Hello, everyone. ThunderReborn from 2025. This chapter has originally been edited by TM11 when this chapter was originally released. On April 1st, 2020, this chapter was edited again by Darklord331. Finally, in April 2025, this chapter was edited again by my current beta reader, Waroyer123. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, TV Tokyo, Viz Media, Studio Pierrot... and other people.
All other references of characters or abilities are not mine.
Please support the official release.
"Hello." -Normal talking
"Hello." –Ichigo's thoughts.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō speaking
"Hello." – Zanpakutō thoughts.
Kon'nichiwa [Translation of Hello]
Chapter 29:
Ichigo woke up to find Yasaka hugging him tightly. He could see that Kunou had somehow managed to squish herself between him and Yasaka. Gently, Ichigo shook Yasaka.
"No. Five more minutes," Yasaka mumbled, tightening her grip on him. This caused Kunou to get squished further, forcing her to wake up. Noticing her predicament, Kunou began to poke Yasaka's stomach.
"Kaa-san, you're squishing me," Kunou said.
Yasaka, still half asleep, unconsciously swatted at Kunou like an annoying fly. Kunou, undeterred, called out to Ichigo.
"Papa, Kaa-san is ticklish!" Ichigo grinned and started tickling Yasaka. Yasaka immediately woke up, trying to escape.
"K-Ku-nou, you t-rait-or!" Yasaka yelled, laughing uncontrollably. She managed to grab Ichigo's hands, but Kunou quickly took over.
"K-Ku-nou!" Yasaka screamed, letting go of Ichigo's hands. Now that his hands were free, Ichigo resumed tickling Yasaka. After a moment, both Ichigo and Kunou stopped, and Yasaka pouted, glaring at Ichigo.
Ichigo got out of bed.
"Look, I'm sorry for doing that, but I needed to get out of bed," he said.
Yasaka understood, but Kunou had had enough.
"Papa," Kunou said, her voice serious.
"Yes, Kunou?" Ichigo replied.
"If you like Kaa-san so much, why do you keep seeing other girls?"
"Because I'm a monster," Ichigo answered, cutting off Yasaka before she could respond. "Your Papa is a horrible monster."
"Why?" Kunou asked, confused.
"Because I'm selfish. I know many beautiful women love me, but I can't choose just one. I know it would lead to violence and competition for my love, which I can't handle. So, I choose the lesser evil and try to love all of them."
Yasaka suddenly jumped at Ichigo, pushing him back onto the bed, and began kissing him. It took ten minutes before Ichigo managed to get to his car and drive back home.
Scene Change: Kuoh Town – Kurosaki House
Ichigo returned home to see Yuzu and Masaki cooking breakfast for everyone. He noticed Eu and Ophis walking down the stairs.
"Come on, Eu and Ophis, let's go," Ichigo called.
"What about food?" Ophis asked, reaching for Nyx.
"I'll take care of Nyx," Masaki said, gently picking up Nyx.
"Don't worry about it. We're getting breakfast outside," Ichigo answered. Everyone quickly gathered into the car, and Ichigo drove off.
Scene Change: Sumire Town
It only took a few minutes to reach Sumire Town. Ichigo parked the car in front of a restaurant called "Restaurant Yukihira." Ichigo, Eu, and Ophis walked inside. The restaurant had a cozy atmosphere, and there were a few customers already enjoying their meals. They noticed a little boy with yellow eyes and a vertical scar on his left eyebrow. His spiky dark-red hair had short bangs, and he wore a black shirt with the restaurant's logo on the back and left chest area. He also wore a white apron around his waist and a white headband on his forehead.
"Welcome to Yukihira. My name is Soma. Table for…" he asked, trailing off.
"Three," Ichigo answered. Soma led them to a nearby table for four. Before Soma could pass out the menu, Ichigo was already ready to order.
"I'd like the Food Challenge," Ichigo said.
"Very well," Soma replied, writing it down. "Anything to drink?"
"Just tea for now," Ichigo said. Soma nodded and picked up the menu before heading to the kitchen.
"Ichigo, what did you order?" Eu asked.
"This restaurant has a challenge for all customers. It's called the 50-Dish Food Challenge. The goal is to eat all 50 dishes they serve," Ichigo explained.
"What happens if you don't finish it?" Eu asked.
"Then we pay for whatever was served," Ichigo answered.
A few minutes later, another employee walked over and served three dishes. He had long brown hair swept back, except for a group of bangs that hung over his face down to his chin. His body was well-toned, and he wore a navy blue shirt with the Yukihira logo in white.
"Hope you enjoy the first three dishes," he said, heading back to the kitchen. The group began to eat the dishes, resisting the urge to moan in delight. They kept eating as more dishes were brought out.
Eu managed to finish five dishes before getting too full to continue. Ichigo ate ten dishes before calling it quits. Ophis devoured 20 dishes on her own and moved on to dish 21. Slowly, other customers gathered around their table. Eu leaned on Ichigo's shoulder, falling into a food coma, while Ichigo managed to fight it off. Ophis finished dish 21, and shortly after, dish 22 was served by another employee.
She had brown eyes and long, waist-length burnt-orange hair, tied back with a band. Like the others, she wore the same navy-blue shirt with the Yukihira logo. Her apron accentuated her large breasts.
"Ori… Orihime?" Ichigo said, surprised.
"Ichigo-kun?" Orihime replied, just as surprised.
"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked.
"I'm training to be a chef," Orihime said as she sat down in front of Ichigo.
"How are you?" Ichigo asked.
"I'm good," Orihime answered.
"Is 'she' still a bother?" Ichigo asked, referring to someone only Orihime would understand.
"No. She stayed quiet," Orihime replied, smiling.
Soma walked by and noticed Ichigo and Orihime talking.
"Nee-san, you two know each other?" Soma asked.
"We used to go to high school together," Orihime explained.
"BUUURRRRRRP!" A loud burp interrupted the conversation, and everyone turned to see it came from Ophis. The sound caused Eu to wake up. Ophis blushed deeply.
Everyone looked around, realizing their table had finished all 50 dishes. The other employee rushed out from the kitchen, shocked.
"They finished the challenge!" one of the customers exclaimed.
"Mother of God," another customer muttered, removing his glasses.
"CONGRATULATIONS!" All the Yukihira employees cheered. The crowd quickly gathered to take a few photos, commemorating the moment. Just then, Ichigo's phone rang. He looked at the screen and saw it was an unknown number. Stepping outside the restaurant, he answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Ichigo-sensei?"
"Rias? How did you get my number?"
"Nii-sama gave it to me. Anyway, I need your help!"
"What happened?"
"Do you remember Agares Seekvaira?"
"I do."
"According to some rumors I heard, Seekvaira had an argument with her father, Lord Agares."
"What was it about?"
"Seekvaira is under a marriage contract between her house and House Bael. She was supposed to spend time with Bael Sairaorg, the current Heir of the Bael Clan, but she hasn't. Her father ordered her to explain. She said she's in a relationship. Her father told her to break up and follow the contract. She refused and disappeared. Rumors say her father is considering disowning her from the clan."
"I see… why are you telling me this?"
"I thought you were her boyfriend since you asked me for her number." Ichigo laughed at Rias's assumption.
"HEY! Stop laughing at me!" she yelled. "All of you Kurosakis bully me," she muttered.
"What was that? Something about Kurosaki bullying you?"
"Nothing! Nothing!"
"Anyway, thanks for calling. I'll look into this," Ichigo said.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I know where she'll likely be right now."
"Where?"
"In the arms of her boyfriend." Ichigo hung up the call and turned to Eu and Ophis as they walked outside the restaurant.
"Sorry, girls, I need to go take care of something for a friend."
"We're coming too," Eu said. Ichigo sighed. Everyone got into the car, and Ichigo drove to an abandoned alley, where he parked the car. He sent the car back to his pocket dimension.
"Hold on to my arm," Ichigo instructed. Eu and Ophis complied. Ichigo pulled out his phone and dialed 5501. A few seconds later, they were teleported away.
