Bleach: Three Paths

by Getsuga Goon

What if Rukia arrived too late at the start of Bleach? You'd be surprised. The fates of the Kurosakis would be forever changed by this one event. Takes inspiration from the Bleach Fanfiction named "White" by Melkor's Mercy. [Cross-posted on Ao3.] Cover image by Chris-Jin on DeviantArt.

53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Brother and Sister

Past, Karakura Town

The sun begins to set as a small girl stands in the middle of a grassy field. The girl looks to be no older than five years old, with short black hair, which is currently being pulled aggressively by an older, larger boy, probably around six years old. Another boy of similar age stands in front of her, verbally abusing her. The girl cries in pain, a soccer ball on the ground nearby, as she trembles under the abuse.

"You can't play this game with us anymore, Kurosaki! You should go home and do girly things with your sister!", the boy snaps.

The young Karin frowns, arguing as the hold on her hair becomes less restrictive, "B-but I'm really good! I scored more goals than—"

The boy slaps the girl across the face, sending it to the side with widened eyes. Tears of pain begin to fall from her eyes as a red handprint forms on her cheek.

The youngster hisses, "You got lucky! Girls shouldn't play games like this anyway!"

Karin begins to sob, trembling from both the stark rejection and fear of being further beaten.

The boy tugging on her hair smirks viciously, "Oh look, she's crying! What, you gonna go home and cry to your mommy?"

The girl's breath hitches as the boy says this, her tears continuing in earnest, prompting the other boy to continue his vicious onslaught, "Hey, did you forget she doesn't have one of those anymore? Her precious mommy's gone now!"

Karin trembles as the boys continue to lay into her, her eyes shut as she cries helplessly, "Why are they doing this to me?! All I wanted was to play a game with them…!"

Suddenly the boys stop, tensing up as they hear a young voice roar at them, "STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!"

The boys tremble as they notice another, older boy with orange hair charge towards them, a wrathful expression on his face. They immediately break away from the girl, fleeing in fear of what the new arrival will do to them.

The orange-haired boy doesn't pursue further, rather stopping before the smaller form of his younger sister, concern now in his gaze, "Dad and Yuzu didn't know where you went! You had us worried! Are you alright? What did they do to you?!"

The boy leans down, placing his hands on the girl's shoulders as she rubs her hands against her tear-filled eyes, "I'm fine… you shouldn't worry about me… Ichigo…"

The girl's sobs are unconvincing to her brother, who furrows his brows and frowns, promising, "I won't tell Dad and Yuzu…"

Karin reigns in her tears somewhat, pursing her lips as she refuses to speak any further.

Ichigo's face wears an expression of desperate anguish, attempting to reach the girl as he asserts, "PLEASE, Karin! I'm your big brother—I'm supposed to protect you! I can't do that if you don't tell me!"

Karin sniffles, nodding slowly as she explains between further sniffles, "I wanted… to play with them… then they said, I couldn't… and that I should do girly stuff like Yuzu instead… then they said stuff about mom…!"

The girl can't take it as she looks to the ground again, her tears flowing freely. Ichigo, meanwhile, widens his eyes, a focused and burning rage held within them.

Despite that, the boy forcibly reels himself in for the sake of his sister, grunting, "That's dumb! A girl can be just as good as a boy, no matter what it is! A lot of boys at the dojo used to pick on Suki for doing karate, and they got beat up for it!"

Karin refuses to meet the boy's gaze, continuing to cry, "B-but I'm not like Suki! I'm not strong enough to hit them back!"

Ichigo's eyes soften as he places a hand on the girl's head, ruffling her hair, "You don't need to worry about that, because I'll always be there to protect you, Karin. That's what big brothers are for!"

The girl sniffles, wiping her eyes as she once again meets the boy's gaze, "Y-you promise not to tell Dad and Yuzu about this…?"

Ichigo smiles widely, giving the girl a nod before rising to his feet and offering her a hand, much like his mother used to do, "Now, let's go home!"

Present, Underneath Seireitei, Kasumioji Bathing Room

Karin opens her eyes, finding herself soaking in a steaming, hot bath, her eyes narrowing slightly, "Why am I thinking about Ichigo all of the sudden…?"

A woman wearing white robes holds her hands next to the wounds on the girl's shoulders, a green healing aura coating them. After a moment further, the woman stops, noting that the wounds have closed completely, leaving only the scars that now occupy Karin's torso and shoulders.

The woman rises, addressing the girl, "You should remain in the bath for a couple of minutes longer, Miss Aoi. You should feel the numbness leave by then. We have a fresh Shihakusho on the table over there. If you need anything more, call and I will help you."

Karin gives a slight nod, prompting the woman to leave the small bathing room. The girl closes her eyes, indeed feeling the hot water continue to rejuvenate her. After another minute or so, she suddenly rises from the tub, deciding she has been healed sufficiently.

Kasumioji Chamber

Sitting across from Rurichiyo, who is currently chatting with a pair of Shinigami, also seated at the table with them, she takes in the surrounding room. This chamber seems far less vast than the Shiba Chamber, where she fought Aaroniero, appearing to be more akin to the normal-sized room she stayed in with Katsumi. There is a small kitchen area on the side of the wall, as well as the entrance to the small bathing area she was just at, but otherwise, the room is vacant excluding the four individuals seated at the table, with a hot pot of tea placed in the middle with cups placed before each individual.

The Shinigami looks down, regarding the hot liquid in her cup passively as she listens to one of the Shinigami, a man with green eyes and black, disheveled hair, lay into the noble, "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, LADY KASUMIOJI! HAD THIS GIRL BEEN AN ASSASSIN FROM A RIVAL CLAN, YOU WOULD HAVE DIED! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

Rurichiyo blinks, seemingly used to the man's worried nagging, "I was thinking that it'd be nice to get some fresh air. I have been cooped up in this chamber for longer than I care for… do you deny me the right to do such, Kenryu?"

The Shinigami, Kenryu, softens his gaze, frowning slightly, "I do not, but next time please tell us. Enryu and I were worried something happened…"

The noble widens her eyes slightly, noting the other Shinigami, a man with a unique, brown zig-zag strand of hair atop his otherwise bald head and wearing sunglasses, nod in agreement.

Rurichiyo frowns slightly, looking guilty and her tone sorrowful, "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have snuck out like that…"

The noble girl looks down, her mood dampened by guilt. The pair of Shinigami retainers note this, sharing a gaze.

Kenryu now wears a smile, changing the subject as he makes a gesture towards Karin, "In any case, we're overjoyed to see that you've made a friend, Lady Kasumioji!"

Karin and Rurichiyo perk up in interest as Kenryu addresses the young Shinigami, "Thank you for accompanying the Princess, Miss Aoi! I understand she can be quite the handful."

The noble sends an unamused side-eye at her retainer, seemingly wanting to say something.

Karin beats her to it, waving her hand casually, "Oh, no. It was nothing, really! I'm always happy to be of help to the nobility!"

Kenryu and Enryu look at the girl intently, their mouths slightly open. Rurichiyo meanwhile seems to have forgotten her retainer's comment about her as she looks down at her tea.

The retainers send the younger Shinigami smiles, Kenryu asking, "In that case, have you ever thought of becoming a retainer? A promising young lady such as yourself with two Zanpakutos would be an instant hire for any of the noble clans!"

Karin looks down briefly at her blades, sheathed in their blue sheathes on the ground next to her, a female voice in her head scoffing at the idea, "Like hell! We're not some Princess's tools! WE ARE THE PRINCESS OF THE SHIBA CLAN—AND A VERY BADASS ONE AT THAT!"

"Calm down and let her speak for herself, young lady…", an older, rough voice reminds with a sigh.

Karin blocks out the further banter of her Zanpakutos, addressing the man with a slight smile, "I haven't thought about that, no… but honestly, given everything that's been happening, I'm thinking my skills would be of better use in the Gotei 13, where I can hunt Hollows."

