Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or Bleach.
As usual, thank you to Pyromania101 and Vandenbz for their proofreading. I also want to thank Pyromania101 for the new cover image to the story. Appreciate it!
Battle for Karakura Town Part 3: Battle Royale
Ben studied the newcomers carefully as he tried to figure out who they could possibly be. The man with the newsboy cap was now twirling it on his fingertip as he and the rest of his group all faced down Aizen.
Hitsugaya studied them cautiously. "Who are they?"
Soifon's eyes widened. "That's…"
The white-haired captain's jaw dropped. "Can it be?"
"Shinji Hirako," the Captain-Commander muttered before his eyes narrowed. "So, you were hiding out in the Living World this whole time."
"It's been a long time since we all saw each other," Shinji said, that smile still on his face. "Does anyone want to say 'Hello' to someone from the 13 Court Guard Squads here?"
A short girl in a red jogging suit, her blonde hair done in spiky pigtails, crossed her arms with a huff. "Nope!"
"Shut up, Hiyori!" he snapped at her. "I wasn't talking to you!"
She rounded on him. "What do you mean you weren't talking to me?! You asked everyone, Shinji!"
A tall man in a green jogging suit, his hair done in a spiky afro and mirrored glasses on his face, shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Same here," answered a man with long, wavy blonde hair wearing a black suit over a frilled shirt along with frilled cuffs and a high collar.
"There is no one among the 13 Court Guard Squads that I wish to greet," said a large man with pink hair and mustache, wearing a green tuxedo and yellow bowtie.
"Me neither," spoke up a muscular man with light silver hair, wearing a dark purple muscle shirt, green cargo pants, black boots, and orange, fingerless gloves.
A girl with short green hair and clad in a white bodysuit with orange gloves and boots looked around with a slight pout. "Aww. Berry Boy isn't here yet? Where is he?"
The last one, a girl with long black hair done in a braided ponytail, wore a long-sleeved shirt with a teal green collar, a pleated miniskirt that ended at her stomach, and a pink neckerchief. She looked around the battlefield before her eyes landed on Captain Kyoraku. He did not seem surprised to see her but there was something wistful in his expression. Behind her red, oval glasses, the girl shut her eyes.
Hiyori noticed this. "Hey, Lisa. You okay?"
"I'm fine," she said curtly. Hiyori raised a brow but shrugged her shoulders as she returned her gaze to Aizen.
"Well then," Shinji said as he put his hat back on. "I'll go say 'Hi' to the Captain-Commander."
"Eh?!" Hiyori exclaimed when Shinji vanished from the group. "Hey, hold on, Shinji!"
Ben's eyes darted back and forth between the new group and the Hollowfied versions of his aliens. Again, he was amazed that they were all just standing around instead of attacking.
"The Soul Reapers were surprised to see them," Starrk noted. "Probably more people with a grudge against Aizen."
"The Vizards."
"Eh?" The Arrancar looked at Ben, his eyes focused on Shinji and Yamamoto.
"The Vizards," Ben repeated. "Soul Reapers Aizen forced Hollowfication on. That might be who they are."
"Makes sense," Starrk said.
"I don't think they're enemies," Ben said.
"Are you sure?" Starrk asked him.
"No," Ben admitted. "It's just a feeling."
Silence passed between Yamamoto and Shinji, a cool smile on the latter's face despite standing near the head captain of Soul Society. Finally Yamamoto spoke in a wary tone.
"Are you here for revenge?"
"Against Aizen, yeah," Shinji said, tapping his shoulder with his sheathed katana. "We don't really have anything against you. If there was anything to be upset with you about, I guess it'd be the fact that you were all fighting behind this stupidly strong barrier. We'd be going around in circles if we hadn't run into this guy standing guard outside."
Shinji pointed his thumb over his shoulder as another Soul Reaper appeared behind him. He had short, silver-grey hair and a black mustache. He wore a white coat over his uniform, a white turtleneck underneath, and his arms were covered in long white guards. He bowed to Yamamoto.
"My deepest apologies. I wasn't sure whether or not to let them in but when I saw what was going on—"
"Very well," Yamamoto said to the man before looking over at Shinji again, his eyes closed. "Shinji Hirako, may we now think of you all as allies?"
Shinji said nothing, as if mulling over the captain-commander's question. FInally he started to turn around. "The answer is obvious: of course not."
Yamamoto's thumb began to push Ryujin Jakka out from its sheath. Yet Shinji still turned his back on the Captain-Commander. "We are not your allies, we are enemies of Aizen. That—and allies of Ichigo Kurosaki. If there's anyone here we'd like to see us as allies, that would be Ben Tennyson."
Yamamoto's hand paused and Shinji disappeared in a dash of Shunpo.
"Ichigo Kurosaki and Ben Tennyson?" the Captain-Commander mused. "Do they know something about him too?"
"Welcome back," the man with wavy hair said as Shinji reappeared among them. "Done talking?"
Shinji turned his head, all smiles and amusement replaced with grim seriousness. "Afraid not, but it'd be pointless to keep talking right now. Looks like our enemies can't wait any longer."
"Aaaaah," Wonderweiss said, drawing attention from the three Hollow Aliens. Wonderweiss looked up at them and smiled. The three looked at each other and shared a nod. They shot out of the garganta as Wonderweiss sat up. He took a deep breath and let out another piercing wail.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Ben instinctively flinched, remembering when the Arrancar had screamed right into his ear.
"Wonderweiss," Tosen said softly.
"Noisy kid," Gin muttered, still at the window Ben had slammed him through. "All the tension is gone."
Hooleer's body began convulsing and expanding, the grotesque behemoth grunting all the while.
"Uh," Ben's hand went to the Ultimatrix. "What is he going to—"
A hole opened up once again in Hooleer's body just beneath its eye. This one was far larger than the one it created when it freed Aizen. It was as if the giant monster's entire body was starting to open and all Ben could see inside was blackness. Then Hooleer lurched forward and spewed that blackness out like a waterfall of ink. Ben blanched at the sight before he blinked and squinted his eyes, thinking he could make out a sort of whiteness amongst the black. Yes, yes he could; there were masks in the blackness, vague skull masks with long, pointed noses. Suddenly the blackness began to twitch and converge into multiple, tall beings with the masks covering their "faces".
"Those are Gillians," Starrk said.
Ben's jaw dropped. "Those are the first Menos stage?"
"I don't decide how evolution works," Starrk said as the Gillians fully formed, letting out great bellows like some animalistic pack cry.
"Okay, I'd better—" Ben's hand reached for the Ultimatrix again, only to stop short when Shinji's group all took fighting stances.
"Let's go," Shinji told the others.
Then, in the blink of an eye, all of them were now donned in white masks of various designs. Shinji's mask made him look like a pharoah; the large man in the green tuxedo had a mask that looked like a cross between a tusked boar and a tribal mask; the afroed man sported a horned mask that looked like a demon or an ogre; the wavy-haired man possessed a bird-like mask with a long beak; the man with the muscle shirt and cargo pants had a mask that looked like a block with six diagonal slits running parallel to each each; the girl in the white bodysuit now wore a heart-shaped mask with an insectoid appearance; the girl with the skirt and glasses had a diamond shaped mask with two crossing slits for an opening; and the smallest girl had donned a skeletal mask with a horn on the forehead and diamond patterns running across the skull just above the eye sockets.
