattering these revelations had been, it didn't change the fact that Jade still valued the friendships and bonds she had made with her friends. Yes, she may have only been in this world now because of some goddess, but that didn't mean the members of her guild cared any less for her. They had proven time and again that they saw her as one of her own, and it was her decisions in life that allowed her to meet everyone she cared about, not some goddess. She still cared for her guildmates dearly and she would do whatever she could to save them.
Her resolve strengthened once more, she got up from her feet before she looked at Aizen. "Alright. Fine. Let's say all of that's true for now. I'll cross that bridge whenever it is real or isn't eventually. I can't imagine you brought me all this way just for that. You told me earlier that our interests have finally aligned, so what exactly is it that you want?" She had a small hunch as to what it was, but she wanted to hear it from his mouth.
"As things stand, your friends have no chance at victory," Aizen said. "And while I was chosen to take down the being that the gods fear, I am afraid that even my power will not be sufficient in defeating him. Thus, it is imperative to me that Fairy Tail survives not only this encounter, but the ones that will follow as well."
"So that's why you were trying to dissuade me from working with my mother," Jade spoke. "You need Fairy Tail in order to accomplish your goals."
"You would be correct in that being my motivation to persuade you from Emberella's foolish ambition, though everything that I told you prior was entirely truthful," Aizen answered. "Regardless of my intentions for our earlier conversations, however, the fact remains that as things are, your friends will perish...unless you allow me to intervene."
"Yeah, I...had a feeling that's where this was going," Jade answered. "So what, you just need my permission to take over or something?"
"It's not that simple I'm afraid," Aizen told her. "Your permission certainly does play a role. However, what is more vital is that only you can remove the seals restricting my power," Aizen said. "There are 7 in total. The more you remove, the more of my power I'll be able to access within your body-"
"And the closer you get to taking over my body, am I right?" Jade interrupted Aizen.
The former captain of Squad 5's eye widened before he smirked. "Quite the intuition you have. Tell me, what gave it away?"
"I figured there was more to these seals than just preventing you from using your full power. Gods don't tend to do things in small measures after all." Jade said as she looked him directly in the eyes. "But that's fine, it means I have just five more times after this where I can call on you when things go to shit before you take my body."
She then grabbed onto his eyepatch before looking directly into his eye. "I still don't know how much of what you're saying is the truth or not, but what I do know is that, if I just do nothing, then all my friends are going to die, and I'm not going to let that happen." She ripped off the eyepatch before she gave him a grin. "So on and give him hell for me."
Sosuke Aizen simply looked up at his host and smirked. "Very well. Consider it my signature on our supposed contract for our alliance."
Candice Catnipp, Ulquiorra Cifer, and Wendy Marvell could hardly believe their eyes. Only mere moments ago was Candice Catnipp practically at death's door as she fought frantically to save her friend Jade Ladro from the cruel clutches of the guild master of Death's Head Caucus, Dyspute. Everyone there had practically braced for the harsh reality of losing one of their guildmates, only for her life to have been spared by the timely use of a level 80 Bakudo spell. And just who was it that had used that spell that saved the Quincy's life? Well, none other than Jade Ladro herself.
However, Jade's entire demeanor had changed radically once she had managed to escape from Dyspute's Shadow God's Cruel Imprisonment spell. There was not a single trace of fear to be found on her, the emerald-haired thief now exuding an aura of confidence that was very much unlike her. Her guns had seemingly vanished, replaced now with a sword that rested on her left hip within its sheath. Lastly, a single strand of hair went down her face and curled slightly. Slowly, "Jade" unsheathed her blade before she spoke. "I'd rather you leave the rest of the guild out of your affair. However, if a proper opponent is what you truly seek, then you'll have no need to look further. From this moment onwards, I shall be your opponent."
"Oh? What's this? Something...seems different about you." Dyspute said as he slowly looked over her body. "Not your physical appearance, no, your entire personality is completely different. You're not the same woman from before are you? Are you perhaps a split personality that resides in the girl?"
"An astute observation, but incorrect." "Jade" spoke as she slowly made her way towards the maniacal guild master. "At the moment, this woman is simply serving as a host for my soul to inhabit."
"I knew it..." Ulquiorra weakly spoke as he looked at "Jade". He could hardly believe what he spoke next. "It would appear that Lord Aizen has somehow managed to impart his soul into Jade's body."
"Excuse you, what!?" Candice managed to screech out despite the terrible condition her body was in. "How the hell did he manage to do that!? The only reason people from our world have even ended up here is because they're all dead and last I checked that mother fucker was immortal! So how the fuck is he here, let alone in my best friend's body!?"
"I'm afraid that right now I lack the means to answer that question," Ulquiorra answered. "Odds are we would have to take it up with the gods themselves to find a suitable answer...or ask Lord Aizen himself."
Candice scowled as she looked at Sosuke Aizen. To say that she was left perturbed by the situation would have been an understatement. 'Damn it all! Somehow, one of my best friends is being possessed by that pompous asshole of a soul reaper! Yeah, sure, he claims he's on our side right now, but I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. That bastard is a traitor to the core, you can't trust anything he says.' She wanted nothing more than to get up on her feet and demand why he was here, what he had done to Jade in order to take control of her body, to know if Jade was even still in there, and so much more, but with the state her body was in, Candice found it impossible to so much as stand, let alone go on a tirade against one of Yhwach's special war powers. No, for now, all she could do was simply lie down and watch. 'If he killed her I swear to god, I'll make him pay if it's the last thing I do!'
"What the hell is going on here!?" Schema demanded as he glared at Sylphia. "Sosuke Aizen wasn't among the ones we could choose to bring over to this world, I memorized all the names of the possible candidates! I can see your smirk, you planned this didn't you!? This is a direct violation of the rules!"
"You're right that this would be a violation of the rules...if he were a chosen participant for the upcoming war," Sylphia answered Schema. "However, Sosuke's Aizen's presence in this world is not to fight on my behalf, but rather to help deal with a more...pressing matter. He is absolutely forbidden from engaging in any battle from warriors from his old world with one exception. One who threatens us all. It's just poor luck on your part that the only person whose body he could truly inhabit was one of my surrogate daughters." Normally, she would have disdained the mere notion of what she had done to Jade, but at the moment it was the only thing keeping her from a life of misery and saving the lives of the Fairy Tail guild.
