Chapter 22: Jason Never Dies Side 2

(Wow! I can't believe it! Only two chapters away from the end of the second arc. I've noticed that I don't seem to talk all that much during these ANs and for that I'm sorry. It can be hard to think of things you wanna say to the audience without spoiling the plot. What I can tell you is that this chapter will be pretty intense and I think you'll like the resolution. Shoutout again to NoHorrorYesAnime for their awesome review!

Alright, time's a wasting. Let's get this party started...)

Rangiku was breathing heavily, her wounds reopened from her constant motion and bleeding profusely. Despite his best efforts, Toshiro had only managed to get his lieutenant and himself a few blocks away from where Kenpachi and Jason were fighting before succumbing to his own wounds and falling unconscious. Rangiku, fearful for her captain's survival, held his limp body against hers and tried to flash-step toward the Squad 4 barracks herself. Although she managed to cover a little more ground on his behalf, her wounds had reopened and her body felt heavy. With a choked gasp, she fell back to the ground near the Squad 9 barracks, miles away from her intended location.

"Dammit!" She cursed under her breath. "I can't stop now! I have to get the captain some help before it's too late. She tried to pick herself up, winced in pain through gritted teeth, and slumped back down. Even miles behind her, she could still feel Kenpachi's spiritual pressure clashing with Jason's. "It's as if two tornados are trying to suck each other in," She thought and she stared off into the direction of the battle, taking mental note of how even the clouds seemed to have been destroyed by the dueling monsters. She intended to rest a little more before continuing forward when she suddenly noticed her captain's spiritual pressure plummet. Panicked, she turned toward him and shook him by the shoulders. "Captain? Captain wake up!"

Toshiro did not respond with so much as a grunt. His head fell back as Rangiku rocked him and his body felt cool to the touch. Rangiku tried to reassure herself that this was simply because of the nature of his Zanpakuto but instinct refused to let her comfort herself with such a lie.

Her captain was on the verge of death.

"Captain please!" Rangiku begged as tears streamed from her eyes. The movement of her own body as she tried to shake Toshiro back into consciousness agitated her wounds even further and a little trickle of blood flowed from her lips. She paid it no mind as she started to break down. "Captain! Please!"

The first icy drop of rain fell on the bridge of her nose, slid down to her bloody lip, and merged itself with the red liquid on her chin before falling off and staining her robe. She looked up and saw dark clouds crawling through the sky above her. One by one, more raindrops began to fall over the Seireitei. Whether the rain was simply a bad coincidence or somehow caused by the brawling monsters far behind her, Rangiku didn't know nor care. Sobbing, she held her captain's limp body against hers once more and forced herself to her feet. "I can't give up," She thought. "The Captain would have kept going for me! So I have to do the same for him! I have to try! I can't lose him! I can't go through that again!" The faces of two men from Rangiku's past, her former Captain Isshin Shiba and her childhood friend Gin Ichimaru appeared in her mind. Her tears flowed as readily as the rain as she prepared to flash-step again, ignoring her crying wounds in the process. "I get you to the Squad 4 barracks one way or another captain! I promise! So please don't die!"

Before she could make the leap, however, an even darker shadow loomed over her. The onslaught of the frozen rain ceased and as Rangiku looked up, she could make out a familiar shape, one that filled her with hope.

"Be careful going down Minazuki." Retsu urged her Zanpakuto. "You don't want to crush Captain Hitsuguya and Lieutenant Matsumoto now do you?" The stingray-like creature simply moaned in response as it lowered itself next to the wounded Shinigami. Captain Unohana was, of course, sitting at the head of Minazuki while her lieutenant, Isane, jumped off from behind her, carrying a bag full of medical supplies. "Rangiku!" She called out worriedly. "Are you alright? You're bleeding heavily!"

"Forget me!" Rangiku shouted. "Take care of the Captain first!" She held out Toshiro in both of her arms. Isane gasped at how limp his body was, like a ragdoll in the hands of a child. Uncertain, she turned to Retsu who nodded. Isane nodded back and instructed Rangiku to lay her captain down on the ground so she could begin treatment. As her lieutenant tended to the Squad 10 Captain, Retsu looked head toward the area where she sensed Kenpachi's spiritual pressure fluctuate. She could already tell that he was currently fighting Jason Voorhees.

And he was losing.

"Isane, I need you to stay here and tend to Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto." She said. "I need to go on ahead."

"C-Captain!" Isane wanted to protest as she too could feel the immense energy pulsing from up ahead. To say that going there willingly was a foolhardy move for any normal Shinigami would be an understatement. Then again, Retsu was no ordinary Shinigami, even among the Gotei 13. Isane knew this, dropped her protesting arms, and nodded in compliance.

"Minazuki, let's go," Retsu demanded softly. Her Zanpakuto clicked again as it lifted itself off the ground and continued its journey toward Kenpachi and Jason. As it was ascending, Isane performed a Kido to shield both herself and her two patients from the rain, the icy droplets thumping against the barrier like war drums.

"Where is Captain Unohana going?" Rangiku asked as Isane returned her attention back toward Toshiro.

"If I'd have to guess, I'd say she's going after Captain Zaraki." Isane suggested. She spoke with the professional tone befitting the lieutenant of Squad 4 but her eyes betrayed her worry over her captain's actions. "Please be safe, Captain Unohana." She thought as she bandaged up Toshiro's arm. "Please be safe."

Yachiru hardly even noticed the rain as it soaked her hair and clothes. She was too preoccupied with watching the battle unfold before her. She had already lost track of how long her captain and the man she dubbed Jay-Jay had been carving each other up but she knew it had been a while. The ground beneath their feet was painted with blood from both of their bodies and now that the rain was falling, the harsh red was bleeding out in all directions. Within the center of this crimson ocean, the two mad men continued their violent struggle with each other. Not too long ago, Jason had begun copying the Kendo stances Kenpachi was using against him, resulting in the tides turning in his favor. The Squad 11 Captain found himself on the defensive, his whole body painted red with his own blood. Ever from a distance, Yachiru could tell that her captain was afraid and while she also sensed some excitement hidden within that fear, she herself only felt concern and sadness at the possibility of him dying in this fight.

"Oh Kenny," She whispered to herself.

"This is more like it!" Kenpachi bellowed as he charged Jason. "Now this is what I call a real fight!" Jason parried the blow Kenpachi made and took another slash at him. Kenpachi jumped up to dodge the swing and landed on his now bare feet, causing the mess of blood and water beneath him to splash onto his pants. His body was decorated with wounds and he could even taste blood in his mouth. Fear and excitement welled within him in equal measure and he couldn't help but laugh manically as he rushed toward Jason again.