"So that's it," Starrk said as the masked group began drawing their swords. "They can manifest their powers in the form of Hollow masks."
The Gillians and Vizards charged towards each other. Hiyori shot towards one and her sword slashed down the middle of her target's head. When she stopped at its nose, she opened her mouth and a Cero began to build up. A beam of red energy not only obliterated the head of her "opponent" but also some Gillians standing near it.
With a yell, the muscle shirt man began pummeling the face of another Gillian, shattering its mask into pieces. If that wasn't enough, the creature suddenly exploded but Ben couldn't see if he had used a Cero on it. Another Gillian came up behind him, jaws open wide to try and devour the Vizard. Without even turning around, the man stabbed what seemed to be a combat knife into the Gillian's face just above its nose. The back of its head and the majority of its body suddenly exploded.
"Mashiro Kiiiiiiick!" the girl in the bodysuit cried, kicking a Gillian right between its eyes and shattering its mask. Flipping through the air, the now named Mashiro kicked other Gillians in various spots on their heads and faces.
The man in the tribal mask snapped his fingers and what appeared to be small kido barriers appeared around the heads of four Gillians.
"You're all far too lively," the man said in a slightly scolding tone. "This isn't a festival you know. Be quiet."
He slammed his palms together and the Gillians' heads fell from their bodies, having been completely cut off by the closed barriers. The girl with the diamond mask was dodging the falling heads, grunting in annoyance.
"You're getting in my way!" she called. "Stop tossing those huge things around!"
Another Gillian loomed over her, its mouth open and charging a Cero. The girl flew up at it and swung her sword, slashing the Gillian so many times that when its body fell apart, it looked more like cut up fabric rather than a being's body.
The wavy-haired man was standing in midair, arms outstretched as another Gillian lurched towards him. His katana and its sheath were floating in midair, the katana pointing forward while the sheath lay under it horizontally.
"Come on," the man urged. "Come closer, just like that–and become a prisoner of my melody."
He moved his fingers as if he was playing them on a piano's keyboard and the sound of a piano filled the air. The Gillian froze as if paralyzed by the music and the man continued moving his hands, more notes of a piano filling the air. The Gillian's body was crushed as if by the sound alone.
The man with the spiky afro on the other hand simply dug his hands into the forehead of another Gillian and proceeded to rip its head in half right down the middle.
"Wow," Ben said as the two halves crashed into the ground. "You know, while it is messed up that Aizen forced them to become Vizards, having the power to call upon a mask like that is kinda cool."
Starrk was more apprehensive at seeing the Vizards in action. All that power came from just donning a Hollow mask? What would happen if they decided to use their Shikai or Bankai?
Shinji, who had just cut down another Gillian, turned his head. Aizen had not moved from his spot since the Vizards had first appeared, though there was a small smirk on the former captain's face as Shinji appeared right in front of him.
"What do you think?" Shinji asked as he brought a hand to his mask, said object starting to melt away to reveal his grinning face. "We've gotten pretty good at using our Hollow powers haven't we, Aizen? Now let's finish this!"
He brought his sword down to cut Aizen where he stood, a fierce glare upon the Vizard's face as if trying to convey all his anger into this one slash.
But before his sword could make contact, he was aware of another blade darting right at his face! Throwing his body backwards, Shinji flipped through the air to put some distance between him and his assailant: Tosen.
"I missed?" Tosen asked with a scowl as Shinji skidded to a halt.
"Don't be stupid," Shinji raised his head, revealing blood running down a cut above his left eye. "You hit me."
"I intended to cut off everything above your left eye," Tosen said. "Therefore I consider that a miss."
Shinji sneered at him, even as sweat ran down his brow. "You've certainly got a lot of cheek for a minion. Oh wait a minute." His sneer grew. "Didn't Ben call you a crony earlier?
"And I suppose you would feel awful," Tosen said as he aimed his sword at Shinji. "Being cut down by a crony."
He charged at Shinji, only for his blade to be struck and diverted by the armguard of…
"Komamura!" Tosen exclaimed in surprise. The wolf-like captain simply stared down at Tosen. When he spoke it was not to his former comrade, but to Shinji.
"I join my blade with you, Masked Visitor."
"Are you sure that's alright helping out a group of strangers like us?" Shinji asked, smirking at Komamura. "Well, to be fair you're pretty strange yourself. As far as appearances go, anyway."
"You all immediately went to face that herd of Gillians, that alone is reason enough for me to see you as allies. I have decided that I shall fight alongside you and I will not hear any objections, Masked Visitor."
Shinji cringed at Komamura's declaration. "Sheesh, what a stifling bastard. I can't deal with guys like that."
"Komamura," Soifon muttered.
"Declaring his intentions like that in such a loud voice," Hitsugaya said to Matsumoto and Hinamori. "But he does have a point."
"That is correct."
Ben and Starrk jumped back when they saw the large man in the green tuxedo descending towards them. "Complete strangers do not need some grand reason to join hands and fight together."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Lisa said as her mask dissolved like Shinji's had. "That should be a good enough reason to fight together."
"Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Hachigen Ushoda," the large man said to Ben, slightly adjusting his bowtie. "Please, call me Hachi. A pleasure to finally meet you, Ben Tennyson. I speak for all of us when I say what you did earlier was amazing. The first person I know that ever managed to hurt Aizen, however temporarily."
"Hello," Ben said, still a little wary.
An explosion drew everyone's attention, causing them to see that another Gillian had been destroyed.
"Awwwww!" the girl with the insectoid mask cried. "That one was mine!"
"Shut up, Mashiro!" the man in the muscle shirt, the one who had destroyed the Gillian, shouted. "I'm letting you have that big one over there so quit whining already!"
Slowly the girl turned her head, spotting Hooleer as it still loomed halfway out the Garganta. "The big one—over there…" She dashed toward it excitedly. "Alllllllriiiiiiight! I love Kensei!"
The aforementioned Kensei said nothing as his comrade zoomed towards Hooleer.
"A common enemy," mused the man with wavy hair as his mask dissolved as well. "Some would say that uniting against a common foe is one of humanity's most evil traits but that is a lie. It's not an evil trait at all but rather a natural survival instinct within all living creatures. Why, it's times like that when 'spiritual unity' is at its most—"
"Knock it off, Rose," the man in the green jogging suit said, smacking his teammate in the back of the head.
"What was that for, Love?!" Rose whined, rubbing the back of his head irritably at both the pain and his speech getting cut off.
"The conversation is over," Love said sharply. "Quit talking about that stuff and focus on what's in front of you."
Rose became serious when he noticed the Hollowfied Four Arms, Diamondhead, and Swampfire that were standing not too far away, their eyes fixed on the two Vizards.
"Those three look strong," Love noted.
"It seems we don't have long to talk," Hachi said before addressing Ben. "Ken told us that Aizen never used Kyoka Suigetsu on you. Is that still true?"
Ben nodded, figuring he could admit that much. "Yeah. He hasn't used it on me."