Scene Change: Uzushio Command Center
They arrived at Uzushio, and Eu and Ophis were amazed by the new surroundings. Moments later, Marvelous and Ahim arrived.
"Captain, what are you doing here?" Ahim asked.
"I need to see Don and Varia," Ichigo replied.
"Varia has locked herself in her room, and Don is starting to panic," Marvelous said.
"Ahim, can you show them around Uzushio?" Ichigo asked.
"Okay, Captain." Ahim gestured for Eu and Ophis to follow her. Marvelous led Ichigo down a hallway, stopping near a metal door where Don was banging.
"Varia! Please tell me what's going on!" Don yelled. He turned to see Ichigo and Marvelous approaching. "Captain, what are you doing here?"
"Hello, Don. I'm here to talk with Varia," Ichigo said.
"She locked herself in her room and won't open the door," Don explained. Marvelous stepped aside, not wanting to get involved. Ichigo walked up to the door and knocked.
"Varia, please open the door," Ichigo asked. After a brief silence, he added, "I'm respecting your privacy by knocking, but asserting my authority as Captain by coming in anyway." Ichigo punched through the door, ripped it in half, and walked through the large hole. Don followed behind him.
Inside, Varia glared at Ichigo and Don. Her eyes were puffy from crying.
"Varia, can we talk?" Ichigo asked. She sighed and nodded. Ichigo summoned two chairs for himself and Don to sit. He then explained what Rias had told him.
Don was surprised, as he had never heard about this from Varia. "Varia, is what Ichigo said true?"
"It is," Varia confirmed.
"Very well," Ichigo said, standing up. "Let's go talk to your father."
"WHAT?!" Don and Varia shouted together.
"I'm not ready to meet her father!" Don exclaimed.
"Ichigo, I don't think my father will accept you interfering with clan affairs," Varia said.
Ichigo looked at her and asked, "Let me ask you something."
"Go ahead," she replied.
"What was the main reason you couldn't introduce Don to your father?"
"I couldn't tell him anything about him."
"Because…"
"Because…" Varia's eyes widened as she realized the reason. "The nondisclosure agreement!"
"Exactly," Ichigo said. "Because of that agreement, you can't talk about anything related to the Asura Machina, including Don, since he's the engineer for it."
"But you can."
"I can."
Varia stood up and rushed to the bathroom.
"Thank you, Captain," Don said.
"No problem, Don," Ichigo replied.
"I'm still worried about all of this," Don added.
"Don't worry about it. I will take care of this." Varia soon came back out, her eyes no longer puffy. With that, all three of them headed to the transporter pad. They met up with Ahim, Eu, and Ophis.
"Where are you going?" Eu asked.
"I need to help Varia with a family issue," Ichigo replied. Eu and Ophis nodded in understanding.
"Will you need the peerage?" Eu asked.
"I don't know yet. I'll inform you if I do," Ichigo answered. Eu nodded as Ahim continued her tour. Soon, the group of three arrived at the teleporter pad. Once everyone was on it, they were teleported back to the alleyway. Varia activated a teleportation seal, and they all teleported again.
Scene Change: Underworld: Agares Castle
They arrived in front of Agares Castle, which reminded Ichigo of the Gremory Castle. Varia walked straight into the castle, and Ichigo and Don followed closely behind. She ignored the various maids and butlers who greeted her. They eventually arrived at a closed door. Varia took a deep breath and knocked.
"Come in," someone called from behind the door. Varia pushed the door open, and they all walked inside. In front of them was a man with blonde hair and cold emerald-green eyes, sitting behind a desk.
"What do you want, Seekvaira?" he asked.
"Father, I have brought my boyfriend as you asked," Varia replied.
"Why is the Jigoku no Kōtei with you?" Lord Agares asked.
"I'm here because Seekvaira is dating one of my associates," Ichigo said. "It's also because of me that she's been able to avoid explaining her relationship with Dogoier Don."
"Dogoier Don?" Lord Agares questioned.
"Hello, Lord Agares," Don said with a bow. Lord Agares glared at him, but Don held his ground.
"Anyway, I'm here to answer any questions you have regarding Seekvaira and Don's relationship," Ichigo continued.
"How did they meet?" Lord Agares asked.
"Seekvaira witnessed me using my machines to stop Loki and Fenrir during the dinner event a while ago. Afterward, she approached me, expressing interest in learning about the machines I own. After she signed a nondisclosure agreement, which prevents her from revealing any details about the machines, I took her to meet my engineer, Dogoier Don."
"I see," Lord Agares said, glaring at Seekvaira. "So, despite knowing you're in a marriage contract with Heir Bael, you pursued a relationship with this weakling?"
"I did," Seekvaira replied. "Despite being physically weak, he has exceptional intelligence, especially in robotics."
"We could have this man go against Heir Bael in a match. The winner gets the right to marry Seekvaira," someone suggested. Everyone turned to see a young, slender woman walking in. She had red eyes, long dark hair, and a straight-cut fringe framing her face. She wore a black formal shirt and short black skirt secured by a belt, with a black coat adorned with red strings at the neck, hips, and bottom. She wore thigh-high black high-heel boots and long black stockings reaching her mid-thighs, with red stud earrings in her ears.
"Mother," Seekvaira said.
"It's a valid idea, considering that Heir Gremory and the third son of the Phenex had a Rating Game regarding their marriage contract," Lady Agares explained.
"However, her peerage isn't strong enough to fight against Heir Bael's peerage," Lord Agares commented.
"What about mine?" Ichigo asked. Everyone turned to look at him.
"Ichigo, you have a peerage?" Varia asked.
"I do. Now then, we'll have a Rating Game between my peerage and Heir Bael's. We'll have this match in one hour."
"But Heir Bael and Heir Gremory will have their Rating Game as well," Varia pointed out. Ichigo pulled out his phone and dialed Sirzechs's number.
"Sirzechs, this is Ichigo."
"Hello, Ichigo. I'm kind of busy right now."
"I know Rias has a Rating Game against Heir Bael soon. I want you to change it—take her out and replace her with me."
"Why?"
"I need to fight Heir Bael to break another marriage contract."
"What's going on?" Ichigo quickly explained the situation.
"You're aware that a lot of Devils are going to be pissed, right?"
"Do you think I care?" Ichigo replied.
"Very well," Sirzechs sighed. "Due to how close the match is, both players will not know any information about the other's peerage."
"That's fine," Ichigo said. He hung up and turned to the others. "Looks like we have our match right now." Ichigo ripped open a Garganta and jumped into it.
Scene Change: Floating City Agares: Stadium
Both Team Gremory and Team Bael were seated on their respective platforms, awaiting the match. Naud Gamigin, the announcer, informed them there was a delay to the Rating Game, which confused everyone. Both teams were accounted for, but nothing was happening. Suddenly, the screen lit up, revealing a nervous Naud Gamigin.
"We apologize for the delay," he said. "The scheduled Rating Game between Gremory Rias and Bael Sairaorg will be delayed until further notice." Before the audience could get upset, he continued. "The reason for the delay is a change of opponent. Bael Sairaorg has been challenged regarding his marriage contract to Agares Seekvaira." The crowd buzzed with curiosity. "The reason for the challenge is unknown, but the challenger is the Jigoku no Kōtei, Kurosaki Ichigo, and his peerage."
Everyone turned to see Ichigo walking out from the west entrance, followed by eight people in plain black robes. The identity of the people was hidden. They walked toward the west elevator, boarded it, and soon arrived at the west platform, swapping places with Rias and her peerage. Rias and her group were teleported to the stands, right next to Irina and Ruval.
"Now, with that out of the way, allow me to continue our introduction. The arbiter for tonight's game will be Rudiger Rosenkreutz!" Everyone cheered as he gave a short bow. "Azazel, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, has joined us as a special commentator!" The camera shifted to reveal Azazel, who raised his hand and gave a short wave. The camera soon returned to Naud Gamigin. "On top of that, we also have the current champion of the Rating Game, Diehauser Belial!" The crowd cheered again as the camera shifted to reveal Diehauser Belial. Then, the camera returned to Naud Gamigin.
