A/N: Hi everyone, this is The Ultimate Preacher here. I am sure that some of you are sick and tired of me re-uploading the same chapter multiple times, but this time it is for a good reason. Some of you have complained about the story's structure, pace, and setup, so I reread the entire thing and I came to the conclusion that you guys were right. Thanks to a special reviewer (you know who you are), I have decided to rewrite the entire thing. If it is still unsatisfactory, I will abandon it and let you guys write it, perhaps you guys will write it better than I ever could. If this pisses you off, you can unfollow and leave. If you want to rant in the reviews, go ahead. I don't mind. If some of you guys are still here, I thank you for your patience.

"Normal Speech"

'Normal Thought'

"Zangetsu Speech"

'Zangetsu Thoughts'

"Juha Bach Speech"

'Juha Bach Thoughts'

"? Speech"

'? Speech'

Without further ado, enjoy.

X

" Mugetsu (Moonless Night)." With that single word uttered from his mouth, Kurosaki Ichigo raised his arm swarming with black reiatsu, and slashed down in a quick motion. He solemnly watched as a massive wave of pitch-black reiatsu rose from the ground and went straight towards the former 5th Division captain and currently Hōgyoku-infused Aizen Sōsuke, who was too stunned to do anything and as a result, was quickly engulfed by the wave of reiatsu. The entire sky seemed to turn black for a couple of seconds as if the day had suddenly turned into a moonless night before it began to change back to its original bright blue with very few clouds. It was silent in the battle field as the last strand of reiatsu disappeared into nothingness, except a gust of wind that blew past, making his long hair fly around as if it had a mind of its own.

Without speaking, he then slowly flew down and landed on one of the very few mountains that were not destroyed in their battle, looking at the rocky environment below as the mask he was wearing began to crumble, all its pieces disappearing into the wind as the rest of bandage-like armor began to follow. He knew that his powers were going to leave him soon, but he didn't feel sad or angry or any type of negative emotion. Instead, he felt an odd calm in his soul, being content in that if this was the price to pay when protecting those he cared about, he would gladly do it over and over again. He slowly but surely felt Tensa Zangetsu's and the Inner Hollow's presence fading away. The fused Zanpakutō did warn Ichigo that this was going to happen, and that saddened the hybrid a little bit. Even though he did not regret losing his powers, he was going to miss the two individuals who were a part of his journey: the calm and wise Old Man and/or the equally wise yet slightly aggressive youth who gave him words of wisdom and guided him through many obstacles, and the Inner Hollow who was very annoying, but was a part of him nonetheless.

'Goodbye, Zangetsu.' He thought as he continued to look at the rocky environment below. Hearing no answer from his Zanpakutō, he sighed and was about to turn around and head back to his friends in Karakura Town to make sure they were safe when he heard something, a very faint whisper. Thinking he was imagining things, he lifted himself off the top of the mountain and was about to fly to his friend's location when he heard it again. This time, it was a bit stronger than before, and slowly but surely it kept getting stronger until the hybrid could hear what was being whispered. Two words, that made his mouth curve into a sad smile.

'Goodbye... Ichigo.' And with that, Ichigo felt Tensa Zangetsu completely vanish from his soul. Unfortunately, he did not have time to reflect on the loss of his Zanpakuto, as a loud "thud" was heard not far from where he was standing, causing him to snap out of his thoughts. The dust that was momentarily covering the object that caused that noise settled, and it revealed a humanoid white creature that had a Hollow mask fragment on the right of its face, long brown hair, and eyes that were not the same; one was completely white while the other was purple with a white iris and a long, deep wound was stitching itself back to normal. And this thing was glaring up at him as it tried to stand up.

The long black-haired young man narrowed his blood-red eyes as he realized that Aizen was still alive, quite surprised that Aizen survived his ultimate attack but did not show it, but the mask helped in concealing his feelings. "You're still regenerating?" Ichigo breathed out but received no response; either Aizen did not hear him or he just didn't want to respond. Ichigo was leaning on the latter, but he used Shunpō to go down to the ground and stood a couple of feet away from the traitor, intending to finish him off and be done with it, before suddenly feeling his Shinigami powers disappearing at a rapid pace. His long black hair vanished almost instantaneously and his armor also began to slowly crumble. He fell to his knees in exhaustion, barely holding himself up with his hands as the last of his armor that was on his hands crumbled and disappeared.

'Fuck!' He angrily thought as he tried to stand up, but failed to do so. 'My Shinigami powers... are disappearing.'

"My, oh my, Ichigo-kun." The traitor spoke with some effort as he coughed up blood. "That was a really powerful attack just now, stronger than anything I've ever felt before. Had I not implanted the Hōgyoku in me, I most likely would have died." He rose to his full height and stared down at him, Kyōka Suigetsu in his hand and the Hōgyoku still embedded in his chest. "Unfortunately for you at least, it would appear that you no longer have any Reiryoku left, if only very little. It seems that you 'becoming Getsuga' as you say, has made you lose your Shinigami powers. How unfortunate for you." He then gestured to his Zanpakutō. Ichigo looked at it and saw that it was crumbling, just like his Mugetsu armor. "My Zanpakutō is disappearing. You know what this means." He calmly spoke as the blade continued to crumble until the guard and the hilt remained. "The Hōgyoku has determined that I no longer need a Zanpakutō!" He yelled with confidence. "I am like you now! I am one with my Zanpakutō and its powers! No! I will reach heights higher than you now that you have lost your powers!"

Ichigo, even though he did not show it, was on the verge of panicking right then and there. He sometimes might have not been on the smart side, but even he knew that the situation he was in was bad. Damn-it! If only he didn't use the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō so soon! He should have weakened Aizen to the point where the move would kill him instantly. Knowing that there was nothing he could do, he sat there, glaring in frustration at the man who caused so much chaos after he got his Shinigami powers.

"IT'S OVER! I HAVE WON!! KUROSAKI ICHIGO!!!"

A red light suddenly erupted from Aizen's chest, shocking both him and Ichigo. Circles of red began appearing across his chest and on his chest down to his stomach creating a T-shape, and Ichigo knew that this was not the next evolution as his opponent's face dictated otherwise.

"What?! What the hell is this?!" Aizen shouted. "A Kidō?! When did you-!?"

