Hello everyone, Thunder here with another monthly chapter. It sucks that I failed to time it right. It would have been interesting to have Chapter 100 at the beginning of the New Year but I digress. Anyways, to another year of Broken Dreams! Thank you Waroyer123 for your continued support.
The following is a fan-based parody.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, TV Tokyo, Viz Media, and Studio Pierrot.
All other ideas belong to their original sources. Please support the official release.
"Hello." – Normal talking.
"Hello." – Normal thoughts.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō speaking.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō thoughts.
Opening Scene: Ichigo's Estate
A boom tube opened in Ichigo's office. Ichigo, Yoruichi, and Shingetsu stepped out of the boom tube.
"Hello Akasha, do you know where Yuri Alpha is?" Ichigo asked through the peerage connection.
"Hello Ichigo, I believe she is attending to the babies right now," Akasha replied.
"Please send her to my office," Ichigo instructed.
"She is on her way," Akasha replied.
"Where are you right now?" Ichigo asked.
"I'm in my office… why?" Akasha asked.
"I will need to meet with you shortly," Ichigo replied.
"Okay. I will be waiting." It didn't take long before they heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," Ichigo said. The door opened as Yuri Alpha entered the room.
"Welcome back, Ichigo-sama," Yuri said as she bowed to Ichigo. Ichigo could see Shingetsu and Yoruichi's surprised looks on their faces.
"Yuri, this is Shingetsu and Yoruichi," Ichigo introduced. "They are new maids who will be joining us. Please give them a tour of the estate and get them situated."
"Yes, Ichigo-sama," Yuri replied. She turned to the new maids. "Please follow me," she said. Shingetsu and Yoruichi silently followed Yuri out of Ichigo's office. Ichigo walked out of his office and down the hallway. He soon arrived at a door and knocked.
"Come in," Akasha replied. Ichigo opened the door to see Akasha sitting at her desk, breastfeeding Cinna. Ichigo sat down as he waited for Cinna to be done. It took a minute before Cinna finished her meal. Ichigo took Cinna from Akasha's arm and gently patted her on the back. A few moments later, Cinna let out a small burp. Afterward, he began to gently rock her side to side. Meanwhile, Akasha was fixing her clothes. Soon Cinna was fast asleep. Ichigo placed her in a nearby crib. Akasha pressed a button on the crib, which began to rock side to side.
"Thank you for that," she said.
"No problem," Ichigo whispered.
"There's no need to whisper. The crib is enchanted to block out sound and play a melody," Akasha said.
"Interesting," Ichigo admitted.
"So, what do you need from me?" Akasha asked.
"I need a place for another group of refugees," Ichigo said.
"The ones you brought back yesterday?" she asked.
"Correct," Ichigo replied.
"Is there anything particular that they want?" Akasha asked.
"They mostly want to be alone," Ichigo said.
"Okay… Do they want to be independent?" Akasha asked.
"… I don't know," Ichigo said as Kyōka appeared beside them.
"Let me get Kaguya," Kyōka said as she shunpō'ed away. She quickly returned with Kaguya.
"I am Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the new Clan Head of the Ōtsutsuki Clan," she said.
"Akasha Bloodriver, one of Ichigo's fiancées," she replied. Kaguya nodded her head. "So tell me, Kaguya, what do you wish to do?"
"Has Ichigo-sama told you about me and my clan?" Kaguya asked.
"He has not," Akasha replied.
"The Ōtsutsuki Clan is a clan of conquerors who were sent to different worlds to harvest resources for the Ōtsutsuki Clan," Kaguya began.
"And you were the one sent to the same world that Ichigo was sent to?" Akasha asked.
"Indeed," Kaguya replied. "I admit that I fell in love with that world and decided to go against the Ōtsutsuki Clan's orders. I killed the other Ōtsutsuki clan member and prepared an army to protect the world if the Ōtsutsuki Clan inevitably invaded." Kaguya chuckled before continuing. "Unfortunately, my children also loved the world. They rebelled against me because of my actions and sealed me away."
"And someone freed you?" Akasha asked.
"Indeed," Kaguya replied. "At the last moment, I created one child who planned my eventual unsealing."
"I eventually attacked the Ōtsutsuki Clan's home world and slaughtered most of the Ōtsutsuki Clan who refused to surrender, leaving only Kaguya and the few who surrendered," Ichigo said.
"I see…" Akasha said. "So, what do you intend to do now?"
"I plan to establish a new home for myself and the surviving Ōtsutsuki clan members, where we can live in peace," Kaguya answered.
"What will you do in exchange for this?" Akasha asked.
"I intend to have our clan become farmers and offer our crops to you," she suggested.
"Do you have any crops?" Akasha asked.
"I do," Kaguya replied as a black portal appeared in her hand. She slipped it in and pulled out a few crops. One of them reminded Ichigo of ginseng. Another reminded Ichigo of a potato but with a violet spiral around it. The last crop reminded Ichigo of a tomato, but its flesh had points that resembled spikes. Akasha took the crops from Kaguya.
"I also have notes about these crops," Kaguya said. Akasha took the notes from Kaguya.
"I will have my people follow up regarding these crops and what we will ask you to grow," Akasha replied.
"Very well," Kaguya said.
"I may have you train other people," Ichigo added.
"Very well," Kaguya accepted. Akasha opened a drawer and pulled out a set of documents. She looked through them and pulled out a few sheets.
"Based on your requests, I have a few uninhabited islands that the Ōtsutsuki Clan can rent from us," Akasha said as she placed the documents in front of Kaguya. She looked at them for a few moments.
"I pick this one," Kaguya decided.
"Okay," Akasha replied as she took the selected document. "Please wait a few hours while I arrange for someone to escort you to the island and prepare suitable seeds for you to grow."
"Okay," Kaguya replied. "Should I return to my room or wait here?"
