One thousand years ago in the hunting grounds of the Holds.
A young boy with black wavy hair was jumping over several rocks and into a forest with a wooden bow strapped on his chest. While an young brown haired man in a white military uniform with glasses followed right behind him.
'Come on Robert I just saw a deer ruining nearby and I want to catch by before it gets away!' The young boy called out as he travels further into the forest while the older man merely huffed.
'I suggest you keep your voice down otherwise you will startle it again' The knight warn and then upon catching up to the boy he saw that he already had the deer in his sights and being extremely quiet with his bow drawn and the arrow ready.
Robert then took a moment to look at the boy's stance and shifted the young one's hand a bit upward. The young hunter then gaze at him and the man nodded in approval. Singling the boy to readjust his sights on the deer and let the arrow fly.
A few hours later Robert and the boy set up camp and began eating some cooked venison over a burning fire.
'You have improved quite well since the week you started your training' Robert complimented. 'Keep this up and you will soon be ready to hunt Hollows in the world of the living'
The boy then laughed. 'I still think I will stick to just hunting animals for now master' The boy answered half-heartedly. 'I mean given you're still righting my stances'
Robert then chuckled. 'Only so you can use them to their fullest potential...and it won't take long for you to reach it'
The boy then smiled. 'You think so?' but then his smile then soften into sadness. 'I just wish we had more hunts like this often'
Robert looking the young boy's expression then sighed. 'That I too lad, but you know that the Regent does not approve of it'
'Indeed I do not...'
A deep commanding voice spoke from behind them and Robert winded his eyes in surprise when he saw Joesph Black walking out of the forest. While The boy frown in displeasure.
'I thought I have made it clear that our esteem black prince shouldn't lower himself to the hobbies of that of a commoner?' Joeseph said dryly while placing his hand on the boy's shoulder and then glared menacingly at Robert. 'Or do I need to take more...disciplinary actions for your insolence?'
The boy then glared at Black. 'And I have made it clear that I wanted Robert to take me on these hunts Regent. Which is my right as the black prince' He said sternly. 'And I am tired of having this same conversation with you'
Joseph then frown at the boy. 'My prince the reason for my insistence is to both preserve the reputation of your right as king and your personal safety'
The boy then snorted. 'I care little about my reputation and feel far safer with him then the entitled Imperial knights at the palace' He then cast a look at the frustrated Joseph. 'But if it bothers you that much I will return' The prince then looked over to Robert and smiled. 'Same time as next weak?'
Robert hesitated and then smiled. 'Of course...Master Yhwach'
Fifty years later…
Robert upon hearing the news that Soul King has been attacked the sternritter immediately rushed up to the bedroom of the royal Palace to check up on his majesty's well being.
Yet when he arrived the Adult Yhwach was unharmed while surrounded by a pile of ashes. much to Robert's relief.
'Forgive me for intruding upon your home sir, it's just that when I heard that the Abyssal nights attacked. I though you would be in danger' Robert responded yet Yhwach continued looked over the dusted pile of his would be killers.
'If it wasn't for your training Robert, I likely wouldn't be here Yhwach said respectfully. 'So please don't try to ask for forgiveness for something so minor'
Robert then coughed his throat to avoid his embarrassment. 'Of Course sire' he then looked over the pile of ashes. 'So these are the famous abyss Knight?'
Yhwach snorted. 'Of what's left of them. The moment I manged to land a lethal blow on each them their bodies burn with blue fire and vaporized into ash. Obliterating any trace of their spiritual energy and reshi' he then narrowed his eyes as gathers up a pile of their ashes and allows them to fall through his fingers. 'Even from the soul fragments I have collected from them no trace of their memories or anything else remains'
Robert then winded his eyes. 'You mean their souls have been destroyed!?'