Schema then snorted. "Fine, so be it! Dyspute will simply just have to make short work of him then before he can even consider using his Kyoka Suigetsu! He'll be no match for my hired assassin when-" Schema was interrupted when he heard the goddess beginning to giggle then before she burst out into all out laughter, the Goddess of Camaraderie clutching the sides of her stomach as she laughed hysterically. "Why you, what's so damn funny!?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive my little outburst," Slyphia said as she soon stifled her laughter as she looked down at the demigod. "But it appears to me that you totally misunderstand the situation."
Schema cocked his head before he snarled. "Me? Misunderstand? Impossible. Please, feel free to enlighten me then, how I'm mistaken."
The goddess gave him an uncharacteristic smirk before she spoke. "Now you see, the warriors from their realm didn't fear Sosuke Aizen just because he could use Kyoka Suigetsu to destroy them. Yes, Kyoka Suigestu's power is terrifying, and it's the main reason I chose him for his recruitment for the task I brought him over for, but fearing it alone would not have been enough for my decision, nor to subjugate all those who would rather die than obey. There was only one reason why all of those powerful Espada were able to function as a group despite their completely different personalities and uniquely individual goals. It's because Sosuke Aizen is strength itself."
She closed her eyes as she continued. "His power, speed, and prowess exceed that of almost every Soul Reaper captain and wizard on Earth Land. Dyspute could attempt to protect himself from Kyoka Suigetsu, but it would never be enough to obtain victory. Even if Dyspute had his entire guild with him to come up with a plan, Aizen would simply outthink it. Dyspute can take all the precautions he wants, like the sky falling or the earth splitting, but I can assure you, there's really no use in trying. Create all the elaborate plans you want, but Sosuke Aizen's superior powers will undo any of your schemes."
She then looked back to the tower. "Just watch...and you'll see exactly what I mean."
"So, you're merely a spirit of some sort inhabiting the girl's body, is that it?" Dyspute asked with a small smirk. "Well, I can at least tell that you have more power than the rest of these weaklings do. No one has ever been able to escape my Shadow God's Cruel Imprisonment before. I'm impressed." He then gave Aizen a sneer. "It's unfortunate for you, however, that it won't be nearly enough to defeat the likes of me! The spell I placed on that girl was deliberately weakened to ensure I didn't accidentally crush her to death! You'll find that the rest of my techniques are far superior to the one you just conquered!"
"Oh, is that a fact?" Aizen replied with a smirk as he slowly drew his Zanpakutō. "How very interesting. I'm actually quite glad to hear that spell was far from your full capabilities. After all, if I am to properly ascertain this body's limitations, then a sup par opponent simply won't do."
(Song of choice: Attack on the Beat, Bleach OST)
"You needn't worry about me being a subpar opponent, mysterious spirit," Dyspute said as he created a sword of darkness in his hands. "What you should be worried about...IS YOUR OWN LIFE!" Rushing towards Aizen with great speed, Dyspute jumped up into the air and fell downwards towards his foe, eager to split him in two. To Dyspute's surprise, Aizen simply lifted up his Zanpakutō and blocked the strike completely, and while the ground beneath the pair shattered into a massive crater, Aizen simply stood there, his blade still upheld with little effort. Dyspute jumped backward then before he grinned. "Oh, well blocked! It seems that you truly do have some merit to that confidence of yours. However, from this point on, I'll be putting out much more of an effort to cut you down!"
Aizen merely smirked at the guild master's boast before he used his spare hand to beckon Dyspute forwards. Dyspute growled then before rushing forward, swinging his blade right at his foe's neck, only for Aizen to casually raise his sword in defense and block his strike once more. Another growl from Dyspute before he swung his blade again and again, aiming for the throat, stomach, heart, and shoulders of his foe, only for each attack to be parried with ease. Finally, only after one more strike directed at Aizen's throat was parried with ease did the guild master leap back before scowling. "I see that you're at least skilled with a blade, but that brief exchange of ours doesn't mean you're near victory! I've yet to come even close to showing you what I'm truly capable of!"
"I would certainly hope so," Aizen replied. "If this was all you had to offer, I would be most disappointed."
Dyspute frowned, enshrouding both of his hands in darkness before crying out, "Shadow God's Wave Crusher!" An immense wave of darkness, far greater than any seen before, rocketed towards Aizen as it filled half of the room. The guild master grinned as the traitorous captain vanished from sight. "Fool! My power can slay the gods themselves, yet you dared to challenge me? My victory was all but guaranteed."
"I wouldn't be prideful of an attack that missed its target."
Dyspute's eyes widened than before he quickly turned around, only to see Aizen standing twenty feet away from him with a proud smirk plastered all over his host's face. "You!? How did you dodge that attack, there was no time for you to have gotten away with how close it was to you!" The guild master demanded. "Is this the work of that girl's illusions!?"
"Not at all. I merely used a Flash Step to avoid your attack before the moment of impact," Aizen replied. "I wished to observe your attack as long as I could before taking an unnecessary hit to gain a better understanding of your magic. Unfortunately, it seems I'll need more time to properly analyze God Slaying Magic."
"I see, so you simply used some sort of teleportation spell to dodge my attack, is that it?" Dyspute said before grinning. "Unfortunately for you, however, you're far from the only one who can use such a technique!" His entire body was covered in shadows before he then vanished from everyone's sight, only to appear right behind Aizen, his blade mere seconds away from impaling his host's body!
Clang!
Only for his sword of darkness to have been parried by Aizen once more, the sword of darkness forced out of Dyspute's hands before it dispersed in the air. The guild master growled in frustration as he created another blade before then glaring at Aizen. "Impossible! No one has ever been able to counter my Shadow God's Teleportation Strike, how did you know where to counter?!"
"Because your teleportation technique has a crucial weakness to it," Aizen spoke. "While teleportation is superior to high-speed movement techniques, it means nothing if you know where your opponent is going to strike. Having observed your battle with the Fairy Tail guild, I noticed that you could only teleport into the shadows of your foes. It made knowing where you're about to strike quite predictable."
"Oh, so I'm predictable am I?" The guild master scoffed before he leaped backward to the other end of the room surrounded himself with shadows. "Don't get so confident just because I've yet to land a hit on you! You have yet to even so far as scratch me yourself! Why, I'm betting it's taken everything you've had just to stay alive as long as you have. You won't be able to so much as touch me with that sword of yours, let alone win this battle!"
"If that's what you think, you need a reality check," Aizen spoke before he vanished before Dyspute's eyes, only to reappear right in front of him, his right hand placed over Dyspute's chest before he smirked. "See? I can reach out and touch your heart, without even breaking a sweat."
