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.

57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57: The Espada

Morning, Yuzu's Room, Silbern

Yuzu was unable to sleep during the night as her mind was occupied with the fresh memories of her friends being cut down one by one by the Head Captain, falling limply to the ground before her. The memory of still holding Yukio's hand as it was cut viciously from his body is burned into her psyche. Then there was Ichigo, determined to fight alone for her sake, despite knowing he would die… his Hollow mask melted to his face and his disfigured body an utterly horrific sight for her. The girl's body spasms slightly as she thinks about what happened, placing a hand over her mouth as she feels almost ready to hurl.

Fighting alongside her siblings for their lives was all she could do in their hopeless situation. Despite that, it was futile in the end, leaving her to become nothing but anxious as she thinks about what truly happened to them. Sure, Bambietta claimed they were alive, but that didn't mean they are alright. She knows Karin and Ichigo—the fact that they must think she is dead would destroy them, not to mention how her father and cousins must feel as well. These thoughts cause the girl undue stress, unable to calm her nerves as she can't so much as close her eyes without her body spasming.

It is of no help that she is also squarely uncomfortable knowing that she is a prisoner to the Quincy King—the being she even now pledges to free the Quincies from. However, that seems to be a fleeting dream at the moment as Yhwach coldly uses his soldiers—her friends, as leverage, calling them expendable. Part of Yuzu is furious at this, demanding that she take down the King at the first opportunity, yet because she knows the King will not give her that opportunity and, on the contrary, will punish her whenever he sees fit, she feels squarely helpless and full of despair and anxiety as her eyes are empty in defeat. Further, they are bloodshot and have a faint dark blue ring around them, a sure sign that she has not slept in what has been days for her.

Throughout her sleepless night, she has noted the layout of the room. Yuzu takes in the room she is in, dark and similar to Bambietta's. The room only has the bare minimum: white cabinets for clothing and her equally white bed. There is also a mirror next to the cabinets.

Yuzu hears footsteps approaching from outside her door, causing her to clutch the sheets of her bed in muted anticipation as she knows what's coming. She suddenly sits upright with a jolt as she hears the knock that she was anticipating.

The voice that calls to her from behind the door is from Haschwalth, "Your Majesty summons you, Sternritter C. Dress yourself appropriately."

Yuzu, who didn't bother changing out of Bambietta's old uniform, grabs the black sheath housing her newly awakened Zanpakuto, Kōgetsu, laying at her side before hopping off the bed and fastening it to her belt held together with a blue, heart-shaped buckle. She adjusts her hat and glances at herself in the mirror—her borrowed white uniform with a skirt in the reflection making her appear the part of a Sternritter.

Yuzu opens the door wordlessly, merely giving Haschwalth a slight bow to show reverence for her new superior. She then looks up at the man with a passive, unreadable look. Haschwalth returns the look, although, his brow raises ever so slightly as he notes the girl's tired, bloodshot eyes. He doesn't comment on this, however, as he suddenly turns and marches down the dark hallway, leaving Yuzu to follow as they pass a multitude of rooms, which she can feel are vacant.

Her thoughts focus on where they are going, "I can feel a lot of Quincies up ahead…"

Their Reiatsu leaves much to be desired compared to Shinigami and Hollows—but Yuzu knows better. Her experiences have taught her that true fighters can conceal the depths of their power, a skill that she had been forced to master in her efforts to hide from the Shinigami for over a year.

Haschwalth then stops before a curtain, causing Yuzu to pause as well.

They can hear Yhwach's voice calling out from the other side, addressing his soldiers, "I have gathered you here to introduce a new Sternritter…"

Haschwalth then turns to face the girl with a stern expression, "You are to follow me onto the stage and remain silent unless prompted. Do not dare to disrespect His Majesty or there will be severe consequences."

Yuzu nods in understanding before Haschwalth opens the curtain and the two enter.

With Candice, Wandenreich Meeting Hall

Candice huffs as she considers the actions of her three friends on the previous day, "Those three were acting weird yesterday… I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but still… something was off… I think they're hiding something."

The Sternritters stand in a row before a large stage, atop which their King stands flanked only by Lille Barro, a much larger Viking man, and a comparatively tiny, white-hooded figure—who all wear white capes with a unique red Hagal rune on the side. These runes signify their position as Yhwach's elite Schutzstaffel—the strongest and most loyal of the Sternritters.

Candice herself stands amidst her fellow, lower Sternritters, awaiting the King to introduce the newest member to their ranks. She specifically stands between the hulking form of Sternritter S: Mask De Masculine and the much scrawnier form of Sternritter U: Nanana Najahkoop, a dark-skinned man with unique black hair arranged in five braided spikes and wearing a large visor. Behind them is a legion of Soldats, nearly filling the large hall, whom, oddly enough, Keigo seems to stand among.

The boy is shoved to the back of her thoughts, however, as she hears a voice mutter a question a few spots away from her, "Who could be special enough to get introduced by His Majesty on stage…?"

Candice looks over at Sternritter Q: Berenice Gabrielli, someone that she has been particularly wary of in the past given his troublesome Schrift and bad personality.

Still, the woman finds herself agreeing with him, "That's honestly a fair question… I can't recall any of the Sternritters getting a special announcement like this in the past…"

She narrows her eyes and regards the stage, something many of the other Sternritters do as well, all wondering who this person could be.

After another moment, Haschwalth suddenly enters onto the stage from behind the curtain, leading a smaller, caped figure wearing a white military hat and cloak, under which are traces of a modified Sternritter uniform with a skirt—instantly reminding most Sternritters of Bambietta in terms of appearance.

Candice's breath hitches, however, as she lays her eyes upon the stoic form of Yuzu looking upon the Sternritters. Her look, however, seems to go right through them based on her expression, as if she doesn't so much as acknowledge that they exist. Keigo, further behind the woman, widens his eyes as his mouth is agape, likewise stunned by the girl's presence.

Candice's horror increases, feeling her brows contort to give her a troubled expression as Yhwach dramatically throws his left hand towards the girl in a gesture, wearing a pleased smirk, "Some of you are already familiar with this girl. For those who are not, know that, among Quincies, she has done something that only I have done—enter direct combat with Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto and survive. Her accomplishment has awarded her the title of Sternritter C, which she shares with the Schutzstaffel."

Gasps are heard as every Quincy within the Wandenreich has been educated to fear and respect the legendary Head Captain of the Gotei 13, previously labeled as a foe that only Yhwach himself can face without the promise of death.

Candice cannot believe what she is hearing, "Yui fought the strongest Shinigami and lived?! HOW?! AND WHY?! How could that have even happened?! Weren't her father and brother around to protect her?!"

Many of the Sternritters wear troubled expressions, trying to grasp how such a small, young girl could possess such legendary power.

The lime-blonde woman is pulled from her thoughts as Yhwach continues, introducing her properly, "Her name is Yuzu Kurosaki, the last practicing Quincy of her family."

The King then lowers his hand as his smirk fades, "Oh, and there is one more thing for you all to know. Her lineage is not pure. Both Hollow and Shinigami blood runs through her veins."

The Quincies did not think their shock could increase, yet with the King's last proclamation, they are left completely blindsided and confused. This soon leads to slight bitterness, disgust, and perhaps even anger, excluding those select few who already knew of her heritage.

Bazz B was not one of them.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!", the mohawk man growls as the area around him begins to heat up with his Reiatsu, prompting Liltotto and Cang Du, standing on either side of him, to each take a careful step back.

Haschwalth glares at the pink-haired man, warning him, "Hold your tongue, Bazzard Black!"

Bazz B hisses at the man, "I WILL NOT! You knew about that thing, Jugo?!"

Yuzu flinches at being called a 'thing', causing her to frown deeply with a sad look in her eyes. Yhwach glances at Yuzu, noting her reaction.

Haschwalth meanwhile purses his lips, seeing that his words will not get the Sternritter to back down.

Quilge, next to Cang Du, grunts, "I suggest you calm yourself to avoid any further disrespect toward His Majesty, boy… based on merit, the girl, as disgusting as she may be, has earned a seat at the table."

Both Candice and Bambietta ball their hands into fists, thoroughly wanting to beat both Bazz B and Quilge senseless, yet wisely containing themselves to avoid Yhwach's ire.

Bazz B growls at Quilge, "Based on your reaction, you knew about this too, didn't you, Opie…?"

Quilge, much like Haschwalth, refuses to speak further, merely adjusting his glasses and looking away.

Bazz B looks ready to shout again but pauses, his eyes widening as two eyes glare at him quietly, belonging to the King himself.

The mohawk man can feel Yhwach's power around him as the King states matter-of-factly, "I will accept no objections, Sternritters."

Bazz B starts breaking out into a sweat as he keeps his head tilted toward the ground, not daring to push the King any further. Many of the Sternritters frown in discontent, although know better than to express it as Bazz B just had.

At this point, Candice glares at Bambietta, who doesn't look surprised and seems to be avoiding eye contact. The lime-blonde woman grits her teeth, angry that her friend hid something so important from her, even if it was under orders.

Yuzu, for one, feels even further alienated as she looks upon the disgusted Quincies, "This is just like the Shinigami… they hate me because of what I am…"

The still present saddened look shows her feelings, although the only one who seem to notice it is Yhwach standing next to her. The King narrows his eyes slightly at the sight, in this moment uncharacteristically feeling a protective urge of sorts toward the girl. Of course, Yhwach is a twisted being, so how he would 'protect' her is equally twisted.