Jason found himself drunk with the intoxication of battle as well but while Kenpachi was becoming more frantic and wild in his quest to carve another wound on Jason, the normally brutish Crystal Lake Slasher had become more composed, regulating his breathing with the movements of his machete. He remembered the serious expression on the other captain's face and pondered briefly just what kind of enemies these Shinigami had to fight to be this experienced in battle. The image of a monster with a skull-like mask flashed in his mind but he wasn't sure where it came from or even if it was a memory or simply a dream. As he parried another blow from Kenpachi, Jason decided that it didn't matter. Once he finished off Kenpachi, he was going back to Crystal Lake to rest and recover. They would come back for him, of that he was certain.

And he would be ready, with his home-field advantage.

Kenpachi tried to jump away again but Jason was quicker and slashed his shoulder. "Dammit!" Kenpachi grunted as he created some distance between Jason and himself. By now, his blood loss was finally starting to catch up with him, and he involuntarily fell on a single knee. His ragged breath even tasted like blood and as Kenpachi looked up at his opponent, he noticed his vision was beginning to blur. He wanted to blame the rain getting into his eyes but deep down, he knew it was from the blood loss. He was at his limit and if he couldn't find a way to end this fight soon, he really would die.

Much to Kenpachi's surprise, this realization saddened him.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" He thought as he forced himself back on his two feet. He felt liquid flowing over his eyes and wasn't sure if it was blood or rain. "This is what I wanted, isn't it? For as long as I can remember, no, ever since the day I met her, I've wanted to be brought to my absolute limit. I wanted to know the thrill of a true battle to the death." He stared at Jason who had once again assumed a Kendo stance, ready for Kenpachi to make his next move. "This right here, the blood seeping out of my body, the throbbing agony in my bones. I wanted all of this! So why, why am I feeling so much regret right now!?"

With a furious roar, Kenpachi charged at Jason and swung his blade madly. There was no form nor true intention. No precise movement with driven purpose. Kenpachi had become a wild beast swinging his sword blindly. Jason either dodged or blocked the strikes with little to no effort, a far cry from the unrefined maniac he had arrived in this world as. His mother's voice was silent and that suited him just fine as he no longer needed her. Perhaps, he wouldn't even bother going back to Crystal Lake after all. Perhaps, he would simply go into hiding in this world to nurse his battle wounds and once he had fully recovered, perhaps he'd go after the other Shinigami. The other captains. After all, he would love a rematch with that orange-haired teen.

In his wild, frantic swinging, Kenpachi created an opening for Jason to plunge his blade into his chest. Kenpachi grunted as he froze up, his sword still raised above Jason's head. With a single punch, Jason sent Kenpachi flying back, spraying himself with the Shinigami's blood in the process.

"Those eyes," Kenpachi thought as he flew toward the nearest standing building, leaving a trail of blood behind him. "They remind me so much of hers on that day. That same dead stare. Seeing nothing in front of them but another body to cut down." Kenpachi smashed into the building, bringing it down upon himself. His already failing vision was clouded by dust and rubble yet he did not bother closing his eyes for he was still lost in thought. As the dust around him settled, he could make out footsteps sauntering toward him. He lifted his head with a grunt of effort and through his clouded vision, witnessed Jason's shadowy figure approaching him, his machete still dripping with blood.

Kenpachi tried to get up, only to fall on his knees again. As he looked up at the man who would apparently be his executioner and once again looked into his lifeless eyes, it was then that he was hit with the cold realization of why he found himself mourning his fate.

"Could it be..."

"M-Mom?" Ichigo stammered. His head was spinning as he tried to process what had just happened. One moment, he was fighting against a former serial killer that somehow became a Shinigami and the next, he was standing before his mother on the same riverbank where he had lost her to Grand Fisher all those years ago The rain was light but cold, drenching Ichigo's robes and leaving him shivering without him even realizing it. His mother on the other hand, was completely still, with only her watering eyes giving any indication that she was alive.

"I-Ichigo." She whispered in a breaking voice.

"Mom!" No longer concerned with making sense of the situation, Ichigo bolted toward his mother, dropping Zangetsu in the process, and wrapped her in his arms. She stiffened at first, then relaxed and returned the favor. Ichigo could feel tears streaming out of his eyes. "Mom! You're here! How?"

"Ichigo," His mother repeated in a saddened voice.

"How is this possible? How are you here?" Traces of hope and relief filled Ichigo's voice as he let himself become lost in the fantasy. There was no thought of Pamela, Roy or even Jason. All concern for the Seireitei had vanished from the moment he had embraced his mother. It was as if he was dreaming and he didn't want to wake up. "Mom! I'm so glad you're ok!"

"But Ichigo...I'm not."

This seemed to pull Ichigo out of his delighted stupor. "Huh? What do you mean?" As he asked this, Ichigo felt a warm sensation on the palms of his hands and pulled them away from his mother to examine them. He gasped when he saw that they were drenched in blood. Her blood. "Mom! What's happened!? Are you hurt?" Without waiting for a response, Ichigo rushed behind his mother and saw a giant blood stain on her back. He became frozen in terror and concern as he stared at the grave wound. "Mom...What happened to you."

For the next few painful seconds, Masaki Kurosaki remained silent with her bloody back toward Ichigo. The rain continued to fall but failed to wash away the blood on Masaki's back nor on Ichigo's arms. Finally, without warning, Masaki's head twisted toward Ichigo and shouted. "You know what happened!"

Ichigo screamed as he fell back. Masaki's body twisted itself after her head so that she was once again facing Ichigo, looking down at the substitute Shinigami with utter disdain. "I died that day, Ichigo. I died saving you."

"Mom, no!" Ichigo found himself crawling away from the thing that looked like his mother but by all rights couldn't possibly be. "Masaki" walked after Ichigo calmly, all trace of motherly love gone from her face. "I died saving you because you were too weak. Because you weren't strong enough to protect yourself. I died because of you."

"Mom," Ichigo felt himself breaking down and got to his knees. He kneeled toward his mother, begging for her forgiveness. "I'm sorry!"

His "mother" stopped right in front of him and another painful moment of silence passed with Ichigo deathly afraid of what she would say next. He continued to face the ground, afraid of even looking up at her. Then, a gentle voice called to him. "It's alright Ichigo. I forgive you." Surprised, Ichigo slowly looked up to meet his mother's gaze which seemed to once again mirror how she was in life. Gentle and loving. "A mother would do anything for their child after all," She held out her hand and he hesitantly took it. "Even sacrifice her life for them." She said this all with the same kind voice she used to speak to him with after his karate classes.

"Mom," Ichigo still felt uneasy but couldn't help but smile as his mother seemed to return to normal. She placed a hand on his cheeks and he gripped it with his.

"Yes, a true mother and child would do anything for each other." Masaki closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them again, the motherly glint they contained was gone. "Even kill."

Ichigo was terrorstruck again, this time by the malevolent force that suddenly appeared behind him. Turning around, he found himself staring into the eyes of one of his first true foes, one who sparked more hatred and anger in him than Aizen and all his Espada combined. "Grand Fisher!?"