"You can return to your room. Someone will get you when it's time to take you there," Akasha replied. Kaguya nodded and left the office.
"That's one thing down," Ichigo said.
"Indeed," Akasha replied. "Now, were you able to investigate the dragons who attacked Héxié Lóngdǎo?"
"I was," Ichigo said as he proceeded to explain what happened with Arc Strada. Afterward, he told her about their alliance with Ainz. Their discussion was interrupted when Saeko brought lunch to them. They continued to talk while having lunch. Once lunch was over, Ichigo used his ring to open a boom tube to where Yin-Yang and Mobius were.
Scene Change: Eien no Meirei Sensō Sekai: Meeting Room
Ichigo stepped out of the boom tube to see Yin-Yang and Mobius sitting in a conference room.
"Welcome, Ichigo," Yin-Yang said. "Thank you for meeting with us."
"No problem," Ichigo replied as he sat down.
"Before we begin this meeting, we should show Ichigo all the new changes that happened while he was gone," Yin-Yang suggested.
"Good idea," Ichigo said. Mobius nodded his head as he pressed a button. Ichigo saw 3D screens appearing above the table. Yin-Yang and Mobius proceeded to show Ichigo the four moons as they were transformed into War Worlds and the Kryptonian teams scouting the solar system.
"Now we reach the main reason we asked for your presence," Mobius said as he pressed a button. "Two months ago, we encountered a group of aliens. Based on the information we extracted from their computers, these aliens identified themselves as Orks." The screens showed large green monsters decked in armor. They all came in different sizes and were armed with different weapons. Some carried large sticks with pieces of metal attached to them, resembling axes and hatchets. Others were armed with large guns. "Based on further information from their computers, we strongly believe that these Orks originated from an alternate universe in the far future."
"Ichigo, please summon me," Chishiki asked Ichigo to activate Schrift X: The Xenomachina. Black nanomachines rushed out of Ichigo's shadow and formed into Chishiki. Yin-Yang and Mobius stared at Chishiki.
"Hello, I am Chishiki," she introduced herself.
"I am Yin-Yang," Yin-Yang replied.
"I am Mobius," Mobius added.
"I have some more information about these Orks from one of their enemies," Chishiki said.
"Oh?" Yin-Yang asked. Chishiki placed her hand on the table. The hand transformed into a nanomachine, which then transformed into her 3D screens.
"In their universe, humanity has advanced well into the 41st millennium," Chishiki began. "During that time, their technology reached a point where space travel was possible. During these travels, they have witnessed all kinds of monsters that lurk beyond the stars." Chishiki's screen showed the Orks that Mobius had shown earlier. "As mentioned before, the Orks…" Another screen showed an army of blue-skinned alien races in dull yellow power suits. "The T'au from the T'au Empire." A third screen appeared, showing large insectoids in different sizes. "The Tyranids." A fourth screen appeared and showed countless grey robots that glowed with green light. "The Necrons." The fifth screen showed monsters that could easily be called Demons. Behind them were armies of armored figures. "Lastly are the Daemons, the Agents of Chaos, with their army of traitors." The screen changed to show an army of humans in large power suits. Each power suit had different paint on its armor and different emblems. All of them knelt in the middle where a man in a golden power suit stood. "Humanity, with the guidance of a man known simply as the Emperor of Mankind, created the Space Marines or Adeptus Astartes." The image changed to show the Adeptus Astartes attacking the Orks, T'au, Tyranids, Necrons, and Daemons. "They are the defenders of Humanity, the greatest of the Emperor of Mankind's warriors against the monsters that threaten Humanity."
"Weren't they the origin of the implants you gave me from them?" Ichigo asked.
"Correct," Chishiki said as she waved her hand. The image changed to show a different group of Space Marines. They wore blue power armor with a golden omega on their shoulder pads. There was a golden skull with a pair of angel wings on it. "Intelligentsia discovered a ship of the Ultramarines, one of the chapters of Space Marines. The Space Marines tried their best against her, but she and her army quickly overwhelmed them. She quickly scanned their bodies and destroyed them. Her nanomachines scanned the records stored on their ships, their weapons, armor, and ship before destroying them."
"Do you still have access to the information Intelligentsia harvested from them?" Ichigo asked.
"I do," Chishiki replied.
"What is the probability of any of these alien races attacking us?" Ichigo asked.
"Unfortunately, not zero percent," Yin-Yang admitted.
"Agreed," Chishiki said. "Seeing an Ork ship here means that there is a path for others to follow."
"I agree," Mobius said. "The Orks have a unique belief-based power. It's possible that other Orks could wish, hope, and believe in a way to locate their fallen brethren."
"I see…" Ichigo said. "What have we done to prepare for their inevitable arrival?"
"Once we captured the Ork warship, we began to reverse engineer everything we could," Yin-Yang said, showing images of drones analyzing pieces of metal from the ship. Others were analyzing the weapons and power armor that the Orks used.
"I can also share the data from the Ultramarines," Chishiki added.
"Though there is a minor problem," Mobius interrupted.
"And that is?" Ichigo asked.
"Our forces are minuscule compared to their forces," Mobius admitted.
"What are you suggesting?" Ichigo asked.
"We could create more Kryptonians," Mobius suggested.
"The Adeptus Astartes also have a few different procedures we can use to make them larger and stronger than regular Kryptonians," Chishiki added.
"How did the Adeptus Astartes grow their ranks?" Ichigo asked.
"The Imperium of Mankind had discovered other human planets across the cosmos. Those planets would fall under the rule of the Imperium. The citizens of those planets would be selected to join the Adeptus Astartes," Chishiki replied.
"How well did the Kryptonians handle the fight against the Orks?" Ichigo asked.
"They did very well," Yin-Yang said. "The Orks' weapons failed to pierce through their armor suits."
