Aizen stood in place as Trunks and Goten took the offensive. Once they came within striking range, the two split to each side of Aizen. From afar, Trunks fired a Galick Gun while Goten launched a Masenko. Aizen raised his arms from his sides and energy pushed both beams back to their users. Goten sidestepped the blast while Trunks leaped into the air to evade his repelled attack. Trunks pulled his sword behind him, then slashed out a Getsuga Tensho. With the flick of a hand, Aizen dispersed the attack.

Goten charged at his enemy from the ground. Ice overflowed from the tip of his blade. "Hyoryu Senbi!"

He swung his sword and unleashed a crescent-shaped ice wave. With ease, Aizen sliced through the ice. Before Goten attacked again, Aizen extended a finger and shot a beam at Goten. Goten evaded for it only to graze his shoulder. He planted his feet in the sand and leaped back to create space between him and Aizen. Trunks landed on the opposite side.

Aizen turned himself toward Goten, who tightened the hold on his blade and widened his stance. More than Ayon or Barragan, Sosuke Aizen made him more alert and anxious. His covered face and barely visible pupils made him seem like he was no longer a person, but an ominous force of nature meant to murder.

"Goten, did you notice Trunks is standing further away from me than you are?" Aizen asked.

"What?" It wouldn't be something to take notice of, but because Aizen mentioned it, Goten took a moment to observe that Trunks did just as Aizen said.

Aizen strolled toward Goten and triggered his eyes to dart back to him. "Do you know why this is? It's because I've taught him to fear me. Would you like me to instill that same fear into you?"

Before Goten formed words in his mouth, Aizen rushed in and drilled a fist into his stomach. He yelped out and clutched himself. After Aizen grasped Goten by his shirt, Trunks appeared above him in a fury. Aizen turned and snatched Trunks' sword to yank him in. He lifted Goten and hurled him into Trunks. Their foreheads collided before they tumbled down into the sand.

Goten sat up and rubbed his head. "Jeez. What's your skull made of?"

Trunks winced as he made it to his hands and knees. "I think you just dented my brain. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened today."

Goten teetered back to his feet. "Attacking from both sides isn't even phasing him. Maybe we'll have a better shot if we take him on together."

Trunks rose beside Goten. "We can try, but I doubt we'll get better results than before."

Aizen remained statuesque when Goten and Trunks dashed toward him and unloaded a barrage of strikes. With minimal effort, Aizen dodged and blocked every punch, kick, and sword slash. However, Goten turned one of his blocked sword strikes into an opportunity to freeze Aizen's body. He hopped back and allowed Trunks to smite Aizen with a close-range Getsuga Tensho. Once the energy erupted, Trunks leaped back next to his friend.

"Nice shot," Goten said.

Trunks peered into the dissipating smoke. "Not nice enough." The dust cleared to reveal that Aizen remained unmoved and unharmed.

Goten sighed. "Welp, looks like Plan A failed. I guess we'll go to Plan B then."

"And what is Plan B exactly?" Trunks asked.

"We stay on the defensive until Gohan gets our dads out of Wonderweiss. If that doesn't work, then there's always Plan C."

"Plan C?"

"Fusion, but I doubt our friend over there will grant us the time to do our dance."

"Plan B it is then. I just hope your brother figures something out soon."

With no intention of taking preemptive measures, Gohan allowed Wonderweiss to dash toward him with a flurry of punches. The straightforward nature of the attacks made it easy for Gohan to avoid. This continued until several arms burst through the tops of the Wonderweiss' oversized shoulders. Though Gohan tried to maneuver around twenty fists and their continuous strikes, Wonderweiss soon latched onto his arms.

Gohan gasped once he noticed a restriction on his energy, but before he broke free, Wonderweiss slammed his jaw and sent him into the ground. Gohan took his time to stand again. The moment allotted him time to speculate and strategize.

He restricted god Ki through contact. That wasn't too difficult to work around, but how would he free them? The only option was trial and error.