"Now, about the rules of tonight's game. We will have a Dice Figure Game, a popular Rating Game variant! Will the two Kings please make their way to the special podium?" Ichigo and Sairaorg began to walk toward the special platform as Naud Gamigin explained the rules of the Dice Figure Game. "Each King will roll a six-sided die. The total of both rolls will decide the members of the match! For instance, if the total is eight, each side can choose members whose combined value equals that number. The value of each player is determined by their Evil Piece: Pawns are worth one point, Knights and Bishops are worth three points, Rooks are worth five points, and Queens are worth nine points. Multiple players may be chosen as long as the sum equals the total. For example, if the total is eight, it could be two Knights or a Rook and a Knight. The number of pieces used by each family has been taken into consideration. Since Sairaorg has seven Pawns, he has a value of seven. However, you cannot send out the same piece consecutively, so be careful. As for the Kings... the game will end if a King is defeated. The review board has determined that both Kings will be valued at twelve points. Lastly, regarding Phoenix Tears, thanks to the Phenex family, each team will have one for the Game! Now, let us finally begin!"
"We will now begin the Rating Game between Bael Sairaorg and Kurosaki Ichigo!" Rudiger announced. The crowd cheered and excitement filled the air. "We shall now decide the first match. Kings, please pick up your dice." Ichigo and Sairaorg each picked up their dice.
"Roll!" Both Ichigo and Sairaorg cast their dice.
"Player Ichigo has rolled a 3! Player Sairaorg has rolled a 5! The total is 8! Now, which peerage members will each side choose for the first match?" Naud announced as a golden dome encased both teams, obscuring their choices.
"You have five minutes to plan. Please choose within that time frame," Rudiger said. Ichigo turned to see two of his peerage members already standing. He walked over and hugged them both.
"Good luck," Ichigo said. The two nodded as they passed the podium and stepped onto a large circular plate. A green seal appeared beneath them, teleporting them down to the battlefield.
Scene Change: Pocket Dimension: Plains
The two hooded peerage members appeared on one side of the battlefield. On the other side stood two other peerage members. On the right, is a young man with blond hair and silver eyes, wearing light armor and armed with a sword. On the left, an enormous man, about three meters (around nine feet) tall. He had a solid build, and his arms were thick, even at his fingers. His face resembled a monster's, with tan skin and pale blue-gray eyes.
"The participants from each team are now entering the battlefield!" Rudiger announced.
"On our right side, we have Sairaorg's Rook and Knight: Gandoma Balam and Liban Crocell!" The crowd cheered for them. "On our left side, we have..." Naud paused as the two peerage members revealed themselves. They threw off their cloaks, and no one recognized them.
"I am Tier Harribel, Ichigo's Knight," one of them said.
"I am Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Ichigo's Rook," the other introduced herself.
"Now, let this round begin!" Rudiger announced.
Gandoma charged toward the two Arrancars. They used Sonído to evade him. Nel appeared above Liban and fired several Balas at him. He blocked the shots with his sword, and Nel used the distraction to Sonído to his right side, landing a strike on him.
"GAH!" Liban grunted as he activated his Sacred Gear on her.
"UMP!" Nel groaned, sinking to one knee due to the sudden increase in gravity.
"Good try with that tactic, but I doubt you'll escape this. My Sacred Gear is called Gravity Jail. It allows me to control the gravity around me," Liban said with a smirk.
"Interesting ability..." Nel said, slowly standing back up. "...too bad it can be overcome by a stronger opponent." Nel raised her Zanpakutō horizontally in front of her.
"Declare... Gamuza," she said. The Zanpakutō glowed, and a hazy smoke emanated from it.
"What is this? Balance Breaker?" Liban thought as the smoke cleared.
Nel transformed into a brownish-green ibex-like centaur, complete with a black horse's tail. Her Hollow mask's horns became longer and more curved, framing the sides of her face. Her shoulders were covered by white spaulders, and she wore white elbow guards and gauntlets. The unprotected parts of her arms were covered in black material, which also extended to her hands. A white ring adorned the base of her tail. Gamuza itself transformed into a double-sided lance. Before Liban could react, Nel charged at him and hurled her lance.
"Lanzador Verde!" The lance spun, gathering spiritual energy as it soared into the air.
"GRAVITY JAIL!" Liban shouted, using his Sacred Gear to stop the lance's flight. It remained spinning in place.
"Too bad you can't multitask," Nel remarked.
"What?" Liban turned just as something crashed behind him.
Scene Change: Tier VS Gandoma
Tier used Sonído to move out of Gandoma's sight. He spun around, trying to locate her, only to be struck from behind.
"GAH!" He turned to find... nothing. "GAH!" he gasped again as Tier appeared in front of him and stabbed him in the chest. He tried to grab her, but she used Sonído to vanish.
"Stop running!" Gandoma shouted, clearly frustrated.
"Ola Azul," Tier said, firing a yellow energy blade at him. Gandoma turned and took the attack head-on.
"Is... that... all you got?" he asked, trying to catch his breath.
"Oh, I'm just getting started," Tier said as she continued firing Ola Azul at him. Gandoma summoned boulders to absorb her attack and used them as projectiles. Tier noticed this and dodged his strikes.
"Maybe he's tied to the Earth element. Usually, water beats dirt," Tier thought as she launched another Ola Azul at him. She could feel Nel activating her Resurrección, and Tier decided to follow suit. She pointed her Zanpakutō in front of her, with the blade pointing downward.
"Destroy, Tiburón!" Tier yelled. Suddenly, water surged up and completely enveloped her, forming a heart-shaped cyclone that closed around her like a cocoon. Moments later, Tier cut herself out of the water cocoon.
"What is this? Balance Breaker?" Gandoma thought, watching in confusion.
Tier's mask remnants formed a collar, with extensions covering her chest. She gained spaulders on her shoulders resembling shark fins, and two ribbon-like protrusions extended from her back. A thin, spine-like structure ran down her stomach from her waist to the underside of her breasts. Her outfit now included a mini-skirt made of bones surrounding a dark undergarment, knee-length boots, and elbow-length gloves. Her weapon took the form of a broad pata, resembling an elongated shark tooth with a handguard that completely covered her hand. The sword bore gill markings along its blade. Her three braids were gone, and two blue lightning bolt markings appeared on either side of her face.
"La Gota!" Tier shouted as she fired a pressurized water bullet resembling a shark tooth at Gandoma. He summoned his boulder to block it, but the La Gota easily destroyed it and struck Gandoma in the arm.
"GAH!" Gandoma yelled in pain. Tier launched more La Gota at him, but he summoned more rocks to defend himself.
"I'm getting bored," Tier muttered as she gathered more reiatsu and summoned an even greater surge of water.
"Cascada!" Tier blasted a massive wave of water at Gandoma. He was too slow to dodge and was forced to take the full brunt of the attack, crashing into Rudiger. Tier sonídoed over to Nel's side.
"You all right?" Nel asked.
"I should be asking you that," Tier replied.
"Let's finish them off," Nel said, and Tier nodded. She raised her Zanpakutō, yellow reiatsu gathering at its tip. Nel opened her mouth as green reiatsu began to form a ball in front of her.
"CERO!" Both Tier and Nel shouted, firing their Cero at Gandoma and Rudiger. The two were too exhausted to evade and took the full brunt of the blast.
"Sairaorg's Rook Gandoma Balam and Knight Liban Crocell have been retired," Naud announced. Tier and Nel returned to their normal forms as they were enveloped in green light and teleported out of the pocket dimension.
Scene Change: Floating City Agares: Stadium
Tier and Nel appeared back at the teleporting pad. They walked off as Ichigo congratulated them on their victory.
"We shall now decide the second match. Kings, please pick up the dice," Rudiger announced. Ichigo and Sairaorg picked up their dice.
