Bleach: Three Paths

by Getsuga Goon

What if Rukia arrived too late at the start of Bleach? You'd be surprised. The fates of the Kurosakis would be forever changed by this one event. Takes inspiration from the Bleach Fanfiction named "White" by Melkor's Mercy. [Cross-posted on Ao3.] Cover image by Chris-Jin on DeviantArt.

63. Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Weight of the Crown

Author's Note: This chapter will cover the second lemon/sex scene of the story. I have marked it just like with the first one, so you all can skip it if you want to.

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Once more, the single-horned and orange-haired form of Ichigo finds himself completely submerged in an ocean, skyscrapers the only thing he can see around him. He treads through the water briefly before balancing himself against a glass window of one of the buildings, a notably troubled look on his pale white face. His long, weathered white Gi floats in the water as he looks around intently, seemingly looking for something.

After a moment, a distorted voice hisses to the Hollow King's right, "Looking for me?"

Ichigo shifts his gaze to the form of Zangetsu, a mirror image of himself excluding the white hair, black fur, and black mask.

The Hollow scowls, demanding, "Why am I here, Zangetsu?"

The Zanpakutō growls with contempt lacing his voice, "How DARE you almost get us killed AGAIN! You almost had him, but just like last time, you remain weak!"

Ichigo widens his eyes and stiffens, the words of his Zanpakutō echoing from their previous conversation. The boy wears a strained expression as he recalls his fight with Grimmjow in vivid detail, prompting him to glance down at his previously bloodstained hands.

He tries to argue, "No… I'm not a savage animal!"

The boy's desperate words make Zangetsu's eyes twitch, unamused by his wielder's attempts.

After a long moment of silence, the Zanpakutō speaks with a frown, "That's a lie and you know it."

Ichigo widens his eyes and looks at the spirit of his blade, who distantly explains, "Hollows kill each other all the time just to survive. You get used to it. Part of you might even come to enjoy it…"

As the blade's words linger, he fixes a gaze on his wielder, making the boy flinch, "Of course, it wasn't always this way. When you were a human, or even during the twilight of your existence as a Gillian, you detested murder completely."

Ichigo's brows scrunch as he quietly treads on the water, not liking where this is going.

Zangetsu continues as he looks up at the water's surface, the light of a singular moon refracting through the water on them, "Yet now, having regained parts of your humanity by evolving into a Vasto Lorde and later an Arrancar, you desperately cling to that human part of yourself and think yourself a monster for all the murder you have committed... Despite this, you cannot bring yourself to admit the fact that, deep down, you enjoy being the monster you've become, especially in front of your friends..."

The orange-haired Arrancar wears a strained expression as he quietly denies, "Y-you're wrong… I don't…"

The white-haired Zanpakutō ignores his wielder, continuing unimpeded, "To admit your lust for bloodshed would deny the idea that every Hollow you devoured was to restore your memories. It would deny that every human who may have been caught in the crossfire died for the greater good of Hueco Mundo. And, of course, it would deny that every single Shinigami you killed was for Yuzu's sake. To say you love murder would reduce all of that to simply being excuses for you to bathe in the bloodshed."

Ichigo grits his teeth, a completely desperate look on his face as he struggles to come up with a rebuttal.

Zangetsu hisses lowly as his gaze falls to his wielder, "Your aversion to the idea is logical… but I don't need to remind you that Hollows are NOT logical creatures. They are instinctual ones. Denying that will only make you weak!"

The young Hollow's eyes widen slowly as his counterpart raises a hand to point at him, "It's as I told you before, Ichigo, you are weak because you choose to be..."

His blade's reiterated words make Ichigo snap in desperation, "NO! THAT WAS ALL YOU! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO LOVES BLOODSHED! NOT ME!"

Zangetsu nods and looks at the teen seriously, "And you seem to be forgetting... I am you, White..."

The Hollow King's heterochromatic eyes widen upon hearing the reminder from his Zanpakutō. Indeed, the recollection of their instinctual oath as accomplices is at the forefront of his mind. The vision of his inner world begins to fade as the young Hollow closes his conflicted eyes, still unwilling to admit having a lust for bloodshed.

As the form of Ichigo now fades from his inner world, Zangetsu looks up at the light of the moon above the water's surface again, a frown on his face, "What you want to protect is not the same thing that I want to protect, Ichigo… but… what we do have in common, at least at the moment, are the ones we want to harm and destroy…"

Infirmary, Las Noches

Ichigo awakens with a jolt, once more on a stone table within the main infirmary of Las Noches. He looks at the forms of Orihime, Tatsuki, Sora, Nelliel, Loly, and Menoly in his immediate field of vision, surrounding the table and wearing worried expressions. Behind them, and near the entrance of the room, are the forms of Aizen, Tosen, Gin, Szayel, and Roka, observing quietly. Nelliel and Sora's Fraccions lean against a wall along the side of the room while the curious forms of Halibel and her followers stand behind Sora, but in front of the group near the entrance.

The Hollow King finds the gazes of the people surrounding him shift slightly toward relief as the auburn-haired girl, once again appearing completely exhausted, smiles weakly, "Thank goodness you're alright…"

The black-haired karate girl nods while crossing her arms and wearing a slight frown, "You had us worried while you were knocked out. What the heck were you dreaming about?"

Ichigo blinks before quickly sitting up, ignoring her as he looks directly at Orihime with an intense stare. The auburn-haired girl flinches slightly under the gaze, recalling exactly what happened the last time they were in this situation, making her instinctually grab at her neck. Sora and Tatsuki narrow their eyes at the sight, prepared to impede the teen Hollow in case he tries anything he will regret later. Ichigo, however, frowns slightly as his gaze softens, recalling the look of horrified, tearful confusion on the girl's face when he fought Grimmjow.

The orange-haired King's gaze drops, averting from the girl as he regards her, "I am sorry for frightening you when I was fighting, Orihime… I should have controlled myself better…"

The auburn-haired girl widens her eyes at the boy's words as everyone else in the room looks at her. Loly and Menoly both frown slightly with envy in their gazes as they look upon the girl.

After a moment, Orihime blushes before waving her hands defensively, stuttering, "I-it's alright, Ichigo! I'm still trying to get used to the atmosphere in Las Noches! I-I'm sure I'll get used to it!"

Ichigo looks to the ground in dejection as he hisses, "No, it isn't ok! That isn't something anyone should get used to…"

Sora, Halibel, and Tatsuki all raise a brow as Nelliel and Orihime frown slightly, their gazes more so distant than thoughtful.

The young King continues to look at the floor as he states in a genuine tone, "I am sorry for how I've been treating you, Orihime. You saved my life three times now… I gave you the cold shoulder… I even tried to kill you… you deserve better from someone who's supposed to be your friend…"

Those who knew of Ichigo's attempt on his life widen their eyes slightly, while the likes of Halibel and the others in the room who are unaware of it shift to confused glares.

The blonde shark woman's green eyes are troubled, "He tried to do what?! And what's this about saving him three times? Shouldn't it be two…?"

Despite such thoughts running through the minds of many of the Arrancars in the room, none of them dares to question the King about it, knowing that they may very well draw out that savage side of him that nearly killed Grimmjow with ease.

After another moment of silence, Orihime's previously surprised gaze softens as she holds her hands over her heart, "I forgive you."

Ichigo widens his eyes and looks up at the slightly smiling face of the girl, questioning, "B-but I'm no good! Y-you've seen it!"

The auburn-haired girl's gaze softens as she looks up at the desperate, hurting face of her friend. She considers what she saw in the Soul Society, specifically her experience with the sadistic Mayuri Kurotsuchi and the sight of Genryusai Yamamoto, who cruelly burned Ichigo's little sister to nothing.

After a moment, Orihime shakes her head, "No, you aren't."

The King flinches slightly as the girl continues with a resolute expression, "I've seen true evil in the Soul Society… t-the unforgivable type… compared to that, it's obvious you have good in you. If I'm the only one who chooses to see that, then so be it."

Ichigo's eyes are wide as he looks at the other teen in disbelief. Meanwhile, most of the others in the room look upon the King with similar gazes as the auburn-haired girl.

Tosen, however, appears intrigued by the girl's claims, prompting him to internally consider, "Perhaps my assumption was wrong… maybe there still is an element of White's purity to Ichigo Kurosaki…"

After a long moment of silence, Orihime blinks before suddenly becoming flustered under Ichigo's gaze, making her wave her hands, "Oh, um, I mean, I just think the Ichigo I remember wouldn't say that!"

The King and the others in the room raise a brow as she crosses her arms and comically scowls, now looking off to the side, making her voice deeper as she does so, "He'd say, 'Stay away from me for your own good, bitch!' or something…"

Ichigo sweat drops, "I basically did say that, though…"

Orihime's scowl is replaced by a concerned look as she looks upon the boy again, "Um… anyway, are you alright, Ichigo…?"

The young King perks up, noticing the worried look on her face. He looks around and finds similar expressions on his other friends in the room. As his gaze passes Sora, Roka, and Nelliel, he is forced to recall the auburn-haired girl's admission of wanting to make him smile again.

Although it takes everything he has to muster, Ichigo wears a weak, obviously fake smile that betrays the still hurting look in his eyes as he looks at the girl with flower hairpins again, "Y-yeah! You don't need to worry about me! I guess Tatsuki was able to talk some sense into me!"

Orihime's eyes are slightly pained as they narrow ever so slightly, unconvinced by his act. Tatsuki, Sora, Nelliel, and Loly raise brows as well, also clearly not buying his act.

Despite this, the auburn-haired girl nods as she smiles weakly as well, mentally asserting, "It didn't work… but I'll still try... I'll make him smile for real!"

Ichigo raises a brow at Orihime's distant and thoughtful look, prompting him to ask, "Are you sure you're alright Orihime?"

The girl flinches before blushing profusely again and chuckling as she rubs the back of her head awkwardly, "Oh, me? Yeah, I'm fine! I was just lost in thought, is all. It happens a lot with ditzy girls like me… ~"

The orange-haired Arrancar nods slowly, his eyes softening somewhat, "That's good… as long as she's alright…"

After another moment of silence, Ichigo and many of the others in the room suddenly stiffen as Barragan, flanked by Ggio, stomps into the room with a scowl on his face.

The ancient, scarred Hollow barks in a tone that is what he considers to be scolding, "WHY DIDN'T YOU BEAT THAT PANTHER TO A PULP?! ALL OF LAS NOCHES THINKS YOU LOST!"

The orange-haired Hollow opens his mouth to respond, however, the older Hollow is too angry, robbing him of the opportunity to reply as he briefly rants, "IT'S OBVIOUS YOU THREW THAT DUEL, BOY! You have made a mockery of the throne, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

The others in the room narrow their eyes at Barragan, not particularly liking his tone. Even Ggio, despite sharing the sentiment, can't help but scowl at his old king while taking a couple of steps back.

Ichigo sighs and frowns as he looks at the previous king, answering honestly, "I... didn't want to lose control and accidentally kill him..."

Barragan narrows his left eye before countering, much more calmly, "But he almost killed you, Your Majesty..."

The orange-haired Arrancar's look is distant before he looks away and regards the wall. After a long silent moment, it becomes obvious that he has no excuse that will calm the older man's wrath.

Barragan's scowl worsens as he barks again, "YOU BRAT! You DARED to have taken the throne only to make it look so utterly WEAK AND WORTHLESS! UNFORGIVABLE!"

Ichigo looks down in shame, part of him deeply agreeing with his words, "He's right… I looked weak… I am… weak…"

Around the room, just about everyone looks ready to object at this point, excluding Aizen, Tosen, Gin, and Szayel, who look more so interested in where the conversation is going.

Before anyone else can step in, however, a feminine voice calls out, "That's enough!"

Ichigo's eyes widen and his body seizes as he recognizes the voice as one that he knows very intimately, but has not heard in years, "That voice…"

He looks in front of him at the form of a woman wearing a white, long-sleeved, collared Gi step in front of Barragan. She is slightly shorter than the old king and rests her hand on the hilt of the blade strapped to the left side of her waist, possessing a crimson, six-petalled guard. On the left side of her face and covering her left eye, which shines a crimson red, is a white mask fragment. Further, there is a red, horizontal droplet pattern running across her right cheek, appearing not unlike blood.

Ichigo, however, gawks at the woman's other traits in utter disbelief. Her considerate bust and long, wavy, light brown hair tied into a ponytail leave the King with no doubts about who he sees before him—his mother, Masaki Kurosaki. However, the sight of her is something that stuns the Hollow King into complete silence, unable to so much as process what he sees.

The ancient Hollow, still enraged, barks at her, "YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY?! You are only the Octava! You should remember your place, fool!"

The woman, frowning deeply, counters as she holds her ground, "It is you who needs to remember your place, you old bag of bones! Last I checked, Ichigo was the King here, not you!"

Barragan and the form of Masaki argue intensely, leaving Ichigo to continue gawking at the sight. After a moment, he looks at everyone else's reaction in the room, finding that they appear worried but otherwise not shocked at all.

Ichigo's eyes begin to water at the sight of his mother, as well as the sound of her voice, "N-no… it can't be…"

As everyone is focused on the arguing woman and old man, the young King turns to the particularly worried form of Orihime next to him, "O-Orihime… are you seeing this, too…?"

The girl widens her eyes and flinches at the tearful sight of her friend, thrown off guard by his reaction.

After a moment, she furrows her brows and purses her lips, "What are you talking about, Ichigo?"

Ichigo looks back at the form of Masaki before rubbing his eyes, clearing them of tears, and seeing Sora in the place of his mother.

He blinks before narrowing his eyes and stating with a scowl, "Never mind…"

Orihime frowns, unconvinced, however, she nods anyway, choosing to respect the boy's decision to keep whatever he saw to himself.

The orange-haired, horned Hollow clasps his forehead and wears a shaken look on his face, "Why the hell did I see Mom instead of Sora…? I must be losing it…"

Sora and Barragan both are unrelenting as the snake snaps, "Well, you don't need to scream like that! Especially since we all know Grimmjow is only standing because His Majesty wanted him alive!"

