Chapter 56: Born in the Dark
Blades clash, battles fought.
Within the shadows, she is lost.
?
Yuzu finds herself sitting against a tree, once more in a forest, however, this time the trees around her are fully blooming rather than the rotting husks she saw before. Further, it is no longer night, obvious as the sun hangs high in the sky with its golden rays shining down, illuminating the area in heavenly light.
She attempts to get up but winces as she realizes she is still very hurt from her skirmish with Yamamoto.
The girl widens her eyes as a distorted voice similar to her own calls to her, "I wouldn't move, Queen. You need to rest..."
Yuzu looks to her side to find the golden, one-horned fairy from her earlier vision within her cell. The girl widens her eyes as golden light particles begin to gather around her, slowly restoring her energy.
The golden creature smiles gently as she sees Yuzu's surprise, "You called my name, Queen... that means you know who I am, right...?"
The girl nods as she looks up at the fairy, "Knowing the answer instinctually, my Zanpakutō, Kōgetsu..."
Kōgetsu widens her smile with a satisfied look in her heterochromatic eyes.
In the next moment, the winged creature spreads her golden wings and takes off suddenly, calling down to the girl, "We'll keep in touch, Queen... but right now, it's time for you to get up..."
Yuzu's eyes slowly close as her vision darkens, beginning to return to reality.
Silbern
Yuzu groans as she slowly regains consciousness, still feeling a light pain from being subjected to the Head Captain's flames. The girl feels a chill despite this, surmising that she is in a significantly colder environment than before as she feels something in her right hand. What ultimately brings the girl from consciousness, however, is the sound of light, tranquil humming. Yuzu opens her eyes to find a familiar, young-looking woman with long black hair and purple eyes wearing a modified white uniform with a matching white skirt and cap. Yuzu further notes the woman's signature pink, heart-shaped belt buckle as well as her new, white gloves and knee-high boots, which also have pink, heart-shaped cuffs, giving them a rather unique appearance.
The woman halts her humming as she notices the girl's gaze, prompting her to smile, "About time you woke up, Yui!"
The blonde girl blinks before her brows scrunch in confusion, "Bambi…?"
The woman nods quietly, prompting the young girl to sit up from the white bed she is lying on, wincing slightly as she does so due to her wounds. She briefly and quietly takes in the surroundings, noting that they are currently in a small room with plain, white walls. Yuzu's eyes then drift to the object in her right hand: a katana with golden yellow fur in place of the guard with a white handle sheathed in a black and gold sheath.
The younger Quincy frowns as she hesitantly asks, "Are we… dead?"
Bambietta rolls her eyes, still maintaining an amused smile, "No, but you certainly got close…"
Yuzu then stares down at the blade she is still clutching in dejection, "Oh…"
The older Quincy raises a brow, now frowning, "Hey, I saved you from that old guy, even though I'll probably get in trouble for potentially exposing the Wandenreich! It took a lot of effort sneaking you into my room, so the other Sternritters didn't see you. You should be thanking me right now, don't you think?!"
The girl widens her eyes slightly as she looks at the other Quincy again, "Really? You didn't have to do that for me! And I thought… I thought you wouldn't want to have me after I ran away like that…"
Yuzu slumps a bit guiltily.
The Quincy woman sighs as she crosses her arms, "No."
The girl furrows her brows as her frown deepens, "No…?"
Bambietta huffs with an adamant look on her face, "You can't leave the Bambies that easily, Yui! I thought you would've figured that out by now…"
Yuzu tilts her head, "But I… wait, 'The Bambies'…?"
The black-haired Quincy smirks proudly, "I just came up with the name! I figured our group could use a name."
The blonde girl smiles, "I'm not sure Candice will like it…"
The woman maintains her smirk, "It doesn't matter what she thinks, because she's a big dummy who can't see her own self-worth!"
Yuzu winces, still with a smile, "I can't disagree with you…"
There is a brief moment of silence as the pair think about their mutual friend. Yuzu's mind begins to wonder somewhat, considering the last time she saw Candice. The woman was adamant that the girl should not have become affiliated with the Wandenreich, yet despite that, here she is. Her thoughts involuntarily drift onto someone else she saw that day—an individual with long, orange hair.
She suddenly widens her eyes, her tone desperate, "WAIT! WHAT ABOUT DAD, ICHIGO, AND KARIN?!"
Bambietta widens her eyes and flinches at the girl's sudden outburst, not having expected it. The woman's eyes slowly soften as she notes the desperate, strained, and worried look on the younger Quincy's face.
After a moment, the black-haired Quincy shrugs, "I… wouldn't worry about them… they're all alive from what I gathered… that fearsome brother of yours got away too, in case you were wondering…"
Yuzu sighs in relief as she continues to clutch her blade, "Thank goodness…"
Bambietta shifts to a bored expression as she decides to change the subject, pointing at the girl's sword, "What's with the katana? Steal it from a Shinigami or something?"
The girl frowns at the woman before eyeing the blade distantly, "She not 'it'… and she is my…"
Yuzu pauses, conflict in her gaze as she considers if she should continue. Bambietta meanwhile raises a brow, curious to hear the rest of the girl's explanation.
In the next moment, the blonde girl makes up her mind and shakes her head, "No… I can trust Bambi…"
Yuzu finishes with a somewhat nervous tone, "She's my Zanpakutō…"
Bambietta doesn't react for a moment, which causes the girl to tense slightly.
As the moment passes, however, the woman merely sighs, "Figures… you do have Shinigami blood flowing through your veins, and noble blood at that…"
The girl widens her eyes, "Wait, how do you know that?!"
Bambietta smirks in mild amusement, "The Wandenreich has ways of knowing what all exactly occurs in the Seireitei. We'll be well prepared when it comes time to bring down the Shinigami!"
Yuzu slouches, her mood worsening, "But… Dad… Karin…"
The woman closes her eyes as she sighs, attempting to lighten the girl's mood somewhat, "We'll cross that road when we get there… I don't think His Majesty views them as required enemies, though… We can probably try to recruit them if all else fails… anyway, I'd forget about that right now if I were you, Yui… we have a year or so before we even attack. You should just focus on getting your strength back."
The girl nods, smiling slightly in appreciation despite her eyes still holding a hint of worry, "Thanks, Bambi…"
The pair sit in a sort of awkward silence again for a while, becoming a degree more comfortable in each other's presence.
Bambietta suddenly tenses, however, as she hears a knock on the door, followed by two figures rudely entering, a voice calling, "Hey, Bambi, how was your… training…?"
The small form of Liltotto widens her eyes as she stares at the bed, dropping a donut from her hand in shock.
The towering form of Meninas behind her places a white-gloved hand near her mouth, "Oh my… who's this?"
Deciding to take her mind off of more troubling things, Yuzu shifts to a smile as she regards the female Quincies, introducing herself, "You two must be Liltotto and Meninas! Bambi's told me a lot about you! I'm Yuzu Kurosaki, but you can call me Yui! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
The pink-haired woman nods almost automatically, stating blankly, "Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. You're even more adorable than Bambi and Candy said you were."
Yuzu blushes lightly as she rubs the back of her neck, "Oh, well, um… I get it from my mother, I guess…!"
