Chapter 51: There Is No Heart Without You
The wound lies deep, like the ocean floor.
The sin is red, growing paler in death.
Old Shiba Chamber, Underneath Noble District
Karin stands in wide-eyed shock at the monster before her. A purple, slimy mass of tentacles and goo occupies the space, completely obscuring her view of her friends in the room, a distance behind it. Large red eyes occupy the top right and left sides of the mass, with large, smiling mouths with teeth underneath them. The blob seems to bubble in multiple locations as the goop continues to spew forth from further within the creature. At the top of the mass is the torso of a once proud Shinigami, whose image has thus far been sullied by the being's true identity—Aaroniero Arruruerie.
Aaroniero's monstrous and human eyes stare down ominously at Rukia and Karin, each wearing faces filled with terror, "Those faces of terror… it seems you're beginning to realize how out of your depth you are…"
The Shinigami continue to listen to the Gillian-turned-Arrancar as the humanoid torso throws his arms out to his sides, trident still in hand, and confidently declaring, "Glotoneria allows me to employ the unique abilities and powers of every Hollow I've devoured—over 34,000 Hollows total!"
Rukia flinches, gasping in shock as she clutches her Zanpakuto. Karin's gaze, meanwhile, shifts to a more intense, serious one—also clutching the blades in her hands. Aaroniero shifts the trident above his head, the goop of his body bubbling and revealing a multitude of distorted, crying masked faces, unnerving the Shinigami as he is poised to strike.
His evil smile widens, "Among the army of Hollows that make up my being, you alone shall sate my hunger, Karin!"
The Hollow charges with such speed that the girl is unable to dodge, so instead elects to defend. Indeed, Karin holds both of her blades as Aaroniero lunges, the monstrous body propelling his form at impressive speed, attempting to devour the girl in his giant, lower maw. Karin's blades are coated in a blue aura as she raises the larger one above her head, and lower below, both of which buckle under the Hollow's massive teeth. The girl winces as the beast applies more pressure, attempting to devour her completely.
The girl sends a look at Rukia, who just snapped out of her trance and begins to hold her sword upside down, "Hurry up! I can't hold this guy for long—"
Karin gasps involuntarily as she feels something touch her bare arm. She looks slowly, with widened, terror-filled eyes at the tongue of the beast—which appears a bubbling mass of individuals with soulless eyes devoid of life. These souls, long since robbed of their individuality and aspirations, reach out to the girl, releasing distorted, eldritch moans as they do so. Karin flinches as she feels one of the individuals clasp her arm in a beckoning manner. Another grabs at her face, which begins to contort in terror as the distorted limb is almost to her.
Just as the hand is about to reach her, the charm around her neck begins to glow a bright blue color, repelling the tongue of the beast and causing the individuals to dissipate. Karin blinks at the sight in confusion as Aaroniero widens his eyes, staring down at the girl urgently.
Before either of them can dwell on this, both hear a familiar voice call out, "Some No Mai, Tsukishiro!"
Aaroniero's humanoid torso and Karin look at Rukia as she says this, the woman now on the left side of the beast, opposite of where was previously, with her sword swung horizontally. In the next moment, a pillar of ice freezes the right side of Aaroniero's lower body, causing the left to cry out in pain, releasing pressure on Karin. The girl doesn't hesitant in jumping away from the massive maw, now free of its clutches. The pair of Shinigami hold their blades at the Hollow as it cries out in pain, however, are very much still cautious of it as the humanoid portion smirks and chuckles.
Rukia's gaze is intense on the beast, demanding, "What's so funny, Hollow?"
The face of Kaien Shiba peers at the woman evilly, which the lower maw begins to do as well. Rukia widens her eyes as the lower maw begins to spit up bright orange flames, which quickly engulf the immediate area. Karin clicks her tongue as the sapphire pommel of her swords glow before the entirety of her blades become coated in a surplus of a water-like substance. The girl swings her blades in a cross shaped pattern, which sends the fluid coating her swords directly at the incoming flames, resulting in a haze as the attacks negate each other. Rukia, meanwhile, avoided being struck by the flames by utilizing a hastily constructed Kido barrier.
Karin's right eye continues to blacken as the beast within the haze laughs, declaring, "I made sure to devour quite a few fire-breathing Hollows in the event that I would be able to see you again, Rukia! Seems it's more than paid off, wouldn't you say?!"
Rukia frowns as her barrier fades away, glaring into the mist carefully. Her eyes shift before widening, holding her blade defensively to her left as a purple, bladed tendril shoots out from the haze and slams into her, sending her flying and crashing through a multitude of the tombstone-like structures.
The mist immediately dissipates in the next moment, leaving the humanoid torso of Aaroniero to appear somewhat confused. Aaroniero glares behind him at the form of a mid-air Karin, with her blades held swung behind her and coated in the vapor, which now glows a faint blue as she prepares to strike. Aaroniero's tendrils launch at the girl with immense speed, attempting to skewer her, however, they are easily repelled as the charm tied around the girl's neck once more lights up.
Aaroniero's eyes are full of fear as the girl's blades then slam into his trident with such ferocity that the torso nearly has it flung from its hands and the entire body staggers somewhat. Karin slashes at the torso with her longer sword in a downward, diagonal manner, drawing blood. Aaroniero grits his teeth before punching the girl in the face with his left hand to push her away, narrowing his eyes at the necklace as he notes it didn't activate. Karin staggers somewhat, allowing Aaroniero to readjust the trident and thrust it at her neck. The girl narrowly avoids being beheaded, however, the trident grazes her neck, cutting the charm off and flying to the ground below.
Karin's brows furrow in anger as she sees this but cannot follow up as Aaroniero's lower mouth then secretes a yellow, pollen-like substance, which has a similar area of effect as the flames did. The Shiba girl immediately begins coughing wildly as the pollen invades her lungs.
One of Aaroniero's tentacles quickly slams vertically into the girl, swatting her to the ground like a bug. Karin bounces off the ground before skidding against it, face first, a distance away from the Hollow. She attempts to get up, but her body immediately seizes as she does, robbing her of her movement.
Aaroniero grunts with a stern expression, "I'll admit, you almost had me there… that charm of yours is quite pesky, repelling Hollow attacks like that… Given your reaction, I take it didn't activate against Ulquiorra. Perhaps it doesn't work against Hollows of his caliber—Vasto Lordes…"
Karin continues coughing, trying but failing to rise to her feet.
Aaroniero attacks the ground near the charm, producing a shockwave that sends it flying away, far from the reach of any of the Shinigami, "I'm afraid that toxin contains the highest grade of paralysis. It was so strong, that I could not devour that Hollow outright, rather I had to devour several other Hollows first with top-class poison immunity…"
The Hollow narrows his eyes viciously, "…You won't be rising to your feet anytime soon, girl…"
Shino and Ryunosuke, behind the beast, call out at the sight, "KARIN!"
