I woke the same as any other day

Except a voice was in my head

It said, "Seize the day, pull the trigger

Drop the blade and watch the rolling heads."

Though his son rushed to confront Aizen alone, Vegeta refocused on Coyote Starrk, who rose and massaged his cheek.

"Attacking someone while they're speaking?" Starrk asked. "I never pegged you as that type of person, Vegeta, especially when you're so keen on upholding that 'Saiyan honor' of yours."

Vegeta grinned. "You stepped into a battle and dropped your guard. That sounds like it's your problem, not mine. Now, if you don't mind, I have more pressing matters at hand. Quit wasting my time and transform."

"Right, pressing matters like your son. You know, regardless of what happens in this battle, he won't survive for long against Lord Aizen."

"Is that so? I'm sure he'll hold his own longer than the two weaklings that just turned to ashes." Starrk's eyes widened and prompted Vegeta grinned with teeth. "Oops, I guess I hit a nerve. Don't worry, you'll all be together soon enough."

Starrk placed his hand on the top of Lilynette's head. A blue pillar of spiritual pressure beamed out of her body. In the blink of an eye, Lilynette and the surge of spiritual pressure vanished. "Kick About, Los Lobos!"

A cloud of light blue smoke masked the Espada's body and jetted into the sky. Vegeta observed in anticipation as his enemy's power level skyrocketed. The smoke eased up, and as Coyote Starrk became visible, Vegeta observed him kneeling on the ground with his arm resting on his raised leg. He stood to his feet to unveil full extent of his Segunda Etapa.

His shirt disappeared, but Starrk sported a new vest composed of jagged, black spiritual pressure. He possessed new forearm-length black gloves, and in his hands were two new pistols. From the ends of his guns, green and blue segmented bands stretched and connected to his back. Black spiritual pressure also composed his pants, and he wore knee-length black boots with additional guns stored in a holster on his calves. Starrk's hair stretched down to his hip in a ponytail and turned gray, while his left eye now displayed a tattoo of a red flame. His sclera turned black, and the outer rim of his left eye, as well as several other points of his body, emanated blue spiritual pressure that flamed outward.

In terms of power output, Vegeta ranked him third behind Kakarot's enemy. If he played his cards right, he could win without having to ascend past Super Saiyan Blue again. If he took minimal damage, he could still eat half a Senzu bean and get most of his strength back.

Vegeta stepped back and readied himself for combat. "Well, since you were so upset that I attacked you before, I'll let you have the first move."

"How uncharacteristically generous of you," Starrk raised his pistol and fired off a Cero. After stepping out of the way, Vegeta dodged another blast. With every narrow escape, the Saiyan moved closer and closer to his enemy until he came within striking range. However, as he prepared to throw a punch, Starrk turned and threw his leg at Vegeta. From the underside of his boot, an arching Cero fired. He ducked underneath it, but Starrk aimed his gun right at his head. Vegeta back flipped away from the oncoming blast.

"Cero, Metralleta." Thousands of blue-green beams fired at the Vegeta. A dash into the air helped him avoid the initial wave, but their speed and volume soon overwhelmed him. He fired off a barrage of energy blasts to counter. Though he destroyed most of the blasts that came his way, some shot through, including one that struck his injured shoulder. Vegeta grimaced as a sharp pain radiated throughout his entire arm. Stark halted his assault to observe his opponent's condition.

"What happened to all that confidence you had before?" he asked. "Or was it just that arrogance of yours getting the best of you? At least try to make this interesting."

Vegeta grunted but kept himself under control. "Enjoy this while you can, because when I reach you, I will vaporize you. That is an inevitability."

Elsewhere, Goten continued to struggle. None of his attacks proved effective against Barragan's defenses. His urgency to help his friend caused him to grow impatient. While they floated meters apart, Goten tried to think of yet another strategy.

"You seem tired, and I've grown weary of this game," Barragan said. "It's time that I finished this."

"God," Goten muttered through his teeth. "Do you ever shut up?"

"What was that?"

Goten raised his voice. "I just think it's funny that you like to talk trash and hide behind your little death mist. You're not a fighter, and you're definitely not a king. You're just a pussy."

"For your sake, boy, I hope I misheard you. Did you dare-"

"Oh, you misheard me, huh? Well, let me say it a little louder so it can reverberate around your hollow skull! You're a big, fucking, pussy!"

Barragan growled and released Respira with full force. "I'll rot that arrogant tongue of yours!"

Once the mist drew close, Goten raced to Barragan's side. Using the Afterimage technique, he changed positions around his enemy and fired off an energy blast each time he switched. Some blasts pierced the mist and hit Barragan's body. This only proved to anger him further.