Meanwhile, the shorter, gluttonous Quincy glares at Bambietta with a serious expression, "Bambi… what did you do?"
The black-haired woman sighs as she throws her arms up, throwing her hands behind her head and leaning back in her chair to look towards the ceiling with a bored expression, "Just earned a scolding from Grandmaster Haschwalth, that's all…"
Liltotto frowns, not liking the woman's seemingly nonchalant response, yet remaining quiet.
Her eyes narrow as she looks Bambietta over, "In any case, something's very different about Bambi… I don't know what, but her aura seems far more focused and calmer than it was before…"
Liltotto suddenly widens her eyes as she continues to feel the other girl's Reiatsu, "Don't tell me she actually mastered Blut!"
As the blonde Quincy continues to stare at Bambietta in apparent disbelief, Meninas eyes Yuzu intently, noting her clothing, "Well, we ought to get you dressed up properly. His Majesty will kill you if you appear before him like this…"
Everyone looks at Yuzu's clothes, noting the way they are scorched and stained with blood. The girl frowns, unable to deny that she looks unpresentable.
As if feeling prompted, Bambietta sits up with an eager smirk on her face, "Looks like you'll have to borrow some of my old clothes again, Yui…~"
Nearby, Silbern
Haschwalth walks with an urgent expression on his face and a slightly hastened pace through the cold, dark halls of Silbern, which are lined with stone, roman-esc columns.
As he passes a particular column, a rough voice calls to him with interest, "What's the rush, Jugo? I've never seen you look so nervous since we were kids."
The blonde man glances at a man with a pink mohawk leaning against the pillar as he asserts, "That is none of your business, Bazzard Black. Not yet, anyway…"
Bazz-B raises a brow and grunts as Haschwalth continues to walk off, paying him no further mind, "What the hell is that supposed to mean…?"
Seeing that the other Quincy has nearly disappeared down the hall, the pink-haired man scoffs before walking off in the opposite direction, sticking his hands into his pockets, "Whatever, I'll find out eventually…"
Haschwalth approaches a certain room along the hall, hearing feminine voices from within.
One of the voices call out, excited and high-pitched, "Now you really look like one of us, Yui!"
The man narrows his eyes, unamused, before knocking on the door and speaking in a stern tone, "Open the door, Basterbine."
The voices inside immediately go silent, knowing not to cross the man.
After a moment, Haschwalth can hear light footsteps approach the door before it opens, revealing the shorter form of Bambietta and three other female Quincies inside the room behind her.
The black-haired Quincy looks up at her former mentor with a slightly nervous look as she asks, "What can I do for you, Grandmaster?"
Haschwalth briefly raises a brow at her, looking her over in a similar manner as Liltotto earlier, before looking at the individuals behind her. Specifically, the man looks upon the even more nervous and flustered form of Yuzu, wearing a white cap and modified white uniform with an equally white skirt, identical to Bambietta's outfit. Her blonde hair still sports her signature strawberry hairpin and is tied in a ponytail that falls down her back. Similar but not identical to Bambietta, the girl's white gloves and knee-high white boots have light blue heart-shaped cuffs. Yuzu also wears a light blue, heart-shaped belt buckle, which seemingly holds her Quincy Cross now, as it is absent from her left wrist. Unlike Bambietta, Yuzu wears a white handkerchief with lightning bolts on the areas around her shoulders, which is held together by a blue ring with a yellow lightning bolt on it as well. Lastly, a white cape is hung over the girl's shoulders, overall completing the look. The Grandmaster narrows his eyes as he looks upon the girl, further noting the blade sheathed and strapped on her belt on the left side of her waist.
Without wasting any further time, Haschwalth regards the girl directly, "Greetings, Yuzu Kurosaki. My name is Jugram Haschwalth, Grandmaster of the Sternritters. You are to accompany me to the palace garden… alone."
The blonde man glances at the women in the room as he says this, halting any thoughts they may have had about tagging along. Yuzu widens her eyes as she glances at Bambietta in mild confusion. The woman returns the girl's look with a nod of confirmation, communicating to her that she should go with him. Yuzu likewise nods, albeit begrudgingly, in agreement before approaching the Grandmaster.
Haschwalth glares at the female Sternritters, giving a stern order, "Do not speak of Yuzu Kurosaki being here… understood?"
The women nod slowly, prompting the man to turn on his heel and exit the room with Yuzu following him into the halls of the icy palace.
A few moments later, and just missing the duo, Giselle, Candice, and Keigo enter the room, all wearing white uniforms, as the woman with black hair with antennae-shaped tufts addresses Bambietta, "So Bambi, are you any stronger?"
The woman doesn't answer, causing the trio to look upon the distant looks worn by both Bambietta and Liltotto in confusion, as Meninas maintains her usual passive expression.
Candice asks with mild concern, "Why do you guys look so shaken up…? Did something happen…?"
Bambietta then looks between Candice and Keigo before sighing, "No… nothing happened…"
Palace Garden, Silbern
Haschwalth opens a large pair of white double doors, which reveal a massive courtyard with an iced-over grassy field and similarly iced-over hedges and flowers. Uniquely, the ice seems to take on a light purple hue as it glows with ethereal light. The palace garden appears quite literally frozen in time, containing a myriad of well-maintained plants of various shapes and sizes, which line the walking paths that cut across the courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard, a man with long black hair and wearing a red cape sits on a metal chair with a star pattern on the lumbar, looking off distantly. Yuzu and Haschwalth can only see the man's back, however, as they stand far away at the garden's entrance. The girl squints as she further notes the metal table with a similar star pattern stands to the man's right with a small cup on top of it, as well as another identical chair to the right of the table.
The Grandmaster addresses the girl passively, "Go and meet with him."
The girl raises a brow as she doesn't fail to notice that the man doesn't ask for her Zanpakutō yet doesn't comment about it as she once more nods obediently and begins to cross the courtyard alone. As she approaches, she can't help but feel an odd, nostalgic pull to the man, although can't pinpoint why. After another moment, the girl gets a better look at the man, widening her eyes as she recognizes the man as an older version of the Quincy King, who she saw in a vision during her imprisonment. The girl pauses as she is now in the middle of the gardens, accompanying the man.
The Quincy King perks up at this and promptly gestures towards the other chair, still not facing her as he speaks, "Please, take a seat, Miss Kurosaki."
The Quincy girl wears a nervous look as she walks around to the right and sits on the chair, remaining quiet. She can't help but purse her lip and ball her gloved hands into nervous fists as she recalls how ruthless Ryuken's description of the Quincy King was, keeping her on guard.
The King seems to ignore this at the moment as he glances over the garden distantly, "Beautiful isn't it…?"
Yuzu follows the King's gaze, prompting her to look over the large, icy garden as well. After a moment, she scrunches her brows and frowns, not really agreeing with him.
The man addresses this with a curious tone, "You disagree…?"
The girl widens her eyes slightly, having a slight grasp of how dangerous it is to question the King, so finally speaks, "No… I just think…"
Yuzu's gaze softens as she looks distantly upon the garden, "…something's not right… it's like a distant memory…"
The Quincy King tilts his head towards the girl with an amused and satisfied smirk on his face, "I see…"
He hums briefly, stroking his mustache, before introducing himself, "As I'm sure you know, I am the Quincy King Yhwach. I was the one who sent Candice Catnipp to train you in the World of the Living to become a Sternritter. I must say, I am thoroughly impressed by your progress, Miss Kurosaki."