The girl's hands clutch around her blades as she gnashes her teeth. She slams the longer blade into the ground, beginning to prop her body upright through sheer willpower. Karin then stares into Aaroniero's eyes with hatred, her right eye almost completely gold with black sclera at this point.
Aaroniero widens his eyes before he glances behind him at the sight of the girl's friends, as well as Rukia, who begins regaining her bearings, before once more staring at the girl, "…but considering who you are, I can never be too sure. I cannot continue to be this careless and fight a needless battle with multiple opponents."
Karin attempts to move but is completely halted in her tracks as a purple, bladed appendage skewers her through her chest. Her eyes widen as she looks down at the appendage in shock. Blood spurts from the girl's mouth before Aaroniero throws her body off a distance, against the side of the wall. Karin's consciousness begins to leave her as she eyes Rukia begin to fight the Hollow and her friends rushing towards her.
Aaroniero doesn't even bother acknowledging Shino and Ryunosuke rushing past him as a smile forms on his face, eyeing Rukia sadistically, "So ready to die for this girl, are you Rukia?"
The raven-haired woman frowns, leveling her blade at the beast, "A monster like you could never understand."
The face of Kaien Shiba continues to smirk as it raises a brow, "Oh? Were you not paying attention? I have all of Kaien Shiba's memories, as well as the memories of thousands of other Hollows who held a sadistic hatred for your kind."
Rukia's eyes narrow as the Espada continues, "Even without those memories, anyone could figure it out. You blame yourself for what happened to Kaien Shiba, so as retribution you see it as absolutely necessary that such a thing doesn't happen to the girl as well."
Rukia growls, a faint white mist beginning to coat her features, "Shut up!"
Aaroniero's smirk widens as his eyes narrow, "Perhaps you made it seem to her that you've done all you have for her sake, but we all know that isn't true. All of this has been to make you feel better."
Rukia's face contorts into one of guilt and denial, tears beginning to coat the edges of her eyes, "I-I said SHUT UP!"
The woman lashes out at the Espada, who, despite his size, easily evades the strike before continuing his verbal onslaught, "Just try telling me I'm wrong! You wouldn't have lied to her if I was… so I've gotta question if you ever really cared about her…?"
Rukia tenses at this, her back turned to the beast as memories of all of the good times she's spent watching over the girl flood through her head, only to ultimately lead to the orders she wished she was strong enough to disobey. Karin's hurt, angry words come to the forefront of her mind, "I'll never forgive you!"
Rukia closes her eyes in guilt, however, opens them with a look of resolve, recalling the words of a particular scarred man about role-models along with all of the time she spent teaching Karin how to fight, the girl's then happy words coming to mind as she hugged her, "I couldn't have done it without your help, Sensei."
The Kuchiki then opens her eyes, turning around to face the Hollow without further hesitation as the white mist around her appears stronger, "Even if she chooses not to forgive me, I will always care for and protect her. No matter what I have to do, I won't allow a monster like you to devour her."
Aaroniero frowns, his eyes relaying disgust, "Fool… you are too weak to stop me."
The Hollow sends a multitude of bladed tentacles at the woman, expecting them to be an instant kill. Unexpectedly, Rukia manages to sidestep the tentacle, which partially freeze upon passing her, causing Aaroniero to widen his eyes. Rukia slashes the tendril to her immediate right, causing it to freeze and shatter upon being cut.
The Espada retracts his tentacles and backs away somewhat, feeling a literal chill rush down his spine as Rukia points her blade defiantly at the face of her previous vice-captain, declaring, "You are the fool if you think Karin was the only one training."
Aaroniero gnashes his teeth, spitting out, "So you're able to adjust your body temperature now, huh? Kudos for you for figuring out that little trick… but you seem to forget…"
Rukia's eyes become full of despair as Reiatsu rains down on her, forcing the white mist to subside as a look of death is in Aaroniero's eyes, "You aren't fighting Kaien Shiba, but Aaroniero Arruruerie… your little parlor tricks have no hope against the likes of an Espada…"
Aaroniero's lower maw suddenly spews forth more intense fire, which Rukia only partially negates thanks to dropping the temperature around her, snuffing a smaller portion of the flames out. The flames send the woman skidding back a distance, her body smoking somewhat as she attempts to regain her bearings. Aaroniero will not permit her this, however, as one of his tentacles sweep up from Rukia's lower left, launching her into the air above the Hollow. As the woman descends, she sees another tentacle launch towards her, attempting to skewer her body as it did with Karin. The Kuchiki shifts her body mid-air, narrowly avoiding the tentacle and bringing her white blade down at the torso of her former vice-captain with a battle cry. Aaroniero catches the blade in between the prongs of his trident, which begins to freeze upon contact.
As the blades clash, the Hollow tsks and shakes his head, "Now, now Rukia, did you really think that an attack like this would kill me…?"
The woman flinches as the man's face is full of cold bloodlust, "You disappoint me."
Aaroniero suddenly twists his hold on the trident, promptly snapping Rukia's Zanpakuto in two, the upper part flying off behind them. Rukia's mouth hangs open in shock before she is suddenly struck by another of Aaroniero's tentacles, slamming her to the ground. Despite it all, Rukia's hold on Sode No Shirayuki does not weaken as one of Aaroniero's tentacles wraps around and constricts the woman as she is hoisted in the air. The Hollow glares at the face of the raven-haired woman, smiling sadistically as the tentacle begins to squeeze harshly on her, prompting her to scream in pain.
A distance away, Shino notices this and wears an urgent expression as she regards Ryunosuke attempting to heal Karin, "Hurry, Ryu!"
The boy frowns deeply as his eyes begin to lose hope, starting to cry, "S-Shino…! S-she's not…!"
Shino widens her eyes as she eyes the form of Karin, with a gaping hole in her chest despite the boy's attempts to mend it, "N-no…! She wouldn't die that easily!"
Aaroniero pauses in his assault on Rukia, finally shifting his gaze to the pair of fresh Shinigami. Suddenly, one of his tentacles launches at Shino, who spins on her heel and raises her blade to block. However, the girl's attempt is useless as the blow slams her into the wall, a bleeding and unconscious mess, evident by the blade falling to the floor from her grasp shortly before the girl herself.
Ryunosuke yelps in despair as the massive tentacle hovers above him before slamming down. As it does this, Rukia shifts the remainder of her blade to point horizontally at the tentacle launching at Ryunosuke, gasping out, "Tsugi No Mai, Hakuren!"
The surface of the tentacle freezes just as it makes contact with the younger Shinigami boy, causing the top layer of skin to shatter as it slams against him. Although the blow was not fatal as it would've been otherwise, it still knocks the boy out.
