Reaper of Rome chapter 15-truth behind and next stage
This chapter will cover episode 142-146 and set up the first stage of battles to save Orihime.
With a few minor changes involving PJ series characters.
But that will be got into later.
Ichigo pov
As I was fully awake, I figured out I was healed and that both Orihime and my mother had been in my room with another person I couldn't figure out. it was after that Rukia came and brought me to Orihime's place for a message from who we thought would be the head captain, but it ended up being Ukatake and he revealed Orihime never returned to the world of the living and may be dead. But then the head captain came out and revealed Orihime likely defected to the side of Aizen. Then he brought out Zaraki and Byakuya to make sure the away team wouldn't chase Orihime and had to return to prepare for the coming war.
He also gave the order that I couldn't chase after her and I had to stay behind to wait for the battles to come. As Rukia left, she said sorry but also hinted at my meeting with Niko and I remembered the fact he had crossed into multiple afterlife realms and might know a way into the world of the hollows. I got a hold of him at night via an Iris message and he revealed he had entered both the soul society and Hueco Mundo. Then he told me that the world of hollows was an endless desert with a large castle inside, but he couldn't learn much more. But he didn't know an easy way to get in. he did tell me there seemed to be a moon so maybe I could tap into it to increase my own power.
So, I pretty much was in despair while trying to figure out what to do next. On getting back to school, I explained to my teacher that I had taken off due to work at my other school and the school believed it. After class, I met Tatsuki, and she confronted me about Orihime, and she asked me where Orihime was and figured I had a little bit of her spirit power on me. I tried to lie to my old friend but that just earned me a punch to the face as I had to harshly reject her from the stuff involving the soul society. I knew I couldn't let another friend get drawn into this mess. But I also knew she would likely end up drawn in sooner rather than later anyway.
It was Halloween night and on the way to the way I saw children trick or treating, I headed to Urahara in hope of a path in and I was right to guess he had been planning this for a while. He told me, he had guessed Aizen would go after her power to do so.
In the chamber under the shop, I found Uryu and Chad and both said they gained more power and would come with to help no matter what. They both showed new power to me, but I wasn't sure they had the power needed to fully help. but I felt a burst of divine power from Chad and figured I might have to bring him to camp after this battle was done. Then Uryu confirmed his powers had been restored and he stole a bunch of quincy weapons as well. Chad then gave the two of us sugar skulls that Urahara made and said, "these are for the day of the dead and have enough Reishi within to keep us full for a week." The shop keeper gave me a box of candies and said "these are super ambrosia candies each one should help speed up your healing but each only one each day."
Tatsuki pov
I decided to gather some of my friends with a little spirit awareness to follow Ichigo and that lead to a shop. When I asked Keigo about where our friend could have been he replied, "I heard rumors Ichigo would travel to America and that even where he went after his mother died." I replied, "that makes sense with how broken his Japanese was for a little while after starting middle school."
On going into the shop, we snuck around the shop until seeing a strange gate open and Ichigo talk with Chad and Uryu. We both wondered who they were talking about but after they left. The middle-aged man called us out and said "I let you in because I will have a task for you three soon enough. You have enough spirit power to help me but not enough to fight in the coming battles. i have something ready very soon but not ready yet just said for me call you and I will have uses."
Ichigo pov
We waited for Urahara to open the path and when he did the old man said we had to make our own paths in. before leaving, I told my two friends the info I gained from Nico and Urahara said to us "I am not sure if you will enter the same place that gloomy boy did. They likely weren't on as high alert back then." After that, I asked him to watch my family for me as well as give my sisters a bag of Halloween candy each.
Orihime pov
I started with my entry by talking to Aizen directly as some of the arrancar weren't happy, young hollow Lupi revealed the battle was all to get me to come and he wasn't pleased. But then Aizen told me to use my power to bring Grimmjow's arm back. Lupi said I couldn't do it, but I soon revealed I could and shocked him with how I could. Aizen revealed my power rejected damage on a level close to that of the gods. I wasn't sure if I could really face the gods, I met but likely they could go longer than I could and didn't require the levels of confidence I lacked. After that, Grimmjow asked for one more bit of healing and I did so as he killed Lupi and I watched on in horror.
Ichigo pov
After the three of us were struggling to make a path in, I figured out my control was bad, but I really had never learned the control I needed. My guess was at camp I could learn to control it better. It was on the path in, Uryu told us about the training he got to regain his powers and how Kisuke helped him out of the training area and how he made a deal with his dad to not help and how by coming alone it wouldn't break his deal. It was after telling us that we soon made it into Hueco Mundo, and I was sure Aizen would have someone waiting to attack us soon.