Yhwach then, in front of his entire army, reaches over and places a hand on Yuzu's shoulder affectionately, causing the girl and the other Quincies alike to widen their eyes in shock. Even Lille Barro and Haschwalth wear shocked expressions, not expecting such an action from the usually cold and calculating King.

Yhwach can feel the girl tremble slightly at his touch, causing him to smirk slightly as he regards his Quincies before him, "Merit…"

The King pauses as he allows the word to linger, giving his army time to consider it.

After another moment, he elaborates, "Merit is how you rise through the ranks in this army. Those who I deem worthy will be awarded with a Schrift, becoming one of the Sternritters… this case it is as Sternritter J stated: she has earned her place at the table, and I am so proud that one of my children has accomplished what she has."

He then recalls his hand before taking a step forward, addressing the crowd, "Her mixed heritage does not matter to me—any of my children who are willing to serve are more than welcome to. The only reason I brought up her heritage is because she is one of three children that her mother gave birth to. All three had fought valiantly against the Head Captain for their lives, their loyalty to their bloodline more than evident. As such, I intend for us to recruit the other two, Ichigo Kurosaki, a boy who currently calls himself the King of Hollows, and Karin Kurosaki, a disillusioned girl groomed by the Shinigami. Should they not join us willingly, then we will subjugate them by force when the time comes…"

Yhwach extends his hand before him, making a gesture as if holding something within it, "We shall free them from the shackles to which they are bound, one way or another. As fellow Quincies, that is our obligation!"

At this point, nearly every Quincy present is too shocked to speak as so much had been revealed in this short time frame.

Yhwach sighs, lowering his hand as he makes his closing statements, "Further details will be included in the Daten. For those who wish to view Kurosaki's potential firsthand, I suggest joining me in the training area…"

Many of the Quincies present give curious looks before their expressions become shocked as their King gestures toward the massive Viking, "Gerard."

The blonde Viking, who wears grey sandals, white gauntlets, black pants, a Viking helmet, and a red cape under his white cloak gives an eager smile as he responds, matching Yhwach's gaze, "At your service, Your Majesty!"

The King smirks slightly, causing the disbelief of the onlookers to reach its peak, "Do battle with her."

Training Grounds, Silbern

A crowd has formed at the edge of the training grounds in anticipation of a rare sparring match between Sternritters, curious to see what the new recruit has to offer. A great deal of the crowd are Sternritters themselves, however, there are a large number of curious Soldats gathered behind them as well. Their gazes are turned on Yuzu, with her back turned to them, standing just before them, maintaining a stoic front.

Just then, her mask crumbles slightly as she hears a familiar voice call out to her, "Hey, Yuzu!"

The girl turns around to find the source of the voice, Keigo, accompanied by Bambietta and Candice, approaching her. She notes Meninas and Liltotto in the crowd behind them.

Candice and Keigo pause, briefly taking in the appearance of the girl, noting her bloodshot, tired eyes now that they are up close to her. Keigo raises a brow, seemingly just curious, while Candice looks much more dejected.

The lime blonde regards Yuzu with a weak smile, "I'm happy you're alright, but I didn't expect you'd end up here…"

The girl's expression is similarly dejected, wearing a matching weak smile, "Seems I've become a Sternritter after all, huh…?"

This makes Candice wince, cringing as this was perhaps the worst outcome in her opinion, besides Yuzu being executed, of course. The girl's life is now forever shackled to the Wandenreich, just like hers.

Keigo sees this exchange, so follows up in an attempt to change the subject, "Hey, so you probably saw Ichigo and the others, right…? How…"

The boy pauses, seeing that there is a trace of discomfort in her gaze.

Despite this, he pushes onward begrudgingly, desperately wanting an answer to his question, "…how are they doing? Are they alright?"

Yuzu scrunches her brows, opening her mouth to answer before falling short. Her lips tremble and her eyes widen slowly. She recalls the real-life nightmares that kept her awake the previous night, visions of people she cares deeply for being harmed in ways she never dared to have imagined.

The girl breathes heavy breaths as tears begin to form at the edges of her eyes, "I-I… T-they…!"

Keigo widens his eyes, his heart dropping as he fears the worst.

Before he could say anything, however, Bambietta suddenly snaps at him, clarifying, "Your stupid friends are fine! No more talking from either of you—you can do that later!"

This causes Candice and Keigo to back off, each wearing guilty looks as upsetting the girl like this was not something they considered, let alone intended.

Bambietta then turns to the still trembling form of Yuzu, softly placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. Yuzu looks up tearfully, meeting the woman's concerned gaze. How the older Quincy is looking at her gives the girl the impression that the woman will take her from this place to somewhere she may work through her feelings in peace.

Yuzu's eyes contract slightly as Bambietta's concerned expression quickly fades before she shakes the girl slightly, hissing quietly enough so no one else hears, "No! Not in front of them! You CANNOT let them see you vulnerable! Most of them will not think twice about taking advantage of you, do you understand?!"

The young Quincy glances behind her mentor, finding most of the Quincies in the crowd looking at her with scrutinous gazes. The girl looks back at the woman as she nods slowly, blinking as she forces her tears to stop. This makes Bambietta's posture loosen somewhat as she removes her hands from the girl's shoulders.

The woman sighs before giving the girl a stern look, "Now, you need to go out there and give this everything you have. Under no circumstance can you disappoint His Majesty or give reason for the Quincies to doubt his word…"

Yuzu nods again, prompting Bambietta to wear a small smile, "Good girl… now go out there and show everyone how strong you are!"

The blonde girl returns the smile, "I will… thanks Bambi."

The woman nods before walking back toward the crowd alongside Keigo and Candice. Yuzu steels herself before turning around and shooting a fierce expression toward her opponent, a fire in her gaze. Gerard, seemingly having discarded his white Schutzstaffel cape, stands on the opposite side of grassy training grounds, flanked by Lille Barro, holding his large sniper over his shoulder, and the hooded Schutzstaffel from earlier.

The Viking gives a hardy laugh as he notes Yuzu's gaze, spurring him to comment, "It looks like she's ready to fight!"

The sniper Quincy nods his head, maintaining a stoic expression, "You're right… her gaze was distant and unfocused earlier. It seems like she needed that pep talk."

Gerard glances up to the right, looking at the King himself to signal the start. Yhwach, flanked by Haschwalth, sits on a chair on a balcony overlooking the training grounds. He looks curiously upon the forms of Gerard and Yuzu, currently beginning to close in on each other and preparing for battle upon his signal.

The Sternritters that stand at the edge of the training grounds are eager, excluding Bambietta and Candice, who look more worried despite the pep talk the former just gave the girl. The two have rejoined Meninas and Liltotto alongside Keigo, who likewise has a similar expression as he stands next to the group of Quincy women, now feeling concerned for Yuzu's mental health.

Candice takes this opportunity to hiss at Bambietta with a hushed voice, "By the way, you knew about this too, didn't you Bambi?"

Bambietta scrunches her brows and frowns as she looks at her friend, "No. No, I didn't. And it's not like I could object to this if I did, anyway, so don't even think about blaming me, idiot!"

Meninas meanwhile cups her cheek with her hand in a worried gesture, although her face and tone remain passive as she states offhandedly, "I got the impression that she was strong, but certainly not as strong as Gerard… what do you think, Lil?"

Liltotto sits on the ground as she looks at the to-be combatants intently through narrowed eyes, "I think we're about to find out…"

Giselle stands a bit behind the group, wearing a much darker expression as her eyes peer wickedly upon Yuzu, her smirk crooked and her thoughts equally so, "His Majesty favors her…"

The remaining Sternritters wait in muted anticipation as they likewise observe Yuzu in interest.

Gerard gives another hardy laugh as he regards the girl, "Seems we've attracted quite the crowd, haven't we, lass?"

Yuzu nods slowly as she finishes adjusting her Quincy Cross around her left wrist. The girl feels unnerved as she just now notes that Gerard's eyes lack pupils, the white voids staring at her giving her a sinking feeling. Further, she notices that the man only seems to wield a broadsword, currently strapped to his waist, and shield, attached to his left gauntlet.

The girl furrows her brows slightly, "Where's his Quincy Cross…?"

She suddenly hears a distorted version of her voice call out to her mentally as the sheathed Zanpakutō strapped to the left of her hip hums in anticipation, "Who cares where that is? You heard Bambi, didn't you? We ought to go all out!"

Yuzu narrows her eyes slightly, about to shoot back a mental response before being cut off by a rough male voice that she's heard quite a lot of in the past day, "This is a battle between Quincies. You stay out of it..."

The girl flinches as Yhwach's voice consumes her mental faculties, a grim reminder that her Quincy side is forever ensnared by the Quincy King.

The distorted voice of her 'proper' Zanpakutō cuts in to protect her, "Would you please stop? Can't you see that you're scaring her? She hears your voice enough as it is…"

The voice of Yhwach does not respond from within Yuzu's mindscape, perhaps understanding that the girl finds great discomfort in the reminder that even within her mind she cannot find peace from the King. In the next moment, The girl finds temporary comfort as she eyes her cross become coated in a faint blue aura, a reminder that her Quincy powers are, at least at the moment, hers to wield as she pleases.

Gerard meanwhile tilts his head, a bit disappointed in the girl's lack of response, "Not very talkative, are you…?"