The Espada smirks, amused, "Really, Rukia? You still think you can fight back, even with a broken Zanpakuto?"
Rukia ignores him, instead finding the willpower to scream out to the dying Shiba girl, "KARIN! I KNOW YOU'RE STRONGER THAN THIS! GET UP!"
Aaroniero raises a brow, questioning, "Huh? Do you honestly think she still has it in her to fight…? You can't be serious… she's on her death bed…"
The raven-haired woman coughs up blood, using everything she has to resist being squeezed to death at that moment, declaring further, "Look, I won't blame you if you choose not to save me, but if you don't get up right now, we all will die! Shino, Ryunosuke, Ganju—EVERYONE!"
Karin's fingers twitch as Aaroniero grunts, "I've heard enough…"
The Espada constricts Rukia far more harshly than before, now clearly squeezing her to death as she howls in pain. It's not long until Rukia's mouth spews more blood, distorting her screams as her bones break under the strain. All the while, Aaroniero laughs sadistically.
?
Karin finds herself floating on a blood-red body of fluid, illuminated by the equally crimson moon now hanging in the dark sky above. The girl's body is unmoving as her eyes are devoid of life and a hole is in the middle of her chest. Around the girl, there is a musty fog, which hides everything from her sight, except the visions held within—visions of Shino, Ryunosuke, and Ganju being struck down one by one by the purple tentacle Hollow.
GET UP!
Within the fog, the form of her Zanpakuto, Aoigetsu, stands in her usual blue attire, which is now stained with blood as well. The woman's right eye shines gold with black sclera and a black branch-like tribal marking runs down the right side of her face. A long, white forward-facing horn protrudes from the right side of her face as well.
The Zanpakuto frowns as her eyes narrow, "You will need to become something you hate to do that…"
The woman quickly follows up with a smile and hums, "But fret now, for I, your Zanpakutō, who you believe is 'Aoigetsu', can temporarily grant you that power to save your life...~"
Karin's body continues to float on the blood lake, not responding to the Zanpakutō's words, making the blue-haired woman frown. After a few moments, the Shinigami's body begins to start sinking, prompting Aoigetsu to walk on the blood lake and approach slowly. A scene reveals itself as the Zanpakuto approaches: Rukia crying out and being crushed to death.
The Zanpakuto pauses as Karin's sinking body begins to extend its arm upward, clutching at the moon desperately. A vision of Aaroniero laughing sadistically as Rukia continues to spit up blood is the only thing that can be seen within the fog now.
KILL HIM!
Aoigetsu closes her eyes solemnly before clasping the girl's outstretched hand, her right eye opening, still gold with black sclera, while he left eye remains shut, blood beginning to seep from it, trailing down her cheek, "As you wish…"
Old Shiba Chamber, Underneath Noble District
Aaroniero continues to crush Rukia with a widened smile, laughing all the while. However, the Espada suddenly stops, feeling a jolt of fear rush up his spine as foreign, malevolent Reiatsu rains down.
The Hollow widens his eyes, absolute horror being the one thing he feels, "W-WHAT'S THIS?!"
He looks to his right to find Karin rising to her feet, blackened blue flames acting as an aura coating her body. The hole within the girl's chest yet remains as her fingernails turn into white claws. A tuft of blue fur hangs above her right shoulder, hugging her neck. Further, identical blue tufts of fur hang around her wrists, which are visible thanks to her bandages being blown off earlier. A mask that hides the left eye covers the girl's face, with a single, white forward-facing horn protruding from the right side of her face. A black, tribal tattoo that looks like a branch runs down the right side of her mask and neck, underneath her black Shihakusho. Lastly, the girl's long black hair flows freely behind her, overall adding to her beastly appearance.
Aaroniero shakes violently as Karin's Hollowfied body raises the long blade in her right hand. In the next moment, a shockwave is produced in the form of a condensed strike, slicing off the tentacle holding Rukia before copious amounts of purple blood spews from the stump.
Aaroniero recoils in pain as Rukia falls limp on the ground. The Hollow eyes Karin's new appearance carefully as he staggers backward, even the bottom half of his body frowning in fear.
The Espada gasps out as he points accusingly at the girl, "Y-you aren't a Shinigami!"
The piercing gold held within the Hollowfied Karin's right eye narrow in mild anger before she shifts her head towards the ceiling and roars, producing a shockwave as she does so. Aaroniero scrambles, pointing his stump at the girl hastily, not caring about anything but surviving at the moment.
The blood of the stump mixes with a Cero in front of him, giving a distorted blue aura to the otherwise only purple blast. Aaroniero widens his eyes as the Hollowfied Karin quickly shifts her face and horn to point at the Espada, charging an aqua blue Cero at its tip. The blasts collide, shaking the entirety of the chamber, although, impressively on the chamber's part, not destroying it. Rukia is flung off a distance due to the blast but manages to stab her half-Zanpakuto into the ground to slow her momentum.
Aaroniero's mouth hangs ajar as he eyes Karin in fear, "Y-you're…"
The Hollowfied Karin's gaze is intense and evil with the piercing gold eye. The horn and blades in her hands seem ready to pierce and tear anything apart. Despite her skin not becoming a pale white and having only one horn and eye, as well as the differences in fur color and tribal markings, the Espada can no longer ignore it. The image of Ichigo as a Vasto Lorde coats the girl's features in the mind of Aaroniero, a bloodthirsty and uncompromising dragon who will slaughter their enemies without fail.
The Arrancar gulps in fear, "WHITE!"
Aaroniero wastes no time, screaming out a fearful eldritch scream as Gran-Rey Ceros launch from each of his tentacles, causing all manner of explosions along the room. The Hollowfied Karin quickly grabs Shino and Ryunosuke before evading all of the Ceros, which fail to destroy the room once more.
The girl disappears with a buzz, which unnerves Aaroniero, who knows what that signifies—Sonido. Karin's form drops Shino and Ryunosuke next to the unconscious form of Ganju before launching her body at the tentacled blob.
Aaroniero shifts back, still screaming in fear as his tentacles come together to form one massive, condensed Gran-Rey Cero, which appears to be rainbow in color. The Cero launches with a shockwave, coating the entirety of the room in its light. The Hollowfied Karin pauses before the blast before swinging the short sword in her left hand horizontally in front of her, creating a sort of suspended blackened blue sword beam in the air. This is followed up by her longer sword swinging down vertically, producing another blackened sword beam that cuts into the first one and launches it off in the shape of a cross.
The blackened double-bladed strike cleaves through the Cero, cutting it into four pieces, which all explode a safe distance away from Shino, Ryunosuke, and Ganju. Aaroniero widens his eyes as the blackened beams, a blue version of White's own blackened red beams, continue through his attack and ultimately slash through his body, chopping the lower portion to pieces as well and causing purple blood to spew everywhere.