"Good, good. Why he chose not to use his zanpakuto on you, I couldn't say. But that should give us the edge we need to stop him."
"Wait, is Ken alright?"
"He was the last time we saw him," Hachi answered. "He had something else that required his attention, otherwise he no doubt would've accompanied us."
"I take it Ken's that masked guy we were all so curious about," Starrk commented.
"I'll explain later," Ben said earnestly to Starrk before addressing Hachi again. "So what is the big deal about Aizen using Kyoka Suigetsu on me? Yeah, I mean hypnotizing someone is really bad but as long as we get the drop on him before he can hypnotize anyone—"
"Maaaaaaaaaaashiro Super Kiiiiiiiiick!"
At the sudden scream, Ben looked up to see Hooleer hunched as the black substance suddenly erupted from its back. He gawked.
Hachi chuckled. "Mashiro seems to be having fun." Then his face became grim. " I'm afraid it's more complicated than that. The moment you've seen Aizen release his zanpakuto, he can use its power at any time, regardless of how long it's been since you've last seen it."
"What?! You mean he just has to use it one time and that's it?"
"Unfortunately."
"Oh come on! That's just cheap!"
"I'm sure we would all agree with you," Hachi said. "It's one of the reasons Aizen is so terrifying."
"And combined with that new healing power he has…" Starrk said, leaving his sentence hanging.
"Aizen still needs to actually be using the sword right?" Ben inquired.
"That's correct," Hachi replied.
"Alright, so we have to do something about Kyoka Suigetsu itself. But first," Ben turned to Starrk, "We still need Orihime to heal Harribel."
"No need for that," Hachi said."I saw Aizen attack her earlier and came here to heal her for you. I'm certain that the Arrancar would also like to get back at Aizen for his betrayal."
Starrk eyed the ground. Ben wanted to say something to him but couldn't find the right words to say. So instead he returned to Hachi.
"Thanks but her wounds are really bad and Orihime is the only one I know who has the power to fix them."
"Don't worry, my powers are similar enough to Orihime's," Hachi said gently. "I will be able to heal your friend."
There was another person who could "Reject Fate"? Ben shook his head. If he was able to heal Harribel…
"I understand that you're still wary of us," Hachi said gently, "But we have nothing against the Arrancar themselves, especially now that they obviously don't wish to fight for Aizen. In the end, we are all victims of his schemes."
Ben looked at Starrk for a second opinion. The Primera studied the Vizard over for a moment, then slowly nodded his head.
"Alright," Ben said finally.
Hachi smiled at him. "Lead the way."
A great crash caught their attention and they all turned to see smoke was rising from another destroyed building.
"Sounds like things are getting worse over there," Starrk said, brow furrowed.
Ben lightly bit his cheek. On one hand, he wanted to make sure Harribel would fully recover; but on the other hand, Aizen needed to be stopped as soon as possible.
"Go help them, Ben," Starrk said quietly. "I'll stay behind and watch over Harribel and the others. Once she's recovered we'll join you as soon as we can."
"Starrk—"
"Go," Starrk urged. "We'll be there soon."
Ben took a deep breath. "Alright, Starrk. I'll see you then." He activated the Ultimatrix as Starrk headed back to where the other Arrancar were, Hachi right behind him. Ben slammed the dial down and in a flash of light, he was now Lodestar.
"Watch out Aizen," The Biot-savartian said coldly. "It's time for round two and I'm aiming for a perfect score."
The alien hero shot into the air to rejoin the battle.
Meanwhile, when Starrk returned to the group with Hachi, the other Arrancar were immediately on guard, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun standing protectively in front of Harribel. Charlotte even started drawing his own sword.
"I understand your reactions," Hachi said kindly. "I promise you, I mean none of you any harm."
"He's here to heal Harribel," Starrk told them.
"We overheard all of you talking," Mila Rose said, never taking her eyes off Hachi. "You—you can really heal Lady Harribel?"
"I can," Hachi reassured her.
Mila Rose and Sung-Sun both turned to Apacci, who had been crouching above Harrribel's body to shield it with her own. Slowly her own glare softened as she reluctantly pushed herself away from her leader. Hachi clapped his hands and an orange, cube-shaped barrier formed around Harribel. Her Fraccione gathered around it anxiously.
"Once Harribel is healed, we need a plan to fight Aizen," Starrk said.
"Will His Majesty be alright on his own?" Charlotte asked in concern. "I'm well aware I don't stand a chance against Aizen but—"
"None of us will as long as Aizen can use Kyoka Suigetsu on us, and with so many people after him, he's definitely gonna use it the first chance he gets," Starrk said softly, shooting an apologetic glance at Harribel's Fraccione. They all shifted uncomfortably but never took their eyes off Harribel. "Ben's got the other Vizards and Soul Reapers to help him out and once we have a plan, we'll help too."
"Damn right we will!" Lilynette shot to her feet, Ben's jacket flowing like a cape. Her previous shock had been replaced with a fiery anger. "No way in hell am I letting Ben fight that bastard alone!"
"That's right!" Apacci shouted, her fist clenched. "Aizen's gonna pay for everything he's done to all of us!"
"Agreed," Mila Rose said quietly and Sung-Sun merely nodded.
Starrk looked up at the sky. "I know you can take care of yourself Ben, but still, good luck."
Earlier
Wonderweiss simply tilted his head curiously when Mashiro appeared in front of him. Hooleer loomed over her as if about to attack.
"Maaaaaaaaaaashiro Super Kiiiiiiiiick!" Mashiro leaped upward, kicking her left foot upward and Hooleer's body. The larger creature's body seemed to contort as if all its weight was being redirected to its upper parts. Then its back seemed to burst open, the black substance rupturing like a geyser. Wonderweiss' eyes widened as his pet's ruptured body began collapsing like an ugly and deformed beach ball.
"Huh, he got taken down pretty quickly," Gin observed, casually walking through the air. "He may have been Wonderweiss' favorite but it's still sad."
Wonderweiss certainly felt that way because opening his mouth with a great cry, he began charging a Cero, only for Mashiro to drop down and kick him in the face with both feet. The two slammed into the ground below, creating a sizable crater.
The three alien Hollows spun around, glaring at where Mashiro had kicked Wonderweiss. Rose and Love both tensed when they saw their reaction. Before they could do anything, the three Hollows shot in Mashiro's direction.
"Ah, hell!" Love exclaimed, drawing his sword.
"Mashiro! Look out!" Rose cried.
Mashiro seemed unaware of the danger, taking a step back from her downed opponent. "Okay!" she cheered, striking a pose. "Victory!"
"Mashiro!"
Said Vizard spun like a ballerina, her foot colliding with the arm of the Hollow Diamondhead. The Hollow Four Arms went to grab her but Mashiro backflipped away from him. As she put distance between herself and the Hollows, she noticed that all three of them had gathered around Wonderweiss. With surprising gentleness, the Hollow Four Arms grabbed Wonderweiss and slowly helped him to his feet. The Arrancar smiled appreciatively as the Hollow Four Arms patted his head.
"They're… friends?" Mashiro inquired curiously.
The Hollow Four Arms glared at her before aiming all four of his hands, red and black energy gathering around each fist.