"Shoot!" Both Ichigo and Sairaorg dropped their dice.
Ichigo's die rolled... "Player Ichigo has rolled a 4! Player Sairaorg has rolled a 2! Total of 6! Now, which peerage members will each side choose for the second match?" Naud called out as a golden dome surrounded both teams, obscuring their movements.
Ichigo turned back to see two members already standing. He walked over and gave them each a hug.
"Good luck," Ichigo said, and the two nodded before stepping past the podium and onto a large circular platform. A green seal appeared beneath them, teleporting them down to the battlefield.
Scene Change: Pocket Dimension: Castle Ruins
The two hooded peerage members appeared on one side. On the opposite side stood two other peerage members. On the right was a young woman with long, wavy blonde hair, red eyes, and a business suit. On the left was an armored knight riding a horse, both adorned in shining armor.
"The participants from each team are now entering the battlefield!" Rudiger announced.
"On our right side, we have Sairaorg's Bishop and his other Knight: Coriana Andrealphus and Beruka Furcas!" The crowd cheered. "On our left side, we have…" Naud began. The two peerage members took this as their cue, throwing off their cloaks in dramatic fashion.
"I am Shuzen Kahlua, Ichigo's pawn." Many in the crowd recognized Kahlua, renowned as the ultimate assassin and a vampire.
"I am Akashiya Moka, Ichigo's pawn."
"With this, let the round begin!" Rudiger declared.
Kahlua and Moka dashed toward their opponents. Moka sidekicked Coriana, sending her flying through a castle pillar. Moka advanced, but a flock of birds materialized and attacked her. Coriana, now on her feet, transfigured more rubble into larger birds.
"Attack!" Coriana commanded. The larger birds joined the attack, pecking and clawing at Moka. Moka attempted to swat them away but found it difficult as the birds skillfully dodged her strikes.
"ENOUGH!" Moka shouted, activating her Wealth of Power. Her hands transformed into razor-sharp bat wings, shredding the birds around her. Coriana, seeing her birds destroyed, attempted to regroup with Beruka, but was suddenly stopped by Moka, standing covered in the birds' blood, her bat wings dripping red.
Moka swung her blood-drenched hand at Coriana, and despite the distance, the blood flew off and splattered onto Coriana.
"AAAAAAH!" Coriana screamed in shock as the blood coated her. Moka ran towards the distracted Coriana and roundhouse kicked her into a castle wall.
"KNOW YOUR PLACE!" Moka yelled.
"Sairaorg's Bishop Coriana Andrealphus has been retired," Naud announced. Moka turned to check on her sister's progress.
Scene Change: Kahlua vs Beruka
Kahlua rushed at Beruka and swung a punch. Altobrau, Beruka's horse, dodged the attack, and Beruka tried to strike her with his spear. Kahlua nimbly dodged his spear strikes. This continued for several rounds, but when Beruka went for a counterattack, Kahlua responded differently. She grabbed his spear and used it to throw him off his horse.
"What the!?" Beruka yelled in surprise at the sudden change in momentum. Seeing his master on the ground, Altobrau charged at Kahlua. Kahlua shifted her back leg to the right and wrapped her arms around Altobrau's neck. She lifted the horse and slammed it down to the ground. Beruka was shocked to see his precious destrier manhandled by the young woman.
"H-how strong are you?" Beruka asked.
"What?" Kahlua replied, confused by Beruka's reaction.
"Altobrau is my precious destrier (1). He weighs over 2,000 pounds (907.18 kg)."
"Oh." Kahlua casually walked over to Beruka. "Please admit defeat so you can take care of your horse."
Beruka sat there for a moment, then used his spear to push himself up.
"No. If I were to give up now, I would lose my honor as a knight and bring shame to my King!" Beruka created speed duplicates of himself as they charged toward Kahlua. Kahlua sighed. She danced around the speed clones with ease before grabbing the real Beruka and slamming him to the ground, creating a small crater. Kahlua gently kicked Beruka to see if he moved.
"I think he's done," Kahlua said.
"Sairaorg's Knight Beruka Furcas has been retired," Naud declared. Moka met up with Kahlua, and they both began to glow green as they were transported out of the pocket dimension.
Scene Change: Floating City Agares: Stadium
Moka and Kahlua appeared at the teleporting pad and walked back toward the center. Ichigo gave Moka a quick kiss on the lips. Kahlua pouted for not getting a kiss, and Ichigo cracked a small smile before planting a kiss on her cheek.
"We shall now decide the third match. Kings, please pick up the dice," Naud announced. Ichigo and Sairaorg each picked up their dice.
"Shoot!" Both Ichigo and Sairaorg dropped their dice.
"Player Ichigo has rolled a 1! Player Sairaorg has rolled a 2! Total of 3! Now, which peerage member will each side choose for the third match?" Naud declared as a golden dome encased both teams, obscuring their movements. Ichigo turned back to see one person standing.
He walked over to her and hugged her.
"Good luck," he said, and she nodded before walking past the podium and stepping onto a large circular plate. A green seal appeared underneath her, and she was teleported down to the battlefield.
Scene Change: Pocket Dimension: Island
The hooded peerage member appeared on one side. On the other side stood a young boy with light green hair and violet eyes, wearing identical hair ornaments, one on each side.
"The participants from each team are now entering the battlefield!" Rudiger called out.
"On our right side, we have Sairaorg's other Bishop: Misteeta Sabnock!" The crowd cheered. "On our left side, we have…" Naud said. The hooded figure grabbed their cloak and threw it off.
"I am Yasaka, the Leader of the Yōkai," Yasaka announced. The audience gasped in shock at the sight of the Yōkai Leader. Rudiger managed to regain his composure and signaled the start of the match.
"With this, let the round begin!" Rudiger announced.
Misteeta summoned a purple staff. "Trick Vanish!" Purple tendrils shot out of his staff toward Yasaka. Yasaka saw the attack coming and threw a blue fireball at the tendrils, easily destroying them.
"Is that it?" Yasaka asked, unimpressed.
"Trick Vanish!" Misteeta yelled again, summoning more purple tendrils at her. Yasaka threw another blue fireball, but this time the tendrils dodged the attack and managed to wrap around her body, transforming into purple seals.
"YES!" Misteeta shouted in triumph.
"Is that it?" Yasaka asked. Misteeta froze in shock as Yasaka began to glow golden for a brief moment and effortlessly broke the seals.
"Let me show you how it's done," Yasaka said, beginning to glow golden once more as she transformed. Her face became that of a golden fox, and she donned decorative white robes with oversized sleeves. Below her robes, she wore purple pants. Her hands now had three fingers, each ending in claws, and her legs were long, white, and three-toed (2).
"I have lived for a very long time. I know that there will be times when I need to be both offensive and defensive. I developed a few forms for that purpose. My previous form was a balance between the two. This form is more focused on defense and long-range magic," Yasaka explained, tossing six red talismans from her oversized sleeve.
Misteeta tried to escape, but it was futile. All the talismans stuck to him, freezing him in place. Yasaka approached the immobilized Misteeta.
"Let me show you my offensive form," she said.
Once again, Yasaka glowed golden and began to transform. This time, her form was more humanoid. She wore a black bodysuit with golden armor, and a golden helmet in the shape of a fox head partially covered her face. Her golden hair now reached her ankles but was tied to appear as two foxtails. She wore golden breast and shoulder armor, along with purple and golden gloves and high heels. In her hands, she wielded a golden shakujō (3).
"Unlike my defensive form, this one focuses more on attack." Yasaka's shakujō began to glow with blue flames. "Shuryō Kitsune [Hunting Fox]!" Yasaka cried out as she thrust the shakujō forward. The blue flames shot out, transforming into a gigantic fiery fox that attacked Misteeta.
"Sairaorg's Bishop Misteeta Sabnock has been retired," Naud announced. Yasaka reverted to her normal form as she began to glow green, transporting her out of the pocket dimension.