"Based on the data collected by the scarabs, the Kryptonians' skins would not have been injured if they were hit directly by bullets, missiles, lasers, or blunt strikes," Mobius added.
"The only problem is if the Orks 'wished' for their attacks to injure us," Yin-Yang said.
"The strength of the psychic ability is based on the number of Orks that believe in it," Mobius added.
"So the power would weaken if there are fewer Orks in general?" Ichigo asked.
"Correct. Or if the Orks no longer believe that it's possible to win," Mobius replied.
"The Adeptus Astartes have numerous recorded instances of Ork weapons and technology that do not make sense, but the Orks' psychic powers made it possible," Chishiki added.
"How long would it take to create more soldiers using the Kryptonians?" Ichigo asked.
"We can age a baby to a prime adult in a decade," Mobius said.
"What about their mental state?" Ichigo asked.
"I don't know," Mobius admitted.
"In this case, we will have 20 Kryptonian babies, ten of whom will have their genetic material altered," Ichigo began. "All of them will go through the decade growth program."
"Allow me to transfer all the genetic manipulation data I have," Chishiki said.
"One second," Mobius replied as he typed a few keys into his computer. "Ready to receive."
"Beginning the information transfer," Chishiki replied. "Data transfer complete." Mobius clicked through the data.
"In the meantime, should we try to recruit humans from Earth?" Yin-Yang asked.
"No," Ichigo said. "Their focus is currently on internal planetary expansion. It will raise more questions than necessary."
"Though you should ask the Reigai if they are interested," Kyōka reminded him.
"Good idea," Ichigo replied.
"Though, there may be a few possible candidates that I might recruit," Ichigo said.
"We will gladly accept them," Yin-Yang replied.
"Anything else we need to discuss?" Ichigo asked. Yin-Yang and Mobius shook their heads. Chishiki returned to Ichigo's mindscape as he sealed Schrift X: The Xenomachina. Ichigo opened a garganta and returned to Earth.
Scene Change: Ichigo's Estate
Ichigo stepped out of the Garganta and stood in his office.
"Hello Yasaka, are you available right now?" Ichigo asked through the peerage connection.
"Hello Ichigo, I am," she replied.
"Are you in Tokyo right now?" Ichigo asked.
"Actually, I am in my room in your estate, preparing for a meeting," she replied.
"With whom?" Ichigo asked.
"With Rias," Yasaka replied. "I need to have a private word with her regarding a few things."
"That's oddly convenient," Ichigo admitted. "I need to find Vali Lucifer and I hope they know where he is."
"Ah, the elusive White Dragon Emperor…" Yasaka said. "It's been a few years since he disappeared from the spotlight."
"Anyone know why?" Ichigo asked.
"Officially, he and Kuroka gave birth to a baby boy," Yasaka replied. "But according to Rias, he discovered that he has a half-sister."
"Oh," Ichigo said. Ichigo heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," he said. The door opened as Saeko and Yasaka entered the room.
"Hello Ichigo-sama, the limousine is ready for you," Saeko said. They followed Saeko out of the estate and entered the limousine. They quickly drove out of the estate.
"It should take us about 45 minutes to get to Kuoh," Yasaka said.
"Yasaka, do you have any shinobi clans under your command?" Ichigo asked. Yasaka stared at Ichigo for a few seconds.
"We do," Yasaka said. "Though I'm surprised that you're aware of their existence."
"It was a lucky guess," Ichigo said as he summoned a pile of scrolls from his mindscape. "The universe I stayed in was filled with shinobi." Yasaka grabbed one of the scrolls and unraveled it. She began to read it. She soon re-rolled the scroll.
"To answer your question, yes and no," Yasaka replied. "The Shinobi Clans of Japan were a real thing. They were composed of regular humans and Yōkai. At the time, everyone in Japan knew the existence of the Shinobi, which defeats one of the purposes of a Shinobi: being hidden from the public eye. To hide the Shinobi further, I would sacrifice the human shinobi to create a façade to make people think shinobi are no longer a thing."
"So all the items in the museums were tools that human shinobi would use," Ichigo said.
"Correct," Yasaka said. "Most of the tools were created to allow human shinobi to imitate the physical capabilities of a yōkai shinobi. We used those tools to explain some of the superhuman feats that shinobi were known for."
"That makes sense," Ichigo replied.
"The Yōkai Shinobi clans sacrificed their clan names and merged into one organization, Taiyōkage [Sun's Shadow]." Yasaka grabbed the scrolls. "Are you okay if I give these to Taiyōkage to study?"
"Sure," Ichigo replied. Yasaka nodded her head and hid the scrolls. Ichigo glanced out the window to see the streets were primarily filled with animal-pulled carriages and wagons. They were the only car on the road.
"Why are the streets filled with carriages and wagons?" Ichigo asked.
"It was an after-effect of the Terra Ascension," Yasaka said.
"Terra Ascension?" Ichigo questioned.
"Terra Ascension, or Terracension, was the name given to the phenomenon when Earth grew bigger. The name of the planet was changed from Earth to Terra," Yasaka explained.
"I see…" Ichigo said.
"The Imperium referred to Earth as Terra as well," Chishiki added. Ichigo ignored her comment.
"The Terra Ascension increased the amount and density of mana in the atmosphere, destroying the majority of the electronic components in vehicles on the road," Yasaka explained. "Luckily for us, Medea and Rin were able to modify our vehicles to handle the mana."
"And any that survived the Terra Ascension increased in price?" Ichigo asked.
"Correct," Yasaka said. "Any cars that were purely mechanical or magi-tech are still usable."