The girl remains quiet, still on guard as she continues to listen to Yhwach, "Currently, everyone in the Seireitei thinks you have died and only a select few in the Wandenreich know of all that happened in the Seireitei or that you are even here. I would like to keep it that way for now…"
Yuzu widens her eyes in horror, recognizing the implications of the King's words, yet maintains her silence, prompting him to slightly furrow his brows.
After a moment, he continues, "The Shinigami treated you like an animal to be hunted—much the same way they have done to your Quincy brothers and sisters in the World of the Living. I'm sure you've heard of the way they committed genocide on the Quincies 200 years ago…"
Yuzu's gaze shifts downward as her expression becomes somewhat strained and saddened, pursing her lip and letting her silent nod speak for itself.
Yhwach's gaze is as distant as ever as he looks upon the garden, "When they died, I felt their fear… their anguish. Now, my children who faced such a fate are akin to this garden—a distant and frozen memory…"
The girl looks between the iced-over garden and the King, her expression still sad as she holds her gloved right hand against her chest. Her heart aches, understanding what each of those Quincies must have gone through, having experienced such persecution herself.
The Quincy King frowns as he bitterly states, "The flames of hatred that the Shinigami have for us seem almost eternal…"
He then looks upon the girl intently, offering his right hand to her, "…after your experience, you surely wish to receive some form of retribution, do you not? Join me as one of my Sternritters and I shall offer you the chance to slay Yamamoto and the rest of the Shinigami who have wronged you."
Yuzu's frown deepens as she looks at the man's bare hand, recalling Ryuken's explanation from a year ago and prompting her to question bluntly, "Why are you pretending to care?"
Yhwach raises a brow, thoroughly confused.
He doesn't answer, which causes Yuzu to continue with a face of disapproval, "I know about Auswählen… my uncle Ryuken told me. You don't really care about us Quincies at all… we're just pawns to you—our souls nothing more than energy to fuel your powers…"
The King narrows his eyes and smirks darkly as he retracts his hand, "I am surprised that you would be so bold despite your uncle no doubt telling you everything else he knows about me… do you want to die, girl?"
Yuzu scowls bitterly as she nearly hisses, "You'd just steal my soul and powers anyway…"
Yhwach frowns deeply and glares at the bitter girl, "It seems you have a misunderstanding… Quincies get their powers from me. My blood runs through your veins, which allows you to use Quincy powers and abilities in the first place. It is a privilege, not a right, to be a Quincy—a privilege that I can take away whenever I choose, girl."
The blonde girl looks away, a defiant glimmer in her eyes as she grasps the hilt of her Zanpakutō with her left, gloved hand. The Quincy King narrows his eyes as the girl's body glows with a brief golden aura, threatening to attack at any moment.
Yhwach grunts as her smirks again, further amused as he warns darkly, "I've been polite with you thus far, but it seems you are more daring than I expected… Here's what's going to happen: you are going to become a loyal member of the Sternritter and shall not voice a word of your knowledge about Auswählen to any of the others. You are not dispensable for my plans, but that does not apply to the majority of my other soldiers… that includes your friends: Candice Catnipp and Bambietta Basterbine."
Yuzu suddenly widens her eyes in fear as her hand falls from her blade's hilt. The girl trembles slightly before looking to the ground in defeat, the resolve hastily leaving her gaze.
Yhwach maintains his smirk as he rises from his chair, standing over her much smaller form before beginning to stroke her dirty blonde hair, "That's a good girl…"
The girl purses her lips, not resisting the King's unwelcome advance as he continues with a proud tone, "You have nothing to worry about, my daughter born in the dark. I'm honestly gladdened that you are so tenacious as to speak to me with such disrespect and resolve. It shows how strong you have become. I was correct in believing that you would become one of our greatest assets…"
Yuzu doesn't say anything as Yhwach continues to stroke her hair.
The King once more retracts his hand before ordering, "Hand me your Quincy Cross for a moment."
The girl flinches, slightly hesitant to hand her mother's cross away. As the next few moments pass, the girl thinks about the man's earlier threat, which prompts her to move her hands to the light blue, heart-shaped buckle on her black belt and tap it, causing her Quincy Cross to fall into her hands.
The King nods in satisfaction as the girl obediently hands over her most prized possession before he regards the small cup on the table next to him. He holds the cross in his left hand above the cup before suddenly using his right hand to strike it, drawing blood. Yuzu widens her eyes as the King's blood leaks on the Quincy Cross before ultimately landing in the cup. This happens for a good minute before the man wipes the cross with a white cloth from his pocket and hands it back to her.
Yhwach then offers the girl the small cup filled with blood as well, further ordering, "Drink this… consider it a reward for your efforts against Yamamoto."
Yuzu eyes the blood in the cup skeptically, sensing a certain power from the fluid. She glances at Yhwach, who merely maintains a passive look. Feeling she doesn't have a choice, the girl wastes no further time in drinking from the cup, staining her lips red.
Yhwach maintains his smile as the girl finishes drinking his blood, "With this, you are officially a member of the Sternritter. I bestow upon you the Schrift: C. It will take some time for you to awaken your new powers."
Yuzu blinks, indeed, not feeling all that different than she did previously.
The Quincy King continues, "I shall reveal you to the other Sternritters tomorrow. Your training will begin simultaneously with a spar. I usually do not allow for conflict between my soldiers, but once more you are an exception. Your opponent will push you to show the full extent of your current abilities."
Yuzu, with empty eyes, nods obediently, adding as she remembers how Bambietta had once trained her to speak properly to her superiors, "Yes, Your Majesty..."
Yhwach smiles in immense satisfaction before waving her off, "You are dismissed, Sternritter C. Haschwalth will show you to the room you will be staying in. You are to remain there until I summon for you tomorrow… I shall see you again come morning."
The girl bows before turning and leaving with a downcast look in her eyes.
Yhwach's smirk widens as he watches her leave, thinking, "You belong to me now, Yuzu Kurosaki..."
Morning, Old Shiba Residence, Noble District, Seireitei
The interior of the old Shiba Estate within the noble district is quite dirty, with a layer of dust from either the rubble or being poorly cared for covering nearly everything. This does not stop the Shiba Clan from using the space as a refuge from the Shinigami who so antagonized them, however. In the middle of the old, traditional Japanese-styled room, Ganju sits on a wooden chair with wheels, still paralyzed due to Aaroniero's trident cutting through his spine and heavily wrapped in bandages. The now crippled man frowns deeply as he looks upon the scarred form of his younger cousin laying on a dusty futon, whose dark eyes are puffy, seemingly from crying until her tears have run dry. Her eyes are now empty and devoid of purpose, indicating that she is broken by the loss of her sister.
Kukaku, standing next to her brother, likewise frowns as her eyes narrow in anger, directed toward the Shinigami who caused this, "Those damned aristocrats! I bet if Yuzu were not a Shiba, then they never would have put her to death!"
Her gaze softens somewhat as she looks upon the scars on the girl's face, "My brother's soul was still trapped within a Hollow as well… no doubt all part of the bastard Aizen's plans… What has our family done to deserve such constant loss…?"