Kenryu and Enryu look a bit disappointed at this as the former lets out a sigh, "I suppose that's fair. No one could've expected that Hollows would find a way into the Seireitei, let alone prove a match for the captains…"

Rurichiyo takes a sip of her tea before placing it on the table, smiling lightly as she asks the other girl, "So, Aoi, is Enryu's tea to your liking?"

Karin looks down at the tea in her cup before lifting it up and taking a sip. Enryu watches in anticipation, eagerly awaiting the girl's assessment. The Shiba girl widens her eyes slightly as the hot liquid travels down her throat.

To Enryu's delight, Karin nods, directly giving her assessment, "Yeah, it's good."

Enryu rises from his seat and fist pumps the air, hyped up as Rurichiyo smiles widely at the girl, "I'm gladdened you like it as well!"

Karin widens her eyes slightly, seeing the forms of Ichigo, Isshin, and Yuzu briefly replace the features of the trio seated before her. The Shiba girl immediately shoots up from her seat, grabbing and fastening her blades to her back and waist.

Rurichiyo scrunches her brow slightly, asking, "Are you leaving already?"

Karin nods, addressing the trio with an apologetic look as she moves toward the exit, "I'm sorry, but there is still something urgent I have to deal with… thanks for all the help."

The Shiba opens the sliding door, beginning to bolt down the hall. While still in earshot, Rurichiyo sticks her head out the door.

The noble girl places a hand on the side of her mouth, calling out, "I HOPE WE CAN HAVE TEA AGAIN SOMETIME, KARIN!"

Karin absentmindedly turns around as she calls back, a slight smile on her face as she still is running, "ME TOO!"

The noble's retainers now flank her, Kenryu raising a brow as he questions, "Why did you just call her Karin…? I thought you said her name was Aoi…"

Rurichiyo smiles widely, a knowing look in her gaze, "That's the name she gave me, but I know better. That girl was without a doubt the same one Katsumi wrote about in her letters: Karin Shiba."

The retainers are jaw dropped, Kenryu gasping, "I… I tried asking a noble to be a r-retainer…!"

Rurichiyo looks off at the fleeing figure of Karin distantly, her eyes softening, "I hope the next time we meet is under better circumstances… I hope that you will still want to be friends…"

Karin, now far down the hall, stops suddenly, "Wait, did she just call me...?"

After a moment, the girl shakes her head, "It doesn't matter right now!"

Giving it no further thought, she disappears with Flash Step in search of the exit.

Roughly 1 Minute Later, Near Underground Exit

Karin runs toward the exit, having evaded a multitude of Squad 9 officers with her now impressive Flash Step. She can see a light at the end of the hallway she finds herself in, shining in from the Seireitei outside. The girl suddenly skids to a halt, however, as a chill runs down her spine. In the next moment, a familiar form appears in front of the Shiba wearing a white Gi, which matches the pale color of his skin.

Karin's mouth contorts into a wrathful frown, realizing that the Arrancar before her must've been following her to some extent ever since their first encounter, "I don't have time to deal with you, Hollow! Move or be struck down like your friend!"

Ulquiorra matches the girl's gaze, narrowing his eyes and noting the new blades strapped to her waist and back, "It seems you've gotten significantly stronger since the last time we crossed paths. That makes sense, otherwise, there's no way you could slay an Espada like Aaroniero... even so, it won't be enough..."

Karin widens her eyes as Ulquiorra's Reiatsu rains down, barely managing to remain standing, "How could I forget?! This guy's on a completely different level than that Aaroniero!"

Despite knowing how futile it is, Karin grabs the hilts of both of her blades, growling as her body is coated with a blue aura, standing defiantly against the Arrancar. Ulquiorra's eyes widen slightly, mildly frustrated with the girl as he points an index finger at her, beginning to charge a green Cero at its tip.

The Arrancar orders, "Turn back or you will force my hand. I doubt you'd like it if I went after your friends again..."

Karin's anger reaches a boiling point at this, causing her to draw her blades and charge at the Hollow. Ulquiorra's face is emotionless as he fires the Cero at the girl.

The Arrancar closes his eyes, "That attack shouldn't kill her, but it will harm her enough that she won't be able to leave..."

As the blast is about to collide with the girl, another figure appears between her and the attack. The figure, wearing a white Haori, unsheathes their blade and cuts the attack in two, causing the two halves to crash against the walls behind them. Both Karin and Ulquiorra blink, widening their eyes as Kaname Tosen stands before them. Karin starts to retreat backward slightly, wary of the man despite him just protecting her.

The captain tilts his head back toward the girl, regarding her with a resolute tone, "Go. Find your sister. I will hold him off."

The Shiba girl's jaw hangs open slightly, thoroughly shocked at the captain's apparent mutiny. She snaps out of her shocked state as Ulquiorra uses Sonido, appearing beside her and attempting to strike her with his Zanpakuto, only to have it parried by the captain's own.

Tosen's eyes, hidden beneath his visor, narrow as he urges with unusual passion, "GO NOW! THE TIME HAS COME TO DECIDE IF YOU SHALL CONTINUE DOWN THE PATH OF A SHINIGAMI OR LEAVE THAT PATH TO PURSUE YOUR OWN JUSTICE!"

Karin's eyes are wide, not fully understanding the man's passionate words at the moment, so simply nods before rushing off toward the exit, hearing the clash between the captain and Arrancar echo off the walls of the hallway.

Kenpachi vs Komamura, Seireitei

Blood continues to seep from the wound on Kenpachi's chest, causing him to breathe slow, somewhat labored breathes, "Is this what dying feels like...?"

Komamura points his Zanpakuto at the captain, a giant arm holding an equally massive blade in the air above him, "Stand down, Zaraki. Don't make me kill you."

Kenpachi widens his eyes, the captain's threat seeming to strike a chord with him as he mutters darkly, "Kill me...?"

Komamura continues to glare down at Kenpachi ready for any sudden move the other captain makes. The scarred captain starts to laugh darkly, his maddened Reiatsu beginning to rain down, unnerving his peer.

Kenpachi cackles, the pupils within his eyes leaving him as he raises his sword to the sky, appearing as an unyielding berserker. Komamura braces himself, bringing his massive sword in front of him defensively, yet it is for naught as the berserker captain slices through it like butter, causing the wolfman to stagger back in shock. Kenpachi continues to rush the wolfman, yet instinctually pauses as he feels the other captain's Reiatsu begin to rain down with greater intensity as if to answer his warrior's call.

Komamura declares, "Bankai: Kokujo Tengen Myo'o!"

Kenpachi's cackling becomes even more crazed as he watches the massive arm extend into an entire giant samurai suit standing behind the wolfman, raising its now repaired blade skyward in preparation to attack.

Squad 1 Barracks

Toshiro clashes with Gin again, the older captain cutting through the ice from Hyorinmaru with ease. Meanwhile, Rangiku manages to keep Sasakibe a distance away from her, directing a gray, smokey haze with the hilt of her blade, which seems to cut the man whenever he gets too close, evident by the light cuts on his Gi.

Toshiro frowns deeply, feeling the other intense battles occurring across the Seireitei, "There's no more time! I have to end this quickly!"

Gin continues to smile at the younger Shinigami, who adjusts his hold on his sword and declares, "Bankai: Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

Icy, draconic wings sprout from the boy's back, as well as an equally icy tail from his lower back. His shoulders, feet, and arms are also coated with spiky ice dragon armor, overall giving him quite a ferocious appearance. The boy's frosty Reiatsu coats the entire hall in a layer of ice as his power settles, causing Rangiku and Sasakibe to tense under its power. Despite this, Gin continues to smirk at the captain as they rush towards each other once more, continuing their clash.

Seireitei

Tsukishima falls to the ground, a smoldering mess as his final, baffled thoughts cry out before losing consciousness, the purple, bladed scarf falling from his grasp, "N-NO! Not Akari's Tune of Disruption, too!"