"Four Cero at once?!"
"Bushogoma!"
The Hollow Diamondhead slammed his hand onto the ground, creating a crystal pillar that blocked a twirling pair of wind blades that had shot toward his comrade. The origin of the wind blades was Captain Kyoraku, his swords now having taken the form of a pair of large, black scimitars. The captain's brow furrowed at seeing his attack blocked. Four Arms unleashed all four of his Ceros upon Mashiro. The Vizard crouched down before she leapt into the air, only for the Hollow Four Arms to tilt his upper right hand up, sending his Cero directly at her. Suddenly the white-haired captain appeared, seemingly firing his own Cero at the Hollowfied alien. The clone rolled out of the way to dodge the attack.
"Captain Ukitake!" Mashiro exclaimed.
Ukitake turned his head to smile at her. In his hands was a pair of thin katanas with a secondary blade sticking out the back of each sword, pointing down towards the hilt. Connected from one pommel to the other was a red rope with various charms attached. "It's been a long time, Lieutenant Kuna."
"I'm not a lieutenant anymore," Mashiro said, her wistful tone a far cry from how energetic she had been till now. Ukitake's smile dropped.
"Yes, my mistake."
Lodestar looked back and forth anxiously. He noticed the majority of the Vizards and two of the captains were fighting Wonderweiss and his aliens' clones. Komamura seemed to be dealing with Tosen and Gin was fighting the leader of the Vizards. Everyone else was staring down Aizen, who just smirked at them.
Should he go straight for Aizen or try to help against his clones?
"Better at least get his zanpakuto away from him," Lodestar said to himself. "If he can't hypnotize the captains, they can all gang up on him easy."
A shout drew his attention. Lodestar turned to see Captain Hitsugaya—coming directly at him!
"You won't get away, Aizen!" Hitsugaya shouted.
"What?!" Lodestar held up his pincer hands as Hisugaya's blade clanged against his body. "I'm not—!"
Another shriek and Lodestar looked up to see Hiyori in the air above him, her sword now a gigantic cleaver with a saw-like blade. Lodestar blocked her attack when he heard a whirling swish of wind behind him. Lisa was now holding what could only be described as a gigantic spear in her arms and was aiming directly at him! With a yelp Lodestar crossed his arms, creating a spherical barrier around his body and deflected Lisa's attack.
Aizen chuckled, his sword drawn. "Did you really think I couldn't figure out your plan? Obviously you meant to take Kyoka Suigetsu from me with Lodestar's magnetic powers; a simple but effective tactic. Perhaps if you had never used Lodestar while training with Tosen, you might have actually succeeded. However, with so many enemies present, I can't afford to take any more chances."
"Just like Starrk predicted," Lodestar grunted. Matsumoto, that other lieutenant Hinamori, Captain Soifon, and Omeda had joined the battle.
"That barrier won't save you, Aizen!" Soifon shouted, her zanpakuto now a golden blade over her middle finger, which she used to repeatedly strike Lodestar's barrier.
"Dammit!" Shinji hissed, seeing what was happening.
Gin laughed. "So much for your big entrance. Gotta say though, to resort to using Kyoka Suigetsu already; Aizen had to make sure to level the playing field against Ben."
Shinji frowned at how Gin singled Ben out.
"You honestly think you're a threat to Aizen?" Gin asked mockingly. "Sure you've gotten better at using your Hollow powers but do you think that makes any difference? You think Aizen hasn't gotten any stronger during the years you've been hiding out in the Living World? Even if all the Vizards and all the captains attacked at once you would all still fail, for Aizen's abilities are far beyond all of you."
Shinji snarled.
"If there is one person who Aizen couldconsider a threat, Ben is the most obvious contender," Gin's leering smile grew. "Without him as your crutch, you're all as good as dead."
"Captain Hitsugaya!" Ukitake cried, seeing what was going on. Lodestar was on the run now, dodging ice, ash, fire, a swung flail, only to get knocked down as Soifon kicked him.
"Shit!" Love hissed.
"The fact Aizen is already using his illusions shows how serious he's taking the situation," Rose said. "Ben's previous attack as that giant affected more than he let on."
"We have to back him up," Kensei said, standing with the others.
The Vizards and captains scattered as jets of flames shot at them. They looked down to see the Hollow Swampfire shooting flames out of his palms.
"Looks like we'll have to take care of these guys, first," Love said. "Crush down, Tengumaru!"
Love's zanpakuto was now a gigantic, black club twice the size of its wielder. It was covered in multiple blades that made it seem like a large cactus.
"Play, Kinshara!" Rose's zanpakuto had now transformed into a long golden whip with a flower at the end.
Wonderweiss just stared at them all curiously, while the three Hollow Aliens simply shifted their stances. The Hollow Diamondhead aimed his arms and fired a barrage of shards at the Soul Reapers. Love swung his club, batting them to the side—only to realize that the Hollow Four Arms was right behind him!
Kyoraku swung his swords at the Hollow Four Arms, only to find the Hollow Swampfire beside him. Kyoraku leaped back to avoid the blasts of fire the alien shot at him. The Hollow Swampfire gave a wince when his right arm was suddenly sliced off, the culprit being Captain Ukitake. The captain's eyes widened when the Hollow alien's almost instantaneously grew a whole new arm. He couldn't react to the high-speed regeneration because the Hollow opened his mouth and shot a blast of blue flame at the Soul Reaper. Captain Ukitake hissed as he threw his arms up, the flames catching onto his white coat.
"Jushiro!" Kyoraku shouted, swinging both swords down at the Hollowfied Methanosian, only for them to collide with the crossed arms of the Hollow Diamondhead, his own fists morphing into blades…
Only to be blasted by an explosion of air caused by Kensei. The Vizard spun around and blocked the fist of Wonderweiss, only to be punched in the side by Hollow Four Arms, crying out in pain when he realized the Hollowfied Tetramand had struck him in the liver. As he doubled over in pain, Kensei's eyes widened when Wonderweiss' hand struck right through his chest, the Arrancar's hand sticking right through the other side.
"KENSEI!" Mashiro screamed as the other Vizard fell to the group. "Mashiro Super Cero!" She swung her leg and fired an arc-shaped, lime-green Cero.
The Hollow Diamondhead jumped in front of the attack, grunting as it tried to stay afloat as the force of the Cero started pushing him back. The Hollow Four Arms and Swampfire got behind him, acting as support. Once the Cero dispersed, the Hollow Diamondhead landed on the ground and struck it with both hands. Large pillars of black crystal erupted and some smaller, thin ones accompanied them. The Hollow Diamondhead broke off some of the shards and handed them to his teammates.
The Hollow Four Arms grinned, twirling one of the swords with his upper left hand; the Hollow Swampfire clutched a longer shard like a staff; and Diamondhead struck his hands again. Soon he had what was essentially a diamond version of Love's own Tengumaru. Now armed, the three Hollows glared at their remaining opponents.
"Come on now," Love muttered tiredly. "That's not fair."
Holding the staff with one hand, the Hollow Swampfire threw some seeds onto the ground. Immediately they grew into colossal vines that shot up at the Soul Reapers, who split in different directions. Undeterred, the Hollow Swampfire began tossing more seeds over the area and creating more colossal vines. The Hollow Diamondhead raised his hands and the crystal pillars began rising out of the ground and launching themselves at the captains.