Wonderweiss raced down toward Gohan, but Gohan powered up and stopped him with a volley of energy blasts. Wonderweiss cried out as he shielded himself with his multitude of arms. As the blasts bombarded him and pushed him backward, Wonderweiss took a deep breath, then released a fierce, high-pitched scream. The blasts diverted all across Las Noches, with some of them sent back toward Gohan.

Gohan evaded the blasts via Instant Transmission and teleported behind Wonderweiss. Before his enemy faced him, Gohan threw a punch directed at the center of Wonderweiss' back. However, his fist didn't reach the target. Gohan gazed in bewilderment as his arm fell into what appeared to be a portal. A voice called out to him in agony.

"Go-Gohan…"

Gohan's eyes lit up, but before he responded, one of Wonderweiss's fists smacked into the side of his head, sending him across the air. Gohan controlled himself, then replied to the person who spoke to him.

"Dad! Are you alright?"

Goku groaned. "We're in a bad spot. Vegeta got knocked unconscious, and I'm barely hanging on. He's blocking our God Ki in here; I don't know how much longer I can stay in Super Saiyan 3."

The small portal to Wonderweiss's inner dimension began to close, triggering a frantic response out of Gohan. "There's not much time! Get out of there now!"

"I can see that, but there are about a hundred clones of this guy standing between me and the exit. I would use Instant Transmission, but I have to grab Vegeta, and it doesn't seem like they're willing to let me do that."

"Then I'll come in and-"

"No! We can't risk you getting trapped here. You're just gonna have to open it again and buy us some-" The portal shut before Goku finished. Gohan clenched his fists as Wonderweiss turned and met him with an open-mouth smile.

At least he knew how to get them out. Gohan needed to land another body blow Wonderweiss couldn't avoid, but he needed to hurry.

Before Gohan struck first, the Wonderweiss' fists glowed red and released a barrage of Balas. Gohan did his best to close the space between them, but the endless stream of attacks caused him to only take evasive maneuvers. As he continued to dodge, Gohan placed two fingers on his forward and gathered energy. He shot a Special Beam Cannon at his enemy's abdomen, but Wonderweiss sidestepped it.

However, this Balas ceased and granted Gohan enough time to counterattack. He used Instant Transmission to come within striking range. With an energy ball in hand, Gohan thrust his palm into Wonderweiss's stomach, forcing his opponent to open the portal once more. Wonderweiss tried to bat Gohan away, but Gohan dashed away from him and fired a barrage of energy blasts directed at the entrance to the separate dimension. Though Wonderweiss blocked a majority of the blasts, several of them had hit their target. This bought Goku more time to find an escape.

Inside of the white-space dimension, a clone of Wonderweiss restrained Goku from behind while another bombarded his body with punches. Goku neared his limit until the portal opened once more. Energy blasts rushed in from the outside world, causing the clones to divert their attention and defend themselves. One such blast sped toward Goku. He spun his body and forced clone on his back to shield him from the attack. Freed from the grip of the Arrancar, Goku teleported to a face-down Vegeta and grabbed his arm. The clones set their sights back on the Saiyans and dove toward them, but Goku locked onto Gohan's energy signal. At the last moment, he transported them to Gohan.

Gohan cheered once he laid eyes on his father. Goku returned a pained smile. "Couldn't have done it without you-"

A Bala struck Goku from behind and knocked the wind out of him. Goku fell forward while his hair shrunk back to its original length and color. Gohan gasped but caught his father and Vegeta. He rushed them both to the ground and tried to resuscitate them, but it proved to be too late. Both Saiyans laid in the sand, bruised and unconscious. Their injuries made it clear they could not continue even if they woke up.

Frustrated that he allowed his father to be struck from behind, Gohan directed his anger toward the one responsible. High above the three Saiyans, Wonderweiss gaped his mouth open and charged a purple Cero. Instant Transmission placed Gohan in front of Wonderweiss, and before the attack left his gaping mouth, Gohan pushed the Cero down his throat. Wonderweiss let out a muffled wail as his body expanded. His stomach ruptured and gave way to a violet-colored explosion. Gohan stood unharmed while a cool wind lifted the ashes of Wonderweiss Margiela.