A distance away in front of the smoking form is Shusuke Amagi, holding in his left hand a white longsword with a white, shell-like hilt and a curved, hook shape as the tip. Held in a reverse grip in the man's right hand is a uniquely shaped, short gray blade that looks like a tuning fork. A distance away, Tatsuki stands huffing and puffing, obviously in better shape than Tsukishima, but not by much as her skin and Gi are scorched black in a few locations along her arms, neck, and legs.

The karate girl frowns, deeply irritated, "DAMN IT! We can't even get close to him! Whenever we do, he just knocks that fork against his Zanpakuto and the sound somehow makes our Reiryoku go out of control before hitting us with a fireball! We can't attack like this!"

Behind Tatsuki, a wounded Yukio, Yuzu, and Kon lay on a large, heart-shaped beanbag as they watch helplessly alongside Riruka, whose eyes are widened in horror.

After a moment longer to process the sight, Riruka instinctually rushes towards the downed man, "TSUKISHIMA!"

Tatsuki growls as she gets in front of the pig-tailed girl, holding her back, "Riruka, stop!"

The pink-haired girl squirms in the grasp of the other girl, "LET ME GO! HE NEEDS HELP!"

The karate girl shakes her ally, "Get ahold of yourself! Do you want to get yourself killed?!"

Amagai's eyes narrow as he looks upon Tsukishima, who still twitches somewhat, although is definitely at least unconscious, "He's down and definitely won't be getting up…"

The assassin retrieves the scarf from the ground, prompting another, ninja-looking assassin to appear out of seemingly thin air.

Amagai hands the other assassin the scarf, commanding, "Take this back to the Master…"

The ninja nods before disappearing with a flash, leaving the battlefield.

Riruka flinches and Tatsuki tenses as the remaining, dual-wielding assassin looks over at them with cold, murderous eyes, "You two are next…"

Before the Fullbringers can react, Amagai uses Flash Step to close the distance between them, raising his hooked sword above his head in preparation for a death blow. Riruka stumbles backward as Tatsuki turns to vainly attempt to block the blow, bracing herself as she expects to at least lose an arm.

However, as the blade comes down, it is suddenly parried by another one that seemingly appears out of thin air. The assassin blinks as he stumbles back, a troubled look on his face, before a white, gloved fist also comes seemingly out of thin air, striking the man in the stomach and forcing him back a distance, now a coughing mess.

Tatsuki stares in wide-eyed shock as the space in front of her warps to reveal two figures removing and soon discarding transparent cloaks, which seemingly completely hid their presence. To the left is a tall woman with long white pants and a matching white, long-sleeved Gi which she wears as a jacket. Worn on her head is a cracked, horned helmet which is currently bandaged, suggesting she was wounded earlier. Her hair is long and green and there is a red tribal tattoo on her face, not fully visible due to the bandages. Overall, Tatsuki can't help but think the woman is a beauty.

On the other hand, the figure to the right is a man with long dark brown hair worn in a ponytail. He wears a similar white Gi to the woman, worn as a suit jacket or long-sleeved vest on his torso. A mask covers the left side of the man's face with an almost glowing red eye contained within it while the right side of his face contains a scar that runs through his brown eye. Red droplet-like tattoos are visible on his right cheek, matching the color of the red, six-pedaled guard on his Zanpakuto.

Tatsuki widens her eyes in recognition of the man, his face matching a face she's seen in pictures countless times before, "Wait, he's…"

The man wears a big confident smile as he tugs on the collar of his jacket, proclaiming, "You all can rest easy now that big bro is here!"

The group of Ryoka all gawk at the Arrancar, thrown off by his statement. The woman next to him lets out a short giggle, finding the man's actions humorous.

After a moment, Yukio is the one to address the elephant in the room, raising a brow, "Am I going crazy, or did those two Hollows just save Arisawa…?"

Kon shrugs as Yuzu, focusing her Blut Vene around the wound in her stomach to slow the bleeding, scrunches her eyes, staring somewhat longingly at the brown-haired man's back.

Tatsuki's expression becomes somewhat wary as she addresses the man, "You're Orihime's brother… don't tell me you've come to take her away again?"

Riruka, Yukio, and Kon jaw drop, "BROTHER?!"

Meanwhile, Yuzu's gaze remains fixed on the Arrancar's back, not shaking the instinctual pull she is feeling towards him.

Sora turns to face the karate girl, his eyes widening as he now wears a slight frown, "What…? Orihime is here…?"

The Arrancar shakes his head, explaining with a kind smile, "No. Nel and I came here to help prevent Yuzu's execution, same you as you."

The karate girl wears a shocked and confused expression, "He's completely different than Orihime said he was last time… given he hasn't attacked me, that would make sense… I never got to see him properly then, and I'm glad I didn't… still, it's better to be safe than sorry…"

Sora ignores the rather wary look on the girl's face, instead widening his eyes as he looks behind her, directly at Yuzu. Despite never seeing the girl before, the man feels a similar, instinctual pull to her as she felt towards him. The man suddenly uses Sonido to close the distance between them, alarming the Fullbringers as he stands above her.

Yukio snaps at the Arrancar as he begins to bend over towards him, "GET AWAY FROM HER—!"

The boy widens his eyes in shock as he watches Sora, currently in a trance, gently stroke the girl's hair, offering her a loving smile, "You've grown strong, little one… you've done the Quincy proud…"

The girl's eyes widen as upon being touched by the Hollow; she senses something dormant buried deep within his being. Something that, despite all odds, has managed to just briefly retain its sense of individuality within the tempest of souls composing the Arrancar's being. What she feels is the long-lost warmth and love of her mother, making her briefly see Masaki's face instead of the man actually in front of her.

Upon making this instinctual realization, the feeling leaves the girl as Sora breaks away, rising to his feet and asserting, no longer in a trance, "I'll handle this Shinigami. You all ought to rest up in the meantime…"

The man uses Sonido again to reappear next to Nelliel, Tatsuki, and Riruka, regarding the Espada with a tilt of his head, "Nel, you should avoid fighting too. I'll take him myself."

The woman nods in immediate understanding, "Then I shall heal their wounds… but if you start struggling, I'll have no choice but to get my hands dirty…"

Sora smirks slightly, "Won't happen. He should be here before long… besides…"

The Arrancar glances at Tatsuki, who still looks raring to go for a fight, "…it looks like I'll already have help."

Tatsuki returns the man's smirk with a slight frown, "Just to be clear, as soon as we beat this guy, we're taking Yuzu and Orihime home with us, NOT YOU!"

Sora nods, readying his blade as the pair regard the approaching form of Amagai, "Agreed."

As the duo begins to clash with the assassin Shinigami, Nelliel and a somewhat wary Riruka approach the group. The pig-tailed girl glares at the Espada with quite a skeptical look, prompting the Hollow woman to sweat drop.

After another moment, Nelliel can't handle the look anymore, so confronts the girl directly, looking down slightly to match her gaze, "It's rude to stare, you know…"

Riruka huffs, crossing her arms, "Why are you helping us? What's in it for you?"

Nelliel smiles gently, stating innocently, "Nothing!"

The girl blinks, her mouth opening slightly as she stares in confusion. Nelliel continues walking towards the group of Fullbringers maintaining her smile as she looks at them.

Yukio and Kon both blush in mild embarrassment as she bends down to regard them, "I apologize for my friend coming over here without warning earlier. He means well, though…"

Yukio rubs the back of his neck, "F-forget it… I'm just glad you two are on our side…"

Kon, meanwhile, is unable to contain himself as he springs towards the woman's bosom. However, the lion completely misses as Nelliel shifts slightly to regard Yuzu, causing him to land in the dirt behind her. To add further insult to injury, Riruka stomps on him as she approaches.

Yuzu looks at Nelliel with a curious look, the woman almost beaming as she looks at the girl's face, "You must be Yuzu! You look just like your brother, although admittedly much more adorable!"

The Quincy widens her eyes slightly, although still somewhat strained due to her wound, "You know Ichigo…?"

