First we are

Ever to fall off of the Earth

We must be the first ones

In the world to fall off of the Earth

It could be soon...

In front of Goku floated the self-assured Sosuke Aizen. Below him stood Wonderweiss Margiela, the new adversary that worried him as much as the enemy before him. To avoid a two-sided onslaught, he elected to dash toward Aizen. Once Aizen charged toward him, the two resumed their clash. Wonderweiss, however, drooled and observed them with a blank expression. Trunks laid still in the room's corner.

Aizen slipped past one of Goku's punches and plunged his knee into Goku's stomach. Goku pushed past his pain to swing his fist at Aizen's chin. Instant Transmission allowed Aizen to evade. Though he lost sight of the target, Goku heard a sword cut through the wind beside him. He went against his instincts and put his arm next to his head to block. A fist connected with his arm, telling Goku that he had guessed Aizen's attack correctly. Goku then connected with a kick to Aizen's chest, which forced him away. To capitalize, Goku chased his foe, but Aizen stopped himself in the air and launched a large energy blast. Goku halted his pursuit, but backhanded a small beam aimed toward his head.

"I'm impressed," Aizen said. "You've done an excellent job of keeping up with me so far. You've even seen through Kyoka Suigetsu."

Goku grinned. "I've been fighting for too long for tricks like that to work on me."

"Then allow me to show you the full extent of my perfect hypnosis."

With no motion from his foe, multiple clones of Aizen surrounded Goku. He snapped to his guard, but looked on in bewilderment. Before he lost himself in speculation, he scanned for the real Aizen. A gasp choked in his throat once his real enemy disappeared.

"What's wrong?" the clones asked in unison. "Is this all too much for you?"

Goku tightened his fists. "No! It's just another trick."

A hand touched Goku's shoulder from behind. A voice spoke into his ear. "But you can't help but feel that it's real, can you?"

Goku jolted, then tried to bat the hand away. No one floated behind. A fist slammed onto the top of his head and propelled him toward the floor. Goku landed on his hands and pushed himself back to his feet. Aizen stood a breath away. In the next moment, a barrage of slashes and strikes came in Goku's direction. He would try to block a punch in one direction, only to be gashed by Kyoka Suigetsu in a different location. Unable to pinpoint where to guard or attack, Goku fell victim to Aizen's onslaught and sustained a moderate amount of damage.

After a round of crushing punches to his abdomen, an uppercut knocked Goku onto his back. Lacerations scattered across his arms, thighs. A few bruises spotted across his face. Though a sharp pain radiated throughout his midsection, he leaped to his feet.

"I'm disappointed," Aizen said. "I was certain that you would put up a better fight than this."

"Oh, I'm just getting started," Goku said. "Your ability won't work on me anymore."

"How do you expect to see past flawless illusions? Everyone relies on their sensations to perceive the outside world. Try as you may, no one can escape this truth. "

"If you wanna see how I'll beat your illusions, then stop talking and start fighting."

Aizen fired an energy blast toward his enemy, prompting Goku to leap into the air. He kept his eyes fixed below as Aizen rushed toward him. However, Goku spun around and stretched his hand. Blood flowed down his wrist, but he grinned as Aizen and his Zanpakuto became visible.

"Ah, much better." He wrapped his fingers around Kyoka Suigetsu. "I'll go out on a limb and say your hypnosis doesn't work if I touch your blade. Am I wrong?"

Aizen strained to drive his sword deeper into Goku's palm, but to no avail. "Damn you."

Goku yanked the sword toward him and backhanded the side of his enemy's head, creating distance from Aizen.

"I thought you could make someone mistake one thing for another," Goku said. "I don't know how, but your ability's changed so that you can produce illusions out of nothing. That makes it a lot harder to fight you, but as long as I stay focused on your energy, hypnosis - no matter how perfect it is - won't affect me. If you're as smart as you say you are, then you should already know that."

Aizen smiled. His calm demeanor hadn't wavered in the slightest. "Of course I did. After all, you are one of the most battle-savvy individuals ever. As true as this is, did you believe my only plan to defeat you would be through Kyoka Suigetsu? I've tailored my strategies for countless hours to kill you and Vegeta."

"Don't act as if you're the only one with a plan here. I've got a few ways to take you down."