With a loud shout, Barragan released his attack in all directions. Goten, however, escaped underneath to the area where he sensed Respira to be its weakest. A subsequent Masenko that broke through to sear a gaping hole in Barragan's chest.

"Gotcha!" Goten said. "How'd you like that?"

Barragan's vacant eye sockets glared down while he regenerated. Once the hole closed, he used his Sonido to appear behind Goten once more. "Die!" He sent forth the full force of his Respira. Goten swiveled and tried to repel the miasma with his aura, but it wasn't enough. His cry died down once the mist overtook his body.

"Fool. Did you think you would win against the God of-" Barragan gasped. The body before him did not disintegrate into bone, but turned withered into frozen crystals. "An ice clone? Where did he-"

Goten teleported above Barragan's crown. With no time to retract Respira, the Espada tilted his head upward to his cupped hands.

"Kamehameha!" Barragan vanished into the beam as it fell and exploded onto the ground below. The dust cleared and revealed a shattered crown as the only remains of the former Hueco Mundo king.

Triumphant, Goten turned his body upright and panted. If he mastered Instant Transmission before he came, he wouldn't have wasted so much energy. Ten meters of teleportation had its limits, but he had to make do with what he had. Alright, gotta find Trunks-

Because of Starrk's Ceros, multiple holes carved into the castle's walls. Before he took off, multiple power levels coming outside of Las Noches struck him. He sensed Gohan, but why was he fighting four people?

On one end, his friend would soon fight against Aizen, but he didn't sense any energy from them yet. On the other end, his brother remained outnumbered and in immediate danger. He clenched his fists, but decided.

With labored breaths, Gohan hunched across from Halibel and the Tres Bestias. He held his own for a while, but failed to dodge and counter every attack that the four of them hit him with. Fatigue set in, and the chances of victory decreased by the minute.

"I'll commend you for your resilience," Halibel said. "But it's pointless for you to continue. It'd be better for you to quit now and keep your life."

Gohan assumed his fighting stance once more"Sorry. But I wouldn't live with myself if I gave up. You're better off killing me, if you can."

"So be it." The Arrancar surrounded Gohan, and the Saiyan once again blocked and evaded their strikes. However, Halibel connected with a hard kick to his ribs. Gohan tumbled back into the sand. He clutched his side and stumbled upright.

The Tres Bestias smirked as Halibel lifted her sword and charged a last attack at the tip of her blade. "Farewell."

As Halibel prepared a fatal burst of water, an energy ball shot up high in the sky and flared.

"What is that?" Mila Rose asked.

"I don't know," Apacci said. "But it's so bright."

Gohan also stood perplexed until he his brother appeared in the air. Goten opened up his hands and brought them to each side of his face. Gohan gasped and shut his eyes.

"Solar Flare!" Goten shouted as a blinding light flashed down. The four women cried out and clutched their eyes. Goten flew down and knocked all three Fracciòn away in one motion, while Gohan grabbed Halibel and launched her through the castle's wall.

Gohan stood next to his brother and smiled. "I'd really appreciate a warning next time before you blind me."

"Sorry," Goten said with a solemn gaze. "I didn't have time to think it through."

"I'm just messing with you. That was a pretty good tactic. What's the situation inside?"

"Well, Vegeta's blasting away with Espada One, and Trunks made the executive decision to fight Aizen on his own."

"He did what!? Why would he go do that?"

"I really wish I could tell you, but I think it'd be best if we end this as soon as possible."

"Now that you're here, that shouldn't be an issue."

Halibel appeared in front of Gohan with her Sonido, while the Tres Bestias circled Goten. The two brothers stepped back into their identical stances.

"You sure you can handle her on your own?" Goten asked.

His brother grinned. "Why do you think they jumped me before? Can you handle those three by yourself? They're pretty tough."

"You're kidding, right?"

Gohan and Halibel disappeared to resume their battle. The Tres Bestias collapsed onto Goten and launched a three-sided assault. He maneuvered around their attacks and countered with strikes that sent them away from him. The Arrancar recovered and launched Ceros at the Saiyan. An ice wall shielded him from the blasts. He took advantage of the explosion to escape into the sky.

Apacci leaped into the air to chase him down; her allies followed close behind. With a downward slash of his sword, Goten launched an ice dragon past Apacci and onto Sung-Sun and Mila Rose. Apacci turned back to see her comrades fall to the sand, but Goten flew from behind and kicked her down to them. He stayed in the sky as his enemies stood up from the ground.

"Damn him!" Apacci shouted. "Once I get my hands on him, I'll-"

"I think it's time to let 'it' out," Sung-Sun said.