"Magi-tech?" Ichigo asked. Yasaka proceeded to explain to Ichigo Magi-tech, one of the new innovations that combined technology and magic. They continued to talk about other topics before they arrived at a large building. Ichigo saw the building had the words DxD on it. The limousine stopped in front of the building. Saeko stepped out of the driver's side and opened the door. Ichigo stepped out and extended his hand towards Yasaka. He gently pulled her out of the limousine.
"Thank you, Ichigo," Yasaka said.
"Ichigo-sensei, Yasaka-sama." They could see an adult man dressed in a two-piece black suit with a red dress shirt. The man walked toward them and bowed.
"Hello, Issei," Ichigo replied. "Though I am no longer your sensei." Issei stood up and extended his hand to Ichigo.
"I still call you sensei as a sign of respect and as a goalpost," Issei replied. Ichigo chuckled as he accepted the handshake. They soon let go and began to walk inside the building.
"Rias-sama told me that Yasaka-sama was coming. She didn't mention you were coming."
"Me coming along was a spontaneous move," Ichigo admitted.
"Oh, do you need something?" Issei asked.
"Do you know where Vali is?" Ichigo asked.
"Yeah… Why?" Issei replied.
"Not sure. He asked to meet with me," Ichigo said.
"I can take you to him after I escort Yasaka-sama to Rias-sama," he said.
"Thanks," Ichigo replied. "How is it going, Ddraig?" Ichigo asked as a red gauntlet appeared on Issei's arm.
"It has been much better since he finally realized that he doesn't need to look at other women's breasts and bodies when he has his harem," Ddraig replied.
"I wasn't that bad," Issei replied.
"Oppai Dragon Emperor," Ichigo said. Issei's right eye twitched as Ddraig let out a howl of despair before disappearing from Issei's arm.
"Fine, I was that bad," Issei admitted. In the background, Yasaka raised her sleeve to hide her chuckle. They soon arrived at Rias's office. They saw Rias sitting behind her desk. She wore a black business suit and skirt. Beside her was Akeno in her own business suit.
"Ichigo-sensei," Rias said, breaking out of her serious mode. She quickly stood up.
"Hello, Rias," Ichigo replied as he gave her a brief hug. He turned to see Akeno and gave her a brief hug as well.
"I was not expecting you here," she admitted.
"I have some personal matters with Issei, so I tagged along with Yasaka," Ichigo explained.
"I see…" Rias said.
"Ichigo-sensei came to me, asking if I knew where Vali was. I agreed to take him to Vali," Issei quickly explained through his peerage connection.
"Fine," Rias replied.
"Come on, man, let's leave the bosses to do their thing," Issei said as a demonic magic circle appeared beneath his feet. Issei grabbed Ichigo's hand, and they were teleported out of Rias's office. As soon as they left, Rias activated a demonic spell, preventing anyone from eavesdropping on their conversation.
"First off… are you sure about Project: The One?" Rias asked.
"All of us discussed it before. Ichigo is the strongest in the world, but to the world, he is a nobody," Yasaka began. "He needs to do something to show the world his true power so no one would question him when he sits down on his rightful throne over Terra." Rias sighed.
"Why did I agree to this crazy plan again?" Rias thought to herself.
"Because of that small crush you have on Ichigo," Akeno replied.
"AKENO!" Rias screamed through the peerage connection.
"Don't worry, Rias-sama, I'm the only one who knows your secret crush," Akeno said. "Though to be fair, I do have a little crush on him too."
"Fine," Rias said. "I and DxD will follow Project: The One. I will speak with Onii-sama about phase two."
"Excellent," Yasaka replied.
"With business out of the way… how's the baby!?" Rias and Akeno asked. Yasaka pulled out a photo album and handed it to them.
"These are photos of all of Ichigo's daughters," Yasaka said. Rias and Akeno giggled at how cute the babies looked.
"I still can't believe you have two daughters with Ichigo," Rias complained.
"I know," Yasaka replied. "How many times have you tried, and you still can't get pregnant?" Rias let out a frustrated groan. Akeno giggled at her King's reaction. "What about you?" Yasaka asked as she directed her attention to Akeno. "Haven't you gotten pregnant yet?" Akeno replied with a smile, promising vengeance.
Scene Change: Outskirts of Kuoh
Ichigo and Issei appeared in the forest.
"Stay close to me," Issei warned. "Kuroka enchanted the surrounding forest so that those who are aware of the path and have no ill intentions towards them can reach them." Issei led Ichigo through the forest. As they walked, Ichigo could sense spells around them trying to distort his senses. But Ichigo's passive reiatsu prevented it from affecting him.
"I guess Kuroka's magic doesn't affect Ichigo-sensei," Issei said, noticing the magic not affecting him. They soon arrived at a wooden fence with a wooden gate in the middle. Issei walked to the gate and unlatched it. He swung the gate open, allowing them to enter. Issei closed the gate behind them. They walked along the path to arrive at a large wooden cabin. Issei knocked on the door.
"Coming!" Someone shouted. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal Kuroka. She had swapped her kimono for a tight black t-shirt and matching black sweatpants.
"Issei!" she said as she pulled him into a hug. She soon let him go as she noticed Ichigo. "H-hi Ichigo-sama," she said.
"Hello, Kuroka. Vali asked to see me?" Ichigo replied.
"Oh. Yeah… Please come in," she said as she moved to the side for them to enter her home.
"Thank you for the offer, but I need to get back to Rias-sama," Issei replied as he teleported away, leaving Ichigo alone. Ichigo took off his shoes, and Kuroka guided him into the living room.
"Do you want anything?" Kuroka asked.
"I'm good," Ichigo replied. Kuroka nodded and went into the kitchen.
"Vali! Ichigo-sama is here!" Kuroka yelled.
"I'm coming," Vali replied. Kuroka sighed. Ichigo could hear a back door open and someone running in. He saw a little body with light skin, silver hair with matching cat ears, and a cat tail. He wore a white shirt and black shorts.