The orb in the center of Aizen's chest pulsated at a rapid rate. "It's time for me to ascend once again. The Hogyoku will soon push past the limitations of Soul Reapers, Hollows, and Saiyans. I will soar to a new level of power. All beings in the multiverse will bow to my might." White matter sprouted from the center of his chest and coated his torso.

Goku clenched his teeth as a shock wave of energy surged from his enemy. A flurry of high-speed afterimages surrounded him. Before he locked onto his target, Aizen appeared in front of Goku and kneed him in his ribs. After Goku clutched his side, Aizen chopped him in the back of his neck with Raikoho, which forced him down through a multitude of floors. Surrounded by darkness, Goku rested on one knee.

Dammit. He just started transforming and his power's already increased this much? This isn't looking too good. I need to end this now.

Before he stood, Aizen teleported behind him. Goku spun in time to block a kick that forced him back to the top floor. Once Goku controlled himself and prepared for an attack from below, nine black holes developed in front of his body. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't move a muscle.

After the Bakudo spell - Kuyo Shibari - paralyzed Goku's movements, Aizen emerged from the hole in the ground. He held his sword across his body and dashed toward Goku. However, as Aizen came within a few feet, Goku's strained expression shifted into a confident grin.

"Kaioken, times twenty!" His aura exploded and destroyed the black holes. Aizen swung his sword with all of his might at the Saiyan's neck, only to cut through an afterimage. A blue light emitted from underneath him.

"Haaaa!" Goku unleashed a full-power Kamehameha from point-blank range. It overwhelmed Aizen and blasted another hole in the ceiling. Though nothing remained of the enemy, Goku floated down to the ground, powered up and vigilant. He kept his back turned to Wonderweiss, who still posed no threat to him.

Within a few seconds, Aizen teleported in front of him and threw out a punch. Goku crossed his arms to block it before he retaliated with a spin kick, creating a distance between the two.

"I hope you didn't believe that victory would come that easily," Aizen said.

"I came in expecting the unexpected," Goku said. "Even so, that blast should've done a lot more than tear your clothes and give you a couple of scratches. Even if you can regenerate, there should be nothing left of you. From his obi, he pulled out a small jar and uncorked it with a smirk.

"So, that's your strategy. You'll use the Mafuba technique to seal me away?"

"If I can't kill you, then trapping you inside this is the next best thing I can think of."

Aizen grinned. "How comical. We both came up with similar strategies to combat the same conclusions we made about one another."

"What do you-" Before Goku finished, a power level skyrocketed from behind. He dodged an extended arm to his left before he caught another one between his arm on his right. However, his energy drained from the moment he touched it. As soon as let go, another appendage wrapped around his neck. Goku turned to Wonderweiss in his Resurreción form, drag him back.

"My plan, however, is much more involved," Aizen said. "Now I'll have you and Vegeta out of my way while I continue my evolution."

Goku strained for the strength to break free, but he powered down from Super Saiyan Blue to his normal Super Saiyan state. He ascended into Super Saiyan 2, but the grip around his neck tightened, while other arms wrapped themselves around his body.

In the room's corner, Trunks opened his eyes and sat up. Once he stood, he spotted Goku trapped by Wonderweiss. Trunks transformed into his Pseudo Blue form and summoned his Zanpakuto to his back.

"Hang on!" he shouted. He made a frantic dash toward the Arrancar with his blade in his hand. However, once he reached a close enough distance to slash at one of Wonderweiss's arms, Aizen teleported before him and batted him away. Once Trunks slid to a halt, he leaned forward to rush in again.

"Stay back!" Goku yelled. "Don't… let him touch you!"

"What's going on?!" Trunks asked. "What's he doing to you?"

Once Goku opened his mouth to answer, Wonderweiss' body expanded and wrapped itself around him. Goku disappeared, and Wonderweiss reformed into his previous state. Trunks stood alone at the mercy of two enemies.

"Huh? Where am I?" Goku floated inside a realm made up of white space. No energy signals came through from the others. This new area had to be a separate dimension created by Aizen.

Before he explored the dimension further, a fist struck him in his back. His body bounced on the hard, white floor. Once he lifted his head, several clones of Wonderweiss babbled around him.

"Dammit. I was hoping you wouldn't get caught in this, too."

Goku's eyes shot open. "Vegeta? What's going on?"

Vegeta, bruised and bloodied, hunched beside him. "It looks like Aizen trapped us in a dimension where we can't use our god Ki. Then he gave us these annoying half-wits to fend off. Every time I think I killed one, he ends up duplicating himself."