Aaroniero's humanoid torso falls to the ground in front of the rest of his body, purple tentacles reaching out from the midsection, perhaps attempting to bring the body back together. The Espada winces, however, as a buzz is heard to his right and the girl slams her foot onto the tentacles, causing them to erupt in purple blood that stains her leg and halts any chance they have at bringing the body back together at the moment.
The girl points her horn down at the Arrancar as a massive blue Cero begins to form at its tip once more. Aaroniero eyes the blast with fear, but in the last moment finds a glimmer of hope in front of him, currently hidden from the Hollowfied Karin's gaze. He promptly throws an object in front of Karin's face, which, despite failing to activate as intended, serves to bring pause to her attack. Karin's gold eye stares at the charm that was around her neck briefly, recognizing it instinctually as something she should not destroy, although missing the reason why in her beastly state.
Aaroniero strikes at that moment by bringing the trident behind him, which slashes the girl's horn off, causing her to stagger as her attack is sent upward, missing Aaroniero and the charm. The girl's mask then promptly shatters before she falls to the ground on her back.
The Hollow scowls, the tentacles from the lower half of his body grabbing onto the other portions of the blob monster, pulling his Resurreccion back together, "You should've stayed down, girl… now that you're dead, you're not even worth devouring…"
Rukia, still lying limp a distance away, stares at the scene with widened eyes, "Karin, no…"
Upon the tentacles forcibly reattaching and rebuilding Aaroniero's lower, blob-like body, he sends Karin's downed form another look of disdain.
The creature notices Rukia's stare a distance away and can't help but smirk, "What's this, Rukia? You felt so confident that Karin would slay me, which honestly was fair. She very well could have killed me, yet she still failed… she should've gone for my head—my only true weak spot! It seems all you've succeeded in teaching her is the art of failure!"
Rukia narrows her eyes as Aaroniero's body limps slowly towards her, the Espada declaring with a frown, "As loath as I am to admit it, that last strike drained nearly all of my Reiryoku… luckily for me, you are still here for me to devour…"
Despite the creature's ghastly promise, Rukia still holds her eyes on the girl behind him, resisting the urge to let surprise show as Reishi flows into the hole in Karin's chest, closing it up and soon followed by the girl beginning to rise to her feet. The girl's eyes are back to their normal color, but the scars from the trident wound are still on her face despite her body healing most of the rest of her wounds.
The Shiba girl bounces in the air and brings her long blade down across Aaroniero's back, leaving a deep wound. The Espada gasps out in pain as he staggers and instinctually lashes out, one of his tendrils managing to puncture Karin's left shoulder, making her cry in pain before her arm goes numb and drops the blade. Karin slams a kick against the blob-like lower body of the Espada, allowing her to retreat a distance to avoid being skewered further.
Aaroniero shifts his body to regard Karin, a scowl on his face to accompany his wrathful, bloodshot eyes, "Now you're through…!"
Karin narrows her gray eyes, scowling with equal levels of disdain before eyeing the shorter, knife-like blade in her left hand, "It's just you and me now, old man… let's make this count…"
The man, for the first time in forever, responds through their mental link, "Understood. It's do or die, now. Wait for him to present an opening and behead him."
Karin's grasp on the blade tightens, prompting it to blaze with the final traces of Reishi that the girl can produce. Aaroniero's tendrils suddenly launch at Karin from multiple sides: top, left, and right. The girl, holding the knife-like black blade in a defensive reverse grip, parries each and every one of the incoming tendrils, able to keep up with faster speeds than she could before the Hollow transformation. As she continues to parry the blows, she slowly and gradually continues to shift her footing such that she begins closing the distance between them, appearing as if dancing or weaving through the torrent of tendrils. While this is happening, Rukia uses all of the willpower she can muster to begin crawling ever so slowly toward the Espada from behind.
Karin flips her blade back into a normal grip before slashing a cluster of tendrils in half, a fierce gaze locked on Aaroniero. The Espada flinches slightly, his scowl deepening before bringing in his tentacles in a defensive manner, recognizing that Karin is now too close for comfort.
Karin immediately halts her advance, seeing that Aaroniero's tentacles and large lower mouth will not grant her any exploitable openings that she could take without running any real risk. Some of the tendrils then rain down on her, forcing her to now go on the defensive as well to avoid losing any ground. She parries the tendrils and attempts to move forward, only for flames to spew forth from the large mouth, making her block with a blast of water from her Zanpakuto. Further, additional tendrils shoot at her, forcing her to backpedal slightly to avoid being struck in the face.
It's at this moment that Karin's eyes light up somewhat, noticing a white blade held up behind the beast. There, Karin sees Rukia, who looks back at her with resolute eyes, merely nodding in affirmation. Karin immediately plants her foot on the ground before launching herself at Aaroniero's upper, humanoid torso.
Aaroniero smirks wickedly, poising his trident and tendrils to pierce the incoming girl, "FOOL!"
Karin's eyes burn with determination as she holds her blade behind her, water coating the entirety of it as she prepares to land a decisive blow on the Hollow. Although this leaves herself completely open to attacks… or so it seems. As if in slow motion Karin and Rukia both bring their blades down upon Aaroniero, one from the back and one from the front.
As Rukia's Zanpakuto makes contact from behind, Aaroniero widens his eyes slightly in realization as the woman calls, "SAN NO MAI, SHIRAFUNE!"
The woman's blade immediately reforms to its full form, completely piercing through the lower core of Aaroniero's body, causing it to shatter along with the multitude of tendrils as the thousands of souls within the Espada howl in suffering.
The face of Kaien Shiba contorts to horror as Karin's head slowly tilts to the right as she brings her black blade with an aqua-blue fluid-like aura forward, narrowly evading the trident as she rockets directly at Aaroniero. The skin around Aaroniero's neck hardens as Karin's incoming blow connects, seemingly stopping it in its tracks. The Espada adjusts his trident, slamming it through Karin's left shoulder and breast area, causing the girl to gasp in pain. There is a desperate, feral look in both Karin and Aaroniero's eyes, each determined to kill the other.
Yet, Karin's determination shines brighter, as she seemingly doesn't even react to the trident. The girl roars, her eyes losing their pupils, using everything she has left in a do-or-die attempt to kill the Arrancar, summoning strength she didn't even know she had. Her sword cuts deeper into Aaroniero's neck, about halfway, making the Hollow widen his eyes in fear, life flashing before his eyes.
Years Ago, Las Noches
An Adjucha backs away from Aaroniero, pleading with the Espada, "P-please Master Aaroniero! SHOW MERCY!"