"It finally started working, huh?"

Both men turned to look at the source of the voice. Shock, anger, and confusion were shared between the two men as Kisuke walked up to them and stood beside the boy. He glared at his nemesis. "Urahara Kisuke! This is your doing!"

"It is," Kisuke quietly admitted, removing some hair that had fallen on his face and blocking his view. "This is a special Kidō that I created just for you. I fired that Kidō into you that was stored within another Kidō before your metamorphosis was complete. When you were at your most vulnerable."

"No! That is Impossible!" Aizen exclaimed. "Even if what you say is true, when did you-!"

"Hadō #91: Sēnju Kōten Taihō. Do you remember that one?" The shopkeeper interrupted. "When I unleashed it on you, I hid that special Kidō inside it. A little while back, I began to think to myself; if, no when, you fused with the Hōgyoku, I knew that it would be nearly impossible to kill you. So I developed this new Kidō to seal you up. The only way it would activate was when you would be weakened exponentially."

The former 5th Division captain widened his eyes in shock as he realized what Kisuke was trying to say to him. "You mean..."

"It seems you figured it out. Yes, that is exactly what I mean." Kisuke coldly interrupted. "Luckily for me, the only one who could beat you or fight you to a draw," he glanced at his student. ," Was your creation right here."

There was silence for a few moments. Then, to Ichigo's confusion, Aizen lightly chuckled. "I see. You have truly lived up to your expectations, Urahara Kisuke." He raised his hilt and guard, with a confident smirk on his face. "However, I'm afraid your grand plan has failed. I am about to evolve even further and there is nothing even you can do to stop me."

"Say that again after you properly look at yourself." Kisuke spoke. Confused, the former captain did just that and to his shock, he saw that his pale white skin was crumbling to reveal his normal skin. Furthermore, the Hōgyoku was no longer on his torso. "What's happening to you now is the will of the Hōgyoku," Kisuke explained. "The seal that I fired into you is now taking effect because has been weakened thanks to my prized pupil over there. The Hōgyoku is saying... it no longer recognizes you as its master."

"No. That's not possible! It is impossible, I tell you!" Red cross-shaped spikes began to erupt from his body. Realizing he lost, he yelled, "Kisuke Urahara! I despise you! With a mind as brilliant as yours, why do you accept the status quo!? Why?! How can you let yourself be controlled by 'that thing'?!" Aizen yelled as he desperately tried to remove the red spikes that kept erupting from his chest with no succession.

Kisuke narrowed his eyes at what Aizen said. "That's an interesting way to describe the most powerful being in existence. That thing, huh? You must be talking about the Reiō. So you've also seen it." The light blonde-haired man shook his head. As Ichigo stared at him, the shopkeeper seemed older and more tired than he had ever seen him. "Here's something that you just don't understand, Aizen. The Reiō, the 'thing' as you call him, is the cornerstone of existence itself. Without that cornerstone, the structure that is in existence will be rent asunder. That's simply the way of the world."

"Preposterous!" Aizen shouted. "That is the reasoning of a loser! Victors must always speak of the way the world should be and not the way it is!"

"If you truly believe that, then I pity you." Kisuke turned his back to him. "Goodbye, Aizen Sōsuke." Since he had his back turned against Aizen, he never saw the strange look that the former captain gave the now confused and wary hybrid before he was completely sealed by the Kidō. As Ichigo sat there, he began to wonder about the strange look that Aizen gave him. It looked like...pride, almost. That did not make sense to him. Why would Aizen, a transcendent being who not long ago wiped the floor with the most powerful warriors of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads without the Hōgyoku, in his base form, and relentlessly wanting to sacrifice his town, over a hundred thousand innocent people for the Ōken, be proud of the guy who stopped his plans?

Silence ensued for a few moments as the men continued to stare at the seal. Kisuke watched as the Substitute Shinigami stood up on his feet and continued to watch the seal. Mr. Hat-n-Clogs walked up to Ichigo and stood next to him. "Ichigo."

The young man turned to look at his mentor, who had a serious face for once. Ichigo knew the question that he was going to be asked before it was asked.

"Where is the Hōgyoku? It was not embedded in Aizen's chest."

Ichigo looked at the former captain for a few moments before raising his left arm and unclenching his fist, revealing a small blue orb that pulsated in his hand. Moments earlier, it had just appeared in Ichigo's hand.

"It seems like the Hōgyoku has chosen you as its new master." Kisuke half-joked as he, for the first time in a very long time, had no idea what to make of this situation. When the orange-haired young man did not respond, the scientist softly sighed and extended his arm, opening his hand. "Please give it to me so I can destroy it, or seal it if the first option doesn't work. I have to make sure that it does not fall into the wrong hands ever again." The orange-haired boy just nodded and Kisuke carefully took the Hōgyoku off Ichigo's hand and put it in his pocket. Kisuke noticed that his student had reverted to looking at the seal that held the man who was responsible for basically all that had happened in his life.

'I'm surprised he hid the truth from you, all the way till the very end.' He thought as the exhausted young man continued to stare at the seal. 'He could have told you at any point in time, but he kept quiet. I wonder why?'

"I'm sorry."

The sudden apology made Ichigo turn his attention to the man next to him with confusion and wide eyes. "Why are you apologizing, Urahara?" He asked in a calm voice devoid of emotion that didn't go unnoticed by the sandy blonde-haired man.

Kisuke seemed to hesitate for a moment, but continued, "I'm apologizing because I am the one responsible for your predicament right now."

"Kisuke-"

"Please Kurosaki-san, let me finish." Kisuke held up a hand, preventing Ichigo from saying any more. "If I was not so selfish, you wouldn't be involved with the war with Aizen." To the now powerless Substitute's surprise, the sandy blonde-haired man got on both knees and bowed his head, his hair covering his eyes. "If it wasn't for me, you would still have your powers right now. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't come across death and escape it multiple times, and it is because of me, that you had to fix the mess that I created a hundred years ago. So from the bottom of my heart, I truly am sorry for all that has happened to you." The battlefield became quiet for what seemed to be the longest time as Kisuke waited for Ichigo to speak.