Goku stood and raised his fists. "Oh, boy. Looks like we got our work cut out for us. Maybe we should consider fusion."

"Absolutely not. If we use the earrings before we face Aizen, we'll be in serious trouble. And I doubt our friends here will give us the time to do that ridiculous dance."

"Guess we'll have to wait until the others break us out of this." Goku mustered all his strength and transformed into his Super Saiyan 3 form. "In the meantime, how about we focus on surviving?"

Vegeta joined and powered up to Super Saiyan 2. "We're going to have to. If we're relying on our sons, then this could take a while."

The clones of Wonderweiss Margiela pounced at the Saiyans from all sides, leaving the duo to fend for their lives until they secured a way out.

While Gohan and Halibel continued to battle each other, Goten defended against Ayon and the Tres Bestias. Fatigue from his previous fight set in, and a battle that he should've handled with ease challenged him in more ways than expected. The Tres Bestias hurled Ceros after Cero, while Ayon's shocking speed and persistence kept Goten from a counterattack.

From the air, Goten dodged three blasts from the ground. He then countered with his own energy blasts to distract them. However, Ayon appeared and rammed his giant knuckles into him. He controlled his careening body and darted back toward Ayon. When Ayon threw out another fist, Goten flew past and drove Hyorinmaru along the length of his arm. Before he followed with another attack, several Balas fired from below. Goten deflected them all, but Ayon grabbed him from behind squeezed him in between his hands.

Goten attempted to push the creature's hands apart, but Ayon enlarged its arms to increase its grip strength and keep the Saiyan trapped. The Tres Bestias surrounded Goten in the sky as he struggled to break free.

"Hmph, I thought you were stronger than this," Apacci said.

Goten winced. "Cut me some slack. I just fought Baraggan before I came here. Don't worry, though. You've got an ice dragon with your name on it coming as soon as I get out of here."

"What a poor choice for your last words," Mila Rose said. The women and Ayon all prepared a final Cero.

Goten struggled to find a means of escape. The next attack would either hurt a little, or it would be fatal. He hoped for the former.

A great distance above Goten, Gohan reclaimed his advantage over Halibel. However, when sensed his brother was in danger, Gohan sent her away with a kick. With little time to act, he charged and fired a Special Beam Cannon that pierced Ayon through its skull.

The Tres Bestias gasped, but the distraction proved enough for Goten. He froze Ayon's hands and shattered them to break free. He then set his sights on the Tres Bestias. With slashes of his sword, he struck each one with an ice dragon. Goten spun back to Ayon and unleashed an enormous dragon on it. Though the attack only froze a part of its body, Ayon released a murderous roar to destroy the ice. Afterward, it swung its arm at Goten. Goten climbed high above Ayon to avoid it, then shot a Masenko down on its head. Once its pained cry faded, the yellow blast disintegrated Ayon.

Meanwhile, after Gohan finished his attack, Halibel's Sonido positioned her behind him. He couldn't protect himself against a subsequent slash across his back. After a yelp left his throat, he tumbled down to the sand.

Once Goten finished Ayon, Goten gazed toward Gohan in horror. He rushed to his brother's side and helped him to the ground.

"I'm alright," Gohan said. He struggled to stand upright. "Don't worry about me."

Goten ruffled through his sash in a panic. "You're bleeding everywhere and you can't even stand straight. Eat a Senzu bean before you-"

Halibel landed in front of Gohan, while the Tres Bestias arrived together behind Goten. Meters apart from their enemies. Goten abandoned

"I'll have a Senzu bean once we finish," Gohan said. He then turned his attention to his opponent. "Hey Halibel, how about we end this? I know you're just as tired as I am of fighting."

"Even with an untreated wound, you still speak as if you'll win," Halibel said. She lifted her sword and gathered energy for an attack.

Gohan stepped back and cupped his hands to his side. "It's not my first time fighting with an injury. Besides, I know I've got enough left in the tank to end this."

Goten grinned, then turned away to the group of women. "Ladies, I think it's time we wrap this up, too. My fists have a date with Aizen's teeth and they're already late."

"You'll pay for your arrogance toward Master Halibel and Lord Aizen," Mila Rose said. The trio combined their strengths to prepare a unified Cero.

"Sorry, I left my wallet at home. But how about I pay you guys back with something else?" Goten cupped his hands and brought them to his hip. The two brothers powered up and prepared their father's signature technique in unison.