Yuzu is pulled from her thoughts, her eyes wide as she regards the other Quincy, "Oh…well, I was just getting myself ready…"

The Schutzstaffel's wide smile returns as he gives another laugh, "That makes sense! You are just a newbie after all, even with your considerable feats!"

The girl blinks, not sure how to respond to the off-putting Quincy.

The Viking puffs out his chest confidently as he announces, "Indeed! As you are a newbie, I will go easy on you! I shall not use my Vollständig or Schrift during our bout!"

Yuzu raises a brow, not having heard of a Vollständig before.

She has no chance to question it, however, as Yhwach suddenly calls, "You may begin."

Yuzu flinches as she notices Gerard's expression immediately turn dark. In this moment of hesitation, she struggles to properly form her Reishi bow, leaving the larger Quincy to quickly rush her faster than she can react. As he is right in front of her, he slams his massive knee, which is easily the size of her torso, in her chest faster than she can activate Blut Vene to counter. Yuzu's eyes widen as she coughs up blood.

The girl once more has no time to react before the Viking slams the circular shield strapped to his left arm against her face, sending her flying into the stone wall along the training grounds, causing it to crumble somewhat. As the dust settles, Yuzu lies huffing and bleeding from a gash on her forehead within a small pile of rubble. Her uniform and cloak are already coated in a layer of dirt, giving her a worn appearance.

On the sidelines, Candice flinches, looking ready to rush to the girl's side, but halts any attempts as Bambietta blocks the woman with her arm.

The lime blonde sends a mean look at the other woman, who seemingly ignores it as she elaborates in a rather uncharacteristically calm manner, "The fight has only started. Do not dare interfere…"

Both Candice and Keigo look dissatisfied with Bambietta yet back off regardless as their concern only increases.

Liltotto, meanwhile, looks upon Yuzu curiously, simultaneously impressed and disappointed in the girl's showing thus far, "She got knocked down right away… then again, so would most Sternritters when facing Gerard…"

A short distance away in the crowd, Bazz B narrows his eyes, a deep frown on his face as he is thoroughly unimpressed, "All that praise from His Majesty and she can't even bother to keep her guard up? Is she even taking this seriously?!"

Yuzu grunts as she picks herself up from the rubble, unable to ignore the scrutinizing looks of her spectators, reminding her of Bambietta's warning to not disappoint Yhwach. She looks up at the Quincy King himself, finding that he is frowning deeply, indeed unamused with her showing thus far. This prompts the girl to slap her cheeks, forcing her mind to reset and focus solely on the battle before her.

Gerard sees the fiery look in the girl's eyes as he approaches, causing him to wear a toothy grin, "Alright, newbie…"

The Viking begins to run toward Yuzu, crying out as he does, "…SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT!"

Yuzu wastes no time in summoning her blue Quincy bow and promptly launching a volley of arrows at the Viking. Gerard's smirk doesn't leave his face as he sweeps his shield in an arc, deflecting most of the arrows while leaving the rest to scrape against his skin, leaving minor wounds.

By this point, Gerard is right before Yuzu, making to slam his fist down on her. The girl reflexively jumps back to avoid the punch, which slams against the ground, before she places her feet against the side of the crumbled wall, using it to propel herself at the Viking. Gerard widens his eyes at the maneuver, only seeing the Blut Vene briefly coat Yuzu's forehead before she, using her previous momentum, lands a devastating headbutt against the Viking's helmet, shattering it and leaving a bloody bruise on his forehead.

Many of the spectating Sternritters audibly gasp at the maneuver, watching as the Schutzstaffel staggers and blood streams down his now exposed face from his forehead.

Yuzu's eyes contract as she shifts her still midair body such that her left foot, coated in furious blue Reishi, slams into the side of Gerard's neck, causing him to stumble and take a knee. As the girl lands on her feet, she stares down at her opponent with a feral expression, as though to warn that he should be careful about what he wishes for.

The spectators are left speechless for a moment before Berenice, among the crowd, questions, "D-did she just force Gerard to his knees?"

A bearded, burly Quincy with black hair nods, a smirk of his own on his face, "And here I thought pairing her up with Gerard would be overkill!"

The man chuckles, causing Bazz B to snap at him, "Now's not the time for puns, dumbass! That little girl just knocked down one of the Schutzstaffel!"

The man, Sternritter O: Driscoll Berci, frowns slightly, not particularly appreciating Bazz B's tone.

Cang Du, meanwhile, narrows his eyes, considering what Yuzu just did, "She moves well… although her style was quite unorthodox. Is she self-taught, or…"

The man's gaze shifts toward Bambietta and Candice, who both stare at the scene with widened eyes, shocked at Yuzu's apparent martial prowess.

Cang Du frowns, "Of course, it wasn't them."

He looks back on the battlefield, now feeling even more interested in the Kurosaki girl, "I'll have to ask her when she is free…"

Back on the battlefield, Gerard touches his forehead, allowing him to see proof that he is bleeding on his bloodstained hand. The man looks up slightly to regard the blue light of Yuzu's bow, which is currently leveled at his head.

Yuzu states with a serious expression on her face, "Do you yield?"

Gerard looks at the girl for a moment before a smirk forms on his face, "NOT A CHANCE!"

The girl doesn't hesitate to release an arrow; however, Gerard knocks it away with his shield at impressive speed. He reaches toward Yuzu again with his right hand, although, the girl leaps off the ground above the Viking, now pointing her bow at him from midair.

Before she can fire, Gerard, with even more impressive speed, redirects his hand to grab the end of the girl's cape. Yuzu widens her eyes before she is slammed into the ground, the Viking's grip on the cape not loosening as her hat flies off from the impact. The Viking is not done, however, as he swings Yuzu in a 180-degree arc overhead, slamming her into the ground once more. By this point, the girl's bow has dispersed as instead Blut Vene coats her skin.

What happens next is brutal—Gerard swings Yuzu's body up such that her back is falling towards him before using his hands to grab her shoulder and ankles and, using her downward momentum against her, slams his Blut-coated knee into her back viciously. The girl's spine creaks as she screams despite using Blut Vene. Gerard releases his grip, allowing the girl to roll off his knee on the ground, still screaming in pain as she spasms somewhat.

Bambietta narrows her eyes, beginning to tremble in rage yet still holding back Candice, who is also immensely pissed.

Gerard smirks down at the girl, raising a brow as he questions, "Well, newbie, do you yield?"

Yuzu grits her teeth as she looks furiously at the Viking. Her eyes shift to the Quincy King seated in the balcony above, his dissatisfied frown still present.

The girl furrows her brows, struggling as she attempts to pick herself up. Gerard begins to wear a frown as he watches the girl pitifully pick herself up, clearly struggling to even stand.

Yuzu's fiery, brown eyes glare at the Viking as she shouts, "I WILL NEVER YIELD!"

Gerard's gaze seems to soften somewhat as he smiles slightly, "I see… you'll make a good comrade. But unfortunately…"

The Viking frowns again as he finishes, "…we stand as foes today."

Yuzu begins to form a bow, but the Schutzstaffel, with almost god-like speed, grabs the girl by her hair with his right hand before running to the side of the training grounds and slamming her into the stone wall. This isn't all, though, as he continues running along the wall, literally shattering it with Yuzu's body as he drags her with him. After he reaches the edge of the training grounds and has put the girl through the entire structure, he inspects his work.

Yuzu's ponytail has come completely undone, leaving her dirty hair to hang freely, and her forehead is cut open, similar to his own, as well as obvious early bruising on her face. Further, her hair is full of debris and blood from her head, and her cape along with parts of her uniform is completely tattered.

Gerard narrows his eyes as he looks upon the girl, gritting her teeth in pain as she hangs from the Viking's grasp. The Schutzstaffel frowns as Yuzu grabs at his arm and finally opens her eyes, revealing a still-defiant look in her gaze.

The Viking sighs as he states sternly, "You're certainly strong. You even got me to bleed! But you've lost this battle."

Yuzu is about to snap at the other Quincy, but he quickly slams her face directly into his knee, instantly breaking her nose, which bleeds profusely as he drops her to the ground a crumpled mess.

Bambietta, Candice, and Keigo have urgent looks in their eyes as they immediately start to rush toward Yuzu across the training grounds.

Meninas tilts her head, still making the worried gesture with her arm from before, "Oh my…!"

Liltotto sighs as she looks at the ground, "Guess that's our answer to who's stronger… not like it's much of a surprise, though."

Before Bambietta, Candice, or Keigo can make it to Yuzu, their bodies suddenly freeze, unnaturally remaining in a mid-sprint motion as they are hoisted into the air.

Bambietta gasps, completely confused, "W-what is this…?!"

Candice meanwhile growls, angry as her body won't move as she pleases, "I can't move! What the hell?!"

Keigo shifts his eyes to find the hooded Schutzstaffel accompanying Lille Barro standing to their right, "That hooded one… could this be their doing…?"

Lille Barro frowns at the trio, "Keep holding them, Pernida… we cannot allow interferences until His Majesty has declared the battle is over…"

Bazz B, now flanked by Cang Du and an older, mustached blonde man wearing glasses, scoffs before turning on his heel and beginning to leave, "Waste of my time…"

Many of the other Quincies seem to concur with his statement as they similarly turn to leave.

Yuzu begins to stir, hearing the muffled voices of the individuals before her, unable to fully make out what happens as her head pounds in pain. She instinctually looks at the massive form of Gerard walking away from her. The girl's eyes shift to look further, onto the scene of Bambietta, Candice, and Keigo a distance away, causing them to widen slightly in the haze. She can't fully see or hear them, but she knows that they are there, trapped, as if by instinct.