"Heh heh. Long time no see, eh Shinigami?" The beastly Hollow laughed. "Why I haven't seen you since the last time we fought. Don't you remember? You were so caught up in trying to avenge your precious mommy, only to fail miserably!" Grand Fisher roared in mocking laughter.

His fear replaced with anger, Ichigo gritted his teeth. "Shut up!" He looked around for his Zanpakuto, briefly remembering that he dropped it and thinking that it would be behind him. To his surprise, however, Zangetsu was embedded on the ground right next to him. Not bothering to question how his sword found its way to his side, Ichigo ripped it out of the ground and pointed toward Grand Fisher. "You bastard! I'll send you to Hell!" Screaming in anger, Ichigo bolted toward the Hollow.

"Heh heh." Tentacles shot out from the holes underneath Grand Fisher's eyes and zipped toward Ichigo, ready to ensnare him. Without missing a beat, Ichigo effortlessly sliced through each and every one of them before they could reach him, catching Grand Fisher off guard. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Ichigo shouted. "You didn't think after all this time, I'd still be on the same level I was when we last fought, did you?"

"Silence you worm!" Gran Fisher extended his right forearm toward Ichigo but the Substitute Shinigami simply jumped out of the way. Grunting, Grand Fisher extended his fur next, hoping to impale Ichigo as he descended toward him. Once again, Ichigo's blade sliced through his attack without him so much as blinking. He met Grand Fisher's gaze with a rage-hardened stare.

Effectively out of attacks, Grand Fisher tried to run from Ichigo, only to find the Substitute Shinigami standing before him. He tried to escape again and was impeded just the same. No matter where Grand Fisher would go, Ichigo would be right in front of him with sword in hand, ready to intact his revenge. As he continued to thwart Grand Fisher's escape efforts, Ichigo's rage continued to burn hotter and hotter. He had lost himself completely in his own fury and didn't even realize it.

At last, Grand Fisher, seemingly exhausted from all the attempted running, collapsed on the ground before Ichigo, panting heavily. "D-Damn you!"

"No, damn you!" Ichigo charged toward the Hollow, ready to hack him into pieces for what he did, starting with his mask. As he grew closer, however, Grand Fisher brought his lure before himself. "You're grown much stronger since we last met." He said. "That much, I'll admit. But you're still the same person you were before. I already told you that every Shinigami has a person they can't cut and you have several!" His lure folded in on itself and reformed into the spitting image of Yuzu. The young girl looked directly into Ichigo's eyes and teared up. "Big brother, don't!"

Ichigo gasped as he found himself charging toward his sister while Grand Fisher bellowed in laughter. He had been caught off guard at that moment.

But only for that moment and not one more.

With a furious cry, Ichigo plunged Zangestu straight through "Yuzu"s chest and into Grand Fisher's mask, cracking it. The Hollow roared in pain as blood sprayed out from the wound. Twice as much blood flowed once Ichigo wrenched his sword out, taking the fake Yuzu with it. Ichigo took one look at the useless decoy and unceremoniously threw it off his sword. The decoy fell lifelessly to the floor, limp as a ragdoll.

"H..How..." Grand Fisher backed up as it clutched the giant crack in his mask. "How could you? How could you cut through your own sister like that?"

"That wasn't my sister," Ichigo responded coldly as he raised his sword. "She was just a fake." He let the sword lay behind himself as he prepared to strike the final blow. "And she's the last one you'll ever make! Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo launched the crescent-shaped attack at Grand Fisher. The wounded Hollow didn't even bother trying to dodge it as he was sliced in half. He uttered a low groan as his body broke apart and vanished altogether.

Ichigo, feeling pretty winded from the battle himself, fell on one knee as he panted heavily. His mind was a racing mess of mixed-up memories, dreams and thoughts. He couldn't even remember how he ended up here, only that he was glad to have finally killed Grand Fisher. That he had finally managed to avenge his mother. That he-

"Ichigo." a weak, feeble voice called to him.

Slowly, he turned back toward the spot where he had thrown Grand Fisher's lure. It was still laying there, still bearing a striking resemblance to his younger sister. Cautiously, he approached her and examined her closely. Her eyes were blank and blood trickled from her mouth. The gaping hole in her chest was rimmed with blood as well, staining her otherwise pretty yellow blouse. Ichigo couldn't believe how lifelike this lure was. Grand Fisher-

Whatever thought Ichigo was going to have at that moment vanished as he realized that if Grand Fisher was dead and gone, so too should his lure. So why...

"Ichigo," Yuzu called again, her voice even weaker than last time. "Big brother."

All of Ichigo's rage, his hatred for Grand Fisher and his desire to destroy anything that got in his way disappeared and was replaced with an ever-growing sense of dread and horror as he realized what he had done. "Y-Y-Yuzu!"

"Ichigo..Why?" Yuzu breathed out her last words as her eyes closed and her heaving chest lowered.

Ichigo howled mournfully to the sky as the rain increased its intensity. Panicked, he lifted his sister from the ground and cradled her close, desperately trying to wake her. "Yuzu! Yuzu please wake up! No! This can't be happening! Why is this happening!?"

"Because you failed to protect her," Ichigo froze as his mother's voice spoke to him from behind. He turned his head toward her slowly and shakily. "M-Mom?"

"You know, you're such a hypocrite Ichigo." Masaki spoke. "You're always going on about how you want to protect everyone. Keep everyone safe and out of harm's way. But think of all the pain that you've caused those closest to you."

Ichigo heard a cry of agony in front of him and as he turned, he could make out shapes in the dense rain. It was Rukia with Fishbone D biting into her shoulder.

"If it wasn't for you, Rukia wouldn't have had to lose her powers and be marked for execution."

"No,"

The shapes changed into a crying Orihime in Arrancar clothing

"If it wasn't for you, Orihime wouldn't have been targeted by Aizen and dragged off to Hueco Mundo. She wouldn't have had to watch you destroy herself for you!"

"Stop,"

The shapes changed once again, this time into two men whose smiles chilled Ichigo to the bone.

"If it wasn't for you losing your powers, Tsukishima and Ginjo wouldn't have been able to prey on Orihime, Chad, or Uryu. Your very existence puts those you love in danger."

"Stop it!" Ichigo shouted in a mix of guilt and fury. His mind was racing faster than ever now. There were no coherent thoughts anymore. Just flashes of the mental images of his friends and loved ones in agony. Bleeding. Crying. Pleading. All while his mother's voice echoed into his ears that it was all his fault. On the verge of snapping, Ichigo covered his ears and screamed into the sky.

"Why?" He asked himself. "Why is this happening?"

