"Thanks for all your help." Ichigo spoke softly to the people behind him, all while keeping his attention on Aizen. "But I'm taking care of things from here on out. It's best if all of you don't get involved."
"Well if you're so sure..." He heard Kisuke reply. "We'll keep the others safe."
Even without looking, he could tell there were unfathomable questions running through the minds of the powerless. Most of them at least. At the level where he was at, starting a battle would cause everything to fall apart. So he had to make sure everyone was in check before fighting Aizen.
Closing his eyes, he began to search for his younger sisters, hoping that both were safe. It took less than a second for him to locate their Spirit Energies. They were at the clinic. No harm was done from what he sensed. 'That's good… Yuzu and Karin seem okay.' He opened his eyes again, as he now turned to face his friends. With a glance he could tell all of them were full of fear and confusion.
The Substitute noticed someone groggily waking up on Gwen's back. The red hair made it easier to remember it was Mary Jane. He felt bad, knowing that she got into a horrible situation she's not aware of. Along with Black Cat. They didn't deserve to get involved in this mess. "Tatsuki, Kiego, Mizuiro, Chizuru, Don Kanonji, Gwen, Black Cat… and Mary Jane. Everybody just stay where you are. Stay still, and don't move a muscle." he instructed them.
"Huh?!" Keigo was dumbfounded, but he had no time to explain things. "Wait, what do you mean—"
"Ichigo Kurosaki…" Aizen interrupted, and he could only guess he had his attention. Now he gazed over the body of Gin Ichimaru, whom he sensed hardly had any life left in him. He wasn't sure how or why it happened, but he could only guess that Aizen ended up killing him too. "Are you really… Ichigo Kurosaki?"
Ichigo narrowed his eyes on the evolved being, but was somewhat confused by the odd remark. "What exactly do you mean by that?" He asked a simple question, not understanding why the man would ask something he should already be aware of.
"Well if you really are him... I must say I'm quite disappointed." Aizen remarked, his face contorted into a frown. "I don't feel a thing. There's no ounce of Spirit Energy within you. Even if you were suppressing it, I'd still be able to sense it." His eyes narrowed sharply, giving a disapproving glare. "You have failed to evolve. You let the final chance I gave you slip away. What a waste of time." There was a layer of frustration behind his tone.
This… wasn't what he was expecting.
Ichigo... Kurosaki?
He was here?
His voice sounded a little deeper, but that was definitely him. Not wanting to pass out before seeing the light of hope, Gin shifted his gaze where the boy's voice rang. His dying blue eyes opened ever so slightly before they met Ichigo's.
What he saw didn't disappoint him in the least. He couldn't detect an ounce of hesitation in him, nor was there a hint of arrogance. He was confident. Simple as that. 'I can see it… your eyes have more power in them.' Gin thought, feeling death approach him ever so slightly. But he wasn't afraid. Relief washed over him, knowing that his struggle hadn't been in vain. 'That's good. You're at a level now… where I can die… and leave the rest to you.' he thought, closing his eyes as pure blackness washed over him.
"Regrettable… you—"
"Aizen." Ichigo cut him off, having no interest in hearing his rant. He had more pressing matters to be concerned with. "Let's not do this here. I'd rather fight somewhere else."
"An impertinent suggestion." Aizen scoffed at this, whether from interrupting him or wanting to fight somewhere safer, he couldn't care less. "Only someone who has the power to give me a real challenge has the right to make such a request." So he saw him as inferior. That was going to change. "But there's no need to worry. This will be over before you—"
Ichigo shoved his palm onto Aizen's face, pushing him to the ground before leaping far away from everyone, all the while keeping a firm grip. He saw the shocked look on Aizen's face as he leaped across the whole town in one leap before throwing him on the ground. The impact was great as it caused a crater near the mountains from Aizen's crash. The evolved boy could see that it caused damage to his enemy as well, seeing that a third of his face was gone.
Ichigo landed gently on the terrain. They were outside the city. There was a purple glow forming on Aizen's head, and before he could blink his head had already reformed exactly how it was before.
"Let's do this, Aizen." He saw Aizen getting up, his purple eyes meeting his own as he looked to be in shock. "I'll end this… in an instant."
Aizen seemed to compose himself, looking at him with those calculated eyes of his, as if searching an answer right out of him. "In an instant...?" His lips curved into a smile, seemingly recovering from his momentary shock. "Yes… now I see. It's so clear to me now. You didn't lose your Spirit Energy… instead you discarded it. I don't know how you did it, but you somehow converted your Spirit Energy into your body's physical stats."
That… couldn't be right. What nonsense was he talking about? This isn't like Aizen at all. And that condescending attitude didn't make him any better. "Your arm strength, your leg strength, your strong grip, the power in your running and throwing. In exchange for every single one of these physical abilities, you chose to discard your Spirit Energy. You gave up trying to fight my energy with your energy."
The thought of achieving something like that seemed ridiculous, and frankly he didn't care what he was saying. "I must admit that you caught me by surprise… but don't think that'll help you." Aizen remarked, seeming so sure of himself. Ichigo didn't understand how he can stand to hear himself talk like this. "Soon you'll learn… that new power that you're relying on is far inferior to my own. As I'm about to demonstrate…" Aizen's body began to glow momentarily as his wings spread out.
Ichigo didn't understand what he was rambling about. Surely he should have figured everything out by now shouldn't he? His power increased somewhat since he regenerated his head, but that didn't come close to him. "Ya done?" Ichigo asked in a bored tone, as his mind wandered practically somewhere else from Aizen's monologue.
Aizen didn't answer, but instead his entire form sparkled brightly, and it disappeared completely. It wasn't just that. His Spiritual Pressure had been erased entirely. Ichigo darted his eyes, trying to sense where Aizen was at. It wasn't a fast movement like Flash Step or Hirenkyaku or even Sonido for that matter.