Nelliel nods before she wears a slight frown, eyeing the small hole in the girl's stomach, "Oh dear, my bad. I should've healed you already…"

Yuzu furrows her brows as the woman sticks her hand in her mouth, "What are you—?"

Before she can finish her sentence, Nelliel suddenly pukes over the girl's torso. Yuzu wears a blank, dead-panned look as she regards her now saliva-coated clothing. Riruka looks at the scene in disgusted horror while Yukio merely looks curious.

The pig-tailed girl hisses, "WHY?! THOSE ARE NEW, CUSTOM-MADE CLOTHES THAT WE HAD MADE FOR HER BEFORE COMING HERE AND YOU JUST RUINED THEM!"

Nelliel blinks, confused, "But you want her to get better, don't you…?"

Riruka raises an unimpressed brow, shifting her gaze towards Yuzu slightly before immediately widening her eyes in shock. On the heart-shaped beanbag, Yuzu's wound has stopped bleeding completely as her Blut recedes. Further inspection shows the wound has only partially closed, but the strained look on the girl's face becomes much laxer, suggesting she is feeling significantly better.

Yukio raises a brow, questioning as he places a hand on his chin, "Well… how are you feeling?"

Yuzu smiles weakly, "Better, but still tired…"

The Quincy then eyes her healer, "Thank you, Miss…?"

Nelliel sends the girl another warm smile, "Nelliel Tu Odelshwank… but you can call me Nel for short!"

Yuzu returns the smile with one of her own before her gaze shifts toward Tsukishima and Nozomi, both lying limp on the battlefield a distance away from the actual battle, "Um… Ms. Nel, can I ask you to help them as well…?"

Nelliel eyes the pair before nodding as she smiles at Yuzu again, "Of course! But my healing isn't potent enough to get them immediately to their feet… they'll still need to rest like you."

Yuzu nods, finding that sufficient and prompting the woman to do as requested. As the woman walks off to heal the Fullbringer and Shinigami, she glances briefly at the battle, narrowing her eyes in slight concern.

Sora and Tatsuki vs Amagai

Amagai knocks the fork against his Zanpakuto again, causing Tatsuki's gray Fullbring coating her fist to recede as she punches him, although the blow still manages to knock the Shinigami back slightly. He swings his flaming longsword in a circle over his head, creating a brief circle of flames that forces the karate girl to backpedal away. As the assassin brings his Zanpakuto down at her, it is once more parried by Sora, who uses Sonido to appear in front of her.

Sora attempts to capitalize on the parry, bringing his sword down at the assassin, poised to split him in two. Shusuke scowls, bringing the fork in his right hand upward to clash against the Arrancar's blade, sending out a green shockwave. Sora twitches, his Reiryoku thrown off, before Amagai slams his flaming Zanpakuto into the Arrancar's chest, sending him skidding backward, a smoking mess.

The assassin narrows his eyes, hearing labored chuckles from within the smoke. As the smoke recedes somewhat, Sora's features are charred as he stumbles somewhat, claiming, "I've found your weakness…"

Amagi snorts, "You bluff, Hollow. None of my countless victims succeeded in breaking through this Bakkoto."

Sora cocks a brow, still appearing confident despite his condition, eyeing Tatsuki approach him. The assassin shifts his gaze on the girl as well, quickly swinging his Zanpakuto at her. However, Tatsuki jumps above the attack, evading it as she kicks the assassin in the face from within the air, causing him to stagger slightly.

Amagai instinctually attempts to knock his fork against his Zanpakuto again, however, Sora appears with Sonido and grabs the assassin's right wrist in his left hand. Amagai tenses as Sora smirks widely, bringing his Zanpakuto in for a strike, which the assassin is forced to block with his own Zanpakuto.

In the next moment, Tatsuki lands on the ground behind the assassin, reeling her hardened gray fist back and slamming it into his back, making him let out a light gasp. Sora's smirk becomes almost vicious as the assassin swings his blade back at the girl as he staggers, leaving him open for a strike across the chest from the Hollow. Gasping again, Amagai widens his eyes, realizing what is about to happen.

Without mercy, Sora and Tatsuki begin bashing the captain, whose right wrist is held captive by the Arrancar, back and forth with a series of punches, kicks, and slashes that Amagai has no current means of countering properly. The assassin gasps out in pain, despairing as he cannot break out of the duo's beatdown.

Sora reels his sword back for another strike but widens his eyes as he feels something, prompting him to release the assassin and immediately back away with Sonido. Tatsuki halts her beatdown as she notices this, repeating the Arrancar's action with Bringer's Light.

The karate girl frowns as she looks up at Sora next to her, questioning with irritation, "What are you doing? We have him on the ropes!"

Sora frowns, his gaze serious, "No… the real battle is just now starting…"

Tatsuki widens her eyes as the Arrancar says this, as in the next moment, fiery orange Reiatsu pours from the assassin, who raises his Zanpakuto skyward, calling, "BANKAI: RAIKA GOEN KAKU!"

Fire erupts around the captain briefly before revealing his Bankai: a larger version of the blade as before, however, with a widened guard that extends into a shield-like structure that extends over the hilt. There are unique red markings on the otherwise white shield which travel to the top where the shield is rounded, appearing like a shell. Smoke briefly shoots out from an opening within the 'shell' before it is replaced by a raging flame as the blade itself simultaneously shifts to an orange color, beginning to melt the ground it is currently planted in.

Sora smirks as he can feel the heat on his face, prompting him to hold his blade in front of him and call, "Cry, La Culebra!"

The man's body briefly secretes a shiny, red fluid from his pores before his form begins to change completely, warping into something nearly identical to his appearance as a Vasto Lorde. The man's mask remains as it was before release, however, red lines run from the edges of his lips through his chin and down to his neck, the area of his face under his mouth also becoming a more toxic green. Further, the red droplets underneath his right eye extend somewhat to cover nearly the entirety of his cheek instead of simply the top portion. His hair flows freely now, the band around it finally coming loose under all of the pressure. Like before, the center part of his body is gray while his limbs and the sides of his upper torso are red, his skin is now covered in snake-like scales.

Tatsuki looks upon the Arrancar with widened eyes, feeling his power, "So this is a Hollow's true power… it's so raw…"

The girl blinks, snapping out of her trance as Sora's spiked tail coils back in anticipation, the Arrancar declaring, "I'll go left, you go right! SNAP THAT LITTLE FORK OF HIS IN HALF!"

Before the karate girl knows it, Sora and Amagai rush at each other, prompting her to follow after, attempting to keep up.

Squad 13 Barracks

Rumbling from the multiple battles currently taking place in the Seireitei can be felt even at the Squad 13 barracks. Despite this, Kiyone and Sentaro each stand on one side of the door leading to their Captain's quarters, unmoving and with steeled gazes. In front of them sits the form of Shunsui Kyoraku, bandaged yet casually sipping on a cup of Sake, waiting patiently.

Just then, the doors of the captain's quarters open, revealing the form of Jushiro Ukitake holding in his right hand a red shield with the crest of the Shihoin Clan near the bottom and blue rope hanging from the top. In the man's left hand is a long rod with a red banner hanging from the end pointed skyward.

Kyoraku places his Sake on the ground before getting up with a sign, addressing his friend with a serious look, "You ready...?"

Ukitake nods, his expression stern, "It isn't perfect, but this is the best I could do. We cannot afford to waste any more time."

Kyoraku turns on his heel, beginning to head toward the ruined warzone that the Seireitei has become as Ukitake glances at his 3rd seats, "You two stay here... against Sir Genryusai, I'm afraid you'd only get in the way..."

Kiyone and Sentaro both bow to the man, stating in unison, "Best of luck to you captain!"

Ukitake smiles slightly, his gaze softening somewhat before he turns on his heel, approaching Kyoraku. The two captains, best friends, give each other a final look before both disappearing with Flash Step.

With Ichigo, Seireitei

As Ichigo leads the group of Chad, Hanataro, and Ginjo through the streets of the Seireitei, he suddenly narrows his eyes, once more feeling the instinctual pull from before.