"Because you've hidden away your own guilt for far too long Ichigo." His mother's voice whispered. At this point, Ichigo noticed that Yuzu was no longer in his arms. Somewhere along the breaking of his mind, she had simply vanished. He wondered if he would even see his mother should he turn around but decided not to try it. Regardless of whether it was disembodied or not, his mother's voice was closer than ever. She could feel her cold odorless breath on his cheeks as if she were whispering into both ears simultaneously. "It's time to stop hiding and own up to it. You only exist to cause others pain." He winced as he felt equally cold hands clasped his shoulders. "You're no different than Jason or Pamela in that regard."

"T-That's not true!" Ichigo was shaking now. Those two names, Jason and Pamela. Just hearing them triggered something in Ichigo. Why was he so adamant about not being like those two? Who were they? Then it started to come back to Ichigo and for the first time since he ended up in this place, his head started to clear.

"Could it be.."

From inside the blood-red barrier that separated them from the rest of the world, Central 46 and the leaders of the three branches of the Seireitei's military force could hear the thuds and explosions and slashes from those attempting to free them. Every once in a while, one of these phenomena would be enough to shake the compound slightly and further frighten the Central 46. As their anxieties grew, so did the volume of their voices as they shouted and raged against Genryusai for causing this mess. None of them had any clue about Pamela Voorhees's plan or that she was even in the Seireitei at that very moment but it did not matter. They all wanted either a solution or a scapegoat and at that moment, only the latter seemed available.

"This is starting to get ugly, Captain," Marechiyo whined. "What are we gonna do?"

"Wait. That's all we can do." Soifon hissed. Her lieutenant had been asking that same question every five minutes ever since she told him that she couldn't use Yumekai. It was clear from his trembling and profuse sweating that he was afraid and this only served to anger her as usual. How dare he so such weakness in the Head Captain's presence! Absentmindedly, she wiped her forehead as it felt moist. Her eyes widened and she looked at her hand to see it soaked with sweat. Apparently, Marechiyo wasn't the only one stressed out by Central 46's constant belittling.

"Now hold on!" Kiba shouted. "I didn't mean to insult you! I'm simply stating the facts that-

"Silence! You will be held in contempt if you continue to speak!" Number 22 warned.

"But sir,"

"We said silence!" 44 cried. "We will not hear it!"

"You and Yamamoto have doomed us all with your selfish actions!" 36 roared. "What should happen if that monster escapes and comes to destroy us!? Will you take responsibility?"

Kiba said nothing. He gritted his teeth and hung his head down, no longer able to find any words to use against his closed-minded judges. "It never changes." He thought bitterly. "No matter what era. It's always the same self-serving bullshit!"

Genryusai remained perfectly still as he absorbed Central 46's venom. His eyes were closed and his rugged expression betrayed a sense of concentration. If not for the fact that he was still standing or surrounded by dozens of clamoring panicked voices, one could mistake him for meditating. His lieutenant, Chojiro, also weathered the verbal barrage with quiet dignity, only shifting his gaze toward his Captain every few minutes.

"What are you going to do if Jason kills us?"

"How do you intend to protect us like this huh?"

"Why do you not speak up for yourself Head Captain Yamamoto!? Have you lost your bravado? Have all these years of peace finally made your heart grow soft?"

Central 46 continued to scream and shout about their apparent demise, all while flinging any and all blame right at Genryusai. Both Soifon and Kiba had already lost track of just how long this had been going on, only that it seemed it could very well go on forever. But at that point, Genryusai's flew open, filled with rage, and with a voice far surpassing the Central 46's in terms of volume and intensity, he shouted a single word.

"ENOUGH!"

His voice rang through the entire compound, almost shaking it. Soifon, Marechiyo, Kiba, and even Chojiro were forced to cover their ears lest they go deaf from the sheer volume of the Head Captain's enraged shout. Even when he finished and fell silent to allow everyone else in the room a chance to recover from his outburst, his fellow Shinigami heard ringing in their ears.

"Y-You dare raise your voice to us, Yamamoto!?" Number 22's voice shook as it spoke. "Just who do you think you are?"

"I am the Head Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!" Genryusai proclaimed. "And our duty, as I see it, is to protect the Soul Society from whatever dangers may threaten it or the Balance of Souls!" He rammed the butt of his cane onto the floor and the resulting tap was almost as deafening as his voice. "That includes not only the Central 46 and the Royal Familes but the residents of the Rukongai as well. Not to mention all the Shinigami under our jurisdiction who place their lives on the line every day to uphold the same duty. So I ask you, just who do you think you are!?"

The compound was filled with gasps from almost the entire Central 46. They were joined by Chojiro, Marechiyo and of course, Soifon.

"H-Head Captain?"

Kiba, on the other hand, only smiled to himself. He could tell where this conversation was heading and as far as he figured, it had been coming for a long time.

"Ever since this barrier has trapped us, you all have done nothing but hurl your blame on us as you fret for your lives and your lives alone. Not once since this whole calamity began have any of you expressed concern for the people of the Soul Society and what threat these new dangers might present to them. It was the same with our last meeting regarding the souls residing in Beautiful Dream!"

Soifon winced at the mention of the lace where she met Nancy and her Dream Warriors

"You wanted to dismantle the area, force the residents into deeper, more treacherous districts of the Rukongai, all because you hated the idea of such a community coming into being without your permission."

"That's absurd!" Number 36 protested.

"No he's right!" Kiba spoke up. "All you old fossils care about are yourselves! Plenty of good Shinigami have lost their lives to both Freddy and Jason, the latter of which you tried to cover up!" Genryusai glared at the young man for but a second then turned his gaze back to the stumbling elders before them.

"We had no choice! Number 44 argued. "Think of all the panic that would have been created!"

"You mean the damage to your pride and reputation if people knew the mission failed." Kiba rebuttaled. "Now look! There's no arguing that Akane Watanbe was the one to bring Jason Voorhees back to life and that it was my Corps that taught her the spell she used to do it. Both of those Shinigami committed a dire sin against the Soul Society and have been long since punished." Kiba took a few steps closer to where Number 22 sat. "However, I had the pleasure of meeting Akane before that dark night and I can tell you from experience, she was not an evil person!" Memories of his first and last encounters with Akane flashed within Kiba's mind, filling him with both happiness and sorrow. "She was kind, humble, and brave. She committed her sin not out of malice, not out of a desire to disrespect the foundations on which our society has built itself upon but because she couldn't bare to see a child's soul in pain any longer."

A brief but heavy moment of silence followed before Kiba continued. "As of now, we have to deal with the repercussions of that sin. Jason is only the second of these abnormal beings to threaten the Balance of Souls and all of reality as a result. Now from what I've heard, the Gotei 13 have already taken measures to combat these new threats and while I can't say in good confidence that bringing Jason into our world was a smart idea, it's still better than simply sitting around and barking orders from the safety of your seats!"