Suddenly he picked up his energy readings, and it was right behind him. Ichigo turned around as he swung his sword to deflect Aizen's blade that was coming at him. Both blades clashed, and the result of it produced an immense shockwave that completely obliterated a mountain without trace. Both fighters jumped back to gain distance. Relief washed over Ichigo, as he was glad the impact was reduced to a minimum.
"Incredible…" Aizen mused to himself, as he seemed to observe the damaged surrounding. "With a simple strike of my sword, the entire mountain had been erased. Even I didn't think my abilities had increased to such a degree." He gave him a cryptic smile. "And I oughta thank you, Ichigo Kurosaki. Now that you're here, I can fully test out the power that transcends Hollows and Soul Reapers to my heart's content."
Aizen charged at the young man, sword raised up high as he was ready for combat. They clashed their swords once again, and small bits of power obliterated another mountain, causing more collateral damage. Aizen struck horizontally to bisect him, but Ichigo put a simple defensive counter by placing his sword vertically, blocking another strike. Traces of Spiritual Pressure were let out, destroying the mountains around them. Despite the intensity, it was as light as a sparring match.
The feeling of clashing with him like this… it felt wrong.
They clashed yet again, destroying more mountains in doing so whilst the two of them were perfectly unharmed. "How strange…" Aizen mused as he stared at Ichigo's glove, not bothering to focus on him. "By sheer coincidence we seemed to have reached a similar evolution. Through introspection, both of our right arms seem to have fused with our Zanpakutos, which I see is the truest form." Aizen stopped before making a small chuckle.
"What's so funny?" Ichigo didn't show it, but he was entirely confused about what he could possibly be laughing about. He couldn't believe how he was acting.
"I just realized something while we clashed… it's clear to me that your evolution and mine are not on the same level." He couldn't be more right. "If I so wanted, I can shatter your Zanpakuto with just one swing!" he exclaimed, showing off a smug smirk as he went on to swing his sword horizontally.
Well this simply wouldn't do. As the sword moved at speeds that would be too fast for anybody else to perceive… he simply moved his left arm to intercept Aizen's sword during its halfway mark, stopping it completely. Loud rumbling occured, and the landscape behind fell apart completely, forming a massive canyon.
This didn't make any sense.
Disbelief ran through Aizen's face, his mind halted as he proceeded what just occurred. 'He... He caught it?!' he thought, now processing what just occurred. The power he held was enough to change worlds, so great that he couldn't possibly imagine anything stronger than him… yet his attack was caught like it was a toy. 'I can understand moving out of the way, but that should have been too fast! If he did that he would reduced the chances of getting hurt! Yet he chose to grab it? He caught it… with his bare hand no less…'
"Why do you look surprised?" Aizen snapped out of his tumor, looking at his research subject, who acted without a care in the world. He was almost impressed with the demeanor. "Is it really such a mind blowing thing? Yes, I did catch your sword, so what?" There was a trace of mockery, whether it was intentional or not he didn't care at the moment. "Does it scare you? That something you can't comprehend happened right before your eyes?"
Now that was absurd. So absurd that it was laughable. The boy's humor seems to have improved as well. Now getting over his momentary shock, Aizen started to chuckle, which made the boy stir in confusion. "That was quite funny, Ichigo Kurosaki." he jumped backwards, giving a cynical smile. Despite what he was showing, he wanted nothing more than to crush him. Such insolence on a God like him shall not come to pass. "Something I can't comprehend? You dare talk in that triumphant manner?! What just happened is that your physical strength temporarily surpassed my own!" No reaction from him. Not a slight change in his body language. "Miracles like that do happen from time to time. However, I am a being that surpasses even the miraculous! To make sure an anomaly like that never happens again, I will destroy you with Kido!"
He knew the proper method to crush Ichigo's cockiness. Once he sees the gap between them, he will surely drown in despair. Never again will he be talked back like this. He raised his index finger upwards, and his entire body was covered by a black aura with a purple outline. "The oozing crest of corruption! The arrogant vessel of madness! Deny the seething urge to let things stun and flicker!" There was a faint glow of energy, barely reminiscent that of a box. "Disturb the sleep! The crawling princess of iron! The eternally self destructive doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill the earth, and know your powerlessness!" The incantation was complete. Now for the grand finale. "Hado #90: Kurohitsugi!" he pronounced the name, using every ounce of his Spiritual Pressure into this attack.
The sky has darkened. The torrent of energy began to take shape into a coffin. Each of them topped off with cross-shaped spears, before they multiplied at an incredible rate. Unlike back in the Soul Society, this one was drastically larger in size, and it continued to expand.
"A full incantion Kurohitsugi, performed by a being who transcends both Soul Reapers and Hollows!" He boasted, and he saw Ichigo standing completely still. He will pay for his arrogance for not stopping him. The boy must be petrified with fear by now. An eager, almost maniacal smile formed on Aizen's face, hoping to see despair on Ichigo's face. "Its power has enough gravity that it transcends time and space! The likes which even you can never begin to comprehend! Perish, Ichigo Kurosaki!"
The coffin had closed completely, trapping Ichigo with no means of escape. Aizen looked at the work he accomplished, and he couldn't help but marvel at it. The size of his improved Kurohitsugi rivaled that of a skyscraper. He almost pittied the boy for the excruciating pain he must be going through. The power to tear apart time and space, a force that crushes atoms into even lesser molecules would be incomprehensible to just about anyone.
Before he could blink, the entire Kurohitsugi broke apart like glass. Aizen's entire being was filled with disbelief. His purple eyes widened as far as they could, as he drew attention as to what made his Kido break apart like that. To his dumbfounded luck, it was Ichigo, having moved his left arm. What disturbed him was that there was no scratch on him at all. This didn't make any sense. There had to be an explanation for this. Right?