Scene Change: Floating City Agares: Stadium
Yasaka appeared at the teleporting pad and walked back toward the center. Ichigo gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"We shall now decide the fourth match," Naud announced. Suddenly, a beautiful woman with blonde hair tied in a ponytail and blue eyes stood up.
"I challenge Kurosaki Ichigo's queen," she said.
"What is this? Sairaorg's Queen, Kuisha Abaddon, has challenged Kurosaki Ichigo's queen!" Rudiger yelled. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders as he walked back to his seat while a hooded figure stood up.
"Good luck," Ichigo said as he hugged her. She walked past the podium and onto a large circular plate. A green seal appeared beneath her, and she was teleported down to the battlefield.
Scene Change: Pocket Dimension: Forest
The hooded peerage member appeared on one side. On the other stood Kuisha Abaddon.
"The participants from each team are now entering the battlefield!" Rudiger announced.
"On our right side, we have Sairaorg's Queen: Kuisha Abaddon!" The crowd cheered. "On our left side, we have…" Naud said. She grabbed her cloak and tossed it off.
"To those who don't know me, I'm Eucliwood Hellscythe," Eu introduced herself. At this moment, the audience realized Kuisha had made a grave mistake.
"Let this round begin!" Rudiger declared.
Kuisha and Eu didn't move at first.
"If I remember correctly, the House of Abaddon is known for its ability to create and control portals," Eu said as she walked toward Kuisha. Eu took out her pen, transforming it into a reddish-orange scythe. Kuisha blasted Eu with various magical attacks, some elemental-based. Eu casually blocked them with her scythe.
"Attack me!" Kuisha demanded.
"As you wish," Eu replied, disappearing from view. Kuisha looked around, trying to find Eu. Suddenly, she felt a blade near her neck. Eu revealed herself behind Kuisha, her scythe's edge an inch from her neck. "Please admit defeat."
"I'm sorry, but I can't!" Kuisha retorted, summoning her portals. She used one to escape Eu, reappearing a few feet away while rubbing her neck. Eu turned to face her.
"Magic Bind," Eu said. Kuisha suddenly felt something was wrong. She tried to summon her portals, but none appeared. She looked at Eu in fear.
"I temporarily bound your magical abilities. They will remain bound until the end of the match," Eu explained. Kuisha nodded in understanding, raising her hands in a fighting stance. Eu charged and began swinging her scythe repeatedly. Kuisha tried to block or dodge the attacks, but she took many hits. Eventually, Eu's scythe was right next to Kuisha's neck, cutting into it slightly.
"Sairaorg has forcefully retired his Queen, Kuisha Abaddon," Naud announced. Eu returned her scythe to a pen and released the magic bind on Kuisha. The two queens glowed green and returned to the stands.
Scene Change: Floating City Agares: Stadium
Eu appeared at the teleportation pad and walked back. Ichigo gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"We shall now decide on the next match," Ichigo said.
"We don't need to roll. My next piece will be my other rook, Ladora Buné," Sairaorg announced.
"Very well," Ichigo said, turning to see one of his remaining cloaked servants standing up. He hugged her as she walked to the teleportation pad. She glowed green before being sent down to the battlefield.
Scene Change: Pocket Dimension: Beach
The hooded peerage member appeared on one side. On the other side stood a tall, lanky man with dark green hair and red eyes.
"The participants from each team are now entering the battlefield!" Rudiger announced.
"On our right side, we have Sairaorg's remaining Rook: Ladora Buné!" The crowd cheered. "On our left side, we have…" Naud said, grabbing her cloak and tossing it off.
"I am Kurosaki Masaki, Ichigo's Pawn."
"Let this round begin!" Rudiger declared. Ladora transformed into a Western Dragon with black scales.
"ROOOOAAAARRR!" Ladora roared, spitting a stream of fire at Masaki. Masaki summoned her Quincy Shield to block the attack. Ladora ceased his fiery assault. Masaki counterattacked.
"Heilig Pfeil!" Masaki yelled as she fired Heilig Pfeils from her shield. The Heilig Pfeils were on fire, having absorbed Ladora's flames.
"GGHHHROOAR!" Ladora roared in pain. The Heilig Pfeils, a mix of holy energy and fire, penetrated Ladora's skin. The holy energy made the arrows easily pierce him, while the fire cauterized the wounds, leaving the arrows stuck in place. Ladora scratched and clawed at the arrows. Masaki, seeing the damage done by the holy energy, vanished her shield.
"I'm going to remove the Heilig Pfeils," Masaki announced as she focused on the arrows. She disintegrated all the Heilig Pfeils stuck in Ladora's body, turning them into reiatsu.
"ROOAAR." Ladora roared in appreciation.
"Don't thank me yet; we're still combatants." Masaki gathered the reiatsu from the disintegrated Heilig Pfeils and transformed it into a dragon. Masaki's dragon resembled a typical Eastern dragon, long and serpentine, with deer-like antlers, flowing whiskers, and a lupine face. Its scales were smooth and silver, with an aqua-colored mane. "Say hello to my friend Haku (4)."
"ROAR!" Haku roared at Ladora.
"ROAAR!" Ladora responded, roaring back. Haku lunged at Ladora, using his long body to wrap around Ladora's neck and strangle him. Ladora tried to grab Haku. Haku then spat water into Ladora's mouth. Eventually, Ladora collapsed and lost consciousness. Masaki turned to Haku.
"Thank you," she said, as Haku disintegrated.
"Sairaorg's Rook Ladora Buné has been retired," Naud announced. Masaki glowed green before being teleported away.
Scene Change: Floating City Agares: Stadium
Masaki appeared at the teleportation pad and walked back. Ichigo gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Everyone gave Ichigo a quick hug before he and the last hooded peerage member stepped onto the large circular plate. A green seal appeared beneath them as they were teleported down to the battlefield.
Scene Change: Pocket Dimension: Final Destination
They appeared in an empty dimension, the only feature being the floor where they would battle. Nothing else was present. Ichigo and the last hooded peerage member stood on one side, while on the other side stood Sairaorg and his last peerage member, a young boy with spiky golden hair, golden eyes, and facial markings.
"On our right side, we have Sairaorg himself and his Pawn: Regulus!" The crowd cheered. "On our left side, we have Ichigo himself and his…"
"Queen. She will not fight until I am defeated," Ichigo said.
"Very well… let this round begin!" Rudiger announced.
"Regulus, stay now," Sairaorg ordered, raising his arms. Golden markings began to glow on his body. "These are restraints that restrict my movements and weigh me down. I will remove them now." The golden markings were removed and slammed onto the ground, kicking up dust.
"No weapon?" Ichigo asked.
"No. I had the misfortune of being born without magic, so I trained myself in hand-to-hand combat."
"Very well then. I will also fight you in hand-to-hand combat. Allow me to remove my restraints." Ichigo said, entering his Shinigami form. He chose to forgo the full Shinigami shihakushō and kept only the hakama pants, socks, and geta. Ichigo got into a fighting stance.
"Oh. Very well!" Sairaorg shouted as he charged at Ichigo with a right hook. Ichigo took the hit on his left cheek.
"Is that it?" Ichigo said as he punched Sairaorg in the face, sending him a few feet back. Sairaorg touched his face, feeling a slight sting.
"It's been a while since I felt pain," Sairaorg said, charging at Ichigo with a set of punches. Ichigo responded with his own set of punches. Each punch sent shockwaves through the space. Ichigo landed a surprise roundhouse kick, briefly stunning Sairaorg.
"Sairaorg, why do you fight?" Ichigo asked.
"I fight to protect my peerage. For I am the King… It's my duty to protect them!" Sairaorg answered.
"Then why do you hesitate? I can tell you aren't giving it your all."
Sairaorg chuckled. "You could tell?"
"I can."
"It's because of the contract. I wanted you to win."
"Then forfeit the match."
"What?"
"Don't worry. We can continue the match after that."
