Chapter 50: A Reason to Fight

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A blue moon hangs high in the sky over a certain, lonely lake, its light once more the only thing offering asylum to those fleeing the darkness of the surrounding forest. The water is tranquil and still with no sign of life anywhere except the lone, blue-haired woman wearing a light blue kimono who stands at the water's edge. The woman stares down quietly at her reflection in the water, her emerald-green eyes squinted in mild frustration, which matches the slight frown on her face.

Suddenly, footsteps are heard from behind her, signaling the approach of another figure. Despite this, the woman doesn't so much as flinch, evidently finding the new arrival not very significant at the moment.

As the footsteps stop, there is a short sigh followed by a rugged, masculine voice, "Still out here, I see."

"She got off lucky.", the woman responds as she now wears a scowl.

The new figure, a bearded man wearing a black tattered cloak and a shaded visor of sorts, slightly raises a brow before grunting in the next moment, "You speak of that bat? You could've fought him off yourself if you felt so inclined."

"…", the woman offers no response as her back still faces her companion, hiding her expression from him.

The bearded man looks away, somewhat guiltily, "I am to blame… the consequences she would face if you were to run rampant would place her in even greater danger than against that Hollow."

The woman's bandaged hands coil into fists as she snaps, "Fool! You act as though I would even be willing to do something so stupid!"

Her counterpart shrugs, "Your nature dictates that you would act in such a manner… I think it's merely a matter of you not wanting her to know about the whole façade that you've been putting on."

The blue-haired woman closes her emerald eyes, shuttering as her breath hitches.

The man shifts the focus of the conversation slightly, "Her want for revenge no longer surpasses her desire to protect those who are dearest to her."

"…", the woman refuses to offer her counterpart a response, maintaining her seemingly dejected silence.

The man elaborates further, "The last few months she has spent honing her skills with a sword as well as her mind. The countless hours of meditation and self-reflection have done well to both humble her and make her acutely aware of where her power comes from, that we are that power. All that she has been lacking is her reason, or rather, purpose for fighting…"

There is a silence between the two spirits as the man trails off. The hidden meaning of his words is given time to settle as the moment passes, leaving the woman to perhaps understand what he is getting at as her eyes widen slightly.

After another moment, the male spirit levels a serious gaze on his counterpart, "…do you object?"

The woman smiles slightly, a sign of her typical behavior beginning to return, "…of course not."

Without further delay, the man nods, spins on his heel, and walks off, back into the dark embrace of the forest surrounding the lake. The woman lets out a long sigh as she regards her reflection below for a long moment. As the moment passes, the previously unmoving water develops ripples, which distorts the woman's reflection before settling once more, revealing a reflection slightly different than before. The Zanpakuto appears rather similar to her usual look; however, some notable differences are her right eye, which is now golden with black sclera, and the addition of a particular black tribal tattoo that looks like a branch trailing through her right eye and stopping in the middle of her cheek. Neither of these traits is nearly as profound of a difference as the addition of the large, white, forward-facing horn that protrudes from the right side of her head, above the ear. The woman stares silently at her new reflection, her smile widening somewhat despite the slight look of dejection still held within her heterochromatic eyes.

Underground Hall, Shino Academy

Karin, once more in the traditional black Shihakusho, walks through the halls underneath the Shino Academy alongside a large group of other students, garbed in a red and white Gi for the girls and blue and white for the boys. The group is being escorted by another group of 20 or so Shinigami—the remainder of Squad 13 from the earlier attack on the Noble District, who are led by Rukia. The raven-haired woman, within earshot of Karin, is speaking to the instructor, Gengoro Onabara, although the girl doesn't care to listen to their conversation as her gaze shifts slightly rearward to regard her Zanpakuto, strapped to her back as usual, glows a faint blue color ever so briefly. Karin's stride slows as her gaze is distant, yet intimate as she falls into a sort of trance, instinctually feeling her blade's attempts to reach out to her. Before she can offer a proper reaction, she is brought back to the present by the call of one of the surrounding Shinigami.

Indeed, Shino snaps her fingers next to the girl's ears as she speaks in a somewhat worried tone, "Hey Karin, snap out of it! You don't want to fall behind, do you?"

The girl in question blinks before staring wide-eyed at her friend, somewhat confused, "Right… where are we going again?"

Shino raises a brow, "Oh that's right, no one told the students. We're heading to the Old Shiba Chambers."

Karin scrunches her brows in turn, a slight frown now on her face, "There are chambers named after my family…?"

The other girl opens her mouth to respond, but Onabara cuts into the conversation from slightly ahead, calling back to the pair, "They were not simply named after your family, Ms. Shiba, but for them as well."

The Shiba girl's gaze shifts to her instructor, further confusion held within her grey eyes, "Huh? Why would we need something like that?"

The bald man adjusts his glasses before lecturing, "For protection. As you'll recall, each of the Great Noble Clans has a secret chamber somewhere within these tunnels. At the entrance of each of them is an ancient spell that was casted hundreds of years ago, while the Academy was being built. For reasons unknown to us, only those descended from the Great Noble Clans can safely negate the ward, if just briefly. This allows their companions, not of noble blood, to pass through this ward before it closes and locks out all outsiders… or so I have heard. Not only that, but apparently the spell is so effective that it even cuts off the flow of Reishi between the room and the outside, so even if the outsider could get in, it would prove nearly impossible for them to find you as they have nothing to sense to help them navigate this labyrinth. That is why it is so important that you are here with us, as we will be able to secure the safety of the next generation of Shinigami."

Karin looks to the ground briefly, her frown deepening somewhat, taking in the explanation. The girl's mind comes to terms with the man's words, leading to her thinking about what this could mean.

Karin's now wide eyes settle once more on Onabara, "Wait… does that mean my dad and cousins could be there?"

Onabara closes his eyes dejectedly as Rukia looks away to avoid gazing at her student. Nonetheless, the bald man lays out his thoughts in a straightforward manner, "That is very unlikely, Ms. Shiba. Isshin Shiba would not be hiding down here during such a conflict and your cousins aren't in the Seireitei, as you'll recall. …although, I will note that the last individuals from the Shiba Clan to have ever used these tunnels were your father and Kaien, and that was when they were students."

The man's explanation draws many curious looks from the Shinigami upon hearing the name of their diseased vice-captain, most of all Rukia, who questions, "Captain and Vice-Captain Shiba were in the same class?"

The bald man nods, further elaborating, "I had just been transferred off the Gotei 13 during their final year. I can't claim to know the depths of their relationship myself, but many stated it was not unlike that shared between brothers."

Both Karin and Rukia widen their eyes at this, fully listening to the man's explanation as he continues, "I had heard rumors they were the most formidable duo that the Academy had seen since Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake. As if noticing this, Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake each took one of them as their new Vice-Captain upon their graduation. Although, it wasn't long before Isshin achieved Bankai and became the new captain of Squad 10. I heard that he got along well with Captain Kyoraku, though…"

Rukia's mouth hangs slightly ajar as her eyes drift downward, somewhat sullenly, "I… I never knew…"

Onabara's expression becomes soft as pity is held within his gaze, "With everything else that befell the Shiba Clan during the following 60 years, it's understandable that some things would be forgotten…"

Karin can't contain a sudden swell of anger as she snaps, shocking all those around her, "You mean they don't want to talk about the accomplishments of dead men and deserters, especially those from a disgraced clan!"

Rukia and Onabara stare at the girl in shock, a reaction shared by everyone else present. The girl can see that the people around her are too shocked to offer a proper reaction, many with either cringed expressions or those containing disbelief. Karin exhales somewhat heavily, looking prepared to say something else but stops herself as she regards a comforting hand placed on her right shoulder, belonging to Ryunosuke. As she looks into the boy's concerned eyes, the fury that was present in her a moment before begins to fade.