Yhwach shock his head. 'No...more like they have been cleaned and rendered into blank states like what holy arrows does to a Hollow's soul...' he frown as he stared at his ash covered hand. 'Only on a Quincy'
'Well that is to be expected right?' The voice of Joseph announced himself to scene. 'I mean it is not the first time those heathens failed to Kill our beloved past kings and died with no trace'
Yhwach then looked at Joeseph for a moment and then looked back at the pile of ashes. 'Perhaps...but it is strange that no records existed on how the fallen Abyss Knights burn to ash by blue flames with no memories within their souls remaining...'
On hearing that Robert sense the slightest bit of uneasiness from Joseph, but it quickly passed as the advisor smiled. 'Well it is possible that such reported information was lost to the tides of history as things tend to happen...'
Yhwach then narrowed his eyes at Joseph before sighing. 'Very well…but I want security further tighten so that another assassination attmept like this not happen again' He then turn his head away and his tone became lower. 'If only to show the people that their king is properly secured'
Joseph then hesitatated for moment and his smile winded as he bow towards the departing Yhwach. 'Of course your majesty'
Sense that day Robert held his suspensions of Joesph and his roll in his Yhwach's assassination attempt. But neither he, the imperial guard or the king with his almighty could find in evidence of his supposed treachery and Joesph likely knew that without solid proof. Suspicion alone wouldn't be enough to enough to accuse him.
Or at least back then...
In the present Robert then flashback to reality as he looked over all the computer monitors from his chair. Having spending all night then looking over at the screen of his computer. Which showed reports of were all the Quincy have been in the past twenty a four hours gathered by their intelligence, but after skimming through all of them none looked partially suspicious enough to be looked into.
However just when Robert was about to call it a day. his luck soon change when he received a call from BG9.
Meanwhile within the hidden of chambers of Tartarus...
Ichigo didn't know how long he was trapped in the chamber as it gradually lost meaning to him, along with most of the feeling in his arms and legs after being strapped to the hanging chains for so long. Until Someone arrived in the chamber with a bucket of water in their left hand and when Ichigo focused his gaze on the person he recognized them as Bearince who gave Ichigo a sadden expression.
The Quincy then averted his gaze and pulled out a laddie to scoop parts of the water out of the bucket and placed it near Ichigo's lips. Who then looked at in confusion.
'I suggest you drink while you still can Ichigo, or I will be forced to do more...direct approaches to quench your thirst'
Sensing that was not an ideal threat and feeling he had nothing to lose' Ichigo hesitantly but steadily sipped the laddie dry and then breathed out in slight satisfaction and then looked up to Berenice.
'I heard that you saved my sister Yuzu when she was defending the academy...' Ichigo spoke in gratitude. 'I just wanted to say thanks'
Berenice then lowered his gaze. 'If you think playing nice is going to get you out of this situation then you are sourly mistaken' he said harshly with a tenge sadness in his voice. 'No more than I could get out of mine'
Ichigo stared at the traitor Quincy in pity. 'So basically from what I can gather all of you follow Joeseph because he plans to restore your honor or something...by making me a lycpine?'
Berenice then frown and averted the shinigami's gaze. 'As Joeseph said before. He rather not have you involved in this, but circumstances have...changed'
'Like what?' Ichigo question. 'How exactly is me turning me into a second soul king would accomplish when just one would do? Why go through all this cloak and dagger to capture and hide me away when you already have Bazzard take up the throne?'
Berenice then remain silent for few moments before signing. 'Because Bazzard isn't strong enough to handle the power of the soul king...and the means to make him are far from ready'
Ichigo then narrowed his eyes. 'So why not wait considering that Yhwach has at least nine more years to live...' he then focused his gaze on on Berenice. 'Unless there is something else at work?'
The Traitor knight held his tongue while refusing to face Ichigo. 'Let's just say...that the current circumstances left us with only two choices. Which we either make you into the second soul king and masquerade Bazzard as the only one...' he then shook his fists. 'Or make you into the current King'
Ichigo then snorted. 'So it all has to do with me being a hybrid?'
Berenice then slammed the wooden landle on the stone floor and glared viciously at Ichigo but instead of seeing hate and wounded pride, he saw desperation, fear...and guilt.