Haschwalth turns to Yhwach, advising, "Your Majesty, I think it would be best to call the battle now… The girl is not ready for—"

The blonde man widens his eyes as the King raises his hand, stopping his sentence.

After a moment, the King states, "Wait."

Haschwalth scrunches his brows, "Your Majesty…?"

Gerard sighs as he notes Lille Barro and Pernida, "You two don't have to do that. As you can see, the battle is over."

Lille Barro narrows his eyes at Gerard, giving him a stern reminder, "Nothing is over until His Majesty says so, Valkyrie."

The Viking laughs, "Ah, fair enough! Although, I suspect it won't be long before that is the case—"

The Viking's pupilless eyes widen as he feels an eruption of energy behind him, prompting him to look behind to see Yuzu, whose nose and other wounds seem to have healed, wearing a vicious expression and standing on her feet with her right hand instinctually clutched on the hilt of her Zanpakuto strapped to her waist. It is the Quincy's turn to feel unnerved as he notices the girl's left eye is a piercing yellow with black sclera. She also has a black, branch-like tribal tattoo that runs down the left side of her face, through her eye.

Bazz B and many of the Sternritters who were about to leave pause and look at the girl in shock, her Reiatsu impressive enough to regain their interest.

Bambietta's mouth is agape, "This Reiatsu… is this even Yui…? It's more like a Hollow…"

Yuzu stares at the blurred form of Gerard—her target is clear.

The girl recalls the attacks that Ichigo and Karin used throughout their fight with the Head Captain—the one where they coated their blades with raw energy before launching blasts from them at the Shinigami. An attack that they inherited from their father—its name…

Yuzu immediately pulls her blade from its sheath, coated in blinding golden light, before swinging it in an arc, screaming, "GETSUGA TENSHŌ!"

The attack bursts forth at immense speed, causing those viewing it to look away and close their eyes from the sheer intensity of the light alone.

Gerard smirks in excitement as he unsheathes his own sword, raising it above his head, and rushes toward the attack, "Very well! Hoffnung—!"

The Viking suddenly gasps as the attack is right before him, completely submerging his body and senses in blinding light, just realizing the attack's intensity. In the next moment, Gerard's right arm is sent flying away from his body as the Getsuga erupts into even more intense light.

Yhwach and Haschwalth slowly blink as their eyes open, regaining their vision.

Haschwalth frowns, recognizing the attack from their recent surveillance of the Soul Society, "That attack…"

Yhwach frowns as he stares down at the battlefield, where small, residual golden particles of light remain, flickering through the air like fireflies.

The onlooking Sternritters start regaining their vision as well, staring at the girl in disbelief.

Buzz B scowls as he starts to break into a sweat, "You've gotta be kidding me…"

Bambietta and Candice, meanwhile, look upon Yuzu as though they are looking upon a total stranger, not able to fathom where her sudden boost in power is coming from. Little do they know, they are, in fact, the reason for it, as the girl's desire to protect those she cares for is absolute.

Cang Du widens his eyes as he watches Yuzu begin to walk across the training grounds, "Wait… what's she doing now…?"

Lille Barro frowns deeply as he watches Yuzu walk past Gerard's downed body, currently missing an arm, her baffled friends, and himself before finally stopping and pointing her sword directly at Yhwach in a seeming act of defiance.

The girl growls at the King, issuing a reminder, "Don't forget!"

The scene causes everyone to tense up as Lille Barro moves to restrain the girl. Yhwach, however, only smirks intensely, as the message is fairly clear to him—especially with her friends restrained right behind her. Yuzu's loyalty is not unconditional.

Despite that fact, the King can't help but chuckle at the girl's boldness, confusing the Quincies below as he declares, "Stand down, Schutzstaffel."

Lille Barro bows as his expression turns more passive, "Understood, Your Majesty."

Bambietta, Candice, and Keigo all fall face-first on the ground as they trip over themselves, having regained movement, free from Pernida's ability.

The two Schutzstaffel walk off before they disappear through the crowd of Quincies, leaving Yuzu, who has just about regained all her mental bearings, to let her blade hang freely at her side. Her blackened eye and tattoo slowly fade along with her aggression, returning her features to normal.

Yuzu's gaze has not left Yhwach as she states, "I have defeated him, Your Majesty. May we move on to my training now?"

The King's smirk remains, amused by the notion as he clarifies, "That was your training… the battle has hereby concluded."

The new Sternritter frowns slightly as Yhwach turns around and waves, "Gerard."

The girl widens her eyes slightly, turning to look behind her before being slammed in the head by a massive fist, knocking her to the ground, this time truly unconscious.

Gerard, somehow with his arm back on his body, gives out a pleased booming laugh, "Well fought! I didn't expect a newbie like you to be the first to force me to use my Schrift! Well, at least I should count myself lucky it wasn't a Shinigami!"

The Viking continues to laugh loudly as he walks off, following after his fellow Schutzstaffel.

By this point, Bambietta, Candice, and Keigo, now accompanied by a curious Cang Du, Liltotto, and Meninas are the first to approach the downed form of Yuzu. A handful of other Sternritters approach, although they keep their distance.

One such Sternritter is Giselle, who stares darkly upon the scene, her gaze shifting between Yuzu and Yhwach as she thinks, "He let her get away with threatening him…"

A pleased, ominous smirk appears on Giselle's face as she considers the implications of this, however, she quickly shifts to a more casual expression to avoid anyone noticing or perhaps catching on to her impure intentions.

Yhwach turns and opens the door to leave the balcony, followed by Haschwalth. As the pair descend a flight of stairs, the King can't help but hum slightly as he considers a thought.

The blonde man raises a slight brow, questioning as they walk, "Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"

The King pauses at the bottom of the stairs, causing Haschwalth to do likewise. He hums for a moment longer before seeming to make up his mind about something.

Yhwach turns to look at his advisor with a serious look, "I shall now allow for and encourage sparring between Sternritters for training purposes; however, such spars are to be monitored by yourself or Quilge Opie. Also, I would like every Sternritter, excluding my Schutzstaffel, to go through special training with Quilge Opie as well. Whether or not they learn anything, as Bambietta Basterbine apparently has, is up to them…"

Haschwalth is silent, continuing to listen after Yhwach trails off.

The King grunts, getting back to his point, "In any case, we will need our elites to become stronger as I do not doubt in light of the Kurosaki siblings, the monk will make sure the Soul Society will be stronger than ever by the time we attack. That's not even considering what Sosuke Aizen may be plotting for Ichigo Kurosaki and Hueco Mundo. I cannot afford any undue risks."

Haschwalth nods in agreement, "I understand Your Majesty."

Yhwach eyes his advisor, not yet done, "Another thing… Yuzu Kurosaki is to spar with her fellow Sternritters at least five times a week in addition to her normal Quincy training so she can adapt to her Schrift once it has awakened. As you just saw, she has a solid enough understanding and aptitude for the fundamentals, so direct teaching will be fruitless at this stage."

The blonde man nods once more in agreement, "I will make sure it's done, Your Majesty. Is there anything else?"

Yhwach strokes his mustache, seeming to consider something before speaking, "Yes, actually. I have a mission for you…"

Haschwalth frowns as the King begins to explain.

Throne Room, Las Noches

Hundreds of Hollows are gathered within the long, massive throne room, standing before an equally massive marble platform housing a human-sized white throne at the top. The Hollows are loud and quite argumentative with each other, unable to keep their egos in check due to the absence of their King.

A large feminine pair of bug-like Adjuchas, Menoly and Loly, stand among the mob, the latter sighing before she complains, "Where's Ichigo…? If he doesn't get here soon, a fight might break out…"

Menoly looks ready to reply to her sister, however, she is cut off as another Hollow calls to them, "You mean White, right? Heh, that cheater can't reign me in!"

The scorpion Adjucha hisses as she turns around to face the larger form of Di Roy slithering over, "Lord Ichigo is NOT a cheater! Take it back!"

Di Roy hisses in delight at having upset the female Hollow, prompting him to taunt her further, "And why should I? It's the truth! White didn't defeat Grimmjow—an uninvolved Hollow knocked him out as he was about to win!"

Menoly bares her claws and tail at the other Hollow, looking ready to lunge. Before she can, however, the massive doors of the throne room swing open as intense Reiatsu rains throughout the room. Every Hollow within immediately shuts up and cease any and all hostilities, even instinctually stepping back, creating a clear path to the throne.

Entering in through the doors is Ichigo, flanked by Aizen and Barragan on opposite sides. Following them are the Espadas and Vasto Lordes, appearing as perhaps the most imposing group of Hollows Las Noches has seen yet. Many of the Hollows look in confusion at Ichigo's appearance, only having ever seen his appearance as a Vasto Lorde, certainly not his exposed face.

Following slightly behind this group are Szayel and a begrudging Grimmjow, who seemingly resists lashing out at the hundreds of Hollows who look down upon him as if he is an animal who should be locked up. Evidently, even Grimmjow knows better than to try anything violent in the presence of so many fellow Vasto Lordes. The panther soon breaks off from the group, now standing with Shawlong and the rest of his followers, prompting Di Roy to slither through the crowd to join them.

Shawlong looks down at His King, quietly questioning in a surprised tone, "Does this mean you acknowledge White as the King…?"