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me. My queen can handle the dimension if we decide to go all out."
"I, Bael Sairaorg, hereby forfeit this match!"
"Bael Sairaorg has forfeited the match!" Rudiger declared.
"NOW!" Ichigo ordered. His queen nodded and took control of the pocket dimension, teleporting the peerage members inside so they could view the fight and cheer them on.
"What is going on?" Rudiger asked.
"I'll explain. I'm simply keeping my word," Ichigo said.
"Who is your other queen?" Ichigo turned to her.
"Do you want to reveal yourself?" she asked, grabbing her robe and pulling it off.
"I go by many names, but many know me as Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon, and the Infinite Dragon God." Ichigo turned back to Sairaorg, who was shocked by the revelation.
"Ready to continue?" Ichigo asked.
This broke Sairaorg out of his daze.
"Yes."
"ORA!" They both yelled as they continued to exchange punch after punch. The force of each blow could be felt by everyone watching. Sairaorg managed to land a lucky punch, uppercutting Ichigo away. Ichigo did a backflip and landed, standing right back up.
"Looks like I need to shift into high gear," Ichigo said, beginning to gather his reiatsu.
"GAAAAHHHH!" Ichigo yelled, forcing his reiatsu into his arms and legs. "Shunkō [Flash War Cry]!" Ichigo surrounded himself with pure energy, appearing next to Sairaorg. Before Sairaorg could react, Ichigo punched him in the chest, sending him flying.
"GAH!" Sairaorg gasped as Ichigo appeared again and punched him. The sequence continued, with Ichigo pounding Sairaorg like a pinball. Regulus had enough and attacked Ichigo. Ichigo dodged the attack and watched as Regulus caught Sairaorg, gently lowering him to the ground.
"Regulus," Sairaorg called.
Regulus turned to face Ichigo and began to transform. He transformed into a golden lion about four to five meters tall, with a jewel on its forehead.
"Lord Sairaorg!" Regulus roared. "Please, don me! With that, you—"
"Shut up! I decided I would only use that if the Underworld was in danger!"
"Use the lion's power," Ichigo said. "I want to see you go all out. I want both of us to be pushed to our very limits. This is no longer a fight for any reason except for us to dance in the pleasure of combat."
Sairaorg stared at Ichigo before laughing.
"Very well… Regulus!"
"Yes!" Regulus roared, transforming into golden light and rushing to Sairaorg.
"My lion! The king of Nemea! You who are called the Lion King! Respond to my rage and transform into my vesture!" Sairaorg yelled.
"BALANCE BREAKER!" They both shouted. Ichigo was blinded by a burst of golden light. As the light faded, Sairaorg was revealed to be wearing golden lion armor.
"Regulus Rey Leather Rex!" Sairaorg shouted as he dashed toward Ichigo and punched him in the gut.
"GAH!" Ichigo yelled as he flew a few feet away. He stopped himself and charged at Sairaorg. They continued to exchange punches, each one mirroring the other. The impact of each blow caused a sonic boom.
"I need to go faster… stronger," Ichigo thought to himself. He remembered his conversation with Yoruichi about his Shunkō.
Flashback: Chapter 17
"Interesting," Yoruichi said.
"What?" Ichigo asked as he dismissed his Shunkō.
"Your Shunkō isn't showing affiliation to an element," Yoruichi remarked.
"So?" Ichigo replied.
"My Shunkō showed an affiliation to lightning due to my Zanpakutō," Yoruichi explained. "I theorize that because you're a Hybrid, or because Zangetsu doesn't affiliate with an element, it's preventing your Shunkō from evolving."
"What if I have mastery over other elements?" Ichigo asked.
"With that ability in mind, you could evolve Shunkō beyond what Suì-Fēng and I had done," Yoruichi said.
"Thanks," Ichigo replied.
Flashback End
Ichigo decided to test the idea. He pushed himself away from Sairaorg and shouted, "Schrift V: The Ventus!" Winds began to gather around him. Sairaorg stopped, watching in curiosity as Ichigo pushed all the reiatsu from Schrift V: The Ventus into his Shunkō. His entire body became enveloped in wind. "Kansei… Hayate Shunkō [Complete… Hurricane Flash War Cry]!" Ichigo yelled, charging at Sairaorg to restart their brawl. Ichigo immediately noticed he was faster than Sairaorg.
"Why? Why is Ichigo stronger than before?" Sairaorg wondered.
"Because my King, Ichigo is advancing, learning new techniques, and evolving old ones," Regulus answered.
"I see," Sairaorg said, understanding. "Regulus, can you teach me your techniques?"
"I will, my KING!" Regulus roared.
"GGGAAHHHH!" Sairaorg yelled as his armor began to glow. He raised his right hand to the sky, and lightning sparked from it. "LEOBREAKER!" Sairaorg shouted as he charged and punched Ichigo in the chest.
"GGAAAHAHA!" Ichigo cried out from the pain and electricity. Sairaorg allowed Ichigo's body to drop. Both were breathing heavily as Ichigo managed to shunpō away from Sairaorg.
They both noticed each other's heavy breathing.
"One last attack?" Ichigo asked.
"One last attack," Sairaorg agreed.
"GGGGGGAAAAAHHHHHH!" Ichigo and Sairaorg yelled in unison. Both raised their right hands to the sky. Lightning began to gather around Sairaorg's hand, while wind from Hayate Shunkō swirled around Ichigo's. They stared at each other for a few seconds before charging.
"LEO-!"
"RASEN[Spiral]-!"
"BREAKER!"
"HAYATE[Hurricane]!"
They both let out one final punch. Upon impact, everyone felt the strongest sonic boom yet. They stood still, waiting to see who would fall first. All the wind Ichigo had gathered suddenly disappeared. Regulus and Sairaorg defused, with Regulus standing next to Sairaorg, who was unconscious. Regulus stared at Ichigo.
"Tell Sairaorg to contact me if he needs help finding ways to get stronger."
"Very well," Regulus said. Ichigo turned to Ophis, who teleported everyone out of the pocket dimension.
Scene Change: Floating City Agares: Stadium
Everyone exited the dimensional pocket and returned to their respective sides. The audience clapped and cheered. Ichigo turned around from his peerage and entered the elevator down. He walked out of the arena, and everyone covered themselves with the robes from earlier. Ichigo noticed various reporters running toward him. He briefly activated Schrift V: The Ventus again and forced the reporters to 'part the sea.' They soon arrived outside, where Ichigo summoned his car. Everyone got inside before the reporters could reach them. Ichigo opened a Garganta and drove straight through, immediately entering another Garganta. He returned to Agares Castle, where he helped Lord Agares draft a marriage contract for Seekvaira and Don. With the couple soon to be married, Ichigo opened another Garganta and returned home.
Scene Change: Kuoh Town: Kurosaki Household
Ichigo returned home to find everyone sitting down for dinner. Yuzu and Karin had made curry. Ichigo could hear them asking everyone about the Rating Game since they weren't able to attend. Masaki didn't allow them to skip school for the event, despite Sirzechs offering to excuse them. Eventually, Ichigo joined them for dinner.
"Ichigo, when is my date?" Moka asked.
"It will be tomorrow after school."
"Why can't I skip school for our date? Yuzu and Karin had a day-long date with you."
"Yuzu and Karin had a day-long date with me because they didn't have school that day. As for you, you already skipped school today. I don't want you to miss school too much, especially since you just transferred," Ichigo explained.
"Fine," Moka said with a slight glare.
Soon, Ichigo finished dinner and decided to call it a night.
Time Skip: Morning
Ichigo woke up to find Moka lying on his left side, while Eu was on his right. He raised his head slightly to see that his left leg was occupied by Valiona, while his right leg was taken by Kisara. Ichigo gently shook his arms and legs, trying to free himself from their grasp. He managed to escape and walked downstairs, where he saw Masaki already up and making breakfast.
"Oh. You're up early."
"You're acting like that's a surprise."
"I've seen you be one of the last ones up," Masaki said, slightly blushing.