"That's really not fair!" Love shouted, swinging his club at one of the crystals. But just as he was about to strike, the crystal exploded, sending shards flying like a frag grenade. Love cried out in pain as the shards pelted his body.
"Love!" Rose exclaimed, swinging his whip at one of the crystals, the tip wrapping around it. With a fierce tug, he launched the crystal back at the Hollows with the whip still attached. He then tapped the whip with his fingers, causing it to glow and emit a sound like guitar strings being strummed.
"Try this: Kinshara Sokyoku Dai Juichiban-Izayoi Bara!"
The crystal exploded, sending shards at the Hollows, who dodged by rising up into the air.
"Rose, focus on the crystal one!" Love shouted. "If his crystals are vulnerable to sound attacks then he should be too. You're the best one for dealing with him."
"Got it!" Rose manifested his mask and swung his whip at the Hollow Diamondhead, only for it to be intercepted by the Hollow Four Arms, who was now holding two of his shards in one hand so his lower right could grab Rose's whip. Rose's eyes widened before he was yanked forward, the Hollow Tetramand aiming his shards so that they would skewer Rose.
With a cry, Mashiro dive-bombed the Hollow and struck him in the back with both feet, knocking him to the ground and releasing Rose's whip. Wonderweiss jumped at her but she spun and kicked him in the side of his head, sending him flying.
"You hurt Kensei!" she yelled, jumping at him with another kick.
However, the Hollow Swampfire pushed Wonderweiss out of the air as her foot made contact. Mashiro gasped in surprise when her foot tore through the Hollow alien's torso only to get stuck there. Instead of reacting in pain to the hole in his chest, the Hollow Methanosian grinned and struck the stunned Vizard on both sides of her head, shattering her mask. Clasping his hands together, he slammed them down on her stomach, making Mashiro's eyes widen in pain. She was so winded by the blow that she couldn't react in time when the Hollow Diamondhead appeared and struck her with his club, tearing her out of the Hollow Swampfire's body and sending her slamming into another building.
"Mashiro!" Love shouted before raising his club and summoning his own Hollow Mask. "Alright! Let's see how your knock-off handles the real deal!"
His club ignited itself in flames and he swung it down, launching a massive fireball from the tip. When the fireball struck the ground, a massive pillar of flames exploded, caving in several of the nearby buildings.
"Did you get them?" Rose asked, appearing beside him.
"Might have," Love said, eyeing the flames from his attack. "They might have gone for cover first."
A clang drew their attention to where Ukitake and Kyoraku were dueling the Hollow Four Arms. They could tell that the creature had no true experience in sword-fighting but his strength and ferocity was enough to put up a decent fight.
Kyoraku jumped back. "Bushogoma!"
He swung his swords and launched twirling blades of air at the Hollowfied Tetramand, who responded by tossing his shards into the air, pulling his arms back and slamming them together for a massive clap. The shockwave collided with the wind blades, dispersing them in a great gust of air just as the Hollow caught his shards back in his hands.
"So this is what some of Ben's other aliens are capable of," Kyoraku said, slightly panting.
"At least Aizen didn't get a Hollow version of Way Big," Ukitake noted, his captain cloak had been discarded to avoid burning him.
"Oi, oi," Kyoraku chuckled weakly. "These guys are bad enough."
Ukitake spun around at the detection of movement, his blades clashing against the Hollow Diamondhead's club. Before Ukitake could follow up with another attack, the Hollow Swampfire appeared and blasted what appeared to be some sort of green gas from his palm directly into Ukitake's face. The captain hacked and wheezed, suddenly becoming dizzy from the foul gas. His breath was cut short as the Hollow Diamondhead struck him as well with his club, sending the captain flying.
"Jushiro!" Kyoraku cried, only to find himself having to block all four shards of the Hollow Four Arms. He then noticed the Hollow was looking at something past him but the captain could not move in time as his body was engulfed by Wonderweiss' Cero.
"Shunshui!" Love aimed to swing Tengumaru at Wonderweiss, only to cry out when he felt an attack strike his back. He looked over his shoulder to see that the Hollow Swampfire had kicked him.
"Love!" Rose lashed out with his whip, only for it to be intercepted by the Hollow Diamondhead. The action made Rose grin. "Looks like you set yourself up for the perfect–" But he had to dodge out of the way as the Hollow Four Arms began tossing his shards like javelins at the Vizard.
Love moved to attack the Hollow Four Arms, who began charging multiple Cero out of both of his left hands. Love swung Tengumaru, making contact the moment the Cero were fired. Love grunted at striking two Cero at once but with a cry, adrenaline shooting through his body, batted them to the side. But he didn't get to celebrate when Wonderweiss clotheslined him. Disoriented from the sudden attack, Love wasn't aware of the Hollow Four Arms shooting up towards him until the Hollow Tetramand's knee struck him in the back. Love could only let out a short gurgle as gravity took control and he plummeted.
Rose didn't even have time to cry out for his friend because the Hollow Swampfire grabbed him by his long hair and threw him right at one of the other buildings, the last thing he saw was the incoming wall getting closer and closer.
Lodestar was too preoccupied to know what was going on but from the shouts, the situation was getting worse.
"Hyoryu Senbi!" Hitsugaya swung his sword in a linear direction, creating ice in the form of a crescent, which he launched at Lodestar.
Magnetism being useless here, Lodestar hit the Ultimatrix dial and transformed into Chromastone, firing a beam of energy that destroyed the ice. Hearing movement behind him, Chromastone looked up and saw a smirking Soifon. Chromastone's eye widened and he hit the Ultimatrix dial again, Chromastone turned into Big Chill and immediately became intangible. Soifon shot forward through Big Chill and wound up hitting the building beside him. Big Chill took to the air, remaining intangible as the Soul Reapers all struggled in vain to hit him.
"Big Chill, then?" Aizen chuckled when he saw the transparent form of the Necrofriggian come into view. "Perhaps it would've been better to use him from the beginning than risk wasting energy turning into Lodestar?"
Big Chill growled at Aizen's patronizing tone. "Allow me to make up for it!"
He flew at Aizen the same time Matsumoto launched her ash and Hitsugaya sent a wave of ice, the two attacks colliding. Omaeda swung his flail again but it passed through Big Chill and would have hit Matsumoto if she hadn't created a wall with her ashes.
"You might be safe from any attacks but the others aren't," Aizen said. "They might wind up killing each other, assuming that it was me they had struck. Besides, once Wonderweiss and his friends are done playing with their current opponents, they'll most likely come here."
Big Chill glared at the former Shinigami.
"That reminds me, I suppose it's fair to be properly introduced to them. Huecos Brazos, or Hollow Arms, Diamante De La Muerte: Diamond of Death; and Fuego Podrida: Rotten Fire. I believe you can figure out which one is which. Quite the impressive specimens aren't they? Even the captains struggled against them. Of course, they have themselves to blame for only using their Shikai. You may be the only one not affected by Kyoka Suigetsu, but there's only so much you can do with so many lives on the line. Make your moves carefully, Benjamin."