Aaroniero appears masked before the creature, holding his tentacle-like left hand before the Adjucha sadistically, "Oh? And why should I do that? I heard you say that all Gillians are weaker than Adjuchas… that would include me as well…"
The Adjucha stammers, "I-I…"
The Adjucha's gaze falls to a figure standing at the door behind them, Zommari, "M-master Zommari!"
Aaroniero hisses as he turns to regard his companion, "Stay out of this! HE DISRESPECTED US!"
Zommari narrows his eyes slightly before closing them and turning away, "My apologies…"
Aaroniero chuckles before piercing the Adjucha with his maw-like appendage, beginning to devour the poor creature as it cries out in pain.
Zommari pauses his stride and states with certainty, which gains the other Espada's attention, "You are powerful Aaroniero, but you must learn not to play with your food too much… otherwise…"
Aaroniero and Zommari lock gazes as the former awaits the latter's conclusion.
Present, Old Shiba Chamber, Underneath Noble District
Karin's blade slashes through the entirety of Aaroniero's neck, sending it flying off and staring wide-eyed at the determined form of the girl falling towards the ground and recalling the other Espada's words, "…otherwise they might be the end of you…"
The face of Kaien Shiba closes its eyes as it seemingly peels off to reveal two different, much smaller heads that appear completely masked and begin to glow and fade into the air, along with the rest of the creature's body, "Forgive us, Lord Aizen…"
Karin lands on her feet, panting wildly as the body behind her completely fades into the air, a sure sign that the Hollow has been purified. On cue, the doors of the chamber open as well, confirming that Aaroniero is, in fact, dead. Karin looks at the door briefly before tipping her head back and roaring in victory. The girl, however, widens her eyes as she loses her balance somewhat before planting her feet on the ground, ensuring she maintains her bearings. She smiles widely at Rukia subconsciously, finding this feeling of victory too liberating to deny.
Rukia can't help but smile as tears of relief fall from her eyes, "F-finally, it's over…"
Karin blinks before she scowls and looks away, "Over? Hardly…"
The raven-haired woman furrows her brows and looks away as well, "Before we get into that… Karin, that form you used…"
The girl narrows her eyes, "I know… that wasn't me, but…"
She sighs as her scowl deepens, "I'll do whatever it takes to get the job done."
Rukia's gaze drops considerably upon seeing the look in the girl's eyes, "She shouldn't think like this… she's too young…"
There is an uncomfortable silence between the two, which allows them to hear the many footsteps approaching from the hallway.
Rukia shifts her head slightly, still limp on the ground, "That's Squad 9…"
Karin walks a distance away, retrieving the charm from her mother and quietly placing it in her breast pocket as Rukia seemingly decides on something, "The other students likely told them you know about your sister…"
Karin twitches, her gaze souring a degree, "Just let them try to stop me…"
Rukia frowns and looks down, "The Head Captain is hunting your sister as we speak…"
The girl widens her eyes, now staring at her mentor, who continues, "She escaped roughly a day ago and is somewhere within the Seireitei from what I heard from Squad 9… if you leave now, you should be able to evade Squad 9 and have a shot at reaching her."
The Shiba girl doesn't react as she places her short sword underneath her sash, an aqua-blue sheathe forming around it. The girl then retrieves her long blade from the floor and swings it behind her, another blue sheathe forming around it. Finally, the girl tears off sections of her Shihakusho with her mouth before managing to wrap her wounded shoulders tightly with her weakened left arm and teeth, grunting in slight pain as she does so. Her arms begin to hang limply as the adrenaline wears off—certainly not an ideal condition for a swordswoman. However, the girl must press on despite it all, so looks towards the exit with resolve.
Karin pauses before walking towards Ganju. She kneels before him, tearing off sections of her Shihakusho once more and wrapping them around the man's midsection where he was struck.
This prompts the raven-haired woman to comment, "Squad 9 is fair to all—they will see to it that your cousin is healed to the best of their ability."
The girl rises to her feet and nods before she begins to walk towards the chamber doors, however, halts as Rukia adds with a somber tone, "I'm sorry I was too much of a coward to tell you the truth…"
Karin glances down at Rukia's back, the woman unable to shift her body to face the girl properly as she continues, "…I didn't want what was happening to your sister to happen to you too… that's what the Head of the Tsunayashiro Clan was willing to do if you found out… I tried to talk him out of executing your sister, but he didn't listen. They never do…"
Rukia sighs deeply as she chokes down a sob, "I was afraid that if I pushed them any further, they would execute you, your father, and your cousins too, just to make an example. If I were just a bit stronger or a bit more resourceful, maybe I could've put a stop to the execution altogether… for that, I'm truly sorry, Karin…"
Karin softens her gaze slightly as she looks down at her mentor, "I wish I could forgive you, Sensei, I really do… If it were anything except my family, I would… but there are just some things that you can't forgive…"
Rukia continues to sob as Karin turns away, beginning to walk through the chamber doors, "Goodbye, Sensei…"
A few minutes pass before Shuhei, along with twenty or so Shinigami from Squad 9 arrive at the chambers, the Vice-Captain gasping at the scene of a sobbing Rukia and the multitude of corpses strewn on the ground. Out of all of that, however, he notes the lack of a particular person of interest.
The scarred man shifts his gaze to one of the Shinigami behind him, ordering, "You there! Go inform Captain Tosen that Karin Shiba has left the chamber!"
The Shinigami nods before rushing off to do as ordered as Rukia, still on the ground and sobbing slightly, steels her gaze, "Godspeed, Karin…"
Meanwhile, Seireitei
Still under the guise of the Reishi-suppressing cloak, Ichigo traverses the wreckage of the former Squad 7 Barracks, finding them nearly completely leveled. The Arrancar narrows his eyes at the scene briefly before suddenly adjusting his gaze behind him. He stares off at the Noble District in the distance with a peculiar and somewhat intrigued look in his gaze. Instinctually, the young Hollow King feels something pulling towards him—something familiar yet foreign at the same time. The orange-haired Hollow furrows his brows, unable to explain this feeling as he doesn't actually sense any Reiatsu, rather this is something that tugs at the core of his being; a gut feeling, if you will. Just as soon as the young Hollow begins to contemplate the feeling, it passes.
Ichigo blinks before grunting and shaking his head, "That was weird…"
The Arrancar then leaves the area, continuing towards the streets leading to the Squad 8 Barracks, which appear seemingly spotless compared to the rubble that is the Squad 7 Barracks. He quietly traverses the streets, noting that even the traditional walls, which make the streets something of a maze, remain. The Hollow pauses as he hears a pair of voices up ahead, prompting him to listen intently.
Hidden from sight, Ichigo observes two figures in black approach. The first is a young-looking male Shinigami with chin-length black hair. The boy wears a concerned expression on his face as he listens to his taller companion.