The old King frowns before glancing at Ichigo again, who looks like he has seen an ancient wraith. This makes him raise a brow and calm slightly before glancing at Ggio next to him and then at the others in the room, who all appear either indifferent or in stark disapproval.

After a long quiet moment, Barragan sighs before turning to leave, warning his King, "You will need to get back control over your killer instinct soon, Your Majesty, or else I will have no choice but to reclaim the throne... in these times, Hueco Mundo cannot afford to be weak..."

The King's thoughts are ominous as he leaves the room, returning to the halls of Las Noches, "Especially with Arturo freed..."

Ichigo frowns and exhales in relief as Aizen's reminder about the incoming war rings through his head as well.

There is a long moment of silence before Tatsuki frowns and looks at her friend once again, "Parts of what he said was right, you know. You almost got yourself killed again. That was reckless, you idiot!"

As if to emphasize her point, the karate girl punches the orange-haired Hollow on the head, making him wince slightly before rubbing it and distantly stating, "Ow…"

Tatsuki huffs and crosses her arms before looking away with a frown.

After a moment, Ichigo's hand falls to his side again. His gaze becomes thoughtful as he looks at the others in the room.

He purses his lips before asking hesitantly, "Do… do you guys think I'm weak…?"

Everyone in the room frowns as Sora hisses, "What kind of stupid question is that, brother? You're one of the strongest people I know! Certainly, the strongest Hollow!"

Gantenbainne, sitting against the wall, nods in agreement while Pesche and Dondochakka next to him do the same, "He's right. That's the reason you were able to unite Hueco Mundo as you did."

Nelliel follows up on her Fraccions with a slight smile, "Yeah. Even Barragan had to admit that all you need is to better control your power. Plus, you became a Vasto Lorde in record time! I'm sure you'll figure it out in no time!"

Ichigo glances across the room, finding everyone inside giving him looks of reassurance, prompting him to look down slightly and state in a distant tone, "I see…"

After a moment of silence, Ggio closes his eyes before bowing slightly, "Your Majesty, permission to straighten out anyone doubting you in the palace?"

The orange-haired Hollow flinches and widens his eyes, "What?"

The black-haired, tiger Arrancar responds, "There are many among the Numeros who doubt your abilities after your battle with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. I would like your permission to punish them."

Ichigo gawks before growling, "DENIED! People can think whatever the hell they like about me, understood?!"

Ggio frowns deeply, not liking the answer yet not exactly surprised as he bows fully, "Very well. In that case, may I continue to assist in the rebuilding efforts?"

The King's gaze is much more distant as he now looks away, "Sure…"

The golden-eyed tiger nods before rising to his feet and promptly leaving the room.

Ichigo finally jumps off the stone table before glancing at Roka across the room and nodding, "I need time to myself…"

Tatsuki frowns, starting, "No you don't—"

The King immediately turns around and glares at her, making her flinch as he explains, "I am maintaining a mental like with Roka. She will 'watch' me since you all are treating me like I can't take care of my damn self!"

The karate girl frowns as she steps back slightly, a sentiment shared with many of the others in the room.

Ichigo notes their gazes, making him slump slightly, "They're looking at me with pity… they think I'm weak, now, don't they…?"

The King tsks before spinning on his heel and exiting the room, intent on finding some place where he can rest in peace. Based on the look on his face alone, it is clear that, at least on an instinctual level, he does not like the way the others seem to look at him now as if he is some kind of child who needs to be monitored all the time.

Loly and Menoly exchange looks as they both frown, frustrated that they were unable to get in so much as a word with their King due to him storming out of the room. As such, they slowly exit the room after him, so he doesn't notice, at least not immediately.

After a moment, the form of Mila Rose questions with a raised brow, "Anyway… what was going on with His Majesty during that battle, anyway? He seemed like a different person…"

Halibel narrows her green eyes, her frown hidden underneath her mask fragment and the collar of her Gi, "The King was blood lusted. It would seem that even he is susceptible to losing his reason to the instinctual urge to kill possessed by every Hollow…"

Nelliel, Sora, and Tatsuki frown as they exchange knowing gazes, which the blonde shark calls out, "It would also appear you three know more about it."

The horned, green-haired Espada nods, "I've felt the blood-lusted Reiatsu of that form he used twice when we were in the Soul Society. The second time I felt it was after his sister was killed…"

The woman's words make most of the others in the room look down quietly with somber expressions. It becomes clear that what they saw was not Ichigo in his right mind, which is both reassuring and troublesome given his lack of control that Barragan called out.

Meanwhile, not particularly invested in the conversation, Orihime feels exhaustion suddenly hit her like a freight train as she breaks out into a cold sweat. She begins to rub her hands together and grab the white, long sleeve of her Gi.

The auburn-haired girl exhales quietly, "This is different than usual… My hands feel dried-up and clammy… why—?!"

Her brown eyes widen as she stares at small, light blue scales of sorts beginning to form on her arms. As quickly as she had pulled up her sleeve, she pulls it down to conceal the scales, before looking around to see if anyone noticed. When it appears that no one did, she sighs slightly.

Unknown to her, however, is the fact that Aizen had trained his eyes on her the moment Ichigo left the room. Indeed, the Shinigami slightly narrows his eyes at her, intrigued as he was the only one to notice.

Tatsuki turns around and looks at Orihime with a frown, "Are you sure you're alright, Orihime? You look even more exhausted than last time…"

This causes the others in the room to look at the girl curiously, worry evident in Sora's gaze in particular.

The girl looks around the room before chuckling, "Oh, I'm fine, really! To be honest, though, I was thinking it would be nice to get a moment to myself, too. I'll, uh, be right back!"

Without further delay, the girl hurriedly exits the room, leaving Tatsuki, Sora, and the others to look on in confusion and slight worry.

Wonderweiss frowns slightly as Kukkapuro whimpers, "Sister Hime ok, right?"

Cirucci raises a brow as she crosses her arms, "She said so, so probably…"

Across the room, Apacci grunts, "Damn, she made it look so easy healing His Majesty's wounds like that, but I guess that took a lot out of her, after all…"

Next to her, the taller form of Mila Rose nods, "I'd say she's more than earned some rest."

The olive-haired form of Sung-Sun purses her lips as she glances up at Sora, "Is it really wise to give her space, Lord Sora?"

The male serpent sighs as he rubs his neck, "Orihime's a tough girl… she'll be fine if it's just for a little bit…"

Tatsuki, Halibel, Nelliel, and Roka, meanwhile, have distant looks in their eyes, all slightly concerned about Orihime's health despite not speaking.

The room comes to a silence, which prompts Aizen to regard Gin and Tosen next to him, "Gin, I want you to keep an eye on Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Tosen, I'd like you to do the same with Barragan Louisenbairn. We can't have either of them thinking that they can take Ichigo Kurosaki's spot as the King."

Both of the other rogue Shinigami nod before each disappearing in the form of a flash.

The brown-haired Shinigami then glances at Szayel, "Return to your work, Szayelaporro."

The pink-haired Arrancar bows and wears a slight smirk before disappearing with a buzz. Aizen becomes quiet before walking out of the room with an intent look on his face.

Nearby Restroom, Las Noches

Within a dimly lit restroom near the infirmary, Orihime is in a cold sweat as she is currently clutching the sides of a marble sink, doubled over and vomiting into it. Her gagging is so intense that tears are forced from her eyes as she does so, unable to properly catch her breath.

After a moment she calms ever so slightly, allowing her to regard her trembling form in the mirror hanging on the wall. She pulls down the white, long sleeve of her Gi to reveal her entire forearm riddled with light-blue scales now. The sight makes her widen her eyes before her innards feel a violent twist, prompting her to heave once again. This time, however, she begins to puke up blood, as well as fleshy scales. Her hairpins quickly and instinctually disperse into the forms of six small fairies, flying in the air around her.

The scarred form of Tsubaki growls urgently at another of the fairies wearing a red dress over her head that is larger than her body, "Can't you heal her, Ayame?!"

The other, black-haired fairy meekly frowns as she looks at Orihime desperately, "N-no! Shun'ō and I used up all of our healing power on Ichigo Kurosaki…"

The ninja fairy's eye twitches, "Don't give me that! You've gotta have some gas left in the tank! Anything!"

The female fairy flinches fearfully at being yelled at, the ninja's angry tone not helping the situation.

The blonde, pony-tailed fairy, Shun'ō, flies between Tsubaki and Ayame, urging seriously, "She's right, Tsubaki. And even if we could heal her, this is something beyond our abilities."

The scarred fairy growls, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Shun'ō frowns and looks at the auburn-haired girl, still gasping as she coughs up blood and scales, "Orihime is changing…"

The fairies all now look helplessly at their master, continuing to cough and bleed, tears involuntarily falling from her eyes as she does. The girl's nails scratch against the sink as her body spasms and continues to experience a sickly, cold sweat.

After a while of this, Orihime eventually calms slightly, allowing her to breathe heavy, haggard breaths as she notes in a worn, somewhat damaged voice, "W-what… is this…?"

She looks up at the mirror in front of her, finding her right eye completely golden and without a pupil. Her eyes widen as she finds that scales have formed under her neck as well by this point.

The auburn-haired girl frowns deeply as she starts in horror, "What am I—?!"

Before she can so much as get the sentence out, her body lurches forward again as she now vomits more bloodied scales from her mouth. Unheard by her due to her violent vomiting are the approaching footsteps of one Sosuke Aizen. The fairies floating around Orihime look at the Shinigami curiously but do not stop him as he pulls the Hōgyoku, currently emitting a golden light of its own, from his Gi. The auburn-haired girl's body continues to tremble for another moment before calming as she feels a gentle hand on her back.

Orihime widens her eyes as she turns to see Aizen holding the Hōgyoku behind her with a focused look on his face, "This should only take a moment, Orihime Inoue…"

The girl nods slowly as the Shinigami frowns and seemingly uses the eldritch, gem-like object in his grasp to force the scales riddling her body to recede. Receding with them is the violent coughing, cold sweat, and her golden right eye, leaving her body to return to its normal state.

Once he is done, the Hōgyoku returns to its normal, non-glowing state as Aizen exhales, "There. You should be stable now."

This prompts the fairies floating around Orihime's head to turn back into flower hairpins as the girl herself widens her eyes in shock and confusion. She glances at the gem in his hand intently, feeling an odd kinship of sorts with it for reasons she can't seem to explain.

Aizen places the gem back in his Gi as he looks down at the auburn-haired girl with a look of warning, "You ought to refrain from intensely using your powers until your body has time to acclimate to the changes made to it by the Hōgyoku."

The teenager scrunches her brows and wears a look of terror as she asks, "W-What's happening to me?"

He smiles in an attempt to reassure her, explaining, "I know you must be scared; it is only natural. But the Hōgyoku was able to stabilize you, so we know that if this happens again, we can simply use it again as well."

Orihime purses her lips, reiterating, "Ok, but I asked what's happening. What were those scales and why did they make me puke?"

The Shinigami shifts to a frown and shakes his head, "Apologies… until I have more time to observe your Reiatsu and how it has changed, I can't know for certain what exactly the Hōgyoku did to you. However, it may please you to know that I have Szayelaporro working on analyzing a sample of your Reiatsu right after the Hōgyoku first changed your body."

The girl raises a brow as she continues frowning, even more confused, "Huh? When was that?"

It is now Aizen who looks confused, questioning, "You mean you've forgotten? It was when you were healing Ichigo Kurosaki the first time."

His words make the girl widen her eyes as she is assaulted by the instinctual flashback of when he offered her the Hōgyoku to increase the potency of her healing to overcome Yamamoto's flames.

She opens her mouth and utters quietly, realizing, "I… changed then… I'm… not a human anymore, am I…?"

Aizen's gaze softens as he shakes his head, "No, you aren't. Nor are you a Hollow or a Shinigami. As I said, I'm not sure exactly what has happened to you, but it is at least obvious to me that it is a result of you over-exerting yourself by intensely healing the fatal wounds on Ichigo Kurosaki three times now. The boy quite frankly ought to count himself lucky to have you."

Orihime's gaze becomes distant as the former captain sighs, revealing, "You won't be the same as you were before… but, if you are adamant, I could try and use the Hōgyoku to reverse what happened and turn you back into a normal human. Although, understand that if I do that, it may end up wiping out your Fullbring powers as well."

The girl's eye twitches as she hears that last part, making her respond immediately, "No."

Aizen smirks ever so slightly at the complete lack of hesitation in her response as she purses her lips and scrunches her brows, stating with finality, "If this is the price I need to pay to stand by Ichigo, then I will pay it gladly."

The Shinigami's smirk widens, "I'm happy you feel that way, Miss Inoue. You are a great asset to us as it stands. It would be a shame to lose you."

Orihime blinks before blushing slightly and bashfully rubbing the back of her head, "Oh, um… you think so…?"

Aizen nods before glancing at the blood and scales riddling the sink, "Run along, now. I'll deal with this mess. Your brother and the others are still waiting for you in the infirmary down the hall."

The auburn-haired girl nods before regarding the man with a smile, "Thank you, Mr. Aizen!"

She walks toward the exit of the room as the Shinigami walks to a closet in the corner, housing cleaning materials.

Orihime, however, pauses in the doorway, making him perk up slightly as she looks back at him with a somewhat apologetic look, "You know, Mr. Urahara always said you were a completely rotten man, down to your very core. The other Fullbringers also blamed you for Yuzu's capture. I believed it all ever since I heard about you…"

Aizen narrows his eyes as the girl continues to stare at his back with a slight smile on her face, "But, then brother told me everything you did to help Ichigo with Yuzu and all of the work you did in the background during the battles in the Soul Society. So, maybe they were wrong about you. Maybe you're not so bad, after all…"

There is a silence between the two, leaving them both to become thoughtful about the other.

After another moment, the girl promptly turns to leave, unknowingly leaving the Shinigami remaining in the room to wear a dark smirk, "Rotten, huh…? You wound me, Kisuke Urahara… even so, I wouldn't exactly say you are wrong about that…"

Meanwhile, King's Quarters, Las Noches

Within the darkness of the King's quarters, Ichigo Kurosaki lays on his bed, which by this point has been fitted with clean white sheets to replace the bloodied ones from earlier. Similarly, the floor and walls have been cleaned of any blood or limbs that formerly dirtied the room, showing that someone had come through and cleaned while he was on the roof with Tatsuki.