His eyes widening in shock, Dyspute jumped backward just in time to avoid Aizen swinging his sword at his head. The guild master snarled then as his hands were covered in darkness. "Shadow God's Dancing Arrows of Demise!" Firing about five arrows of darkness from his hands, Dyspute was hoping on his multiple attacks to create an opening for him to exploit before his next move. However, to his horror, Aizen simply smirked and proceeded to sidestep around each of the oncoming arrows, only choosing to deflect the last arrow, directing it right back at the guild master. Catching his own attack with his armored hand, Dsyptute crushed the attack before he stepped onto the ground. "Shadow God's Cruel Impalement Field!"
The ground beneath Aizen then shook like an earthquake before it erupted with multiple shadow spears. However, Aizen simply dodged the attack with a Flash Step, appearing right over the attack mid-air before he smirked. "Did you really think such a simple technique would be able to hit me after your previous two failed?"
"Shadow God's Cruel Imprisonment!" Once more was Jade's body bound by massive shadow tendrils that shot out from the guild master's hands, binding Aizen completely as the guild master grinned from below. "I knew that you would dodge that attack, which is precisely why I decided to use it as a feint for my true goal, capturing you!"
"I see, and what is it that you plan to do now, after tying me up?" Aizen asked coyly.
"Simple! I'm just going to torment you until you decide to let that girl take her body back! I still fully intend to have some fun with her before I hand her body over to her bitch of a mother! So how's about you slink back where you came from, and you don't have to feel any of the hell I have planned for her!"
"I'm afraid that I simply can't allow you to torment my host's body." Aizen retorted. "She and I have signed a contract of sorts, and I intend to fully see it out till the very end, which I'm afraid for you means that your dream of revenge will simply not come to be."
The guild master snorted before he let out a slight laugh before he spoke. "You honestly think that you can still win!? I know that you were able to escape my technique before, but that's only because I used a weaker variant to keep the girl contained. This time I've decided to not take any chances, so try as hard as you like, but you will never-"
Aizen simply gave the guild master yet another one of his classic smirks before the guild master felt a powerful, crushing weight on his entire body, as his Shadow God's Cruel Imprisonment technique completely shattered around Aizen Sosuke as an invisible torrent of spiritual pressure dispersed the technique completely. "You may have put more effort into your technique this time around, however, all I simply needed to do was apply more spirit energy to allow me to escape your silly technique."
Dyspute snarled in anger once more than as shadows clad his entire body. "Alright, that's it, no more holding back! I no longer care if I don't have a body to show that bitch, no one makes a mockery of the Great Dyspute and gets away with it! Shadow God's Bellow!" The massive shadow attack erupted from Dyspute's mouth as he blasted his God Slaying Magic at Aizen with no sign of restraint. However, when Aizen simply raised up his spare hand with a smug grin, the guild master couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. 'That fool! He may have been able to dodge and parry all of my attacks thus far, but taking on my God Slaying Magic directly is a fool's game! Not even most of the Wizard Saints would think to stop it with their bare hands! Fine then, prepare to pay for such arrogance with your very life! I'll simply-'
Dyspute's train of thought was promptly cut off when he saw Aizen simply raise up his bare hand in front of the attack, and, against all expectations, halt it in its place, the massive torrent of energy quickly condensing itself into a small ball that Aizen could hold in his hand as he looked at it with curiosity. "How fascinating. It seems that the power of God Slaying has unique properties to it that would allow for it to harm even transcendent beings, regardless of the strength of its wielder. How fortunate for me then, that I am currently only able to access my powers as a Soul Reaper." He then casually crushed the attack in his hands then, the shadows dispersing into the air as he looked at Dyspute. "Unfortunately for you, however, it seems that your level of magical power is simply nowhere near enough to overcome my spirit energy."
"This...THIS ISN'T OVER! DO YOU HEAR ME!" Dyspute shouted at the top of his lungs before he formed a massive orb of shadows in his hands and quickly floated above him, about the size of a large ship as he prepared for his next move. "I've yet to show you the power of the God Slayer Secret Arts! Shadow Gods-" The orb in his hand transformed then into a large stake-like object, which then multiplied into 100 smaller, yet very dangerous shadow spears, each the size of a car. "Malicious Impalement Rain!" The stakes of shadows throttled forward, each one moving thousands of times faster than the speed of sound, capable of tearing most mages into puddles of blood!
But Sosuke Aizen's retort to the massive enclave of attacks was a simple one. "Hado Number 32: Okasen." Raising his Zanpakutō horizontally in front of him, a yellow orb appeared before him before it widened itself along the length of his sword before blasting outwards, destroying each of the shadowy stakes before they made contact. "Interesting. It appears that the secret arts of slayer techniques temporarily raise the power of its user by an order of magnitude. In that regard, I suppose it's similar to an Espada's Gran Ray Cero." Aizen then looked at Dyspute before he smiled. " I suppose for a human, it's quite remarkable. You've managed to reach a level of power that exceeds the power of over half of my Espada." He clapped Jade's hands then, in a somewhat mocking gesture. "Truly a remarkable feat. However, I believe that I have seen enough. It's time to put an end to this."
Dyspute's entire body shook with anger then as he was surrounded by shadow. "End this!? END THIS!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA TO WHOM YOU'RE SPEAKING!? I AM THE GUILD MASTER OF DEATH'S HEAD'S CAUCUS, THE MOST POWERFUL ASSASSINATION GUILD IN ALL OF FIORE! NO TARGET OF MINE HAS EVER LIVED TO SEE THE NEXT DAY ONCE I HAVE DECIDED TO END THEIR MISERABLE LIFE, AND YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT!" He pitched his right hand back then as he created a shadow orb. "YOU HAVEN'T EVEN SO MUCH AS LANDED ONE BLOW ON ME AND YOU DARE TO PROCLAIM THAT YOU CAN JUST END THIS!? I HAVE FAR MORE ABILITIES I HAVE YET TO SHOW YOU, THIS FIGHT IS FAR FROM OVER, YOU POMPOUS-"
"Yes, it is."
Turning around on a pitch as fast as he could, Dyspute saw Aizen only a few feet away from him. Before he could even attempt to strike at the Soul Reaper, however, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He looked down, only to see his opponent's Zanpakutō stabbings right into his chest. Dyspute glared at Aizen then before he let out a cough of blood before he weakly tried to reach out to him. "Damn...you...I'll-" Before he could even finish his sentence, however, Aizen withdrew his blade from Dyspute's stomach, causing the guild master to fall over onto his back as a pool of blood surrounded his body.