His companion, a seemingly well-built man with black, slicked-back hair and wearing a black leather jacket, remarks with a scowl, "I'm through waiting on Ukitake… that train has been completely derailed!"
The boy next to him furrows his brows, meekly attempting to argue, "But if the Head Captain finds us…"
The man's scowl deepens, causing the boy to flinch, "Look, kid, you owe me your life, so the least you could do is grow a pair, quit whining, and help me find Kurosaki before that pyromaniac does!"
Still hidden from the pair's gaze, Ichigo raises a brow of interest, his thoughts relaying slight confusion, "I thought all of the Shinigami wanted to execute Yuzu… I recall Aizen mentioned he had allies among the Shinigami here… are these two who he was referring to…?"
The Hollow King blinks, his eyes narrowing as he looks upon the man in the leather jacket, "In any case, something is off about that guy… is he really a Shinigami…?"
Ichigo widens his eyes and looks up slightly, on top of one of the nearby walls. Soon after, the man in the jacket does the same before shoving his partner to the side and sidestepping a blade plunging towards him, held within the grasp of a ninja-like figure. The figure clicks its tongue as it eyes the retreating man. The man in the jacket eyes the ninja-looking figure with spiky, lavender hair, noting the blade fastened to their right forearm, which seems to have a round glass object attached in place of a guard.
The figure then chuckles rather gleefully as he states calmly, "To think I would be so lucky as to find you first, Kugo Ginjo."
The boy, now behind the figure, lets out a yelp, just now able to react, "W-where did he come from?!"
Ginjo's brow twitches, his expression somewhat intrigued, "What, am I some kind of trophy or something…?"
The unknown man narrows his eyes, no longer chuckling, "You are the second most wanted man in the Soul Society, of course, you are a trophy!"
Ginjo narrows his eyes in turn, grabbing the cross-shaped necklace around his neck, pulling it off, and prompting it to extend into a massive great sword, "Stay out of my way, Hanataro."
The boy nods before stepping back, creating more distance between himself and the ninja. Ginjo and the ninja rush at each other, suddenly clashing blades, creating a sort of dance. The ninja strikes high, but Ginjo ducks before thrusting his blade at the ninja. The ninja, or rather, assassin, smirks underneath their mask, shifting their forearm so that the light of the sun reflects off the glass, mirror-like guard of the blade. Ginjo's eyes are blinded as the light hits them, but interestingly his movements also come to a momentary halt, allowing the assassin to strike vertically along the man's chest, drawing blood.
In the next moment, Ginjo staggers backward, clutching his fresh wound. His eyes are widened in confusion and horror, "W-wait… that was…!"
The assassin chuckles, "Recognize it? You should. This blade, Saiga, was created using the remains of a Fullbringer's power!"
Ginjo trembles as he growls lowly in anger, "You grave robbed Daiki's House of Mirrors…?!"
The assassin lets out a low grunt, "No, I wasn't personally involved with that incident… but I had heard of it… an entire group wiped out and covered up like nothing happened. I envy the assassins who participated…"
The Fullbringer flinches in anger as the lavender-haired figure levels the blade at him, "But don't worry, Ginjo, I'll make sure to reunite you with them by salvaging that cross of yours from your corpse!"
Ginjo's sword glows with a green aura as he begins to charge furiously at the assassin, "YOU BASTARD!"
The assassin is about to intercept the Xcution leader when he notices something, causing him to backpedal somewhat. Ginjo suddenly flinches as the earth around him morphs, turning into a jagged structure that erupts from the ground, striking him in the middle of the chest. The Fullbringer recoils in pain, stumbling around slightly as he eyes a new arrival behind him; a large man wearing white robes and an eyepatch over his right eye. The man also wears large, bronze gauntlets, which he has slammed into the ground, a fissure seeming to go from his fist towards where the protruding structure is.
Ginjo eyes the gauntlets helplessly, "Haruki's Nature's Wrath…!"
The newly arrived assassin grunts at the first one, "Don't think we'll let you steal all of the glory for yourself, Hanza!"
The first assassin, Hanza, narrows his eyes as he looks behind the larger man, a yelp being heard. Hanataro now stands within the grasp of a short, hunched scarred man without hair on the top of his head but a grey mullet in the back. The short assassin cackles as he holds a dagger up to Hanataro's neck, taking the boy hostage. Of note, there are a pair of metallic dentures within the man's mouth, suggesting a lack of natural teeth.
Ginjo flinches as he notices this, "Are those… Isamu's Blade Shooter…?!"
Hanza and Ginjo also shift their gaze to a nearby wall, finding another, lankier assassin with brown, slicked back hair, who wears a lavender scarf around his neck with blades at the ends.
Ginjo's eyes twitch as he recognizes the scarf, "Even Fuji's Deathly Mirage…?!"
Hanza grunts before he notes the trio in order of appearance, "So you've come, Genga, Jinnai, and Kuzuryu…? I thought you chose other targets…"
The man with brown hair, Kuzuryu, responds directly, "The auburn-haired girl is currently under Kenpachi Zaraki's protection… as for the others…"
The hunched-over man, Jinnai, grunts, making Hanataro tremble in his grasp, "Those two girls looked weak… their powers are likely on par with a 5th seat at best…"
The larger man, Genga, growls, "ENOUGH! We kill him now, Hanza!"
The lavender-haired assassin nods as they both begin to approach Ginjo, who struggles to stand.
Ichigo, still under cover, narrows his eyes at the sight, feeling somewhat conflicted, "I don't fully understand what's happening, but this guy is definitely not a Shinigami. I probably should help him… yet is it really worth wasting the time when that fire bastard is still out there looking for Yuzu…?"
As the men close in, Ginjo snaps at them wrathfully, "YOU BASTARDS! Were my old friends not enough for you?! Do you yet seek to slay even my new family?! I bet you're even after Kurosaki's power, aren't you?!"
Genga raises his fists above Ginjo, preparing to bring them down on the man, "OF COURSE WE ARE! That will be the greatest prize after Yamamoto kills her! NOW DIE!"
Ginjo clicks his tongue, grabbing for something within his jacket in a last-ditch attempt, but pauses as he feels a crushing pressure on him. The assassins all widen their eyes, trembling as they regard the scene before them. There, in the middle of the street, the Hollow King stands, holding Genga's left wrist in a vice grip within his right hand.
The assassin stares down at Ichigo in fear, recognition held within his eyes. Ichigo's clawed white hand clutches harder on the assassin's wrist, making him howl in pain. Then, the Hollow closes his fist entirely, causing the hand to bend back naturally before the bones shoot out from the flesh under the pressure, causing a bloody explosion that blows the gauntlet off a distance away.