The King considers the words of his Zanpakutō, "You are weak because you choose to be…"

He narrows his eyes and grunts quietly, "I don't want to be a monster… Orihime and the others don't think I am, either… so what the hell am I supposed to do to get stronger, then…?"

The orange-haired teen exhales, realizing how exhausted he is before rolling sightly on his bed and closing his eyes, beginning to drift off, "Maybe all I need is some more sleep—"

However, just as he is about to fall asleep, his eyes shoot open and he sits upright in his bed, his gaze trained on the door across the room. A slight scowl is on his face as he raises a brow.

In the next moment, he hears a knock on the door followed by the voice of Loly from the other side, "Ichigo, do you mind if we have a word…?"

Ichigo rolls his eyes, knowing they were there, grunting, "Sure. Come in…"

Loly and Menoly promptly enter the room at his words, the latter making sure to close the door behind her before joining her sister in standing in the middle of the room. The King, still seated on the bed, raises a brow as he looks at them. The black-haired, twin-tailed Arrancar wears a notable scowl on her face while crossing her arms, overall looking quite pissed off. As usual, she is quite scantily dressed, but the King doesn't note this. Her blonde, short-haired sister, however, is dressed much more modestly in her standard white uniform as she stands upright with her arms behind her back. There is an anxious look on her face as she gives him a respectful bow.

After a moment, the orange-haired teen grunts, "What do you two want?"

Menoly starts, her green eyes desperate as she almost begs for direction, "Well, um… we wanted to check in on you, Your Majesty. If there's anything we can do for you, please let us know."

Ichigo scrunches his brows, confused, "Huh? But you two are already helping me all the time... You're my Fraccions…"

The blonde, green-eyed Arrancar looks down slightly, her expression appearing disappointed and perhaps even saddened.

The King purses his lips, his confusion furthering, "What's with that look? Did I say something wrong…?"

Before he can dwell on it any further, Loly suddenly marches across the room and seats herself on the bed to the young Hollow's immediate left. The orange-haired teen widens his eyes in confusion as he looks down at the older, frustrated girl seated next to him.

Menoly gawks at her sister, "L-Loly?!"

The twin-tailed Arrancar rolls her eyes, ignoring her sister before glaring at Ichigo with her visible, right, pink eye and complaining, "Even though we are your Fraccions, and supposably your shield, you've kept even more distance to us than that human girl!"

The heterochromatic Arrancar flinches, a look of realization covering his face as it is made clear that he didn't look at the situation from that perspective before now.

Loly continues ranting, unimpeded, "You didn't even bother asking us to go to the Soul Society with you! We could've helped, idiot! We're not so weak! And even now, we want to help with what you're going through with your sister! But again, you don't want our help with that, either! Why did you even make us your Fraccions if you don't actually want our help with anything important?!"

She exhales, concluding her angry rant, which leaves both of the other Arrancars in the room wide-eyed.

After a moment, Ichigo looks down in slight guilt, "I'm sorry… you're right. There's hardly a point in giving you two the roles you have if it's only true in name…"

The pink-eyed Arrancar frowns, further agitated as her sister, still standing across the room, bows apologetically, "N-no, don't apologize, Your Majesty! Loly doesn't speak for me. You've made it clear there are certain boundaries humble servants like us shouldn't cross with you."

Menoly softens her visible, left, green eye as she clarifies with a slight frown, "You just left us without any orders… even just telling us to help Ggio would be sufficient for me…"

The King's eyes soften as he maintains a frown and nods in understanding, the look in his eyes strained and distant, "In that case, yes, I'm sure Ggio could use your help in repairing the palace if you're looking for something to do…"

The blonde Arrancar girl smiles slightly, her eyes much more content, "Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty."

She then turns toward her sister before gesturing to the door, "Come on, Loly. Let's get going."

Loly, however, frowns and narrows her right, pink eye while looking intently at the downcast expression of the King, still seated next to her, "Leaving him like this isn't any good… maybe…"

She smirks slightly as an idea pops into her head.

Menoly and Ichigo look at the girl in slight confusion as the King starts, "Loly, what are you—?!"

He widens his eyes as she suddenly kisses him on the lips, intensely. A fierce blush covers his face as he feels her force her tongue into his mouth, sending chills down his spine and working to fire up his still-present teenage hormones, despite being a Hollow. Menoly gawks and blushes profusely, completely losing her words as she watches her sister devour their King.

After a moment, Loly breaks away from Ichigo's now greatly baffled and flustered face, leaving him to gawk at her in confusion. It is obvious by his expression that his mind has completely shut off, unsure of how to process what just happened.

Loly smirks in a pleased manner as she blushes lightly and mercilessly pushes the Espada onto the bed, his shocked form not giving any resistance. She licks her lips at seeing his crotch area beginning to bulge, prompting her to continue her assault by pressing her smaller form against his chest while gently holding his crotch with her left hand.

Ichigo's eyes further widen as Loly's pink eyes, including her usually hidden, left one under her mask fragment, make eye contact with his own while she states with a smile, "I told you I want to help, Ichigo… ~ Use me however you see fit… ~"

The teenage Hollow can't help but instinctually tremble, scrunching his brows as he grits his teeth, "D-Damn it! This is wrong! I-I want to tell her to back off, but the… the words won't come out…"

Menoly gawks in horror as she watches Ichigo continue to tremble in instinctual lust under her sister's assault, finally able to find her words, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, LOLY?! T-This is the opposite of what we discussed with Ggio!"

The twin-tailed girl pulls away from the King slightly and hisses at her sister, "Ggio is an idiot! Whatever emotional support those human girls are giving him is not helping enough! Maybe what Ichigo really needs is something more physical…"

Loly then tucks her hand under Ichigo's Gi and starts playing with what is hidden underneath, making him gasp unintentionally. The blonde frowns, about to say something before freezing as she sees the lustful desire clear on her King's face. His piercing golden eye looks upon her in a particularly suggestive way despite his immense desire against it.

He utters distantly, unable to help himself, "M-Menoly…"

This makes Menoly widen her eyes and blush profusely, before looking down, "I-If y-you insist, I-Ichigo…"

(START OF LEMON)

She anxiously removes her clothing, discarding it on the floor, before bashfully joining in against her better judgment. Shortly after, Loly does the same with her top as the blonde replaces her in straddling the King's chest, although from his right rather than left.

After removing her clothing, the twin-tailed girl grabs at Ichigo's crotch area again, causing him to tremble slightly. The King blushes fiercely as he wants to desperately push back against their advances, but his carnal instincts stop him from doing so as he begins to lose his reason within the pleasure. This is not helped by Menoly opening up his Gi such that she can press herself against his exposed, pale white chest so he can feel the skin-to-skin contact.

Loly, meanwhile, pulls off his pants before grabbing his stiff, erect member with her hand, looking hungrily at it as she notes, "It's bigger than I expected…"

For whatever reason, this makes Ichigo's member twitch in her grasp as he lets out a soft, begrudging moan, further pleasing the black-haired Arrancar. The blonde suddenly proceeds to gently bite the King's neck, making him gasp and widen his eyes at the foreign feeling.

Menoly notices, so pulls away slightly and bashfully asks, "D-do you like it…?"

The girl's gaze appears to Ichigo as bashful, puppy dog eyes, which works to finally push him over the edge as his pupils dilate.

Meanwhile, Loly now uses her feet to start to play with her King's member some more, smirking, "It figures you'd like being dominated—?!"

She widens her eyes as the horned Hollow suddenly pulls on her right twin tail, making her gasp as her legs recoil slightly away from his cock. The carnal Hollow also has Menoly's hair in the grasp of his right hand, making her wear a fierce blush.

The King wastes no time as he forces both of them off the bed. They both now kneel on the floor in front of him as he continues to hold them in his grasp, remaining seated above them at the edge of the bed. Brief, small blackened red flames spew from his mouth as he breathes heavily, the two sisters feeling as though they are looking upon the savage, dragon Adjucha they met over a year ago once again. They both look up at him with blushing, begging expressions as he maintains his hold on their hair. He looks down at both of them with a carnal look in his eyes, which makes them tremble with desire.

The voice of Zangetsu howls hungrily within his mind, "That's it, Ichigo… give in to your instincts… FUCK THEIR BRAINS OUT!"

Ichigo's left eye turns gold with black sclera to match his right as he growls lowly, succumbing to his urges.

"Suck me off…", his quiet, now distorted voice orders, making the sisters flinch in pleasure.

He maintains his grasp on their hair as both of them gently grab his cock, beginning to softly lick and suck on it like a lollipop.

The King licks his lips, truly about to cross the point of no return as glares at Loly, "I'm going to shove my cock down her throat until she starts gagging on it! Then I'll do the same to her twin—!"

(END OF LEMON)

Upon acknowledging the Arrancars as twin sisters, Ichigo's eyes widen as he cannot help but think about Karin and Yuzu, filling him with complete and utter repulsion given the situation. He immediately snaps out of his lustful trance and forcefully pushes both of the sisters away, making them widen their eyes in confusion as they lay on the floor.

Menoly sits up and scrunches her brows, "Did we do something wrong, Ichigo? We can try something else…"

The horned King scowls as he stands up and looks away, "N-no, you weren't... but this… all of this… is just wrong..."

The twin Arrancars both widen their eyes in feelings of inadequacy as the dragon Arrancar hisses quietly, "Please leave... I… I've given you your orders…"

Loly and Menoly slowly nod before looking down dejectedly, feeling like failures at being rejected so completely. They hurriedly put their clothes back on before walking toward the door with downcast expressions.

The twin-tailed girl looks down with a distant and sad frown, "Ggio was right… This is my fault… I wanted to help him so much, but I ended up doing more harm than good…"

After they leave the room, Ichigo trembles and looks down at the floor before vomiting in disgust, his feelings of repulsion remaining ever strong.

Under Canopy, Las Noches

In the sunny desert beneath the canopy of Las Noches, Roka is walking across the dunes with Nelliel, Pesche, Dondochakka, and Gantenbainne. The female spider Arrancar is blushing profusely as a golden thread flickers through the air behind her, having witnessed all of what just happened from Ichigo's perspective. Her hands clutch the area between her legs, under the white frills of her short dress, as she shifts in instinctual desire.

Roka frowns as her pace unknowingly slows to a stop, a troubled and flustered look on her face, "Curses… I should not have seen that! I'm simply the King's servant! Why did Master Szayelaporro have to leave my sexual organs intact? I can't properly perform my duties like this…"

Pesche and Dondochakka pause their stride before the former glances back at the spider, "What's up, Roka? Do you need to use the restroom or something?"

The dark-haired girl perks up before looking away slightly as her blush fades, answering, "Um… yes… I suppose I do…"

Dondochakka gives her a thumbs up, "Well, just hang on a little longer! We're almost to Master Nel's palace!"

The artificial spider Arrancar nods before she and the brothers run forward to catch up with Nelliel and Gantenbainne.

Morning, Shiba Residence

Standing in the grassy field in front of the Shiba Residence is the bored-looking form of a particular young Shinigami girl with three diagonal scars across her face—one on her left cheek, the second in between her eyes, and the last on the right side of her forehead. Her long black hair hangs freely, and a white headband is worn on her forehead, concealing part of her third scar. A long blade is strapped to her back inside a blue sheath such that the hilt is exposed above her right shoulder and a second, smaller sheathed blade is strapped to her white sash on the left side of her waist. Lastly, her arms, wrapped completely in white bandages, are crossed as a passive frown is worn on her face.

Indeed, the young Karin Shiba ignores the individuals standing next to her as she glances across the field. The bright morning sun illuminates the surroundings, making it clear to see the wooden coffin sitting on wooden stands in the middle of the field a distance away. The coffin houses the lifeless body of one Tessai Tsukabishi, who had fallen honorably in battle roughly a day ago at this point. Karin's gaze shifts to see cannons lined up a distance in front of the residence, most certainly housing the fireworks for which her cousin is known.

The Shiba girl notes to no surprise that her two, now bandaged, cousins are nearest to the cannons, along with the family's twin servants, Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko, and Ganju's gang. Naturally, Ganju himself is seated in his new wooden wheelchair, which serves as a constant reminder to the young girl of her inadequacies, prompting her frown to worsen.

Not wanting to linger on her family any further, Karin shifts her gaze to find the group of Visoreds, along with Urahara, Ururu, Jinta, and Yoruichi, standing a distance away and nearest to the wooden coffin. Of note, the black-haired form of Nemu stands a short distance away from that group, eyeing them with seeming curiosity.

Between Karin and Urahara's group is another, smaller group of Shinigami mingling. This group includes Nozomi, Rangiku, Momo, and the headbanded form of Toshiro, who all recently decided to abandon their previous positions, one way or another.

Finally, the Shiba girl shifts her gaze back toward the residence, finding Ginjo, Tsukishima, Chad, Riruka, Yukio, and Kon, who is perched on the former boy's shoulder, gathered near the estate. Notably, they appear rather standoffish given that they are a distance behind the firework cannons, seemingly discussing something important based on their expressions.

This leaves the final group on the field as Karin, Ryunosuke, Shino, and Isshin. The Shiba girl herself is flanked by her two friends while the much taller, bearded form of her father stands before them.

Ryunosuke and Shino listen to Isshin speak with an eccentric smile, seemingly finishing a story, "…and with that final, decisive blow, I slew the Vasto Lorde! The punk didn't know what hit him!"

The two young, black-haired Shinigami look upon the former captain with stars in their eyes as the boy utters in disbelief, "Amazing…"

Karin herself raises a brow, just now tuning in as she looks at her father, "You slew a Vasto Lorde? Since when?"

Isshin frowns and scrunches his brows, visibly troubled, "I said it was a few decades ago… weren't you listening…?"