"It's much stronger this time… whatever it is must be close…", the young Hollow thinks as his pace slows to a halt, leaving him standing in the middle of an intersection between streets, deeply focused on the instinctual pull he is feeling.

Therefore, he doesn't notice another group right next to him as he turns slightly to regard the others, "He guys—!"

Just then, and cutting the Hollow off, another, smaller individual accidentally runs into him, the front of their head hitting the back of his, creating a loud 'knock' noise. Ichigo's eyes comically pop out of his head as he bites his tongue and staggers forward slightly, taking damage due to his guard being down.

The other individual falls to the ground, making Ginjo and Chad widen their eyes in recognition of them and the group they travel with, the latter questioning, "O-Orihime…?"

Indeed, the auburn-haired girl, still wearing Shinigami attire, lays on the ground behind Ichigo, her eyes closed and wincing in pain as she rubs her forehead. As a result, she doesn't notice her surroundings until she sees a pale white hand with red fur on the wrist in front of her face.

Orihime looks up to match Ichigo's apologetic gaze, "Sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you alright?"

The girl widens her brown eyes, a fierce blush covering her face as she sees sparkles glisten across the young Hollow's features. She slowly nods her head before taking his hand, which prompts him to pull her up, causing their faces to become quite close for a brief moment. Steam comes out of the girl's ears as Ichigo then smiles lightly, glad the girl didn't get hurt because of his not paying attention.

The Hollow then breaks off from the girl, his brow twitching in mild annoyance as he thinks about a certain serpent, "Sora wouldn't let me hear the end of it if she got hurt…"

Uryu, with the peacock plushie Yumichika on the ground next to him, look at the group behind Ichigo, the Quincy raising a brow as he questions, "You guys are teaming up with Shinigami and Hollows now…?"

Ginjo grunts, stepping away from the group and leaning against a wall, Hanataro slowly going with him.

Uryu furrows his brows, unsure of what to make of this as Chad steps up to explain, "It's kind of a long story, but Hanataro over there is kind of like our captive. More importantly, we found Ichigo."

The Latino boy gestures at Ichigo, prompting Uryu to look at the Hollow in question, who returns the look.

After a moment, the Quincy frowns, "You've got to be joking… Yuzu's brother turned into a Hollow too?!"

Ichigo furrows his browns, frowning in turn as he looks the Quincy over, "Who's he…?"

The peacock plushie, meanwhile, squawks in fear, finally recognizing Ichigo, "W-WHITE!"

The Hollow widens his eyes, looking down at the peacock with his jaw hanging ajar, "T-THE FUCK IS THAT THING?! A TALKING DOLL?!"

Uryu deadpans, adjusting his glasses, "Don't worry about the peacock. He isn't important."

The peacock sulks, walking sullenly over toward Hanataro, "I'm not peacock… I'm a Shinigami…"

The Quincy's frown deepens as he regards Orihime and Chad, still standing next to Ichigo, "Sado, Orihime… I'd step away from that Hollow if I were you."

Chad's mouth contorts into a frown, sternly addressing the Quincy, "He has a name, Uryu. And in case you haven't noticed, he hasn't attacked any of us. He's not like the other Hollows you've faced."

Uryu hisses as he snaps, "I CAN SEE WHO HE IS! That doesn't change the fact he's nothing but a VICIOUS ANIMAL LIKE THE REST!"

Ichigo looks down dejectedly, unable to properly defend himself in light of the thousands he's killed.

Chad, however, looks ready to say something, but Orihime beats him to it, "I don't agree with that, Uryu..."

Uryu blinks, his frown deepening as the girl takes a step closer to Ichigo, her hand held to her chest and walking into his field of view, making it so the young Hollow, whose gaze is still downward, notices the earnest expression on her face, "I was wondering who that Hollow accompanying my brother was, but now it all makes sense..."

Ichigo's eyes widen as the girl smiles widely, a light blush on her face, "Thank you for saving me and believing in my brother! It means more to me than you'll know..."

The Hollow blushes briefly, the girl's heartfelt gesture of gratitude momentarily shaking him from his usual state of self-loathing. As soon as the feeling comes, it passes, prompting him to look away from the girl.

Ichigo's face is full of anguish now as he scowls, "You shouldn't show me such kindness… it's wasted on someone as undeserving as me…"

The auburn-haired girl frowns, her expression full of hurt and concern as if the young Hollow's pain and suffering hurts her as well.

Orihime opens her mouth to say something but pauses as she closes it, pursing her lips, "I've seen that expression many times before… the one of self-hatred and inadequacies. Every time I look in the mirror and recall how my brother died because of my selfishness…"

Uryu, meanwhile snaps, continuing to lay into the Hollow, "Well, I'm not ready to get all chummy with you! In case you forgot, you savagely stabbed me through the chest when I tried to defend her and Arisawa! I should've gone all out and killed that serpent the first time I saw it!"

Ichigo widens his eyes before scowling at the Quincy, his killer instinct spurred on by the idea of the teen killing his dear friend. The Hollow calmly asks through gritted teeth, "What did you say...?"

There is a flash of lightning between the pair's gazes, representing the sheer amount of tension.

Orihime wisely decides to interject before Ichigo can do anything unspeakable to the Quincy, changing the subject, "Um… by the way Ichigo…"

Ichigo shifts his gaze off Uryu, raising a brow as he listens to the girl, "…we were able to convince one of the captains to fight alongside us! He's currently holding off another captain while we look for Yuzu!"

The Hollow looks unsurprised, nodding slowly, "It must be one of Aizen's allies…"

Absentmindedly, the orange-haired Arrancar questions, "Really? Which captain?"

Orihime innocently smiles, answering, "Kenpachi Zaraki!"

Ichigo deadpans, his eyes widening slightly as his mind goes blank, "Huh…?"

The auburn-haired girl continues, her face becoming a degree more serious, dramatically explaining, "He sent me, Orihime Inoue, to deliver an important message: 'You'd better not get yourself killed before I have another chance to off you myself…' or something like that!"

The Hollow blinks at the girl's impersonation of the scarred captain, an overall surprised look on his face, "Yep, that's him…"

Ichigo's gaze settles somewhat as he rubs the back of his neck, thinking about the berserker, "Maybe I misjudged him…"

Orihime, still with a widened smile, asks, "You're with Chad and Ginjo, so I guess that means you are here to rescue Yuzu too, right?"

The Hollow nods, casually stating, "Yeah. I came with a group of my Hollows."

"Your Hollows…?", Uryu asks with a raised brow, disgusted by the implications.

Ichigo shrugs, "After defeating their former King, they decided to make me the new one..."

Uryu's frown deepens as Ichigo then looks at Orihime again, "Your brother is here too..."

Orihime widens her eyes, thrown off by this, "H-he is...?"

Ichigo nods with a slight smile, "Yeah. He's got a lot to tell—"

The Hollow widens his eyes suddenly, his speech promptly cutting itself off. He stares at something down the street behind Orihime and the others. Following Ichigo's gaze, the group slowly shifts their gazes, Chad, Orihime, and Uryu all widening their eyes in recognition.

In Ichigo's gaze is the baffled, scarred face of Karin, whose eyes are equally widened in shock. The girl is even more shocked as she notes Orihime and Chad with the Hollow.

Orihime looks at Karin, confused and being the first to question, "Karin...? I thought she was supposed to be with the other students...?"

Chad places a hand on the girl's shoulder, signaling to her that they ought to stay out of what's about to happen. He tilts his gaze slightly on Ichigo, making Orihime see the teen Hollow's somewhat distressed and solemn expression as well. The girl looks down slightly, appearing saddened as she steps away with her friend.

Ichigo's thoughts become more focused as he narrows his eyes slightly, "I see... so that's why I had that feeling earlier..."

The Arrancar cocks his head to regard Orihime with a simple, neutral tone, pointing toward the battlefield in the distance, "Your brother is over there fighting. That means he's probably found Yuzu or your other friends there... you all go check it out... I'll catch up..."