After giving the boy an appreciative nod, Karin looks at Rukia and Onabara purposefully, thinking about her father and cousins as she does, "Luckily, my family doesn't care too much about fancy titles, anyway…"

Karin sighs before releasing a prompt huff, "Just tell me what I need to do, and I'll do it…"

Rukia receives a glance from the bald instructor, relaying that he wants her to handle Karin, which the woman silently agrees to by addressing her student, "We're still a way off, but you'll want to start by…"

Nearby Hallway

As the group of Shinigami and students continue to walk off, a tiny, bug-like creature wearing a white mask crawls through a crack on the side of the wall in a parallel hallway, suggesting that it came from the other side where the group was. A figure in a white Gi approaches and holds out its left, gloved hand towards the wall. This prompts the bug to crawl onto the gloved index figure before the figure lightly rubs the creature's back with their right index finger, humming as they do so.

The hum is somewhat deep, belonging to an individual who now shares the features of Kaien Shiba, "So they mean to consolidate in the chamber, do they…?"

The bug suddenly melts into some kind of purple fluid, which seems to morph into the man's left hand. The man continues humming as he raises his right index finger to just below his mouth, staring upward slightly in contemplation.

His brows furrow slightly as he grunts, "No doubt Ganju has deduced where they are headed with his Seppa. I recall giving him a map of the tunnels beneath the Noble District when he was younger. If memory serves, he had them memorized like the back of his hand… that means he'll likely beat them there…"

Kaien closes his eyes as his arms become crossed. Shortly after, the man's somewhat passive face turns sinister with a smirk, "How about we greet them together, brother?"

Meanwhile, Secret Kuchiki Chambers, Underneath Noble District

Within the emergency Kuchiki chambers underneath the Noble District are the remains of Squad 6 as well as a majority of the wounded Shinigami and Nobles from Ulquiorra's earlier onslaught. This, of course, includes Byakuya Kuchiki, who is seated on a mat at a table along the side of the large room. Within the middle of the room, many of the Shinigami seem to be playing a game with a ball, reminiscent of soccer, with spectators lining the makeshift field. Towards the back corner of the room, there is a sort of large, white tent, where the wounded are being tended to.

Byakuya ignores the other Shinigami, preferring to occupy himself with the brush in his hand and the white paper spread out on the table. He focuses solely on his work, gently but firmly taking his brush along the paper to leave black lines along the path of his strokes. The man can hear the footsteps of approaching individuals, which causes his eyes to narrow slightly, yet he does not dare take his eyes off of his work, as he doesn't want to make a mistake. As the individuals stop before him, Byakuya finishes another stroke before exhaling lightly and placing the brush lightly in an ink bowl.

The shadows of the individuals are cast on the captain, who furrows his brows slightly as he regards them, "May I ask why a Tsunayashiro has come to the Kuchiki Chambers?"

Before the captain is the smirking form of Tokinada Tsunayashiro and his green-haired underling, Kageroza, who is carrying a large sack over his back.

Tokinada wears a particularly crooked smirk as he instead asks a question himself, "I didn't see that Vice-Captain of yours on the way in. I take it that means Seinosuke failed?"

Byakuya narrows his eyes further, a glint of rage held within them, "He is resting just outside the medical tent."

The captain then promptly closes his eyes and looks downward slightly so that some of his features are hidden from the other nobleman. Tokinada's brow flinches, simultaneously annoyed and satisfied by Byakuya's response.

The Tsunayashiro decides to answer the captain's question, albeit with one of his own, "My niece is still being treated then?"

Byakuya doesn't show much emotion as he responds, still with his eyes closed, "You should already know that I do not know what the healer is doing. You'll recall that in exchange for your aid, I gave both of you my word that no one except the healer and his patients will know of what happens in that tent."

Tokinada sneers, "Ah yes, because I should always trust the word of an honorable Kuichiki, shouldn't I? I wonder if that trust is why your grandfather was so easily deceived by that Koga—"

The Tsunayashiro widens his eyes as pink pedals float dangerously closely through the air around him. He locks eyes with Byakuya, finding the promise of death held within them should he push him further.

Despite it all, Tokinada cackles, finding this amusing, "What's this now?! Are you threatening a guest?! How dishonorable…"

Byakuya frowns as his brows furrow, "The reason I threaten you rather than kill you is to preserve honor… however, should you speak another word of that incident in my presence, not even honor will stop me from slaying you where you stand."

Tokinada's smirk widens at this, feeling as though he is the only one in recent times to receive such a malicious glare from the captain. The Shinigami a distance away suddenly halt their game as they notice their captain's Shikai float through the air, prompting some of them to draw their blades.

Kageroza looks anxiously between the captain's pedals and some of the approaching Shinigami, prompting him to give his master a reminder, "Lord Tokinada, perhaps now isn't the time for such games… especially not with what happened to your family…"

Byakuya raises a brow, the death glare suddenly leaving him as the pedals subside, prompting many of the Shinigami to calm down as well, "What…? Has something happened to the Tsunayashiro Clan?"

Tokinada forces himself to frown, although the look in his eyes betrays the act, "…I'm afraid so. A fate of the worst kind—a Hollow was able to infiltrate our secret chamber while I was away. It managed to kill everyone…"

The Kuchiki widens his eyes in horror, realizing what this means. He is too shocked to say anything, so remains in stunned silence. Luckily, the other Shinigami are out of earshot, so fail to hear the grim news as their captain has.

Tokinada continues, using every ounce of willpower he has to maintain a solemn face, "Of course, I slew the beast myself using the family's Zanpakuto, but sadly not even the Enrakyoten has the power to bring back the dead… I'm afraid that my niece and I are all that remain of the great Tsunayashiro Clan."

The crooked nobleman then levels a gaze on Byakuya, questioning, "Surely, in light of this news, there is no excuse for slaying me right here and now…"

Byakuya narrows his eyes, suspecting that the man is lying through his teeth, but having no way to prove it, so ultimately sighs dejectedly, "You are correct…"

Tokinada can no longer help himself as his frown begins to turn into a slight smirk, "Thank you for understanding, Captain Kuchiki. I shall send you details for the funerals once the Head Captain has slain the invaders. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must attend to my niece."

The man starts to move, but pauses, giving the captain one last warning, "Oh, and one last thing. If you try something like that with me again or so much as look at Seinosuke's work and break your promise, I'll see to it that your sister pays the price… even if I die, my assassins remain…"

Byakuya flinches at this, his head downcast as Tokinada and Kageroza walk across the room towards the tent. Many wary gazes of Shinigami follow the pair, yet Byakuya remains unmoving and wide-eyed, staring blankly at the calligraphy before him in horror.

The two men enter the tent abruptly, the noble immediately spotting Seinosuke hunched over and inspecting the wounded and still unconscious form of Katsumi, held in the air by blue Kido. Kageroza walks to the side of the room and places the sack on the floor before awaiting further instructions.

Tokinada, meanwhile, approaches his niece with a slight look of disappointment in his eyes, "So… you have failed…"

Seinosuke scowls deeply as he hisses, "Correct… I underestimated how lethal that Hollow's strike was. With Vice-Captain Abarai, the wound was careless, but that was the idea—like leaving the victim to die. That was not the case with her…"

The healer narrows his eyes in frustration as he gazes upon the hole in the girl's chest, which seemingly refuses to close.

After sighing deeply, the man locks eyes with Tokinada, "This blow was meant to kill instantly. Not only did it pierce through her spine, but it also fractured the entirety of her rib cage and Saketsu. Not to mention that the fractured pieces of her ribs went on to pierce multiple arteries. There are a multitude of other, smaller things caused due to where she was pierced, but the Hollow seemingly chose just the right spot to cause the worst kind of chain reaction."

Seinosuke looks down, his expression clearly relaying that his pride has been hurt, "I cannot save her through conventional means."

Tokinada's face is passive, completely unreadable as he processes this information. He stares blankly at the form of his niece, noting that her skin appears bruised in multiple locations as well as having become all around much paler. The man lets out a short huff. Then another and another. It is not long before he breaks into a full, crazed cackle, finding this all amusing.