His daughter shakes her head before answering bluntly, "No, not really…"

This makes the older Shiba man recoil dramatically as he cries comically, "You don't ever appreciate my stories…"

As Isshin continues to whine, Ryunosuke and Shino suddenly perk up upon hearing footsteps approaching, making the former start as he points behind the bearded man, "Um, Lord Shiba…"

The former captain blinks before looking behind him to find Ukitake, flanked by Sentaro and Kiyone, who all wear somber expressions as the captain greets, "I heard you were going to send off Tessai Tsukabishi… I hope you don't mind if we're here…"

Isshin's expression becomes distant as he shakes his head, "I don't mind… but could Shunsui not come…?"

The white-haired veteran nods, "Regrettably he is the one spearheading the operation against that ancient Hollow, Arturo Plateado…"

The bearded Shinigami nods in understanding, leaving the pair in a sort of awkward silence. Karin, meanwhile, blinks in surprise at the sight of the Shinigami from Squad 13, which her two friends acknowledge with knowing looks.

As if on cue, Shino starts with a tone holding slight reverence as she gestures toward the blonde form of Kiyone and the bearded form of Sentaro, "You probably never met those two, Karin. They are the joint 3rd seats of Squad 13. She is Kiyone Kotetsu, and he is Sentaro Kotsubaki."

Karin widens her eyes slightly as the short-haired blonde regards her with a friendly smile, "So you're Vice-Captain Shiba's little cousin I've heard so much about?"

The black-haired girl nods slowly, her tone somewhat awkward, "Yeah. Sensei told me a lot about you two, as well."

Kiyone's expression becomes rather enthusiastic at this as she approaches the girl with a giggle, "It's good to know Rukia told you about us! I bet it was nothing but praise, right?"

Karin's lips twitch as she sweat drops, "Actually, she called you slackers…"

The blonde girl flinches as she is now right before the girl, sulking as her expression drops considerably, "Slackers…?"

Meanwhile, Sentaro releases a loud laugh, "Well, she isn't wrong about that!"

As the pair of 3rd seats continue to speak with the Shiba girl and her friends, Ukitake glances at Ginjo across the field. The Fullbringer notices the look, making him return it with narrowed eyes and a deep frown on his face. Little more than spite and disdain are issued toward the veteran captain, which prompts him to avert his gaze and sigh distantly as feelings of guilt overtake him.

After a moment, the guilt-ridden Ukitake regards Isshin with a slight frown, "By the way, Isshin. I doubt it will help any, but I wanted to apologize again for not helping your daughter more…"

The bearded man perks up slightly and is quiet for a moment before he rubs the back of his neck with a sigh, "Water under the bridge… even though I hate his guts after what he did, I know what Head Captain Yamamoto means to you and Shunsui. But it wasn't just that, was it? The entire situation was messed up because 'White' appeared. I can't blame you for wanting to prioritize purifying White… I mean, that was the whole point of all of this to begin with, wasn't it…?"

Ukitake softens his gaze as he notes Isshin's other hand, now balled into a trembling fist, "He's saying that, but he's doing everything he can to not lash out in grief…"

After a moment, the white-haired captain passionately urges in disagreement, his own emotions and sense of justice getting to him, "You absolutely can blame me for what happened—AND YOU SHOULD! THIS MAKES THE SECOND PERSON IN YOUR FAMILY TO DIE UNDER MY WATCH!"

Kukaku and Ganju, still a distance away, frown at the captain's sudden outburst. Further, Karin frowns deeply as well while Sentaro and Kiyone both become somber. Ryunosuke and Shino, however, become visibly shocked, which is a reaction shared by almost everyone else on the field.

Isshin grits his teeth and looks to the side, clearly still holding back his emotions, "Even so… it's my choice to make… I won't allow anyone else to tell me what to do… I choose to let bygones be bygones with you, Jushiro, so please… just respect my choice…"

Ukitake looks down in slight guilt, unable to smile slightly in dejection as he considers his former vice-captain, "The compassion held by those in the Shiba Clan never ceases to amaze me… Isshin is truly a beautiful person…"

Taking in the scene between the two older Shinigami, Karin frowns and looks down, considering with an intent, yet troubled, gaze, "Before I found out who he was, there's a chance that I might've prioritized slaying 'White' over saving Yuzu, too…"

The Shiba girl's expression contorts as she becomes disgusted with herself, beginning to realize just how deeply her blind hatred for Hollows has warped her. A distance away, Nozomi, Toshiro, Rangiku, and Momo stand in a group and all look at the young girl and her father with mild concern.

By this point, the other groups seemingly dismiss Ukitake's outburst and continue to converse with each other, allowing the tension in the air to subside. It isn't long, however, before the groups all perk up again upon hearing even more footsteps. Karin shifts a curious gaze upon a group of Shinigami led by a short woman wearing a white captain's Haori. Of note, she has two long braids constricted by white cloth trailing down her back.

The woman, Soi Fon, halts as she stands in front of Yoruichi before promptly kneeling in respect and declaring, "Lady Yoruichi, the Head of the Shihoin Clan has come to pay his respect."

The dark-skinned ninja woman narrows her golden eyes as she now looks at her younger brother, Yushiro, standing within the group of Shinigami—his bodyguards. The purple-haired, dark-skinned boy wears orange and yellow robes, beneath which is his black Gi. However, most striking is the anxious expression on his face, as well as the way he shifts rather nervously under his sister's gaze.

The Visoreds don't waste any time in distancing themselves from the newly arrived group, not wanting to unnecessarily get wrapped up with the nobility. Urahara, Jinta, and Ururu, however, remain standing next to Yoruichi, the shopkeeper's gaze simultaneously cautious and curious. After a moment, Soi Fon rises to her feet and steps to the side such that the Shihoin siblings can see each other.

Yoruichi starts with an unamused look, "So… you came for Tessai's send-off?"

Yushiro perks up and smiles, a hopeful look in his golden eyes, "Y-Yes! I wanted to support you, big sister! And to show Mr. Tessai my respect after all he's done for our family in the past!"

The purple-haired woman is silent for a moment before she suddenly hisses lowly, "You are partially to blame for this, y'know…"

Urahara narrows his eyes slightly and frowns at the woman's words as he holds the two worried children close to him, preventing them from potentially getting involved.

The boy flinches and his eyes fill with dread as his sister continues with contempt lacing her words, "You allowed the Tsunayashiros to damn the Soul Society with Arturo Plateado through their blind hatred and fear of the Quincies and the Shiba Clan."

Everyone present looks at Yoruichi in utter shock, unable to believe she would call out her brother in such a harsh way in front of a crowd. Yushiro himself looks down at the grass in guilt, unable to defend himself from the accusation.

Snapping out of her disbelief, Soi Fon attempts to pacify the purple-haired woman's wrath, "Lady Yoruichi, you must know that the young lord is still young and inexperienced. You left before he could—"

The Shihoin woman glares intensely at her former subordinate and student, promptly shutting her up.

Yoruichi frowns as she explains, "Inexperience and faulty morals are not the same! Need I remind you that you were young, too, Soi Fon? Yet, you still turned out to be DECENT even without me! It's no excuse!"

Soi Fon averts her rather downcast gaze from her idol, not daring to voice her objection, "Calling someone who kills people for a living like me 'decent' is a stretch…"

The older ninja woman shifts her angry gaze to Yushiro, who is now behind his bodyguards standing defensively between him and his sister.

Yoruichi raises an amused brow upon seeing the hostility of the Shinigami in front of her before mocking her brother, "Are you proud of how you've led the clan in my absence, Lord Shihoin? Because I'll tell you what: to me it looks like the Shihoin Clan is the same as the rest of the corrupt nobility!"

The young noble boy trembles as he starts to cry, "Y-You're right… I-It was the b-biggest m-mistake of my life w-when I agreed with L-Lord Tsunayashiro to e-execute Yuzu Kurosaki! I-I regret it m-more t-than anything…"

Karin, still observing from a distance away, immediately frowns and furrows her brows, now looking upon the boy with sheer disdain as she realizes the implications. This boy had a massive say in the decision to put her sister to death. This realization naturally makes her blood boil with hate.

Isshin, on the other hand, looks at the boy with a passive expression, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he remains a quiet observer. Ukitake, still standing next to him, frowns slightly as he sees the man's reaction, likely expecting something much more akin to how Karin is reacting.

Meanwhile, Yoruichi frowns as her gaze softens ever so slightly at the sight of her brother weeping behind his now-confused bodyguards, "He's crying… does that mean he really regrets it…?"

Yushiro's tears continue to fall as he chokes up, starting, "It will not undo the damage and lives lost, but…"

Yoruichi, Soi Fon, Urahara, and the bodyguards become urgent as the young noble suddenly draws a dagger from his robes and plunges it toward his chest, declaring, "…I will repent with my life!"

Almost everyone widens their eyes in shock at the scene, unable to shake their shock or react in time to prevent the boy from committing Seppuku.

Almost everyone.

Before the dagger can be plunged into the boy's chest, a hand stops it. The young noble gasps and widens his tearful eyes in shock and confusion before looking up to face the one who stopped him.

Karin widens her eyes in disbelief, "D-Dad…?"

Yushiro continues to stare at the bearded, solemn face of Isshin in justified confusion.

The bodyguards all wear similar expressions as well, one of them wondering, "W-When did he appear?! He was just over there!"

Urahara and Ukitake look silently at the Shiba man, waiting to see what he will do. Ganju and Kukaku appear more curious but remain quiet as well.

The former captain asserts as he forcibly takes the dagger from the boy, "Enough blood has been spilled, young man. I will not have you killing yourself, especially not here and now…"

Yushiro blinks in tearful disbelief, "W-WHY AREN'T YOU ANGRY?! I AGREED TO HAVE YOU IMPRISONED! YOUR DAUGHTER DIED BECAUSE OF ME!"

Isshin scowls as he harshly punches the boy on the head, making a large bump form as he recoils.

The boy instinctually places his hands on his head where the bump is, prompting more tears to fall, "Ow…"

An angered tick mark forms on the Shiba man's forehead as he barks, "I AM ANGRY! FURIOUS EVEN! IF I GAVE INTO MY RAGE, THE SOUL SOCIETY WOULD BE BATHED IN BLOOD RIGHT NOW! MORE THAN IT ALREADY IS!"

Yushiro fearfully recoils at the admission, which prompts the bodyguards to now look at Isshin with caution. Karin widens her eyes at her father's brutal admission, catching her completely off-guard.

After a moment, however, Isshin calms himself down and sighs, "But that wouldn't change anything…"

The man's expression becomes distant as he notes with a weak, somewhat dejected smile, "I've learned many things by being with my wife—a Quincy. She always acted with grace… she'd forgive those seeking forgiveness for wronging her… I once asked her why she insisted on acting that way, and you know what she told me, boy?"

Karin looks on in immense interest as Yushiro's expression becomes deeply troubled before he shakes his head.

Isshin looks to the sky, his eyes rather hurt and distant as he answers, recalling the visage of a young Masaki Kurosaki, "She said, 'For the sake of peace and love in the world. If I were to fight fire with fire, I'd only end up burning everything to the ground that much faster…'"

The young noble maintains his troubled expression, still processing what the older man said.

The Shiba man looks down at the boy with a slight smile, finishing with forced positivity on his part, "Because you are obviously so regretful of what you did, I'll give you a pass. But you need to promise me that you will use your power as a noble to make the Soul Society a better place from here on out! Otherwise, I'll leave you to your sister!"

Yushiro instinctually nods and furrows his brows, still deeply confused that the man has not brutally punished him. Kukaku, still observing, also frowns as she looks at the way Isshin's hands are balled into fists and tremble, similar to how it was with Ukitake.

The Shiba woman closes her eyes as she mentally notes the obvious, "Uncle is still holding himself back…"

Isshin turns on his heel and regards the purple-haired ninja woman behind him, "You ought to go easier on your brother. It's obvious that the Tsunayashiro's took advantage of his naivety and inexperience. I'd bet he fell victim to their propaganda—the hateful propaganda toward Quincies that the Soul Society as a whole carries…"

Yoruichi huffs and crosses her arms, clarifying, "I was getting to that… I just wanted to make sure he understood how bad it was, but I had no idea he was dumb enough to try and kill himself!"

Yushiro looks up with hopeful, tear-filled eyes, "W-Wait, s-sister! Does that mean…?"

The older Shihoin turns away and grunts, "I understand why you did what you did… but that doesn't mean I'm happy with you. I am willing to tolerate you now, though, since Isshin is…"

Yoruichi smiles slightly as she looks back at her brother, "I thought you became a heartless noble, but it seems that wasn't the case… in that, I am glad I'm wrong."

The young noble sniffles before bowing his head, "T-Thank you, b-big sister!"

The ninja woman awkwardly rubs the back of her neck and frowns, "The Head of the Shihoin Clan shouldn't be a sobbing mess in public…"

Her words make Yushiro stand upright and wipe his eyes before nodding with an enthusiastic smile, "Yes! I won't cry anymore!"

The scene makes Soi Fon gush with stars in her eyes, "I knew it! You truly are as benevolent as I remember, Lady Yoruichi!"

The once more tearful form of Yushiro gushes with the woman, "Y-You're right about that, Captain Soi Fon! B-Big s-sis is the best!"

An annoyed tick mark forms on Yoruichi's forehead as she snaps at the pair, "What are you two, my 'fan club', or something?! You're annoying!"

The short captain widens her eyes as she realizes something, "A fan club in honor of Lady Yoruichi? Why haven't I thought about such a thing?!"

The younger woman's reaction makes the dark-skinned cat woman groan as she pinches her nose in annoyance, "I shouldn't have said anything…"

Watching the jovial scene play out, Isshin softens his gaze and can't help but wear a slight smile.

After a moment, he looks between Urahara and Ukitake, announcing, "I'm going on a walk. Someone come and get me when the ceremony starts…"

Leaving no time for further words, Isshin immediately heads toward the tree line at the edge of the field, leaving Karin, Kukaku, Urahara, and Ukitake to wear curious expressions. After the former captain disappears in the forest, everyone gradually returns to mingling, although now slightly unnerved by the scene they just witnessed.

Urahara, leaving Jinta and Ururu with the now pacified Yoruichi, then walks over to the white-haired, veteran captain, asserting, "I'm planning to go to the world of the living with Isshin, his daughter, and a group of others here."

Ukitake nods, "I heard from Captain Kurotsuchi before coming here."