"Why you-

"It's time for a change! If you old coots want to continue to boss us around while we do all the work, go right ahead, that's what we're here to do! But just remember, you're not the only ones we're fighting to protect!"

"What the hell are you doing, you dumbass!" Marechiyo cried. "We're gonna get our asses backhanded for sure after that outburst! Are you out of your-

"Will said, boy." Genryusai interuppted. He did not shout this time, simply speaking the word as if he was at his Squad's monthly tea ceremonies. Yet the full weight of his words fell onto everyone's shoulders and all eyes fell upon him as he turned around and started walking out of the room. "Our duty is not to the rich and powerful but to all of existence. This is what the Gotei 13 was formed for." His cane was suddenly stripped of all its wood, revealing a katana with a dark purple handle. "I am but an old man and I have bore witness to many a triumph and defeat alike." Centuries upon centuries of memories danced about in his ancient head as he stepped out of the room. A few seconds after his Captain left, Chojiro returned to his senses and followed after him. He, in turn, was followed by Soifon, Marechiyo and finally Kiba, all while the elders forming Central 46 erupted into a cacophony of fear and indignation.

Genryusai slowly but surely made his way back to the outside, all guards and servants he passed by far too frightened or awe-struck to stop him. Once he reached the outside, he could take in the barrier in all its blood-red glory. Behind its scarlet lens, he could see the army of Shinigami from all squads fighting to free him and the others. One of the unseated officers was the first to notice him approaching

"Hey! It's the Head Captain!"

Excited clamoring filled the air as more and more Shinigami noticed Genryusai, spouting out promises of freedom and reassurance that it would come soon. Genryusai did not respond for he had already decided for this to be the case.

"Head Captain!" Sajin flash-stepped to the front of the barrier just as Genryusai reached his side of it. "Are you alright, Head Captain?"

"I am fine," He answered. "You seem to have worked up quite a frenzy in my absence."

"Don't worry! We'll find a way to get and the others out soon. We just need-

"Captain Komamura. Please keep the men away from the barrier. I don't want to accidentally burn someone."

Sajin's eyes widened as he realized at once what the Head Captain meant. Without a moment's hesitation, he called out to the other Shinigami and commanded them to back off. There was a lot of questioning and resistance but the sight of an agitated Sajin Komamura with his fangs bared and his gaze serious and direct was enough to stop it in it's tracks. The crowd of Shinigami shifted away from the barrier and Genryusai just as Soifon and the others caught up to him.

"Head Captain!" Soifon cried out. "What are you planning?"

"Back up!" Genryusai barked. "I cannot guarantee your safety if you approach me."

Soifon and the others did as the Head Captain requested, albeit with some reluctance. "Head Captain, just what are you planning?"

"Just wait there and don't move." Genryusai warned. "Things are about to get very hot."

Chjiro's eyes widened now. "Head Captain, you don't mean-

"Bankai: Zanka no Tachi." Upon these words, Genryusai's blade underwent a startling transformation. The metal cracked and darkened as if it were being scorched by unseen flames. A wisp of smoke escaped from these cracks and wavered over the blade like a foreboding cloud. As this transformation took place, the heat around the area began to increase drastically. Kiba felt his bottom lip crack and bleed from the heat and wiped some of the blood away from his mouth. Soifon felt sweat form all over her body and briefly considered removing her haori. Marechiyo was also sweating profusely and felt as if he was on the verge of fainting. Chojiro simply stood and waited, contemplating the last time he had seen his Captain's Bankai in action. From outside the barrier, the army of Shinigami relentlessly commented on the Head Captain's Bankai and the ever-growing heat. Genryusai took a deep breath and rose his blade for a strike.

"Higashi:Kyokujitsujjin!" With a mighty roar, Genryusai slashed the barrier with his scorched sword. The resulting slash appeared to erase a large chunk of the barrier within seconds. As everyone from both sides watched in shock and awe, the empty space grew across the entire barrier, devouring it like an unseen black hole and all while the air grew even hotter. Before long, the entire barrier which withstood even Bankai was no more.

"So that was the Head Captain's Bankai?" Soifon thought as she wiped the sweat from her brow. One half of her haori was hanging off from her left side, yet she still felt as if she was standing before the Sun itself. "Amazing. Simply incredible."

Chojiro and Kiba both said nothing. Their smiles said all that needed to be said.

Satisfied, Genryusai commended his Zanpakuto back to its sealed state, allowing the air to cool again. As he did this, he could feel two other spiritual pressures suddenly rising. One close by and one far away. He smiled to himself as he recognized who they belonged to.

"It would seem I will not need to interfere after all." He thought as he resheathed his sword.

"Look deep into your heart, Ichigo. You know it's true." The rain poured harder than ever as Masaki continued to speak over her curled-up son. "You've only ever caused pain to those you love. You're no different than the monsters you fight. No different from Grand Fisher. No-

"Enough!" Ichigo suddenly rose up, turned around, and grabbed Masaki's shoulders. "I won't have this! I won't have Pamela use the memory of you like this!"

"I-Ichigo?" Masaki squeaked in surprise, a far cry from the condemning voice of insanity she was but a second ago. She and Ichigo continued to stand silently in the rain for a few seconds as Ichigo needed to compose himself. Neither of them noticed that the rain slowed down a little. "I get it now. Confronted with my past sins and consumed by them until I cease to be. I think I understand how this Shikai works."

"Shikai?" Masaki asked. "Ichigo, what are you talking about?"

"Pamela's Shikai works by using the victim's own mind against them," Ichigo explained. "It takes their guilt, whether they know it's there or not, and confronts them with it, breaks them with it and once they've been defeated, it consumes them completely. Roy still carried a lot of guilt with him even after he decided to betray Pamela and that's why.." Ichigo stopped himself from finishing that sentence. Thinking of what happened to Roy left a cold lump of ice in his throat.

"And you?" Masaki asked, the tiniest glint of life in her eyes. "What about you? What guilt do you feel?"

"It's just as you said, Mom." Ichigo continued. "I feel guilty about putting the ones I love in danger. I feel guilty that no matter how strong I get, I still need to rely on the help of others and most of all," He exhaled as he closed his and lowered his head. With his free hand, he grabbed his mother's hand. "I feel guilty that you died protecting me."

"Ichigo," The glint in Masaki's eyes grew larger and granted them a warm look similar to when she was alive. The rain slowed to a trickle and this time Ichigo noticed. This produced a small smile on his face and he looked back up to meet his mother's gaze, his own eyes glimmering. He resheathed Zangetsu behind his back and laid his other hand down onto Masaki's as well.

"I wish I could turn back time. I wish I could go back to that day and protect you with all the strength I now possess." Ichigo confessed. "But you can't turn back the past. All you can do is move forward and strive toward a better future. I see that now. I need to leave this guilt behind me so that I can truly protect what's important." Ichigo closed his eyes and allowed the faces of those he cared about to flash through his mind. Sado, Orihime, Uryu, Isshin, Yuzu, Karin, Rukia. They all appeared to him, as real as a waking dream. And they were smiling.