"Don't you get it by now?" Ichigo began to march towards him, his composure as calm as before. When taking a closer look, the eyes held not that of a brash, conflicted youth. They held that of a hardened man. "The power I have is greater than whatever power you possess. It's as simple as that." He told him as though he were lecturing him. "Oh, and the shockwaves that erased those mountains from earlier? That… was my sword."
The realization struck Aizen like a freight train. He didn't have time to ponder about it, as Ichigo charged forward, his black sword raised up high as he cleaved his head off. Everything became black as his head hit the ground.
'Did he get slower?' Ichigo had gotten behind where Aizen was, his blade having been stained by Aizen's blood. He turned around to look at the decapitated body, wondering if that was enough.
To his dismay, it wasn't, as more Spiritual Pressure was coming from Aizen. His head glowed brightly before spawning a new head. Eye contact was made, and to his surprise, Aizen teleported away from him. He was now seen standing on top of a cliff, holding his neck as he tried to understand what happened.
"What an odd reaction." Ichigo spoke, turning his eyes away from Aizen. He didn't need to look to know that the man was confused about what he meant. "Back in our last battle, I backed away from you and you asked me why. Now here you are doing the exact same thing." He called out the irony. "Now let me ask you the exact same question... Aizen…" He coolly looked at the transcendent being. "Why did you back away from me just now?"
If looks could kill… that was certainly the face Aizen made. The self proclaimed transcendent being gave a look of anger, and not a subtle one at that. "I see…" Aizen replied, his words carried venom in them. The hollow sword began to shake violently with how hard he was clenching it. "You're pleased that you caught my sword, aren't you? Then I assume you're also pleased you stopped my Kido." Despite the harshness of his tone, he didn't pay heed to them. "Then you're equally pleased that you thought you killed me." His face twisted that into rage, his eyes bearing hatred. "Well don't be so full of yourself... HUMAN! AAAAAAAARGH!"
The black orb within Aizen's forehead shattered, seemingly forming a new one with a white eye on it. "Hm?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes on the man. He saw blood leaking out of the third eye, and Aizen seemed to be breathing heavily. He didn't understand what was happening to him. The eye was moving as though it were alive, right before it clenched itself shut. A sickening crunch occurred in his ears as Aizen's neck snapped. It's as if his life was being drained right out of him. Numerous cracks formed on his eyes, and it was then Aizen gasped, as though he were conscious of what was happening.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" A bright, dense pillar of Spiritual Pressure emerged from Aizen, who screamed in torn agony. Ichigo thought of stopping this, but he didn't know what was happening, nor was he sure if his intervention would make things worse. Aizen moved his head back, clenching his face before his back exploded as some monstrous demon tendrils with heads came out. "AAAAAAAARGH!" The Reishi became denser, cloaking Aizen's form entirely. It didn't take long before the pillar of light shattered, blood covering half the mountain that Aizen stood on, as the man's outlook changed drastically.
The state of his being had Ichigo form a look of pity. Aizen had gone as far as to tear his body a new one, quite literally in fact. All for what? He didn't understand what Aizen was trying to accomplish with this. His power had skyrocketed compared to before, but it amounted little to nothing.
"Yes… it's true, isn't it, Hogyoku?" The being, now more Hollow than man, stood up, narrowing his gaze at him. "You cannot allow a mere mortal to get the better of me. It is simply… unforgivable!"
One of Aizen's wing heads charged what seemed to be a Cero. It was only for a few moments, but the blast was already set in stone. When it released, Ichigo was taken aback by what Aizen set to do. Sensing what would happen if it hit the ground, Ichigo instinctively put his left arm at front in an attempt to nullify the damage.
The blast hit him full front. In doing so caused an immense explosion so great that one would think atomic bombs had dropped with how large the blast had spread. Everything around him had been decimated into nothing. Unnatural flames lingered around him from the heat of the Cero. His left arm suffered severe burns, and some of his cloak was gone as well.
If Ichigo had dodged that, then the blast would have blown the whole planet thousands of times over. Knowing that Aizen would go this far, Ichigo formed a look of anger as he saw Aizen floating in the air. If he hadn't been caught off guard by the intent, he would have reduced the damage to zero.
"You took that attack well. But it appears you can no longer use your left arm." Aizen said without regard to what he tried to pull off. He then used the wings to fly to his direction before he grabbed Ichigo by the throat, pulling him away from the pillar of Reishi flame. The wings seemed to act on their own, with each of them opening an eye as they glowed purple. One of them alone charged up the same level of attack as the last one. Around his neck there were layered rings that seemed to prevent him from escaping.
"Can you hear me, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Aizen asked as tightened the grip on his throat. "I'll give you credit… you managed to break the boundaries of Soul Reapers and Hollows in order to become a transcendent being, but only briefly! That power is no more! Not a trace of it remains! I, a true transcendent being, will be the cause of your death! I can almost taste victory…" Aizen continued his psychotic rant, the man being lost in his own madness as he threatened to kill him. Yet he previously wanted to help his "growth" or whatever. "Yes… by killing you, I'll be truly free! There will be nothing to stop me anymore! It's over... Ichigo Kurosaki!"
"Cut the crap." Ichigo has had enough. He gave a look of annoyance, and Aizen seemed to be shocked. This had to stop. "You really want to kill me… with something as weak as this?" With a simple stroke, Ichigo swung his sword diagonally as he neutralized the attack. The shockwave dispersed all the fire, and it sent Aizen flying backwards. "Let's end this, Aizen. All this rambling you keep going on and on about… well... I'm sick and tired of it." He expressed his frustrations.