"KAA-SAN!" the boy yelled as he hugged Kuroka.
"Yoshikane [Righteous Silver, go take a bath!" Kuroka yelled.
"Yes, Kaa-san!" Yoshikane replied as he ran upstairs, ignoring Ichigo. A few seconds later, Vali entered the living room. He sat down in a chair. He looked similar to how Ichigo saw him a decade ago but had grown more mature.
"Hello, Ichigo-sama," Vali said.
"Vali," Ichigo replied.
"So, Vali, why did you ask to see me?" Ichigo asked.
"So how much of the rumors have you heard about me?" Vali asked.
"Assume I haven't heard about the rumors," Ichigo replied. Vali nodded.
"As you can see, I married Kuroka and have a son," Vali began. Ichigo nodded. "When I was looking through the old estate that Razevan owned, I discovered a small stipend being paid to someone called Charlotte Morningstar. Eventually, I tracked her down and discovered that Charlotte Morningstar is his daughter."
"Oh…" Ichigo said.
"By the time I found Charlotte, she was already 15 and went by the name Charlie," Vali continued. "Razevan had sealed her demon lineage, so she lived her life as a human with an awakened Sacred Gear called Confession of Sins."
"Oh?" Ichigo questioned. Vali nodded.
"Confession of Sins allows her to see the sins a person has accumulated and guide them towards different methods to relieve them of their sins," Vali explained. "She spent her time as a counselor and studied psychology. She told me she wanted to become a psychiatrist."
"How did she take it when you told her about her ancestry?"
"Surprisingly well… though that aligns with the reason I asked to see you," Vali said. "She wants to use her powers to help the Sinners of Hell be freed from Hell."
"It's been a while since I've inspected Hell. Maybe having someone there to monitor Hell and expiate the punishment process is not a bad idea, but can she handle the Sinners?" Ichigo thought to himself.
"How long will it take for Charlie to come here?" Ichigo asked.
"Maybe 10 minutes?" Vali replied.
"I will meet with her, and we shall go from there," Ichigo decided.
"Okay," Vali said as he teleported away. Ichigo stood up.
"Kuroka, I will be testing Charlie in your backyard," Ichigo said.
"W-will she be harmed?" Kuroka asked.
"She will be mostly unharmed," Ichigo said. Kuroka gulped as Ichigo stepped out of the house.
"Good luck, stepsister," Kuroka thought to herself. Ten minutes later, Vali returned with Charlie. Charlie stood about 198.12 cm (6.5 feet) tall with a slim body. She was bone-white pale. She had long, ankle-length blonde hair with thin light coral streaks in the paler-blonde highlights, usually tied into a twice-banded low-ponytail by two black hair ties. Her hair also featured bangs flipped to the left side and ending with a curl. She had red eyes, thick eyelashes, and gray eyelids. Her lips were black, and her cheeks were rosy red. She wore a red tuxedo jacket with darker red lapels and a small white tag on the left side. She wore this over an untucked, long-sleeved, high-collared white dress shirt with two black buttons and dark red cuffs, paired with black suspenders and a small black bowtie. Her dress pants were a slightly darker shade than her jacket, and her footwear was heeled, white saddle shoes with black toes and tips of the heels.
"Vali, do you think wearing this would help?" she asked.
"Maybe?" Vali admitted. He noticed Ichigo was nowhere in sight. "Where's Ichigo-sama?"
"He's outside. He wants to test Charlie," Kuroka said.
"I see…" Vali said. Suddenly, the entire building began to shake. Vali, Kuroka, and Charlie ran outside. They saw a large purple double door appear in front of them. It had two skeletons giving a one-handed bow on each side of the door. There were rusty chains all over the doors as if those chains were keeping the gate closed.
"The Gates of Hell," Vali whispered, remembering Issei and Rias telling them about the legendary gate. The chains around the doors turned to red rustic dust. The doors slowly opened as a 320 cm (10.5 feet) tall, armored figure stepped out. The suit of armor was primarily black and decorated with skulls and bones. There was a skull on each shoulder that functioned as a shoulder pad and covered parts of the forearm. The rest of the arms were covered in armor resembling bones. Two more skulls covered each side of his chest. His lower chest was protected with more bone-like armor. There was a spiked skirt around his waist. His legs were covered with bone-like armor with another skull on each of his kneecaps. He wore a set of bone-like boots with a skull on each toe cap. They could see the figure had spiral galaxy eyes with a crimson glow around them.
"Ichigo-sama," Charlie said as they bowed to him. The Gates of Hell closed behind him.
"Charlotte Morningstar," Ichigo called, ignoring their bows. Charlie stepped towards Ichigo. "Vali told me that you are interested in assisting in redeeming the Sinners in Hell."
"I am," she replied. She used her Confession of Sins, causing her white sclera to turn light yellow. When she normally uses Confession of Sins, it allows her to see the number of sins a person has in the form of a red ghostly number above their head. When she looked at Ichigo, she couldn't see any number.
"Is Confession of Sins not working?" she thought as she glanced at Vali. She saw the number 7 above Vali's head.
"Are you done?" Ichigo asked, interrupting her thoughts. Ichigo summoned a massive black sword with crimson highlights. The blade was a heavy double-edged blade, notched on both sides near the tip. The pommel had several spikes split open. The grip was plain, but the guard was skeletal, with a skull design on each side leading to the ribcage from which the blade emerged; on one side of the blade appeared to be a human skull, while on the other side appeared to be a horned demon's skull. The cross guard was folded in against the ribs. "Now show me your resolve!"