Mila Rose nodded. "We have no choice. It's our only chance at winning."

Apacci growled and gripped her left arm. "Then let's hurry so we can get back to Master Halibel."

Mila Rose and Sung-Sun followed suit and clutched their arms. In unison, they tore them off. Goten's eyes widened as the severed limbs glowed red.

"Quimera Parca!" they shouted. Their detached arms morphed together and produce a stronger spiritual pressure than the Tres Bestias combined.

Goten prepared himself, but his jaw dropped open. A massive beast materialized and towered over him. The stench of rotten flesh forced a gag out of him. From what dark corner of Hell did this monstrosity come out of?

"Meet Ayon," Apacci smirked. "Let's see if you can handle this one."

From the sides of its head, giant eyes opened out of Ayon's fur, and pupils rolled down from the back of its skull to peer at Goten. His skin wanted to crawl off his bones.

Nightmare fuel: just what I needed to make sure I never sleep again.

Inside the throne room of Las Noches, Trunks tried to make sense of his situation. Sosuke Aizen was the most threatening force in Universe Six and Seven, yet he sipped tea and engaged in discourse. The juxtaposition of his evil actions with his tranquil persona put the Trunks on edge.

"You seem tense," Aizen said. "Perhaps a cup of tea would-"

"I'm fine!" Trunks shook his head to snap out of his trance. "I don't need any tea from you."

"Then have you had enough time to consider?"

"I-I don't really have a reason to distrust the Supreme Kai. Whenever he gets involved, he always tries to help."

"Do you trust him to do his job: to protect your universe, after he's let people like Frieza and Majin Buu decimate galaxies and leave only thirty inhabited planets left? After he's allowed someone like Zamasu to enter your universe, what reason do you have to depend on him as your overseer?"

Trunks hesitated. "I don't have a reason, but as long as he's not destructive, then I don't have a problem. We'll be here to make sure the universe is safe."

"What happens when you and your friends die? Do you think another person as strong as your father or Goku will magically appear to defend the world? If an entity destroyed every single planet in your universe, the Omni King wouldn't ask the Supreme Kai to create new life. Instead, he would wipe the universe from existence, all while the God of Destruction sleeps."

As much as he wanted to deny it, the world's destruction could occur as soon as Goku and Vegeta stopped protecting it. For a moment, Trunks dropped his head while Aizen continued.

"I'm sure you see how weak deities endanger the lives of billions, but I wonder how much you know about the Soul King."

"I don't know anything about him, other than that he lives in a palace above the Soul Society. What, are you gonna tell me he's a deadbeat ruler, too?"

"I suppose calling him a deadbeat wouldn't be fair. I'm sure he would do something if he had the means."

Trunks lifted his head. "Had the means? What are you saying?"

Aizen sipped from his cup. "Well, he's practically dead."

Trunks gasped. "Dead?! He can't be! That doesn't make any sense!"

"Allow me to give you a brief history lesson that I'm sure no one else will. Thousands of years ago, when human life emerged on the Earth, Hollows occupied a large part of the planet. However, the Soul King emerged from the chaos with unimaginable powers. He exterminated the Hollows and protect the citizens of Earth, but his actions caused an imbalance in the world. As a result, five Soul Reapers joined and sealed away the Soul King. They used his powers to split the world into three realms, creating the cycle of death and rebirth in this universe. Though he showed no resistance, the Soul Reapers dismembered him and scattered his body across the Soul Society, leaving him in a vegetative state to serve as a lynchpin for the rest of time. While all of this transpired, the Supreme Kai of Universe Six watched and only took action when the Grand Priest directed him to. "

"But… how do you know all of this?"

"The Hogyoku showed me. Once I saw, I knew that someone needed to intervene. I realized it should be me. As one who will once again transcend Soul Reapers and Hollows, and with Saiyan power unlocked by the Hogyoku, I will soon become the strongest being to exist. I will be the only one capable of protecting Universe Six and Seven from any more harm."

Trunks bared a scowl. "How the hell can you even say that when you're the one that wants to sacrifice a hundred billion lives? You can't protect a universe with no people in it."

Aizen stood and walked behind his chair. When he reemerged, Trunks gasped at the container held up in his hand. "Would you mean these hundred billion souls? It seems cruel, but it is a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. Once I activate the Oken, I can travel to the Soul King's palace and replace him as the lynchpin of this universe. Then, I'll kill the Supreme Kais and establish myself as the god of Universe Six and Seven. After this, I intend to create new lives with a new civilization. I will eliminate trivial things like war, discrimination, oppression, and poverty from all aspects of society, and transform these worlds into what they should have been from the beginning. Doesn't that sound like a fair trade-off to you?"