It hasn't even been half an hour since they fought and already Ichigo recognized how much of a threat Aizen posed, despite the clear power gap. He really couldn't kill him. And he was constantly getting stronger as this went on. But if you hit him with an attack so powerful to negate that immortality… "So prepare yourself, Aizen…" Ichigo pointed his blade straight at Aizen, putting his burnt arm on his right wrist, his stance reminiscent of him about to use Bankai. "This… is the Final Getsuga Tenshou."
His body was shrouded by a densely powerful blue aura, with black tints coming out as he underwent his ultimate transformation. He heard Aizen gasp, the torn monster figure now taken aback by this. "What... What is that form?! What is happening?!" Fear reigned in Aizen's voice. His body shook uncontrollably from undergoing his transformation.
Ichigo wasn't interested in listening anymore. He knew that once he used this, there was no going back. He felt solemn, hoping that it wouldn't have come to this, that he wanted to exclude this in some way…
Ichigo's sword snapped in half from his clash with the merged Tensa Zangetsu. His blade couldn't handle the impact anymore. The conflicted boy turned around in time to barely block a backhanded strike with his broken blade, but in doing so sent him crashing towards a building.
"How long do you intend to keep doing this?" The Zanpakuto Spirit asked as he hovered in the air.
Ichigo grunted as he struggled to get up. Each time he thought he was getting somewhere, Zangetsu always stayed far above him. Yet, that was the least of his worries. "Didn't you hear me before?" Half of his right sleeve had been torn, and his left foot sustained bleeding as well. "I won't stop at all! Not until you teach me the Final Getsuga Tenshou!" he exclaimed.
The Zanpakuto Spirit remained quiet for a moment until he spoke. He was so high up. Funny enough, in a way it represented the gap between them. "And as I've told you before, I have no intention of telling you that!" The Spirit yelled before lunging at him again.
With how many times they've repeated this, Ichigo was used to the patterns, bringing his broken blade to block Zangetsu's strikes. Each blow was like a sledgehammer slamming a rusty tool. At one point in the exchange, Ichigo got kicked in the gut, resulting in crashing towards another building, leaving a crater in doing so.
'Something's not right…' Ichigo thought to himself as he struggled to get up. How long has it been since they started fighting? In a place like this, you easily lose track of time. Days? Weeks? Months? 'If he were really serious about not letting me teach this technique, then he could have ended this at any time. I was never a match for him. There was that much of a difference between our powers.'
Ichigo looked up to see the Fused Spirit coming from above, vertically swinging his sword down. Ichigo used his Flash Step to get away, making Tensa hit the wall instead. It didn't slow the spirit down, as he charged at him again. 'If he had serious intentions of not telling me, he could have hidden himself and left me in the dark just like that. It would have been so easy.' They continued their pointless clash. Tensa Zangetsu demonstrated superior skills as he grabbed Ichigo's arm and threw him on the other side of the building. 'So then… why…' Ichigo coughed as he got up, his long hair flowing between his eyes. 'He has me at an absolute disadvantage… So why is it that I sense so much sadness flowing through his blade?'
Tensa Zangetsu looked at his sword for a brief moment before locking his eyes with him. He charged once again, and Ichigo put his broken blade at a diagonal angle to prevent Tensa from slashing him. Both stubborn combatants flew in the air, their cloaks flapping on their own. They were engaged in a lock. Yet the mixed blade shook more than Ichigo's. Tensa Zangetsu looked away, a gap in his emotional guard that allowed Ichigo to feel more of his emotions.
Then it dawned on him.
The Hollow Spirit knocked him back far away like a tennis ball. Normally Ichigo would have tried to slow down his momentum, but he didn't feel the need to.
All this time they've done nothing but fight with one another. For a while he's felt nothing but sadness within Zangetsu. This hasn't happened since he came here to learn the Final Getsuga Tenshou… and he's done nothing but demand answers when he's brought this world to sorrow. So the only way to stop the pointless fighting was to let things go… And simply accept his sword.
Ichigo loosened his grip on the handle, and only for a brief moment was he hesitant to let it go, fearing he may be wrong. But knowing his spirit never meant to harm him, he made a smile as he completely let go of his sword. The moment he did so, he felt Tensa Zangetsu's blade pierce through his chest.
Blood erupted, yet strangely it didn't bother him one bit. Tensa stood still, to which Ichigo thought he ended up being right. "So you figured it out after all." Tensa made a noticeable sigh. "The only way to acquire the Final Getsuga Tenshou was to give up all resistance and accept my blade."
"I… don't feel any pain." Ichigo remarked in a blunt tone as blood escaped from the stab wound.
Tensa made a half hearted laugh. "Are you serious? You figured out how to acquire the Final Getsuga but not this? Tensa Zangetsu is you, Ichigo. Once you accept that, there can be no pain running through you." His voice was quaking. Though they were literally underwater, there was a tear streaming down on Tensa's face.
"Why are you crying then?" Ichigo wanted to know. He figured out the technique to use that will help him defeat Aizen, so why was he crying?
"Because of the path you have chosen." Tensa Zangetsu answered in a solemn tone. "Ichigo… do you remember what I told you at the start of our battle? That what you wanted to protect wasn't the same thing I wanted to protect?"
It seemed so long ago, but it was still fresh in his memory. "Yeah…" Ichigo murmured.
"What I wanted to protect…" Tears strolled uncontrollably from Tensa Zangetsu's eyes. His white hair waved as he looked into Ichigo's eyes, his fave contorted into anguish. "... Was always you, Ichigo!"
Having been completely dumbfounded, Ichigo widened his eyes in shock. Zangetsu wanted to protect… him? Questions circled in Ichigo's head. He didn't understand what he was saying. "Wait… what do you mean by that?"