Ichigo attacked Charlie with a downward swing. Charlie jumped to the side, dodging the strike. Her body glowed as a pair of dark maroon horns protruded from her head, and her eyes changed to have red sclera with white irises and slit pupils; thin black streaks also appeared across each eye. Her eyelashes became much longer and thicker, resembling butterfly wings. Her fingers turned mostly black and became sharp and claw-like. A long black demonic tail with spikes and a triangular tip with a red heart in the center grew from her tailbone. A large black pitchfork with a golden scale at the center of the forks appeared in her hand. Fire erupted from her feet as she shot herself toward Ichigo. She used her pitchfork to strike at his stomach. The pitchfork scraped across the armor, failing to do any damage. Ichigo used his left arm and punched her in the face. The force from Ichigo's punch knocked her into the ground. She grabbed the edge of the ground and pulled herself out. She engulfed herself in flames and began to grow. She quickly matched Ichigo's height. She charged towards Ichigo and began to attack him with her fists. Ichigo let go of Rebellion as he met her punches with his own. Ichigo's punches tore through her flames. Charlie's flames reformed and tried to trap Ichigo. He easily broke free from the restraints. Ichigo raised his hand as Rebellion flew to his grasp. He swung Rebellion down, bisecting the flames. At the last second, Charlie summoned her pitchfork and used it to block Ichigo's attack. Surprisingly, the pitchfork didn't break, but the force of the attack sent her flying back toward the ground. Suddenly, Vali, in his Balance Breaker, flew and grabbed Charlie.
"Ichigo-sama, I believe this is enough," Vali said as he carried Charlie in a princess carry.
"Charlie," Ichigo began. "I can tell that you have good intentions and truly wish to help the Sinners of Hell." Ichigo stabbed Rebellion into the ground. "There will be Sinners who have been damned for eternity who will see you and will try to kill you so you can join them in eternal suffering."
"Then I will avoid those Sinners," Charlie argued. "I will only help those with little sin left."
"Charlie, think about Ichigo-sama's words," Vali interjected. Charlie looked at Vali. "In that brief test, Ichigo-sama was only using his physical strength to attack you."
"Just his physical strength?" Charlie turned to Ichigo. "What rank are you?"
"Does a simple rank truly illustrate your true power?" Ichigo replied.
"I…see…" Charlie said.
"Charlie," Ichigo said as he stopped in front of her. "I can see how noble your intentions are, but I believe it would be much better for you to continue using your powers on the living instead of the dead," Ichigo said.
"I… I will think about it," she replied.
"That is all I want to hear." Ichigo turned to Vali. "Do you need my help to fix the damage?"
"No need," Vali said as he took out his phone and called someone. As soon as he hung up, a magic circle appeared beside him, and a few devils appeared. They waved their hands and began to restore the environment. They filled the holes in the ground with the collected rubble. Another one regrew the destroyed flora around them. In less than three minutes, the area around Vali's house was fully restored. The devils nodded to Ichigo and Vali before disappearing in a magic circle. Seeing his task was finished, Ichigo ripped open a Garganta and left.
Scene Change: Ichigo's Estate
Ichigo appeared back in his office. He closed his eyes and sensed Nozomi's reiatsu. She was not alone; she was with a few others. Ichigo opened a Garganta and arrived at the underground training area. Ichigo saw Nozomi was dueling with Unohana.
"You are doing well, Nozomi-sama," Unohana said.
"Thank you!" Nozomi replied. Ichigo saw a few other familiar faces with them. He recognized Nanao, Isane, Rangiku, Nemu, and Momo. The other two were unfamiliar faces. The first one was a young man with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He had two hairpieces on both sides of his bangs and in the middle on the bridge of his nose. He wore a bright red ribbon in his hair that rested on his left shoulder. The other one was a young girl with bright blue eyes and blonde hair tied in a ponytail on the top of her head. Her bangs were messy and long, leaving a good portion of them in the middle of her face. She had a flower hair clip on the side of her head. They both wore the standard Shinigami uniform.
"I see you are training hard," Ichigo said, interrupting them.
"Ah, Ichigo-sama," Nozomi said. Everyone else bowed to Ichigo.
"At ease," Ichigo replied. "First off, who are you two?" Ichigo asked, pointing at the two blonde-haired Shinigami.
"I am Kudō Fujimaru (1), fukutaichō of the Third Division," he said.
"I am Kudō Matsuri (1), the third seat of the Third Division," she introduced.
"They were recently promoted," Nanao added.
"Okay… I remember there were twenty of you Reigai… where are they?" Ichigo asked.
"Even after the original two months, we all continued to train," Nozomi began. "All of us reached a plateau in strength. The others, seeing you not return, decided to leave the estate to experience life."
"I see…" Ichigo said. "Ever since they left, did they return once?"
"No," Nozomi admitted.
"Ichigo-sama," Unohana interjected.
"Yes?" Ichigo replied.
"I believe I know the reason why all of us, except Nozomi-sama, reached a plateau," Unohana replied. Ichigo motioned for her to continue. "The most reiatsu that these bodies can handle is that of a high-level fukutaichō."
"That makes sense," Ichigo said.
"That is not the only thing restricting them," Hōgyoku interjected.
"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.
"The modified soul was designed to control any corpse as a versatile soldier. Even if this body resembles the original soul, it is not a perfect match," Hōgyoku replied.
"So how do we make them a perfect match?" Ichigo asked.
"When the modified soul pill is in their body, I should be able to free the modified soul from its capsule and bind it to the body," Hōgyoku said.
"And that should allow them to grow stronger?" Ichigo asked.
"It should give them more space to store their reiatsu, but it will require them to eat more for their body to produce more reiatsu," Hōgyoku explained.
"That's fine," Ichigo replied.
"Since all of you followed my orders, even though I was over seven months late, I will assist in giving all of you a new body." Everyone looked excited to hear about a new body. "But I want to ask all of you something."
"Go ahead, Ichigo-sama," Rangiku replied.
"Would all of you be interested in going to outer space?" Ichigo asked.