Ichigo slowly walks past the group after his hand falls to his side, commenting with a blank stare as he passes, "This won't take long..."

Ginjo looks between Ichigo and Karin before sighing and turning to leave. Hanataro and the peacock Yumichika follow after the Fullbringer, not particularly wanting to be in Ichigo's presence for any longer than they need to. Chad and Orihime linger for a moment longer, concern on their faces, before beginning to follow Ginjo.

The pair pause, however, as Uryu scowls angrily and decides to step in front of Ichigo and bark, "You're crazy if you think I'm leaving you with her! An animal like you will..."

The Quincy trails off, tensing as Ichigo glares at him as if he is utter trash to be discarded. The haunting golden gaze in the Hollow's darkened right eye relays the promise of death should the Quincy remain standing between him and the girl a distance away.

Uryu trembles as Ichigo questions in a quiet, neutral tone laced with bloodlust, "You done?"

Uryu's lips tremble, his frown becoming scrunched as he looks down dejectedly in defeat and walks around the Hollow, slowly following Orihime and Chad, who look as if they want to say something to help lift his mood but are unable to find something appropriate.

After the group leaves, Karin finally breaks free from her shock, growling at the Hollow as the pieces finally fall into place within her mind, "So you finally decide to face me, White?!"

She unsheathes the long blue blade strapped to her back in her right hand, while in the left she unsheathes the shorter, knife-like Zanpakuto strapped to her belt, continuing to hiss, "It looks like you've tricked Ichigo's friends into playing along with this whole act you're putting on, but you and I both know how you brutally devoured Ichigo that night! Evolving and gaining a new coat of paint won't work against me, Hollow!"

Ichigo's eyes soften as he frowns, the poison in his sister's voice along with the anger in her eyes feeling as though they have torn a second hole in his chest.

The young Hollow swallows, finally addressing the girl properly, his tone both curious and concerned as he looks at the three, diagonal scars on her face, "Karin... those scars..."

The girl seethes in anger, barking, "Don't pretend like you care! It was your friend Aaroniero who gave them to me!"

The Hollow's eyes widen, his brief shock immediately replaced by an intense bloodlust, "I'll kill him..."

Karin snorts, causing Ichigo to look at her in slight confusion, "Don't bother. I've already taken care of that..."

The Hollow widens his eyes in further shock, "Y-you killed someone...?"

Karin continues to stare at the Hollow with disdain, proudly declaring, "If by someone you mean that monster, then yes! And I'll do the same to you!"

Ichigo flinches as the Shinigami levels her blades at him, "WITH YOUR DEATH, MY BROTHER'S SOUL WILL FINALLY KNOW PEACE!"

The Hollow says nothing, closing his eyes as Karin charges at him, "I see... so she is a full-fledged Shinigami, after all..."

The Shinigami's blades are coated with a fierce blue aura as she slashes at the Arrancar, who does not move from where he stands. He doesn't do anything to defend or fight back against the girl, who continues to chip away at him, leaving him with surface-level cuts that just barely draw blood. She continues to do this for another moment, putting all that she has into her strikes, yet failing to deal any meaningful damage through the Hollow's Hierro.

The girl backs away briefly, huffing in mild exhaustion. She sheathes her short black sword before gritting her teeth, placing both of her hands around the hilt of her long blue blade before once more charging at him, the aura around her sword intensifying to its apex.

This time, Karin swings the long blade against Ichigo's neck with her full power, attempting to behead the Arrancar. The sword cuts about an eighth of the way through before halting suddenly. Karin clicks her tongue, trying to pull the blade down towards her, away from the neck of the taller Hollow, but trembles when she finds it's stuck.

It's at this point that Ichigo finally opens his eyes, looking down at Karin with a saddened gaze as his arms move up toward her. The girl trembles in fear, her face desperate as she instinctually unsheathes the shorter, knife-like blade on her belt and jams it into the Hollow King's stomach, this time successfully managing to pierce through his Hierro.

Ichigo spits up blood, yet his arms remain moving, leaving the girl to continue looking up at him in fear, shutting her eyes as she fully realizes how out of her depth she is, "I'M ABOUT TO DIE!"

To Ichigo, however, all he sees is the horrified, distraught face of his sister—similar to the one he saw right before being devoured. His arms then wrap around his sister, pulling her closer to him such that her head rests against his chest. Karin's eyes shoot open wide, completely confused by the embrace, her grip on her swords loosening.

The Hollow states after coughing up some blood, "I am sorry, Karin... I was too weak to protect you properly back then. All I could do was lay down my life for yours. If I knew it would've caused you and Yuzu such pain, I never would've left Hueco Mundo..."

Karin's hands then fall to her sides, her Zanpakutos similarly falling from the Hollow's body and clattering to the ground. Despite the girl's desire against it, she cannot help the tears that fall from her widened, shocked eyes.

Ichigo's embrace becomes slightly stronger, causing him to feel the girl's involuntary tears soak his Gi, "I've lost the right to call myself your brother, so if you wish to take my life, I will offer it to you freely... but I can't do that until I make sure both you and Yuzu are safe..."

Karin's eyes are shut, the tears continuing to fall in great amounts as her face contorts in anguish. After a moment longer, Ichigo breaks the embrace, leaving the girl to slump to the ground and continue sobbing.

His gaze softens, the wounds the girl inflicted earlier healed, as he states objectively, "Go home, Karin... get as far away from the Soul Society as you can..."

Karin looks up slightly as Ichigo now has his back turned on her, looking over his left shoulder so she sees his normal, brown eye, "...before they decide to kill you too..."

This is the last Karin sees of the Hollow before he disappears with Sonido, leaving her to continue crying in the street, utterly defeated…

Sora and Tatsuki vs Amagai

Sora coats his fist with a blue, acidic fluid, striking at the assassin's left side, forcing him to parry with his shield, expertly sweeping it in a 360-degree to block. As the man is about to knock the fork against the shaft of the Bankai, Tatsuki rushes in from his right side, her fist coated in her hardened gray Fullbring. The karate girl slams her right fist into the assassin's wrist, knocking the fork into the air briefly out of his grasp. Tatsuki yells as she sends a hardened kick at the assassin's gut, only to have it blocked by the assassin's leg coming up to counter, making her widen her eyes in shock. Amagai slams his right fist against Tatsuki's head, making her fall to the side as he continues to parry Sora's onslaught from his left.

Amagai then catches the fork in his right hand before knocking it against his Bankai. Upon the green shockwave being released, Sora winces as the acid coating his fists falls to the ground in a puddle. The assassin wastes no time in bashing the Arrancar back slightly as his shield suddenly ignites, burning away at the serpent's scales.

Sora hisses, refusing to be helpless as his barbed tail coils behind the shield and lashes at the left side of the assassin's stomach, drawing blood. Amagai roars, backing up slightly as his shield begins to heat up again. Tatsuki, now rising to her feet and her fists and feet hardening and turning gray, attempts to strike at the assassin from behind, however, Amagai catches the precise punch with the fork, causing it to produce another shockwave. Sora and Tatsuki both stagger, their ears now ringing from the dreadful noise as Amagai raises his Bankai above his head with both of his hands. Tatsuki instinctively moves her arms defensively in front of her torso as the assassin cries, twirling the giant blade three times, making the flames spewing from it increase significantly in intensity before slamming it into the ground. What happens next is a massive, fiery eruption akin to that of a volcano, which clips the Fullbringer while completely engulfing the Arrancar, sending them both flying a distance away before colliding with the ground, smoldering messes.

On the sidelines, Nelliel, still healing the others, looks at the scene with brief urgency in her gaze, which everyone else matches. However, the urgency lessons as the Espada narrows her eyes, asserting, "They're still alright… somehow…"

Sora lays in a crater, his left arm burnt up, yet moves his legs directly above his body, making a 90-degree with the ground as he hops out of the crater. The Arrancar seemingly shrugs off the attack, his body regenerating itself rather quickly.