Seinosuke looks at the man with a raised brow as the noble declares, "Well it is a good thing that I brought Kageroza with me, then, isn't it?!"

The healer's expression is passive as he eyes the sack. Mild confusion is all the man feels as his mind filters through possibilities. Suddenly, some kind of realization hits him as he widens his eyes ever so slightly. Kageroza promptly dumps the bag out to reveal a multitude of dead body parts, including fingers, skulls, torsos, and even Hollow masks.

Seinosuke blinks at the sight upon hearing Tokinada's next words, "Make her live."

The healer turns to the man as he is handed a number of particularly large, glowing blue shards. He eyes them intently, feeling a foreign, yet somewhat godly aura coming from them. Tokinada nods briefly at Kageroza, which prompts him to step forward.

The Shinigami explains, "I smuggled these body parts from Squad 12 while my peers weren't looking. They're from a variety of Captain Kurotsuchi's experiments which include Quincies, Hollows, and even other Shinigami. Those shards, meanwhile, are confidential at the moment. All you need to know is that they will serve the purpose of aiding in stabilizing her Soul with all of the other components… at least Kisuke Urahara's research that Squad 12 confiscated during the raid on his shop seemed to dictate as much."

Seinosuke narrows his eyes, his gaze set on the nobleman, "You never meant for me to heal her conventionally, did you? You were hoping that it would come to this…"

Tokinada smirks wickedly, "Like you really care! So long as you are able to watch her squirm as she fights through the pain, yearning for death, you'll do this without a second thought! Even if that might mean making a monster in the process…"

The healer closes his eyes as he wears a faint smile, "You know me well, Lord Tsunayashiro. I will gladly fulfill your request."

Tokinada gives a curt nod in return before turning to leave, "Unfortunately, I must see to other business at the moment. I look forward to your results!"

Elsewhere, Underneath Noble District

Karin guides the group through the complete darkness of the labyrinth, instinctively knowing where she should go. After some time, the group approaches a large set of double doors with the Shiba crest floating in the air looking like black ink in front of it with the Kanji for 'lock' seemingly mixing with the crest, floating between it and the door.

Shino trembles as she regards the lock, noting, "This feels… different…"

Onabara eyes the girl briefly before gazing at the door as well, hypothesizing, "Perhaps it has to do with the manner in which it was constructed…"

Regardless, the majority of the Shinigami in front of the seal cannot help but feel unnerved as Shino did in response to this foreign feeling they are getting from it. Karin, however, feels an odd sense of familiarity with the seal, prompting her to almost subconsciously walk towards it before touching it with her hand. The seal then glows briefly before dispersing, followed by the large doors opening up to reveal the darkened interior. The group, however, tenses as they can hear footsteps inside.

Karin's eyes narrow briefly, trying to get a good look at the individual inside. The girl immediately widens her eyes in recognition, "Ganju?"

The man in question stands on the other side of the door, smirking as his features as lit up by the torches inside, "Long time no see, Karin. How've ya been?"

The girl frowns as small tears begin to form at the corners of her eyes, "Y-you're…!"

Ganju's smirk widens as he smugly taunts, "Did you miss me that much? You look ready to cry!"

The tears seemingly dry up as a comical anger mark forms on her forehead and she looks away, crossing her arms, "Yeah, whatever, jerk… I'm just surprised you were strong enough to get in here…"

The Shiba man frowns in response, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Karin huffs as her arms fall back to her sides and she approaches the man, the group behind her following suit, "Forget it. What are you doing here, anyway?"

Ganju's frown deepens, "Seriously? I thought it'd be obvious that I'm here on a rescue mission…"

In the next moment, the Shiba subtly sends Rukia a glare, making her flinch.

Furrowing her brows and becoming concerned, Karin asks, "A rescue mission…?"

"Does this have something to do with Dad…?", the girl asks herself worriedly.

Before Ganju can explain, the doors suddenly shut as the group finishes entering, prompting the duo to look behind them. The seal slowly reappears once more.

Onabara comments as he places his hand on his chin, "This is the first time I've been in one of the chambers for the Great Noble Clans. This sealing spell is certainly much more potent than the ones I've seen in the past used by the lower clans…"

Karin takes a moment to observe the large room before her, which appears mostly vacant. Only the torches near the entrance provide light to the room, further emphasizing its emptiness. There appear to be tombstone-like structures that line the room along its cobblestone floor. The group is unable to see the remainder of the room through the all-encompassing darkness.

This is when a voice calls out from within the darkness of the chamber, claiming, "That's because it was the monk himself who created these seals to protect the nobility in cases of utmost emergencies."

Ganju twitches as Karin furrows her brow, asking, "How come you didn't mention someone else was in here with you…?"

The Shiba man frowns, "I didn't know there was…"

Karin widens her eyes as everyone else in the room also becomes unnerved. In the next moment, Rukia appears, standing defensively before the group as she draws her Zanpakuto.

Meanwhile, Onabara frowns, letting his thoughts wander, "The monk…? Could they be referring to the leader of the secret Squad 0, who I've only heard rumors about…?"

The woman levels her blade at the approaching individual in a white Gi, demanding, "Identify yourself!"

The masked figure waves their hands defensively, "Is that any way to speak to a superior officer?"

Rukia snaps at the figure, "Lying will not save you—I won't hesitate to cut you down if I need to!"

The figure chuckles causing Rukia to scowl even deeper, questioning, "What's so funny?!"

The figure bows apologetically as he places a hand on his mask, beginning to remove it, "Forgive me, it's just that I find it humorous as it wouldn't be the first time you've struck me down…"

At this, Rukia stiffens up completely and eyes the figure remove his mask with widened eyes full of horror, "No… it couldn't be…!"

A masculine voice, familiar to Rukia, comes from underneath the mask, causing her legs to buckle, "You haven't forgotten about me, have you…"

In the next moment, the mask comes off and the one who matches her gaze is her former Vice-Captain, Kaien Shiba, "…well, Rukia?"

Rukia's look of dread and confusion intensifies as Onabara, Ganju, and many of the Shinigami of Squad 13 let out gasps. Memories of time spent with the man flood Rukia's mind, recalling when she would often spar with him, losing every time but not without the man offering her encouragement and assuring her that she has talent and could easily become a vice-captain after proper training. Other times were laxer, perhaps involving simply enjoying a meal or drink together where the man would offer her advice. Meanwhile, Karin and many of the other younger Shinigami in the room look in confusion at this.

As Ganju and Rukia are too stunned to talk properly, Onabara declares bluntly, "What manner of sorcery is this?! You can't expect us to fall for this—Kaien Shiba died about 50 years ago!"

Karin widens her eyes as she recalls something, shifting her gaze to the man and stating distantly, "You're… Kaien Shiba…?"

Rukia and Ganju seemingly snap out of their trances and nod, the latter stating, "That's right! I saw her kill my brother myself!"

At this, Kaien sighs in an irritated manner, "C'mon Ganju, I thought you were raised to be smarter than that!"

The man shifts his gaze past the group and points at the door behind them, "Only people with noble blood can get through that door. It should be obvious that I'm the real deal, so…"

The man comically points his right thumb at himself, "…quit staring! Aren't you happy to see your favorite brother and vice-captain is alive and well?!"

Rukia's eyes widen before they soften with tears forming at their edges, a response shared by Ganju. Now, the young Shiba recalls his past, unable to forget the times he'd sit in his brother's lap, with a scroll laid out in front of them, as they would plot where next in the Soul Society they would travel and explore. The boy idolized his brother and followed him everywhere, of course, that was something that could also be said of the Shinigami who knew him from Squad 13.

Kaien motions to everyone to get closer as he sits on the floor, "Come closer, my friends. I shall explain to you how I am still alive…"

Old Shiba Chambers, Underneath Noble District

Ganju abruptly gets up from his seated position and questions with much vigor, "You're telling me that after taking back control of your body, you've been posing as a Hollow in Hueco Mundo for the past 50 years?!"