"Outer space?" they questioned. Ichigo gave them a brief explanation of the situation in space. "Those who go into space will be given an even stronger body compared to those who stay on Earth," Ichigo said.
"Will we be forced to take leadership?" Isane asked.
"I will not force you to be their leader. I will be handing you over to an organization I founded to protect Terra from aliens. Those people will determine where you will go and how you will be used," Ichigo replied.
"I will go," Nozomi decided. It didn't take long before the other Reigai agreed.
"Okay, let me eject all of you from your bodies," Ichigo said. He grimaced when he remembered he had given his only pair of Gokon Tekkō to Ainz. "I forgot that I don't have my pair of Gokon Tekkō."
"No need," Nozomi said as she walked over to Isane and began to rub her throat. Suddenly, Isane began to cough before coughing up a red pill. Isane began to fall, only for Unohana to catch her. "The Reigai have a built-in nerve that causes them to cough up the pill if someone rubs their throat."
"I see…" Ichigo said. In a few minutes, Ichigo had all their soul pills removed and in his hand. He waved his hand, causing all their soulless bodies to float in the air. Ichigo opened a boom tube and entered it while the soulless bodies floated behind him.
Scene Change: Eien no Meirei Sensō Sekai: Laboratory
Ichigo arrived at an empty laboratory filled with all kinds of medical equipment. Yin-Yang appeared beside him.
"Are these the first batch of recruits?" Yin-Yang asked.
"They are," Ichigo replied. "Their bodies are primarily human, so we need to integrate Kryptonian DNA into them to handle the potential dangers in space."
"Makes sense," Yin-Yang said. "Based on our preliminary study of their Kryptonian DNA, we can safely conclude that they are compatible."
"Ichigo," Chishiki interrupted. "If what Yin-Yang is saying is true, then if we modify the Gigai Gun, we can create Kryptonian-based Gigais."
"That… makes sense," Ichigo admitted as he activated Schrift X: The Xenomachina. Chishiki appeared and quickly explained her theory to Yin-Yang. Yin-Yang ran out to get a sample of Kryptonian DNA. In the meantime, Ichigo summoned the Gigai Gun and handed it to Chishiki. Her hands transformed into black nanomachines, which crawled around the Gigai Gun.
"The gun is ready for the DNA sample," Chishiki replied. Yin-Yang returned and handed them a red vial. Chishiki poured the red vial into the Gigai Gun. Ichigo watched as the red liquid was absorbed into the gun. A few moments later, the black nanomachines left the Gigai Gun. She handed it back to Ichigo. Ichigo saw that a new feature had been added, allowing him to select the type of Gigai. Currently, there are three options: purely human, purely Kryptonian, and a mixture. Ichigo selected "purely Kryptonian." A new window appeared, asking if Ichigo wanted to scan a target or create his own. Ichigo chose the scan option. He pointed the gun at Nozomi's body as it began to scan her. After a few minutes, a pill was ejected from the gun. Ichigo placed the pill on a nearby bed. The pill transformed into a copy of Nozomi's body now composed of Kryptonian DNA. Hōgyoku appeared beside Ichigo.
"Are you ready?" Ichigo asked.
"I am," Hōgyoku replied. Ichigo took Nozomi's soul pill and pushed it into her mouth. At the same time, Hōgyoku focused her reiatsu on the pill. She destroyed the physical shell around the pill, allowing Nozomi's soul to fully inhabit her new body. Nozomi opened her eyes and gasped for air. She looked at Ichigo and Hōgyoku.
"What did you do?" Nozomi questioned as she felt different in this body.
"One of the factors that was limiting your growth was being a mod soul, so we freed you from the pill and allowed your soul to fully inhabit your new body," Ichigo explained. Ichigo helped Nozomi sit up. "How do you feel?"
"I… feel amazing," she said as she slowly stood up. She took a few steps, getting used to her new body. Ichigo and Hōgyoku proceeded to repeat the process with the other Reigai.
"This is Yin-Yang," Ichigo introduced her. "She is my second-in-command here."
"Thank you, Ichigo-sama," Yin-Yang said. "Now follow me while we begin orientation." Ichigo watched as Yin-Yang escorted the new recruits away. Hōgyoku returned to his mindscape. Ichigo opened a Garganta and returned home.
Scene Change: Ichigo's Estate
Ichigo appeared back in his office and sat down in his chair.
"I finished all of those requests that Akasha received," Ichigo thought. "Should I get ready to leave for the next universe?" Suddenly, Ichigo heard someone knocking on his door.
"Come in." The door opened as Zealot stepped in.
"This faithful one greets his Holiness," Zealot said as she got on her knees and bowed to him. Ichigo sighed.
"Zealot, please stand up," Ichigo said.
"Zealot does what his Holiness commands," Zealot said as she stood up.
"What can I do for you?" Ichigo asked.
"His Holiness tasked Zealot with being His Holiness's Head Priestess," Zealot began. Ichigo nodded for her to continue. "Zealot invites His Holiness to attend the baptism of the newest Acolytes." Zealot looked at Ichigo. She quickly fell to her knees and bowed to him. "Zealot begs forgiveness from His Holiness for Zealot's heretical request!" Ichigo sighed.
"Zealot, it is fine," Ichigo said. Zealot stood up and waited for Ichigo's answer. "I will attend."
"Zealot thanks His Highness for gracing us with your almighty presence," Zealot said.
Scene Change: Ichigo's Throne Room
Ichigo sat in his throne room. He noticed that the layout had changed since the last time he had been there. Three new statues had been erected. The first statue depicted Ichigo wearing his Shinigami robes, with Zangetsu in his Shikai, charging into battle. This statue represented his modifier, The Protector that Defies All to Protect All. The statue to the left depicted Ichigo in his Balance Breaker, Longinus Azrael Envoy of Holy Requiem. This statue represented his modifier, Prince of the Shining Hope. Lastly, the statue on the right depicted him in his Jigoku no Yoroi. He stood tall, stabbing Rebellion down in front of him, holding the bottom of Rebellion's pommel. Behind him stood the Gates of Hell, which were wide open. This statue represented his modifier, The Wrathful Demonic Emperor. All three statues were much larger than the others. Ichigo could also see statues for each of his Tenryū'ō forms, arranged in a line beside the three main statues.