The blonde shopkeeper frowns, "Are you sure it's ok if I leave? My Bankai is a counter to that Hollow… you'll be fine without me…?"

The white-haired captain frowns and averts his gaze as he reveals, "W-Well, you see… Captain Kurotsuchi is currently developing what he calls 'an improved version of Kisuke Urahara's Bankai' since he collected a sample of it after being shattered…"

Urahara sweat drops and gasps, honestly offended, "I-I DIDN'T CONSENT TO THAT!"

Ukitake bows apologetically, explaining defensively, "I-I know, and I'm sorry! It wasn't my call!"

Exhaling, the shopkeeper waves him off, evidently not as offended as he let on, "It's fine. I know how Mayuri Kurotsuchi operates. As long as you get the job done this time…"

The veteran captain rises to his full height before stating grimly, "Captain Unohana has also been ordered by the Head Captain to fight..."

Urahara's eyes widen in disbelief, "Captain Unohana...?"

Ukitake nods quietly, his expression completely serious.

After a moment, the former captain smiles weakly and hides his eyes under his hat, "Wow... you guys really aren't pulling any punches, are you...?"

The Visoreds approach the shopkeeper as well before Shinji asserts resolutely, "Don't forget about us, too! We've also got a bone to pick with that Hollow!"

Urahara glances at them before he begrudgingly nods, "Just don't get yourselves killed…"

Hiyori grunts and crosses her arms, "Who do you think you're talking to? You know how hard we are to take down."

The shopkeeper smiles slightly before glancing across the field and making eye contact with Yoruichi, who nods resolutely, sending him all the further reassurance he needs.

With that, everyone continues casually mingling with each other. Ukitake perks up as he notices Kukaku approach, prompting him to regard her with a friendly smile.

Before he can get a word out, however, the Shiba woman asks, "Is Rukia coming here, or just you and those other two?"

The mention of her sensei causes Karin, still standing nearby, to instinctually stiffen.

Ukitake frowns, noting the young Shiba girl's reaction a distance away, before shaking his head, "I'm afraid not. Rukia wishes she could be here, but she is attending to her brother who was wounded in the last battle. She sends her regards…"

Karin relaxes slightly, making the captain's frown deepen as Kukaku briefly glances at her younger cousin with a knowing look as well.

After a moment, the one-armed Shiba woman looks up at the white-haired captain again, "I understand. In her situation, you know you couldn't have paid me to leave Kaien or Ganju's side…"

Ukitake and Kukaku become somber as everyone else continues to mingle briefly.

Suddenly, however, Yoruichi clears her throat and announces, "We will be starting soon, everyone. Soi Fon just went to fetch Isshin. Kukaku and I will lead the ceremony with assistance from Kisuke and Hachi."

Everyone becomes quiet as Isshin and Soi Fon return with Flash Step. After a moment, Kukaku and Yoruichi share a look before the Shiba woman walks over to the cannons and launches a singular firework into the sky to act as the kick-off.

The Shihoin woman clears her throat again as she begins to read a eulogy, "Tessai was an honored soldier… but as many of you know he was also my friend… like Kisuke over there, Tessai would stay at the Shihoin Residence quite often…"

All are silent and somber as the ninja woman begins to recount various memories of the man, both good and bad.

1 Hour Later, Shiba Residence

They conclude by watching the burning coffin, leaving the Reishi of Tessai's body to seemingly return to the air of the Soul Society in the form of ash.

Hachi clears his throat before finishing, "…That concludes the service…"

After a long moment of silence, groups begin to gather on the field again, although the mingling is notably more dejected than before. Ukitake, flanked by Sentaro and Kiyone, looks intently across the field at Karin speaking with Nozomi about something.

His eyes narrow as he finally notes, "She is a dual wielder… like me…"

The captain frowns slightly, becoming somewhat frustrated, "I cannot accompany her to the world of the living, but…"

Ukitake nods before resolutely walking across the field toward Karin and Nozomi, making them look at him curiously.

The Shiba girl raises a nervous brow as she asks, "Can I help you?"

The white-haired captain's gaze is steeled as he states, "I request a friendly duel with you, Karin Shiba."

As soon as the words leave his mouth, practically everyone stops whatever they are doing and look at the captain in complete and utter disbelief. The silence that occupies the field alone is enough to unnerve those occupying it. Karin herself stares up at the much taller man with shocked, widened eyes, unable to respond as she gawks.

Before the girl can offer a response, Isshin appears next to the veteran before grabbing him harshly by the shoulder and growling at him, "ABSOLUTELY NOT! MY KARIN HAS SEEN MORE THAN ENOUGH FIGHTING!"

Ukitake frowns at the other man's harsh, albeit understandable, reaction before glancing across the field to see looks of disapproval or worry from practically everyone else as well. After a moment, the white-haired captain matches Isshin's furious gaze with one of complete objectivity, which makes the former captain flinch slightly.

The veteran then explains himself, "Isshin, listen. I want to help her. She and I are two out of the three known dual-wielders among the Shinigami in our entire history. Can you honestly say that you could teach her how to better defend herself with two swords?"

Isshin widens his eyes and releases his hold on the other man upon realizing what his intentions are. The bearded man glances at Karin, who seems to look at Ukitake with deep interest after hearing his claim.

The Shiba man considers this for another moment before sighing, "Alright, then… but if she gets hurt, I'll pay you back tenfold!"

Ukitake smiles as he nods, "Of course…"

The captain then hardens his gaze again as he turns to the still wide-eyed, scarred Shiba girl, asking, "Well then, what is your answer, Karin Shiba?"

Karin, not skipping a beat, shifts to a steeled gaze as well, "I accept, Captain Ukitake."

Ukitake nods with a slight smile before looking across the field, "Please make room for us…"

Everyone standing on the field does as requested, all gathering in front of the residence and giving the pair the vast majority of the grassy field for their duel. The pair of Shinigami stand quietly across from each other now, having also made distance between each other. Ukitake wordlessly draws the sword from his belt, which promptly turns into two, black and silver hooked blades connected by a rope, from which several talismans hang. Karin similarly draws in her right hand the long, blue sword from her back and the short, black dagger held in a reverse grip in her left hand.

"You make the first move. I will only defend.", the veteran explains calmly.

Despite knowing he is far more experienced than her, the Shiba girl can't help it as her right eye twitches in mild annoyance, "It feels like he's looking down on me… I'll show him not to take me lightly!"

Isshin, Toshiro, and Rangiku widen their eyes in recognition as Karin raises her longer, right sword, above her head, now coated with a blue aura.

Before anyone can get out a word, the girl brings her sword down, releasing a blue wave of energy as she cries, "Getsuga Tenshō!"

Ukitake maintains his serious gaze as he casually sticks his left sword in front of him, absorbing the blast before releasing it skyward, away from the field.

This leaves Karin to gawk at the captain in disbelief, "H-How could you…?"

The veteran frowns as he shakes his head in mild annoyance, "Ranged attacks like that will do you no good. Engage me in close quarters."

The Shiba girl purses her lips and furrows her brows, the fact that she cannot use her signature attack getting on her nerves. Nevertheless, she complies with the captain by promptly leaping toward him, now intent on displaying her skill and talent for Zanjutsu.

Karin quickly and relentlessly slashes at the captain with both of her blades, however, each and every one of her strikes is expertly deflected by her opponent, who, unbeknownst to her, is best known for his defensive fighting style. Of course, this doesn't cause her to lose heart. On the contrary, she is becoming more and more frustrated, as shown by the angered expression on her face and the increasing speed and intensity of her assault.

After another clash, Karin jumps back slightly as she breathes somewhat heavily, her thoughts little more than frustrated, "What the hell?! It feels like I'm doing even less damage than I was against Yamamoto!"

She looks at the captain standing casually across the field, making her grit her teeth before leaping to reengage. The scarred girl brings her longer, right blade downward at the captain, however, he expertly catches the blade in the hook of his left sword, halting its momentum. The still mid-air Karin's brow twitches before she immediately follows up by bringing her short, black left blade held in reverse grip toward the captain's chest. Just like before, the blade is caught in the hook of the Ukitake's left sword. This leaves Karin suspended in the air as both of her blades are trapped in the hooks of the captain's own. The veteran suddenly widens his eyes in shock as the girl acts fast by shifting her body such that she launches both of her feet into his stomach, causing him to stagger backward and release his hold on her blades.

This makes Kiyone and Sentaro, observing from the sidelines, widen their eyes in shock as the former gasps, "She actually hurt Captain Ukitake!"

After landing on the ground, Karin relentlessly leaps at the staggering captain, her right blade poised to stab him. However, to her dismay, Ukitake regains his bearings almost immediately, making him turn on his heel and sidestep to the girl's right, dodging her attack entirely. Not only that, but the captain catches Karin's right sword in the hook of his own before promptly striking her wrist with the pommel of his left sword. This causes her grip on the longer, blue Aoigetsu to weaken before it is flung through the air. The scarred girl lets out a short gasp as her blade plants itself in the ground a distance away.

As relentless as ever, however, Karin fights through the pain and plants her left foot on the ground, using it to shift her momentum such that her body spins, sending the left arm holding her shorter blade directly at Ukitake's now exposed left side. Once again, the captain dodges the attack entirely, this time by leaping backward.

Ukitake narrows his eyes as he watches the young Shinigami regain her bearings. He glances at her Zanpakutō planted in the ground a distance away before looking back at her. He frowns deeply as, instead of going to retrieve her weapon, she almost immediately charges at him again, continuing to apply nothing but offense in her frustrated state.

The veteran takes a defensive stance again as Karin continues to slash at him, now with just her shorter sword. It isn't long before Ukitake deflects her strike, leaving her exposed. Instead of striking her with one of his blades, he quickly reverts his twin swords to their singular sealed state before striking her in the stomach with his fist. The blow makes the girl widen her eyes as the air is pushed from her lungs and she is sent rolling across the field. Now gasping for air and struggling to get up, Karin looks across the field for her opponent, only to find nobody there.

Confused, she starts, "Where—?"

The girl widens her eyes as she feels cold steel press against her neck from behind. Upon looking at the blade, she finds it is her own, blue one. She looks behind her to find Ukitake holding her longer blade in his right hand, having already sheathed his own.

There is an almost disappointment on his face as he speaks, "You've lost this duel…"

Karin frowns as the captain removes the blade from her neck and hands it to her, which she aggressively takes from him.

The captain's frown deepens as he begins to scold, "The biggest mistake a dual wielder can make is throwing away one of their swords. I certainly hope you won't do that in an actual battle."

The scarred girl flinches and her eyes widen, all anger leaving her as she recalls Rukia giving her similar advice in the past, "Never let go of your sword in combat! You should always remember to respect them as if they were an extension of yourself—because they are!"

She looks at the ground in disappointment as the captain sighs, "I could tell you were getting more and more frustrated at being unable to break through my defenses. You let that frustration get the better of you. You not only used your katana for offense, as I would expect, but that knife, too."

Karin looks up at him with furrowed brows, obviously troubled, "But the Arrancar I killed didn't let me retrieve my katana. I had to kill him with this knife. Are you saying I shouldn't have made do with this in that fight?"

Ukitake shakes his head, "No, there are obviously exceptions. But, in general, that is not the way you should approach fighting the most powerful, bloodthirsty Hollows… they are significantly better at all or nothing offense than we Shinigami are. You shouldn't try to beat them at their own game. I've found it is far safer to be more patient and create an opening you can exploit than blindly charging in with killing intent."

The young Shinigami blinks at the man's advice as he gestures to her Zanpakutōs, "As someone who has hundreds of years of experience wielding a dual Zanpakutō, I highly recommend starting by viewing one of your blades as your primary offense, something to kill with, and the other as a means of defense, a parrying tool you can use to counter."

The girl's face begins to light up with a sort of realization as she rises to her feet.

The captain continues, furthering her realization, "A dual wielder has an advantage to better control the flow of combat than someone with one blade... having a solid offense and defense... It's like a sort of ebb and flow—push and pull… When you can control the combat, then you can catch your opponent off guard or infuriate them, leading them to make mistakes..."

Karin looks down at her swords thoughtfully, "Wait… could this, uh, 'ebb and flow' he's talking about have anything to do with Aoigetsu's true nature…?"

Interrupting her thoughts, the young Shinigami notices a hand held out to her, making her look up at the captain's now smiling face, "Despite your shortcomings in regards to impatience, you are an incredibly talented fighter. Perhaps one day you could give the likes of even your father a run for his money if you master your powers..."

Karin looks at the hand before sheathing her blades and weakly, returning the smile and accepting the handshake, "Well, if I don't surpass Goat-chin, then I probably got super lazy…"

This makes Isshin flinch and comically defend as he approaches, "HEY! I'm not that weak! I'll have you know I was widely regarded as a prodigy in my own right!"

The former captain's outburst causes Ukitake, Karin, and some of the other spectators to laugh jovially, officially marking the end of the duel if there are yet any doubts.

Riruka then looks around before frowning, clearly troubled, "Hey… has anyone seen Ginjo and Tsukishima? I haven't seen them since the end of the ceremony… Aren't they coming back with us?"

Next to her, Yukio, with Kon on his shoulder, shakes his head, "Tsukishima told me they're staying here."

The twin-tailed girl purses her lips, not liking the answer.

However, before she can say anything, Nemu, flanked by Urahara, Ururu, and Jinta, regards the group in a monotone, "We are already behind schedule. We must leave for the world of the living now if we are to make up lost time."

The shopkeeper nods in agreement, "Looks like they've made their choice, and we've made ours. They'll simply have to return at another time."

Riruka, Chad, Kon, and Yukio glance quietly at the blonde Shinigami before shifting their gazes at the forest in the distance.

Urahara looks behind him to find Toshiro, Rangiku, Momo, Nozomi, Ryunosuke, Shino, Isshin, and Karin gathered as well, addressing them, "Is this everyone?"