With his enemy defeated, Gohan turned his attention to Goten, Trunks, and Aizen. From afar, he witnessed Aizen handled the duo with ease. With incredible speed and power that would only increase in time, Gohan wasn't sure if adding himself into the mix would give them the decisive advantage they needed. It was time to employ their trump cards.

Gohan dropped down and kneeled next to his father. Please tell me he held onto it.

He rummaged through his father's sash until he found what he looked for. He pulled out a Potara earring, but as he held it up by the ear clip, he found the earring had shattered. Disheartened, he tossed it into the sand and searched for his next option: the Mafuba jar. After he checked both Goku's and Vegeta's bodies multiple times, he determined the jar had been lost. However, he was relieved to find that both fighters held onto half of their Senzu beans. With the unresponsive Saiyans resting at a safe distance, Gohan prepared to join Goten and Trunks on the battlefield.

Aizen pushed Trunks' face into scalding sand. "Your resistance will only prolong your suffering. I can end this now if you admit your inferiority."

While Aizen continued to restrain Trunks, Goten dashed toward him. Once Goten neared, he teleported behind his opponent and threw a kick at Aizen's head. Aizen, who remained still until that point, ducked to avoid Goten's strike, then grabbed his ankle and flung him back first into the sand. As Goten's body bounced off of the ground, Aizen pulled him in, released his ankle, and slammed his palm into his face. Aizen's fingers pressed into his cheeks and forehead. Goten felt as if his skull would shatter.

"Well, what do you have to say now?" Aizen asked. "Do you surrender?"

Though Aizen's hand covered his mouth, Goten muffled a succinct response. "Kiss… my… ass."

Energy balls charged in both of Aizen's hands. "Then die."

The energy expanded and pushed the two further into the sand. Before they prepared to have their heads disintegrated, Gohan appeared beside Aizen and punched him in his face, knocking him away from Goten and Trunks. The two stood to their feet a while Gohan remained focused on their foe.

Trunks wiped his face and spit sand out of his mouth. "Thanks for the save."

"Did you get them out?" Goten asked.

Gohan nodded. "They're alive, but in terrible shape. They both have half a Senzu bean, but that won't put them in any condition to fight."

"Dammit!" He calmed himself down and tried to search for a positive in their current situation. "But since you're here, we should be able to take him down now."

"I'm not so sure about that. We could probably keep up with him for a while, but with the Hogyoku activated, he'll outlast us before we have the chance to kill him. That leaves us with one option: I'll buy some time while you two fuse."

"Are you crazy!?" Trunks said. "We can't even scratch him! How are you gonna hold him off on your own?"

"I wanna trust you, Gohan," Goten said. "But Trunks is right. That guy is on another level."

A grin crawled onto Gohan's face. "Then I guess I got my work cut out for me." He powered up to his limit leaving Goten and Trunks smitten with awe. His energy level almost matched their fathers'.

"You didn't… " Goten said. "Why didn't you fight like this against Halibel?"

"I had to keep a few tricks up my sleeve."

"I admire how much you've grown," Aizen said as he approached the group. "But do you think it'll make a difference now?"

"How about you come and find out?" Gohan said. "By the way, your plan with Wonderweiss failed. Goku and Vegeta are still alive."

"On the contrary, he fulfilled the purpose I planned for him. I sought for him to keep them occupied while I continued to evolve. At the moment I see it fit, I will destroy them both."

"You're gonna have to get through me first, tough guy."

Aizen raised his sword toward Gohan. "Then come and meet your demise."

Gohan turned to Goten and Trunks. "I'm counting on you two. This might be our last chance to beat him. No pressure, though."

Gohan raced toward Aizen to take the offensive. Goten watched as his brother had matched Aizen for some time, but soon lost the advantage.

Goten clenched his teeth. "No. He can't keep this up."

He took a step forward, but Trunks pulled him back by his shoulder. "Let him fight. You know we can't beat him like this." Trunks powered down from Pseudo Blue and deactivated his Bankai. "The sooner we fuse, the sooner we can get him out of there and end this ourselves."

Goten nodded, powered down to his base form, and reverted his Zanpakuto to its normal state. The two sheathed their weapons and hopped away from each other. They raised their arms to assume the initial position of the Fusion Dance.

"You still remember how to do it, right?" Goten asked.

"Please don't make me doubt myself before we start," Trunks said. "You ready?"

Goten nodded. The two stepped toward each other and chanted in unison.

"Fuuu-"

They shot their arms across their bodies and lifted their outer legs inward.

"-sion."

As they swung the arms across to touch fingers, several energy blasts flew toward them. Goten and Trunks separated to escape them, but Aizen approached at a rapid pace. Gohan teleported in front of Aizen to halt his pursuit, but Aizen chopped him in the throat and punched him away.

Before Goten and Trunks planned a strategy, Aizen fired more blasts at them. Trunks jumped backward, while Goten escaped high into the air. Aizen changed his course and sped toward Goten. As Goten flew higher to escape his enemy, the artificial sun's rays beamed down onto his neck. His eyes shot open.

"Close your eyes!" For a moment, Trunks stood puzzled at the request. However, he figured it was best to act first and ask questions later. Gohan and Trunks shut their eyes, and as Aizen closed in on him, Goten flared his hands out and rushed them to the edge of face.

"Solar Flare!" A blinding light flashed throughout Las Noches and caught Sosuke Aizen off guard. Once the Solar Flare faded, Aizen cried out and clutched his eyes. While Goten darted toward Trunks, Gohan rushed to Aizen and fired a Masenko in his face, blasting him far away.

"Now's your chance!" Gohan shouted.

Goten landed next to Trunks. "Are you ready?"

Trunks shot his eyes open and assumed the position. "Yeah, let's go!" Goten followed suit, and the two attempted the Fusion Dance once more.

"Fuuu- "

"-sion."

A massive energy blast hurled at them from afar. Gohan had no time to intercept its course. "No!"

"Haaa!"

Goten and Trunks touched fingers, but as their bodies merged, the blast exploded onto them. Gohan trembled from above. Though smoke obscured his vision, he detected no energy behind it.

Aizen teleported behind Gohan and chuckled. "Well, it seems as if you're all alone now."

With clenched teeth, Gohan directed his fury at his enemy. "You bastard! I'll make you pay for that!"

"Gohan, why are you so distressed? As long as you surrender, you can keep your life and join me. This was a part of our deal, remember-"

Something raced past Gohan faster than his eyes comprehended. " What the-" Three spiky-haired ghosts latched onto Aizen.

"You thought you got us, huh?" one ghost laughed.

Another chimed in. "Wow, what a dumbass."

The last chuckled and blurted out, "Bye, bye!"

Aizen grimaced as the trio glowed. "Damn you!"

The ghosts exploded in the sky, blowing Gohan down to the ground. He turned to figure who ambled out of the smoke. The person spoke with two combined, yet familiar voices.

"And just like that, the Grim Reaper of Justice makes his grand entrance into Las Noches. That name sounds a little childish, so I'll change it to… the Harbinger of Death. Yeah, that's much better." A sword clipped to the back of a Metamoran vest. Gotenks stepped into the light and grinned at Gohan. "Did I scare ya?"

Gohan stood with a beaming smile. "To say you scared me would be an understatement. I thought you guys were goners."

"Hmph, I hope he's got better attacks up his sleeve or this is gonna be boring. How about you stay with old men while I beat this bozo's face in?"

Gohan shed his joy and expressed concern. "I get that you're strong now, but it'd be best if we fight him together, just in case."

"If you waste all of your energy fighting with me, then it's game over if we don't kill him. Trust me, I've got more than enough in me to erase him from existence."

"Okay. Good luck." Gohan took off and left Gotenks alone. The fusion drew his sword from his back and observed it. The Zanpakuto sported the star-shaped guard and light blue hilt of Hyorinmaru, but the blade's shape and width had been of Trunks' Zangetsu.

"Hyoringetsu… I guess that works." Gotenks clasped his fists and forced his muscles to expand. After a sudden burst of energy quaked the ground, Gotenks erupted into his Pseudo Blue form. He glanced to find Aizen with minimal damage from his previous attack.

"Hey, Sosuke," Gotenks said. "How'd you like that one?"