Kaien smirks smugly, "That's not all—I have even earned the trust of even White himself! He won't see me coming!"

The Shinigami around the Shiba man all gasp at this. They can't believe the profound story they just heard yet the proof of it sits before them, garbed in enemy clothing.

Rukia being the one to question, "W-with all due respect, Vice-Captain, I heard that White defeated multiple Captains on two different occasions. I don't think you can defeat him, even with a sneak attack…"

Kaien relents, sighing, "Yeah… you're right about that. That's why I came to the Soul Society with him: to get help from people I can trust. People like you all."

Ganju and Rukia both nod in complete understanding.

Karin, meanwhile, can't help but feel skeptical, "His story doesn't add up… If he did become a Hollow as he claims, shouldn't he look more like one? His Reiatsu and appearance are just like a Shinigami, so how in the world would he ever blend in with the rest? Yet, he looks just like Ichigo, like Dad said, and his mannerisms are just like my cousins. Sensei and Ganju seem to think he's the real deal, so it must be him, right…?"

She eyes Kaien speaking with Ganju and Rukia warily, "Still, my instincts are telling me that something's off about him…"

Kaien takes a moment to scan the various others in the room before his gaze locks with a pair of intent grey eyes.

The man smiles as he takes in the individual's appearance, "Why, you must be Isshin's daughter!"

Karin widens her eyes before averting her gaze, "Y-yeah, I am…"

Kaien's expression becomes more upbeat, "I've gotta say the rumors about you looking like my sister were true—you're gonna grow up to be a real beauty! Yeah, you'll definitely have big bazongas!"

The man holds his hands in cupping motions around his mid-chest, emphasizing his point.

Karin scowls, a light blush on her face, wrapping her arms defensively around her chest as she does so, "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Kaien laughs as he waves his hand, "Calm down, it's just a complement! Trust me, guys will love that type of thing, right Ganju?"

Nearly every woman in the room glares at the younger Shiba, who gives a thumbs up and a smirk, "That's right!"

Shino raises a brow at Ryonosuke, an intense aura coating her features as she questions, "How about you, Ryu?"

Ryu's expression becomes panicked as he blushes and waves his hands defensively, "I-I don't know!"

Shino snarls as she grabs Ryu by the collar, "Don't be a wuss! DO YOU LIKE BIG BOOBS OR NOT?!"

Ryu's eyes buzz as he scrambles to come up with something but then breaks off from Shino and runs off to the other side of the chamber, claiming, "I-I need to go on patrol!"

Shino barks at the boy as she chases after him, "There's nothing to patrol, you bastard! Don't avoid the question!"

Many of the female Shinigami send similar judgmental glares at their male counterparts, causing a great deal of tension.

Kaien continues to laugh heartily as he remains seated on the ground only stopping himself as Rukia approaches with a serious look on her face, "Vice-Captain Shiba…"

The Shiba's smile falls slightly to become more neutral, "What's up, Rukia?"

Rukia furrows her brows somewhat as she questions, "Why has White attacked us like this?"

The room becomes silent as everyone present looks to Kaien. Nearly all eagerly await the man's explanation. Nearly.

Ganju furrows his brows, "Don't you think White wants to settle the score with my uncle? They did fight 20 years ago…"

Rukia shakes her head, "No. If that were his goal, he could've done so in Karakura Town, but he instead retreated…"

Ganju raises a brow and turns his attention to Kaien, who lets out another long sigh as his head faces the ground.

After a moment more, the man merely states, "He came for my cousin."

Karin widens her eyes as she recalls her experience with Ulquiorra.She realizes the implications of the words the bat spoke about White's interest in her as a pit of guilt begins to form in her chest.

The girl looks distantly as she manages, "He wants me…"

Kaien raises a brow as he rises to his feet before leveling his gaze on the younger girl and correcting her, "No, not you."

Rukia widens her eyes in turn, realizing where this is going as Karin flinches, her expression becoming blank and confused, "…what…?"

Ganju's eyes widen slightly as well, finally addressing what he attempted to earlier, "Doesn't White have a grudge against Uncle and his family? Why would he come here if the Central 46 already ordered her execution?"

Karin's eyes widen in bafflement, "What…?"

Meanwhile, Rukia wears an expression of dread as she sees the expression on her student's face.

Kaien ignores them and shrugs, continuing to address Ganju, "I have no clue. All I know is that he wants her alive, which I honestly can't say is a bad thing. Despite never meeting her, she is family after all…"

The men halt their speculation as they hear a soft chuckle from their side, causing them to shift their gazes to address it. They find Karin, looking as if she has heard some kind of horribly bad joke.

Karin's eyes twitch as she begins to wear a weak smile, continuing to chuckle, "Alright guys, the joke's over. You've proven that a bad sense of humor is genetic. But you really shouldn't joke about something like that…"

Ganju flinches before pursing his lips, a look of confusion and guilt in his eyes. Rukia, Onabara, and anyone else aware of the implications of Karin knowing this information attempt to relay a warning signal of some kind to the eldest Shiba, however, it is for naught.

Kaien, ignoring any and all hints, furrows his brows and frowns, "You think I am joking?"

Karin's knees buckle as she refuses to come to terms with the grim truth. That truth, however, is not the only one she will need to resolve.

Kaien angrily slams his right fist into his left palm, "Those aristocratic bastards even imprisoned Isshin so he wouldn't fight back! When I get my hands on them, they'll be sorry they ever crossed the Shiba Clan!"

The Shiba girl widens her eyes as her mouth falls agape, "W-what are you saying?! Yuzu is at home… she can't even see spirits correctly… And besides, the Soul Society would never imprison a captain for something like this anyway, right?"

Karin sends a desperate, perhaps even begging look at Rukia, only to widen her eyes as Rukia avoids meeting her gaze. This causes the girl's brain to effectively turn off as any and all reason begins to leave her.

She wears a look of horror as her knees give out, losing the will to support her body and causing her to fall to the floor, "N-no…"

Rukia's expression is urgent, realizing what is coming as she approaches Karin, offering her a hand of support as she attempts to explain, "Karin, I—"

"SHUT UP!", the girl screams as she slaps the woman's hand away.

The raven-haired woman retreats as Karin continues, clear hurt in her eyes, "How long…?"

Rukia looks away dejectedly, "They brought her in about two weeks ago—"

"TWO WEEKS?!"

Hot, frustrated tears fall from the girl's eyes as her anger and despair cannot be contained, further adding to Rukia's guilt, "WHY DID YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE ON MY SIDE!"

Kaien smirks somewhat evilly as he watches Karin scream angrily at Rukia.

The raven-haired woman flinches, still averting looking directly at the girl, "I am… it was an order, and even if it wasn't, it would've kept you safe—"

Karin explodes, "KEPT ME SAFE?! I'M NOT THE ONE THEY WANT TO KILL!"

Rukia's scowl increases as Karin attempts to control her labored breath. After a few moments, the breaths die down slightly.

Karin snarls and trembles as she explains, "Yuzu isn't like me… she's too kind and soft… she's more ill-prepared for this type of life than even me… and if it came to it, I'd gladly die for her. And that's not even talking about what they're doing to Dad…"

Karin faces the ground as tears continue to fall, uttering in her anguish, "That's why I'll never forgive you for this… I hate you!"

Rukia steps away, tears of her own beginning to form as she purses her lips. The woman cannot refute any of Karin's claims, as she agrees with nearly every sentiment the girl expressed. Despite seeing this trainwreck from a mile away, Rukia can't help but feel the extreme anguish and guilt. Much like before with Kaien, deep down, the woman believes that she deserves this.

Rukia widens her eyes, however, as she hears a voice come from directly behind her, "Hating Shinigami is something we can both agree on."