Tensa Zangetsu formed a look of pity as he let go of his blade. "The answer you seek…" He backed away from him, his form floating backwards. "Will be directly converted into this blade." Ichigo looked down at the mixed blade. He couldn't explain it in words, but somehow he was beginning to know how to use the Final Getsuga Tenshou.
"Ichigo… if you use this technique, you will…"
Pure black Spiritual Pressure came out of his being. It was so powerful that it threatened to tear Aizen's very existence apart. The former Soul Reaper now looked at him with wide eyes, his mouth left hanging open.
"This… is the Final Getsuga Tenshou." The evolved Ichigo looked at him with fierce red eyes, as though the eyes of a grim reaper looked into his very essence, ready to cast judgment upon him. "Once I use this, I become Getsuga itself. But once I use this technique... I will lose all of my powers." Ichigo informed Aizen. "That's… what the word Final means."
…
'I still can't sense him…' The transcendent being thought to himself, all the while his view of reality was warped. Dread couldn't begin to describe the sickness he felt from being in Ichigo's presence. He felt as though he could barely keep his form altogether. 'I don't understand... I had evolved into a being beyond that of any Soul Reaper or Hollow, in the same manner how a 2 dimensional being can never interact with a 3 dimensional being.' He thought back to all his transformations that led up to the current events.
'No human, Soul Reaper, or Hollow should be able to detect my Spiritual Pressure, unless I deliberately allow myself to bring my power down to their level of awareness.'
…
It finally hit him.
If he's incapable of detecting Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure in the same manner as those from a lower plane couldn't detect him. That'd simply mean… 'Wait a minute… could it actually be…?' The realization petrified Aizen in fear unlike anything he's ever felt before. 'Are you… standing on a higher dimension…?' There was a snap within his mind. Aizen grit his teeth, focusing all the willpower and rage to summon to move. "No, no, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOO!" Aizen could no longer control himself. "THIS COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE! I AM THE TRANSCENDENT ONE! A MERE MORTAL CAN'T POSSIBLY SURPASS A GOD!"
His throat went dry, emotions running at an all time high as an unknown, black flame surrounded Ichigo's right arm. The superior raised it up high, ready to bring it down. Aizen found it impossible to move, his instincts screamed, begging to run away. Just as Ichigo's friends themselves were, he too felt locked in place just by the steel gaze of The Transcendent One in front of him.
"Mugetsu."
Before Aizen could grasp it, he felt pain stabbing through all sides. A black, vertical wave of energy had cut him in half like paper. Colors around him disappeared, all that remained were black and white. What he saw inside was darkness so thick that no light could penetrate it. Aizen could feel his very being eradicating, his mind disappearing, and his core being erased. Everything there ever was torn until no piece of Aizen remained. The last thing he could feel an enraged voice hissing from within.
His most powerful technique must have gone on for miles before it stopped. If he didn't know better, he'd say he may have carved the Soul Society into a new one.
It was now done. Any trace that remained of Aizen was gone for good. Though it couldn't be seen well with bandages covering most of his face, he made a somber look. He could feel his powers disappearing as most of the bandages disappeared from his body already.
Ichigo knew this had to be done. But the inner part in him still felt saddened that after all the power he obtained, he was asked to throw it all away. Never to return again. He sighed, thinking to himself that despite his wishes, this was the best solution. At least it was finally over.
It wasn't until a tiny portion of Spiritual Pressure was felt. Ichigo went pale as he recognized it. He turned his head to look at the landscape on his right. "No way…" he murmured. Using his Flash Step, he arrived immediately in an attosecond.
He didn't even get half a minute to ponder about his sacrifice before he sensed him again. This should have been impossible. He should be dead. It didn't take long before white particles fused together, forming into a complete entity.
Or what remained of the man at least. His entire skin was paler than Ulquiorra's. His hair was long and messy. There was a fraction of Hollow teeth residing on the right cheek. His whole body was still carved in half, yet somehow moved around. Raspy breathing escaped his lips, one that may as well have come from a horror movie.
"What does it take to kill you?" Ichigo asked with a glare, clenching his left fist.
"Haaaaarhh…" Aizen groaned in a mixture of agony and laughter as he struggled to stand up. His right eye had the same look before he evolved again, but his left one was gone completely.
He was still regenerating, albeit not as quick. It was clear his technique still affected Aizen… yet all it did was slow him down. Gaining his composure, Ichigo took a step forward to finish him off. Feeling as though someone took the wind out of his body, his hair reverted back to his middle sized orange. He fell down to his knees, as though a great force besides Spiritual Pressure weighed him down.
'What?!' Ichigo was in shock. Whatever power he had was dropping at an alarming rate. 'My powers… they're disappearing faster than I thought!' He clenched his hands on the reishi filled soil.
"Arrgh…" A low groan reached his ears. Ichigo looked up to see Aizen standing up fully, his carved wound having been healed fully. "It's over... Ichigo Kurosaki." He spoke as though nothing had happened to him. "Observe."
He showed him his Zanpakuto… or what remained of it. More than half the sword was seemingly breaking down on its own. "My Zanpakuto is fading away on its own. Do you know what that means?" He formed an insane grin, looking down on his inferiority. "It means that the Hogyoku determined that I no longer have any need for a Zanpakuto! Like you, I am becoming one with my Zanpakuto and its power! You no longer have that! Watch and wrought in despair… as I reach a level far beyond anything you can imagine! IT'S OVER, ICHIGO KUROSAKI!"
A long thorn of light pierced through his chest. The sudden action took both of them by surprise. Dozens of other thorns emerged from his body. Now he was confused. And so was Aizen. "What the… a Kido?!" The man exclaimed incredulously, taking several steps back. "I don't… understand! When was I attacked by such a thing?!"