Big Chill's body shook as the full weight of his predicament fell upon him.
"Oh no," Hachi said quietly, a bead of sweat running down his forehead.
"Oh no is right," Starrk said.
"His Majesty," Charlotte whispered.
A small gasp of breath drew everyone to Hachi's barrier. Harribel's fingers twitched and she began to stir. Slowly she opened one eye and then the other.
"Lady Harribel!" Apacci cried happily, relief filling her, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun.
With a groan, Harribel sat up, shaking her head. "What happened?" Her eyes landed on Hachi and she immediately tensed. "Who are you?"
"The man who healed you," Starrk said calmly.
"Healed? What—" Harribel's eyes narrowed as everything came flooding back to her. "Where is Aizen?"
"Sitting back and watching everyone else kill each other," Starrk said dryly. "Ben's trying to stop him but he's in a tight spot right now."
Harribel started to sit up, pausing when she became aware of the vines wrapped around her.
"Ben tended to your wounds as best he could," Sung-Sun replied, making Harribel's eyes widen before immediately softening as she lowered her head.
"And that's not all," Charlotte spoke up, surprising Harribel with his presence. "When Aizen struck you down, his Majesty attacked Aizen with righteous fury, enraged at everything he had put all of you and that human girl Orihime through. Why, when I said he was the new king of Hueco Mundo, all that mattered to him was your wellbeing." Charlotte sighed dramatically. "So much power and so much compassion, is that not so beautiful?"
"Charlotte says that because Ben beat Baraggan in battle, he's the rightful king of Hueco Mundo," Apacci quickly explained to Harribel. "Even though it turns out Aizen's not as beat as we thought."
"Aizen's got some kind of healing ability greater than high-speed regeneration," Starrk said. "Not to mention Szayel apparently made clones of Four Arms, Swampfire, and Diamondhead."
"That's not the worst part," Lilynette spoke up worriedly. "Aizen's using Kyoka Suigetsu on some of the Soul Reapers right now; they're attacking Ben too!"
"The only reason I'm not helping him right now is because I wanted to make sure you were healed and so we could figure something out before we confront Aizen," Starrk continued.
"I understand," Harribel said before turning to Hachi. "Thank you for healing me."
"As I told your friends," Hachi said gently. "We are all Aizen's victims. If you wish, I could restore the missing arms of those three for them."
"You can do such a thing even though their arms were destroyed?" Harribel asked as her Fraccione all stared at Hachi.
"So you can reject fate," Starrk said.
"Is that what Aizen calls Orihime's power?" Hachi inquired. "I wouldn't say mine worked like that. Mine is more of a time-space regression but nonetheless, it will be enough to restore those three's arms. Afterwards, I must tend to the other wounded."
"Thank you. Ladies, stay here and let him tend to your arms." She then addressed the Primera Espada. "If Aizen is already using his power on the Soul Reapers, he will certainly use it on us. Especially if it means tricking us into attacking Ben or forcing him to attack us."
"But we can't let Ben fight Aizen alone!" Lilynette urged.
"We won't," Starrk reassured her. "However, the way we can help him is going to be risky."
"What is it?" Harribel asked.
"Before I tell you, I better get ready. Lilynette?"
Lilynette nodded, handing Ben's jacket to Apacci before immediately standing at Starrk's side.
"We're coming, Ben," she said as Starrk put a hand on her head. She closed her eyes as her body was bathed in light. Charlotte and Harribel's Fraccione moved to the furthest spot on Hachi's barrier as they felt the pressure in the air.
"Kick about, Los Lobos!"
The light around Lilynette's body grew in a great flash and then she disappeared. Smoke burst from Starrk's own body as the pressure increased.
Big Chill turned his head at the pillar of smoke rising up.
"So Starrk has finally released himself, has he?" Aizen said idly. "What will happen next?"
When the smoke cleared, Starrk was sitting on the ground as if choosing to relax while he entered his Resurreccion. Slowly he rose to his feet, allowing everyone to get a better look at his new form. First, he was wearing the eyepiece of Lilyentte's mask, stretching from the back of his head around to his left eye, which it completely covered. Around his right eye were two chains that connected the eyepiece. The flame pattern of the fragment had changed to emerge from the eyepiece and followed the mask fragment around to the back of his head.
He was also now wearing a gray, fur-lined jacket over a double-breasted vest, as well as a pair of dark, skintight pants, with gray knee-high fur leggings covering his lower legs. His arms were covered in gray, elbow-length fur armbands, which ended at his wrists. There were also ribbon-covered bandoleers emerging from his upper back and disappearing into his upper forearms. Completing the look were a pair of fur-covered holsters. All these, combined with the pair of black pistols in his hands, made Starrk look like a gunslinger from the old west.
Starrk held up his left pistol. "Ready, Lilynette?"
From the pistol's barrel came Lilynette's voice. "Let's get that bastard."
Starrk nodded. "Right, but first…"
Big Chill hissed as he tried putting more distance between him and the hypnotized Soul Reapers. Unfortunately they were relentless, no surprise since they assumed it was Aizen they were attacking.
"You won't get away!" Hitsugaya yelled, sending multiple ice shards in the form of dragon heads at him, only for the constructs to phase through his body. Big Chill wondered what Aizen was making them see to explain why their attacks weren't working. Did they just see Aizen dodging their attacks or something else?
Captain Soifon's body began to glow and wind gathered around her, specifically her right arm. "Shunko!" she cried, striking in vain at Big Chill's transparent body. The other Soul Reapers all jumped back to avoid the bursts of wind from her strikes. Big Chill dove down to the streets, the others in pursuit.
"The distance between us is growing, Ben," Aizen called out. "Though it may be wise to keep the others out of my range, how do you intend to defeat me from so far away?"
Big Chill hissed under his breath. Once they were closer to the ground, he would freeze the others and hope that he would get to Aizen before they freed themselves.
Just as they were above the streets, Big Chill was about to make his move when Starrk appeared beside the others but they were too focused on "Aizen" they hadn't noticed. Before the Necrofriggian could comment on Starrk's arrival or his new appearance, Starrk aimed his right gun at the Soul Reapers and fired a massive blue Cero. Even if they were aware of the attack, none of the Soul Reapers were able to defend themselves as they disappeared into the light.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
When the Cero dissipated, the smoking forms of the captains, lieutenants, and Vizards began falling. As Big Chill made to catch them, Charlotte, Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun all appeared and began grabbing them out of the air. Big Chill did a double take when he realized that all three girls had their left arms again. The girls and Charlotte all gave Ben a nod before dashing back.
"Sorry about that. I hated having to resort to it but that was the surest way to keep them out of the fight," Starrk said, holstering his pistol. "As long as Aizen can use Kyoka Suigetsu whenever he wants on them, they can't help. Don't worry, Charlotte and the girls are taking them to Hachi. He's the one who restored their arms. Apparently his healing power is, in his words, 'time-space regression.'"
"Like what Ulquiorra assumed Orihime's powers were," Big Chill said. Finally he took a moment to look Starrk over. "So that's your Released State. You do look pretty cool. Still…"
"What is it?"