Before anyone knows it, a Katana pierces its way through Rukia's chest from behind. The woman stares down at it, blood spurting from her mouth before she stares back at the white-robed figure of her mentor, whose eyes express a type of sick glee despite the rest of his features being solemn.

The surrounding Shinigami let out gasps as Kaien pulls his blade from Rukia's stomach, causing blood to begin soaking her robes as she stumbles. The man quickly slashes the rear of her left calf, causing her to completely fall to the ground a bleeding mess, right before Karin.

The Shiba girl widens her eyes as her tears seem to pause due to the shock she is feeling. Despite her words, the girl still cares deeply for the Shinigami lying limp before her.

Kaien grunts as he states passively, "That's what you get for killing me, Rukia…"

Ganju stares at the man in shock, as all of the Shinigami present do, as he questions, "B-brother…? What are you doing?"

The older Shiba scowls as he addresses him, "Stay out of this, Ganju! This doesn't concern you!"

The younger Shiba frowns in response, his brows furrowing to express his obvious distaste for the scene before him. Even though Ganju idolizes his brother, he is open-minded enough to know when something is suspicious, which is exactly what he is starting to think about this Kaien before him. Upon deciding such, the man begins to subtly shift towards the entrance as to avoid anyone noticing.

Kaien walks forward, stepping on Rukia as he does so, causing Karin to look at him, "If there is one thing that I came to miss more than anything else during my time in Hueco Mundo, it was family. As a Shiba, I know that we never betray or abandon our own."

The man smirks widely with an excited look in his eyes as he offers the girl his left white, gloved hand, "Join me, Karin, and we will destroy all of the Shinigami who have wronged us!"

Karin's look of shock and confusion only further intensifies, unable to properly comprehend the man's proposition. Instinctively, however, part of Karin can't help but want to give in—to rain death and destruction on any who would dare threaten her family. Yet, the sight of Rukia trampled and bleeding out on the ground before her keeps that part at bay, leaving her unable to react at the moment.

Onabara steps forward in front of the other Shinigami who are currently stepping away from the vice-captain. Kaien gives the instructor a side eye as the man coughs into his hand.

Onabara then calls to him, "I think you have proven your point, Vice-Captain Shiba. I think, upon healing Ms. Kuchiki's injuries, any further discussion should be held with Captain Kuchiki, a fellow nobleman. What the Kuchiki's owe the Shiba's ought to be sorted out then, such is the honorable thing to do."

Kaien glares at the man before looking carelessly at Rukia, sprawled face-up on the ground, "Hey, Rukia. Can you hold this for me?"

Before the woman can respond, Kaien plunges his sword into the woman's right hand, pinning her to the ground and causing her to howl in pain.

Onabara flinches as he points at Kaien in anger, "Now wait just a—"

He cuts himself off as Kaien disappears with a buzz before reappearing before the man and plunging both of his fists into the man's guts. Onabara squirms, spitting up blood as he attempts to grab Kaien's arms in resistance.

Kaien casually calls back to Karin, who watches in horror, "Watch carefully, Karin. I learned how to kill like this during my time in Hueco Mundo."

Onabara widens his eyes as in the next moment Kaien aggressively moves his arms away from each other, ripping the instructor's body in two, one of his hands held firmly on the spine and ripping the torso off while the other holds the lower half of the body still. Blood spews forth from Onabara's two halves as Kaien throws the torso into the darkness of the room, out of sight, leaving the man's legs to fall to the ground. Blood now stains the man's once-white robes as the Shinigami and students around him scream in terror. Kaien disappears with another buzz before reappearing in the next moment, between Karin and Rukia. He smirks evilly as he rips his blade out of Rukia's hand, causing her screams to intensify again, her eyes shut closed in pain.

The man's eyes narrow as he licks his lips, "Thanks for holding my blade. As a reward, I'll make sure to make it quick once I'm done talking with her…"

Kaien widens his eyes as he hears a loud noise behind him, causing him to look. What he finds is the door to the chamber hanging wide open with Ganju standing before it, a look of resolve in his eyes.

Kaien smiles softly as he speaks to the younger man, "Ganju, don't you think you should close that door? We'll all be much safer that way."

Ganju's eyes narrow as he declares in defiance, "No, we won't…"

This earns a frown in the older man, whose eyes shine with disdain.

Ganju snorts as he motions his head slightly towards the door behind him, calling out, "Anyone who doesn't want to die, get the hell out! This is a Shiba concern!"

Upon the man's call, a majority of the students begin to scramble to exit the room as the Shinigami of Squad 13 look at a loss for what to do. Kaien, meanwhile, snarls at this and immediately leaps at a group of students attempting to escape. Before he can bring his blade down upon them, a wall of sand blocks his attack. Kaien glares at Ganju, holding up both of his index and middle fingers in a unique manner as if controlling the sand with them. Meanwhile, the group of students Kaien tried to cut down run past the younger Shiba, and escape.

In the next moment, Kaien disappears with a flash before reappearing behind Ganju, sending his blade down at the younger man's back. Ganju smirks, however, as the blade halts, clashing against another one. Kaien's sword is locked by Ganju's large dagger, which the man holds defensively in a reverse grip behind his back.

The elder Shiba clicks his tongue as students continue to escape around them, "You've learned to talk back since I last saw you, brother. I'm disappointed in you…"

Ganju growls at the man, his gaze hot with disdain, "You are not my brother, you damned Hollow! He'd never attack people who don't fight back! Kaien Shiba died a long time ago…"

Kaien stares blankly at the younger man as his face slowly contorts into a twisted smirk. Without further delay he pushes at Ganju with more force, causing the man to lose his footing. Ganju denies the imposter an opening, however, as shifts his body and swings his other hand at the man, causing a small barrier of sand to form between them, blocking the blade. Unfortunately, the imposter won't let him off that easy. The Hollow brutally punches the wall of sand, causing it to dissipate, before slamming a kick into Ganju's gut, causing the Shiba to fly across the room and land on the floor a distance in front of Karin and Rukia.

The girl, who is still mostly unresponsive, notices her cousin on the ground a distance away, "G-Ganju…"

Ganju, disoriented and coughing wildly from the blow, begins to pick himself up as the other man approaches slowly, which further adds to the girl's despair, although her words fail her, "No… don't get up! Stay down!"

Meanwhile, the Hollow wears a slight frown, noticing the lack of students in the room anymore.

Ganju smirks, noting the frown on the other man's face as he rises to his feet, "Seems my plan worked…"

The Hollow suddenly starts to chuckle with a smirk, which serves to confuse Ganju, "If I truly cared about the students, I wouldn't have let you go through with that little plan of yours…"

The Shiba man narrows his eyes as a frown graces his features, "What are you talking about? You were distracted."

The Hollow's evil smirk widens, "Not that, the door!"

Ganju blinks and doesn't respond, which the Hollow takes as a cue to elaborate, "You see, when this labyrinth was constructed, the seals on the Noble Chambers would respond to those of Nobility, which you know. However, there is an order in which the seals will respond."

Ganju widens his eyes in terror as the Hollow raises his hand, which briefly glows white before the door closes itself and the seal reappears.

Ganju's terror furthers when the Hollow balls his hand into a fist, causing the seal to solidify and hang on the door like a massive lock. Ganju and the Shinigami within the chamber stare at the lock confused, not knowing the meaning of what happened, but instinctually knowing it isn't good.

The Hollow answers their confusion with a cackle, "This lock cannot be undone unless I will it to be, or I die. It will not respond to a Shiba younger than me. In other words…"

Everyone in the room trembles as the Hollow finishes his statement, "…the only way you can leave is by slaying me."

The Shinigami in the room look down, doubtful and confused about the whole situation. Those of Squad 13 who knew Kaien before his death feel their stomach turns at the sight, knowing that all of this is wrong.

However, they are brought back to their senses as their former vice-captain's brother points his blade at the faker, declaring, "Shinigami of Squad 13! If you have any pride or honor left in you, you will help me slay this imposter who dares tarnish the legacy of Kaien Shiba!"