"Did you think an attack like that would harm me?" Aizen asked.

"Nope, I just had to test the waters." Gotenks closed the distance between them. His blade took on a blue glow. "But tell me how this one feels."

Aizen only had time to gasp as Gotenks struck him with the full force of an ice-infused Getsuga Tensho. Unable to stop it, Aizen smacked into the sand. The energy of the slash carved out a large, vertical crater and froze the area.

Gotenks floated downward and took a deep inhale. Alright. Let's see if I can work some magic. It worked years ago in the Time Chamber, so why wouldn't it work now?

Back in the Seireitei, confusion and awe surrounded the identity of the new fighter who challenged Aizen alone.

"Captain, is that them?" Rangiku asked.

Toshiro kept his eyes fixed on the screen. "I believe so. It looks like they succeeded."

"Do you know who that is, Toshiro?" Momo asked.

"His name is Gotenks: the fusion between Goten and Trunks. The poses they did before were a ritual to combine their bodies. From what I've been told, if their bodies and movements hadn't been in complete synchronization with each other, the result would yield a being incapable of fighting anyone. However, because they were successful, their attacks, power, and personalities have merged."

"I must be missing something," Renji said. "If they weren't able to scratch Aizen before, why would joining up give them a better chance?"

"Fusion doesn't only combine their power," Ichigo said. "It increases it several times over. That's why they have such a huge advantage over Aizen now."

"If they didn't use this from the start, then there must be a catch to this technique," Soi Fon said. "Am I wrong?"

"There are a few downsides that Trunks told me about. Toshiro already said the first one, but once they fuse, it'll only last for half an hour. That time can decrease depending on the amount of energy he uses. Once they split, it'll take an hour before they can fuse again. That's why this was the last re-"

Ichigo stopped and raised his eyebrows at the screen. Gotenks sucked his stomach in and puffed his chest out. "What the hell? What's he doing?"

Gotenks let out a shout, releasing a fierce burst of energy that formed a small portal. Before Ichigo reacted, a portal appeared where the Garganta opened before. Everyone at the Squad Twelve barracks gasped and braced themselves when an intense wind blasted through the opening. Kisuke acted without hesitation behind his control panel to expand the dimensional tear, opening up a wide entrance into the Garganta.

"That's your queue to get your asses over here," Gotenks said to Ichigo. "Get in before he seals it again."

"What the-" Ichigo ran over to the Garganta and with his mouth wide open. "I- I have so many questions right now, but what the hell did you just do?"

"I just shouted and broke whatever hold he had on the Garganta. Duh! Weren't you watching?"

"Of course I did, but you- Trunks never told me you can scream through dimensions. That's insane!"

"Yeah, maybe I'll show you later. This hole's closing, so I need to make this quick. Come here as fast as you can. Once you make it inside, stay far away and hidden. If you're lucky, you'll arrive in time to watch me atomize this clown."

The portal on Gotenks' end shut, leaving Ichigo and the others to gather for their journey. Some people, however, felt the urge to leave more than others.

Soi Fon pushed Ichigo aside and walked toward the portal. "If you're not going in, then get out of the way."

"Hey," Ichigo said. "Hold on a-"

Before she stepped into the Garganta, Urahara arrived in front of her and lifted his arm, barring her entry. "I'm going to need you to wait, Captain." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out several black wristbands. "Take one and secure it to your wrist."

Soi Fon did as he said, but recoiled after it fastened. "What is this? It's restricting my spiritual pressure."

Once Kisuke and Yoruichi passed out the wristbands to everyone, Kisuke held his wristband up and addressed the group. "When we arrive in Hueco Mundo, it's imperative that we maintain a low profile until we are told otherwise. These wristbands will keep your presence hidden, and yes, it will come at the cost of restraining some of your spiritual pressure. I'm going to ask that everyone follow Ichigo into the castle. Once we are inside, we will keep ourselves at a healthy distance away from the battle. Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Kotetsu will form a Kido barrier to mask our visibility, which means everyone must stay close to the group."

"If anyone has any doubts about going, speak now or forever hold your peace," Ichigo said.