"Thank goodness. It actually worked." Was a relieved tone of Kisuke, who came down on the ground, with both Isshin and Yoruichi by his side. "It seems it's taken an effect on you after all."
"Kisuke... Urahara?!" Ichigo was as confused as Aizen seemed to be. He didn't understand what was going on. "You're responsible for this?!"
"That's right." Kisuke nodded his head in confirmation. "I implemented that Kido in you underneath those other Kido I fired at you when you were full of yourself. But I wasn't sure if you negated that or not… but by the looks of things, you didn't notice it after all." he sighed in relief. ''It's a seal. In all honesty, I knew that once you fused with the Hogyoku, killing you would have been extremely difficult, if not outright impossible. So I invented a new Kido which possessed the capability of sealing you off."
"I see then…" Aizen took a ragged breath, before pointing his fading sword to the trio. "Well I hate to disappoint you…" he remarked in a condescending tone, a smug grin forming on his features. "But you're too late. As you see, I'm about to evolve to a level you never knew existed! As much as you think you're in control of things, you're sadly mistaken! You can't stop me with this level of Kido!"
Crunch
Half the skin on Aizen's body shattered, the color reverting back to how it was before his transformations. Aizen noticed this immediately, and was left dumbfounded. He stared at his arm with horror, not understanding what was happening. ''What…?" His voice trembled in confusion, as anxiety plastered all over his face.
"I suspect it is the will of the Hogyoku." Kisuke told Aizen, not at all phased by what was happening. "See, the reason why the seal took as long as it did to act is because you were far too strong to be held at that moment." The blonde haired shopkeeper then set his eyes on the downed teen. "This is all thanks to Ichigo. Thanks to his powers he had pushed you to your utmost limits and beyond what the Hougyoku could achieve as of yet."
Ichigo looked impassive on the outside but it was clear that the teen was just as surprised by what the former Captain was saying. "It seems that the Hougyoku can't see you as its Master, as a result, you won't be able to control its power, nor the power you've achieved with it."
Aizen released shaky breaths, his face contorted into distraught as he stared at his arm. "No… you're wrong. It's not possible. I control this power!" His eyes widened as the rods became much larger in size. Even he couldn't hold back the pain as the traitor yelled in agony. A red swirl of energy came from Aizen's feet before it hardened into some material, as it began to surround his body.
Vile, contorted, vivid rage was seen on Aizen's face, his eyes filled with raw hatred "Kisuke Urahara…!" Aizen yelled. "Do you know how much I despise you?! With your great intellect, why is it that you don't take independent action?! Why do you choose to subjectate yourself to that thing?!"
Ichigo's face was filled with confusion. Thing? What was he talking about?
Kisuke then replied. "When you mention that thing… are you talking about the Soul King?" Ichigo whirled his head to look at the shopkeeper, now lost completely on what they were talking about. "I see… so you even know about that as well. I'm sorry, but without the existence of the Soul King, then the Soul Society would cease to exist. The Soul King is the keystone to it all. Without that keystone in place, then everything we know will come to ruin. That's just how the world is."
Ichigo had no idea what he was talking about. Soul King? That thing? "THAT'S AN ARGUMENT ONLY A LOSER WOULD MAKE!" Shattered sounds reached his ears, and Ichigo tensed up when he saw Aizen breaking out of the seal. Both Isshin and Yoruichi prepared themselves for combat.
"A victor should speak of how the world should be!" Aizen tore out the material that covered his shoulder. "Rather than how it currently operates!" The seal seemed to detect this, and only seemed to multiply itself, covering Aizen faster than he could break it. "I refuse to accept a world ruled by that thing!" Now standing before Ichigo was a broken man, one who's lost his sanity and released all the rage he could never comprehend. "I AM A VICTOR! I SHOULD DECIDE HOW THE WORLD SHOULD BE!" He screamed like a deranged madman, eyes filled with bloodlust.
As though to silence him for eternity, the seal was fully finished, finally taking the shape of a Quincy cross. Ichigo looked away in disgust, not wanting to bear to even look at Aizen anymore.
Whilst the great battle waged in the Soul Society, those from other worlds remained oblivious to the one-time event that was happening, such as the Arrancar soldiers who returned to Las Noches. Starrk yawned loudly as he stepped outside Descorrer, with Lilynette by his side before the portal closed behind them.
"What a mess." Was the first thing that came out of Starrk's mouth when seeing collateral damage that had been caused by the result of the grueling battles between the Soul Reapers and his fellow Eapadas.
"Well what did ya expect?!" Lilynette rolled her eyes, folding her arms. "It was an attack! Couldn't you have done something instead of just sleeping?! This has to be fixed before Halloween!"
"Halloween…?" Starrk gave his companion a look of confusion. It was then realization dawned him. "No way…"
"What?" Lilynette gave a look of annoyance.
"I am never getting involved in that again." Starrk expressed a look of disgust, as bad memories flowed into his head. "You actually like that crap?"
"Duh!" Lilynette nodded her head with an eager grin. "I had tons of fun the last time!"
"Well I didn't." Starrk scratched the back of his head. "Turning into a plushie of all things…" he shuddered at the mere thought of that nightmare. "Why Lord Aizen decided to make a holiday from The World of The Living to here is beyond me."
"It wasn't that bad!" Lilynette argued.
"For you. For me it was one of the worst days I ever had."
"Oh come on! What about fighting all the Espada and taking candy from them?!" Lilynette cupped her cheeks, her mouth drooling on those weird paper wrapped candies or however it was called. "They were so good!"
"Look I don't care how good you think those were. I've had enough of everything for one day." Starrk brushed aside his companion's excitement. "Oh, and by the way, unless I'm misremembering, then it's past Halloween." Were the last words that came from Starrk before using his Sonido to disappear.