Genga staggers, still howling in pain as there is a stump where his left hand used to be. Ichigo's gaze is feral as he wastes no time slamming his left fist through the assassin's midsection, completely puncturing his body. The assassin coughs out blood, hunched over and now bleeding on top of Ichigo's smaller frame. The young Hollow grunts as he straightens the fingers along his right hand and brings it down, savagely beheading the assassin with a chop and causing his body and head to fall and roll to the ground, coating it red.
The other assassins all flinch as Ichigo settles a death glare on them, causing Kuzuryu to urgently gasp, "W-WHITE!"
Hanza notices that Ichigo's fierce gaze is squarely on him, causing the assassin to instinctively scramble, using the light of the Saiga, or rather, House of Mirrors, at full output. Ichigo is right before him as this happens, his eyes closed to avoid being paralyzed like Ginjo.
Despite this, however, Ichigo hears a familiar, gentle voice, "That's enough, Ichigo…"
Ichigo's claws are an inch away from piercing Hanza's neck as they suddenly screech to a halt, the world around him warping to appear like something of a void.
Within Ichigo's Vision
Within the void, the young Hollow widens his eyes as a vast collection of mirrors seemingly appear around him, forcing him to look into one of them in confusion. His reflection is as expected at first, the pale, horned figure of the Hollow King. However, the reflection soon warps to that of himself as a child, reminiscent of one of his past visions. The boy's eyes are empty, devoid of all-purpose and emotion. Ichigo can't help but find himself in a trance as he matches the boy's gaze. The scene around him, or rather, the boy in the mirror is of the river along Karakura Town, where his mother died. The sun shines brightly in the sky as the child wraps himself in a ball, sniveling.
Suddenly, Ichigo hears footsteps behind him, and the same gentle voice calls out, "Now, Ichigo, that's enough…"
Ichigo turns around, looking up the riverbank to find his mother, smiling beautifully at him with her hand outstretched. He can hardly believe his eyes as he shoots to his feet, running into her embrace, an even more sniveling mess.
The woman softens her gaze as she hugs her son, the boy crying to her, "M-mommy! You're alive! B-but… I killed—"
The woman clutches the boy's hair, causing him to wince, "That's right… you killed me…"
Ichigo widens his eyes as he shifts his gaze to look up at his mother, "M-mommy, stop! You're hurting me—"
Masaki wraps her hands around Ichigo's neck, cutting him off as she begins to choke him. She wears a foreign, evil smirk on her face as she continues to apply pressure, causing the boy to gag as she declares, "This is what you deserve, insolent child! If only you had died that day instead of me, you filthy damn Hollow!"
Ichigo's form returns to its usual state as his mother continues to choke him, holding him in the air. Despite everything, the teenage Hollow does not fight back, his eyes full of despair, yet contentment as he looks upon his mother.
The boy closes his eyes in acceptance, "She's right… If I am to die, I want it to be by her hands…"
Reality, Seireitei
Ichigo stands seemingly paralyzed in place before Hanza, who breathes heavily due to suddenly exerting so much of his power.
The assassin's breath hitches before he calms somewhat, seeing the Hollow with a trance-like look in his eyes, "I…"
Hanza steps away beginning to laugh, "I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT ACTUALLY WORKED! WE'VE DEFEATED WHITE!"
The other two assassins blink before smiling, seemingly agreeing with the man, about to celebrate.
Ginjo rains on their parade with a laugh of his own, prompting Hanza to furrow his brows as he eyes the man with disdain, "What's so funny, Ginjo?"
The Fullbringer smirks wickedly, "You haven't defeated shit, nor do you even understand how House of Mirrors works!"
Hanza narrows his eyes, demanding, "Well, do you care to enlighten us?"
Ginjo scoffs, starting to rise to his feet from behind Ichigo's paralyzed body, "Why not… House of Mirrors reflects light onto its opponent, trapping them momentarily in a trance if it makes contact with their eyes. Within the trance, the victim sees their most earnest desires, so they naturally won't want to leave… at max output, the user negates the requirement of the light making contact with the opponent's eyes. In general, the output level determines how long the visions last, but it's still only momentary."
Hanza widens his eyes, beginning to catch on as Ginjo, now standing, questions, "So, how long do you think someone of White's power will be trapped in it…?"
Ichigo's hand twitches before moving forward and wrapping around Hanza's neck, chocking the man. The assassin flails desperately, trying to break free from the Arrancar's grasp, but finds himself unable to do much of anything. The assassin's eyes relay something akin to despair as he realizes Ichigo is actually still in a trance as his eyes are still distant, with tears flowing from them, as if he's looking right through the man at something else entirely—something immensely personal to him.
Within Ichigo's Vision
As if switching positions, Ichigo is now the one choking his mother, tears streaming down both sides of his face as he watches the woman flail and struggle for breath.
The teen trembles as his eyes shine with a twisted resolve, "I'm sorry… but I can't die yet… Yuzu needs me…"
The woman's face contorts in rage as she curses the boy out, "DAMN YOU, BRAT! Do you not have any love left for your own mother?! Do you not have any shame?!"
Ichigo tightens his grip, shutting the woman up as he continues to cry, answering her dejectedly, "I've killed you once already… doing it again should make no difference…"
Masaki widen her eyes as Ichigo fully tightens his grip, resulting in a popping noise. The woman's body then falls limp, causing Ichigo's head to tilt towards the ground as he continues to tremble, his tears not stopping.
Reality, Seireitei
Ichigo blinks, tears still in his eyes as he looks upon the limp corpse of Hanza held within his grasp. He hears the remaining two assassins shout at each other but doesn't react to their words as he is still focused on the corpse in front of him.
Jinnai shoves Hanataro to the side as he begins to chew on one of his daggers, calling out to Kuzuryu, "I'll distract him; you get the seals ready!"
Kuzuryu growls at his companion, "Fool! Those seals won't work on someone of his caliber—they'll only slow him down!"
Jinnai continues to chew on the steel in his maw, snapping, "Well, how else are we going to get out of here?!"
The other assassin widens his eyes, realizing that his peer has given up at any notion of fighting the Hollow to win, rather simply to escape with their lives. Kuzuryu then narrows his eyes, reaching for a pair of Reishi cuffs, which appear like a rope knotted in a figure eight.
Ichigo finally gets his bearings back, suddenly dropping Hanza to the ground as Jinnai begins to spit highly pressurized pellets of steel from his mouth. Ichigo spins on his heel to intercept these pellets, which actually manage to pierce through his Hierro slightly, causing him to narrow his eyes in mild annoyance.
The Hollow begins to form a red Cero within the palm of his left hand but pauses as he widens his eyes at something behind the small assassin. Kuzuryu and Ginjo similarly widen their eyes, both jumping away from the street urgently.
Jinnai pauses, frowning as he starts to look behind him, "What—"
An electrified, red and white fist is what greets him, landing directly in his face as the owner of the fist declares, "LA MUERTE!"