"Um, Ichigo?" a small voice spoke from behind.

Ichigo turned around and lowered his head. "Hanataro?"

The Squad Four member stared at the ground and spoke without pausing. "I'm not sure if I'm qualified to be going. Last time I went to Hueco Mundo, I got hurt pretty badly trying to help Rukia. On top of that, I can't even Flash Step, so I-"

A massive hand placed itself onto Hanataro's shoulder, causing him to yelp. Hanataro turned around, and upon seeing that it had been Captain Komamura's hand that touched him, he offered many apologies.

"There's no need to worry yourself," Komamura said. "I'd be more than willing to take you on my back."

"Thank you, Captain," Ichigo said before he directed his attention to Hanataro. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you over there. I promise." He then turned to Orihime. "Hey, would you mind hitching a ride with Captain Komamura, too? I would take you, but I think it's best if you're away from the front in case something happens." She nodded and climbed onto Komamura's back with Hanataro.

Behind Ichigo, Toshiro stepped out in front of his lieutenant and Momo. "I won't let any harm come to either of you, but I'm going to be running at full speed. Is that alright?"

Rangiku placed her hands on her hips. "Are you calling us slow, Captain? You can bet we'll be right behind you."

Toshiro looked toward Momo. Because of the hesitation rested in her eyes, he softened his voice. "Momo, if you're not comfortable, then you don't have to-"

Captain Hirako appeared next to her. "Don't doubt my lieutenant, Hitsugaya. She's been working hard for this moment. Isn't that right, Hinamori?"

Momo steadied herself and nodded. "I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me."

"Well, I'm sorry I even asked." Toshiro smiled, then approached the Garganta.

With everyone gathered around the Garganta, Ichigo took one last scan of the group. "Is everybody read-"

"Go!" Soi Fon said. Without another word, Ichigo sprinted through the entrance. Soi Fon followed a step behind, and Hitsugaya tailed behind her. The others trailed far behind them.

Though Ichigo rushed toward Hueco Mundo without hesitation, he still fell prone to doubt. Through the dimensional tear, he glimpsed Gotenks' energy and realized the fused fighter had far surpassed anything he had ever experienced before. Even if he could use the Final Getsuga Tensho once again, the increase in spiritual pressure would still fall short. With that knowledge, he still ran with purpose.

He couldn't bear to stand back on the sidelines anymore. With Aizen, anything was a possibility, and if he remained alive after the fusion ended, Ichigo needed to be there to help. He'd built up anger and nervous energy while he watched Aizen decimate his friend. He refused to allow that to repeat. Though he had fallen into despair not long ago, Ichigo pressed forward with a determination that strengthened the resolve of his friends behind him.

Unlike Komamura or Hisagi - two individuals that masked their disdain for their enemy through the veil of justice - Toshiro embraced his hatred toward Aizen. He pushed past his limit for six months for a chance to carve his blade into the man behind his trauma. Even if the chance didn't present itself, Toshiro looked forward to either witnessing or partaking in Aizen's destruction.

However, Toshiro didn't bolt toward Hueco Mundo for that reason. Aizen's brutality could very well stretch to Goten. For the friend that stood by his side and helped him achieve more than he would on his own, he made revenge a secondary aim. Hitsugaya pressed forward to protect those close to him.

Captain Soi Fon couldn't justify why she ran as fast as she did. She despised Aizen for making a mockery of her and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, but that didn't lead her to a sense of urgency. Though she wouldn't admit it, all of her anxiety stemmed from her concern for Trunks. Even when she called him foolish for placing himself in danger, watching Aizen break him down piece-by-piece awakened a sadness and anger that she didn't know existed within her. Soi Fon wanted to unleash rage and violence toward Aizen, but she couldn't understand why.

Did she need to rush to his aide as repayment for saving her life? Although she felt like she owed him for what happened in Karakura Town, that day had nothing to do with the emotions she experienced at that moment. So what drove her legs to move as fast as they did? What made her consider this situation different from any other Soul Reaper that found themselves in peril?

What's wrong with me? There's no place for thoughts like these on the battlefield. Soi Fon pressed forward, casting aside all confusion and introspection.