His comment left Lilynette stunned.
Ichigo sat on a boulder, looking down on the ground with a tired look on his face. He wanted to be left alone, to collect his thoughts on everything that had transpired as so much has happened in such a short time.
"There you are!" Yoruichi exclaimed, appearing behind where the boy sat. Ichigo whipped his head to look at his mentor. The lad got up and turned around to face her. "I've been looking for you." she said as she put her hand on her hip. At that moment, Kisuke and his father showed up next to her.
"Yoruichi, Kisuke, dad?" Ichigo shouldn't be surprised that they found him. After the usage of the Final Getsuga Tenshou, his Spiritual Pressure had been dropping rapidly to the point he could now be sensed again. There was nothing he could do to stop it. He didn't know how much longer his reserves would drop, or if it ever would. "Why are you guys here? I thought the others would have come here by now."
"I sent them back home." Isshin told him. Ichigo expressed a look of confusion. "Believe me when I say Tatsuki and the others wanted to speak to you, Ichigo. But they were terrified. Not by you of course."
Ichigo mentally sighed in relief. "That's good…" Suddenly a realization set in. Since his friends and Black Cat saw Soul Reapers, the standard procedure was to… "Wait… please don't tell me any of you erased their memories." His gaze turned to steel once he mentioned this. He was never fond of the idea of his friend's memories being replaced over something so important, not since Orihime's memories were wiped out from the night her brother Sora tried to kill everyone.
"Nah." Isshin shrugged. "Didn't see the need to. After what happened just now, I don't think that's something they'll ever forget."
Ichigo paused for a moment. He let his father's words sink in. "That's good. I was gonna lose it if I had to keep it hidden. After this mess, I'll explain to each one of them." He would have continued, but when he remembered what the mess was... "Oh… speaking of… what happened to Aizen?"
"The Cross Seal that contained him was taken to the Seireitei." Kisuke was the one who answered him. Looking over at the shop keeper, the look on his face told him it'd have been for the best that he answered. "As I understand, Central 46 will make a decision on his deposition."
Hearing this made Ichigo turn around, his expression was… somber. "I see…" Was all what he replied with.
"Is that sadness I'm detecting?" Was what Ichigo heard Yoruichi say. "Come on, after all this, you still share sympathy for your enemies? Even to someone like Aizen?"
"No." Ichigo replied firmly. His hand clenched into a fist at such a question. "It's not that, it's…" his hand loosened before sitting down on the boulder. "I'm just… not sure how to feel. I have a lot of mixed feelings."
"There any reason why?" Now his father came to question his odd phrasing. "I mean, you just accomplished something that the 13 Court Guard Squads couldn't do. Hell, you saved everybody and got to live through it. May as well start bragging." Ichigo felt a large, goofy grin plastered on his father's face in the latter part of the sentence. He chose not to reply. "Believe me, Ichigo, I know it's gonna be hard to lose your powers, but there simply wasn't any other choice. You made the right call in using the Final Getsuga Tenshou…"
"I couldn't have done it if I hadn't known that. Believe me, I knew what was at stake." He replied, with a pang of guilt evident in his voice. For a moment he didn't hear anyone voicing their opinion. So he resumed. "Hey... Kisuke… is it true what you said earlier? Did the Hogyoku really reject Aizen?"
It was at the end of his training. Before arriving at the real Karakura Town, Kisuk had given him a refresher course on the Hogyoku's true nature. Kisuke hadn't said anything now. "You told me that the Hogyoku's true power was to take in the hearts of others surrounding them, and manifesting their desires into reality." Whilst it was a terrifying ability to be heard of, however… it would come into question why didn't Aizen use it to break out of that seal. "If that really is true… then could it be that the reason Aizen lost was because he wanted to?"
Silence.
As if a machine gun were fired, the atmosphere intensified by a magnitude. "What… do you mean by that?" Yoruichi was the first to break it fairly quickly. Aizen wanting to lose? Surely the concept itself was inconceivable. Hell, he was still wrapping her head around it.
Ichigo sighed. "When I fought Aizen in the Fake Karakura, I felt something strange coming from his blade. Somehow, when I cross swords with others, I can tell what they really want. And let me tell you… I didn't know what he wanted." Crossing blades with him had him stumped with the contradictory desires. "But when I finally gained enough power to feel his Zanpakuto, I can tell you with absolute certainty that there was nothing but loneliness within that blade."
When thinking about those sword exchanges, it was anything but an epic clash of titans. The loneliness and despair he felt was unfathomable, and it tore his being apart. He loathed it. Behind all that great power was the suffering of a man. "It's horrible when you really think about it. For him to have been that strong, he must have been born like that naturally. If that's the case, he must have been searching for someone to be his equal, someone that understands him. It must have been frustrating at first, and then depressing… and later down must have been given up all hope in finding such a being." He let his feelings out. "Until… I came to be." he put his hand on his chest, referring to himself.
This was not to be mistaken with sympathy. It's not like he'd just forgive him after everything he's done. What he did was wrong and that was clear as day. But that emptiness… it made him shudder as to what that isolation can make you do. Even worse if no-one understood you. "For whatever reason, Aizen wanted me to grow stronger. He even went as far as to play me under his thumb. And for the life of me I don't know how." He thought back as to when Aizen turned into that monster. If he could describe it, it was like watching someone lose their sanity entirely. It was uncomfortable, not something he'd put his worst enemy through. "I think he finally lost it during our battle. And by the end of it, somewhere deep in his heart, he simply wanted to be a normal Soul Reaper like everyone else."