The ground directly behind Jinnai is promptly destroyed, forming a skull-shaped crater in its wake. The assassin himself, now unconscious, slowly falls into the crater, his face bleeding profusely. Ichigo and Ginjo stare down at the scene in awe, recognizing the new arrival as a friend and ally. Kuzuryu meanwhile breathes quick, nervous breaths, sweat falling from his brow before he urgently turns and runs off to escape, disappearing with Flash Step.
Hanataro trembles on the ground as he looks up at the hulking figure responsible for the attack, a Latino teen wearing a tan cloak with a particular crest on the back, "T-that's the Shihoin C-crest…!"
The teen ignores Hanataro as he locks eyes with Ichigo, who still wears a look of slight dread. Ginjo soon disappears with a flash of green flames, appearing next to the teen's side, suddenly stabbing the denatured assassin with his blade, absorbing his powers.
The man goes on to do the same with Genga's and Hanza's corpse, noting to himself, "Rest now, my friends…"
By this point Ichigo has returned to the ground, both him and Chad still locking gazes, neither yet daring to utter a word.
Ginjo returns to Chad's side, looking back and forth between the pair before whispering a warning to the Latino boy, "Be careful, Chad… He hasn't attacked us yet, but we can't let our guards down… that's the Hollow White…"
Chad widens his eyes, a look of shock on his face, "Wait… but he looks like… Ichigo…"
Ichigo narrows his eyes, his mind finally returning to him as he states in slight annoyance, "That's because I am Ichigo…"
Ginjo's brow twitches, a frown on his face, "He heard us…?"
The Latino boy, meanwhile, steels his gaze, recalling the experience with Grand Fisher, demanding, "If you're Ichigo, prove it…"
Now it is the orange-haired Hollow's turn to widen his eyes, staring at Chad in bafflement. After a moment, the Arrancar groans, rubbing his hand against his head, "You too, huh…?"
Chad raises a brow as Ichigo stares back at him with a more serious gaze, "Yuzu asked the same thing of me when I… visited Karakura Town…"
Ginjo interjects, jabbing with a scowl, "More like, tried to burn it to the ground!"
Ichigo winces, looking away in shame. Chad blinks, taking note of that response.
The Fullbringer continues to lay into the Hollow King, not allowing their difference in strength to scare him off, "And that's just the start… Do you realize just how close we were to rescuing Kurosaki when you decided to paint the Seireitei red?! Now, the Head Captain is directly involved—and it's all your fault! …but, of course, you don't feel any shame about that do you? You probably just want to eat her—"
"Ginjo, stop.", Chad states sternly.
The man's brow twitches as he looks up at the Latino, flinching as he meets the teen's look of fury. Grunting, Ginjo backs off, stepping away as he calms down, "Whatever…"
Meanwhile, Chad's gaze softens on Ichigo, who is still looking away, as he states, "I can tell that you are telling the truth about being Ichigo."
The Hollow blinks, staring back at his old friend with hope in his gaze. Hanataro and Ginjo look at each other in confusion before the latter takes on a baffled look.
Ginjo frowns, "Wait, you can't be serious, Chad! This is a Hollow we're talking about! They lie through their teeth to get what they want and will slaughter and devour just as easily! Trust me, I've seen my fair share of them!"
Chad admits, "I don't know nearly as much about Hollows as you, but I do know Ichigo. He saved your life, Ginjo… and he looks ashamed of killing innocents. Not to mention someone of his power has no need for a disguise or underhanded tactics. Frankly, if he isn't Ichigo, then I have no idea who he could be."
Ichigo stares at Chad with his mouth somewhat agape, not knowing what to say in response to his friend defending him. The Xcution leader meanwhile looks between the two before sighing and turning to walk off.
The other three shift their gazes on him as he motions for them to follow, "There's an entrance to an underground passage nearby where we can talk more privately… I'd say with that last attack, Yamamoto will be here any minute. Best to not be here we he is…"
Chad gives the man an appreciative nod before looking back at Ichigo, who looks somewhat baffled.
Hanataro, meanwhile, follows very closely behind Ginjo as they walk off, a look of dread on his face as he whispers, "W-we d-didn't just agree to t-travel with W-W-White did we…?"
Ginjo shrugs, a somewhat amused look on his face now that he's calmed himself down, "Seems that way…"
Chad frowns as he notices Ichigo look back at the corpse of Hanza, the teenage Hollow's thoughts far from positive, "I… I'm type of guy who openly kill his own mother to get what he wants… yet, they want me to go with them… I know Chad's known me for a long time, but would things change if he knew what I did to my mom…"
Ichigo blinks as he notices an outstretched right fist held in the air before him. He eyes the owner, noting that Chad decided to close the distance between them while he was lost in thought.
The Latino smiles confidently, stating nostalgic words, "I'll fight for you…"
The orange-haired Hollow widens his eyes, a stream of memories returning to him as he recalls everything he's been through with Chad, his best friend.
For the first time since he's become a Hollow, Ichigo wears a genuine, toothy grin, raising his fist to bump up against Chad's, "…and you'll fight for me… right?"
Chad returns the grin, nodding as he asserts, "Let's save Yuzu together, partner."
Ginjo meanwhile can't help but crack a slight smile as he looks back at the scene over his shoulder. The man lets out a short sigh before proceeding towards the alleged tunnel entrance.
Author's Note:
Ok, so I went through and made some changes with the ending to this chapter, and I think it's WAY better now. This is why reviews can be really important in helping the story improve as sometimes I can make a misstep or two. Failure is the ultimate experience, after all!
Chapter notes:
I hope this chapter has served to get rid of any doubts that Karin will end up as one of the most powerful characters in the story. She has just scratched the surface of her powers and obviously has a ton of more room to grow.
Note: Karin's Full Hollow form in this chapter is stronger than Ichigo's base/unreleased state but weaker than his Resurreccion at this point in the story. This form would be stronger than Ichigo at this point due to her true Shikai, but her Quincy side is still nerfing her Zanpakutō powers even now. This is also why she doesn't beat Aaroniero immediately after unlocking Shikai. This isn't counting any training she can do with Squad 0 later on. I shall explore the nerfing of her powers by her Quincy side at a later time as well.
Concerning more details about the assassins and Fullbringer conspiracy… you'll have to see in the later chapters. I will say that given they are filler characters, I wanted to include them in some extent, but obviously given that most of them died the chapter they were introduced, it goes without saying that I don't plan to treat them with the same level of respect as canon or even light novel characters… except maybe Nozomi, I have things planned for her.
Just as a note for those who might appreciate it, Ginjo dealing with illusion powers before now adds context for when he told everyone to look away when fighting Aizen.
Lastly, CHAD AND ICHIBRO, THEY'RE BACK BABY!