Grimmjow hisses, "Of course, I don't! I'm cooperating with them for now because they said there's a way to make me even more powerful."

The clawed Adjucha seems to want to inquire about this but doesn't get the chance as Aizen, with the group of Vasto Lordes and Espadas on top of the marble platform, speaks up.

"Many of you must recognize me from when I was in command of this palace. Well, I assure you that with my return, that isn't the case again. I acknowledge White as the one, High King of Hueco Mundo. I stand before you all today a humble servant, carrying out the will of His Majesty, White. With the device known as the Hōgyoku, which in its incomplete state awakened many of the Arrancars in the Espada, I shall too use this to further unlock the potential of existing Arrancars and awaken those of you who wish to pursue even greater heights.", the Shinigami explains in an uncharacteristically modest manner, causing Barragan to eye him intently.

There is but a brief silence before the hundreds of Hollows once more break into chatter, beginning to question if Aizen can be trusted.

This doesn't last long as Ichigo barks, silencing them, "SHUT UP!"

The Hollows stare in wide-eyed, muted silence at their King as he clarifies, "This is purely voluntary. Those who choose to receive the Hogyoku's blessing and become Arrancars may find themselves closer to enlightenment."

Ichigo pauses, taking a moment to consider his next words before speaking truthfully, "I, for one, have found further clarity since becoming an Arrancar… But the choice is yours."

Everyone is quiet after Ichigo's brief speech, leaving Aizen to regard them again, "Those who do not wish to receive the Hogyoku's blessing should leave the throne room now."

The Hollows look at Aizen and Ichigo for a minute, processing what was just said. Another minute passes and it is clear that their words were convincing enough.

Nobody moved.

Aizen smirks as he then notes Barragan is the first to approach him.

The old Hollow grunts, "Let's get this over with. The less I have to look at your face, the better."

Aizen's smirk widens, always finding the former King's attitude towards him amusing as he holds out the Hogyoku, using his Reiatsu to trigger a reaction as it shoots energy at Barragan. This causes the skeletal Vasto Lorde's figure to light up before a small explosion occurs.

What is left is a now tan old man with gray, slicked-back hair and a mustache. A white bone crown still remains on the top of his head, signifying his time as Hueco Mundo's King. A scar runs through his right eye, forcing it shut and a second scar runs up from the left side of his chin to his mouth. Lastly, a massive black axe with a golden handle lies on the ground next to him.

Of particular note, however, is that the man is stark naked, which prompts Nelliel to grab from the pile of white Gis similar to what she and Ichigo wear behind her. She hands one to Barragan, prompting him to touch his face as he acknowledges his transformation.

His left eye widens slowly as he feels the sensation of his own skin for the first time, "Fascinating…"

Hollows immediately begin to eagerly line up to receive the same treatment upon seeing Barragan, who for the longest time made a point of remaining a normal Hollow, become an Arrancar.

Sometime later

As the final Hollows are awakened, the Hogyoku dims, signaling that its job is done. Aizen looks upon the crowd, noting Orihime and Tatsuki, now accompanying Sora, across the room. All of the new Arrancars wear white Gis, a sure sign as any that they are aligned with Ichigo.

By this point, the only ones standing on the marble platform are Ichigo and Aizen, leaving the others to mix in with the crowd below. The Hollow King himself also takes a moment to look across the crowd before his sullen gaze lands on a pair of Arrancars speaking to each other.

One is a young-looking woman with black hair tied in twin tails with a mask fragment over her left eye, hiding it from view. Her right eye is pink, and her outfit is skintight on her torso and rather revealing, exposing her stomach and the middle of her upper chest and shoulders. She also has white armbands on her forearms and the lower half of her outfit is a modified white skirt and black socks that go up past her knees.

Her companion is another, equally young-looking woman with short spiky blonde hair. She has a matching mask fragment over her right eye instead, leaving her green left eye visible to others. Her outfit is much more modest than her sister's appearance, being a typical white Gi similar to the Shinigami's Shihakusho with a slightly modified collar. Like her sister, she also has white armbands on her forearms.

The first, Loly, huffs as she takes in her and Menoly's new appearances, "I was hoping for something more intimidating…"

Menoly nods in agreement, her back currently turned toward the throne.

Meanwhile, Ichigo's dejected eyes glimmer slightly as he looks at his followers' new human appearances, "So that's what they look like under their masks… it's… fitting…"

Loly notices Ichigo's intent gaze before smiling in a pleased and slightly sultry manner, "He's looking at us and I think he likes what he sees… I can live with that…~"

Her sister's gaze causes Menoly to look behind her, missing Ichigo's gaze as he just looks away. This causes the girl to raise a brow, curious as to why Loly looked at the throne with such an odd expression.

Ichigo raises a brow as his gaze pauses on another, male Arrancar a short distance from the sisters. The Arrancar is a slim short man with a bit of a feminine face, black hair tied into a long braid, and a white saber-tooth helmet. The Arrancar wears a white mandarin-style jacket and standard white pants for those enlisted in the army. The man seems to notice Ichigo's gaze in his golden eyes, prompting him to immediately kneel in reverence.

Ichigo's expression remains stoic as he gives the man a slight nod and sweat drops, "Ggio's Adjucha form was extremely muscular and rather tall, even for Adjuchas… I can't say I expected him to look like this as an Arrancar…"

Aizen notes that Ichigo seems to be done processing the new appearances of his allies, prompting him to announce, "I shall now announce the new rankings that the Hogyoku has assigned for the Espada—the 10 most fearsome Hollows in Las Noches."

The announcement makes the Hollows present quiet down and tense up in anticipation.

The Shinigami smirks and clarifies, "Given this aligns with White becoming King, your ranks will appear somewhere on your bodies as tattoos very shortly, if they haven't already. The lower the number of the Espada, the more lethal they are. So, to start…"

Aizen points at Zommari standing alone in the crowd below the throne, "Our new Noveno, Espada #9 is Zommari Rureaux."

Zommari remains quiet with closed eyes, "This was to be expected with all the new Vasto Lordes…"

The Shinigami continues, smirking as he motions toward Sora standing with Orihime and Tatsuki on the tile floor below, "Next, our new Octava, Espada #8 is Sora Inoue."

The serpent Arrancar smiles widely as he opens his jacket slightly and looks down at the exposed 8 on his shoulder, "So, I'm strong enough to be an Espada now…"

The man can't help but beam in joy at being acknowledged as one of the strongest, after everything he went through to get here and be of use to Ichigo. Orihime smiles at her brother, truly happy for him as well, despite not understanding how much power and influence come with being an Espada in Las Noches. Tatsuki, meanwhile, can't help but stay on edge surrounded by all of these Hollows, in spite of knowing that they are allies.

Aizen continues without further delay, "Moving on, our new Séptima, Espada #7 is Nnoitora Gilga."

The mantis Arrancar smirks in satisfaction, "7, huh? Not bad…"

The blonde eye-patched form of Tesla nods in agreement as he stands next to his master, this being overall a promotion despite only moving up one rank.

The Shinigami continues his announcement, "Next is our new Sexta, Espada #6: Nelliel Tu Odelschwank."

Many Hollows audibly gasp in surprise at this, not expecting the previous third-strongest Arrancar to be demoted so far in the pecking order.

This prompts the woman to sheepishly rub the back of her head, slightly disappointed herself as she chuckles lightly with a smile, "I guess I got demoted, huh…"

Sora sends the woman a supportive smile while Pesche and Dondochakka, ever at Nelliel's side, proceed to attempt and comfort her as well. In contrast, Nnoitora can do nothing but grin, satisfied that the gap between them is closing.

Aizen allows the crowd another moment to process this, a wide smirk on his face as Nelliel's demotion can only mean that they have that many Hollows stronger than her.

He proceeds, "Our Quinto, Espada #5 is now Tier Halibel."

Halibel, like Zommari, stands stoically and doesn't comment on this. Her new appearance is quite striking, however, as the upper half of her white, long-sleeved uniform has a modified collar that hides the lower half of her face and ends at her breasts, just beneath the nipples, beneath which her mask fragment also hides, leaving the entire mouth of her mask remaining over her mouth. The dark skin of her toned stomach and the outer sides of her sides are exposed as well. Lastly, her blonde spiky hair is tied at three places and her green eyes seem to be considering something as she stands quietly.

Three women stand beside her as well, who look both simultaneously impressed and slightly disappointed with her ranking, feeling as though in a parallel universe she ranked higher.

Aizen wastes no time in moving to the next rank, "Our new Cuatro, Espada #4 is Ulquiorra Schifar."

Ulquiorra stands silently with his arms crossed, truly not caring if he is an Espada or not. Sora suddenly approaches the man and wraps an arm around him, evidently shocking the bat Hollow as he widens his eyes and looks up at the serpent.

Sora smiles at his 'brother', congratulating him, "Congrats, little bro! It looks like I'll have to work extra hard to catch up!"

Ulquiorra stares blankly at the serpent Arrancar as he states bluntly, "I don't think this is the type of gap you can close with simple hard work…"

The brown-haired Hollow fist pumps the air passionately as a fire shines in his eyes, "That's all the more reason to push myself past my limits!"

The bat Arrancar sighs as he realizes speaking with only logic is not enough to get through to him.

Aizen starts to resume, "Our Tres, Espada—"

"WHAT BULLSHIT IS THIS, BRO?! WHY IS GRIMMJOW ONLY THIRD?!", Ylfordt's voice suddenly roars from the crowd.