After a moment, Ganju starts, trying to get through to the girl, "Hey, Karin—"
"Stop.", the girl states while maintaining the defeated look in her gaze, cutting him off.
She swallows, struggling to find the will to speak, "…nothing you say or do will make me feel better, so just… leave me alone…"
Kukaku and Ganju furrow their brows as they look at each other for a moment. The black-haired, bandaged woman sighs before sitting on the floor and beginning to smoke on a pipe that she retrieved from her robes. There is a long silence among the Shiba family as Karin continues to look emptily at the ceiling, her mind still struggling to process what all happened while she was unconscious.
As she exhales slowly, she can't help but think about her sister, who was just fine the last time she saw her, "How could this have happened…? We even had his help, and still… she…"
Karin purses her lips and scrunches her brows as she lays a bandaged forearm over her eyes, hiding the resurging tears, "…why am I still alive…?"
The girl's cousins maintain rather solemn gazes as they look upon the now trembling girl. Light footsteps approach before entering the room, although this is unnoticed by Karin, who remains enthralled in her sorrow. Kukaku seems to ignore the new arrival as Ganju scowls at them, yet neither says anything as the Shiba woman sits her pipe on the ground and scoots closer to the girl.
Karin notes this, prompting her to sit up slightly and blink in mild confusion at the woman. Kukaku slowly extends her left and only hand towards her cousin, placing it gently around her neck before embracing the girl.
Karin widens her eyes as her head is cradled in the woman's bosom, her cousin's voice far softer and more caring than usual, "I won't say anything… just let it out."
The Shinigami girl swallows again as her tear ducts involuntarily give way and she clutches the woman's robes, "IT ISN'T FAIR! YUZU NEVER WOULD'VE HURT ANYONE! She is the kindest and most caring person I know! Even when things went bad for her, she still chose to focus on whatever good she could find instead! She… she shouldn't…"
Karin's voice wavers briefly as she continues to cry into her cousin's chest, "…SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN KILLED LIKE THAT!"
Kukaku's gaze is soft and understanding as she continues to pat Karin gently, keeping her word in remaining quiet. Ganju looks down dejectedly at the sight, feeling horrible that he wasn't even able to be there with his cousins when they fought the Head Captain. Behind the Shiba man is the uncharacteristically solemn form of Katsumi, whose frown and eyes relay a sense of anger, guilt, and sorrow all mixed together.
In just the next room over, Rukia, heavily bandaged and wearing a similar expression as Katsumi, looks ready to enter the room in a vain attempt to reconnect with her student.
She widens her eyes and has to force down a squeal as a calm, masculine voice regards her from behind, surprising her, "Approaching her now is not a wise course of action, Rukia."
The raven-haired woman looks at the similarly bandaged forms of Renji and Byakuya, the latter of whom regarded her.
The nobleman levels a serious gaze on his sister, "Leave them be… they more than deserve the right to grieve…"
Rukia looks at her brother for a moment, a conflicted look on her face.
She then blinks and purses her lips as she questions worriedly, "Brother, do you think there is any chance that the nobility will treat Karin in the same way as her sister…?"
Byakuya immediately shakes his head as his eyes hold a blazing inferno within them, stating in a rather blunt manner uncharacteristic of him as if to emphasize his rage, "The Tsunayashiro's managed to convince the Shihoin Clan using their snake-bastard words in my absence… putting Yuzu Kurosaki to death is NOT something that should have even been a consideration! He will not let shame like this befall the nobility again, so long as I breathe!"
The nobleman suddenly turns on his heel and marches out of the room, a cold fury still held in his gaze. Renji, meanwhile, looks in amusement at the wide-eyed, dumbfounded form of Rukia, whose jaw hits the floor.
Byakuya suddenly stops at the exit before turning and regarding his sister as the rage leaves his eyes, "You acted with pride and fought with all that you could to keep Karin Shiba from harm, Rukia… despite failing in that, you have shown that you are one of the few Shinigami who still understand what true honor is. For that, I am proud to call you a member of the Kuchiki Clan, my sister."
Rukia continues to stare at the man with widened eyes, unable to form a proper response as that kind of praise is the only thing she has wanted from her adoptive brother ever since she met him over 50 years ago.
The man turns his back on the pair of Shinigami, continuing his stride as he calls back to them again, "Rukia, Renji; follow me… we shall assist Squad 4 in locating survivors."
Rukia and Renji, now both smiling at having been acknowledged by the captain, nod as they follow him out of the estate, returning to the ruined streets of the Seireitei.
Back in the room with the Shiba siblings, Katsumi continues to stare upon the crying form of Karin with solemn eyes, unsure of what she ought to say, if anything at all.
Ganju, however, draws the girl's attention as he snarls at her, "What are you doing here, Tsunayashiro?"
The white-haired girl in tan robes blinks, the look in her jade-green eyes confused at being addressed in such a way mid-thought. As this happens, Karin's sobs seem to halt as the girl widens her eyes, just now recognizing that the other girl is in the room.
Katsumi frowns and scrunches her brows, maintaining a guilty look, "I merely wished to offer my condolences… do not worry, I'll excuse myself—"
"N-no…", a distant voice calls from across the room.
Kukaku and Ganju widen their eyes as they regard the form of Karin, pulling away from her cousin's embrace.
Katsumi likewise looks on in mild confusion as the black-haired Shinigami continues after wiping her eyes, her gaze hardening somewhat, "I heard about what you did… why stick your neck out like that for me—for us? I thought your family wanted us gone…"
The white-haired girl looks away slightly, a look of guilt on her face, "At one point, I wouldn't have even dreamed of doing such a thing… my predecessors thought that the Shiba's should die out, and perhaps at one point I agreed with that…"
Kukaku and Ganju narrow their eyes at the girl as Karin manages to maintain a more passive look, despite the torrent of emotions she is feeling at the moment.
Katsumi swallows before continuing with resolve in her eyes, "I didn't know about your sister until after that Hollow nearly struck us both down… after hearing about it, I swore that I would refuse to align myself with the traditional Tsunayashiro way of thinking any longer… I—"
Karin grits her teeth and snaps, her face flustered as she struggles to hold back her emotion, "GET TO THE DAMN POINT! WHY ARE YOU HELPING US?!"
Despite the tension in the room, the white-haired girl can't help but smile as she lets out an involuntary grunt of amusement, "That should be obvious, shouldn't it…?"
The black-haired Shinigami narrows her eyes, not grasping what her rival is getting at.
Katsumi shakes her head, still wearing an amused smile and softened eyes, stating directly as she matches the other girl's gaze, "It's because you are my friend, Karin."
Karin's mouth hangs slightly open as her eyes slowly widen. She was expecting some sort of further, convoluted explanation, yet the simple statement throws her into further confusion, shock, and emotional turmoil. A tear once more falls involuntarily down her cheek as she continues to regard her rival-turned-friend, who is completely different from when they first met.