On the other hand, the former Shinigami-Hollow hybrid was blinking multiple times at the sight of the shopkeeper on his knees and asking for forgiveness. Up until this point, he had never thought of the man as the apologetic type, but now seeing Kisuke on the ground stunned him. 'I guess the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover." might be true after all.'

"Look at me, Getaboshi." Kisuke did just that and was surprised to see a hand in front of his face. He looked up at Ichigo, only to see a small but sincere smile on his face. "I don't know why you're apologizing to me. Even though the path was chosen for me, I don't regret walking on it. I know what I signed up for when I invaded the Soul Society with my friends. I knew what would happen if I used the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō, but I did it anyway. I don't regret losing my Shinigami powers, and if given the chance, I would do it again in a heartbeat." His smile grew a little wider. "You have nothing to apologize for, so please stand up."

Kisuke was shocked at the response that he got and stared at Ichigo as if he were a different person but eventually grabbed Ichigo's hand and hoisted himself up. 'I was expecting a rant or a speech about how mad he was about losing his powers, but certainly not that. He continues to surprise me and exceed my expectations.' He inwardly chuckled. 'I wonder what Isshin would think about his son now. Although knowing him, he would probably jump around and yell about how smart and wise Ichigo is now and start demanding grandchildren.'

He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when they were surrounded by most of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads captain excluding the captain of the 11th Division Zaraki Kenpachi, his lieutenant and adopted daughter Kusajishi Yachiru, 3rd Seat Madarame Ikkaku and 5th Seat Ayesagawa Yumichika. Abarai Renji, Kuchiki Rukia, Kotetsu Isane, and Sasakibe Chojiro (who was carrying Yamamoto-soutaicho's cane) had arrived with the captains. The Soutaicho was standing directly in front of the orange haired young man. On Ichigo's left; 1st Division Lieutenant Sasakibe, 8th Division Captain Kyoraku Shunsui, 13th Division Captain Ukitake Juushiro, 6th Division Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, 6th Division Lieutenant Abarai Renji, 10th Division Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro and the 2nd Division captain and commander of the Omnitsukido Shaolin Feng. On his right; 4th Division captain Unohana Retsu, 4th Division captain Kotetsu Isane, 13th Division 3rd Seat Kuchiki Rukia, and the 12th Division captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri, with the 12th Division lieutenant Kurotsuchi Nemu standing obediently behind him. Ichigo frowned when he saw some of them had some serious injuries, particularly Hitsugaya, but he was glad that they were alive, albeit barely.

Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni-soutaicho, was the oldest Shinigami in the Soul Society who surprisingly had one of the most muscular bodies in all of the Soul Society, had scars all over his back and no longer had a left arm thanks to the usage of the forbidden Kidō spell; Hadō #96: Ittō Kasō. He looked at the two men in front of him, more particularly Ichigo as he felt no reiatsu emanating from him. "Ichigo Kurosaki, why do I not feel any reiatsu from you?" The old man gruffly asked.

''Ichigo no longer has his powers, Yamamoto-soutaicho," Kisuke answered for Ichigo. "He used an attack on Aizen that severely weakened him, but ended up losing them."

Upon hearing this, Yamamoto-soutaicho slowly opened both his eyes. 'Very interesting. If what Urahara Kisuke says is true, then this is going to make things a lot easier.' Yamamoto thought as he looked at the boy, a mere infant in his world's standards who defeated a man even he could not defeat. Kurosaki Ichigo was a merely a Substitute Shinigami, a human boy who had no right to involve himself in the matters of the afterlife and had stopped multiple enemies that were created by the Central 46 when he could not. That was a major blow to his pride, and yet he could not help but respect Kurosaki for his strength and his determination to never give up (even though he would never say that out loud). He was not delusional, he knew that the time would come where he would no longer be considered the strongest and with the child's growth rate and potential, he could surpass him in a couple hundred years and would be a fine addition to the Thirteen Court Guards.

However, he could not ignore the potential danger that Kurosaki Ichigo had with that potential. Right now he was powerless and vulnerable that was true, but he would eventually gain the same power he used to defeat Aizen. What if the boy becomes mad with power and craved more, eventually gaining enough to defeat him and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads? What if he uses that same power to destroy the Soul Society? As far he knew about the boy, he was an honorable young man and would never do such a thing. However, that was what he thought about Aizen. To think that he thought of that man as his potential replacement for Captain Commander when he retired or fell in battle.

Yamamoto-soutaicho inwardly sighed. Nothing was going to change what was about to happen, because at the end of the day, even if it meant killing the man who saved the Sereitei time and time again to preserve the peace and prosperity of the Soul Society while also eliminating a potential threat at the same time, then he would gladly do it, over and over again. He glanced at everyone standing around the boy and all but Kuchiki Rukia, Abarai Renji, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri glanced back, two being ashamed of what they were about to do and one not caring about any of the events that were about to occur. They were prepared for what they were about to do.

"Urahara Kisuke, you are to return to your shop and work on sealing or destroying the Hōgyoku." The Yamamoto-soutaicho barked with full authority. "Ensure that it must not fall into the wrong hands ever again." Kisuke nodded once and quickly used Shunpō to head back to the shop. Yamamoto then turned his attention back to Ichigo, who had turned his head to look at the seal that held the biggest threat they had ever faced. "Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo." He began. "We of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads extend our sincerest gratitude to you. I-"

"No need, Yamamoto." Ichigo interrupted the old Shinigami. Everyone except Yamamoto, his former students Kyōraku Shunsui, Ukitake Juushiro, and the 6th Division captain Kuchiki Byakuya widened their eyes in shock while the four men just shook their heads. "There is no need to thank me." He continued. 'I'm a protector. It's in my nature to protect those I care about. That's all there is to it. Nothing more, nothing less." Upon hearing this, everyone except Yamamoto, a bored-looking Kurotsuchi, and a stone-faced Suì-Fēng looked down at the ground or looked somewhere else, something Ichigo immediately noticed, but whether it was from fear or something else entirely, he wasn't able to put a finger on it. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Yamamoto took a deep breath and sighed. Once he did this, there was no turning back. "Alas, young Kurosaki, it seems there is one more threat that must be taken care of."