The vast majority of Hollows turn and regard Grimmjow and his followers, all now in white Arrancar uniforms.

Shawlong maintains his tall, slim physique and most of his mask, which is worn as a helmet and hides his left eye. Like Ggio, his black hair is tied in a long braid as he maintains his stoic demeanor.

Edrad, meanwhile, now appears as a burly man with long red hair on the right side of his head and a shaved head on the left. His mask fragment appears as a pair of small, slitted spectacles that rest on his nose.

Nakeem appears as a rather rotund man with black hair and maintaining half of his Hollow mask, covering the right side of his face.

Di Roy is much smaller, however, appearing as a short, blonde teenage boy around the same age as Loly and Menoly. He maintains the upper portion of his Hollow mask, wearing it like a helmet, and the right side of his mask and face is bandaged, his wound from Grimmjow forever marked on his body.

Ylfordt's new form is a man with long blonde hair and a horned helmet reminiscent of his bull Adjucha form. He is pointing at the number 3, which appeared on the exposed back of the man in front of him, Grimmjow.

Grimmjow's new appearance has short, spiky blue hair and small green tattoos under his blue eyes. His mask fragment comes in two pieces—an upper and lower jaw that runs on the right side of his face, just over his cheek. The lower half of his uniform is standard while the upper half consists of a modified open and cropped white jacket, exposing his chest and lower back, where his rank is tattooed. Of note is the large scar across his chest, which remains from his battle with Ichigo.

Grimmjow's rather chiseled face scowls as he stares down Aizen, thoroughly unamused.

This, of course, causes the Shinigami to only regard the Hollow with a smug smirk, "The Hogyoku may have selected the proper ranking of the Espada based on how lethal they can become upon reaching their full potential, as opposed to right now… I have not yet studied it enough to know if that's the case or not, apologies..."

Aizen's face tells everyone that he is not sorry for this whatsoever and, in fact, finds it immensely amusing. The blue-haired Arrancar snorts before looking away, surely adding Aizen's name to his growing hit list in some capacity.

The Shinigami clears his throat before proceeding, "Back to the rankings, your Segunda, Espada #2 is Barragan Louisenbairn."

Barragan grunts as he stands amongst the crowd, surrounded by his followers, all in white Gis, "Does the Cero rank not exist anymore…?"

His followers remain on standby as they stand around him, separating him from the crowd.

Choe appears now as a massive man with black hair worn in a bowl cut. His mask fragment runs along his chin and there are unique, green tribal tattoos on his cheeks.

Charlotte has a rather masculine face and wears a modified, skin-tight white shirt on their torso and long white pants over their legs. They have a white, horned mask fragment worn in their curly, long purple hair like a tiara.

Next is the burly form of Nirgge, whose mask fragment is worn as a helmet with tusks running down the sides of his face. He has green, vertical striped tattoos under both of his eyes and glares menacingly at the crowd around him.

Then there is Abirama, whose lower body is covered in a typical white Gi while his upper body is completely exposed, revealing his lean physique and red tribal tattoos on his upper chest. He has yellow eyes, long black hair, more red tribal markings on his chin, and his pointed, bird-like mask fragment is worn like a helmet.

Lastly is Findorr—a man with long blonde hair whose eyes and upper face are hidden by his remaining mask fragment, which also borders his jawline.

Barragan suddenly perks up as he hears a high-pitched voice squeal, "Wait, WE'RE NUMBER 1?!"

The former King, and most of the crowd for that matter, look over to a sulking Stark and an excited Lilynette, both now wearing white uniforms as well, replacing their dirty gray cloaks. Stark's uniform contains a modified white, long-sleeved jacket similar to Sora's and traditional bottoms. Lilynette on the other hand wears a cropped sleeveless jacket that exposes most of her chest. She also has incredibly short white shorts and white stockings from the knee up which change to become black from the knee down.

Stark frowns as he stares at the 1 tattoo on the back of his left hand, conflicted about being labeled the Primera.

Barragan, meanwhile, takes this news well as he hums, recalling the triple threat battle he fought against Grimmjow and Ichigo, "That lad completely slipped past our Pesquisa and knocked Grimmjow unconscious. He was unimpressive against Yammy, though. Could it just be a matter of poorly utilized potential…?"

Everyone soon looks to the front of the room, where Ichigo and Aizen stand by themselves.

Aizen smirks in satisfaction as he turns to Ichigo, concluding, "And lastly, to no one's surprise, the Cero, Espada #0: Ichigo Kurosaki—His Majesty White."

The crowd begins to cheer for Ichigo, chanting, "WHITE! WHITE! WHITE!"

As the crowd's chants intensify, Ichigo stares down at the crowd with empty, defeated eyes that only Aizen can see clearly. The young Hollow feels nothing from this at the moment as his thoughts are focused on what they have been focused on since he got back—his failure to save Yuzu.

Ichigo's hand balls into a fist as his scowl deepens, "Even with all this… I'm still…"

His unhealthy thoughts drift off as he continues to look upon the crowd with a distant gaze.

Meanwhile, Barragan can't help but narrow his eye as he looks at Aizen, who is still smirking, "He has been singing His Majesty White's praises too much… his ego is too large to be this subservient. What exactly are you planning for the Espada, Sosuke Aizen…?"

As the chants die down, three Arrancars look particularly dejected: Dordoni, Cirucci, and Gantenbainne. The trio had been kicked out of the Espada entirely, which came as quite a blow to their confidence. Nelliel does not miss this as she stands near the trio.

Aizen then suddenly turns to Ichigo, causing him to return from his thoughts of self-loathing, "I suggest having the Espada select their Fraccions, while everyone is still here."

Ichigo considers this for a moment before nodding, just wanting to get this all over with. The Hollow King jumps from the platform to stand in front of the crowd below, prompting Aizen to follow.

The crowd looks somewhat confused before Ichigo announces, "Espadas—please select those among the Numeros who you want as your Fraccions!"

The Espadas begin to search through the crowd to do just that, Ichigo shifting to do the same. Before he can so much as move, however, Ggio, Loly, and Menoly immediately appear before him with Sonido, bowing on their knees in reverence. The trio all look somewhat nervous as they earnestly wish for Ichigo to select them as his Fraccions, despite knowing that in terms of power, many would think they are unworthy to stand by him. Of course, to Ichigo, that never mattered, as he had already made up his mind as soon as he decided to become the King. In fact, at this moment, his usual dejected and hurt eyes soften somewhat as his depression reels back at the earnest display of loyalty.

Ichigo wastes no further time as he nods, something within him causing him to speak in a manner that conveys absolute authority, reminiscent of the Quincy Emperor himself, "My decree is as follows: the Numeros called Loly Aivirrne, Menoly Mallia, and Ggio Vega shall hereby not only be my Fraccions, but also known as the Escudo—that act as my shield as opposed to the Espada, my sword. As such, they are equal in rank to the Espada as they only answer to the Hollow King."

Most of the Hollows let out gasps of shock at this decree as Ggio, Loly, and Menoly all become flustered, swelling with pride.

Ichigo, still conveying absolute authority, glares at Szayelaporro and Roka standing near the wall.

The Hollow King continues, "Additionally, I claim Szayelaporro Granz and Roka Paramia as the final members of my Fraccion."

There is further shock among the crowd as Szayel's jaw drops and Roka slowly widens her eyes, not seeing this coming despite their mental connection.

Ichigo struggles to suppress a hiss of disgust as he gestures at Szayel, "Like the Escudo, they shall answer only to the Hollow King, making them equal to the Espada in rank. Further, Szayelaporro shall act as the Head of Hueco Mundo's Research and Development while Roka Paramia shall be the Head of Communication."

As the crowd discusses this development amongst themselves, Szayel can't help but smile as he finds this liberating, "So I shall be allowed to conduct research, after all… even if I'm held on a leash, at least that leash is wielded by the King and the King alone. Not Aizen nor Barragan…"

Roka, on the other hand, becomes increasingly flustered with all the new attention on her.

She bows quickly in respect, "T-thank you for this great honor, sir!"

Ichigo nods as the light slowly begins to leave his eyes and he looks out to the crowd, "With that, I urge the Espada to choose their Fraccions as well."

The King goes silent at that, his stoic and dejected look once more returning as his Fraccions walk behind him on standby, accompanied by Ulquiorra doing likewise.

Nelliel, alongside Pesche and Dondochakka, almost immediately approaches the sulking forms of Dordoni, Cirucci, and Gantenbainne, causing them to perk up as she approaches.

The Sexta smiles as she waves at them, offering, "It's a shame you guys were demoted… but would you be willing to be Fraccions?"

Gantenbainne nods, a slight smile on his face, "I'd be happy to, Nelliel…"

Dordoni and Cirucci, on the other hand, both shake their heads, the former stating, "Not for you, señora. Sorry…"

Gantenbainne raises a brow as Nelliel looks disappointed, clearly having her feelings hurt to some extent.

The orange-haired Fraccion questions, "Huh? What's wrong with Nelliel?"

Dordoni looks at the hurt beginning to form in the woman's expression, prompting him to wave his hands defensively as he clarifies, "Nothing at all! I was thinking there was just someone who might be more compatible for me."

Cirucci nods, blushing slightly as she glances at Sora a distance away, "Same here…"

Nelliel's disappointment still remains, yet she nods in acceptance, "Very well. I wish you two the best."

The pair each give the woman a slight smile before walking through the crowd to find the people they had in mind.