Trunks gritted his teeth together and tightened his grip on his sword. "I think I've heard enough."

Aizen rested the container on the seat of the chair. "What is your consensus, then?"

"This world is fucked up, and to some extent, I guess I already knew that. The Supreme Kais are weak, Zeno isn't fit to rule anything, let alone everything, and now I learned that the Soul King is just a placeholder. I bet there's a long list in your head of the sins committed by the Soul Society. The thing is, though, I don't care. At the end of the day, I'm here to protect my friends and family, so I'll fight for incompetent gods before I trust a power-hungry psychopath like you."

Aizen let out a heavy sigh. "I'm disappointed in you, Mr. Briefs. With an intellect like yours, I hoped you would see things the way I do. Since you don't, however, what exactly do you plan on doing by yourself?"

"I'm doing something that should've been done a long time ago. I'm stopping you once and for all."

"Try it. I'm eager to see just how strong you've become."

Trunks grinned. His golden aura flared outward. "Then watch this and tell me if it looks a little familiar." He thrust his sword in front of him and clutched his bicep.

"Ban-kai!"

His energy burst and produced smoke that clouded him from sight. The smoke circled, then dispersed to reveal his new form. Like Ichigo's initial Bankai, Trunks sported a long-sleeve black coat that stretched down to his ankles, though he still wore the same pants and boots from before. He also wielded the same black long sword as Kurosaki before his Fullbring alteration.

"Tensa Zangetsu," Trunks said. "I heard you became very acquainted with this sword. Did you miss it after all this time?"

Aizen placed a hand on his sword and charged. The two crossed blades and exchanged stony gazes before pulling back to exchange several clashes of strikes. As the Saiyans battled across the throne room, both fighters landed and counter each other's attacks. However, Trunks gained a feel for his opponent's power and tendencies, and he became confident that he would soon turn the tide of battle.

Aizen attempted to slice Trunks' neck, but he coated his blade in a black Getsuga Tensho and parried his sword away. Trunks stepped forward and smashed his fist against Aizen's jaw. Aizen slid back and fired an energy blast. Trunks slipped past and dashed in to knee him in the stomach. They clashed again, but with his Getsuga-fueled strikes and increased speed, Trunks found himself with the advantage.

From afar, no one in the Soul Society believed what they saw. All of their expressions had changed from anxiety and concern to astonishment.

To Hitsugaya, it was unfathomable. Sosuke Aizen defeated half of the Captains with no effort, but Trunks kept up with him. No, he didn't just keep up.

Soi Fon's mouth fell open. Trunks landed blows that Aizen couldn't counter. He was winning. Could he kill Aizen alone? Maybe whatever training he did was enough, after all.

Although it felt like as good a time as any to have a sliver of hope, some people were more reserved than others. Yoruichi and Kisuke stood next to each other, hesitant to call the fight from an early showing.

"What are you thinking, Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked.

"He's doing well," Urahara said. "He's using his new speed and power to his benefit, and he looks confident. That being said, this is Sosuke Aizen we're talking about, and he still has access to the Hogyoku. I'm curious how you feel, though."

"If he can land his strongest attack soon, then he might win. If he drags this fight out, then it won't end well for him. Everything depends on that."

Ichigo shared the same worries as Kisuke and Yoruichi, but still allowed a grin to cross his lips. Come on. This is what we trained for. You've got the tools. Now, finish him for good.

Trunks and Aizen darted at each other in the air and crossed blades once more. While he pushed back,

"Hey, you're not looking so good," he said. "Maybe it's time you turned into a Super Saiyan, or show off that Bankai of yours."

Aizen grunted. "I don't need either of those to destroy the likes of you."

"Really? If I were you, I'd be kicking myself right now." Trunks wiped away his smirk and regained focus. This wasn't a time for taunts. He needed to end the fight while he had the upper hand.

Trunks forced Aizen away with an energy push and dashed after him. However, Aizen regained his balance and pointed his finger at Trunks.

"Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro!" A beam fired off and summoned six strips of light that slammed into his abdomen from all sides. With Trunks trapped, Aizen shot an energy blast at him. Once the attack drew closer, Trunks released his energy and forced the Kido away. He then sliced the blast in half and caused it to explode in front of him. When the dust cleared, his target was nowhere to be found. Before he realized it, Aizen teleported behind him with two fingers raised.

"Hado #90, Kurohitsugi!" Purple and black spiritual energy surrounded Trunks and sealed him inside of the large black coffin. Aizen grinned, but cracks in the coffin changed his expression. Trunks slashed his way through the barrier and emerged with minimal damage.