"Well, that was certainly a most illuminating experience," Aizen said as he looked down at Jade's body. Her body had adjusted to his power surprisingly well. He had at least expected to have run into some issues during this little warm-up exercise, but to his surprise, he had encountered little difficulty. If there was one thing that left him feeling anything remotely akin to disappointment it was that his current level of power was only at a quarter of what it was before he had transformed thanks to the Hogyoku. While this was a setback, he was certain that this level of power would more than suffice for what he needed at the moment. Besides, more power would undeniably come to him as Jade would remove more of his seals. He had learned to wait for thousands of years, patience for something like this was nothing by comparison.
"Deus...ANIMA!"
(Song of Choice: Snakes of Despair, Bleach Hellverse OST)
Hearing the guild master's voice and quickly sensing his power rising rapidly, Aizen turned Jade's body around just in time to see the guild master's body quickly engulf itself into a tall pillar of shadow. The entire room, no, the entire tower shook then as he could hear the guild master let out a powerful scream then as his magic continued to grow. Finally, the pillar of shadow disappeared, revealing Dyspute. Gone was his ornate helmet and cape, along with most of his armor. Dyspute's hair was white and very short, though his eyes were now completely yellow in appearance as they glowed amongst the shadows. Most of his skin was covered now in the form of various long, black lines which coated his entire body. He gave Aizen a terrible grin as he slowly approached him. "It's the end for you now, you arrogant fool. Now that I've entered into Deus Anima, my power is far greater than it was before! Not even the wizard saints could hope to defeat me now!"
Aizen merely stared as his foe before he let out a slight chuckle. "I see, how very interesting. It seems that God Slayers possess an ability similar to that of a Dragon Slayer's ability to turn slightly into the very beings they were meant to slay. I'll be sure to remember this in the future."
Dyspute let out a slight chuckle before he glared at Aizen. "You don't get it, do you? For you...THERE IS NO FUTURE!"
Aizen watched on through eyes not his own, intent on never letting his eyes lose sight of Dyspute. However, the guildmaster suddenly lunged for him, his very being, his essence itself, seemingly transmuting into shadow.
Aizen felt the blow then, his host's feet skidding across the ground. Before he could perform any sort of counter, however, he was cut off, another blow from the Shadow God Slayer landing. Aizen was thrown aside, spinning. His eyes caught sight of Dyspute within the darkness as it moved around him, another blow striking him. Still did his eyes dart around, though the next time he saw nothing, only feeling the impact.
Dyspute continued to put the pressure on, the power of his transformation greatly augmenting his speed and strength. His form was a whirlwind around Aizen, the evolved God Slayer visible for only the briefest of moments as he lands a strike before vanishing from sight and repeating the process. All there was in that moment was the shadow and its attacks. "All I am is a blur to you, is that it!? Nothing but speed and power incarnate! You can't even detect my movements! What are you going to do now, I wonder? Let me answer that for you!"
Dyspute held up his right hand, fingers outstretched as pure power formed within his palm. His fingers tightened then, the dark magic bursting between them. He lowered his head in an instant, biting into the coalesced energy and swallowing it whole. "You will die!" Dyspute shouted, his body pitching forward. "Shadow God's Ultra Bellow!"
The power erupted forth from Dyspute, enveloping Jade's body and, in turn, Aizen himself. Dyspute did not waste a moment's notice, the God Slayer leaping in after the tail of his attack. His right arm outstretched and he seized Jade by the throat, lifting her up even as the shadowy attack still slipped off her body. "All that talk and yet you could not handle the darkness," Dyspute hissed. "It's just as I expected, however. It's over, Sosuke Aizen!"
(Song of choice: Invasion; Bleach Diamond Dust Rebellion OST)
Yet...despite all this, Aizen could only smile through Jade's body. Suddenly, as the shadow of the attack melted away, Dyspute could see there was not a single sign of damage. "Is this it? Is that truly the best that you can do? You can attack me all you want, but your efforts will be meaningless." Delivering a quick blow with Jade's elbow, Dyspute coughed up some blood as he staggered back, glaring at Aizen as he did so.
The former captain simply frowned as he pointed his blade at the dark wizard. "I was expecting much more power after you transformed, but compared to the powers Natsu Dragneel and Wendy Marvell displayed earlier, your increase in power was significantly less than theirs. I assume that since you've obtained your god slaying abilities from a lacrima, it must have resulted in your base power rising to its current level, only for a much lower increase for your current form as a result. A pity. Now, are you quite finished? If possible, I would like to carry out much more...important business."
"You...you...you." Dyspute stammered before his face contorted with rage. "VERY WELL, THEN YOU SHALL FEEL THE WRATH OF MY ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE! SHADOW GOD'S 5 DEITIES OF DEATH!" His body began to bubble up and gain mass sucking in all of the shadow's not just in the room, but the entire tower, growing rapidly in size before finally splitting into 5 beings, each looking identical to that of Dyspute. The 5 God Slayers glared at Aizen then before one spoke. "This is the end for you now, Aizen Sosuke, my ace in the hole. I've developed this technique for any foe I could not slay in a one-on-one battle. Unlike most clone techniques, however, my power does not lessen the more I multiply, nor do they disappear after a single hit. No, what you see before you are real, genuine clones, each one as powerful as the original by drawing upon all the shadows that existed in this tower!"
"Even with all the power you have, it'll be quite difficult for you to take on 5 of me at once!" One of the other clones declared.
"It's the first time we've ever had to use this technique. There simply was never a need to use it before." Another spoke.
"Therefore, allow us to commend you for being able to last against us this long to use such a technique." One more said.
Aizen though simply smirked before he replied. "Allow me to commend you as well, for having the wisdom to not face me alone."
One of the clones chuckled then as magic began to surround the 5 doppelgangers. "Arrogant 'til the end I see. Well, we'll show you just how much of a mistake that was, when you're dead! Shadow God's Cruel Imprisonment!" The five clones shot out massive shadowy tendrils, each one binding around Jade's body before they began to constrict Aizen in a vice grip, hiding him entirely from view. "You may have been able to break out of our technique before, but now it's five times the power as it was before!"