Nelliel then turns and gives Gantenbainne a wide smile as she extends a hand to him, which he takes, "Welcome to the team!"

Nnoitora snorts as he looks ready to leave, "I don't need anymore Fraccions… now that I know where I stand in strength, staying here any longer is pointless…"

Just as the Séptima is about to leave with Tesla, a masculine voice with an undeniable accent shouts to him, "Wait, amigo!"

The mantis Arrancar grunts as he turns around to regard the voice, "There's no way you're talking to me like that…"

Dordoni smirks as he explains, "Ah, but I am! I think: you, me, tag-team. What do you think, amigo?"

Nnoitora and Tesla both frown, the blonde man looking the more upset of the two.

The mantis Espada states bluntly, "I think you're estúpido…"

The bearded Hollow flinches, yet despite this doesn't waver, "Well, I think the two of us did pretty well against that Grimmjow."

Tesla looks ready to protest but pauses as Nnoitora puts his arm in front of him, cutting him off.

The Espada shares a look with his Fraccion before glowering at his former peer, the reminder of his defeat at the hands of Grimmjow stinging his pride, "You've got balls to bring that up, I'll give you that."

Dordoni maintains his smirk and continues, "There are sure to be many more brutal battles to come. I think following you—that's the best way to seek them out, seeing as you are never one to back down from a fight, amigo."

Nnoitora's frown shifts to a wicked smirk, "You're damn right about that! In fact, I'll make this interesting. Let's go outside the palace and fight… If you can make me bleed, then I'll consider letting you follow me around like Tesla does!"

The bearded man's eyes shine with excitement as he accepts the challenge, "I accept! Gracias, amigo!"

As the trio walks off, Zommari watches the scene in interest as he considers what he should do, "Previously I did not have a Fraccion… but maybe I should seek one out now…"

The Espada glances over at an individual in a standard white uniform whose entire face is hidden by a bull mask.

Zommari narrows his eyes, "He's surely different than he was before becoming an Arrancar, but that's without a doubt Rudbornn Chelute… Aaroniero once mentioned that he can clone himself. Of course, he was intending on devouring him and taking that ability for himself eventually, but it still could be valuable…"

The Espada walks over to the bull man, who jerks up slightly as he is somewhat startled by the Espada's approach, "Is there something I can do for you, sir?"

Zommari nods as he states, "I wish for you to be my Fraccion, soldier. Do you accept this?"

Rudbornn is apparently excited about this as he immediately bows before the Espada, "I do. I am more than honored that an Espada would consider me worthy!"

As this happens, Halibel is swarmed by the three women standing near her from before, all wearing expectant looks on their faces. Halibel takes a moment to register the new appearances of her followers.

First, there is Apacci, who appears as a young woman with short, dark blue hair. Her right eye is a hazel red color with a red tattoo bordering it while her left is light blue. Her outfit is a fairly plain white Gi, however, it is sleeveless and she wears white gloves on her hands.

Next is Sung-Sun, appearing to be a young woman just as young as Apacci. She has lavender eyes with long eyelashes and there is a pink, vertical droplet pattern under her right eye, as opposed to Sora's crimson droplet pattern where the droplets are oriented horizontally. Sung-Sun's mask fragment appears like a large hairclip or ornament of sorts for her long, olive-green hair. The woman's uniform is modified as it is a long white dress with extra long sleeves and black straps that tether it to her waist, giving her a rather serpentine look even in her base state.

Lastly is Mila Rose, who takes on the appearance of a tall, muscular woman with dark skin and green eyes. She has long, brown wavy hair, atop which her mask fragment lays, appearing as a segmented helmet of sorts. Her uniform composes essentially of just a white bra and skirt, leaving her stomach, where her Hollow hole is, completely exposed. She also wears white armor on her forearms and the typical knee-high black socks.

After a moment of taking in their appearances, the shark Arrancar sighs, "It looks like you three are my Fraccions, then."

The other women smile at this and begin to celebrate, excited to continue serving Halibel.

After a moment, however, Sung-Sun looks slightly sad as she looks over at Sora, regarding him, "I apologize, my dear husband, but as a warrior, I must insist on following Lady Halibel. However, as a woman, my heart shall always belong to you…~"

This causes Sora to flinch as he can see Orihime's eyes widen in what feels like slow motion for him. Tatsuki also looks between Sora and Sung-Sun with an expression of disbelief.

Before either of the girls can ask about it, Sora chuckles loudly as he turns and looks at the serpentine woman directly, "Oh Sung-Sun, you really shouldn't say stuff like that when we aren't actually married! People may get the wrong idea!"

The green-haired woman makes a pouting face as she gets up close to Sora—closer than he's comfortable, as she starts to get teary-eyed, "You're so cruel, My Lord! You won't even call me by my given name…!"

Sora widens his eyes and blushes lightly as he stares at the woman, just now realizing how pretty she is under the mask, "Wow… I didn't know she was such a beauty… In any case, she's persistent, I'll give her that…!"

Sora's thoughts halt as he tenses, feeling Orihime and Tatsuki glare at him from behind, either in curiosity or judgment, respectively.

The man doesn't allow his smile to waver, however, as he pivots carefully to a sincere smile, "In any case, you shouldn't worry about me! I can take care of myself just fine! I'm honestly happy that Halibel still has a Hollow as competent as you protecting her!"

Sung-Sun widens her eyes and blushes profusely at this, causing her to turn away slightly as she hides her mouth behind her sleeved hand, "I-I see… t-thank you very much for the compliment, My Lord…"

Sora's smile widens as he takes in the sight, "In all honestly, this bashful side of hers is kind of cute too… she's usually super forward with me…"

The man flinches, however, as he hears a huff, causing him to look at the lightly blushing forms of Mila Rose and Apacci look to the side as the deer Arrancar murmurs, "It's not fair that Sung-Sun gets all the praise…"

The male serpent Arrancar jaw drops, "HUH?!"

Despite his confusion, Sora's Hollow instincts force him to act, as he instinctually recognizes doing nothing will be insanely dangerous for him down the line.

Therefore, he waves his hands defensively in a manner akin to his sister when she is flustered as he blurts out, "Well of course, you are all strong, beautiful women that I'd fight alongside any time! You're as close as family!"

This causes all three women to smile proudly, still looking a bit flustered. However, there are simultaneously sparks that fly through the air as it seems like a new, three-way rivalry of sorts has been initiated.

Behind Sora, Tatsuki, who wears a blank expression, comically speaks to Orihime, "It looks like your brother has a harem…"

The auburn-haired girl widens her eyes before she excitedly picks up the conversation, "O-oh you think so? I always prayed that big brother would find happiness in the afterlife, but I never could have imagined he'd find it like this!"

Tatsuki crosses her arms and gives a thoughtful look, "I never knew your brother was such a player… anyway, how many kids do you think he'll have?"

Orihime clasps her hands together and smiles enthusiastically, "25! And from five different women! Oh, I'm going to be such a happy aunt!"

"WHAT KIND OF SCUMBAG DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?!", Sora finally snaps, no longer wanting to put up with the teenagers' banter.

Halibel meanwhile looks intently between Orihime and Tatsuki standing behind Sora before her gaze ultimately lands on the auburn-haired girl.

Orihime perks up as she notices this and looks somewhat nervous under the woman's gaze. Halibel then approaches, causing the girl to flinch before calming down as she notes the woman's gloved hand stretched toward her.

The two match gazes as Halibel speaks, "My name is Tier Halibel. Your brother has told me much about you."

The auburn-haired girl wastes no time in taking the woman's hand, returning the favor with a bright smile, "I'm Orihime Inoue, and… uh, well my brother hasn't really told me anything about any of you so I'm super confused right now…"

The girl chuckles after her explanation as Halibel merely nods in acceptance, "Of course. I doubt there was time for him to tell stories given how recent your reunion surely was. In any case, Las Noches is still a dangerous place, especially for human girls… if either you or your friend ever need anything, you need only ask and we will be there."

Orihime and Tatsuki glance at Halibel's Fraccions, who all nod to confirm their Master's words.

Sora sighs in relief as his lady troubles seem to be on hold for now, beginning to scrunch his brows as he considers something, "Who are my Fraccions going to be anyway…?"

The serpent is pulled from his thoughts as he hears a sudden bark to his left, causing him to look over to regard its source. What he finds is Kukkapuro running in circles around a young blonde boy with freckles on his face wearing a standard white Gi. Tosen also stands a distance away from the boy, seemingly observing him alongside Gin, who wears his signature fake grin.

The boy's lavender eyes watch the dog intently before he slowly reaches down and starts petting him as he states in a loud voice, "GOOD DOG!"

This causes the dog to fall on its back, demanding to get rubbed on his belly.

Sora smiles knowingly before walking over to the boy—Wonderweiss, and technically his dog, gaining their attention.

The serpent asks, "Hey, would the two of you mind hanging out with me from now on?"

The boy gives a slightly confused look as he nods, not understanding why Sora would ask a question with such an obvious answer. The dog also barks, instinctively already Sora's Fraccion through the remnants of Yammy within the man's being.

The serpent Arrancar smiles at them as he asserts, "Well then, it looks like you two are my Fraccions!"

Orihime and Tatsuki can't help but smile at the scene, while Halibel and her Fraccions look intrigued, unaware that Sora had yet another former ally in Wonderweiss.