'It is far more then just your status as hybrid Ichigo...it is also because you have the potential of starting your own line of succession and render the Quincy Nobility utterly obsolete!' He explained bitterly.
The Shinigami then remain silent for a moment and then remembered Uryu's history lesson involving the Quincy nobility their decline in power and their desperate means to regain it and frown.
'So basically you are upset that you or the rest of the Nobility won't be able to manipulate a continued generation of Kings for your own ends?
Berenice then huffed. 'It has less to do with manipulating those with power, but rather us Nobles having a purpose' He explained while looking away from Ichigo. 'Our founders were chosen by the first King to guide and lead the Quincy to prosperity. Because they were,righteous, loyal and above all else the best that our kind had to offer and for the past million years that sentiment was shared by their descendants for countless of generations' Berenice then looked up above at the ceiling. 'But towards the dawn of this millennium. Said sentiment was gradually worn away, when common and impure blood began to outpace the pure, our failure to find successor of our own and eventually the populace looked upon us not as the pinnacle of what the Holy Kingdom could offer...but as relics of the past that where doom to be forgotten'
Kurosaki then shrugged. 'And so the image of you nobility being the greatest and most powerful Quincies ended up being shattered, and no one respected you all that much anymore?'
Berenice remained silent for a moment and then stared back Ichigo. 'It was more then a lack of respect Kurosaki. It was complete contempt and hatred for what we are. To the point that our own rights as citizens were violated, Including having our wealth, lands, and our very homes stripped away from us. until all we had left were barely functioning mines and barren wastelands...not even our children were spared from such cruelty.'
Ichigo then remained silent for a moment and then spoke. 'And do you know why this happen?'
Berenice then sighed. 'I am fully aware of the horrors the other nobilities have done...but not all of them share the blame like what many citizens of this realm believe and they feared that if you were to become a successor...any little influence we had to defend ourselves would be stripped'
Ichigo then narrowed his eyes. 'And have you actually told yhwach about the problems your people face?'
Berenice remained silent for a moment and then lowered his head. 'We did...and his demands were reasonable...but the majority were too proud to be ever humbled while the rest were cowed from ever taking such an offer' He looked at the bucket of water and saw his own pitiful reflection. 'And in spite of the power of his Almighty, only his own choices could be made into reality not others...'
The Shingmai then closed his eyes and let out a muffled breath, before gazing back at Berniece. 'Look I know that you want to be big shots again, and not get shit on all the time... but you got to start treating other people equally and not based on their race, blood legion, or any of that crap, and if you managed to swallow all that arrogance. You and your people can get the respect they want and not just because of what you are but who you are' He then focused his eyes on Berenice. 'It's not too late to make things right'
Bearince looked at Ichigo but sadly shook his head and began to lower his jacket and shirt. 'I am afraid that it is Kurosaki'
And then to the Shingmai's horror, he saw a symbol glowing blue on the bare skin of the man's shoulder radiating with energy.
'Good or ill, I have already made my choice...' He then turned around and began to walk out of the room. 'And there is no turning back from that unless I want death'
Berenice then closed the door behind him while Ichigo looked at him sadly.
However, after Berenice closed the door he received a phone call and upon listing to the message his eyes winded in shock.
Meanwhile at the Palace of The Governance. Bazzard and his Father Joseph stood in the center of a courtroom and in front were the members of the Sternritter council. Which included Kyiv, Litttio, Lille Barro, Robert, Genrad, Askin, Cang, Gremmy, Uryu, As Nodt, James and Hashwalf who stood in the center of the group. Many of them were in person while others like the imperial guard members had hologram images. While BG9 stood at the bottom.
'Bazzard Black...' Hashwalf spoke in a deep assertive voice. 'You stand before the council of the order of the Sternritter. For the crime of assaulting Kurosaki within the prison of Tartarus due to both the battle marks and the residue of the spiritual energy scan within the area matching your signature,' he then glared at the Sternritter. 'How do you plead?'
Bazzard looked up at Hashwalf then to his father who narrowed his eyes at him and then back up to the Grandmaster. 'Not guilty grandmaster'
'And your case?' Jurgram answered.