The bearded Shiba man nods, "Yeah… everyone who insisted on coming, anyway…"

The shopkeeper glances across the group once more before facing Sentaro, Kiyone, and Ukitake, the captain explaining, "Alright, then, if you all would follow us. We will be overseeing your return through the Senkaimon gate in the Seireitei…"

The large group of Shinigami, Mod Souls, and Fullbringers follow the captain away from the residence. Karin and Isshin pause before turning around and waving to Kukaku and Ganju, who return the gesture. After another moment of this, the father and daughter turn around and continue to follow the veteran captain. Once they all leave, Yushiro, his bodyguards, and Soi Fon follow suit, leaving the Visoreds to converse with the Shiba servants.

Meanwhile, Kukaku and Yoruichi both look somewhat worried as the former warns, "We ought to keep an eye on them…"

The ninja woman nods quietly in agreement before glancing at the tree line of the nearby forest.

Meanwhile, Forest Near Shiba Residence

Ginjo and Tsukishima stand in a forest clearing with bored looks on their faces.

The taller, scarred man casually leans against a tree as he flips through his book, noting, "It looks like that funeral is over…"

The other man, standing a distance away, grunts as he fiddles with the silver bracelet with a star on it around his right wrist, "Looks like it…"

Tsukishima sighs in almost disappointment, "Y'know, I think that Nozomi girl didn't tell us everything she knows about those assassins who had our friends' Fullbrings… it's a shame I never found the right opportunity to use Book of the End on her when no one was looking to find out more…"

"Yeah…", the Xcution leader states distantly, still fiddling with his bracelet.

The scarred man looks up slightly from his book before closing it and narrowing his eyes as he glares at the silver bracelet, "Say, Kugo… you never did tell me the story behind that bracelet."

Ginjo perks up before wearing a frown as he regards his friend, "Huh? Didn't I tell you Bambi gave it to me?"

The younger Fullbringer nods, "You did. But that's all you said."

The jacket-wearing man now scrunches his brows, becoming a degree more defensive, "Do you need to know any more than that? I hardly see how it's your business."

Tsukishima frowns as he responds, "No, I don't need to know any more about it. I was just curious since your Reiatsu has been different ever since you started wearing it. I wonder if there is a connection."

Ginjo snorts, "Seriously, Shukuro? It's just a bracelet. Besides, what you sensed is probably just because I took Bambi's powers and almost died."

The scarred man nods slowly, not fully convinced but dropping the subject anyway, "If you say so…"

The pair of Fullbringers stand in silence for a while, allowing for the relative tranquility to settle around them.

After a few moments, however, a feminine voice suddenly calls out, startling both of them, "Greetings, Kugo Ginjo."

Ginjo and Tsukishima quickly turn around with shocked expressions, just now noticing the source of the voice. Standing in the clearing a short distance in front of them is a slender woman with short gray hair and matching gray eyes wearing a black suit and pants.

The Xcution leader's eyes are widened as a nervous bead of sweat forms on his forehead, "W-Where the hell did she come from?! No one else is supposed to be in this forest with us!"

The woman wears a polite smile as she looks between the shocked Fullbringers, the look in her eyes devoid of emotion besides a slight glimmer of amusement.

Both men become visibly wary of her, which prompts her to bow politely and introduce, "Apologies for startling you, that was not my intention. My name is Aura Michibane, and I am a Fullbringer, like you."

Tsukishima gasps in shock while Ginjo scowls, unamused, "Bullshit. Now, tell me how you know about us, Shinigami—"

The man's eyes widen and his body seizes as Aura closes the distance between them, a small trial of green fire following her feet.

The woman smiles knowingly as she looks up at him, "I assume seeing my Bringer's Light is proof enough for you, Kugo Ginjo?"

Ginjo's lip twitches before he begrudgingly nods, "Ok, you're a Fullbringer. But how do you know us? And why are you in the Soul Society?"

Aura tilts her head, maintaining her passive smile, "My father was a Fullbringer, too. Hearing of your abilities to take away the powers of others, he sought you out in hopes of ridding himself of his Fullbring powers."

Both of the men wear curious looks as the former substitute Shinigami frowns thoughtfully, "I don't recall crossing paths with anyone called Michibane…"

The woman nods, "Of course, that's because Michibane was my mother's family name. My father was known as Tenshiyo Agata. I sincerely thank you, for he truly hated his powers. You gave him hope that he could live without them."

Tsukishima and Ginjo slightly widen their eyes as the former utters, "You're Tenshiyo's daughter…?"

Aura confirms with another nod, "I am… but I'm afraid I never saw him again after he left to find Ginjo."

The scarred Fullbringer's gaze is somber as he looks to the ground quietly, making the woman tilt her head slightly in confusion.

Ginjo chimes in with a scowl, explaining, "You shouldn't thank me for giving your dad hope. It's because of me that he got killed… along with everyone else…"

There is a silence among the trio of Fullbringers, the air blowing through the forest causing the branches of the trees to rustle the only noise to be heard.

After a moment, Aura casually writes the statement off, "You didn't kill him, the Shinigami did. And that is why I am here."

Tsukishima and Ginjo look at the woman in interest as she elaborates, "I used my Fullbring powers to hide among the Shinigami for years. I've served the nobility, biding my time until you would inevitably come out of hiding, Kugo Ginjo. And now that you are here, I can finally tell you what I have learned about my father's killers."

Both of the other Fullbringers widen their eyes in shock, the Xcution leader uttering, "Y-You know who it was, then?"

Aura purses her lips before looking down slightly, admitting, "I do not."

The pair of male Fullbringers frown before soon holding a glimmer of hope in their gazes as the woman adds, "However, I know where you can find out."

Ginjo growls, becoming both impatient and excited, beyond eager to enact proper revenge, "Well, don't keep us waiting! Where do we go?!"

Aura regards him with a slight frown, warning, "In the Seireitei you will find the Communication Department run by the Tsunayashiro Clan. Within one of those buildings, there is a vast archive containing documents so confidential that not even the Central 46 or the other noble clans know what information is held within. But be warned, it is heavily guarded by elite assassins."

The woman turns to leave, her tone still neutral as ever, "I apologize, but if I remain here any longer, my cover may be in jeopardy…"

This prompts Tsukishima to reach out to her, "Wait—!"

Before he can stop her, she disappears into thin air, causing both men to gasp as they have never seen anything like that before.

After a moment, the younger, scarred Fullbringer turns and looks at his leader, asking, "What do we do, Ginjo?"

Ginjo's face is serious as he states, "That should be obvious. The Shinigami are weakened and still dealing with the aftermath of the attacks. We should act quickly and sneak into this archive she was talking about. We'll steal whatever information we can find on Fullbringers without getting caught."

Tsukishima hums thoughtfully, "Well, what if it's a trap? How can we be so sure to even trust her at her word?"

The Xcution leader looks at the cross necklace hanging around his neck and the silver star bracelet around his wrist before asserting, "We can't trust her word. If it is a trap, we'll just fight our way out. If the full might of the Gotei 13 couldn't kill us, then some no-name assassins sure as hell can't."

The scarred Fullbringer nods before both men leave the forest, intent on uncovering the truth about the murder of their friends.

Kitchen, Dining Hall, Silbern

Many Soldats walking through the great dining hall sweat drop as they glance at one of the kitchens, finding a particular group of Sternritters inside. A trail of steam exits the window, resulting in quite an appetizing smell. Inside the kitchen and seated at small circular tables at the edge of the room are Keigo, Bambietta, Giselle, Meninas, and Liltotto. They look across the room at a small blonde girl and a taller, lime-blonde woman, working the Reishi-powered ovens and stoves.

The woman, Candice, wears a light blue apron over her rather revealing uniform as she looks over at the younger girl, "I'm just getting started on dessert. How's the main meal coming?"

"Almost done", the girl answers as she stirs chicken fried rice in a pot, an intense look in her brown eyes.

The girl, Yuzu Kurosaki, currently wears a pink apron with a heart pattern on it over her white uniform. Her long blonde hair is worn in a ponytail, as usual, although it hangs over her left shoulder and trails down her chest. She has a small bandage over her forehead, under her white cap, which covers her headbutt wound suffered by Mask De Masculine.

After another few moments of stirring, Yuzu's brown eyes widen as she takes the pot off the Reishi burner and promptly turns it off, calling, "Food's done! Give me a minute and I'll serve it."

The others in the room perk up in mild interest as the girl begins to retrieve plates from the cabinets next to the stove. It isn't long before she fills the first two plates before walking away from the stove. She walks over to Giselle and Bambi sitting at a small, circular table across from each other before serving them plates of rice.

Yuzu smiles as she looks at them, warning, "Be careful not to eat too fast. The food's hot right now."

Giselle, already having placed a spoonful of the food in her mouth, suddenly widens her eyes as she desperately grabs for a glass of water in front of her, panting, "HOT! HOT! HOT!"

Bambietta, ignoring the other black-haired girl, looks at the girl's waist in curiosity, "Is it fine to leave your Zanpakutō in your room? I thought Shinigami worshipped their swords or something…?"

The dirty blonde frowns as she corrects, "Shinigami don't worship their Zanpakutōs… at least, I don't. I view Kōgetsu as a person and friend! She's why I was able to fight in the Soul Society!"

The black-haired, purple-eyed woman raises a brow, prompting the girl to answer the initial question, "But, yes, it's fine. Kōgetsu wanted some space. I think she's mad at me for not using her in sparring earlier…"

Bambietta frowns, "You mean you let your weapon call the shots? That's weird."

Yuzu pouts, clearly offended, "That's mean, Bambi… I don't judge you for your powers…"

The Quincy woman huffs, "That's because my powers are short, sweet, and to the point. I blow things up. End of story."

The blonde girl sighs and shakes her head before she walks back to the stove to prepare to serve more food, noting with a smile, "Bambi will never change…"

Giselle, meanwhile, pokes at her fried rice with her spoon as she attempts to provoke the other woman, "Silly Bambi, your powers are just too simple and braindead! It honestly shows how dumb you are…~"

An angry tick mark forms on Bambietta's face as she hisses, "What'd you say?!"

The roach Quincy shrugs, "You're a simplistic weirdo to the point of being endearing…~"

"Oh, so now I'm the weirdo…? Gigi, zombies are probably the weirdest, most messed up thing someone can have as a weapon. You have no room to talk about weirdos...", the purple-eyed Sternritter deadpans.

Giselle pouts as she argues, "Hey! You know there are like at least a handful of other Sternritters with weirder abilities, and you know it!"

Bambietta waves her off as she pokes at the fried rice with a pair of chopsticks, "Yeah, yeah, we've had this conversation before. It doesn't stop you from being the weirdest of our group!"

The roach woman frowns as she holds up her spoon, pointing out, "Putting aside our powers, you're a super weirdo for trying to eat with those sticks! What are they, anyway?"

"Chopsticks.", the bomb woman answers before she lifts her plate slightly and begins to eat with them.

Giselle raises a brow, noting her peer's apparent skill with the mysterious utensil, "How'd you even learn to eat with those? It looks like a lot of work compared to just using a spoon or fork…"

After placing her plate back on the table, Bambietta's gaze becomes distant, "Someone special to me taught me how to use them…"

The black-haired, blue-eyed woman across from her narrows her eyes as a scowl is now on her face, feeling envious, "Someone special…? She never talks about anyone like that. Not even us…"

Meanwhile, Yuzu walks past the two black-haired Sternritters and hands plates of rice to Meninas and Liltotto sitting at the table next to them, smiling brightly at them, "I hope it's to your liking!"

The other, short-haired blonde girl nods before not hesitating in quickly devouring the plate of fried rice and giving a thumbs up, "It's good! Great, even!"

The dirty blonde is wide-eyed in disbelief, "That's the fastest I've seen anyone eat anything before…"

Meninas scoops up some of the rice on her plate with a spoon, noting, "That's Lil for you…"

As the pink-haired woman takes a bite, she widens her eyes slightly, agreeing with her friend, "Wow… this is amazing…"

Yuzu giggles bashfully, humbly rubbing the back of her head, "Well, I'm not a pro chef or anything, but I'm glad you two like it…"

The young girl then takes Liltotto's plate, "I'll get you some seconds…"

Yuzu grabs another plate when she gets to the pot before frowning slightly as she looks at the food inside, "Hey Candy, you didn't invite anyone else, right?"

The lime-blonde woman, currently multitasking by cooking the desert and eating a plate of fried rice as she stands, raises a brow at the girl, "I didn't… Why?"

The younger girl purses her lips as she fills the two plates in her hands, seeing that they aren't even halfway through the rice, "I think I made too much…"

Candice shrugs, "That's fine, Liltotto will just eat it."

Yuzu nods slowly before walking across the room. After handing Liltotto her second serving, she approaches Keigo, who sits at a third circular table by himself.

As she places the plate down, the seated, brown-haired boy looks up at her in concern, "Make sure you eat too, Yuzu."

She smiles at the boy reassuringly, "I will. I'm just going to get my first helping. I'll be right back…"

True to word, Yuzu walks back over to serve herself a plate, also making sure to give Liltotto her third serving before returning to the table and seating herself across from her friend. The pair sit in silence for a while as they eat, making the girl glance across the room with a slight smile, glad to see everyone appreciate her cooking.

After a moment, she perks up as Keigo addresses her, "Hey, um, Yuzu…"

Yuzu looks over at the older boy who has a distant look in his eyes, his tone serious as he questions, "How do you think Ichigo and your sister will react when they find out you're alive…?"

The girl widens her eyes as her body stiffens, having done everything she can up to this point to avoid thinking about that exact thing.

The boy, one of her brother's closest friends, furrows his brows as he looks at her, "I think they'll be happy… but…"

He pauses before looking down to continue dejectedly, "…when they do find out, they'll most likely be on the opposite side of this war that's coming…"

Yuzu's gaze is one of terror as she starts to sweat slightly.

Keigo glances at the others in the room, lingering on Candice longer than the others, before looking down at the rice in front of him in continued dejection, asserting, "Just about everyone here wouldn't hesitate to strike down Ichigo, your sister, or even your dad if it meant earning the King's favor…"

The blonde girl grits her teeth as the boy looks directly at her and urges, "Excluding Candice and maybe Bambietta, you shouldn't get attached to the people here. It's for your own good."

The girl immediately shoots up from her seat and snaps at the boy, "WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW?! YOU AREN'T EVEN A QUINCY!"