"Kaaa…. Meee… Haaa… Meee… " Once Halibel and her Fracción launched their Ceros at maximum power, the brothers shot their blasts to counter "Haaa!"

Gohan and Goten both thrust their arms out and unleashed their energy waves. Upon impact, Goten overwhelmed the three Arrancar and sent them into the distance.

Unlike his brother, Gohan didn't overcome Halibel with ease. Instead, he waited until she poured all of her spirit energy into her attack. Once she had exhausted all of her power, he dug his heels into the ground and yelled. With a swift release of energy, his Kamehameha wave enveloped Halibel's Cero. The blast carried her and burst into the far reaches of the desert.

Beside mounds of displaced sand, both Saiyans caught their breath. However, Goten's senses shot his eyes open.

"You left her alive?" he asked.

Gohan nodded. "Yeah, just like you left those three alive."

"I felt bad. I could tell they were only here to protect their leader, but… do you think it's safe to leave them like this?"

Gohan glanced off into the distance. "I think so. They know they lost. I don't think they'll be back for more." The cut on his back forced him to his knees.

"Can you at least eat your Senzu bean now? Hell, you might have to eat mine, too."

"I will, but you have to eat all of yours. You're not that injured, but you've used up almost all of your energy. You're barely able to stay transformed right now."

"But I feel like I should eat half and save the rest for later."

"Trust me. We're gonna need every bit of strength to take on Aizen." Gohan jerked his head toward Las Noches. Goten soon followed.

"Did you feel that?"

"Dad's energy signal just vanished. I haven't been able to sense Vegeta for a while now, either." Gohan grabbed his bean out of his sash and ate it. "Hurry and eat your bean. I'll teleport us inside."

With Wonderweiss behind him, Sosuke Aizen continued to evolve before Trunks' eyes. The white matter that emitted from the Hogyoku before shielded all of Aizen's body, save for half of his face. The orb continued to protrude and glow. Unable to maintain his composure, Trunks fell victim to his anxiety. Aizen's spiritual pressure alone eclipsed what he fought against before. Coupled with Wonderweiss' strange ability, he handn't the slightest clue on how to proceed.

A golden glow radiated behind him. He turned to find it came from the container of souls.

His mouth fell open. Shit. That can't be right. We still have a day…

"The Hogyoku has granted my desires once more," Aizen said as he strolled toward Trunks. "It's time to take hold of my destiny."

Trunks swiveled his head around. Though his hands refused to remain steady, he leaped at his enemy to strike. Aizen moved behind him before he completed his swing, then knocked him to the floor.

Trunks pushed himself, but stopped when Aizen spoke. "I'd advise you not to stand again. It's a pointless endeavor." Aizen advanced toward his throne. "My transformation into my Chrysalis state will finish soon, and I've already surpassed your pitiful power by a wide margin. If you wish to die, then wait until I've finished creating the Oken."

Before Trunks planned another course of action, Goten and Gohan arrived next to him. Goten ran over to his friend's side, while Gohan fixed his eyes on Wonderweiss.

Aizen approached the platform his throne sat on. He floated toward his chair, then grinned at the trio below. "It's too late. None of you have the strength to stop me now. Once I activate the Oken, this world and yours will belong to me."

Trunks' breaths grew heavier. "No. I won't let you… "

"Hang on, Trunks," Goten said. "We can attack- "

Desperation drove him to impulse. "I won't let you have your way!"

Trunks powered up and hurled a massive energy blast from his free hand. Gohan teleported past Aizen to throw his body over the container. Aizen held his grin and allowed the attack to embrace him.

"Gohan!" Goten shouted.

The ensuing explosion engulfed the top floor of Aizen's tower. Smoke swelled outward into the sunny landscape. Trunks hovered high above with a horrified stare fixed at the tower. Goten floated next to him.

Aizen landed in the sand underneath them. "What a dangerous move, Trunks." White matter masked the remainder of his face and signified his complete transformation into his Chrysalis form. "You almost destroyed the object you've fought so hard to retrieve. It seems as if you're willing to sacrifice the lives of 100 billion people just to stop me. But let me make this clear to the both of you: all of your strength combined won't be enough to prevent your imminent deaths. The sand beneath my feet will act as your graves."

"Don't let him get in your head," Goten said. "You made the right call. All of those people would've been gone if you didn't act."