"And we're not done yet!" Another one of the clones declared as he formed a shadowy lance in his hand. "Shadow God's Lance!" He threw the spear into the mass of tendrils, impaling through the shadowy mass before another clone slammed his hands down to the ground. "Shadow Gods Cruel Impalement Field!" The entire area surrounding the black tendrils was covered in a mass of large shadow pillars bursting through the ground, several of them even going through Aizen's confines before another alone added his own attack to the mix. "Shadow God's Wave Crusher!" The massive wave of darkness hit its target square on, covering about half of the room in mass darkness before the final clone made its move. "Shadow God's Dancing Arrows of Demise!'' Firing about ten arrows of darkness from his hands, the attacks impacted where Aizen was bound before all five clones surrounded the focus of their aggression.
"Shadow God's Ultimate Technique! Shadow God's Five Roaring Rampage!" Each of the clones then let out a Shadow God's Bellow, impacting where Aizen was bound and creating a massive explosion that covered the entire room and even shook half of the tower. The guild master and his clones grinned then as they looked at the shadowy mass that eclipsed where their foe once stood. "So much for the proud warrior..." Dyspute felt himself grow relaxed for the first time since the battle began. "You who were all talk, I hope you understand the truth now! From the moment you decided to interfere in this battle, your fate was sealed! Death's Head Caucus is in the business of murder and death… And I, as its guild master, revel in deicide itself! What hope did you ever have?"
The dark guild master and his clones turned around then as their eyes settled upon Wendy Marvell. She was the last obstacle standing in their way from reviving the great Lord Zeref. They each took a step, eager to finish off the dragon slayer to fulfill their mission. However, before the group of five could even begin their attack on the young dragon slayer, they each felt an incredible pressure that caused their bodies to buckle from the weight. They slowly turned around then to look at the shadowy mass, only for it to erupt with a large, powerful gust of spiritual energy, blowing away the darkness with ease and causing it to disperse in the air. And in the middle of all this great power, of this immense, staggering, and overwhelming spiritual pressure stood none other than Sosuke Aizen, the confident smirk still ever-present on Jade's face.
"You really thought because you outnumbered me that you could crush me? How naive." He then slowly turned to face one of the clones as he continued. "No, that was quite rude of me. You see, my understanding of what the word power means is undoubtedly, radically different from what the word means to you. I will teach you, here is what power is." He then smirked before he vanished from the sight of all of the clones before he appeared right in front of one of them, his sword raised. "I'll give you an example."
(Song of Choice; Treachery, Bleach Diamond Dust Rebellion)
The clone created a large sword of darkness in his hands, about to strike Aizen down, only for Aizen's Zanpakutō to cleave not only his weapon but also the clone's body vertically in half, killing it with a single blow.
"Damn you!" One of the clones yelled out as he created another shadow sword swung at Aizen, who simply turned around, raised up his hand, and blocked the shadow blade...with merely one finger before he swung his sword once again, this time cutting the through his waist and spine completely, the two pieces of its body falling to the floor before he looked at the guild master's remaining clones.
"This isn't over, you hear me!?" A clone demanded. "Shadow God's Bellow!" The attack burst forward at Aizen, only for the Soul Reaper to simply cleave through the attack with ease with his Zanpakutō before appearing right behind the clone, a massive cut forming diagonally across its chest before it fell to the ground, dead.
"This...this can't be happening!" One of the last two remaining clones yelled out. "This is impossible, no one can be this strong! This...this is all just the work of that girl's illusions isn't it!? It has to be-" The clone would never finish his rant, his head quickly falling to the floor and rolling away as his body fell to its knees and collapsed, Aizen standing right behind the corpse. He slowly turned to face the original God Slayer.
"An incorrect assumption on your part," Aizen spoke. "I haven't once used the illusionary powers that either I or my host possesses. There was never a need. This has all simply been a chance for me to see how well this body can utilize my basic strength." He then looked at the guild master and smiled. "You have my thanks for this little warm-up, master of Death's Head Caucus. Thanks to you, I was able to test out this body's limitations to my heart's content, as well as gain an understanding of Slayer magic. You have performed your role remarkably well." He began to slowly walk over to Dyspute then before he continued. "However, I'm quite afraid that I no longer have any need of you."
Two more clones were created, each rushing at Aizen with a speed that the likes of Ulquiorra could barely perceive in his current state. Despite this, however, Aizen was causally moving between their punches with the same ease one would move through a narrow corner, the man not even opening his eyes as he maneuvered through the flurry of attacks. With one swing, yet another clone was eliminated with his blade. The other had vanished from Ulquiorra's sight, using the shadow gods teleportation technique, hoping that the other clones death with giving him the opening he needed...only for his head to be impaled almost instantly as he appeared from Aizen Shadow.
"A nice attempt to divert my attention. Unfortunately, tactics such as these only have value when fighting foes who have only a slight edge against you. However, in a case such as this, it's nothing more than a waste of energy." Aizen told the Original God slayer.
Dyspute growled before he ran forward then, creating two blades of shadow as he swung them wildly at Aizen. However, each and every swing was casually deflected by the spirit inhabiting Jade's body, the host of Aizen Sosuke constantly smirking throughout the exchange. Letting out a loud, powerful yell, Dyspute combined the two shadow blades, which quickly formed into a massive sword twice the length of his own body. He swung the blade as hard as he could...Only for Aizen to simply cut it in half.
Dyspute took a step back then as his eyes widened and his body began to shake. 'Wh-what is this feeling I'm experiencing? Is...is this...fear? It's been so long since I've ever felt so...so helpless! How could I, the Guild Master of Fiore's best assassination guild, be afraid of anything!? One thing was beyond certain, however. This was not a foe he could hope to defeat. Thus, there was only one last trick he could hope to play. "You're stronger than me, that much is clear. But all the others here on this battlefield? It's clear that I'm still a cut above the rest. And I... I know you! It's like looking in a mirror. You and I? We both value strength above all else! We're both the same, monsters in human form, so I know what I speak! Why ally yourself with such weaklings when you could work with someone far more superior!? Don't deny our destinies... We could rule Fiore together from the shadows! So cast off these weaklings and allow me to stand by your side!"
"I'm afraid that you're greatly mistaken," Aizen replied. "While it certainly is true that your power is greater than most of the foes you defeated today, you've failed to realize one crucial detail. Potential. From what I've observed, you seemed to have hit the ceiling of your full potential. Conversely, however, the mages you've defeated today have far greater heights of potential that you could only dream of obtaining. That is why I chose to save their lives. If I only had someone like you to rely on to accomplish my goals then I'm afraid my plans would be over far before they ever began."