Katsumi closes her eyes, managing to reign in her own emotions as she reminds the trio, "You all truly have my condolences for what happened… I do not blame you if you decide to hold a grudge against the Soul Society because of this… but, it's for that reason that I must remind you all to not do something stupid, especially when the Zero Squad is here. I cannot guarantee your protection if you act on your desire for revenge… that's all I wanted to say. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
As the white-haired girl exits the room, she hears Karin manage to call out through quiet, choked-up sobs, "T-thank you…"
Katsumi turns around briefly, giving her friend a small, caring smile, "Think nothing of it… Take care of yourself, Shiba."
The black-haired girl nods before continuing to cry as Kukaku rubs her back in support, truly able to understand the scar on her heart.
As Katsumi leaves the estate, the forms of Toshiro and Rangiku quietly watch her from outside the exit as the sun hangs high in the sky above the Seireitei. Toshiro crosses his arms with a slight frown on his face while Rangiku's gaze is distant, currently lost in thought.
The white-haired Shinigami, and former captain, sighs as he notes, "Karin Shiba seems to be getting a lot of visitors..."
The blonde woman blinks, returning from her thoughts as she turns and asks, "Speaking of which, don't you think we should check back in with Hinamori? She can't be taking Aizen's betrayal well…"
Toshiro frowns as he reminds the woman, "We are traitors too, Matsumoto… but I agree. I'll visit Momo after Capt—Lord Shiba returns from the negotiations. I don't like the idea of leaving his daughter unguarded."
Rangiku nods in understanding as the boy then glances at the form of Hanataro sitting awkwardly on the rubble-covered street with Shino and Ryunosuke, the former of whom can't help but laugh as she thinks the two boys are strikingly similar.
The white-haired boy huffs as he thinks resolutely, "Things are starting to change in the Soul Society… but we know our side—the Shiba side."
With Katsumi, Noble District
As Katsumi begins to walk down the street, she is immediately flanked by bodyguards. Various Shinigami bow in reverence as she passes, causing her to feel the stark contrast between the Shiba family and everyone else, who now must see her as an untouchable monarch.
As the girl comes upon the gate of the ruined Tsunayashiro Estate, she eyes Tokinada, who stands in her way with a smirk, "Welcome home, my dear niece—or should I call you, 'My Lady'?"
Katsumi assumes a sort of poker face, her expression now ice-cold, "'My Lady', of course. We have much to do, Uncle."
Tokinada's eyes widen gleefully as he sees his niece's eyes briefly gain a faint, extra pupil before returning to normal, "It seems the experiment was a success! Seinosuke and Kageroza have outdone themselves!"
The girl doesn't wait for the man to give a verbal response as she walks past him, the bodyguards following.
The man smirks viciously as he offers his response, "Indeed we do… 'My Lady'…"
Katsumi narrows her eyes slightly as she notes Tokinada's somewhat condescending tone yet doesn't comment. As she approaches the main building, she suddenly pauses, eyeing Nozomi to her left, standing in the rubble occupying the estate's courtyard.
Nozomi has a saddened dejected look as she thinks about Kon and Yukio, "I would've gone with them if Lord Tokinada did not reveal himself on the battlefield… I was so quick to leave… I hope they're not worried about me…"
The mod soul purses her lips, feeling as if she is a runaway puppy instinctually returning to their owner's front door.
Nozomi is drawn from her thoughts as the noble girl recalls that the green-haired Shinigami was with Yuzu's friends, which prompts her to call to her, "You there, Shinigami girl. I wish for you to accompany me."
The young white-haired noble then continues into the estate, leaving no room for argument.
Nozomi blinks in bafflement, a glimmer of hope shining in her otherwise dejected gaze, "Lady Katsumi…?! What does she want with me…?"
The mod soul recalls that the girl is far less spontaneous and cruel than her uncle. On the contrary, Katsumi was perhaps the purest and kindest member of her clan.
Wasting no more time, Nozomi follows Katsumi with a slightly hastened pace, not wanting to keep the girl waiting. Tokinada looks around the rubble briefly as black runes begin to float through the air. After a moment, he shifts back to a slight smirk before walking into the estate after the mod soul.
Squad 13 Barracks
Ryuken, Uryu, and the Fullbringers stand at the Senkaimon located in the Squad 13 Barracks, all looking defeated.
Ukitake looks solemnly upon the group, frustrated as he recalls Urahara's warning and Aizen's betrayal, "Kisuke Urahara told the truth… we should have listened to him…"
The captain then looks over the group, "When you go through this portal, you will be safely transported to Karakura Town."
Chad perks up, "Where are Yoruichi and Shinji's group…? We won't go back without Mr. Urahara and Tessai, either."
Ukitake looks down, "You have my word that they will all be safe and that Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi will be released soon. If you don't trust my word, then trust that the Soul Society needs them in the fight against Aizen and the Menos."
Uryu suddenly snaps as he marches toward the Senkaimon, "I WON'T REMAIN IN THE PRESENCE OF YOU SHINIGAMI ANY LONGER!"
As Uryu walks through the portal, Ryuken approaches the guilty-looking captain with a disapproving expression, "My son is rightly wrathful about this… for that matter, I agree with him. You Shinigami have always disgusted me."
Ukitake remains quiet as the white-haired, bi-speckled man looks over the group, "If any of you wish to return to the World of the Living, follow me… otherwise, seek out Isshin."
Ryuken turns on his heel and follows his son through the portal, leaving the group in silence.
None of the Fullbringers move, however, as Yukio, with puffy, tear-stained cheeks and Kon on his shoulder, narrows his eyes at the captain, stating, "I won't leave Yuzu's father and sister in the Soul Society… I don't trust you Shinigami with anything after what happened…"
The boy looks down as he begins to choke up at the reminder of Yuzu, receiving a supportive hand on the back from Tsukishima. Ukitake can see that the remaining Fullbringers feel the same as his gaze ultimately lands on Ginjo, who frowns with a passive and somewhat resolute look in his eyes.
The Xcution leader stares intently at the captain, reminding him, "You mentioned that you wanted to restore the honor of the Soul Society... putting aside what happened to Kurosaki for a moment, the people involved with the assault on my friends are still hiding out in the Soul Society… I have a feeling that we'll find the real culprit if we do some digging, so I won't just leave."
Tsukishima nods in agreement with Ginjo, leaving Ukitake to sigh as he rubs his head, seeing the resolute look in their gazes, "Very well, I won't force any of you to leave. I won't be able to help you directly either, though at this point I highly doubt any of you want my help..."
The Xcution leader nods, confirming such before beginning to walk off towards the Rukongai, the Fullbringers accompanying him. The white-haired captain softens his gaze as he watches them leave, not even needing to ask where they are going.
As they leave, Kon whispers worriedly to Yukio, "I'm worried about Nozomi... she suddenly disappeared... she has a connection to those assassins, so she might know more about who ordered the assassins to come after us..."
Yukio frowns as he nods, "We'll find her and ask about it whenever we get a chance, Kon..."
The lion slumps slightly, not wanting to wait to act as the duo continues towards the Rukongai in silence.
Squad 1 Barracks
Isshin, still looking pissed, stands in the Head Captain's office alongside Shinji and a heavily bandaged Yoruichi, who both also wear frowns. Standing across from them are Kyoraku, Kirinji, and Hikifune. Notedly, the Head Captain himself is absent, his wounds too grievous to fulfill his usual duties. As such, the Squad 8 captain currently stands where Yamamoto usually does, assuming the temporary position as the Head Captain.