Trunks couldn't shake himself out of shock. "But… I-"

Gohan teleported next to them. He suffered no damage from the explosion. "Everything's fine. I put the container in a safe place inside of the tower."

"A-are you alright?" Trunks asked.

"Yeah. Luckily, Aizen had no problem taking on the blast for me."

Before he uttered another word, something from the smoke hurtled toward them. The half-Saiyans sidestepped the attack. Once it passed them into the distance, they identified it to be Wonderweiss.

"Trunks, is he responsible for what happened to our fathers?" Gohan asked.

"I saw him absorb Goku," Trunks said. "But when Wonderweiss grabbed him, he couldn't transform past a Super Saiyan 2. Right before he disappeared, he told me not to touch Wonderweiss. As for my dad, I didn't see what happened, but I can't sense him at all."

"I don't think he absorbed them. He would boast an insane power level if he did. He probably trapped them inside of him. As for his ability to restrict powers, I have a theory that I need to test out, but that means I'm gonna have to leave Aizen to you two for a bit. Is that alright?"

"You can leave it to us," Goten said.

With a nod, then left to take on Wonderweiss. Goten dropped to the sand below and prompted Trunks to follow. Even though they stood a vast distance away, the weight of Aizen's power crushed down on their necks.

"Your efforts are meaningless," Aizen said. "However, I'll entertain this. You will experience the difference in our strength firsthand."

Goten turned his head to Trunks. "Come on. Let's go shut this guy up." Trunks, however, continued to tremble at Aizen's energy. "Trunks!" His yell snapped Trunks out of his trance. "I'm right here with you. Now let's go give this piece of shit the beat down he deserves."

Trunks nodded in agreement. He thrust his Zanpakuto forward. Goten raised his blade to the sky.

"Ban-kai!"

The surrounding sand exploded, then gave way to their Pseudo Blue aura. Trunks had dawned the black blade and robe of Tensa Zangetsu once more, while Goten now sported the frozen wings, claws, and tail of Daiguren Hyorinmaru. In addition, three flowers with four purple petals floated behind Goten. The two drew their swords back and set their sights on Aizen.

"I'm just letting you know my ice attacks won't work as well as they usually do," Goten said.

"I thought you said that Yamamoto prepared you for a climate like this," Trunks said.

"That man prepared me for Hell on Earth, and I'm being very literal. It still doesn't mean I'll be at my best."

"Are the two of you having second thoughts?" Aizen said.

"The only thoughts we're having are about how many pieces we're gonna cut you into."

"Knowing who your father is, I should expect you to spew such idiotic and ignorant comments."

Goten clenched his fists and teeth. "What did you-"

"Hey!" Trunks said. "Don't play his game. He'll bait you and catch you off guard."

Goten let out an exhale through his nose. "Sorry. I got ahead of myself." He fixed his gaze back to Aizen. "It doesn't matter what you try to say to us, Sosuke. Because whether it's right now, in ten minutes, or even an hour from now, we're gonna kick your ass. That's not a threat, and it's not a promise. It's a guarantee."

With one blade coated in ice and the other enveloped in a black Getsuga Tensho, the duo lunged toward a Hogyoku-enhanced Aizen. If they bought Gohan enough time, they still had a chance at victory.

A/N: Version 1.4 Patch Notes:

Cleaned up a lot of grammatical mistakes across all chapters. Like... I've tried to chase all of the mistakes out and then I spot another one and it drives me crazy. Probably should've had a beta lol

Added some character moments in multiple chapters back in March. Notably chapters 3,5,6,9, and 10. They're minor things that aren't very impactful on the story. Check it out if you'd like.

Changed 'Soifon' back to 'Soi Fon' and 'Hyourinmaru' to 'Hyorinmaru'

I apologize for the changes. When I first started writing, I was very new to this and I rushed things out before I checked my grammar and made sure that I included all of the minor moments that I wanted in. Now I think I've put something out that has its flaws, but can still be enjoyed.

Sorry I took a 2 month break again. Work was very busy, and I didn't have time to write at home. Hopefully I can set aside more time in the near future. However, the next few chapters are going to be will be very exciting (at least for me), and I can't wait to share them. Hope you're all doing well, have a fantastic day, and I'll see ya'll next time on... Good God? Let's call it that for now.

Also, feel free to comment if you feel inclined to. It would really make my day :D