"Pamela and Jason both allowed themselves to be consumed by the guilt of their past. I won't allow that to happen to me. I never realized how much guilt I carried with me from all the times it seemed like I failed. But I never stopped did I? No, I kept going and I must keep going. I must strive to become even stronger so that I can protect my friends. My family. Everyone close to my heart."

The rain was now on the verge of stopping with only a few droplets falling to the ground. Through the grey clouds above, a beam of sunlight fell upon the riverbank, warming the chilly air.

"Mom," Ichigo said. "There's so much I want to say to you. Yuzu, Karin and the old man are doing just fine. He's just as annoying as ever and gets on my nerves but he's still the same smiling goofball you married. And I'm fine too. It's been hard having to go on without you and I won't pretend like I don't blame myself for what happened. But I know you wouldn't want me to carry that weight for the rest of my life nor waste it with pointless revenge. That's not what you saved me for. For now on, I promise to live the best life I can!" He briefly recalled his father's words on the night he ran into Grand Fisher and against his better judgment, repeated them to Masaki. "I'll live well, age well, even go bald well. And when I die, I'll die with a smile on my face. Because I know you loved us. And I'd rather carry that love with me than my guilt. I love you Mom."

Ichigo felt himself tear up as he spoke those final words. He felt his legs become numb and knew that he was vanishing from this world, breaking free from Tamashi no Hakari's mental prison. As his vision faded to an almost blinding white and he slowly transmigrated back to the Soul Society, the last thing he saw of this world was his mother's face, smiling as brightly as she used to through closed, teary eyes.

...

"It really is a shame you know. I could tell just by looking at you that you were actually a good kid. Maybe if someone like you had been a counselor or even a fellow camper at that time, maybe you could have been Jason's friend. Maybe, none of this would have had to happen." Pamela sighed as she turned her back on Ichigo who was currently sinking into a puddle of his own blood. "But there's no point in dwelling on the past now is there? After all, there's something that needs my immediate attention."

With that, Pamela prepared to flash-step away, toward Jason who had hopefully reached the Senkaimon by now. There, she could enact the final phase of her plan and finally save her son from these wretched Shinigami. Before she could make the leap, however, she was nearly knocked off her feet by some great force from behind her. Zipping around, she saw, much to her shock and confusion, a geyser of gore erupting from the blood puddle. Ichigo was nowhere in sight and Pamela briefly wondered if a Shinigami of his caliber had to perish in a different, messer matter than those she had used this ability on before. As the geyser weakened and fell apart in clumps, however, she was quick to make out Ichigo's shape floating within the gore.

"Mommy! What's going on? Why is that boy back again?"

"I don't know Jason," Pamela answered herself. "This can't be." Her surprised face turned into an angry scowl. "No one escapes the power of Tamashi no Haraki! Nobody!"

"You know you really shouldn't say things like that if you can't back them up. It makes you look foolish." Ichigo responded in a calmer voice than his eyes betrayed. Pamela growled in response to his taunt and he narrowed his eyes. "Don't get me wrong. It's a pretty scary ability and it nearly got me too. But you made a huge mistake in using the memory of my mother like that. I'm afraid I can't forgive you for that!" Ichigo raised his Zanpakuto over his head.

Pamela snarled, lost in the throughs of her killer instinct and charged Ichigo. "Damn you!"

As he prepared to take Pamela out and end this nightmare once and for all, Akane's pleading words entered his mind one final time. "You know, before we left her, Akane asked me to pass on a little message to your son should I ever see him. I got to meet Jason earlier but forgot to relay it to him so you'll have to do."

Pamela heard nothing. She continued to race toward Ichigo while screaming like a mad woman.

"Kill him, Mommy! Kill him!"

"Getshuga Tensho!" Ichigo released his attack with a scream matching Pamela's in intensity. The crazed woman tried to block the attack but it did no good at her current range. Her screams of rage turned into ones of pain as she was knocked back by the resulting explosion, her form lost amongst the blast and the following dust.

"I'm sorry," Ichigo said. "That was her final message to you two."

As the dust began to settle and Ichigo lowered his sword, he noticed that the air had grown considerably hot.

Jason noticed this as well. As he marched toward the heavily wounded Kenpachi, he could feel the temperature rise higher than anything he had ever felt in the World of the Living. The rain was beginning to die down and had he glanced at the floor for even a second, he would have noticed the raindrops evaporating before even hitting the ground. But at that moment in time, Jason was not terribly concerned with the weather. He was intent to finish this battle once and for all. Once he was within striking distance of the Squad 11 Captain, who looked as if he would die from his wounds at any given moment with or without his help, Jason raised his machete and prepared to deal the finishing blow, aiming for the next and a clean decapitation...

..only to be blocked by a grinning Kenpachi.

"I think I get it now," The Squad 11 Captain said to himself as he pushed Jason back and forced himself to his feet. The rapidly increasing heat was drying the blood covering his body, closing his wounds to enough of a degree to be able to move easier. This, however, did nothing to replenish Kenpachi's lost stamina and in the burning air, he struggled to breathe. But he took notice of none of these things. His mind was too preoccupied with his mental breakthrough. "All this time, after all these battles, I think I finally understand." He thought back to the day he first battled Retsu Yachiru, the first time he felt the real fear of dying in battle. He thought over all the battles he had fought since and found himself comparing them to his fight with Retsu. He growled lowly as the answer became clear.

"All this time, I was placing limits on myself without even realizing it, all because deep down, I was afraid I might die without fighting her again. Without defeating her."

Jason cocked his head curiously. Then he took another Kendo stance, waiting for Kenpachi to make the next move.

"I never realized just how badly I wanted to cross blades with her again. How badly I need to taste victory against the monster who awakened my lust for battle! I can't die until I realize that goal! Until I truly earn the name Kenpachi!"

Kenpachi Zaraki.

"Huh?" Kenpachi looked around for the source of the voice he suddenly heard but couldn't find anyone besides Jason. It sounded familiar but at the same time so alien. "Who's there?"

It would seem my voice has finally reached you after all this time. I'm so glad.

"Cut the bullshit!" Kenpachi barked. "Who are you?! Show yourself!"

Jason cocked his head to the other side in confusion. Did Kenpachi have a voice nagging away at him as well? It didn't matter. Jason was growing impatient and decided that if his opponent wasn't going to make the next move, he would. Changing his stance to offense, Jason charged at the Squad 11 Captain.

Oh Kenpachi. Isn't it obvious who I am? I'm the one who's been with you this entire time, watching you more closely than anyone.

Kenpachi's eyes widened as the reality of what was happening dawned on him. "Hold on, don't tell me..