"Out of all the Resurreccion I've seen—I mean Baraggan looked like the Grim Reaper but you and Harribel just look like you changed your outfits. Like I said, it's cool; it just seems you and Harribel look more—human."
"Huh," Starrk looked at his clothes. "I never thought about that."
"So does that mean Lilynette…?"
"Right here!" Lilynette called from the pistol, startling Big Chill.
"L-Lilynette?"
"That's right! We're here to help save the day."
"Are-are you sure you're alright?" Big Chill asked gently.
At first Lilynette said nothing. When she finally found her voice–"Yeah, I'm okay. Ben?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"I wish to express my gratitude as well."
When Harribel appeared beside Starrk, Big Chill immediately flew up to her.
"Harribel! A-are you sure you're okay?"
"I am, thanks to you and the one called Hachi," Harribel put a hand on her stomach, the vines long since removed. "Ben, there are so many things I wish to say but I'm afraid Aizen must be dealt with first. I do promise, however, that we will talk after this battle."
"Harribel," Big Chill said gently. "You're right. Let's stop Aizen first. But you guys have seen Kyoka Suigetsu too, won't Aizen go after you next right?"
"No doubt," Starrk said. "That's why we're about to do something risky but it might be our only shot."
"What is it?" Big Chill asked wearily.
"Follow my lead but stay intangible," Starrk before shooting up into the air.
"What is he planning?" Big Chill wondered, following after Starrk as his body turned intangible again.
Back up in the air, Starrk locked eyes with Aizen, the latter undeterred by the Primera's presence. Starrk simply aimed his right pistol at his former leader, a blue light charging within the barrel. "Cero Metralleta!"
A barrage of Ceros was unleashed, Big Chill gawked at the sheer number of them. And yet it seemed Aizen was able to move to and fro among them with ease.
"Now!"
Big Chill tilted his head before his wide eyes got even wider in realization. He soared towards Aizen, who was still dodging the spray of Cero. Even as he tried moving out of Starrk's range, the Espada's attack didn't let up, the Ceros still firing as Starrk moved his pistol to match Aizen's trajectory.
"Surprise!" Big Chill yelled as he flew through Aizen, the Soul Reaper's gasping as his body became encased in ice.
"I see," Aizen's spiritual pressure flared up and the ice shattered. "Due to the risk of being under my zanpakuto's power, you resort to a wild, widespread attack. If a stray shot doesn't hit me, it could distract me from Ben's attacks since his intangibility prevents him from getting caught in the crossfire. While you became the Primera for your sheer spiritual pressure, your tactical mind compliments your power, Starrk."
"Cascada!"
Aizen spun around to see Harribel hovering above him, a massive body of water floating beside her. Harribel swung her sword and it was like a great waterfall plunged out of the sky. Harribel eyed the water as it started to flood the city below, wondering if her attack connected.
"How many times must you make me swing my sword at you?"
Harribel's eyes widened when she saw Aizen right beside her, an annoyed look on his face. However, his arm was quickly encased in ice once more. Harribel quickly put more distance between her and Aizen.
"You're never hurting her again!" Big Chill yelled from behind Aizen. Aizen's spiritual pressure flared up again, shattering the ice and pushing Big Chill back.
Big Chill growled. "This is getting nowhere. Well if ice won't work—" He hit the Ultimatrix dial again and transformed into Ampfibian, electricity crackling around the tips of his tentacles.
Seeing Ampfibian, Harribel immediately shot higher into the air and aimed her sword down at Aizen. "La Gota!"
She fired rapid bursts of water from her sword at the same time Starrk attacked with another Cero Metralleta. Aizen retreated back, narrowly dodging the onslaught.
"Hey, Aizen~" AmpFibian taunted, his intangibility allowing him to move through the barrage of water and Cero with ease. "Looks like you're the one on the run now. Come on, let's get up close and personal!"
Harribel continued firing La Gota from her vantage point. Even if she didn't land a hit on Aizen, her water would provide Ampfibian with a wider range of attack, especially once she was certain there was enough moisture.
"Dammit he's so fast!" Lilynette whined as Aizen seemed to teleport around all their attacks. "We should have landed a hit by now!"
"Aizen always was in a league of his own, even compared to the entire Espada," Starrk said with a grunt.
Ampifibian raised a tentacle and fired a bolt of electricity.
"Bakudo #81: Danku!"
A translucent barrier, like a rectangular wall, appeared in front of Aizen, blocking the electricity.
"Is he just going to keep running away?" Lilynette asked.
"Guess not even Aizen has something to counter intangibility. He's probably trying to make Ben waste power and turn back to normal."
"No! When that happens—"
"I know, Lilynette."
Needless to say, Ampfibian was getting frustrated at the stalemate. Aizen couldn't hurt him but as long as he kept his distance and blocked his attacks with Kido, Ampifibian couldn't do anything either. Would he have to risk dialing in another alien? His musings were cut short as Starrk fired up another barrage of Cero Metralleta.
"Again?" Aizen said in an honestly bored tone. "This tactic has no—"
Aizen then realized there was something behind him and swung. Instead of Starrk or Harribel like he expected, his assailant was a white wolf. Aizen's sword had sliced through the wolf only for it to reform like a flame. Aizen's eyes widened when he realized what the wolf was. "You're…" was all he could say when the wolf began to glow and exploded in a gigantic blast of light.
"Where did—" Ampfibian shifted his body and blinked in rapid succession when he saw a massive pack of white wolves standing in the air right behind Starrk, whose pistols seemed to have disappeared.
"Get him."
The wolves ran forward, their fangs bared as they lunged. From the smoke that the explosion created came Aizen, surprisingly unharmed. No doubt he had used another barrier to block the full brunt of the explosion. His eyes narrowed as he saw the other approaching wolves.
"Starrk, where did these wolves come from?"
"This is my power," Starrk explained. "I take my soul and split it into pieces. Those pieces take the form of wolves, following and obeying my commands like my own pack; which I use as weapons. The explosions they create when they detonate are more powerful than Cero."
"Your soul?!" Ampfibian cried. "But-but doesn't that hurt you or something?"
"Not really," Starrk said, making Ampfibian slump in shock at the Primera's nonchalance. "Besides, even if it did hurt, if it means protecting my friend, I'll bear it."
"Starrk—"
"Hado #4: Byakurai!"
Aizen pointed his finger at one of the wolves and a blast of lightning shot from his fingertip at the wolf, creating another massive explosion.
"So while physical attacks are futile against those wolves, other attacks such as Kido can destroy them," Aizen smirked. "Such valuable information."
Starrk grunted. "Of course he'd figure it out."
"Don't worry, Starrk," Ampfibian said. "I think it's time I turned up the heat!"
He hit the Ultimatrix dial again and transformed into what could only be described as walking magma. He was humanoid in shape with large, glowing hands and two-toed feet like prongs. His body seemed to be made of red rocks with glowing yellow light emitting from the numerous cracks around his body. His face was a mask-like rock without any ears or nose and a head of flame. Bursts of fire shot out of his hands, keeping him airborne.
"Say hello to the very first alien I ever turned into," the fiery alien said in a deep voice. "I'm Heatblast!"
He aimed his hands, sending the streams of flame at Aizen. The Soul Reaper sidestepped the flames but Starrk's wolves took that opportunity to attack. Aizen shot higher into the air as one lunged him, creating another wall barrier in a split second as another struck at him. He kicked back as the wolf exploded when it came into contact with the barrier. Heatblast aimed his arms again, this time creating a tornado of fire which he threw at Aizen. As the tornado neared him, several of the wolves jumped at once.
"Bakudo#73: Tozansho!"
No sooner had Aizen encased himself in the pyramid barrier then he was engulfed by the colossal explosion created by the wolves, one no doubt increased by Heatblast's fire. The explosion possibly rivaled, if not dwarfed, the one created by Soifon's Bankai.
From the fire, Aizen emerged. His clothes were scorched, his skin looked singed and his slick hair looked ruffled. Even if they hadn't hurt him, Heatblast was pleased to see that they were having some effect on Aizen.
"His healing ability must have a limit if he resorted to that barrier," Starrk observed. "If we can just catch him off-guard—"
"CASCADA!" Harribel shouted. Starrk's visible eye widened as Harribel launched what was essentially a tidal wave at Aizen.
Although Ben changing aliens threw off her original plan, Harribel took advantage of Starrk and Ben's attack. Having filled the air with more moisture for the largest Cascada yet, Harribel wanted to see Aizen try and escape from this attack.
Heatblast's jaw dropped when he saw the tidal wave coming. He turned his head and saw Aizen frowning at the incoming torrent of water. Smirking, Heatblast made his whole body burst into flames and shot towards Aizen like a comet. Said Soul Reaper was stunned by the hero's actions and that was all the opening Heatblast needed.
"Everybody into the pool!" he shouted as he grabbed Aizen before Harribel's attack immersed them both. Heatblast smirked at how surprised Aizen was that the water wasn't having any negative effects on him. His smirk turned into a sneer as he began heating back up. It took more effort to be sure but as long as he burned hot enough, water alone couldn't stop his flames. Aizen's eyes widened and he struggled to pry himself free. The water was getting hotter and started bubbling. Heatblast would've made a quip if he could.
From above, Harribel and Starrk watched as the water started bubbling and steam began to rise. Suddenly the water shot up like a geyser, Heatblast and Aizen shooting out in opposite directions. Aizen's body was steaming and although it was starting to fade away, the two Arrancar thought his skin had looked badly scalded.
Heatblast on the other hand was spinning through the air before splashing back into the water. The two Espada were immediately at his side as he breached. His body looked completely blackened, like burnt charcoal, but the flames from his head quickly reignited.
"Come on in, the water's fine," Heatblast joked to the two.
"I would've been concerned had I not remembered your story with the Fountain of Youth and how Heatblast vaporized it," Harribel said gently. "And that was when your age had been regressed to that of a toddler."
"No surprise that the very first alien you ever turned into would be one of, if not the, most experienced ones you have," Starrk added.
"I'm just getting warmed up," Heatblast chuckled. "No pun intended."
"I'm sure," Starrk said dryly.
"Most impressive," Starrk and Harribel turned sharply as Heatblast glared up at Aizen, his skin once again as unblemished as before. "Such a versatile alien and his powers surprisingly complement both Starrk and Harribel's. Alone you are a obviously a force to be reckoned with but alongside others whose powers can be used in tandem with your own—"
"Hey, teamwork makes the dream work," Heatblast quipped.
"How wonderful, simply wonderful," Aizen said and Heatblast was surprised to hear him actually sound… happy of all things. "I always knew that I could not see the full extent of your abilities but you exceed my expectations every time. This is turning out better than I hoped it would."
Heatblast frowned. "What?"
"All those aliens at your disposal," Aizen went on. "All those various powers; the moment you told me about yourself and your Ultimatrix, I knew you would be another excellent choice in helping me achieve my potential."
"You said something like that earlier when I thought I turned you into a pancake," Heatblast muttered. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said," Aizen replied vaguely, making Heatblast growl in annoyance. "Your variety of abilities made you the perfect opposition for me to face."
"What a minute—are you saying this whole time you wanted me to fight you?!" Heatblast yelled, Starrk and Harribel's eyes widening at this accusation.
"Of course," Aizen said, a devious smirk on his face. "Even though I was not expecting Way Big, I always knew that you and I would face each other."
"So that whole thing about saying I would understand–"
"Oh, I fully intend to show you the Original Sin of Soul Society," Aizen said coolly. "And once you have seen it, you will understand why I chose to betray them."
"But–" Heatblast tried to speak again before Aizen cut him off.
"I only said you would understand. I never actually said that you would agree with my actions or support them." His eyes landed on Starrk and Harribel and his smirk grew. Both their bodies tensed as he said. "Everyone made that assumption on their own."
"Cut the crap, Aizen!" Heatblast snapped. "You knew that's what they would think so don't even try to pin this on them!"
"Are they really so innocent in this?" Aizen asked, cocking his head. "Despite their reluctance to go along with my plan, they still chose to give my words the benefit of the doubt rather than immediately side with you."
"You're right," Harribel spoke softly, drawing the other three's attention onto her. "I will never forgive myself for the part I played in hurting Ben, but I will do everything I can to make things right." She aimed her sword at Aizen. "And I will start by helping him stop you!"
"Same here," Starrk said, his visible narrowing at Aizen. "Ben's always been there for us, no matter how suspicious he was. Even when the truth came out, he was still willing to risk his life for our sake. He is someone I would be honored to call my friend and I am never letting him down again."
"Starrk," Heatblast whispered. "Harribel…"
"One thing though," Starrk said, leaning forward as he eyed Aizen critically. "If Ben was another choice to help your potential, who else was there?"
As if in response, the air behind Aizen seemed to shatter, revealing a great blackness as if someone had torn a hole into the void itself. The reason for this phenomenon? Ichigo Kurosaki, his sword raised to cleave Aizen's head clean off.
To Be Continued…
Phew. Sorry for the wait everyone. Real life issues were kicking my butt in May. Things are starting to look a little better now.
According to some side material when Harribel had been healed after the Battle of Karakura Town, the injuries Aizen gave her were so bad only Orihime had the power to heal them. At first I was worried that Harribel would have to sit the rest of the battle out. Then I remembered the main reason why only Orihime could've healed her injuries. Since Hachi has both arms in my story, healing Harribel's injuries shouldn't be difficult for him.
Also, you'll notice how Sui-Feng's name has been changed to Soifon, what her name was originally translated as, similar to how Harribel's name was original Tia Halibel before it was changed to Tier Harribel. I honestly prefer the name SoiFon over Sui-Feng but never thought about changing it like I did Harribel's first name.
Yeah, things are happening a little differently compared to canon but considering the beatdown Way Big gave Aizen, I can the manipulative bastard wanting to thin things out so Ben has less allies to help him. And yeah, at least Momo didn't have to go through what she did in canon.
Hope you liked the names of the Hollow Hybrids. All the credit goes to Mezentsevmichaiel. Appreciate it!
And now Ichigo has come to join the battle! Will he be willing to work alongside Starrk and Harribel? What are the Hollow Hybrids doing now? Find out in the next chapter of Bleach: Ultimate Alien!