The silence that emanated was as heavy as a void. Truth was there was much more he wanted to let out, but he wasn't sure as to how. If he were honest, all this time he went battle after battle after battle. He was sick of all the fighting, that and all the mind games, and all the pressure to save the literal universe itself.
He was tired.
A sound not made by the trio caught his ears. "Hm?" Ichigo turned around, and was surprised to see all his friends, and a fellow Arrancar woman that he met before. He must have been so absorbed in his thoughts that he failed to sense them entirely. "Wait… you guys?!" The sight of them made him jump from his position and landed in front of them. "How the hell did you guys get here so quickly?! Why are you guys walking so soon?!" He asked as he saw Renji, Chad and Rukia covered in bandages.
"Don't worry about it." Uryu pushed the bridge between his glasses with his index finger in that same smug fashion. "Compared to you, we must be having it easy."
"Right…" Ichigo scratched his extended hair. It was only now he realized it felt softer. "But if you don't mind me asking… what exactly is she doing here with you?" He clocked his head towards Halibel's direction.
"I'm the one who brought them here because they had no other way of transportation. Is there some problem?" The nature of her voice was the same as it was months ago. Actually, now that he thought about it, has he seen her face since the last time? He was relieved to know he remembered her… except he forgot her name. But her face seems…
"N-No…" Ichigo shook his head. "I'm just not used to seeing an enemy helping out my friends." He gave her a warm smile. "Thanks for that. I appreciate it."
"At least you know how to say thank you." Was she avoiding eye contact with him? Does she not like him at all? "But I'll be…" Her eyes grew wider before turning back to face him. "Wait… what happened with Aizen?"
Awkwardness pierced his heart. How do you tell someone you defeated their seemingly invincible leader? "Well…"
It was at that moment he heard tears being shed. Instinctively he looked over to see Orihime being the one who openly shed tears, her cheeks were puffy.
"I'm so glad…" Orihime sniffled. "It really is you, Ichigo. With that long hair, I couldn't recognize if that waa you. For a minute I thought it was a completely different person!"
"What…?" Ichigo chuckled at how she jumped to that conclusion. It was so silly. Though speaking of his hair. "Come on, it can't be that bad." He scratched his hair again, and made a small frown. He supposed it was rather long. "Well I guess it is a bit long... I'll get a haircut if that'll help—"
His heart made loud thump. It was loud enough that he'd swear others would be able to hear it. Suddenly all the strength in his legs disappeared as he collapsed face first into rocky land.
His senses went numb. His surroundings were foggy. He was filled with coldness so chilly that it felt like death was squeezing him. He was constantly twitching, and was filled with pain greater than anything he's ever known. He couldn't stop chattering his teeth.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Ichigo let out a blood curdling scream as Spiritual Pressure burst forth from his body. He couldn't hear the anxious voices of others calling out for him. He only felt the pain.
Everything went black.
"We will now pass judgment!"
A bright light hit, showing off the current state of being of the man who had most of his body wrapped by special black bandages and confined to an oddly comfortable chair.
"Former Squad 5 Captain, Sosuke Aizen, we sentence you to the lowest underground prison 8, Muken! You will remain there for 18,800 years!"
And of course, now being in court assembly with the "great" audience of Central 46 themselves. The sounds of a hammer hitting the table reverberated across the room.
"Really now?"
"Hm?!"
"The likes of you passing judgment to me?" Aizen spoke. Both his mind and sanity now regained to the state they were in before subjugating the Hogyoku. "I can't help but simply find it… amusing." The Central 46 that died at that time, now having been replaced with new members, were passing judgment on a being that can never die. The laws of time do not abide to him anymore.
Of course, this left the fools acting flabbergasted. They were like children that were given power. How the Soul Society hasn't fallen apart was a mystery for many.
"Incredible…! To think he has the audacity to speak to us after all this?!" One of the members replied in shock.
"Don't think you can press your luck just because you're immortal!" Another member raised his voice in fury. "We don't have to listen to this nonsense!"
"Restraint his mouth and eye!"
"The years of your sentence have now increased to 20,000!" The first judge from earlier exclaimed as he hit the hammer.
More outrage. Aizen let his smirk stay the same. The bandages that wrapped around his body were seals made by the Department of Research and Facility to keep him in bay. The isolation was the Soul Society's last resort after using every execution method they could find to kill him. It resulted in failure each time.
Yet despite these he could break out of these if he so wanted to. But now he simply let them believe he couldn't do anything. After his initial defeat at the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki, Aizen realized he had much to reflect on his heart. One would say he had been humbled by his defeat.
The world faded into darkness as the last vistages on his face had been sealed away by the bandages. As usual, the Soul Society couldn't see past themselves that the sentence would only serve to aid him.
However, there was one thing that he was interested in seeing, and that was the boy's progress
I hate how it took this long, but here it is at last. The final battle with Dangai Ichigo and Aizen. I did everything I could to make this as enjoyable as it was from the Anime and did the best I could in their reactions with how I interpreted their battle while making sure the story still fit.
For the Lilynette and Starrk scene when they returned to Las Noches, that was supposed to be a Bleach: Brave Souls reference to a Halloween event that happened where Lilynette travels with Starrk who somehow got turned into a plushie by Gin, getting candies, and finding answers to turn Starrk back to normal while battling the Fracciones and other Espadas. Ironically this was not my idea to implement, but rather my Co-Author and another friend who totally didn't have me at gunpoint to force me to write that scene.
Anyway, to give a heads up. Next chapter, which unfortunately is gonna take a while again, won't delve into the Fullbring arc just yet. There's still the Spider-Man, or in this case the vigilante stuff that Ichigo hasn't finished yet. They won't take long, just about 2-3 chapters at maximum before doing the last arc for this volume. Those next chapter might have a lemon next, so heads up for that
As of now, I'll see you all next time.