This proves to be exactly what the Shinigami need—direction. Someone to lead them. Someone to identify that, with a shadow of a doubt, that the man appearing as their former vice-captain is their enemy. The Hollow narrows his eyes and frowns as the Shinigami of Squad 13 make a perimeter around the room, circling in on him. Many draw their Zanpakutos, while others take stances to ready their Kido.

The Hollow settles his gaze on Ganju as he smirks once more and readies his blade, "If you all wish to die so quickly, so be it!"

Without further warning, the Hollow lunges at the Shinigami to his right, immediately plunging his blade through them before turning it to cut outward and bisect them. This causes the other Shinigami to lunge at the man in turn, assaulting him with everything they have as Ganju supports with his Seppa technique.

As for Shino and Ryunosuke, they flank Karin on each side, causing the girl to somewhat snap out of her trance. She looks up at her friends who each give her a look of support and a small smile. Shino extends a hand towards the girl as Ryunosuke kneels on the ground, beginning to use his Kaido in an effort to heal Rukia's wounds. The boy's actions bring Karin's mind back to something that she has yet to resolve.

The Shiba girl looks away, back to the ground, questioning distantly, "Did you two know about my sister, too…?"

Ryunosuke and Shino soften their gazes, although the boy does not shift his gaze on his friend due to focusing on his healing spell. Shino retracts her hand, sighing slowly and closing her eyes, "No, we didn't."

Karin distantly continues to question, "Would you have told me if you did…?"

Shino scowls, grabbing Karin by the collar and forcing the girl to make eye contact, "Of course I fucking would, dumbass!"

Some of the light returns to the girl's eyes as she matches Shino's frustrated gaze, "S-Shino…"

Shino huffs as she releases her hold on the other girl and glares at the battle with a slight smirk, "Now, let's take this piece of shit down!"

The girl draws her sword in the next moment, causing Karin to blink, smile lightly, and then draw her own, "Yeah, let's do that…"

As the girls rush into battle, Ryunosuke can't help but notice the faint blue glow coating Karin's Zanpakuto as he continues to heal Rukia.

Everyone vs Fake Kaien

The fake Kaien cuts down another Shinigami, however, fails to deliver a truly fatal blow as he is forced to evade a blade of sand sent at him. As the man sidesteps, he narrows his eyes at the sight of a lightly panting Ganju a distance away, holding his hands in front of him in a unique manner.

The Hollow smirks and scoffs, "You're looking tired, Ganju. How about you take a nap?!"

The man lunges at Ganju, who stumbles under the Reiatsu the creature releases. Suddenly, however, two blades swing at the man from both sides, causing him to swing his sword to block the one to his right while expertly kicking at the one to his left, knocking it from its user's hands. Shino curses under her breath at the sight of her blade flying through the air before widening her eyes as the Hollow twirls through the air and slams a helicopter kick into her right side, sending her flying back into one of the tombstone-like structures.

Karin roars at the sight of her friend being attacked, attempting to punch the Hollow with her left, bandaged hand. The imposter uses his remaining momentum to help shift his body to evade the blow before landing on his feet and briefly disengaging. Karin, still enraged and now using both hands, strikes at the Hollow with her Zanpakuto, however, the strikes are evaded with minimal effort. The Hollow eyes the strikes curiously as he backsteps, noting their intensity from the loud swoosh noise they make as they cut through the air.

Deciding to test something, the imposter swings his blade for a parry, however, all he receives is their blades locking, forcing an almost proud smile to grace his features, "You were a fool to not join me of your free will, but I must commend you! Your strikes contain some real power behind them! I'd expect no less from Isshin's daughter! It will make it all the more interesting when I finally break you!"

Karin hisses as she applies more force to the strike, prompting the Hollow to disengage. Karin, with her feet planted firmly on the ground, strikes horizontally at the retreating imposter, who narrowly evades as the girl cries, "SHUT UP!"

Kaien continues smirking as he watches the girl continue to swing at him in fury, the wind around him containing small shockwaves. After a few moments of this, the Hollow slams his knee into the girl's gut, causing her to stumble somewhat. His smirk widens as he raises his blade skyward, going for the killing blow. Suddenly the man scowls as the ground at his feet shifts to the side without warning, causing his blow to miss. He shifts his glare at Ganju a distance away, still huffing.

The Hollow raises his left hand, charging a round yellow orb of lightning in his palm before shouting, "Hado Number 63: Raikoho!"

Ganju widens his eyes and immediately creates a sand shield in front of him as the attack collides, causing a small explosion that sends the man spiraling backwards, a trail of smoke following him.

The Hollow huffs before starting to turn around to regard Karin, "Now, where—"

The man widens his eyes, immediately forced to parry Karin's blow, which knocks him back slightly. The blades lock with each other briefly before the two continue their dance of sidestep, evade, and strike. The Hollow eyes the remaining battle-ready Shinigami from Squad 13—three out of the roughly twenty total, approach him with their blades drawn. He narrows his eyes before locking blades with Karin again and slamming a punch on the left side of her face, causing her to stumble. In the next moment, the Hollow disappears to evade the now-charging trio of Shinigami before reappearing and dancing around them, expertly cutting them all down.

The imposter narrows his eyes, making sure not to repeat his previous mistake by addressing Karin, who once more charges at him, "I'll have to take her more seriously…"

As their blades clash once more, Karin widens her eyes somewhat as the blow is parried, causing her to stumble. The Hollow immediately capitalizes, slamming the backside of his fist into Karin's jaw, and sending her to the floor.

Behind the imposter, Shino rejoins the fight, retrieving her Zanpakuto and charging at him. The Hollow sees it coming, so elegantly steps out of the way of the lunge and kicks upward into Shino's gut, sending her into the air. Karin picks herself up in time to see the imposter charging a purple beam in his left hand, aimed at the descending Shino.

The Hollow that dragged away Ichigo's limp body…

The Shiba roars as she charges at the Hollow, forcing him to address her and dissipate the beam. The man once more parries Karin's blow, although this time the parry isn't as strong, causing his eyes to widen slightly as he notes the faint blue aura around the girl.

"Not enough…", the girl thinks as the Hollow lands a blow to the right side causing her to stagger.

Shino lands on the ground near the duo, but the Hollow doesn't pay her any heed as he looks squarely at the determined inferno held within Karin's eyes.

The two clash blades again, this time Karin proving to have a slight edge, causing the man to stumble somewhat. Karin roars as she ups the pressure, although it is for naught. The Hollow places both hands on his blade before parrying Karin's blade and quickly bringing his left arm back and slamming another punch, this time infused with purple aura, into Karin's face.

The bat Hollow landing a killing blow on Princess…

The man's punch sends the girl skidding on the ground before quickly reorienting herself and rising to her feet, still with a fire in her eyes, "Not enough…!"

The Hollow widens his eyes before scowling slightly and lunging at the girl. The duo parry each other's blows for a brief time, suggesting that they are even. However, the Hollow parries Karin's strike before striking her shoulder with his left fist, causing her to yelp in pain.

Despite this, she still remains resolute, gritting her teeth through the pain, "I need more strength!"

This imposter attempting to kill Sensei…

Karin manages to swing her blade to parry the incoming strike from the Hollow, despite the pain. However, the parry is weak, allowing for the man to kick her in the stomach, sending her a distance through the air.

As Karin flies through the air, she eyes the forms of Ganju, Shino, Ryunosuke, and Rukia, causing her eyes to narrow, "I won't let anyone else get hurt in front of me!"

The Shiba girl lands on her feet before immediately charging at the Hollow, who scowls in complete annoyance, beginning to exert his Reiatsu as she approaches.

Ryunosuke and Rukia, who has regained her consciousness at the point, stare at Kaien with urgent expressions, the latter crying out mentally, as her strength fails her, "NO, STOP! KARIN, HE'LL KILL YOU!"

Yet, the girl remains unhindered as she closes in on the Hollow who raises his blade behind his head with both hands to attempt a devastating blow, "I need the strength to protect them!"

Say it NOW, Karin! DECLARE OUR NAME FOR ALL TO HEAR!

Karin widens her eyes briefly as she swings her blade in on the Hollow, instinctually calling out, "Rise Up, Aoigetsu!"

What occurs next is a flash of light blue as the strikes collide, which briefly lights up the entirety of the chamber and sends the false Shiba flying backward. Everyone still conscious within the chamber have widened eyes as they take in the scene of Karin holding not one, but two blades.

In the girl's right hand is a sapphire blade with a thin, black border along the blade's edge. The scabbard is a similar blue, containing a light, aqua blue crescent moon emblem in the middle. The handle is black and has white wrap in a cross-shaped pattern along the length. At the end of the handle is gold with an orb-shaped object of sapphire color lodged within, which currently blazes with a blue aura. The blade in her left hand has the exact same handle, however, the rest of it is quite different. The scabbard is the same blue as the other, but unlike the other it bends around Karin's hand slightly, offering more protection from incoming attacks. The blade itself is much shorter and is pitch black in color, appearing not unlike a large dagger or small machete with two, sharp, pointed ridges along its blunt edge.

Shino sits up slightly, a smirk on her face as the view registers, "I knew you had it in you…"

Ganju, slowly walking toward the battle while holding his arm, also wears a small smile, "Heh, never thought I'd be proud of a Shinigami again in my life…"

Ryunosuke sits up and nods, a smile on his face as well, "Good job, Karin!"

Rukia, still lying on the ground, softens her gaze as she stares at Karin's back as a furious, blue blazing aura coats her form, "You've grown strong, Karin… just like I knew you would…"

The woman closes her eyes, dejectedly thinking to herself, "You don't have any need for me anymore… now that you have tapped into your potential… it won't be long until you surpass any expectation we've had of you."

The Hollow picks himself up from the ground, his vision fuzzy as Karin starts to walk towards him, her blades held to her sides. The man scowls, holding his blade in his hands as he begins to charge at the girl. The man, however, widens his eyes as the girl lunges at immense speed, intercepting and parrying his blade with the large one held in her right hand. In the next moment, Karin flips the blade in her left hand to a reverse grip before slashing the man across the stomach, drawing blood. The Hollow wears a panicked expression as he looks down at Karin. Their gazes match, which makes the imposter flinch as he sees the fury in the girl's eyes—a promise of retribution.

So, as Karin shifts her blades to strike the man again, he jumps back a distance, ensuring he evades her next attack… at least that's what he expected. Instead, the man gasps in shock as Karin, still a distance away, poises her blade for a jab as water seemingly materializes at its tip before launching at him as a highly pressurized stream. The stream pierces the man's left shoulder and sends him crashing against the wall as a result of the impact.

Karin then disappears with a flash before reappearing a short distance in front of the Hollow sitting on the ground, leveling her longer Zanpakuto at his face and demanding in a rough tone, "If you tell me where my sister is, I'll make it quick."

How the man responds throws everyone off: he laughs. Indeed, his laughter continues, increasing in volume until Karin scowls, growling at the man, "ENOUGH! TALK!"

The Hollow's laughter dies down as he exclaims, "To think your Shikai would be water-based of all things… that's hilarious!"

Rukia widens her eyes as she hears the man's words, "No… He couldn't!"

Karin growls at the man, inching her blade closer to him, "Answer my question!"

The Hollow stops his laughter as he glares at Karin with death in his eyes, "You think you've won? This battle hasn't even started."

Karin now widens her eyes as she feels the man's Reiatsu surge, making her instinctually jump back a distance despite her apparent advantage.

The Hollow stands to his feet, holding his blade to his right, pointed downward, as he utters calmly, "Rage Through the Seas and Heavens, Nejibana."

The Zanpakuto begins to glow as Kaien spins it in a circular pattern. The blade shifts into a longer form, ultimately turning into a trident with a tuft of blue fur below the forked end. As he spins the blade, water flows with and from the forked end and the opposite end, which is the shape of a corkscrew. The Hollow then turns his body and spins the trident such that it is pointed directly at Karin, whose eyes are wide in confusion.

The Shiba girl is far from the only one, as Rukia is too stunned and weak to properly respond while Ganju blurts out, "How the hell can he use brother's Shikai?!"

The imposter glances at the younger man with a slight smirk on his face as he explains, "I wasn't lying when I said Kaien Shiba continued to live on after being struck down by Rukia Kuchiki. Although, I did leave out the part about him becoming a part of something far greater… that I would devour the Hollow that fused with him and gain all of his memories and powers!"

Ganju and Rukia flinch as their eyes shine in terror, knowing full well how bad that is.

Everyone tenses up as the imposter proudly reveals, "My name is Aaroniero Arruruerie, a member of the Espada and one of the most powerful Hollows in all of Hueco Mundo! Prepare yourself, girl!"

Karin braces herself, holding her blades defensively in front of her as Aaroniero disappears with a buzz. The Espada reappears suddenly behind Karin, who curses as her back remains unguarded. Luckily for her, the ground beneath him shifts as it turns into sand. The Arrancar glares at Ganju, who has his hands planted in the ground, but is forced to regard Karin once more as she uses the opening to attack him.

Ganju glares at Ryunosuke, "Don't just sit there, heal Rukia! We'll need her to beat him!"

The young Shinigami flinches before nodding, "Y-yes sir!"

Ganju then looks to the floor at Shino in front of him, who looks less beat up than him, but definitely took harder blows, "Can you stand?"

Shino frowns, puffing as she attempts to get up despite her damage, "Yeah, this is nothing!"

Ganju deadpans, "Yeah, you'd better sit this out for now…"

Shino attempts to protest further but stops as the Shiba walks past her and states in a serious tone, "Only people at least on the level of a vice-captain will be any help distracting this guy. But you can protect our healer if this guy thinks of pulling a fast one…"

The girl's eyes soften slightly as she struggles to sit up, "I gotcha… I'll protect Ryu with my life."

Without any further delay, Ganju prepares himself for battle.

Karin vs Aaroniero

Karin struggles to hold off Aaroniero's blows, which come down as intense waves crashing against her, sending her skidding back. Her own unrefined Shikai abilities do very little to defend against the raging torrent that is Nejibana.

As their blades clash once again, Aaroniero frowns, "Why are you holding back? Do you want to die?!"

Karin furrows her brows, now with a confused and strained expression on her face, "Holding back?! What the hell?!"

Aaroniero clicks his tongue, "Don't give me that look, you know what I mean!"

The man exerts more of his Reiatsu, which causes Karin to lose some of her stability under it—enough for the Espada to break off the attack and slam his trident against the girl's torso, sending her skidding back a distance.

The Espada points his trident at the girl with clear annoyance on his face, "If you were using your Hollow powers, you could slaughter me! WHERE IS IT?!"

Karin widens her eyes in confusion and blink, questioning genuinely, "…what the hell are you on about? I don't have Hollow 'powers'… I am a Shinigami."

Aaroniero's frown deepens as the trident falls to his side, "No, you do. Even if you aren't aware of it, your instincts are. Besides, I can smell it. It's faint, but I can tell… that blade in your right hand is purposely restricting itself… perhaps all it needs is another push…"

Karin tenses, feeling unnerved by the man's explanation as she braces herself for his next attack. However, blades of sand shoot at the Espada, who twirls his trident and sends water crashing into them, making them fall to the floor as mud. Aaroniero narrows his eyes as he regards Ganju, thoroughly beginning to lose his patience with the Shiba.

At this moment, Karin doesn't hesitate to leap at Aaroniero, furiously bringing her sapphire blades down at him. He stumbles slightly, but overall, successfully parries the girl's blows. That is, until the sands at his feet shift once again, causing him to lose balance and allowing Karin to slash him diagonally across the chest with her longer blade while managing to parry the Espada's urgent, unfocused slash due to the loss of balance with her shorter one.