The Shiba man narrows his eyes at the one-eyed form of Kyoraku before him, who currently finishes up explaining something, "...that should be all... any questions?"
Isshin snaps, "IS THIS A JOKE?! YOU CAN'T JUST TELL ME TO CONTINUE COOPERATING WITH YOU ALL IN THE HOLLOW HUNT LIKE THAT BASTARD DIDN'T JUST KILL MY DAUGHTER!"
Kirinji wears a bored look while Hikifune doesn't seem to be paying attention, neither of them particularly wanting to speak with the Shiba man at the moment. Both of them are clearly only here to keep Isshin in check.
Thus, Kyoraku once more speaks after sighing, "I understand your loss, Isshin, I really do... but we can't afford to wage war against ourselves when our enemies are only biding their time and getting stronger..."
Isshin hisses bitterly, "You mean my son who is either dead or currently being manipulated by the evil sack of shit who tricked you all into believing he was the greatest guy ever?"
Shinji narrows his eyes at the mention of Aizen, equally angered by that man's existence.
The one-eyed captain doesn't skip a beat as he nods, now wearing a cold expression as he glances at Shinji and Yoruichi as well, "We agreed to hand Kisuke Urahara back over to you in exchange for your continued cooperation. Besides him, you three cumulatively have the greatest understanding of Sosuke Aizen and Ichigo Kurosaki. Now, despite being a Hollow, I don't believe the boy who was your son is purely evil. However, if Aizen can manipulate him and use that Hōgyoku of his to further empower him, then we have a real problem on our hands that no one in the Gotei 13 or Zero Squad may be able to combat..."
Isshin looks down, even more disgusted at the further discussion of his son, Hollow or not, being manipulated by a man like Aizen.
The Shiba man remains quiet, prompting Yoruichi to speak up, "We'll have to continue this discussion until you have given us Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi… we need Kisuke's knowledge of the Hōgyoku to have any productive discussion."
Kyoraku nods, accepting this before looking at Shinji, "And what about you and the rest of the exiled Shinigami?"
The blonde man grunts, a frown still on his face, "We'll help you take down Aizen out of a mutual interest, but after that, we're through."
Hikifune, for the first time since the negotiations began, frowns slightly as she decides to chime in, "Now Shinji, you make it sound like you hate us!"
Shinji blinks as his face becomes more neutral and is slightly confused, "Huh...? I didn't mean it like that. All I meant was that we won't come back to the Gotei 13... not this Gotei 13, anyway… The only people we hate are Aizen and his cronies..."
The woman nods, chuckling, "Well even if you did hate us, I wouldn't see you any differently!"
The Visored Shinigami raises a brow, unsure of what exactly the woman means by that.
The one-eyed captain then claps his hands as he addresses everyone again, "Alright, I'd say we're pretty much done here for now. I'll send for you three once Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi are in my custody."
Shinji and Yoruichi nod as Isshin immediately storms out of the room, not caring to give the man any kind of response.
As the Shiba man heads down the halls of the Squad 1 Barracks, his eyes narrow, considering his remaining daughter, Karin, "This next talk is one I look forward to even less than that one..."
Lab, Las Noches
Ichigo wakes up in a daze, noting that he is in one of Szayel's labs. He blinks as he is forced to look up at the form of a brown-eyed, auburn-haired girl wearing a white, caped Gi with blue flower hairpins. She smiles gently at him, which for some reason works to soothe his battle-hardened soul somewhat.
The Hollow scrunches his brows, "Orihime…? What are you…?"
Ichigo widens his eyes suddenly as he recalls the series of events of his battle with Yamamoto, including the apparent murder of his sister.
His torso quickly jerks upward prompting a masculine voice to regard him from his left, "Calm down, brother… the battle is over…"
The Hollow King looks over at Sora, seated in a chair next to the operating table, with a bitter, grieving tone, "This will never be over…!"
Sora and Orihime both frown as they look upon Ichigo's strained and hurt expression, yet neither comment.
The auburn-haired girl scrunches her brows, and her eyes soon contract upon Ichigo hissing dejectedly at them, "You should have let me die...!"
The two siblings look at the young Hollow, astonished as Orihime's eyes begin to water up, unable to bear seeing Ichigo's torment on such display.
The orange-haired Hollow's face becomes even more strained as he holds his hands on his head, bending over and growling, "I'm the reason that my mother and Yuzu died! Both times it should have been me, NOT THEM! I'm worse than pathetic…!"
Sora frowns, about to say something, but the crying form of his sister beats him to it, choking out, "Th-That's not true! You're a—"
"SHUT UP!", Ichigo snaps at the girl, causing her to flinch and take an instinctual step away from the table.
The teen Hollow growls lowly, "Don't pretend like you know or care about me, human girl... you don't even belong in Hueco Mundo and presume to correct me…? THE KING OF HUECO MUNDO?! I should kill—"
Before Ichigo can finish, Sora slaps him across the face, cutting him off. By this point, Orihime falls to her knees, crying into her hands as she can't bear the boy who she worked so hard to save being in pain and yelling at her with such venom in his tone.
The serpent Arrancar snaps at his friend, "THAT'S ENOUGH, ICHIGO! Everyone agreed to let her heal you!"
The Hollow scowls deeply, snapping back as frustrated tears fall from his eyes, "I NEVER ASKED TO BE SAVED, DAMN IT!"
Sora's anger reaches a peak, roaring back, "AND YOU'RE STUPID IF YOU THINK WE'D EVER JUST LET YOU DIE!"
Ichigo sits in fuming silence, allowing his frustration to simmer.
The brown-haired Hollow then sighs, rubbing his forehead, "Look, what happened to your sister wasn't your fault... we're all to blame for what happened... so stop carrying this weight yourself!"
The horned Arrancar states dejectedly as his eyes are downcast, "It doesn't matter... my life doesn't have any worth since I failed to save Yuzu... I'm a failure…"
He balls his hands into fists, further cursing himself. Meanwhile, Sora walks around the operating table before assisting Orihime to her feet as she breathes heavily, attempting to keep herself from crying.
Suddenly, a voice responds to Ichigo at the front of the lab, the doors swung open to reveal the light from the hallway, "Then your death would have no meaning, too..."
Ichigo, Orihime, and Sora look to find Ulquiorra standing in the doorway wearing his usual, emotionless expression.
The orange-haired Hollow furrows his brows, "It's what I deserve for those I've killed... that's meaning enough, isn't it?"
Ulquiorra narrows his eyes, "I'm inclined to disagree… Life and death have no meaning. Whether you live or die will not bring anyone back, including your sister. All that will happen is that you will die. That's it."
Ichigo frowns, his gaze desperate, "Then what about Yuzu... was her death meaningless too?!"
The bat Arrancar nods without hesitation, "In my point of view, yes. She was objectively burned to nothing by a Shinigami following orders who didn't care about her. It's as you said, she meant nothing to him..."
The teen Hollow's eyes widen, wanting to yell something to retort, but cannot deny the other Arrancar's logic despite it all.
Orihime, however, adamantly opposes this viewpoint, passionately snapping as tears are still within her eyes, "NO! YUZU MEANT MORE TO ICHIGO THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY KNOW, AND THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE AS WELL! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY SAY ICHIGO LOSING HER WAS NOTHING?!"