"I received a call in the early morning from the clinic's phone," Masaki explained, flipping some fish.
"What happened?"
"Oh, a couple didn't realize until the last minute that the wife was in labor."
"How last minute?"
"She was already pushing the baby out."
"Wow. Any problems?"
"No. She gave birth to a boy. They left the hospital an hour ago."
"I see." Soon, everyone walked downstairs. Ichigo helped Masaki serve breakfast, which consisted of rice, miso soup, and fried fish. After everyone finished, Masaki and Kahlua went downstairs to work in the clinic. Yuzu, Karin, Moka, and Elizabeth headed to Kuoh Academy. Valiona and Kisara resumed teaching Shēnyuān and Xīng Chénon how to use their dragon abilities. Eu and Ophis were taking care of Nyx. Ichigo decided to go to the underground training room to experiment with his Shunkō.
Time Skip: Three hours later
In the first hour, Ichigo managed to combine Shunkō with Schrift A: The Aqua Dominum to create Nagare Shunkō [Flowing Flash War Cry, Schrift G: The Gaia Crusher to create Taeru Shunkō [Enduring Flash War Cry, and Schrift I: The Ignatius to create Nenshō Shunkō [Burning Flash War Cry]. After that, Ichigo experimented with each of his elemental Shunkō abilities to see if he could activate them without having to first activate Shunkō and then call for the Schrift he wanted. It took two hours, with Yhwach's assistance, to figure it out. What Ichigo had to do was forcefully create a path from each respective elemental Schrift to his back, since that's where all the reiatsu exits for Shunkō.
Before Ichigo could train more, he felt someone trying to contact him through the peerage link.
"Hello?"
"Ichigo. It's Akua. Can you please come over here right now?"
"Akua, can you send me a mental picture of where you are?"
"Sure."
"I got it," Ichigo said. He opened a Garganta and jumped in. A moment later, Ichigo jumped out of the Garganta to find Akua wasn't alone. There were three other people with her: a pregnant woman and two little girls. The pregnant woman appeared to be in her thirties, with long blonde hair, green eyes, and glasses. She was wearing a black t-shirt and sweatpants. The younger girl, about three years old, had long blonde hair with silver and black hair clips, and red eyes. The other girl appeared to be around ten, with light blue hair, blue eyes, and porcelain-colored skin. Both wore oversized black shirts, likely from the other women.
"Um… who are you?" Ichigo asked.
"My name is Lunatique Tearju, and this is my daughter Eve," the pregnant woman said.
"Esdeath," the other girl added.
"Ichigo, can you destroy the lower level without disturbing the mountain?" Akua asked.
"Sure." Ichigo briefly activated Schrift G: The Gaia to raise the earth, successfully destroying the lower levels. "Done."
"Let's take them to the clinic so Masaki-san can look everyone over," Akua suggested.
"Um… how?" Tearju asked.
Ichigo summoned his car. "Never mind." Everyone entered Ichigo's car, and they drove back home. Ichigo gave Masaki and Kahlua a heads-up about the three guests he was bringing. As soon as Ichigo arrived, Masaki and Kahlua were there, waiting for them. They quickly introduced themselves and helped the three guests to the clinic.
"Kaa-san, please keep us informed about their status. We're going to Yasaka," Ichigo said.
"Okay, Ichigo," Masaki replied. Ichigo and Akua entered the car and drove to Yasaka Temple.
Scene Change: Yasaka Shrine
Ichigo and Akua quickly parked the car and entered Yasaka Shrine, walking to Yasaka's office.
"Hello, Ichigo and Akua. What happened?" Yasaka asked. Akua slid the USB to her.
"I finished the mission. I'll hand you a formal report at a later date."
"There's no need for that. This was an informal mission. I just need you to tell me what happened."
"Very well… It all started when I went off on my mission…" Akua began.
Flashback: Chapter 22: Kyushu Island: Yusui
Akua used dimensional tunnels to reach Yusui on Kyushu Island.
"So according to Yasaka-hime's report, the sightings are somewhere around here," Akua said, deciding to explore the nearby villages to gather more information. She sneaked into a clothing store and 'borrowed' some casual clothes to blend in with the locals. As she walked around, she overheard some interesting rumors.
"Hey, did you hear about what happened to Tadaka-san?"
"No. What happened to her?"
"Some people saw her walking towards the mountains."
"She might have wanted to have a night stroll?"
"Around midnight?"
"So, what happened next?"
"Tadaka-san disappeared after that."
Akua spent the morning collecting more information about the missing people. She discovered that all the missing individuals were girls aged 18 to 25. The strange detail was that these girls would go missing every three days. Akua decided to investigate whether other nearby settlements also had this missing people problem. She visited two other settlements and confirmed the same pattern—girls between those ages were vanishing every few days. Akua believed she had figured out the pattern. She then went to the third settlement, as it should be the next on the list based on the pattern.
Akua had to leave for Ichigo's party, but when she returned, she sat on top of a roof to observe. Around midnight, she saw a girl walking toward the mountain. Akua followed her. The girl slowly walked toward what appeared to be a dead end but continued walking right through it. Akua touched the spot and discovered it was an illusion. With that, she entered the hidden passage.
Scene Change: Secret Passage
Akua walked further into the secret passage and immediately sensed significant changes in the atmosphere. She could feel the presence of Yōki. Akua carefully navigated the winding corridor, eventually spotting a scientist entering a restroom. She sneaked in behind him, and fortunately, no one else was inside. Akua quickly knocked out the scientist, biting down on his neck and drinking his blood. The scientist soon died from blood loss. Akua stuffed the body into a nearby supply cabinet as she processed what she had learned from him.
This was a research division tasked with attempting to create soldiers using Alucard's cells. Their first idea was to inject victims with Alucard's cells, using children since they were still growing. Twenty-five children were kidnapped and subjected to the experiment, but only one survived. However, she didn't gain many of Alucard's powers—aside from enhanced physical strength. Instead, she awakened her latent Yuki-Onna abilities. The scientists hypothesized that she survived due to the activation of her latent Yuki-Onna genes. The experiment was scrapped, and the scientists developed a new plan.
The next idea was to impregnate women in hopes of producing offspring with Alucard's powers. The scientists injected Alucard's cells into the women, but the experiment failed as none of the women became pregnant. In response, the Yōkai scientists 'acquired' human scientists to solve the problem. Tearju Lunatique was one of these scientists. She managed to convert Alucard's cells into sperm cells. The Yōkai scientists locked her in a cage and used her altered cells to inject their captive females. However, none of the women became pregnant, and in their frustration, the scientists killed the other human scientists. They dragged Lunatique from her cage and injected her with the altered cells. A few days later, she was pregnant. The scientists closely observed her. Nine months later, Lunatique gave birth to Eve.
The scientists allowed Lunatique to care for Eve for two years, during which blood and tissue samples were taken to try to figure out why she had become pregnant while the others had not. They never discovered the secret. After two years, Eve was taken from Lunatique, who was again injected with the altered sperm. She is currently seven months pregnant.
With this new knowledge, Akua rushed down the corridor, slaughtering everyone in her path. She soon arrived at an office with a computer. Using the scientist's memories, Akua unlocked the computer, inserted a USB, and began copying all the files. She pulled up a map and located Lunatique, Eve, and the unnamed girl. Eve and the unnamed girl were close together. With her plan in mind, Akua heard the computer beep. The terminal had finished copying. Akua removed the USB and ran to find Lunatique. She slaughtered more guards as she moved through the building. When she reached Lunatique's room, she destroyed the prison doors. Lunatique was sitting on a couch, reading. Akua quickly explained the situation and helped her escape. Akua found a wheelchair for Lunatique and pushed her through the hallways, encountering more guards, whom Akua easily killed.
They finally arrived at a large cell. Akua destroyed the door and entered. Inside, there were two small chambers. Akua destroyed both and helped the two girls out. After reuniting them with Lunatique, Akua led everyone outside.