Everyone else in the room looks over at the blonde girl in either concern or confusion. Keigo, meanwhile, widens his eyes as his mouth hangs open, clearly shocked at being yelled at by the usually friendly and gentle girl.

After a moment, the teen looks back at his food dejectedly, "Sorry… forget I said anything…"

Yuzu instantly regrets her actions as an apologetic frown graces her features, "N-no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you, Keigo…"

Keigo shakes his head, a weak smile now worn on his face, "You're right, though. I'm not a Quincy. Heck, I don't even have powers. I couldn't possibly understand how you see things. The only one who could is Ishida, and he's not here…"

He looks down again and starts eating his food in silence. The young girl purses her lips, wanting to say something to him, but finding her words caught in the back of her throat.

Her expression becomes a degree more resolute, looking down slightly as she reaffirms her vow, "I will save the Quincies from Yhwach… as many of them as I can…"

After a moment, the girl perks up and turns as she hears footsteps, finding Liltotto walking over with a passive look on her face.

The other blonde girl points at the pot near the stove, elaborating, "Candy mentioned you probably would rather feed someone else than give me another ten servings. I wouldn't complain, but I have someone in mind you might want to meet anyway."

Yuzu smiles, about to say something, before her eyes suddenly widen and she turns toward Keigo, remembering what they just talked about.

The boy notices her gaze and forces himself to smile, "Hey, there's nothing wrong with feeding a hungry belly! Just make sure not to be gone too long or else you'll miss Candice's dessert…"

The younger girl's gaze softens as she smiles and nods, "Thanks, Keigo…"

Yuzu then looks back at Liltotto, asking with a curious look, "Alright, who are we feeding?"

The older blonde answers casually, "Gremmy, that other Sternritter I told you about."

The dirty blonde nods, now focused on the task ahead of her, "Alright, I'll prepare a bento box. I'll be just a minute…"

The girl walks off, making Liltotto and Keigo both frown as their gazes meet and then look at the plate of food in front of where she was previously sitting.

The brown-haired teen sighs as the Sternritter points out, "She's not going to eat that, is she?"

He shakes his head in disappointment, "It doesn't look like it…"

Liltotto is quiet for a moment before shrugging and walking off to approach Bambietta and Giselle.

The two black-haired women look at her as Bambietta questions, "Yui's in a rush… Where are you two going?"

The blonde grunts, "To see Gremmy. You guys interested?"

The purple-eyed Sternritter immediately hisses, "Hell no, I'm not! Are you insane? Gremmy's dangerous! You can't take her to see him!"

Liltotto shrugs, "Well, you're dangerous too, and I don't see you objecting to that…"

Bambietta scowls and slams her fist on the table, earning a brief, curious look from her blonde student across the room, still preparing the bento box.

After the girl looks away and continues to focus on preparing Gremmy's would-be meal, the bomb woman asserts in a hushed tone, "You can't seriously be comparing me to a monster like him! You know how his Schrift works and why it is a BAD idea for him to even SEE Yui!"

The other girl furrows her brows as she argues, "Gremmy's insanely strong, but he isn't the monster you think he is, Bambi… You're just afraid of him."

Bambietta's feral glare makes obvious her strong disagreement.

Even so, the blonde continues unimpeded, "And besides, as long as she doesn't use any of her powers, it'll be fine…"

The two Sternritters continue to lock gazes for a moment before Bambietta sighs, crossing her arms as she sits back in her chair, backing off.

The black-haired woman warns as she looks to the side, "Just remember, if he tries anything, His Majesty will have your head, Lil…"

Liltotto grunts, "Thanks for the unnecessary reminder, Bambi…"

After a moment, the blonde looks at the roach-haired woman curiously, "What about you?"

Giselle perks up and shakes her head, "Nah, I'm staying with Bambi."

Liltotto nods, not surprised, before she walks over to Meninas, still eating her fried rice.

The short-haired blonde asks, "You interested in seeing Gremmy at all, Meni?"

The pink-haired woman perks up before pursing her lips slightly, asserting, "Gremmy's unpleasant…"

"Why's that?", Yuzu suddenly cuts in curiously as she walks over, now holding the complete bento box in her hands.

Meninas glances at the young Quincy and answers bluntly, with a passive, yet somehow slightly offended expression, "He's rude."

Yuzu raises a brow, which prompts Liltotto to lean over and whisper into her ear, clarifying, "The last time she crossed paths with Gremmy, he asked her, 'How's the weather up there?' before using his Schrift to make a bunch of small clouds that floated around her head. It actually looked super pathetic for her…"

The dirty blonde gasps quietly, "That's horrible!"

The girl's reaction makes the pink-haired woman frown slightly, "Lil, are you telling her embarrassing stories about me?"

Liltotto whistles comically and looks away from her friend, "Nu-uh, not me…~"

Meninas looks at her food, using a spoon to scoop more of it up as she states passively, "Ok…"

The short-haired blonde sighs as she glances at the younger Sternritter next to her, "Well, I guess it's just us, then."

Yuzu nods before following Liltotto out of the kitchen and through the cafeteria, noting with a slight frown as they walk, "It looks to me like Gremmy isn't very popular..."

The other blonde girl nods in confirmation, "It's to be expected since he actually is very rude and intolerable. You'd have to be to get under the skin of someone like Meni."

The pair exit the dining hall and begin to walk through the dark halls of Silbern. As they walk, the young Sternritter recognizes that they are now well out of earshot.

This leaves Yuzu to question, "If he's so rude, then why do you want to go see him?"

The other girl is quiet for a moment before answering, "That's because Gremmy is the only one who will make halfway decent food for me to eat without any conditions or strings attached..."

She pauses and glances at her companion with a slight smile, "Before you, that is. Thanks again, by the way. It was delicious..."

Yuzu happily chuckles, "I'm just glad to have people around who enjoy my cooking!"

As they continue walking, Liltotto looks behind them, seeing a short, caped figure watching them from the shadows.

The sight makes her narrow her eyes as she looks away, deciding to stay quiet while she glances at Yuzu, "Figures the Schutzstaffel would be watching her… but still, why Parnkgjas of all of them?"

She frowns he looks at the ground, feeling nervous, "If any of the Sternritters is a literal monster, then it's Parnkgjas…"

Dungeon, Silbern

In a hallway far beneath Silbern, a Soldat opens a pair of large doors for the two Sternritters, warning, "As a reminder for your safety, Ma'ams, you are not to display even a hint of anger or aggressive behavior to the prisoner. Other strong emotions are also not advised. Lastly, and most importantly, do not make any Reishi weapons."

Liltotto nods before waving casually, "Yeah, yeah, we get it. Don't forget to close the doors behind us."

Yuzu frowns slightly before walking through the doors with the other blonde girl, prompting the Soldat to close them. The pair are now in a massive, spacious dungeon, which is completely coated in pitch-black darkness. The only light that can be seen is that of a blue Reishi cage in the distance. As the pair get closer, the being held within the cage becomes more and more defined. Sitting on the floor of the cage is a young blonde boy wearing a white, hooded uniform, looking at the ground with a bored expression.

As their footsteps get closer and they enter his field of vision, the boy sits up slightly with an amused smirk, "Ah… Liltotto... I was wondering when I'd be seeing you again. I see you didn't bring the giantess with you this time."

Liltotto grunts, "She didn't want to come because you were rude to her last time. I've told you before, but you should really work on your manners, or no one will like you."

The boy maintains his smirk as he jests, "Well, that's on her. She ought to be proud and confident to have a big, strong body like she does. I have no need of one like that myself, but if I did have a body like hers, then no one would have any questions about me being the strongest!"

The blonde girl tsks as she looks to the side, "Now you just sound like a perverted weirdo talking about someone else's body like that…"

The hooded boy chuckles, "Well since you insist, I'll consider displaying better manners and keeping my comments about other peoples' bodies to myself. I'll consider it despite such a thing being beneath me, the strongest of the Sternritters."

Yuzu furrows her brows at this, "He's sure confident… I wonder how he can think that when Mr. Haschwalth, the big meanie, and Mr. Lille are among the Sternritters…?"

Noting the young blonde girl's gaze, the blonde boy glances at her with a raised brow, "Who's this, then? Don't tell me someone ditched your group and Bambietta had to find a replacement?"

This makes Liltotto raise a brow as well, "No one left the group, but she is our newest member. Not only that, but she's also the newest Sternritter, too. You should know that. Haven't you read the Daten?"

The hooded Sternritter blinks, silent for a moment before he looks to the floor of the cell, "No... His Majesty took away my access to the Daten after your last visit a while back. I figured that meant something big was going down that he didn't want me to see. I had no clue we were getting a newbie. Did someone die?"

Yuzu's frown deepens as the other blonde answers with a huff, "No one died, drama queen. His Majesty gave her the Schrift C and told everyone that she'll become one of our most valuable assets against the Shinigami."

The boy raises a brow before looking at the dirty blonde girl, still wearing her pink apron and holding the bento box, with scrutiny, "Really... Her? She doesn't look like much…"

Yuzu looks down slightly, her gaze distant as she is unsure of what to say.

The other girl's behavior prompts the short-haired blonde to casually remark, "Well, you don't look like much either, Gremmy."

This makes the boy, Gremmy, chuckle and nod, "I suppose you're right about that."

After a moment, the young Sternritter nervously steps forward, making her hooded peer perk up in interest as she introduces, "As Lil said, I'm the newest Sternritter. My name is Yuzu Kurosaki. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Gremmy looks her up and down again before wearing an amused smirk, "Kurosaki, huh? Well, I'm Gremmy Thoumeaux. As you heard, I'm the strongest around here."

The dirty blonde girl smiles slightly before holding out the bento box toward the boy, still emitting an appetizing smell, "I was cooking and ended up making too much food. Lil said you'd be interested in eating some of the leftovers."

The hooded boy raises his brow, "Food? You can't be serious... I can just make my own..."

Yuzu frowns and looks around in mild confusion, "Huh…? Is there a kitchen down here…?"

Liltotto, meanwhile, narrows her eyes as she regards the boy in annoyance, "Just shut up and eat the food, you idiot."

Gremmy frowns and glares at her as she crosses her arms and huffs, adding, "It's better than yours, by the way."

The hooded boy scoffs, as he finally gets to his feet and sticks his hand out of the cage, "I'll be the judge of that…"

The younger, dirty blonde Sternritter's gaze lights up as she eagerly hands over the bento box to the boy. He opens it up and grabs the utensils packaged within before starting to eat the leftover chicken fried rice. The pony-tailed, hat-wearing girl looks intensely at him as he takes a bite, desperately wanting to hear his verdict.

After a moment of chewing, the blonde boy widens his eyes, "I... I can't believe it... this taste is something I never could've—"

He stops himself as the short-haired blonde now smirks smugly, finishing, "You never could've imagined it, huh?"

Gremmy glares at her before looking at the still-nervous Yuzu, who asks, "How was it? Did you like it, Gremmy?"

The hooded boy looks at the food before he regards the other Sternritter with a slight smile, "I'll admit it, Kurosaki, you are a good cook."

The girl smiles widely with a light blush on her face as she responds, "I'm happy you liked it!"

Gremmy looks up at the Reishi cage around him and muses, "Well, I'm sure if I had access to one of the kitchens above, I could probably make something better than this..."

Yuzu frowns and scrunches her brows, confused, "Huh?"

There is a long moment of silence between the three Sternritters, the youngest among them visibly troubled, although the other two don't seem to notice.

The dirty blonde girl bites her lip before asking, "Hey, um... Gremmy… How come you are locked away in this dungeon?"

Gremmy frowns after taking another bite of the food the girl gave him.

After swallowing, he raises a brow and glances at Liltotto, "You didn't tell her?"

The short-haired blonde shrugs, "She never asked..."

Yuzu starts, earning the boy's attention again, her words relaying the impact that her capture had on her psyche, "Anyone can twist a story about people they don't like. I wanted to hear it from you..."

Gremmy looks at her in mild confusion before shrugging and explaining in a casual tone, "Well, you see… My Schrift is V: The Visionary. With it, anything I can imagine is made into reality. Be it food, weather, weaponry, or even entire people..."

He motions to the air next to him with his right hand, where suddenly a perfect copy of Liltotto, casually eating a donut, is produced.

"See?", he asks, allowing the now gawking dirty blonde and slightly unnerved short-haired blonde to take in the sight.

After a moment, the hooded Sternritter waves his hand again, making the copy of the other Sternritter disappear into thin air, "Actually, one of the other Sternritters is one of my creations. His name is Shaz Domino, and he's quite capable. If you have the chance of speaking with him, I highly recommend it..."

The wide-eyed Yuzu and bored-looking Liltotto are silent, making Gremmy sigh as he looks up at the dark ceiling, "In any case, I'm sure by now you realize how insanely powerful my Schrift ability is. It alone makes me the strongest out of any of the Sternritters. It is for that very reason that His Majesty confines me to this dark, unimaginative dungeon... he fears the potential of my imagination, as he well should."

The dirty blonde girl, whose gaze is hidden under the bill of her hat, balls her hand into a fist as she trembles slightly, asking, "But… don't you get lonely...?"

He shakes his head, not noticing her behavior, "Lonely? No, of course, not. I just told you I can imagine people into existence, so—"

Gremmy shifts to look at her before widening his eyes at the sight, cutting himself off. What he finds is the steeled, yet tearful appearance of Yuzu, making it hard for him to believe she is as young as she is.

She states slowly as she can't help but cry, "I'm sorry, Gremmy. You've done nothing wrong, and yet His Majesty treats you like this... it's not fair!"

Liltotto looks to the floor quietly as the girl's tears continue to fall.

The hooded boy remains wide-eyed and shocked as he watches Yuzu before him, seeming to radiate care and compassion as she vows, "This is ridiculous! I'll speak to His Majesty about this! I'll make sure you get as much freedom as the rest of us!"

Gremmy gawks as he urges, "W-what are you talking about, you idiot?! Are you insane?! You just met me! You're really willing to stick your neck out for me by questioning His Majesty?! Why?!"

The girl holds her hand up over her heart and returns the boy's baffled gaze with one of resolve, "Because we are both Quincies... and because it's the right thing to do."