"Getsuga, Tensho!" Trunks shouted. Black and red energy hurled too fast for Aizen to avoid being swallowed by it. He fell to the ground while Trunks followed suit to catch his breath. Torn clothing and scrapes adorned Aizen's face and arms. A deep wound gushed next to his shoulder.

Aizen seethed with disheveled hair. "Cocky child, don't think you've won just yet."

"Not yet," Trunks said. "But you look like you're in a lot of pain. How about I put you out of your misery?"

"Damn you!" Aizen flung himself towards Trunks, who threw out his arms and slammed his wrists together. Yellow electricity discharged from his hands. Once Aizen drew within striking distance, he unleashed all of his strength.

"Final Flash!" A massive energy beam engulfed Aizen from point-blank range. It shot past his throne and traveled through the walls of the tower.

Trunks dropped to one knee in exhaustion. Only bloody fragments of clothes marked where his foe once stood. With Sosuke Aizen now vanquished and only minor damage to show as battle scars, he staggered to his feet and walked to collect the container of souls.

After six months of training, followed by a brutal year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, the war for Universe Six and Seven concluded. Relief swept over him. With the prospect of his old life being restored, he couldn't contain the joyous smile that crept onto his face. He could return home, spend time with his family, and resume his college life with Goten. Trunks had peace knowing that he avenged the lives destroyed by the Karakura Town Explosion. He could make his father proud of his growth as a fighter.

No one could ever take away that he saved world. Triumph brought childlike glee to his heart. He envisioned the smiles and cheers he and Goten would receive once they stepped back into the Seireitei. Fantasies of celebrating with his friends, telling Jinta about his success, and asking Soi Fon out on a date excited him. The fruits of his labor awaited atop the vacated throne.

Faint footsteps echoed behind, followed by a sinister, yet familiar voice.

"You believed that this was over, didn't you?"

Trunks' heart slammed against his ribcage. He hesitated, but with wide eyes, he turned his head. Once his peripheral vision caught the slightest glimpse of Aizen, knuckles crushed against his cheek. His neck snapped in the other direction, and the force of the punch propelled him off his feet. His head bounced off and dented the square platform before he plummeted to the floor.

A continuous throb pressed against his skull. Blood oozed from a cut above his brow and flowed into his eye. The taste of copper and jagged teeth grazed across his tongue. By far, it was the most vicious punch he ever received in twenty years of life. Every ounce of positive emotion that Trunks experienced in his few seconds of victory vanished.

He sat up and squinted his eyes tight, then tried to shake the pain out of his head. Once he opened one eye, he wiped the blood from the other. In the distance, Aizen stood with his shirt torn from his torso. An orb glowed and pulsated in the center of his chest.

"How… there's no way," Trunks said. "I-I know I hit you. You're supposed to be-"

"Dead? No, not even close."

Aizen's aura exploded with enough intensity to petrify Trunks.

"If there's one thing that Ichigo Kurosaki should have told you about me, it's that even without Kyoka Suigetsu, I'm not one to be trifled with. I gave you your opportunity to kill me. I even withheld my strength, but you weren't strong enough to capitalize. If you hadn't come alone, you might've been able to accomplish your goal. Because of your conceited ambitions to prove yourself, the only thing you've done is reawaken the Hogyoku. As a result, the minuscule chance you had at victory has slipped away."

He rested a palm on his gash. After a moment, he pulled it away to reveal his healed wound, along with the other minor cuts and scrapes from before. Trunks struggled to breathe while his body trembled outside of his control. Aizen ran his hand over his hair and slid it back to its original position, then strolled toward Trunks.

"I considered killing you quickly, but now I've reconsidered. I think I'll use this time to show you how hopeless you were the minute you entered my sanctum. And do you know what the best part is? Ichigo, Captain Soi Fon, and the rest of those waiting in the Soul Society get to stand and watch while I dismantle you, piece by piece."

Aizen stopped in front of Trunks. Trunks met his gaze with quivering lips, still unable to utter a word.

"Oh, and there's one other thing I forgot to mention. I disrupted the audio signal, so there's no need to be concerned." Aizen's lips curled into a sadistic smile. "They won't hear you scream."

A/N: Hey everybody, Happy New Year! I hope you're all having a nice Sunday. Just wanted to say a couple of things:

I really hope you guys like this chapter. I put a lot of time into editing and re-editing, especially the last leg of the chapter. I've been waiting for this part for so so long, and it's a privilege to finally put my vision into words and share it with all of you. I'm going to do my best to make the chapters that follow this one as gripping as I possibly can, and if that means that it may take an additional week, please bear with me.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and in the next chapter, things are taking a turn for the worst.