The man eyes a crater a distance away, his eyes narrowing as he calls, "I know you're just a human, but there's no way the person who protected my sister for so long would die to an attack like that… DO YOU INTEND TO DIE WITHOUT ACCOMPLISHING YOUR MISSION OF SEEING ORIHIME AND YUZU HOME SAFELY?! IS THAT IT, TATSUKI ARISAWA?!"

There is no response from the karate girl, who still lies within her crater.

Amagai, approaching, scoffs at the notion, "Stupid Hollow, a human cannot withstand the power of Bankai!"

Sora's frown deepens, growling as his right hand shifts into a dagger-like blade, oozing a toxic green poison from its tip, "I'd bet otherwise!"

As the assassin and Arrancar continue their clash, with the edge going to the assassin due to the Fullbring in his right hand, it seems that the serpent's words may be having some effect. Tatsuki is unmoving for a moment, the skin on her arms thoroughly burned and most of her Gi scorched onto her skin from the heat. Nelliel appears next to the girl with a buzz, reaching down and looking as if ready to take her off the battlefield. The Arrancar's arm is stopped, however, as a burnt, gray-clad hand stops her, causing her to widen her eyes as she looks to see Tatsuki with a determined, resolute look within her own.

The karate girl slowly states, "Don't worry about me… keep helping the others…"

Nelliel looks like she doesn't agree with this, yet backs off, respecting the girl's decision before vanishing with Sonido. Tatsuki then begins to pull herself from the crater, proving that she still has fight left in her.

This is noted by Sora, but not the assassin, who wrote the girl off as insignificant, as the Arrancar feels out her Reiatsu, unable to stop himself from smirking, "That's right…"

The Arrancar and Shinigami continue their dance, the assassin about to knock the fork against the Bankai before stopping, his eyes widening as he is greeted by a gray fist, coated in fiery green energy. Tatsuki grits her teeth, the skin of her arms below her elbows scorched black like charcoal, as she slams the fist into the man's gut, causing him to skid back across the ground. Amagai stares in frustrated disbelief at the panting form of Tatsuki, whose eyes are widened, crazed, and bloodshot, although her expression is overall neutral, completely focused on what's before her.

The assassin's brow furrows, "It doesn't matter if she's alive, she can't keep up—"

Amagai widens his eyes as he hears a buzz to his unguarded right, finding Sora there with various colors of poison secreting from his skin. The Arrancar swings his arm diagonally at the assassin, who quickly shifts his shield to block, however, is unable to block all of the poison, which burns against his face and chest. Amagai recoils, stumbling back and nearly falling to his knees as he screams in pain, prompting Sora to smirk and bring his acid-covered fists down at him. Despite the pain, the assassin is able to focus enough to knock the fork against his Bankai, leaving Sora's blows to slam against the man's face without acid, causing him to skid against the ground.

Amagi growls, slamming the blade of his Bankai into the ground to slow his momentum. The man scowls as he regains his bearings and blocks the serpent's incoming acidic, clawed fists. The assassin just barely stands his ground, prompting him to move to knock his fork against the Bankai again, however, it doesn't move as green flames flash behind him.

Amagai looks slowly to his side to find the wheezing, trembling form of Tatsuki, grasping the bottom prong of the fork in her right hand, which bleeds as her palm is sliced open by the blade's edge. The assassin grits his teeth in anger, applying more force as he begins to pull the fork free. Within this moment, Tatsuki recalls something instinctually.

Past, Underneath Urahara Shoten

Within the mountainous landscape underneath Urahara's shop, Tatsuki pants heavily, her hands on her knees as a man with short white hair and wearing a tank top lays into her, "Please tell me that isn't all the force you can put into your punches!"

The karate girl looks up at Kensei with a frown, "Well, how do you think I can improve…? I'm… just about… at my physical… peak…"

Kensei narrows his eyes, looking at the girl's arms and legs, which bulge with her strained muscles, agreeing, "That you are… but in terms of Reiryoku and how you manage it, you are sorely lacking…"

The man shifts his gaze to the side, "Just look at the boy…"

The girl follows his gaze, landing on Chad struggling to strike the acrobatic Mashiro, both of his arms coated in his Fullbring. However, as the boy's strikes crash against the landscape around him, it explodes rather quickly, causing small shockwaves as it does.

Kensei continues, the visual aiding in his explanation, "He struggles to hit Mashiro consistently, so he is putting more energy than usual into his blows, hoping that when he does land a hit, it is devastating."

Tatsuki frowns, "So? That just means he's hitting harder… besides, I'm not as strong as Chad in a battle of raw power. He even had Ichigo beat when he was alive…"

The ex-Shinigami clicks his tongue, annoyed, "You're not getting it! I'm telling you that you can probably come up with a way to become more in touch with your Reiryoku so you can not only vary the strength of your punches physically but spiritually as well!"

The karate girl blinks, asking, "How do I do that…?"

Kensei raises a brow before shrugging, annoying the girl, "What makes you think I know? I'm a Shinigami with Hollow powers… quite a bit different than what you have going on… either way, I'd think it would require breaking through your limits."

Tatsuki looks intently toward the ground as Kensei walks off toward Chad and Mashiro, stating, "I'm going to check up on them. When you think you're on to something, we can spar again…"

The karate girl narrows her eyes, unsure of where to begin.

Present, Seireitei

Tatsuki's eyes are focused on the fork before her, green sparks of energy flashing from her, coating her forearms and lower legs with raw energy. Her left fist closes in on the upper prong of the fork, shifting into a dark gray, clawed, draconic gauntlet, which occurs on her legs and right arm as well.

Yukio, from the sidelines, perks up, his eyes widened, "Her Fullbring, it's…!"

Amagai widens his eyes in fear, "WHAT'S THIS?!"

Sora smirks wickedly, "…you fight like a Hollow after all, don't you… little dragon?"

In the next moment, Tatsuki's left fist strikes the upper prong of the fork, snapping it off, calling, "FULLBRING EVOLUTION: DRAGON'S CLAWS, GAUNTLETS OF THE DRAGONLORD!"

In the next moment, a massive green shockwave occurs, however, unlike before, is vertical, seemingly self-destructing on its owner. Amagai cries out, staggering as the flames from his shield briefly flicker out, prompting Tatsuki to knee the assassin in the stomach, making him gasp, the air leaving his lungs. Sora smirks, the red within his left eye shining as he forcefully knocks the shield out of the way and slams an acid-coated punch into Amagai's face, causing it to whip to the right.

The assassin staggers, the flames of his Bankai raging once more as he slams the shield into Sora, causing him to backpedal. The assassin notices the karate girl still up close to his right side before receiving a vicious, upward kick to the chin from the girl's new, spiked boots, tearing off the skin and sending blood flying. Tatsuki is not done as she reels back her right claw, making to strike Amagai, who furiously tears his shield along the ground, rending it to mud as he makes to behead the girl at speeds that she can't possibly go. As the flaming blade approaches Tatsuki's head, however, Amagai widens his eyes as his body trembles and starts to move much more slowly than it did before. Tatsuki's clawed gauntlet reaches the man's torso first, viciously tearing into it, clawing deeply into his guts.

The assassin coughs up blood as he hears the serpent Arrancar chuckle behind him, giving a sort of chef's kiss as he proudly declares, "So you've finally noticed? The poisons I hit you with before work as both a sort of paralyzing agent and will slowly eat away at your Reiryoku… it was certainly a good idea to develop a variety of poisons while I was an Adjucha… wouldn't you agree, Shinigami?"

Amagai's anger is immeasurable, his gaze full of bloodlust as he raises his right hand, charged with a red blast in front of his finger to Tatsuki's face.

The girl widens her eyes as she takes the clawed gauntlet out of the man's chest as he flicks the blast at her, "HADO NUMBER 31: SHAKKAHO!"

The karate girl, using her gauntlets to defend, is blasted off a distance as the Shinigami turns around, the flames from his blade spewing at the serpent. The acid around Sora's hands extends, becoming fluid, acidic whips, that he sends at Amagai. The whips lash across the Shinigami's Bankai, the strikes leaving behind eroded chips as the acid eats away at the shield.