That statement confused Ichigo, causing him to fully turn around and face the aged captain. He thought that every single Arrancar and rouge Captain that came to the fake Karakura Town was defeated and judging by the fact that Byakuya, Mayuri, and Unohana were right in front of him when they were at Hueco Mundo, it seemed like all the threats had been taken care of over there. So what or who was the old man talking about? "Okay, who is it?'' Ichigo could not help but ask, thinking that it was an Arrancar that the Gotei 13 could handle. The answer that he received was not only the most unexpected, it also shocked him to his core.

"You."

Before Ichigo could even react, he suddenly felt intense pain all over his body. His eyes widened to the point where it looked like they were going to come out of their sockets when he saw that almost all the captains, excluding the Soutaicho and Hitsugaya, had stabbed him all around his body and punctured most of his organs. He just stood there, his mind racing at a hundred miles an hour trying to process and understand what the hell was currently happening. He ignored the people who stabbed him and looked at the people who stayed in the side-lines and didn't participate in this assassination. Unohana and her lieutenant instantly found quite an interest on the ground when they saw that he was looking at them, refusing and unable to make eye contact with him. Hitsugaya, even though he was too injured to move to begin with, also refused to make eye contact with him. His eyes finally darted over to Rukia and Renji, his friends, and saw that the former had tears in her eyes and the latter was looking at him with guilt. The captains slowly removed their Zanpakutō from his body and stepped back, letting his body fall to the ground as he muttered one word.

"Why?"

Moments after he said that a couple of raindrops hit the ground, and then they quickly increased until they all became drenched as a heavy downpour as if the sky itself was crying over the events that were occurring. Ichigo had always hated the rain because it brought some very bad and painful memories of that day, but he ignored it as he stared at the leader of the Shinigami with wide eyes, still trying to make sense of this entire situation.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Yamamoto grumbled, "for the safety, peace, and security of the Sereitei and the Soul Society as a whole, we the Thirteen Court Guard Squads have deemed you a potential threat and must be put down." He then looked at a very torn midget who was struggling to hold her tears. "Rukia Kuchiki, as the Third Seat of the 13th Division and the one who is the closest to the boy amongst all of us, it will be you who shall deliver the final strike." The old Shinigami ordered, masterfully ignoring the piercing glares he received from Renji, Byakuya, Ukitake, and surprisingly Unohana. The Kuchiki noble looked at the Soutaicho with eyes filled with shock, disbelief, and unshed tears, and immediately looked down when Yamamoto's ancient eyes stared hard at her, daring her to disobey. Out of all the people who were here, why did he choose her, knowing their history together?! Why?! Hell, even Captain Suì-Fēng would do it in an instant and without hesitation! Nonetheless, knowing what she had to do, she hesitantly and painfully unsheathed her zanpakutō and slowly walked towards Ichigo, who was struggling to get to his knees.

"Yamamoto-soutaicho." Unohana spoke in a cold tone, making Kyōraku and Ukitake flinch at the harshness of it. It had been a very long time since they heard that much venom dripping from the otherwise gentle captain, and they were beginning to feel uneasy. "This was not part of the plan, and you know this as well as I do." A single statement, a single sentence, made the old Shinigami slightly open his eyes and flicked them toward her in the briefest of instances. Yamamoto however continued to ignore her, almost feeling the intense glare that Unohana was giving him and knowing full well that by doing this, he was going to be asked some questions about his last-minute decision very soon. While this was happening, Ichigo was now looking at everyone he thought would stop the Soutaicho's order with a certain amount of rage and hatred that he never knew he possessed. Why were they just standing there? Why were they doing nothing? But there was one question he wanted an answer to was why the fuck were they betraying him in the first place?! He never did anything to them! A feeling of heartache started to creep up into his heart but it was being overpowered by rage and confusion. As he thought about Yamamoto's order, he knew that Kurotsuchi, Suì-Fēng, Ukitake, Kyōraku, and Unohana were loyal to the old man and would follow the orders that they were given, no matter what they were. Those people however were not relevant at the moment. The only person who was relevant to the Shinigami-Hollow hybrid was the one standing in front of him.

Meanwhile, Rukia stepped back in alarm when she saw Ichigo stare at him with different emotions fighting within his eyes: rage, shock, horror, disbelief, and confusion. Eventually, only one remained: Fear. Fear of what was going on, fear of what was about to happen, and fear of what Rukia was about to do to him.

"Rukia. Don't do it. Please." She didn't respond, merely looking at him with the most pained expression on her face and her hands were shaking, causing Sode no Shirayuki to shake. "Don't listen to him. Don't do this to me! Please! You CAN'T do this to me!" His voice then changed into a whisper, "After everything we have been through, are you going to turn your back on me?" he gasped, desperately hoping and praying that this was all a dream, and that he would wake up soon. The pain he felt however was slowly shattering that illusion. Ichigo turned to look at the captain and lieutenant of the 6th Division, who continued to look down on the ground. Well, the red-haired man looked down while Byakuya merely closed his eyes.

"Byakuya! Renji! Say something! ANYTHING!" He yelled but regretted it as he immediately began hacking up blood. The tattooed man opened his mouth as if he was going to speak, but then quickly closed it, shaking his head. Byakuya, too, refused to speak and continued to keep his eyes shut, his duty as a captain and a Shinigami battling against his pride and debt that he owed the powerless boy. Seeing that the man he respected and his supposed 'friend' was not going to do anything, the orange-haired teenager then desperately turned to Yamamoto's former students, hoping that they would stop this madness. "Guys! Talk to him! Don't let him do this to me! He will listen to you! STOP HIM! PLEASE!" He pleaded with the older captains, throwing away his pride before coughing up blood in the process as he felt the weakest he had ever felt in his life.

The gentle captain continued to look down with evident shame written all over his face, clearly against the assassination while Kyōraku lowered his hat to cover his eyes. In a somber and guilty tone, he said, "I'm truly sorry, kid. I am. But Yama-jii's words are final."