"Damn you...DAMN YOU!" Dyspute cried out before he created orbs of shadows in his hands before tossed one after another at Aizen. It was a beyond desperate attempt to obtain victory, but the dark guild master was unable to think rationally, his mind consumed by fear and hubris. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! THESE FAIRY TAIL VERMIN ARE NOTHING MORE THAN WEAKLINGS, WHILE I AM-"
"A waste of any more of my time."
Dyspute slowly looked down then, seeing Aizen's stabbing into his chest. He slowly looked up then, into Jade's smirking face before coughing up some blood before reaching his hand out towards Aizen. "Damn...damn you-" Before he fell to the ground, as his body was quickly surrounded by his own blood.
Aizen slowly turned around then, as he noticed a shadowy portal open up in the air before Bambietta Basterbine and Liltotto Lamperd quickly landed on their feet.
"You sonuvabitch!" Bambietta hissed, eyes steeled as she came back into the real world. She and Liltotto had been trying as hard as they could to find an escape, only for them to finally be forcibly pushed out. Now, the Quincy was all raring to go. "I swear, if you laid one finger on Lucy or Wendy, I'll-" She looked at the ground then, and noticed the Guild Master lying still on the ground. "...Kick your ass?"
"Apparently beaten to the punch," Liltotto interrupted, her eyes wide with surprise. 'But, this guy's power was enormous. How did they manage to beat him in the condition they were all in?'
"B-Bambi...You're okay..." Lucy muttered, the blonde barely managing to slowly look up at her girlfriend with a slight smile on her face despite the terrible condition she was in. "I'm...so glad."
Wendy smiled as well, though she was too busy finishing up Levy's treatment to say anything. If she was going to pull this off, she needed to concentrate.
"Forget me, you're all okay!" Bambietta exclaimed, sniffing back as she ran towards Lucy. "You...you all defeated him and...and thank God for that!"
"So, it appears that the god's ultimate piece on the chessboard has finally decided to show herself," Aizen spoke as he looked at Bambietta. "We're quite fortunate that defeating the guild master was able to bring you back as I suspected."
"Jade, you don't sound like you," Bambietta said, furrowing her brow.
"I told you this world not having Snickers would come back to haunt us eventually," Liltotto said matter-of-factly.
"You just miss the taste of 'em!" Bambietta snapped, eyes going white for a moment as she looked at Liltotto. However, she turned her gaze back to Jade. Something was off. The tone of her voice, the timbre pervading it, the choice of words... That was Jade's voice, but it was not her speaking through it. And then there was... "Say, Jade, since when did you have freaking huge spiritual pressure and a Zanpakuto?" She attempted to walk closer to get a better look.
"Bambi, don't get close to her!" Candice cried out as she slowly got to her feet. "That's...that's not Jade...It's that bastard Sosuke Aizen!"
"The smart ass with the smart mouth?" Bambietta took a step back. "Lo-o-ovely."
"Wait a minute, how the hell is any of that even possible?" Liltotto asked Candice. "Last I checked, that jackass was still strapped to his chair before we went to the royal realm, and was immortal. It shouldn't be possible for him to even be here!"
"Like hell if I know. All I do know is that the bastard is somehow in control of Jade's body, and I say it's time we force him out of it!" Candice said as she tried to form a sword in her hand, only to fall to one knee. "D-damn it all!"
"Now, now, you can relax. Despite what you may think of me, I am not your enemy." Aizen spoke through Jade's body. "At this point in time, our goals are aligned."
"Look, we're all just a little stressed out since we've got a lot on our plate as it is with this Jellal jerk trying to be the Giselle to Erza's me! So, if you so much as try and be all..." Bambietta's shoulder slumped as a deadpan expression over her face, her voice deepening for but a moment. "Every battle you've fought since you came to this Tower of Heaven has been all part of my plan..." Bambietta's voice switched back to normal, an accusing finger pointing at Aizen. "Then I will find a way to kick your ass straight outta Jade, magic Rubik's Cube or barf inducing illusions aside, ya got it!?"
"It goes double for me too, asshole!" Candice said as she weakly stumbled over. "I don't care how low on power I am right now, but if you've done anything to Jade at all, then so help me, I will make your immortal life a living hell, do you hear me!? I'll make you wish you were back in Muken by the time I'm done with you!" She wanted to put on a braver front for her friend, get angrier, even grab onto her friend's collar and yell into his face, but the extent of her injuries was far too great to allow that to happen.
"As much as I understand your frustration, I'm afraid you two are missing a very key detail in all of this." Liltotto said before she stood in front of her two friends. "That's Jade's body, not Aizen's. If you two try to go kick his ass, which is a really stupid idea might I add, you won't be hurting him, you'll be hurting her, and right now Wendy's got enough healing to do as it is."
"Think of it rather as an...unexpected bonus." Aizen replied with a smirk.
"To think...I would have a chance to see you again, Lord Aizen." The former captain turned around to see none other than Ulquiorra, still bloody and beaten, slowly walking over to him.
"It's quite good to see you as well, Ulquiorra." Aizen responded "I'm glad to see that you're doing well in this new world, current wounds aside."
"Is it true then that you're allying yourself with us?'' The Arrancar asked.
"Indeed. Erza Scarlet is quite necessary for the battles to come. To lose her here and now would be an unacceptable loss for my plans."
"And just what are your plans, huh?" Liltotto demanded. "What, are you planning to use Fairy Tail to overthrow the gods so you can rule over Earth Land? I'll have you know they'll never fall for any of your bullshit, Rukia's already told them all about you, the real you."
"Ah yes, the Reigai. I figured that would be the case." Aizen said. "However, knowing of my past deeds doesn't change the fact that you'll need my help for what is to come, sooner or later."
"And that is?" Liltotto asked as her eyes narrowed.
Aizen simply chuckled. "You're better off not knowing. For now, at least."
Bambietta huffed as she placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, sure it is, because that's not suspicious at all!"
"I assure you, it's for your own benefit," Aizen told her. "Now then, do we have an alliance?" He then slowly faced Ulquiorra briefly before looking back at the Quincies. "I already have one of your allies for support, it would be wise if we simply worked together."
"Not necessarily."
Aizen's eyes widened then, the objection coming not from the Quincies, but the Arrancar. He slowly turned around then to face him. "Oh? How very much unlike you. Back in Las Noches, you would obey my words without a moment's hesitation."
"Lord Aizen, for giving me purpose for the first time in my life, I will forever have some sort of gratitude towards you," Ulquiorra said as he slowly walked over to Aizen, only to walk past him and over towards the Quincies. "However, I have found others to whom I may swear loyalty. Ones that are beginning to help me to understand what it means to exist. What it means to feel." He stared at Levy's unconscious form before turning to face Aizen. "For the first time...I have something that I may choose to fight for."