The fiery sternritter cleared up his throat. 'Because I am not the one to assault Kurosaki... rather he was the one who assaulted me'
Everyone in the court gave each other confused looks and then looked back to Bazzard.
'That is a bold claim Sir. Black...' As Nodt commented. 'Do you mind going into detail on that?'
Bazz-B then took in a short breath and proceeded. 'Ichigo Kurosaki wanted to take the throne for himself and teleported us both into Tartarus in order to take me out, Along with sending Hubert to finish Keigo off, but I managed to drive him away'
Everyone in the court then mumbled to themselves, and then Kyiv spoke out.
'That seems extremely out of character for someone like Ichigo to do. Especially given all that he has done for us,' He Argued. 'Is there any other evidence that you can provide beyond your word?'
Bazz-B then shifted his stance. 'No, but I swear that was what Kurosaki told told'
Kyiv then looked to the other members of the court, who had looks of doubt on their faces, and then Uryu gaze back to the convicted Sternritter.
'Even if that was the case, I severely doubt that Kurosaki would somehow have knowledge about the abyssal knights and be able to command them to do his bidding,' Ishida spoke out, and Bazzard shook his hand.
'He didn't; they came to him and offered to replace him as the soul king' he countered and then Litteo eyed him suspiciously.
'And Ichigo was arrogant enough to tell you all of this while trying to kill you?' she asked, and Bazz-B nodded.
'He was...'
The rest of the court then talked among themselves for a few minutes and then Hashwalf stared back at Bazz-B
'Very well we will consider your side of the story' He said plainly. 'But until we can locate Kuroskai you will be placed under house arrest in the meantime'
Bazzard tense and Joesph slightly growled in frustration, while several Quincy guards walked behind the Sternritter and cuffed him.
Later inside the hidden room at the black residence...
DAMN, IT ALL!' Joseph screamed out in rage while smashing several pieces of equipment with his cane. 'Everything was going fine. Until that arrogant scientist decided to stick his nose into it and now because of him, it will only be a matter of time before the sternritter order combs all of Tartarus to find our headquarters rendered everything that I worked for pointless!'
Bazzard then frowns at his father and lets out a breath. 'So what do we do now?'
The noble head then calmed himself and tightened his stance. 'It grieves my heart that it has come to this...but I am left with no choice' he then closed his eyes and Bazzard immediately became apprehensive.
'You can't mean-'
'Operation black fall will commence' Joseph said firmly without hesitation while Bazzard looked on in horror.
'But father that would just end up killing everyone in the city and it will do nothing to stop the Shinigmai from invading the Soul Society!' He roared out in desperation as his hands stretched out into the air. 'It would be better to just come clean and-'
Bazzard couldn't even finish his sentence when he found a blade of light pointed at his neck that formed from the end of his Father's golden cane and stared at his son with cold intense wrathful eyes, while his face became hard as stone.
'And what!?' Joesph spat in a murderous voice. 'Have those dogs on the council stripped our titles and deprived us of what little power and Influence that we have left!?' he then pushed his blade of Light further into his son's neck to the point that the tip of the weapon pierced his skin and began to slowly burn it. 'It was your carelessness in handling that little half-breed brat that got us into this mess, to begin with!' he roared out in front of his son's face' but the latter battled against his fear and grabbed hold of the sword of light at his throat.
'But killing everyone in the city won't make things better either since you be ruling over nothing!' Bazzard shot back at Joesph who stared at his son for a moment. Before pulling his cane away, disable his sword of light and gave the lad an almost casual look.
'Bazzard…' Joesph said in an eerily calm tone. 'What make you think…that I still desire to rule this nation?'
The Sternritter of the heat then nearly dropped his jaw in horror at what he just heard as his father turned his head around and continued.
'The Holy Kingdom has now proven to be beyond saving and thus only path left to the soul society's future...' He walked up to the computer typed in some codes on the keyboard and several images of various Quincy, including Quigle and Berenice appeared on the screen.
'Is to clear the board'