We expected to be in a desert but were inside a building instead and my friends said, "your informant was wrong." I replied, "he was here years ago things may have changed." To find Orihime, I decided to try and find a guide like we did Hanataro in the soul society. But it wasn't long until we set off traps and had to run around the building to avoid them. it was soon after that, the first arancar came down the hall, I wanted to fight it but my friends dragged me away and said fighting in the space wasn't a very smart. It was soon enough we found an open space and were met by another arrancar and the one chasing us.
Before I could fight, my friends took up the fight and kept me out to save my power for later. I did so to at least let them show off what they could do. I got to see them master their skills and use teamwork for this battle. I got to see Uryu use a new spider web like bow for the battle as well as Chad showed off the boost in his power. They showed how their skills advanced and took how the low level menos arrancar fell with ease. Chad showed off his new move while Uryu showed off how he could fire more arrows of light.
But the fallen arrancars soon revealed that the chamber we were in would soon fall after the two were defeated. But we managed to escape just in time. But still ended up covered in sand and wanting baths. After getting out we soon sighted the castle that Nico told us about and the other two guards called los Noches.
Orihime pov
It wasn't long after I knew Ichigo was in this world that I felt the Espada gather in one place. I wasn't sure why, but I could only guess it involved Ichigo and a few others making a first attack. I wanted to know if they were safe, and I wanted to know if they could make it to save me, but I couldn't be sure. We then began to run again as I figured I could use the moon of this world to watch points under it and soon saw Orihime from a window and could tell she was at least safe but likely a prisoner.
After running for hours, we figured out the castle was both huge and far away. as we rested, we saw a small hollow and figured out this Reishi in this world would keep the hollows safe full. But Uryu said "even if they are sustained they could be preyed on by other hollows here and that have a harder time evolving without eating other hollows.
It was soon after that, we ran into three hollows chasing what looked like a human child and decided to intervene. But after we attacked, we learned the four were playing a game and the child was an arrancar. Then checked a special watch I had received from Suletta before I left and discovered we had been running for a day straight before meeting these hollows. When the child hollow saw my watch, she wondered what but referred to herself as in the third person as Nel.
It was after that, the two hollows revealed themselves to be her brothers with the third being their pet. The two hollows revealed they adopted Nel and made their monstrous hollow their pet. As well the other two hollows were also arrancars. It was then we asked Nel about the arrancars and she explained about the number-based power system and that each numbered arrancars held more power while the trio were not numbered.
It wasn't long until Nel figure we weren't arrancars and their enemies. Then they guess we would kill them until revealing we wouldn't hurt them if they helped us to Los Noches. But first Nel grabbed Zangetsu, and I had to chase her down until I made a silver ball to throw at her back to stop her. Then I threw three more balls to stop her brothers and pet. After that I convinced the four to help us.
Rukia pov
Renji and I had arrived in Hueco Mundo a day after Ichigo did, I had convinced my captain to send us as a forward team to scope out Aizen's forces officially but unofficially we were helping Ichigo, and his friends save Orihime. It took a loud outburst of shouting for us to find the three boys playing with four hollows and we knew it would be best to watch until another sand hollow attacked and then Ichigo tried to attack but the sand hollow didn't take long to reform and strike again. The trio then merged their attacks, but the monster then turned into a sand pit much like an ant lion larva. With the group struggling, I knew I had to help and used my released zanpakuto to kill the hollow then I came down to reveal myself to him.
I then revealed we would have joined if he waited. Then I asked Ichigo about the hollows and then I revealed the hollows agreed to help us get to Los Noches much faster than walking by riding on their hollow worm. On the ride, the hollow child stared me down and asked what I am to Ichigo, and I came out a said "the two of us are dating and that left our friends in shock as I said to Renji." Don't let this get out to anybody or else." It wasn't much longer that we made it to the large castle and had to make our next move.
Chapter end
I am skipping the filler even if it builds up Rukia for the next battles to come, I will personally rather get through the next part.
The next chapter will get into the los Noches battles, I am also keeping track of the passage of time.
But first Katerina with her team will be entering the Russian lostbelt to learn the secret that D left behind
For updates
week of 11/19/23 the hero becomes the villainess or not
week of 11/26/23 reaper of Rome
week of 12/3/23 the hero becomes the villainess or not
week of 12/10/23 reaper of Rome
week of 12/17/23 the hero becomes the villainess or not
dates subject to change
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