However, Yoruichi, who ran far behind her, saw her former subordinate waver. You're changing, Soi Fon. You're not the same girl that used to follow me everywhere. I'm glad, but this isn't the time to let your feelings get the best of you. If you let them slip for even a second, you'll get yourself and everyone else around you killed.

Whether it had been for revenge, to support those around them, or to assist those already on the battlefield, the group sprinted toward the land of the Hollows.

As the portal in front of Gotenks closed, purple pillars of light shot from the frozen crater and exploded. "Took him long enough."

Aizen floated out of the crater and onto the ground. A wound from the slash lined his body from the center of his chest to his ribs. "Foolish child. All you've done is lead those Soul Reapers to untimely deaths. Once I rid myself of the rest of you, they will be the next to face my wrath."

"I hate to burst your bubble, but that's not a likely outcome. This would be a lot easier if you rolled over and died on your own."

His wound healed in an instant. "You act confident because you think that you've already won, but I expected that you two would fuse. It doesn't matter how strong you've grown. You still can't kill me. The Hogyoku will push to ascend beyond a point where your temporary technique will prove fruitless."

Gotenks rolled his eyes. "Oh no. How am I gonna stop the invincible Aizen? Well, I guess if I can't kill you as I am now, then there's only one thing left for me to do." Gotenks placed his hand on his shoulder and raised his Zanpakuto to the sky.

"Ban-kai!"

Energy burst forth, causing gusts of wind to blow sand all over Las Noches. Aizen covered his face and stood his ground, while Gohan tried to keep Goku and Vegeta's bodies from sailing away. Sand settled to reveal the full might of Gotenks. The black robe of Tensa Zangetsu sat underneath his vest and flowed out into the wind. Ice wings from Daiguren Hyorinmaru sprouted from his back, while a red-eyed ice dragon wrapped around the hand that gripped his blade. His weapon sported the black blade and chain of Tensa Zangetsu, but the golden, star-shaped guard along with the hilt and crescent blade attached to the chain were of Daiguren Hyorinmaru.

"Tensa Hyoringetsu."

Gotenks rested his sword on the back of his neck. "Now let me tell you how this is gonna go, Sosuke. First, I'm gonna smack the taste out of your mouth and show you who's in charge. Then, I'll let you use whatever power that tiny marble gives you to hurt me, but obviously, that's not gonna work. Once you tire yourself out and accept that you're a loser, I'll turn your sorry ass into dust."

"That won't be-"

"Shut the fuck up. I didn't ask you to speak. Now, where should I start? The Trunks half of me says that I owe you a lot of punches to your eye sockets, but the Goten half of me says that I should hit you repeatedly in your nonexistent mouth." Gotenks sighed. "Decisions, decisions…"

Aizen appeared before Gotenks and engulfed his body in an energy blast. Once the dust settled, Gotenks smiled at him with minimal damage.

Aizen stepped away in shock. "How? My blast had no effect?"

"I mean, you did a little damage. I got a couple of scratches on my chin. What's wrong? You don't see that? Maybe I should start with your eyes, then."

Two quick jabs struck Aizen's eyes. Gotenks' jumped and landed a knee to where his foe's mouth would be. As Aizen stumbled backward, Gotenks teleported to him and lifted a hand out.

"Let me show you how it's done." Gotenks fired an energy blast that swallowed Aizen. Once he finished, he dropped his hand to see a crater that extended for kilometers. Aizen was nowhere to be found.

"Whoops," he said to himself. "That was a bit excessive." He tried to call out to his enemy. "Sosuke! You alright?" His voice echoed, but no answer came. With his hands rested on his hips, he basked in his glory. "Man, fusion makes this too easy."

A/N: Wrote this chapter WITH THE QUICKNESS! This is the second longest chapter I've written, and it might be a bit much, but I said everything I needed to say, and then some, so I'm happy with where it is now.

Thank you to everyone that's reading, and a special thank you to everyone that's followed the story. I try to write for myself, but it's always reassuring to know that my writing interests people. Hope you're all enjoying it.

Have a fantastic day!