Flashback End
"I see… For now, Lunatique Tearju, Lunatique Eve, and Esdeath will be under your care until further notice," Yasaka said.
"Okay," Ichigo responded. "I need more guy friends," he thought to himself. Ichigo and Akua left Yasaka's office and returned home.
Scene Change: Kuoh Town – Kurosaki Clinic
Ichigo and Akua entered the clinic.
"How are they, Kaa-san?"
"Well, Tearju seems fine; likely because the scientists were afraid of causing harm to the child."
"Wait. She knows?" Akua asked.
"I allowed her to hear your story," Ichigo replied.
"Fine."
"What about the girls?"
"Both Eve and Esdeath appear malnourished, based on how thin they are," Masaki said.
"I see. Let me see if Yasaka knows anything that can help." Ichigo said. "Yasaka…"
"Yes, Ichigo?"
"I was wondering if you know anything to help with malnutrition."
"Well, we do have nutrition potions, but they are recommended for young adults and above."
"I see."
Ichigo ended the peerage link. "According to Yasaka, there are potions to help with malnutrition, but they're recommended for young adults and above."
"I guess I need to look through those nutrition books."
The clinic door suddenly opened, and Moka, Yuzu, Elizabeth, and Karin walked in.
"MOKA!" Akua yelled, rushing down the stairs to tackle Moka. Moka sidestepped, and Akua crashed into the door. "Ow. Why did you do that, Moka?"
"You can come and hug me like a normal person," Moka replied.
"Come on. You know we're not normal."
"Oh, God... another one," Yuzu, Karin, Masaki, and Ichigo thought to themselves, recalling Isshin's antics.
"Moka, change into something comfortable for our date tonight."
"Okay." Moka ran upstairs.
"A… date… with my Moka… without my permission!" Akua yelled. Ichigo decided to ignore her and started walking upstairs. As he did, he heard Moka yelling and throwing her clothes around. Ichigo knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Ichigo walked in and saw the room in disarray. "What's the issue?"
"I have nothing to wear!"
"You don't? Then these must not be clothes," Ichigo said, picking up a black shirt. The shirt had a white coffee mug in the shape of a bat in the center with the words "I Love Mocha" written around it. Moka turned to see Ichigo holding the shirt.
"You still have this shirt?" Moka blushed bright red. The shirt had been a gift from Ichigo.
"I do. It doesn't fit me anymore."
Ichigo summoned his staff. "To make the shirt grow bigger, just think about how large you want the shirt to be and say 'Kakudai Suru [Enlarge,'" Mysteria said.
"Kakudai Suru [Enlarge," Ichigo said as he tapped the shirt with his staff. The shirt expanded to Moka's new size. Ichigo handed it to her.
"Thank you," Moka said. Ichigo walked upstairs and retrieved an old shirt Moka had bought for him. It was gray with a small black bat flying, clutching a red strawberry with its talons. Like Moka's shirt, Ichigo enlarged it. He put the shirt on with black pants. When he walked out, Moka noticed the shirt.
The two of them soon left the house and entered Ichigo's car.
Scene Change: Fuyuki City
It took about 20 minutes before Ichigo and Moka arrived at Fuyuki Arena.
"Ichigo, what are we doing here?"
"We're here to watch a boxing match."
"A boxing match… why?"
"To cheer for an old friend of ours."
"Old friend?" Ichigo carefully guided Moka so she remained unaware of the event. He led her to their front-row seats. The stadium was crowded, and from their spot, they could see the announcer and the judges. Suddenly, all the lights were turned off, and a spotlight illuminated the center of the ring, where the announcer stood. He tapped his microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen… Are you ready for the main event!?" The crowd cheered. The announcer waited for the noise to settle. "After losing to Siarhei Liakhovich in 2006, Lamon Brewster is making a comeback!" The crowd cheered again as Lamon Brewster walked on stage. "Now, let's welcome a rising contender! Give it up for Yasutora Sado!" Moka turned to Ichigo, who was clapping.
"It's Yasutora; the guy who helped me a long time ago," Moka realized. Ichigo remembered that Moka had been saved by Chad back in middle school when she was being bullied. At the time, Ichigo didn't know Chad well. One day, Moka had been harassed again, and Chad stepped between her and the bullies before Ichigo showed up.
Chad and Lamon met in the center of the arena and shook hands. The bell rang, signaling the start of the fight. Lamon and Chad circled each other. Lamon threw a right hook, but Chad blocked it with his left hand and countered with his right, landing a punch to Lamon's face. Lamon charged at Chad, launching a series of reckless punches, but Chad managed to defend himself, blocking with his hands and taking the blows. The bell rang, and the referee stepped in to stop the round. Both fighters retreated to their corners to hydrate and take a short break.
After a brief pause, the referee signaled for the match to continue. Both fighters raised their guards. Lamon quickly took the offensive again, landing a few blows to Chad's face before delivering a devastating uppercut. Chad flew back a few inches and crashed to the ground.
"One!" the referee counted. "Two! Three!"
"Sado, get up!" Moka yelled.
"Four! Five! Six!"
"Come on, Sado, get up!" Moka urged.
"Seven! Eight—!" Ichigo stood up.
"CHAD, GET UP!" Ichigo yelled, and the crowd watched as Chad started to rise. The referee paused the count as he noticed Chad getting back on his feet. Chad looked up and saw Ichigo standing.
"Ichigo?" Chad said, weakly.
"CHAD, GET UP! Show him El Gigante [The Giant]!" The crowd began to cheer as Chad slowly stood.
"Ichigo is here… Ichigo is here, despite me breaking my promise. I won't allow myself to lose!" As soon as the referee signaled the match to resume, Chad charged forward. Lamon tried a quick jab with his left hand, but Chad blocked it with his right and struck Lamon with a powerful punch. Lamon was stunned by the attack. Chad then delivered a right hook. "El Directo!" He followed it with a left punch. "La Muerte!" Lamon collapsed to the ground.
"One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Seven! Eight!" The referee crossed his arms to signal a knockout, then grabbed Chad's right hand and raised it.
"There we have it, folks! The winner by knockout is Yasutora Sado!" The crowd erupted in cheers. Chad, along with his coaches, began to leave the ring. Security began escorting them out. Ichigo and Moka tried to follow, but security attempted to block their path.
"Allow them through," Chad said. The security guards glanced at the coaches, who nodded, allowing Ichigo and Moka to pass. They soon arrived at Chad's hotel room.
"Ichigo, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you," Chad said.
"Chad." Chad continued speaking, ignoring Ichigo.
"I know I broke my promise to watch your back, especially after you risked everything for me."
"Chad," Ichigo said, calmly. Chad finally looked up, and Ichigo extended his hand.
"Um…"
"I understand why you did it. You, Orihime, and Uryū listened to my father when he told you to leave me alone. If I were to blame anyone, it would be him, not you."
"Thank you." Chad shook Ichigo's hand. The three of them chatted for an hour before Ichigo realized it was getting late. He gave Chad his address and phone number before they left. Ichigo and Moka returned home to find Eu, Yuzu, Karin, Elizabeth, and Ophis already asleep on Ichigo's bed. Moka and Ichigo changed and joined them.
Scene Change: Unknown Location
A young woman stared out of a window. She had shoulder-length violet hair with long bangs covering the right side of her face, revealing only her purple left eye.
"Mistress, the preparations are ready," a hooded figure said.
"Very well," she replied. The hooded figure stepped back and left.
"It's time to complete the contract," the girl said, moving her long bangs aside to reveal a red eye with a pentagram inside a circle.
Author's notes:
Destrier is an archaic word for a warhorse. They were used to carry armored knights, with good armor weighing around 70 lbs. Most destriers weighed about 2,000 pounds or 907.1847kg.
Taomon from Digimon Tamers
Sakuyamon from Digimon Tamers
Yes, Masaki created Haku from Spirited Away. Note that Haku is not a familiar; Masaki simply shaped the reiatsu into a dragon.