Before Karin can manage to lay into the Espada, he regains his footing and strikes her once more in the stomach with his left fist, sending her into the air.

Meanwhile, Ganju charges up sand at his heels and arms, bending down on the ground as a runner would do before going into a sprint, "I'm almost out of energy… this better work…"

Karin attempts to orient herself in the air but cannot do so as she stares at Aaroniero pointing a purple blast directly at her, which buzzes with a distorted blue aura as it mixes with his blood.

Aaroniero laughs evilly as he releases the blast, "Maybe this will wake up your Hollow side—GRAN REY CERO!"

Just as the blast is released, however, the form of Ganju rockets towards the Hollow faster than his admittedly distracted Pesquisa can detect due to the accumulated sand blasting him off. The Shiba slams his right, rock-covered hand directly into the Espada's side with all of the force he can muster. The cracking of ribs can be heard as Aaroniero gasps in pain. A small shockwave occurs as the blast is released, although its trajectory has altered from the intended path, merely grazing Karin as it explodes instead of fully engulfing her in the blast.

Aaroniero skids across the floor, a distance away from a fatigued Ganju. The Espada has bloodlust in his eyes as he stares at the Shiba, beginning to approach him with the clear intent of killing. Ganju widens his eyes as the Arrancar charges another Cero in his left hand, preparing to kill. What the Espada does not realize, however, is that Ganju is not looking at him, but the form of Karin behind him. The girl's bandages have all been burnt away, allowing her long, straight black hair usually tied in a ponytail to hang freely. Karin wastes no time as she swings her longer blade expertly at Aaroniero, cutting off his left arm in a single stroke.

Some kind of purple, blood-like fluid spews from the stump of the Espada's arm as he howls in pain. The wounded Espada enters a frenzy that Karin cannot successfully handle, his trident spinning at such intense speed and ferocity that it immediately knocks Karin's smaller blade out of her hand and sends her stumbling back in the first pass. Karin doesn't even see the next blow coming as the trident strikes diagonally across her face, cutting deeply underneath her left eye, in between her eyes, and into the upper right part of her forehead. The girl cries as blood gushes from her wounds, soaking and blinding her right eye and causing her to stagger backward, disoriented.

Aaroniero then kicks the girl in the stomach harshly, causing her to double over and fall to the ground. The Espada takes this as his chance, grinning sinisterly as he disappears with the buzz of Sonido, reappearing before Ganju. The man cannot so much as react before being impaled between the groan and belly button by the trident.

Aaroniero smirks in satisfaction as he removes the trident, causing blood to spurt from the wound as Ganju immediately falls limp to the ground, although still conscious, "Finally, I am rid of you…"

Even knowing that the man before him is not his brother does not stop Ganju from feeling the brunt of those words coming from his mouth. The Espada walks over to retrieve his left arm, placing it against the stump before it seemingly reconnects itself. Finally, and quietly, the man approaches Ganju again before reversing his grip on his trident and holding it above his head for a killing blow. It is then that the Espada looks over to see Shino and Ryunosuke looking thoroughly drained on the ground next to each other, realizing something.

His eyes widen as he hears a woman declare to his right, "Dance, Sode No Shirayuki!"

Aaroniero urgently turns to regard the form of Rukia Kuchiki, holding a pure white katana with a ribbon at the end of its hilt and held in both of her hands, pointed at him. The Hollow widens his eyes, recognizing what she is about to do.

Rukia's gaze is intense as she utters, "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren."

A seemingly infinitely long cylinder of ice immediately forms in the air in front of Rukia; however, it narrowly misses Aaroniero who dodges with Sonido. Rukia turns on her heel, knowing what is coming before her elegant white blade clashes against the trident of her former vice-captain.

Aaroniero snickers, taunting the woman, "Did you really think a trick like that would work on me? Perhaps you've forgotten who it was that helped you develop that move?"

Rukia blinks before smirking, causing Aaroniero to raise a brow as she speaks, "You seem to be quite bad at remembering you have multiple opponents."

Aaroniero widens his eyes as a sapphire blade is plunged through his chest. The Espada looks behind him in much the same way the woman in front of him did earlier to find Karin. The right side of the girl's face is soaking in blood, her wounds seemingly closed but definitely staying as scars, as her expression is intense. Curiously her right eye shines a gold color with a hint of black creeping its way into her sclera. Karin grunts as she shifts the sword, twisting Aaroniero's insides, before slashing brutally to the right, cutting through most of the Espada's chest on the way out. The purple blood-like fluid from before spews from Aaroniero's chest, staining his already sullied white garb purple.

The purple fluid spurts from the Espada's mouth as his hold on the trident loosens and he stumbles, grabbing his chest with his left hand. He stumbles back a distance, slightly away from Rukia and Karin, and begins to balance himself weakly on the trident.

Karin's gaze remains ever fierce, the black in her sclera beginning to become dominant as she demands, "Are you ready to talk or do we drag your death out even longer?"

Aaroniero smirks wickedly as he notes the growing, raw aura spewing from her, as well as her golden eye, "To be honest, I had planned to use you as an offering to gain favor with King White, but as you are right now, I cannot resist…"

Karin would've cut him down for continuing to evade the question, however, the Espada's suddenly even more intense Reiatsu makes both her, and Rukia next to her, flinch. The Arrancar removes the white glove on his left hand, revealing a distorted, tentacle-like appendage with a gaping maw, causing Rukia and Karin to become even further unnerved.

Aaroniero glares evilly at the pair of Shinigami, declaring with bloodlust, "Devour Them, Glotoneria!"

Author's Note:

I am done with school! That means I'll have more free time… eventually. Yeah, definitely will need time to adapt to all the life changes.

Still, I wanted to put this chapter out as it has been one year since I put this story out on FFN. I hope over the course of this last year I have been able to put out a story that is enjoyable to all of you, new and old readers alike. I'd like to thank everyone who has supported the story thus far, you all give me motivation to keep writing! To celebrate, I am announcing the creation of a Discord server for this story for those who would like to discuss the story, Bleach, or other things with me and fellow readers. Private message me if you are interested in joining. I will look into putting out a general link for this at a later time.

As for this chapter itself, I'll start with the Tokinada and Katsumi stuff. In this story, since Tokinada is the twisted bastard he is, I thought it would make sense if he thinks it's a great idea to potentially give Katsumi Soul King potential, much the same way he had Seinosuke (with Aura's help) create Hikone. I won't get into his exact reasoning yet, but it definitely has something to do with him finding her amusing, especially if you take Karin into context. Of course, Aura isn't personally involved with Katsumi's development here (not yet at least), rather I elected Kageroza for that as Aura isn't really necessary since Katsumi already exists. Seinosuke won't need the level of help Aura gave him to create a new being to heal and alter one who already existed before.

As for the thing about Ichibe… Kaien obviously wasn't a Tsunayashiro, so he didn't know the story of the original sin, however, he would know about Squad 0. In my mind, Ichibe likely would grant occasional favors to those of the Great Noble Clans, particularly when it came to ensuring overall order in the world. Regardless, I thought the seals on the chambers would be a neat way to introduce Ichibe indirectly into the story.

Recall that Aaroniero is a Gillian, so despite having pretty high intelligence for a Hollow, many times his instincts will get in the way of his plans. This is why he ended up botching his manipulation of Karin, whereas, for example, Aizen in this situation would have her wrapped around his finger. Admittedly Aaroniero didn't really care about the whole manipulation thing, he was just stretching out his act for as long as he did to try and see if he could get Karin to cooperate without hurting her (less likely Ichigo would punish him if he found out), but again he fell victim to his urges to instead want to make her stronger so he can devour her… more on that in the next chapter.

As for the fight, I think it speaks for itself. This is the climax of this phase of Karin's character arc and definitely has been a long time coming. Anyway, I'll comment more about Karin's development in the next chapter as the battle comes to a close.