Everyone looks at the girl for a moment before Ichigo looks away, a deep scowl on his face.
Ulquiorra passively looks between the room's occupants before addressing the two Arrancars, "In any case, all of the Vasto Lordes are gathering for a meeting. We're the only ones not there. The others are waiting…"
The green-eyed Hollow doesn't pay the group any further mind as he turns and leaves the room without any other words.
Ichigo huffs before looking at the Orihime again with a death glare, speaking to her as if she is an unwelcome stranger, "I don't care if you want to stay here with your brother, but stay out of my business, Inoue... or else..."
The Hollow King stomps out of the room, refusing to elaborate.
The auburn-haired girl looks down with a sad look on her face, leaving Sora to pat her on the head.
She looks up at her brother with some tears still in her widened eyes as he gives a reassuring smile, "He just needs time to work this out... I'm sure he didn't mean a lot of the nasty things he said."
Orihime purses her lips as she looks up at her brother, not feeling any better, "I know... I just can't help but worry about him, brother..."
Sora sighs briefly, still patting his sister's head as he suddenly shifts to a far more jovial smile, "In any case, I hope the new clothes are to your liking... I know you can be quite picky about your appearance sometimes."
The girl widens her eyes as she notes the Arrancar glance at her hairpins, still maintaining a loving smile. She can't help but recall when she told her brother she hated the hairpins right before he died.
Her mouth contorts before turning to a smile of her own, as she explains, "I love them! Wearing the same clothes as you makes it feel like we'll always be together, big brother!"
Sora's own eyes widen as tears involuntarily form at the edges of his eyes.
After a moment, he smiles again and gives a hearty laugh, further ruffling her hair, a bit more aggressively, "I'm so lucky to have a little sister like you, Orihime!"
Orihime blushes and laughs as she pushes back her brother's hand, "Ow! That hurts!"
The siblings continue to laugh with each other as Sora retracts his hand, allowing them to enjoy the moment despite the current situation.
Meanwhile, Tatsuki stands outside, a distance down the hall, wearing a customized white Gi with black borders, reminiscent of her karate Gi. She has her eyes closed and arms crossed, a definite frown on her face.
She catches Ichigo storming down and remarks, "She just wanted to help, you know. We all did..."
The teen Hollow pauses as he passes the girl, his back turned on her.
Tatsuki continues with a solemn look, "Whenever you're ready to share this burden with us, let us know... we're not going anywhere, Ichigo..."
Ichigo narrows his eyes before continuing to walk down the hall, following Ulquiorra.
About 2 Minutes Later, Espada Meeting Room
Ichigo and Ulquiorra enter the dark room previously used by the Espada to conduct meetings. They look over the room's occupants, finding many of them seated at the long table in the middle. The orange-haired Hollow notes Aizen and Barragan at the end of the table, on the other side of the room, seemingly the only ones who have noticed him as they remain quiet. The other Hollows, meanwhile, bark loudly at each other, demanding that they attack the Shinigami further.
Zommari suddenly slams his fist on the table, loudly and passionately voicing such a stance, "HOW MUCH LONGER ARE WE GOING TO KEEP LETTING THE SHINIGAMI GET AWAY WITH WHATEVER THEY WANT! THEY EVEN TRICKED LORD WHITE'S SISTER INTO KILLING ONE OF THE ESPADA!"
Ichigo narrows his eyes, certain that wasn't exactly the case, but remains quiet, still not being noticed by the room's occupants.
Halibel also regards Zommari with narrowed eyes, however, unlike Ichigo, she argues, "Hueco Mundo will only need to sacrifice more of its own if we are to wage war, though... I question if this is worthwhile."
Nnoitora, leaning against the wall a distance away, hisses in disappointment as Halibel and Zommari continue their debate, "How could Aaroniero go and get himself killed by some little girl anyway? It's pathetic…"
Nelliel, standing next to the mantis Arrancar, frowns, "Didn't you hear what he just said? That girl is Ichigo's sister. She managed to survive against the Head Captain, something I know for a fact you couldn't do, Nnoitora."
The taller Arrancar growls at the woman, "She only managed that because Lord White was there, and you know it! Don't think we didn't see the battle through the golden threads!"
Dordoni hums, the mention of Roka's threads prompting him to turn to Szayel, "Where is that panther at? I would think someone as fearsome as the Uncrowned King would at least want to discuss tearing apart the Shinigami, no…?
Szayel adjusts his glasses as he wears a smug smirk, "Oh him? He's still quite angry that his battle with Lord White was interrupted—so much so that he threatened to kill me on multiple occasions. It was quite the sight…"
Gantenbainne, next to Dordoni, sweat drops as he asks nervously, "What did you do to him...?"
The pink-haired Hollow waves him off as he huffs, "What's with that face…? I didn't kill him or anything like that… I merely knocked him out with a little drug I've been developing."
Szayel suddenly flinches as he finally notes Ichigo, who looks right at him with narrowed eyes, causing him to wave his hands defensively, "I-It wasn't my idea! Those twin female Adjuchas you travel with suggested it!"
Ichigo's gaze becomes less hostile as he considers this, "Loly and Menoly...? Yeah, that does sound like something they would say..."
Szayel exhales in mild relief as the Hollow King seemingly gives him a pass as he turns his attention away from the scientist and onto Barragan and Aizen standing at the end of the table.
The Vasto Lordes halt their discussion, becoming silent as they all acknowledge Ichigo's presence.
Aizen appears ready to say something but the young Hollow cuts him off with a serious look on his face, addressing something that has been bugging him, "What was that lance Yamamoto wielded?"
The Shinigami with slicked-back brown hair explains, "The Sōkyoku is what it was called. It is said to have power equivalent to one million Zanpakutōs. Its power is so mighty that it was only used as a weapon meant for ceremonial executions as if it were to be wielded in battle, it could quite easily destroy the Soul Society as collateral damage. Yet, in the hands of Head Captain Yamamoto, its power was tamed and focused. I am not exaggerating when I say that any other Shinigami would be unable to wield it in such a way."
Ichigo furrows his brow as he frowns, "Is that it…?"
Aizen raises a slightly amused brow, obliging in continuing his explanation, "No, there is indeed more to it than that—the other reason that it is only used in ceremonial executions… it is to prevent the blade from being destroyed, an interesting piece of information that I was able to dig up from the Central 46 archives."
Most of the Hollows look bored, as the lore behind a spear that has already been destroyed does not interest them in the slightest. The Hollow King, however, continues to listen intently, unable to shake the sensation he felt from the lance.
The Shinigami concludes, "The Sōkyoku acted not only as a ceremonial blade for executions but also as a seal. The phoenix form it takes on is the essence of the individual whose power it works to seal. It was designed to trap the entirety of the individual within, ensuring he never returns, but he was reportedly so mighty that that wasn't possible. So, the lance works to significantly seal off his power to the point that the Gotei 13 can restrain him and lock him up in the depths of the most secure prison in the Soul Society: Muken, where he yet remains…"
The orange-haired Hollow places a thoughtful hand on his chin while Barragan shifts nervously at the mention of a phoenix, prompting him to ask, "Aizen… this individual… what is their name…?"