The entire world seemed to stop as Ichigo could not believe what he was seeing and hearing. The same organization that he had saved multiple fucking times had betrayed him. After everything that they had put him through because of their incompetence! Muramasa; he only wanted to reunite with his master, even though he did not need to control all the Zanpakutō for his mission and his goal proved to be useless when Kuchiki Koga turned his back on him. The Bount; they were created by the Research and Development Institute and ordered by the Central 46 to be destroyed. It was Soul Society's mess to fix, but he stepped in to help anyway. The Dark Ones; they wanted revenge against the Soul Society for banishing them to the Precipice World. Again, he stepped in when the fuckers could have solved this by themselves, but part of the reason he did so was because of Senna. Grimmjow, Nnoitora, and Ulquiorra; He fought the three of the most powerful Espada consecutively within minutes of each other! Grimmjow took almost all of his strength to defeat, Nnoitora threw him around as if he were a rag doll and Ulquiorra killed him twice with a Cero through his chest. Last but not least, Aizen Sōsuke; the man responsible for Rukia getting hurt, is the reason he got Shinigami powers the first time he and Rukia met and according to him, was the reason he was even alive to begin.

After all of that, all the hell they put him through, after everything he did to protect them, they betrayed him when he was at the most vulnerable. Ichigo turned to see Rukia and was taken aback by what he saw. The tears on her face were no longer there, although it was hard to tell because of the rain. Her expression however was stone-faced, almost perfectly mirroring her adoptive older brother's. She then slowly raised Sode no Shirayuki above her head, looking at Ichigo with ice-cold eyes. He reached forward with his hand, trying to get her to stop. "Rukia. Please, no."

His efforts were in vain.

"Goodbye, Kurosaki Ichigo."

And with those three words, she swung her sword. Thick crimson liquid flew everywhere as Rukia gave Ichigo two long nasty cuts on his torso, creating a crude X shape. Ichigo looked at the raven-haired woman, then at the scars inflicted by her and shed tears of blood, his brain still processing the fact that the woman he cared for had just wounded him. He then saw her feet turn around and walk in the other direction. "Rukia." He whispered. He was met with silence. "Rukia, look at me." There was no answer. It seemed as though she was purposefully ignoring him, which once again shattered his heart and pissed him off even more. "Look at me, damn it! Why won't you look at me? Why did you do this to me?! I know you can hear me! Rukia!" He coughed up blood again as he put his hand on the wet ground.

Rukia did not look back. It wasn't because she was able to, it was because she refused to. How could she, when she just betrayed the person who had saved her multiple times in the past, the person who was indirectly involved with the reconciliation of her and her brother, and the person who just saved the World of the Living and the Soul Society? It was damn near impossible for her, so she kept on walking back to the place she once stood and once she arrived, she just looked down, tears spilling out and her body shaking slightly as she tried to hold back her sobs. All while ignoring Ichigo's cries for her to answer him.

He was about to call her name once again and begin crawling toward her, but he was silenced by Captain Suì-Fēng, a petite woman with one arm, two braids that had rings tied at the back, who was the captain of the 2nd Division and the Commander of the Omnitsukidō. She appeared in front of him and with swift and great precision punctured through his throat with the released form of Suzumebashi, having been annoyed that the boy was still alive after seeing the Kuchiki girl deliver slashes that should have been fatal. Ichigo merely stared at the woman who was staring coldly at him. He tried speaking, but the blood spraying from his throat made that impossible. He didn't move nor did he try to stop the bleeding. He just quietly fell on his face and a pool of blood oozed from underneath him.

'Finally, the boy dies. Good riddance.' She thought. The captain of the Ōmnitsukido and the 2nd Division had never liked that boy, to begin with. She only tolerated him because they shared the same teacher, her goddess Yoruichi. Now Suì-Fēng was not going to lie, she did have a small amount of begrudging respect for him for all he had done, but that's where the line was drawn. She always wanted the Ryoka to be eliminated sooner rather than later before he became an unbeatable threat and turned on them. Suì-Fēng turned around and was about to walk back to her previous spot when she felt something loosely grab her ankle. Stunned, she turned, looked down, and saw Ichigo grabbing her ankle with a bloody hand. 'Impossible! How in the hell did he survive that?' Her shock quickly passed and she narrowed her eyes in anger as the boy clung to life with everything he had. 'He truly is a pain in the ass, but Captain Kuchiki did warn us that the boy would be excruciatingly difficult to get rid of.' She then forcefully removed her foot with a mixture of shock, anger, and disgust evident on her face. While she continued to stare down at him, Captain Commander Yamamoto reached into the pocket of Sasakibe's Haori and pulled out an average amount of Hollow bait, crushing it. Almost instantaneously, numerous Gargantas opened up all around the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and many Hollows, mainly Gillian and Adjuchas, made a beeline for the captains and lieutenants down below.

"It is truly saddening to see you like this, my boy," Yamamoto grunted, and he meant it too. "On behalf of the Soul Society and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, we thank you for everything you have done for us." Then they all flash-stepped away as the Hollows closed in on them, leaving a defenseless and vulnerable Ichigo alone.

'They... they betrayed me. All of them betrayed me.' Ichigo thought as he stared at the herd of Hollows that was charging towards him. 'After all I've done for them, they betrayed me. Byakuya, Renji... you didn't even try to contest the order. You just stood there and watched. Rukia... after everything we had been through together, why did you do this to me? I thought we were friends! Why, damnit?! Why! Why!? WHY?!' He clenched his fist with the hand that grabbed Suì-Fēng's ankle. 'Those bastards! After everything I have done for them! They turned their backs on me! I hate them! I hate all those fucking Shinigami! I HATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS! I WILL KILL THEM ALL! EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!'

He tried to get up and defend himself against the Hollows but it was beyond useless at this point. He had no powers and he was slowly losing consciousness, so there was nothing he could do. Very quickly, he was surrounded by a LOT of Hollows who were looking at him hungrily, waiting to devour him, devour his soul. Knowing he was going to die, he began to think about his friends and family, the last thought being his mother. 'Everyone, it seems like I won't be able to protect you guys anymore. Please forgive me.' An actual tear fell down his face as he stared at the horde of Hollows that were practically racing one another to get to him. 'I'll see you soon. Mom.'

As the wave of Hollows charged towards him, he saw a bright flash of light in front of him, almost blinding him and the Hollows around him. He then saw a small silhouette step from the light and bend down. The barely conscious teenager felt small hands grab him. The silhouette quickly became clear and revealed a young teenager with red hair with what seemed to be a sleeveless small brown coat with brown shorts. She also had a scowl on her face, just like he did. "The Gotei 13 fucked you up, huh? The King is not going to be happy about this." He then felt his body being lifted from the ground by the surprisingly strong girl. "Let's go."