Suddenly the four women look in hostility and slight envy, particularly Sung-Sun, as Cirucci approaches Sora, wearing a slight blush, yet looking somewhat angry.

The serpent turns and raises a brow as the purple-haired woman demands with a frown, "Hey you! Don't think I've forgotten how you humiliated me! You need to take responsibility…"

Sora frowns in turn, a troubled expression on his face as he has a bad feeling about this, "And how do you suppose I do that…?"

The woman begins to fiddle with one of her twin tails, her blush intensifying somewhat as she looks to the side, avoiding eye contact, "Well… do you have room for one more…?"

The serpent blinks in slight confusion before his eyes widen and his jaw hits the floor, "A-are you asking to be my Fraccion?"

Cirucci looks incredibly irritated as she answers, "Of course, I am, idiot! So do you have room or not?"

Perhaps against his better judgment, Sora nods slowly, causing Halibel's Fraccions to continue glaring daggers at the woman for daring to so blatantly steal their prey, so to speak. Halibel herself has quite the scrutinous, somewhat hostile glare, not unlike that of a mother who disapproves her son's choice of spouse, which can be felt within her Reiatsu, causing Cirucci to flinch.

Tatsuki turns around slightly to face Orihime before pointing her thumb behind her at the male serpent Arrancar, wearing an amused smirk, "Get a load of this guy."

As Halibel's group continues to send harsh glares at Cirucci, Stark looks at Lilynette and Ashido, who just now joined them.

The Espada rubs his neck as he states, "It feels weird picking underlings… it's not really my style…"

Lilynette frowns, "But we're number 1, Stark! We should have the most underlings besides Ichigo!"

Stark sighs, prompting Ashido to speak up with a serious expression on his face, "This has always been a partnership, so you don't need to think about these 'Fraccions' as underlings. I am perfectly fine being labeled a Fraccion so long as it is a symbol of our companionship."

Stark smiles slightly as he looks at Lilynette and Ashido, feeling joy flow through him, "Now that's something I can live with…"

Ulquiorra, meanwhile, stays close to Ichigo and Aizen.

The former captain turns to the bat, "Do you wish to have any Fraccions?"

Ulquiorra shakes his head, "I have no need for anyone who would slow me down in my duties to protect High King White."

Aizen nods, finding the explanation logical and liking the straightforward, matter-of-fact way the bat Arrancar thinks.

Barragan, flanked by his five generals—his Fraccions, approaches Ichigo, causing the King to tilt his head towards him, acknowledging his presence.

The elder Arrancar asks upon giving a curt bow, "Would it be to your liking if we continued to rebuild, Your Majesty?"

Ichigo nods wordlessly, prompting Barragan and his Fraccions to walk off to resume rebuilding, taking anyone with him who is willing to help.

Ichigo then watches the room clear out, seeing as every Espada has selected their Fraccions. The young Hollow can't help but exhale in relief as he feels the burden of having to wear the mask of a King leave him. He considers how many of the Arrancars already seem to be adjusting well—that they have certainly pivoted to more civilized paths than they were as normal Hollows.

His eyes narrow, considering the genuine happiness many of the Arrancars seem to have been experiencing, "This is good… I don't think this place needs me… now I can finally atone—"

Ichigo's grim thought is cut short as he notes Sora and Halibel's groups approach him with Orihime and Tatsuki, looking as if they want to talk.

The young King then looks at his Fraccions and Ulquiorra before closing his eyes and opening his thoughts to Roka, allowing her to hear them, "Roka… where are the King's quarters?"

Roka widens her eyes as she looks up at Ichigo, who avoids looking at her. The girl furrows her brows, put off that he wouldn't simply ask such a question with his voice.

Despite this, she answers mentally, "They are on the floor below, directly beneath us."

Ichigo nods as his eyes glance at Roka before immediately using Sonido just as the groups approach, denying them the opportunity to converse.

Halibel's group and Ichigo's Fraccions look quite confused as Sora, Orihime, and Tatsuki share worried looks, knowing Ichigo's mental state is anything but healthy.

Aizen takes that as his cue as he walks away silently with the Hogyoku, now flanked by Tosen and Gin.

Loly sighs in disappointment, "I wanted to have a chat with that bookworm…"

Menoly smiles slightly, disappointed herself as she attempts to reassure her sister, "I'm sure we'll get another chance soon…"

Roka meanwhile purses her lips, her face full of anguish as she trembles, fully taking in the pain accosting Ichigo's mind and soul, "I cannot read his thoughts… they are nothing but a nonsensical cluster of negativity and hatred… how could he even stand up here and act as King as he did just now…?"

The girl narrows her eyes and bites her lips as an ominous thought crosses her mind, "Someone should go check on him soon…"

Lastly, a distance away, Grimmjow sits on a marble seat, flanked by his followers, now his Fraccions. He grunts at the sight, or rather, at absence of Ichigo.

Di Roy suddenly growls, "Grimmjow only being the Tres is a mistake! The only one who compares to him is White himself!"

Nakeem, Edrad, and Ylfordt nod silently in agreement while Shawlong observes Grimmjow, who tenses slightly in mild anger.

The panther Arrancar bares his teeth and hisses, "The Espada ranking is something that Shinigami bastard made up with his stupid device! Only time will tell who the strongest is and they will be the one left standing…"

Shawlong raises a brow as he looks down at his King, "What are you planning, Grimmjow?"

The panther Arrancar gives a toothy grin as he looks back at his follower, declaring, "I intend to get my rematch! As soon as I get my claws on White, I'll show everyone that I'm the strongest!"

Nelliel can't help but watch the panther and his gang with narrowed eyes as she and her group begin to approach Ichigo's Fraccions.

The woman frowns deeply, "I'd better keep an eye on that one…"

Nelliel's thoughts are interrupted as she hears Roka's voice in her head, "Excuse me, everyone…"

The two teenage girls, Sora, Nelliel, Ulquiorra, and the Escudo turn and look at Roka with surprised, yet curious expressions, having been the only ones to hear her voice. Those who did not get a mental message from Roka notice the others suddenly look at the girl but do not make a fuss of it as by this point, they know it's something not meant for their ears, or rather, mind. Questioning how the new Head of Communication manages such communication would be to directly question and disrespect the Hollow King himself.

All of Ichigo's closest friends nearby continue to look at the girl, who continues with a serious tone, "As his friends, I ask that you please keep this to yourselves. I believe there is something you all should know about His Majesty's condition…"

The Hollows in the loop and two teenage girls wear curious expressions which gradually turn into horrified ones as Roka's golden threads send information strictly to those Ichigo trusts the most.

Author's Note:

I'm back!

Story Updates:

First of all, the next chapter is released when it is released. Could be another few months.

Next, here are some clarifications I'd like to get off my chest in regards to the story:

Black Getsuga

The black Getsuga is something that Ichigo in canon can only use when he leans on his Hollow side. The same thing applies in this fic—one can only utilize Black Getsugas, which are more powerful than normal Getsugas, while mixing together Shinigami and Hollow powers, resulting in the normal Getsuga being forced to color change. As for why Yuzu's Getsuga wasn't black in this chapter, she was, or at least would have been if she wasn't also stacking her Zanpakuto's special ability on top of it—Light Manipulation, which overwrote Black Getsuga and resulted in radiant golden light. But regardless, I wanted to bring up the Black Getsuga as Karin uses it in the battle with Yamamoto as she is subconsciously tapping into her Hollow side.

The Espada Ranking

I know that Kubo made a retcon to the Espada that their ranks are locked to aspects of death, making them not actual indicators of strength. As a long time Bleach fan who grew up with the series, I do not like this whatsoever and, as Aizen said in this chapter, I will NOT be doing that. Instead, the ranks will be utilized in the way the actual anime/manga seems to present them as—indicators of overall battle power. (Just a side note, I HATE it when creators have something that's perfectly fine but then ruin it with a stupid retcon, especially when it comes YEARS later!)

With that out of the way, I stand by the power scaling of the Espada I put together. Sora, as impressive as he's become, is still not quite on the level as most of the other Espadas, which is perfectly fine. He doesn't need to be one of the top 5 to make a name for himself, as his presence in the story thus far has proven.

I moved some other ranks around to have different scaling than in canon, as well. First, I made Halibel hold a lower rank than Ulquiorra in this story as, all things considered, she's presented as a jobber compared to him in canon. Plus, Ulquiorra holding the rank of #4 is just simply too iconic to demote him to #5. But again, like with Sora, that doesn't mean Halibel will not get her time to shine in this story, because she most certainly will! (In more ways than one…)

Lastly, and most significant, is that Grimmjow is #3. This should be obvious to those who have read the story up to this point as the events of early Bleach significantly changed with Ichigo's death, resulting in an early rivalry between Ichigo and Grimmjow. This made Grimmjow much more determined to get stronger earlier and because of that our favorite panther is vastly more powerful than he was in canon. As sad as it is for me to deny him his iconic #6, at least it's poetic in the sense that he swapped ranks with Nel, his companion in TYBW…

I don't think I need to explain any other rank, so I'll just leave it at that.

Sora Romance?

This is more of a question really… do you all want to see more of this? Any harem aspects are going to be played up as purely comedic, at least for a little bit.I'll likely end up pairing him with Sung-Sun in the end if he ends up with anyone though as they are both snake Hollows plus, I unintentionally made their facial tattoos similar, so it really feels like they are kindred spirits in a sense.

With that, I'll see y'all whenever I update again. Hopefully it's sooner than later.