It's nice to meet you at last, Kenpachi Zaraki. My name is...

Jason was right in front of Kenpachi now, his machete poised to cut right into his abdomen. His smile was manic and his eyes wild, Jason took the swing and prepared to finish this fight.

The sudden explosion of Reiatsu from Kenpachi's body sent Jason flying. He crashed into the ground with enough force to create a small crater in the ground. It took all his strength and focus not to lose his grip on his machete in the process. He gripped it with enough force to draw blood from the palm of his hand. Shakily, Jason climbed out of the indent he made in the ground and got to his feet. He turned to face Kenpachi and his good eye widened in shock.

Kenpachi was now standing tall, a sadistic grin plastered on his face. Over his shoulder laiy a giant weapon that looked like a cross between an axe and a war cleaver. The top of the great blade was adorned with a green tassel and the handle was covered in bandages. The energy outpouring from Kenpachi and his new weapon was insane, the very blood-soaked ground beneath his feet chipping away from the sheer force. "Nozarashi." Kenpach said in a simple but pleased voice. "All this time, that's been your name."

Jason was dumbfounded. The memory from his battle with the ice Shinigami told him that Kenpachi had just unleashed his sword, his Shikai. But how? And why now at this point in the fight? Jason growled and charged once more. He didn't care if Kenpachi suddenly had a bigger weapon. There was no way he could perform kendo with that giant blade. Jason still had the advantage of speed on his side. He would simply stab into Kenpachi's blade before he could get cut.

Kenpachi finally tore his gaze from his new weapon toward Jason. "Oh? Still here? Good! I'm glad. There's no point in getting my Shikai if I don't have something to cut." Kenpachi raised Nozarashi over his head. "Thank you, Jason. You've given me more than just a good fight. You've given me a new lease on life! A new goal to strive for! To repay you, I'll let you have the honor of becoming Nozarashi's first victim!" With this and a bellowing, joyous war cry, Kenpachi brought the huge blade down on Jason at lightning speed. The Crystal Lake Slasher had no time to dodge or block the attack and met it head-on.

The sheer force of the slash sent Jason flying back, leaving a large trail of blood behind him. His left arm and left foot flew away from the rest of his body in opposite directions while his machete flew straight into the air. Jason landed several feet beyond the crater he had created earlier, struggled to get up while reaching out at Kenpachi, then fell still.

"I did it! I won!" Kenpachi roared with victorious laughter as his Shikai returned to its original form. He felt his consciousness slipping away and decided not to fight back. He could use the rest. He earned it. He fell on his back, his Zanpakuto firmly gripped within his hand, and blacked out.

By then, the last of the rain clouds were gone.

Ichigo felt sick. He wondered if it was an after-effect from somehow escaping Pamela's Shikai or just from the sheer stress of everything he had to go through today. By now, he was used to his days taking a turn for the bizarre but this, this day would have to be in the top five of weird days for Ichigo Kurosaki.

And it wasn't finished with him yet.

Remembering how Pamela had tricked him with a decoy earlier, Ichigo decided that he needed to make sure that his adversary was truly dead or incapacitated this time. Fighting against his sickness, Ichigo made his way toward the rapidly vanishing dust and the small shape that sat coughing and cursing within it. It was Pamela, still alive, although now she was missing her right arm and spitting up blood. Her robes were torn and her hair was bloodied and messy. She stared at Ichigo with hateful, predatory eyes like that of a wounded animal backed into a corner. "B-Bastard!" She croaked.

"It's over Pamela." Ichigo said. "If you surrender quietly, my friend might be able to fix your arm." Ichigo intended to say more but was cut off by Pamela's insidious, almost insane laughter. It in of itself was interrupted every few seconds by a hoarse cough as Pamela struggled to her feet.

"Y-You really think I'd surrender after everything I've done? With how far I've come?" Pamela turned to her right and stared off into the distance. "Look over there. You can feel it too, can't you?"

Ichigo turned his head only slightly, wanting to keep an eye on Pamela and felt around for any recognizable spiritual pressure. He found two. One was Kenpachi's weakened greatly but still alive and the other,

"Jason!" Ichigo shouted.

"I may have lost but I still have one last motherly duty to perform." Pamela reached into her robes and pulled out a smokey grey orb. "I'd know your mother would understand."

Ichigo veered back around and tried to rush at Pamela. "Wait!"

"Farewell, Ichigo. You really were one of the good ones." With this, Pamela threw the orb down with enough force to make it shatter. It released a cloud of smoke-like gas that hid Pamela from Ichigo's view as it encompassed him. "Dammit!" He cursed as he felt her flash-step away. He prepared to follow but was stopped by his sickness as it had vastly increased in intensity. He felt like vomiting and clasped a hand over his mouth as he fell to his hand and knees. Zangetsu lay underneath his free hand on the ground. "What's going on?" Ichigo thought. "Is this because of the smokescreen? Is it making me even sicker? Dammit!" Ichigo coughed into his hand and fought the urge to black out.

Pretty soon, he lost that battle.

When Kenpachi opened his eyes, he immediately noticed two things that were different about his situation. The first was that Jason, who was lying in a puddle of his own blood the last time Kenpachi saw him, was missing. Kenpachi felt around for his spiritual pressure and found it far away, toward the Senkaimon tower. "That bastard," Kenpachi thought. "He woke up first. He could have killed me if he really wanted to but I'm still alive." Kenpachi didn't put too much thought into how Jason could walk away without a left foot and laid his head back down.

The second thing that he noticed was that despite Jason leaving, he was not alone. Yachiru and Retsu were by his sides, the latter preparing a wet towel to defend Kenpachi from heat stroke. The heat had finally died down a little but it was still very intense and in Kenpachi's weakened state, still posed a health hazard as far as she was concerned. "Here you go, Yachiru." Retsu handed the pink-haired girl the towel, her signature expression of eyes closed and mouth curved into a small smile on her face.

"Thank you!" Yachiru enthusiastically placed the towel on Kenpachi's forehead. "You were amazing Kenny!" She beamed. "Jay-Jay never stood a chance against you."

"Yeah maybe not but it sure a heck of a fight." Kenpachi turned to Retsu. "And the best part, I finally heard it!"

Retsu opened her eyes curiously. "Oh? Heard what Kenpachi?"

"Nozarashi. The name of my Zanpakuto!"

Retsu gasped quietly. "Is that so?" She looked at Yachiru who didn't say anything. She didn't have to. The young girl was wearing the largest smile on her face that Retsu had ever seen. Clearly, she had been waiting for this moment for as long as he did.

"Oh Kenny! I'm so glad! What's it look like? How big is it? Can you use it to make candy?" Yachiru continued her relentless barrage of questions, much to Kenpachi's slight annoyance as Retsu turned toward the Senkaimon tower, her own smile fading. "Yachiru, she asked. "Would you please stay with Kenpachi for a moment, I have some business to attend to."