Aizen smirks knowingly at the former King as he reveals, "Arturo Plateado—the most powerful Hollow in history."
This is what finally grabs the attention of the Hollows in the room, making them look curiously at the Shinigami in confusion.
Cirucci frowns as she states what every Hollow in the room besides Barragan is thinking, "Arturo Plateado…? I've never even heard of him… it's probably just some myth made up by the Shinigami to scare their young."
Barragan suddenly hisses at the woman, causing her to flinch, "HE IS NO MYTH! Now, all of you, GET OUT!"
The Hollows are shocked by the fearful and urgent tone that the skeletal Hollow is using. After a moment, a majority of the Vasto Lordes present look to Ichigo for confirmation. As the younger Hollow snaps out of his own shock at Barragan's reaction, he regards the others with a nod. One by one, the Hollows begin to leave the room as ordered.
Sora, however, just enters the room as Stark lazily regards him, "We've gotta step out, man. Boss' orders…"
The serpent Arrancar frowns slightly as he pouts, turning around to leave, "But I just got here…!"
After a few more moments, the Vasto Lordes finish exiting the room, leaving the trio alone as the doors close.
Barragan immediately questions the Shinigami urgently, "ARTURO YET LIVE?! YOU ARE CERTAIN OF THIS?!"
Aizen shrugs, an amused glimmer shining in his eyes, "Perhaps… it would certainly fit with the stories of how he nearly, single-handedly, destroyed the Gotei 13, as well as defeating Head Captain Yamamoto."
The former King hisses before continuing to speak with the Shinigami, leaving Ichigo to scrunch his brows and recall the tombstone in the tower with the wraith, clearly reading 'Arturo Plateado', greatly unnerving him as the pieces start to click into place.
He widens his eyes as he finally processes Aizen's statement about Yamamoto, "Wait… he did what…?"
The Shinigami looks upon Ichigo, whose gaze is still downcast, before confirming, "Arturo defeated Yamamoto while he was using his Bankai. Any of us three would die if we fought the Head Captain directly while he was even just using his Shikai. His title as the strongest Hollow is not a lie. His name alone is something that sparks fear into the hearts of the nobility who have recorded him in their scrolls."
Ichigo's gaze is distant and dejected, somehow twisting this into an excuse to be angry at himself, "That guy singlehandedly almost destroyed the Soul Society, Yamamoto included… yet here I am, with all this power, still unable to so much as save the one, single person I set out to protect from the Shinigami…"
Aizen notes the young Hollow's expression, his mind quickly adapting to use this to his advantage as assures, "In any case, I doubt we have anything to worry about. If he is not an ally, then the Soul Society will have to deal with him first anyway. Considering they've sealed him once; they can likely do so again. Moving on to more important matters—why the Vasto Lordes were summoned here…"
Ichigo and Barragan look at the Shinigami curiously as grabs an orb-like object from his Gi: the Hōgyoku, "With this, we can create an army of Arrancars, led by the Hollow King, which may be used to officially go to war with the Soul Society…"
The Hollow King, taking his thoughts away from the legendary Hollow, closes his eyes as he seriously considers this. His thoughts drift to the Espadas and Vasto Lordes who were just in the room, some of whom he knows are strong enough to hold their own or outright defeat the likes of the Shinigami Captains.
He dwells on his experience as an Arrancar, "Sora, Ulquiorra, and I removed our masks to achieve a greater sense of wholeness… I know for a fact that we've succeeded in that… I wonder if everyone else could find at least a glimmer of enlightenment by becoming Arrancars, as well… if nothing else, it eliminates the need for those who are not Vasto Lordes to feed…"
Exhaling slowly and opening his eyes, Ichigo glares at Aizen intently, "I told you before, I don't want to wage war against the Shinigami just for the hell of it. I only attacked them because of my sister... that said, I'll let you use that thing on anyone who wants to progress to the next level... as always, try anything funny, and you're dead…"
Aizen frowns slightly, unsatisfied, "Shouldn't you want revenge for your sister, though...?"
The orange-haired Hollow scowls, not really wanting to talk, yet does so anyway, "Why the hell would I? Yamamoto is too strong for me to outright kill and the ones who ordered him to kill my sister have already been killed. There isn't any reason to pursue further bloodshed..."
Ichigo scowls in obvious dejection as he concludes, recalling Ulquiorra's earlier words, "…it won't bring her back…"
Barragan and Aizen look at the young Hollow in shock, beginning to wonder if he is truly a Hollow as his killer instinct is replaced by a defeated aura. Despite this, the Shinigami narrows his eyes, able to tell by the look in the boy's eyes that he meant what he said, revealing that convincing him to wage war will be more difficult than expected. There is a silence between the trio, the two Hollows taking it as Aizen accepting the Hollow King's words.
Barragan speaks up, addressing the younger Hollow, "If it's alright with you, Your Majesty, I'd like to summon the Hollows to the throne room for this. It is the only room large enough that is not damaged from battles to hold everyone."
Ichigo nods, agreeing as both Hollows send the message throughout Las Noches via their mental link with Roka.
As the trio exits the room, the Vasto Lordes look at them questioningly, Sora being the first to speak, "What're we doing in the throne room...?"
The King of Hueco Mundo looks upon his strongest Hollows with a glimmer of purpose in his otherwise downcast and defeated gaze, "It's time to form my Espada..."
Great Underground Prison: Muken
Deep beneath the Squad 1 Barracks is the underground prison: Muken, which imprisons the most dangerous and vile enemies of the Soul Society. Within the dark depths, something or rather someone stirs, wading through the darkness: a humanoid figure with golden eyes, pale white skin, light green hair, a large mask fragment over his right cheek, which extends around his head, and black bandages covering his body. The individual begins to regain control of his body for the first time in over 1000 years.
The figure, the legendary Hollow: Arturo Plateado, smirks as his black bindings begin to disintegrate into purple flames, an excited glimmer in his eyes, "About time someone destroyed that infernal spear...!"
He begins to walk through the darkness as the remainder of his bindings burn up, leaving him naked within the prison.
Arturo wears a toothy smirk as his eyes narrow intently, hungry for a fight, "Before I go, I wonder if there is anyone in this prison worth sinking my teeth in…?"
The man's form disappears with a buzz as he begins to make his escape, searching for a worthy opponent after over 1000 years spent quietly in the dark prison, kicking off a string of events that the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo would forever record in their history books.
Author's Note:
With this chapter, the Soul Society Invasion Arc has come to a close! Thank you everyone who has read and supported to story up to this point, it means a lot! As I requested at the end of the previous arc, I request again that you all post your open-ended thoughts on the story thus far and any hopes you have for it!
Also, if any of you want to discuss the story, ideas, or feedback you might have, feel free to send a private message. I respond better on Discord though. my ID is: getsugagoon …I can also send invites for the story's Discord server, which includes arc for the story as well as channels for open discussion. Hang out channels too, I like to keep things laid back.
Lastly, I think I'll be taking a break from writing for a while to catch up with other things I'd like to do. Given Arturo is entering the story, I want to actually go through and play the games he's in so I can properly adapt and make necessary changes to the character for this story moving forward. I will for sure put out my next within two months, before the Bleach anime comes back. I'll see y'all again then!