That was the last thing he heard before he eventually lost consciousness.

X

In the Soul Society, there exists a dimension that the Shinigami were not aware of. A dimension that was created by a race thought to be extinct aside from the few exceptions that resided in the World of the Living, and was currently sitting within the literal shadows of the Soul Society. The thought of being an extinct race gave this dimension a special name: Schatten Bereich.

In the dimension, there was a wide, two-tiered building. The bottom tier was supported by six thick columns, while the upper tier was roughly half as wide and long, instead of being held up by pillars; it also featured windows consisting of two thin slats in the wall on either side. The ground below it had a set of stairs leading up to the lower tier, and the entire complex was surrounded by an angular barrier with an octagonal building framed by two gutted, curving, tusk-like structures arching toward each other in front of it, and dwarfed by a large, rectangular tower with a cross on each side rising behind it. The entire area was covered in varying amounts of ice, giving every surface a jagged look with dozens of stalagmites. Surrounding it was an entire city of frozen buildings that were designed in a European style. This was Silbern.

When someone entered the building, they would find that the rooms within Silbern varied drastically in size and purpose, ranging from spacious assembly halls to training rooms and private quarters. There was one room that was different from the rest. In a dark medium-sized throne room, sitting on a throne was a man. He was tall with a long face, broad chin, and pronounced cheekbones. He had long black hair, reddish-brown eyes with thin eyebrows, and a thick mustache. He also wore a tattered, ankle-length maroon-black cloak, which had a red ribbon near the neck and was fastened to the left with a single large button. This was the progenitor of the Quincy, the Quincy King, and the offspring of the Reio, arguably the most powerful being in the four realms if you were to include Hell.

Yhwach.

The legend of the Rising of the Quincy King, also known as the Kaiser Gesang by very few people in the World of the Living, no one in the Soul Society, and by everyone in his dimension went like this: The Sealed King of the Quincy. After nine hundred years, he would regain his heartbeat. After ninety years, he would regain his intellect. After nine years, he would regain his strength and after nine days, he would regain the world from the power of all Gemischt Quincy in the world. Right now, he was just shy of five years before accomplishing the second to last and final verses and fully reawakening. He was currently watching the assassination of the Substitute Shinigami by using devices to watch his enemies, the Shinigami, quite literally from the shadows. As he continued to watch, he now found himself not knowing how to feel about the sudden development.

On the one hand, he was genuinely surprised when the assassination occurred as he did not think that the current Thirteen Court Guard Squads would have the gall to do this. Maybe they are not as soft as he thought they were if they were willing to do this to the boy who saved them. On the other hand, he was now definitely looking forward to the future. In a way, he was relieved that the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had some of the first generation in them. He looked up at the dark ceiling as he thought about the very first Thirteen Court Guard Squads. The middle-aged-looking man very much respected the very first generation because even though they were known as 'Balancers', they were that in name only. In reality, they were all a bunch of ruthless thugs and killers who would do anything to win, even sacrifice their family members. He remembered his defeat at the hands of Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni with Sasakibe Chojiro's assistance. Even though it was an underhanded tactic, he understood that it was war, and where you are at war you win by any means necessary. He then shifted his train of thought to the current generation of the Gotei 13 and frowned slightly. Needless to say, he was very disappointed in them as they were so pathetically weak. He particularly was not fond of some of its members:

A prodigy whose power was very immature. Granted, Hitsugaya Toshiro was still young by the Soul Society's standards and was a prodigy, much like Ichimaru Gin was called one. Hitsugaya had the potential to surpass some of the eldest captains, perhaps even Yamamoto himself in a couple of hundred years. It was a shame that he would not live to see that day.

A kind woman who hid her very dark past ridiculously well. He could not help but involuntarily shudder at the thought of the very first Kenpachi Unohana Yachiru, the most blood-thirsty murderer in Soul Society's history, cutting through his Licht Reich members as if they were paper with a sadistic smile on her face. Zaraki Kenpachi may have involuntarily made her swear to fight and heal people, but he was not naïve as he knew she could raise her Zanpakutō once again and enter the war. He was looking forward to it.

A Shinigami who disowned his entire clan because of his physical appearance. Komamura Sajin, a large man-wolf that used to be a part of a clan of these creatures abandoned them and hid his face because he wanted to live among the Shinigami. He also had one of the weakest Bankai in the Soul Society in Kokujo Tengen Myo'o. A liability, if he had ever seen one. Komamura could be defeated easily by attacking the Bankai itself as the damage it receives reflects on the wielder, such as the case when Aizen Sōsuke and Tousen Kaname used this weakness and exploited it ruthlessly. Any of the weaker Sternritters could easily defeat him once he used his Bankai, there was no need to even steal it.

An old and powerful adversary who sat around and did nothing for so long, he became rusty. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, a hot-tempered man with the most powerful and dangerous Zanpakuto in Soul Society's existence, a man who reduced everything and everyone in sight to ash and did not care if you were an ally or enemy, had been reduced to a withered old man who loved peace and prosperity and had gained mercy. The very thought of that made him want to vomit. He had been left disappointed at the battle between Yamamoto and Aizen. He had been interested in seeing the old fool use his hellfire trap in an attempt to destroy Aizen, knowing that he and his allies would also be destroyed. Then it all went downhill from there. After that Arrancar, Wonderweiss sealed his flames, and Yamamoto went easy on the Arrancar because he looked like a young child. The old Yamamoto would have ripped the boy to pieces right then and there for doing such a thing. That made him decide that the old fool had changed, and not for the better.

An ignorant and bloodthirsty psychopath who made himself weak so that he could enjoy the fight. Kenpachi of Zaraki, one of the Special War Threats and the man who defeated the previous Kenpachi with a single strike. A man who was also a reckless fool who could have gotten himself killed multiple times over the years because of his thirst for battle. A reckless fool, but also a very dangerous one. That man was dangerous without a Zanpakuto, but Yhwach did not doubt in his mind that if Zaraki were to obtain a Zanpakuto, the tides of battle would surely turn in the Shinigami's behavior. However, Zaraki had a major weakness, just like every man and his weakness was the child Kusajishi Yachiru. That would be exploited by any means necessary.