Candice could only stare at the Arrancar, her eyes wide. 'Well, I'll be damned. He...actually does care about us.'
"Your loyalty need not be mutually exclusive to your guild or myself," Aizen spoke. "Despite what you all may believe, I have no plans to betray the guild. You may not wish to believe my words, but I trust that my actions have been sufficient."
"I suppose there is that," Bambietta said, still giving him a mean look, though absolutely refusing to spare any more glances at his sheathed sword. "But I don't think we'll ever be in on drinking your Kool-Aid."
"I believe the drink Aizen is most likely to ever attempt to serve us would be tea," Ulquiorra interjected. "Or another equally warm beverage."
Bambietta sighed. "You've come so far and yet you still have so much to learn."
"Perhaps we can continue this conversation another time," Aizen said with a smirk. "Now then, shall we be off to save-" Jade's body lurched forward then as Jade fell to one knee, and let out a cough, blood coming out of her mouth as her body breathed heavily.
"JADE!" Candice yelled as she ran close to her friend's controlled body. "What the hell is going on!?"
"How...unfortunate." Aizen stammered out. "It seems that there is a limit to how long this body can sustain my spiritual pressure after all." He tried to get up to his feet then, only to fall forward once more. "I am afraid I will be unable to assist you anymore."
"Enough on that, get out of Jade's body now!" Candice demanded.
"All in due time," Aizen said before he looked over to Bambietta and Liltotto. "I suppose I'll have to simply leave it in your hands."
Bambietta raised an eyebrow at that. "I never thought I'd hear that from you. Not that we've ever spoken until now, but... thanks for the vote of confidence?" To say that Bambietta didn't even know how to feel about the current situation was an understatement. She had so many questions, so many worries about this new revelation...but Bambietta knew that, compared to the fears Candice likely had, they paled in comparison. Right now...she had to focus on the task at hand.
Aizen merely closed his eyes before Jade's body finally fell to the ground with a thud, unconscious.
"Well, thank God that's over with," Candice said as she walked over to Jade's unconscious form before she knelt down next to it and smiled. "At least now I know you'll be back to your old self again soon enough."
"I'm glad that we managed to work that whole mess out, but we have a bigger problem to worry about," Liltotto said as she looked about the room filled with their battered and injured comrades. Most of them were completely unconscious, with the exception of Lucy, Wendy, and Ulquiorra. "As things stand right now Bambi, you and I are the only ones fit enough to launch an assault to save Erza, and we don't have the time to just sit around while we wait for Wendy to heal all of them. From this moment on, it's just you and me."
Bambietta looked around before she sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I thought that was going to be the case."
"Like hell I'm letting you two go on your own," Candice said as she weakly got up to her feet. "Just give me a few minutes and-"
"Candi, if you go as you are right now, you'll die," Bambietta told her matter of factly. "Look, I know you feel the need to prove to yourself that you are a good person after what happened to me, but you dying is only going to make Erza blame herself more than she already is for everything."
"Not to mention the fact you'll be slowing us down considerably with how you are right now," Liltotto spoke. "You've done more than enough Candi. It's time for you to stand down and take it easy. We'll get Erza back." The small Quincy's eyes narrowed then as she looked up at her friend. "I swear it."
Candice looked at her two fellow Quincy before she let out a groan of annoyance. "Ughhhh, fuck! When you put it that way, it's kinda hard to argue with you. Okay, fine, I'll step out of things. But you sure as hell better make sure you also come back to me in one piece, do you hear me?"
Bambietta grinned as she took a step forward. "Oh please Candi, just who the hell do you think me and Lil are anyways? Yeah, I'm pretty sure this isn't going to be a walk in the park, but we've been in more than our fair share of scuffles before. We'll come back home alive, all of us."
"Now, the question is: what are we going to do about everyone else?" Liltotto asked. "As they are right now, we need to get them the hell out of there fast, or else we could just end up needing to save more hostages, and that is the last thing we want to deal with right now. But, considering the lack of time we have, and the people available to move everyone in a timely manner..."
"Then I believe me and my associates can assist you in that matter."
The three Quincies turned around to the sound of the voice, only to see Quilge Opie, Driscoll Berci, and Shaz Domino appear before them with Hirenkyaku. Bambietta and Liltotto quickly brandished their swords, and Candice tried to raise up her fists, but Quilge quickly waved his hands in front of his face. "Hold it, hold it, hold it! Despite everything that's happened today, we are no longer your enemies!"
"Yes... yes, just like the old days," Bambietta said, still holding her sword. She then began to wave it around. "You really think I'm going to be gullible enough to fall for that shit!?"
"I know that it's hard to believe...but I actually owe your friend Erza a debt of gratitude," Quilge said as he took a step forward. "For all my life, I thought I was doing the right thing, but in truth, I was only helping to spread more meaningless violence and death throughout the lands. But Erza Scarlet… She showed me the error of my ways. There are no easy answers to making a better world...but that doesn't mean it's not worth pursuing. So, I'll continue to do just that, not by simply following the examples of others, but through my own path."
"That girl Levy...she's the first person I've met here that actually showed any kind of concern for me...even though she knew what I was." Shaz said as he too also stepped forward. '"She even saved me from a fate worse than death after everything I did to her. After something like that...How could I just leave her here to die?"
"And those two boys...Natsu and Gray was it? Thanks to them, I can finally move on from my troubled past." Driscoll spoke. "For the very first time in hundreds of years, I can finally see things clearly. No longer do I simply wish to get revenge on those who had wronged me, nor desperately wish to reunite with my family. No, I shall live my life now to atone for all the atrocities I have committed. This...is simply the beginning."
Candice couldn't help but roll her eyes. "So what, you got beat up so bad by everyone in our new guild that you've had a change of heart? You'll forgive me if that's a little hard to believe."
Liltotto tapped Candice on the shoulder. "It's more likely than you think. I mean...look at us."
"...Touché." Candice couldn't help but admit.
Bambietta walked in between the two groups of Quincies before she answered with her own choice of words. "Fine, fine. We do need all the help we can get in helping Erza, even if it is something as simple as getting our friends out of this mess and we really don't have the luxury of time. But if anything happens to them-"
"We'll die before we let that happen," Quilge spoke as he went to pick up Millianna's unconscious body. "It's as Driscoll said Miss Basterbine, this...is the beginning of our salvation."