"Okay!" Yachiru chirped as she continued to relentlessly interrogate her injured captain. Kenpachi watched as Retsu began walking toward the Senkaimon before vanishing completely in a flash-step, no doubt going after Jason. His only response to this was to sigh.

Jason made it at last to the so-called Senkaimon. The great door was shut tightly but something told him it would soon open and then he would retreat back to the World of the Living, back to Crystal Lake. His left arm hung loosely from his shoulder and his foot was bent at an awkward angle. Upon waking up, he grabbed both of these severed body parts, tried to place them back where they belonged, and discovered, to his relief, that his regeneration was currently at a high enough level that the wounds adhered to each other like velcro tape. The rest of his wounds were starting to close up as well and soon he would be good as new. If he really decided to, he could go into hiding and wait until he had healed fully, so he could hunt down the Shinigami one by one, take them out, make this world his own.

But he wasn't going to do that.

Jason had learned a lot from his time in this dimension, most of it from his battles with the one called Kenpachi. He had learned the difference between mindless slaughter and fighting to the death against a worthy opponent. He had learned just what it truly meant to be on the other end of a hunt, and most of all, he had learned that, strange as it seemed, one could have respect for the opponent who defeated him. That's why Jason did not bother finishing off Kenpachi while he lay on the ground helpless. He still wanted to kill Kenpachi, yes, he wanted to kill them all. But he wanted to do it in battle, with them using every last ounce of strength in their bodies to fight him off. This was also why he was still leaving. He had been defeated and he wanted to honor that defeat by leaving. His mask was gone but he did not bother trying to cover his face. His mother's voice was silent but he did not panic. Jason had grown on this day and he could only hope that he could carry this growth back toward Crystal Lake, toward home.

On the rooftop of the tower behind the one Jason was standing on, a wheezing bleeding woman finally reached the top.

"My boy," She whispered with joyous tears as her eyes fell upon Jason. "I knew they wouldn't be able to kill you! I knew you'd make it!" She coughed up a bit more blood and kneeled over. Groaning, she looked down at the stump where her arm once rested. Unlike her superhuman son, Pamela was just an ordinary soul, even as a Shinigami. Her arm would not be coming back and her wounds would not be healed. She knew she didn't have long before she succumbed to her injuries and that wasn't even considering the fact that the Gotei 13 would surely be on her trail now. No, she didn't have long at all, no time to even say a proper good boy to her precious flesh and blood. She teared up at this realization but forced herself to her feet regardless.

"My sweet angel," She said tearfully. "You probably can't even feel my spiritual pressure anymore. It's too weak from my battle. But that's ok. As long as I can do this much, I'll be able to die happy." She reached into her robes and pulled out a Jigokucho which she then sent flying in Jason's direction. The tiny black insect flew past Jason and landed on the Senkaimon, causing the great gate to open at last.

"A true mother would do anything for their child, even kill, even die." Pamela reached into her robes again and this time, pulled out the blue orb she stole from Mayuri's labs. "It's time to do my final duty as a mother."

With all her remaining strength, Pamela crushed the orb in her remaining hand and blew the resulting glass-like dust in Jason's direction. As the mute killer took his first step into the Senkaimon, the dust settled on his body and dissolved, wrapping him in an eerie white glow.

"Fu Tamashi no Kona" Pamela whispered as she watched the dust take effect. "It's a relatively experimental creation, one Mayuri had never got around to fully testing. When making contact with a soul on the cusp of regaining a physical body or entering a Gigai, it activates and seals away the existence of all spiritual presence from that body. Most humans can't see ghosts, Shinigami, or Hollows but you Jason? You'll be the opposite, Shinigami nor Hollow will be able to pick up on your spiritual presence. Unless they stand right in front of you, they'll never detect your presence. They won't be able to follow you."

Jason, of course, heard none of this. He was already inside the Seinkaimon, being guided by Pamela's Jigokucho through the Dangai, his physical body slowly but surely recreating itself as he walked. Pamela sighed in relief as she watched the doors to the Senkaimon close. "Be safe, my child." She begged. "Run as fast as you can and stay out of the sight of these dammed Shinigami! The powder will not last forever but it will stay in effect for quite a while, more than enough time for you to run away." Her mind wandered into memories of when Jason was younger. Of the days that she held him in her arms and sang him lullabies. Taught him the different names for the things and places and people of the world as well as his own name. Of the day she lost him to the unforgiving waters of Crystal Lake and the even crueler indifference of the human heart. "Be safe Jason. And remember, no matter how many years, decades or even centuries go by, Mommy will always love you."

A heavy presence suddenly appeared behind Pamela. She didn't react despite the force of this presence aggravating her wounds and causing them to bleed faster. She already knew it was a Captain. Slowly, she turned around to meet the gaze of one Retsu Unohana.

"You," The Squad 4 Captain spoke in a disarmingly calm voice. "May I presume that you are the one behind this disaster?"

"That's right." Pamela coughed up a bit of blood as she continued staring down Retsu. "And if you were hoping to stop Jason from escaping, you're too late. My boy's already entered the Dangai!"

Retsu looked up ahead to see the closed Senkaimon gate behind Pamela. She could tell that it had just been used. "Oh dear, I suppose you're right."

"I've already taken the necessary measures to ensure that you bastards never get to him!" Pamela unsheathed her sword. "And I'm prepared to fight with what little life I have left to keep him safe!"

Retsu looked back at Pamela and narrowed her eyes. "You're Pamela Voorhees aren't you?"

Pamela chuckled to herself. "That's right. And I know what you're thinking. Why is a killer like me not in Hell? Well, if you as-

And suddenly Pamela could talk no more. She felt a burning sensation in her throat as warm blood trickled down to her breast and shoulders. Her whole body started shaking and Tamashi no Harakai fell from her grasp. "W...Wha"

"Don't misunderstand. It is quite concerning that a soul doomed for Hell somehow became a Shinigami," Through her pain and shock, Pamela forced her rabidly fading gaze back onto Retsu. The Squad Four Captain was still in the exact same position as she was before with one difference. Her arm was stretched from her side and holding a sword whose blade dripped with blood. "I will have to report this to the Head Captain at once." Retsu locked eyes with the frightened Pamela once more, her gaze darkened and sinister. "But first, I must carry out my duty as a Captain of the Gotei 13 and eliminate all threats to the Soul Society. Farewell, Pamela Voorhees."

And for the second time in her existence, Pamela's head rolled across the ground.

Mommy will always love you.

(Well that's a wrap. All that's left is the epilogue and this arc will be completed. I can only hope I managed to develop the characters without crossing into OOC territory but I'll let you guys be the judge of that. I wanna thank NoHorrorYesAnime and MurderofBael38 for their awesome reviews! Until next time, Chibi out!)