A kind man who was too ill to continue fighting on the front lines and too kind to reprimand his division. He could not understand the reason why Ukitake Jūshirō continued to be a Shinigami even though he had that condition and was always at risk of dying because of it. If he were honest with himself, the fact that Ukitake became a Shinigami at all was quite a feat in and of itself. Of course, he knew exactly why the kind man had lived for this long, but he was not worried about it. It would be a very slight dent in his plan, but one that can be rectified immediately. The Reio could never hurt his son, not in a million years.

A very intelligent but immoral sadist who uses hollows, Quincy, even his subordinates, to conduct very disturbing and unethical experiments, all in the name of 'science.' The one Shinigami he hated with every single fiber of his being. Kurotsuchi Mayuri was not honorable at all, it was as if the word 'honor' did not apply to the clown. He knew about what Kurotsuchi and his Department of Research and Development Institute did to those two thousand, six hundred and sixty-one Quincies, including Ishida Ryuken's father Ishida Soken, who still resided in the World of the Living at that time. Even though he received those Quincy souls, the experiments were gruesome, horrible, and disgusting. The man also treated the 'daughter' he made, arguably his greatest creation, as if she were a slave and nuisance. He also had this idiotic obsession with surpassing Urahara Kisuke. It was pitiful, almost sad to see the delusional scientist believe that he would ever surpass a man who not only created the Hogyoku and saved the group known as Vizards, but outsmarted and helped defeat a megalomaniac with a God complex. It was never going to happen in this lifetime or the next.

He then turned off the monitor he was watching because he did not need to see what happened when someone got devoured by a Hollow, a herd of them at that, and turned to another one that had a list with a title called the Special War Threats. He decided to change it because of the recent events and a gut feeling that told him to not underestimate his enemies.

The original list went as follows:

Special War Threats

Aizen Sōsuke

( War Power: Reiatsu)

Skills: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hoho, Kidō, Psychological Manipulation.

Zanpakuto: Kyoka Suigetsu. Bankai: Unknown.

Information: Tall man. Swept back brown hair with a strand down his face. Wears Arrancar-style clothing. Puts on a disarming and condescending smile. Former 5th Division Captain. Holds vast amounts of reiryoku. Zanpakuto's name is Kyoka Suigetsu. With it, he can create illusions so strong that can cover all of a spiritual being's five senses. He has mastered all of Shinigami arts. Created the Espada with the completed Hogyoku. Defeated the King of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan Lousenbarn with disturbing ease. Calm and collected even under very intense situations. Companions are Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tousen. Very dangerous psychological manipulator. Controls his subordinates with fear and/or intimidation.

Hyōsube Ichibēi

( War Power: Wisdom)

Skills: Unknown

Zanpakuto: Unknown.

Information: Large and broad individual. Bald head. Red eyes. Bushy eyebrows. Long black beard. Wears the standard Shinigami attire. Wears a large set of red prayer beads around his neck and a pair of single-toothed tengu geta. Oldest pure Shinigami in existence. Takes on a Monk's visage. Wisest of all the Shinigami and holds vast knowledge of all things in the universe. Took part in the Original Sin a million years ago. Leader of the Royal Guard. Resides in the Royal Dimension. Sealed His Majesty's Almighty with little to no effort.

Kurosaki Ichigo

( War Power: Latent Abilities)

Skills: Zanjutsu, Karate, Hakuda, Hoho

Zanpakuto: Zangetsu. Bankai: Tensa Zangetsu.

Information: Tall boy. Spiky orange hair. Wears a permanent scowl on his face. Has an appearance similar to the late Thirteen Division Lieutenant Shiba Kaien. The most natural blend of human, Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy. Father is Shiba Isshin, a powerful Shinigami who was the former captain of the 10th Division and mother was Masaki Kurosaki, once the most powerful Quincy in the World of the Living. Values his family and friends and will stop at nothing to protect them. Though he has a keen intellect, he is known to be dense at times, especially around women. Impatient and often quick to anger. Gained Bankai within two and a half days thanks to Urahara Kisuke. Defeated Madarame Ikkaku and Zaraki Kenpachi with only Shikai. Defeated Kuchiki Byakuya in his Bankai. Was instrumental in the victories over the Bounts, The Dark Ones, and Koga Kuchiki and Muramasa.

Urahara Kisuke

( War Power: Resourcefulness)

Skills: Zanjutsu, Hakudo, Hoho, Kido, Unrivalled intellect, Psychological Manipulation

Zanpakuto: Benihime. Bankai: Unknown.

Information: Sandy blonde hair. Wears a green and white bucket hat and cloak. Extremely laidback and eccentric to throw his enemies off guard. Former Twelfth Division Captain. Former Omnitsukido member and security guard. Creator of the original Hogyoku. Smartest man alive, being rivaled by Aizen Sōsuke, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, and Szayel Apporo Granz combined. Created the beings known as the Vizards. Saved Kurosaki Masaki after she was infected by the Hollow White's reiatsu. Companions are Shihōin Yoruichi, and Tsukabishi Tessai, Tsumugiya Ururu and Hanakari Jinta. Created the three-day Bankai technique and was the first one to complete it.

Zaraki Kenpachi

( War Power: Combat Prowess)

Skills: Zanjutsu & Hakuda

Zanpakuto: None.

Information: Very tall man. Wears an eyepatch on his right eye. Carries an Asauchi he took from a dead Shinigami. He has bells attached to the ends of the spikes in his hair. 11th Division Captain. The eleventh man to hold the title of Kenpachi after defeating the previous Kenpachi with a single swing. Does not have a Shikai or Bankai. Loves battle. Has huge amounts of his reiatsu being sealed by an eyepatch. Made himself weak to enjoy his battles. Companion is Kusajishi Yachiru, 11th Division Captain Lieutenant. Distinguishing features are tall and very broad and muscular, with spiky hair that has bells attached to the ends.