Ichigo noticed Zealot on her knees, praying in front of the throne. Behind her were about 200 robed figures. Ichigo immediately recognized them as the homunculus maids he had received from the Einzberns. He watched as a robed figure silently approached Zealot. The figure wore black robes held together by a golden clasp. Ichigo recognized the robed figure as Sakuya. Sakuya stood there and silently waited for Zealot to finish her prayer. She stood up effortlessly and turned to the robed figure.
"Zealot-sama, the new acolytes are ready for you," Sakuya said. Zealot nodded.
"Prepare the baptism," Zealot said.
"Yes, Zealot-sama," Sakuya replied and slipped away. Zealot turned back to Ichigo's throne.
"My God, seven more acolytes have decided to devote themselves to your eternal service," Zealot said as seven more people entered the room. They did not wear any robes, allowing Ichigo to immediately recognize them. "Zatanna Zatara, Rachel Roth, Tatsu Yamashiro, Adora, and Galatea," Zealot began. "You came to us seeking knowledge about our Master."
"We have," they all replied.
"And we welcomed both of you with open arms with the condition that you consider our offer to join," Zealot said. "Have you arrived at a decision?"
"We have," they said.
"Then speak, Zatanna Zatara. Speak the truth for His Holiness to hear," Zealot said.
"When I first met His Holiness, I was grateful for his action of sending the villains who had mercilessly killed the innocent to Hell. I was beyond grateful when His Holiness freed Daddy from the Helmet of Fate and restored the damage Fate had done to him. During these months I have spent here, observing everyone who cares for His Holiness, learning from those who go above and beyond to devote themselves to Him, and learning about His Holiness's legendary journey, I decided to devote myself to Him as a way to show my gratitude for His actions."
"His Holiness has heard your words, Zatanna Zatara," Zealot said. "Now then, Rachel Roth. Speak the truth for His Holiness to hear."
"My mother's name is Arella Roth, a human. My father is Trigon, a demon, making me half-human and half-demon," Rachel began. "When my mother was pregnant with me, she escaped from Earth to Azarath, a pocket dimension away from Trigon's influence. The monks of Azarath took care of me and tried their best to suppress Trigon's influence. One day, I lost control of myself, allowing Trigon to usurp control. He used me as a gateway for his powers, which he used to destroy Azarath. By the time I regained control, it was too late. So, I returned to Earth and became a hero under the name Raven to honor what Azarath had done and to mourn the losses my slip in control had caused. I gave up hope of being freed from Trigon until I met His Holiness." Rachel paused for a moment. "His Holiness was able to easily kill Trigon, freeing me from his control and giving me back control of my life. With this newfound control, I decided to dedicate myself to His Holiness to thank Him for freeing me from Trigon and avenging the monks of Azarath."
"His Holiness has heard your words, Rachel Roth," Zealot said. "Now then, Tatsu Yamashiro. Speak the truth for His Holiness to hear."
"My name is Tatsu Yamashiro. I was a mother to two little girls, Reiko and Yuki, and a wife to a wonderful man, Maseo. We lived a happy life until my husband's brother entered our lives… or rather, returned to Maseo's life," Tatsu began. "When we were younger, Maseo was the heir of one of the Yakuza families. Maseo left the family, making Takeo the heir. We moved to the rural village where I came from, married there, and settled down. I don't know how, but Takeo discovered us. He attacked us out of jealousy and greed. He was jealous that Maseo had left the family and that I fell in love with him. He used the Soultaker Sword to butcher Maseo, Reiko, and Yuki, sealing their souls into the sword. I fought back, stole the Soultaker Sword from him, and killed him. His soul was absorbed into the Soultaker Sword. With vengeance and grief in my heart, I sought out the Yakuza. In the end, vengeance was served with the severed head of Maseo's father. Grief remained in my heart as I could sense the trapped souls in the Soultaker Sword. I became a vigilante to seek forgiveness for those souls. I asked those specialized in magic to help free the souls trapped in the Soultaker Sword, but none were able to sense them." Tatsu paused. "This changed when I encountered His Holiness. He could sense the trapped souls and easily freed them. His Holiness allowed me to see Maseo, Reiko, and Yuki one last time before they joined everyone else in the afterlife." Tatsu wiped tears from her eyes. "So, I decided to dedicate the rest of my life to His Holiness."
"His Holiness has heard all the words you have spoken," Zealot said. "Adora, speak the truth for His Holiness to hear."
"I thank His Holiness for freeing me from Mongul and allowing me to live on Terra," She-Ra began. "Ever since Eternia fell to Skeletor, I have never found a place I would call home… until I landed on Terra. It gave me a new will to live, and for that, I thank His Holiness." She-Ra bent down, pulled out a thin dagger from her boot, got on her knees, and raised the dagger towards Ichigo. "As His Holiness knows, this is the Eternal Power Sword, one of the remaining heirlooms of Eternia. I offer this as a tribute to show my dedication to serving Him for the rest of my life." Ichigo nodded to Zealot. She silently walked to She-Ra, took the Eternal Power Sword from her, and handed it to Ichigo. He could feel the enchantment King Randor had placed on the sword, preventing anyone from using it.
"His Holiness has heard your words, Adora," Zealot said. "Now then, Galatea. Speak the truth for His Holiness to hear."
"As His Holiness knows, I was created in a test tube in Cadmus," Galatea began. