'Urrgh...' Ichigo moaned as he rubbed his bleeding nose with a tissue while placing an ice pack on his head.

'That is the last time I ever allowed you to take me out again, Keigo,' he moaned as he stared off to the lake, looking at the amusement park on the other side, and Keigo looked away in guilt.

'Sorry, I just thought...' he began to say while trying to form the words. 'I thought you would be able to handle it. Going to a big fancy club where sexy hot women dance in front of you? That would be a man's lifelong dream, and you seemed to be enjoying it too...until those girls start singing.'

Ichigo then looked at Keigo angrily but sighed and let his anger go. 'Well, the next time we hang out, I am the one who is going to pick. If only so I don't have to die of blood loss.'

The fullbringer then laughed. 'Hey, no argument there...' he then back to Ichigo. 'So...how did your meeting with Yhwach go?'

Ichigo remained silent as he thought over the Quincy king's discussion with him and what he learned about his other half.

'It went...fine,' Ichigo began to say, unsure how to ask about his other half to his friend. But then decided to do anyway.

'Keigo...tell me something...' Ichigo asked slowly, and then the fullbriger turned to face the shingmai. 'Have you ever thought that your Ichigo would betray the soul society...if it meant he wouldn't become king?'

The Ichigo asked, and Keigo remained silent with an unreadable expression for a few moments. He then turns his head to the distance. Staring at the false moon, then to the sights of the amusement park across the lake, and then back to Ichigo.

'Well...let's just say it wouldn't be all that surprising,' Keigo admitted reluctantly, and Ichigo's heart sank.

'Really...?' The shingmai asked sadly. 'You honestly believe he would do that?'

'Ichigo...' Keigo began to explain as he wrapped both of his hands around himself. 'The is no reason for Yhwach to lie to you about your alternate's nature. You should have already known about it from everyone else by now, that he is the complete opposite of you, and besides...I saw how selfish he can be personally.'

Ichigo then raised his eyebrow in confusion and then was suddenly tempted by what Keigo said to him during the hollow invasion of Karakura town and then when he took him to that ruined playground in Tokyo.

'Does this...have anything to do with how you two became friends?' Ichigo asked, and Keigo's face fell, and after a few moments of waiting in silence, he answered.

'When I first meant my Ichigo...we didn't have the best relationship,' Aasano explained as he began his story. 'He was a loner who didn't hang out with anyone and was often cold and bitter to anyone who tried to be friends with him.'

The brunette then lowered his gaze. 'But to me...I understood him. Angry at the world that wronged him. Not wanting to let anyone in out of spite, and while he was dismissive to me like everyone else...in the end, he also recognized that I too shared similar pain.'

Keigo then looked up to the false moon. 'So we bounden with each other, train, and even hang out during our schooling in the military guard in Karakura town. Eventually, in the place of a bitter, grumpy man I once knew. I saw that my Ichigo was a charming, headstrong kid. Just like me!' He declared happily, and then his smile then fell to a frown.

'But then...I realized behind that charming, headstrong kid...was also a spiteful man who was never able to let his pain go' the fullbrigner then lowered his head and began to look at both of his hands.

'After...we completed our training at the military guard. We were assigned to watch over Tokyo city's outer borders if any party of the hollows tried to get through the barrier. With me looking out over the western side and him on the northern' Keigo then began to shake his hands.

'However...when Ichigo saw a band of hollows led by Grandfisher. Instead of helping out his squadron and calling for help, he abandoned them to die...' Keigo said as rage and shame began to consume him as he remembered every conversation he had with Ichigo all those years ago.

'Why...Why would you do that, Ichigo?! A younger Keigo called to his friend with his back turned. His long orange hair bellowed into the wind, and his Quincy bow was drawn out yet lowered while his expression was cold and unforgiving.

'Because those bastards deserved it, Keigo!' Ichigo answered harshly. At the same time, Asano continued to fume in anger.

'And who are you to decide on who is worth saving or not! who are you to decide that a person deserves death!? 'The fullbringer shouted out, making Ichigo turn his head to face him.

'And tell me this Aanso...' Ichigo, with a voice filled with contempt and hate, '...who are you to judge them being worthy of being saved?'

Keigo then remained silent at what his supposed friend said while Ichigo continued to rant.

'We are not obliged to decide the worth anything, Keigo. Only what we want to have worth in, and I can't even comprehend how any of those miserable pieces shits are worth anything!' He yelled before turning his head away. 'They should be lucky I don't kill them myself!'

Keigo then remained quiet for a long moment, completely stunned upon realizing what his friend saw of his teammates. Before narrowed eyes in disappointment. 'And the innocents caught in the crossfire?'

Ichigo then rolled his eyes. 'What innocents ?' he said dismissively, and then Keigo let a sad breath.

'Nevermind...' the fullbringer said and then began to walk away from Ichigo.

'Where are you going?' the black prince asked, yet Keigo continued to walk away.

'Where do you think...?' The brunette said sarcastically. 'I will save those Quincies and innocents with or without you.'

Ichigo then growled in annoyance. 'You will get overwhelmed and die, Asano! don't be a-'

'I rather die risking my life to save people who can't defend themselves than being a spiteful asshole like you! Who can't get over his overblown anger!' Keigo spat with impatience before increasing his pace. Much to Ichigo's confusion.

'So you are willing to die for nothing, Keigo Asano, for those ingrates!' Ichigo roared back,' Are you willing to throw your life away over something so stupid!' He roared out.

Keigo then turned to face Ichigo, and to their latter's shock, he saw that his friend was crying.

'You are the one who is stupid if you think your pain justifies your decision to abandon the ones who need you...' Keigo said coldly before whipping away his tears and continuing to walk away.

Ichigo was enraged...and then a sudden weight of guilt swelled in his heart, and he clicked his teeth In frustration.

'...fine' the black prince said as he placed his left hand on Keigo's right shoulder. 'Will do it your way.'

Keigo then opens his eyes as he flashes back to reality and turns to face Ichigo.

'Lucky I was able to make a deal with him...a promise. That as long as I...didn't get myself killed in fighting people above my weight class. He would go out of his way to help people' He frowned. 'Unfortunately, asking him to rule over the people he hates was too much to ask for.'

Ichigo then remains silent upon taking in everything that Keigo is not sure what to say until the brunette speaks up to him.

'So what about you?' Keigo asked, and Ichigo looked up to him. 'What motivates you to protect people?'

The shingmai then paused at the question for a few moments. But then made himself answer. 'Personally...I always wanted to protect people, and at first, it was just my friends and family...but over time, that desire grew to the point I wanted to protect everyone that I could.'

Keigo then raised his eyebrows in curiosity. 'And did you ever hate anyone for harming those you cared about?'

Ichigo then thought about that and let out a short breath. 'I do...but in the end, that hatred was nothing to compared to the hatred I have for more myself, for being too weak to protect those who relied on me who needed me...or worse...me being responsible for their suffering.'

The shingmai then turned his head around and stared off into the distance. 'I...can't say that I wouldn't turn out exactly like your Ichigo if our circumstances were different...but I rather believe that if we did go through the same pain together...I would blame myself for my father's death for being too weak to save him...then blame those that harmed him, let alone those that had nothing to do with it.'

Keigo didn't say anything for a while. As he ponders in thought on Kurosaki's words and begins to wonder, maybe on some level, what he said might have a grain of truth for his version of Kurosaki.

But such thoughts were put on hold when Keigo received a message on his iPhone, and his expression turned grim.

'It seems we have to cut our break short, Ichigo,' the fullbringer said seriously and opened a digital portal. 'All the agents, sternritter, and you have been called for a meeting.'

Ichigo then gave Keigo a look of concern. 'A meeting about what?'

The brunette's face then darkens. 'About a hollow invasion...coming to the soul society.'