"Yeah...I guess it is, huh?" Bambietta said as she looked at her former ally. "Well then, for what it's worth...It's good to have you guys on our side again."
Quilge simply nodded as he and the others began to pick up the unconscious members of Fairy Tail, though as they went to work, Bambietta felt a small tug on her skirt. She looked down then only to see Wendy look at her with worry.
"Bambi...I know I can't go with you right now, everyone else here needs my help, but...but..."
Bambietta simply placed her hand on top of Wendy's hair before ruffling it up a little. "Don't you worry 'bout a thing Wendy. Everything's going to be just fine. Me, Lil, and Erza, we're all going to come back home, safe and sound, I promise."
"I just...wish I could help." Bambietta turned around once more to see her battered and beaten girlfriend weakly walking over to her, using her Fullbring's sword as a sort of walking stick before she gave the Quincy a small smile. "Bambi, I... I think I might be out of this fight, but-"
Bambietta put a finger over Lucy's lips before giving her a brief hug. "Don't apologize for that," the Quincy said, smiling. "You did good, Lucy. Great, actually. And I...I gotta-"
"I... I wasn't going to do that," Lucy said, still managing her own smile. "Try stopping you, I mean. I know you're not going to stop, and I just wanted to wish you good luck is all."
"Oh, trust me," Bambietta replied. "I fully intend to come back. After all-" She then gave Lucy a warm smile as squeezed one of the blonde's hands. "I have someone I need to come back to."
"I know you do," Lucy said with a smile of her own before her forehead touched Bambietta's. She looked into the brunette's eyes then before she closed her own, and kissed Bambietta on the lips. Realizing this may well be the last time she would receive a kiss from her girlfriend, Bambietta kissed back, before the two finally separated their kiss. "Bambi...Just be careful, alright?"
"I will," Bambietta told her. "And don't worry about not being able to carry your own. I'm going to fight doubly hard to make it up for you. It's the least I can do, right?"
"Well, more than doubly hard," Liltotto chirped up from behind, "considering we're kind of the last ones standing. We have a lot to make up for. Way too much if we consider Traitor Captain Wise Ass is out of the fight, too."
"Bambi..." Lucy suddenly grabbed Bambietta, hugging her tightly. "I know you'll do everything you can for Erza. Just... come back to me, okay?"
Liltotto looked on and up at the embrace, the Quincy considering saying something like 'Don't I get a hug, too?' in a sarcastic tone, but even she knew there was a time and place for that and remained quiet. She simply let her thoughts drift over to Erza and Natsu and smiled. 'I suppose I'll just wait 'til this is all over before I get some from them.'
"You know I will," Bambietta said. "And I'll have Erza right beside me. I mean... It's Erza. Heck, knowing her, she'll be carrying me out after the big fight. Maybe even Jellal?"
That got Liltotto to say at least a little something. "Eh?"
"Maybe we'll kick his ass with some battle therapy," Bambietta snickered. "Or just kick his ass, who knows? I mean, if 'His Majesty, I Can Walk!' over there can change for the better after fighting Erza..." She said as she looked at Quilge before she then shook her head. "Well, whatever the case is, it doesn't change one, indisputable fact! We're gonna save Erza, no matter what!"
And that was a promise the Quincy intended to keep, no matter the cost.
And thus ends another chapter of A Quincy's Fairy Tail!
Let's be honest, we all knew Aizen was going to win, either with his overwhelming power or Kyoka Suigetsu. The real question was how hard was it going to be, and...well, I think what transpired speaks for itself. XD
I may have gone a bit overboard with referencing canon Bleach in this chapter...but I don't really think it's a bad thing. Aizen's easily one of the most memorable things about Bleach, and I just wanted to take a moment to just have fun writing the character.
Also, thanks to your continued support, this fanfiction has now finally surpassed one million words! I can't thank you all enough for helping us get to this point. Here's hoping for many more chapters in the future!
Now I have some questions I want to address, but first, let's give the MPF's for this chapter.
MPFS.
Dyspute: 7250
Dyspute (Deus Anima): 8370
Aizen: (In Jade's Body) 14000
Somethings to note, since I'm sure I'll be asked questions about this.
1. Why was Aizen brought here 10,000 years from the end of canon? Should way more bleach characters be used then?
Aizen is the only one who was brought here from a future point in time. The end of the manga timeline was chosen for the war of the god's simply so that there was just enough powerful fighters to go around, but not an overabundance of them. Too many captain-level foes fighting in earth land would sooner or later spell disaster for humanity, which is why the war is being fought at all in the first place.
Case and point, imagine a lot of Lanza Del Rampargo, Gran Ray Cero, Jakuhō Raikōben happening all over Earthland. It would be uninhabitable, the very same reason why the gods aren't duking it out themselves.
Now the next point I wish to bring up is this.
2. Aizen's 10,000 years in the future is out of character.
I don't think so to be honest. People can change a lot in 5-10 years. Yes, soul reapers live for a long time, but 10,000 years is a very long time even for them. But it's not just the passage of time at play here. We also have to consider that the man was stuck in a chair, looking at nothing but a black void...That'll drive you made from boredom. Kyoka Suigetsu can only delay that boredom so long, especially when you know what your illusions are going to do.
3. Soul reapers are technically gods of death since they are referred to as Shinigami originally. Why didn't the God-slaying magic hurt Aizen.
For the sake of this story, I'm going with the interpretation that shinigami is merely a title that souls gave themselves to sound intimidating. That's not to say they aren't different from other souls, because they are, but their not literal gods.
However, I feel arguments can be made for the Soul King, Yhwach once he absorbs his power, Aizen upon transforming with the Hogyoku, and Dangai Ichigo. Their power is unable to be sensed by other beings (much like god ki from Dragonball Super) and have a much, much greater level of power than any other characters in the series. I'd even go further as to add Ichigo upon gaining his true zanpaktou, since his shikai was compared to Dangai Ichigo's level of power.
This is not to say all of the Fairy Tail God's are on this level, that would be ridiculous. (Case and point, Natsu killing that War God in one hit) Chrysalis Aizen is actually far stronger than most of them. To simplify things, Demi-Gods and God's vary in power, ranging from being as strong as a Lieutenant class Soul Reaper (Demi-Gods) to your average Captain/Espada/Stern Ritter Level (Most Gods) to being as strong as the Top Tiers in Bleach. (Very few)
I do hope that you all really enjoyed this chapter. I put a lot of work into this, so I'm glad it came out as well as it did. I eagerly look forward to your reviews. Till Next time.