The boy is left wide-eyed and completely speechless at this, feeling a foreign feeling, "What is this sensation I'm feeling…? It's warm…"

Liltotto glances at Yuzu thoughtfully, unable to prevent the ever so slight smile on her face, "I see... it all makes sense now… why Bambi and Candy would grow so fond of her... being around her..."

The short-haired blonde's eyes soften as she looks down distantly, "It feels nice..."

Meanwhile, a distance away in the darkness of the dungeon, unnoticed by the others, is Pernida, observing the scene quietly with their piercing yellow eyes. The Schutzstaffel hums passively yet does not speak or approach the other Sternritters as they continue to converse within the depths of the Quincy palace.

Las Noches Exterior, Hueco Mundo

Ichigo holds the sides of his arms as he stands on a dune in front of Las Noches. His uniform and hair are both rather disheveled and he wears an intense frown on his face, clearly still unnerved by the experience with his Fraccions earlier.

He looks out across the dunes with a distant gaze, "I'll… I'll have to talk to them about this later… but… what should I even say…?"

The King wears a troubled, unnerved expression as he continues to stand on the dune in silence. This quiet tranquility remains for a while, prompting him to look up at the moon instinctually.

After another moment, the form of Sosuke Aizen appears a distance behind him with a flash and immediately regards the Arrancar, "We need to finish our talk, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo shifts his head to glance back at the Shinigami with his right, golden eye with haunting black sclera, warning, "I'm not in the mood, Aizen…"

Aizen looks off distantly as he ignores the orange-haired Arrancar, "What is a King?"

The Espada grits his teeth and turns around as his Reiatsu harshly rains down on the former captain, "I said, I don't want to talk!"

The Shinigami, wearing the white robes of the Arrancars, doesn't flinch as he unleashes his own, immense Reiatsu, promptly countering the King's own.

Ichigo widens his eyes in immense shock at this, "What the hell?! His Reiatsu is stronger than Barragan and Grimmjow's, and he hasn't even released his sword! It even rivals my own!"

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! Maybe that's true when you're holding back, but if you used that form you did against Grimmjow, he stands no chance!", Zangetsu's voice cuts in defensively, not wanting to get the narrative twisted.

The Arrancar hisses mentally, "Oh, SHUT UP ALREADY! I've heard enough from you today!"

The voice of the Zanpakutō fades, yet Ichigo's shock remains as Aizen glares at him, "You need to grow up, boy."

The Hollow King remains in stunned silence as the Shinigami regards him with a stern tone, "You need to decide if you're serious about being the King of Hueco Mundo. As Barragan explained, if you do not get your act together soon, everything you have built thus far will crumble away into nothing."

Ichigo's expression becomes visibly troubled by this as he looks down slightly, admitting to himself, "He's right…"

Aizen's gaze softens ever so slightly as he relents his Reiatsu, reiterating, "I'll ask again… what do you think a King is?"

The Arrancar perks up slightly as his gaze is distant and thoughtful, taking a moment to answer, "Someone who serves the people under him..."

The Shinigami wears a somewhat amused smile, "That's a good answer given your age..."

The teenage Hollow furrows his brows, confused, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Aizen maintains his smile as he answers with a question while making a gesture with his hand, "What of the people the King serves, then? Are they not his servants?"

Ichigo answers without hesitation, "They are. The King and his people serve each other. There is a mutual trust between them, otherwise everything would fall into chaos. History has shown that nations fall when the people lose trust in the King to lead."

The former captain can't help but chuckle, "Interesting choice of words... trust..."

The Hollow King frowns as he raises a questioning brow.

Aizen makes eye contact with the boy as he asserts with a frown, "A King has no need to go out of his way to serve the people. They will follow him regardless because they need his governance."

Ichigo's eye twitches as he raises his hand to make a gesture as if physically holding his point up, "Not necessarily. All kinds of governments led by the people exist in the world of the living, such as democracies. Even your Soul Society operates on an oligarchy, where the power is shared between the nobility…"

The former captain scoffs as he casually explains, "The Central 46 in the Seireitei was itself a tyrant that cared little of what the people wanted… they were also closed-minded fools who were easily manipulated by promises of further status and power. That was why I killed them all."

The teen widens his eyes slightly, evidently surprised, "He actually killed every last one of them…? I thought he was exaggerating back then…"

The brown-haired Shinigami sighs before continuing, "Anyway, Hueco Mundo isn't a democracy, nor an oligarchy. Here, the King holds the power. His word is law. It doesn't matter how the people under him feel about that fact. You should know this by now, Your Majesty..."

Ichigo narrows his eyes and counters, "Even so… when the King is a tyrant who serves only himself, he loses the trust of the people. They will eventually rise up and overthrow him. That's what happened with Barragan. A good King requires the people's trust! It is only earned through serving them!"

Aizen follows suit by narrowing his eyes and offering a counter of his own, "The King requires the people's trust to exist, yes. However, the King does NOT need to trust the people..."

The young Hollow appears troubled as he attempts to argue, "N-no… If a King doesn't trust the people, then he... he can't..."

The Espada widens his eyes as a sort of realization strikes him. He becomes quiet, unable to explain why the King needs to trust the people.

The rogue Shinigami sighs, "You still don't get it. Trust is the same thing as reliance. It is a fault of cowards. A King has no need for such weakness."

Ichigo's eye twitches before he responds with an angered frown, "What are you on about? You've surrounded yourself with those two other Shinigami, as well as the Espada in the past... are you saying you don't trust them? Are you calling them cowards?"

As the Arrancar's words linger, the former captain closes his eyes, choosing not to answer immediately. He looks in the distance again while holding his hands behind his back and walking across the dunes, past the young Espada.

He remains silent for a long moment before answering, his face hidden from the younger being's field of view, "You are correct. Over time, I had gained many subordinates... many who have pledged themselves to me… but… never once have I asked any of them for their trust..."

Ichigo gasps lightly as he widens his eyes.

Aizen maintains his distant gaze as he clarifies, "What I asked for is their allegiance. Faith, however, is another matter altogether... In fact, I always told them to never trust anyone, including myself..."

The Hollow bites his lip as the man's words seem to stir something deep within him, "Unfortunately though, I hadn't met anyone strong enough to actually heed that warning..."

He then turns to face Ichigo, asserting with a serious look, "Until you, that is."

The former captain smirks slightly while gesturing toward the Hollow King, who now glares at him, "You have no need to trust me—to rely on me. You've always remained cautious when I'm around. I am certain that, if I drew my blade right now, even in jest, you would attack me. Am I wrong, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo narrows his eyes and frowns slightly, "No, you're not wrong..."

Aizen nods, his hand falling to his side before shifting a distant gaze back at the desert, "You are right about one thing, Ichigo... All creatures need to obey. No one can survive without trusting someone. Someone they feel is better—more worthy than themselves..."

The Hollow maintains his slight frown as the Shinigami looks up at the moon, "However, it becomes a matter of instinct after that… To avoid the responsibility of being relied on, the worthy individuals look even higher, searching for more superior beings. And those superiors do the same, looking for even stronger individuals they can believe in."

Ichigo widens his eyes, beginning to realize what the man is getting at as he concludes, "That is how all Kings are created... but it is also..."

Aizen looks knowingly at the wide-eyed teen as he states, "...how Gods are born."

The young Hollow King frowns and looks down in a sort of conflicted realization.

His eyes are widened, and he wears a frown as the Shinigami looks at him with an almost saddened, disappointed look, "However, if a worthy being denied themselves the pursuit of even higher peaks, then they are not only a fool to deny their destiny, but they are weak..."

Ichigo flinches, the man's words and visual disappointment shaking him to his core and forcing Zangetsu's past words to linger, "You are weak because you choose to be..."

The King looks down, questioning, "So, to be strong... I need everyone to rely on me while not asking the same of them... I need to be... a God...?"

Aizen nods with a serious look, "Everyone has seen that you are not peerless... Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez questioned your right to rule and challenged you… the outcome of that battle, where he could've killed you and chose not to… that is burned into the minds of your subordinates. If you do not wish for YOUR kingdom to fall into chaos, you will need to make it clear that, among the Hollows, you are peerless, truly without equal. Otherwise, not just Barragan will feel inclined to take back the throne, but I will…"

Ichigo is wide-eyed and thoughtful as the Shinigami sighs, "Only a true God-King can carry the weight of the people alone... but he has no need to trust them. When the people recognize that, they will flock behind him, labeling him as someone worthy to lead them... they will serve him without question. That is because they rely on him."

Aizen softens his gaze as he smiles slightly, greatly satisfied that the teen is susceptible to his words, "But that is merely my belief on the matter... I believe you are strong enough to define your own strength—your own destiny… Am I wrong?"

The teen looks up at the man before frowning, uncertain, "I... I don't know..."

The former captain's smile becomes more friendly as he nods lightly, "Well, you're still young... you have plenty of time to figure it out. But don't take too long, or else someone will think they can take your place."

Ichigo remains troubled as Aizen bows politely and starts walking away, "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

The young Hollow scowls and narrows his eyes as the Shinigami walks off, briefly considering something for a moment before calling, "Wait, Aizen..."

The brown-haired man halts his stride before turning to look back at the boy with a curious expression.

After a moment, the King asserts with slight confusion in his gaze, "You said I was the first who didn't need to trust you... if it was just a matter of being hostile of you, then Barragan would be on that list too… so… why only me?"

Aizen blinks, quiet for a moment before shifting to a smile, "That is because I see you as an equal, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo widens his eyes slightly as the former captain elaborates, "I told you about how you were born—how your parents met... you know that I have watched you since the day you were born. So, I understand intimately that you are without a doubt worthy of the mantle of King."

The orange-haired Hollow scowls slightly as he considers, "Yet I hardly know anything about you..."

The Shinigami frowns slightly upon seeing the boy's expression, prompting him to question, "Is something wrong—?"

"May I request something of you, then… as an equal?", Ichigo asks, cutting the man off.

Aizen raises a brow before shifting to a knowing smile, "That would depend on the request..."

The King narrows his eyes, not missing a beat, "I would like you to be my advisor."

The rogue captain widens his eyes as Ichigo elaborates, looking down dejectedly as he places his palm on his head, starting to get emotional, "I owe you for telling me about Yuzu... and warning me about Karin and Dad... You seem like a wise and cunning tactician. I can't and don't want to give you the throne… but… I figure if there is ever a need to wage war, I won't necessarily need your advice, but I'll certainly want it..."

Aizen blinks before smiling and nodding once more, "I thought that was already our arrangement, Your Majesty."

Ichigo perks up slightly, his eyes widened before nodding quietly. The boy remains quiet for a while before the Shinigami bows slightly and backs away a few paces to give the young King some space.

Aizen thinks with a pleased smirk on his face, "He's open to the idea of war and godhood now… good… In time, I'm sure he will see things as I do and become a true equal… but until then, I'll wait patiently as his so-called advisor…"

After a moment, however, the former captain perks up ever so slightly as Ichigo starts, his face hidden from the other man, "Oh, one more thing… the reason why I'd attack you if you drew your sword is because I know what it does."

Aizen frowns slightly as the Hollow, still with his back turned to him, continues, "You used Kyoka Suigetsu to hypnotize and humiliate Barragan. Many of the other Arrancars are also under your spell."

The Shinigami furrows his brows, "Did Barragan tell you?"

Ichigo still faces the desert, his expression hidden, "No, Roka did."

This makes Aizen smirk slightly before nodding, "I see. She is the eyes and ears of Las Noches, after all."

The young King's tone gets a degree harsher as he corrects, "She is my eyes and ears…"

The former captain frowns as Ichigo continues, "Listen well, Aizen… if you draw your sword in my presence or try hypnotizing anyone else in the army…"

Aizen tenses as he buckles under sudden, blood-lusted Reiatsu.

The Hollow King turns around and levels a hateful glare at him, both of his eyes golden with black sclera and his distorted voice stating in finality, "…then I will tear off both of your arms, rip out your heart, and throw your corpse into the desert to rot! Do you understand?"

The Shinigami, now sweating in slight, instinctual fear, nods, "I do… Your Majesty."

Ichigo's left eye returns to its usual, brown state as he turns to face the desert again, "Good."

The silence between the two returns, leaving the boy's gaze to become distant once again.

The orange-haired Arrancar narrows his eyes slightly, musing to himself, "Anyway… Aizen has a point… Yuzu relied on me… Every Hollow in Las Noches relies on me, too… to lead them... that means I'm strong, after all... it means..."

Ichigo scowls deeply, his expression one of anguish, "Zangetsu is right… I chose to be weak when fighting Yamamoto... Yuzu died because I held myself back..."

A fierce look of frustration is worn on the boy's face as he vows to himself with a clutched fist, "Never again!"

Author's Note:

I hope this chapter was enjoyable, or at least sparked interest for later. Many of the things presented in this chapter will be followed up on and explored later on.

To start, the connection between Sora and Masaki from the Soul Society arc continues. I will not comment or elaborate on what exactly is happening any more than I already have as of this chapter. Rest assured that there will be a follow-up and proper explanation later on, including a deep dive into what I believe happens to souls devoured by Hollows, since Kubo leaves it entirely to subtext.

Similarly, I will not yet elaborate as to what is happening to Orihime due to the Hōgyoku. I will, however, give a hint for people who know. It has to do with what Kubo initially planned for her powers to be.

As far as the lemon scene goes, I thought it only makes sense for Ichigo's earliest companions (excluding Ulquiorra, who isn't here) to be concerned about him to the point of approaching him alone. This escalated into a sexual context. I wanted to make it clear that his instincts wanted one thing, but he wanted the opposite. In all fairness, there is not currently a character Ichigo, excluding his Hollow instincts, would want to get that intimate with as it stands. That will come later…

I'll just come out and confirm the obvious. Aura is lying and twisting the truth in this chapter to get Tsukishima and Ginjo to do certain things. This plants the seeds for a subplot that will occur throughout the remainder of this arc.

"The big meanie" Yuzu was referring to is Gerard.

Lastly, with this chapter, Ichigo's reign as the King of Las Noches properly begins! This will be immediately followed up on in the next several chapters.