The Arrancar continues to lash at the assassin, causing him to stumble somewhat as he notes Nelliel rushing past him, "Looks like I'm going to finish this on my own… that suits me just fine!"

Sora throws his right whip against the Shinigami's back, making him stagger forward, as he also uses his left whip to knock the Bankai away from where it is defensively held before the man's chest.

What immediately follows is a buzz, placing Sora directly in front of the unguarded Shinigami, his right hand reeled back behind him, a Cero charged in it. The Arrancar clutches his hand into a fist around the red Cero, causing his fist to simultaneously be coated in the energy from the blast and also making his fingers dig into his palm, such that it bleeds. At that moment, Amagai's eyes are widened as he stares into the Hollow's haunting, red eye.

Sora immediately sends his fist into the assassin's chest, red energy lined with the distorted crackle of Gran Cey Cero bursting forth as the attack lands. Amagai's eyes roll into the back of his head, his body lurching as blood spews from his mouth.

The Arrancar moves his left hand, which turns into a dagger fist, above the Shinigami's head, preparing to behead him. However, much like Kibune before him, Amagai somehow persists despite the complete and utter beating dealt to him. The Shinigami lets out a distorted, gurgling cry as he streaks his flaming Bankai directly at Sora, forcing the Hollow to retreat slightly to avoid being struck in his unguarded, right side.

Sora widens his eyes as he watches the flames of the Shinigami's Bankai rage fiercer than before, "You've got to be joking! This guy just won't go down!"

Amagai shifts the Bankai above his head, streaking it in a flaming circle, the flames and smoke making it look akin to a volcano.

Sora narrows his eyes, another red Cero forming in his left hand as he briefly eyes Tatsuki being healed by Nelliel to the side, "I need to buckle down and quit whining. You're but a human, yet you have so easily broken through your limits… I can't let myself fall behind…"

The assassin slams his fiery blade into the ground, sending a wave of molten flames at the Hollow, far more intense than any of his previous attacks—an instinctual, last-ditch effort to kill the opponent before him.

However, the Arrancar calmly closes his eyes, time seemingly slowing for him. His thoughts chronicle the various battles he's had in the past, from Runuganga to Cirucci. Further, something else arises: a hazy vision of a woman with wavy blonde hair holding a blue Reishi bow.

The Hollow opens his eyes, facing the assassin's incoming attack and pointing his left index finger at it, the red Cero held at its tip mixing with a rainbow worth of variously colored poisons secreting from his scales, forming an acidic bow. His right hand shifts into its dagger state, knocking against the 'bowstring' before being pulled back.

The assassin's attack is within arm's length of the Hollow's face as he declares calmly, "Flecha Ácida."

In the next moment, the multicolored, acidic Cero arrow launches, completely piercing through the molten attack. The acid arrow continues through the dispersing, molten flames before crashing into Amagai's shield and beginning to cause its foundation to crack as the shear force behind the arrow sends the man crashing multiple blocks away. At that point, the arrow finally erupts in a bright red explosion, causing a shockwave to spread across the battlefield.

Sora lets out an exhale as he looks upon the scorched battlefield. Tatsuki, supported by Nelliel, walks up next to him.

The trio looks off to where Amagai was sent flying before the Arrancar nods, asserting with a wide smile, "That should've put him out of commission, but who knows with how sturdy this guy has been. Either way, we can rest easy. He's not a threat anymore."

Feeling as if a weight has been removed from her shoulders, Tatsuki falls even more limply into Nelliel's arms, prompting the taller woman to smile lightly, seemingly just as impressed by the girl's efforts as Sora.

The serpent Arrancar cocks his head back at the woman, questioning, "So is everyone healed?"

Nelliel nods, "Yep!"

Sora maintains his friendly smile before eyeing the 'spectators', his gaze ultimately settling once more on Yuzu, who is now on her feet. Flanking the girl are not only Yukio, Kon, and Riruka, but also Tsuhikishima and Nozomi, the latter of whom seems to shift a bit awkwardly, feeling out of place. The serpent sends the Quincy girl a slight smile before turning back to face Nelliel.

Suddenly, without warning, Sora's left arm is cut from his body from the shoulder, falling to the ground as the stump cauterizes. Nelliel widens her eyes in horrified recognition as in the next moment, Yamamoto, with the Sokyoku in his left hand, slams his right fist against Sora, sending him flying into rubble. As the Sokyoku is swung at her, Nelliel once more manages to use Sonido in the last minute, narrowly evading certain death before reappearing in front of the group of Ryoka. The Arrancar hands the limp form of Tatsuki over to Riruka before drawing her blade, knowing full well how vain her attempt is, but also sensing that Ichigo is nearby.

The Head Captain glares directly at Yuzu, who flinches under his ice-cold glare, decreeing, "Yuzu Kurosaki; your execution is to hereby be carried out immediately."

Author's Note:

Karin and Ichigo:

Karin and Ichigo's reunion was something that I wanted to have some of the same vibes as in the original 'White' fanfic, but I NEEDED it to be after Karin went through an experience that would make her battle-hardened. I think it's important that when Karin and Ichigo meet, they are on relatively equal footing in that they both have shed blood and killed people on the opposing side. This poses them as natural enemies and should work to show just how much Ichigo cares about his siblings in his refusal to fight back. He could quite easily knock her out with a chop to the back of the neck, yet he refuses to even do that or so much as touch his Zanpakuto.

The scene at the beginning was included to show that Ichigo was Karin's rock—he understood her on a level that Isshin and Yuzu simply don't. He understands her choice to bear the loss of Masaki, as well as any other emotional problems she has, as she does not want to be a burden to those around her. As such, Ichigo, in my opinion, would be the only one she would open up to because he wouldn't make a big deal about it like Isshin and Yuzu might've (recall this is long before Karin knew Isshin had a serious side). So, realizing that 'White' is not just pretending to be Ichigo, like Aaroniero was with Kaien, but actually is Ichigo, breaks her. You'll all need to read on to see what she does next with this information.

Sora Notes:

The interaction between Sora and Yuzu probably raises a lot of further questions about the possibility of Masaki coming back… well she isn't, at least as her own person… unless Sora is struck down by a Shinigami Zanpakuto, allowing both him and Masaki to reenter the cycle. I don't currently have any plans for that, least of all in this arc.

This is purely me making shit up, but I'd think his close bond with Ichigo, if nothing else, would prompt Masaki's dormant soul to stir somewhat, which ultimately resulted in the scene with Yuzu in this chapter. This actually also happened with Sora and Ichigo's dreams in chapter 31, where Ichigo remembers his mother dying and Sora also has a dream about Ichigo, although in the point of view of another person. It may be clear to you all by now that person was Masaki. Anyway, Sora in general is interesting in this fic because his being includes Yammy, Grand Fisher, and by extension Masaki, which is something that I want to further explore as it will also work well to explore the nature of Menos Hollows in general.

Other Chapter Notes:

In terms of power scaling, Amagai is on the same level as a mid to high-tier captain (for example, definitely above Soi Fon, Komamura, and Toshiro. Gets harder to say when including other captains like Tosen and Byakuya). Take that that into consideration for Sora and Tatsuki moving forward—if Sora was fighting alone, he would've lost after a while because Tatsuki fighting as hard as she did motivated him to tap into powers beyond Resurreccion, if just briefly (may or may not influence what his potential/eventual Segunda Etapa would look like). As shown in the chapter, Amagai's durability is impressive, being on a similar level as Kenpachi, who, in my opinion, has the highest of any captain, so there's that to mention. Also, when I say stronger or weaker, I mean how effective they are in a battle in a general sense as the variety of powers in Bleach can make it hard to scale sometimes.

Finally, with Sora and Tatsuki's battle, I have done what I said I would. Every significant character has gotten time to shine to some extent in this arc! Now, onto the final battle!