The list now looked like this:

Special War Threats

Aizen Sōsuke

( War Power: Reiatsu)

Skills: Kido, Zanjutsu, Hoho, Hakuda

Zanpakuto: Kyoka Suigetsu. Bankai: Unknown

Information: Held vast amounts of reiryoku. Zanpakuto's name is Kyoka Suigetsu. With it, he can create illusions so strong that can cover all of a spiritual being's five senses. Fused with his Zanpakuto, it is believed he can create illusions without a single gesture. Now fused with the Hogyoku, he is now a transcendent being with immeasurable reiryoku & reiatsu. Immortal. Going to be kept in the Great Underground Prison beneath the First Division Barracks. Calm and collected under intense situations. All but the Schuzstaffel must avoid at all costs.

Hyōsube Ichibēi

( War Power: Wisdom)

Skills: Unknown

Zanpakuto: Unknown

Information: Large and broad individual. Bald head. Red eyes. Bushy eyebrows. Long black beard. Wears the standard Shinigami attire. Wears a large set of red prayer beads around his neck and a pair of single-toothed tengu geta. Oldest pure Shinigami in existence. Takes on a Monk's visage. Wisest of all the Shinigami and holds vast knowledge of all things in the universe. Took part in the Original Sin a million years ago. Leader of the Royal Guard. Resides in the Royal Dimension. Zanpakuto is unknown. Bankai is unknown. Sealed His Majesty's Almighty with little to no effort. Only His Majesty is allowed to face him.

Tsukabishi Tessai

( War Power: Kidō)

Skills: Kido, Hoho, Hakuda

Zanpakuto: Unknown

Former Commander of the Kido Corporation. Arguably the best Kido user in the entirety of the Soul Society. He was banished from the Soul Society due to being framed by Aizen Sōsuke for implanting Hollows inside the souls of Hirako Shinji, Muguruma Kensei, Otoribashi Rojuro, Aikawa Love, Yadomaru Lisa, Sarugaki Hiyori, Kuna Mashiro and Ushoda Hachigen. Resides in the Urahara Shoten.

Shihōin Yoruichi

( War Power: Speed)

Skills: Hakuda, Hoho, Kido

Zanpakuto: Unknown

Information: Twenty-second head of the Shihoin clan. Distinguishing features: female, purple hair, dark skin, Cheshire grin, and golden yellow eyes. Can transform into a black cat to blend in with society. She tends to taunt and make fun of her opponents. Nickname is the Goddess of Flash. Unmatched in Hakuda and Hoho, the second being her student, Shaolin Feng.

Urahara Kisuke

( War Power: Resourcefulness)

Skills: Zanjutsu, Hoho, Kido, Hakuda, Unrivaled Intellect, Psychological Manipulation

Zanpakuto: Benihime. Bankai: Unknown

Information: Sandy blonde hair. Wears a green and white bucket hat and cloak. Extremely laidback and eccentric to throw his enemies off guard. Former Twelfth Division Captain. Former Omnitsukido member and security guard. Creator of the original Hogyoku. Smartest man alive, being rivaled by Aizen Sōsuke, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, and Szayel Apporo Granz combined. Created the beings known as the Vizards. Saved Kurosaki Masaki after she was infected by the Hollow White's reiatsu. Companions are Shihōin Yoruichi, Tsukabishi Tessai, Tsumugiya Ururu and Hanakari Jinta. Created the three-day Bankai technique and was the first one to complete it.

Zaraki Kenpachi

( War Power: Combat Prowess)

Skills: Zanjutsu, Hakuda

Zanpakuto: None.

Information: 11th Division Captain. The eleventh man to hold the title of Kenpachi. Doesn't have a Shikai or Bankai. Loves battle. Has huge amounts of his reiatsu being sealed by an eyepatch. He made himself weak to enjoy his battles. Companion is Kusajishi Yachiru, 11th Division Captain Lieutenant. Distinguishing features are tall and very broad and muscular, with spiky hair that has bells attached to the ends. Defeated the 10th Kenpachi, Kenpachi Kiganjo, with a single swing.

The moment he finished updating the list, he thought about adding his old nemesis in the list, but he quickly decided to do no such thing. Yamamoto was weak, pathetically so and there was no need to add him since the old fool was going to die by his hand anyway. After he did this the door and in walked a tall, young-looking man with a thin build and long blonde hair, which descended past his shoulders, and blonde attire was a variation of the typical white uniform that was worn in Silbern, consisting of the order's signature hooded-cloak, a calf-length trench coat commensurate of his rank with dark green fur running down from his left collar to the front of the coat, a green belt with a golden belt buckle, along with white trousers and shoes. This was Sternritter B Jugram Haschwalth, second-in-command of the Wandenreich and Yhwach's 'other half.'

"You have summoned me, Your Majesty." Haschwalth bowed his head upon reaching the throne.

"Haschwalth." The elder grunted. "I have updated the list of the Special War Threats. Memorize the list and tell the other Sternritters."

The blonde-haired man walked over to the list. He quickly noticed that a certain orange-haired hybrid's name was no longer on the list. He tilted his head in confusion. "Your Majesty, if I may, why have you taken Ichigo Kurosaki's name off the list?"

"That is because he is dead, killed by the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

Haschwalth whipped his head around so fast, it was a miracle he didn't immediately get whiplash.

"What?"

Yhwach nodded once. "Yes, killed by the very same group of people he saved. It was truly an interesting surprise to see them turn their backs on him, including the Kuchiki girl. He even pleaded for mercy but they gave none to him. It's good to see that the Gotei 13 still have some remnants of the first generation in them."

"Yes. But thanks to them, they have unknowingly eliminated one of, if not, the biggest obstacle in your plans." Haschwalth regained his composure as he quickly snapped out of his shock.

"My thoughts exactly. That reminds me," He stared intently at the blonde man. "Why are you here?"

"I came here to tell you that we have found his location, Your Majesty."

Yhwach nodded. "What about the father?"

"He will not be a hindrance."

The Quincy King's lips curled into a cruel smirk as he thought about, in his mind, the most powerful Echt Quincy that currently resided in the World of the Living who mastered the old techniques of their kind. He would have been a valuable asset in his army and made even more powerful if he drank his blood, however the young man was all too stubborn to listen to reason, just like his frail grandfather. It mattered not in the end, because he would soon he would learn that disowning his Quincy heritage was going to have major consequences. "Good, bring him to me as soon as possible. All of my children must return to their father."

"As you command Your Majesty." The man bowed and left the room, focused on completing the mission given to him by His Majesty.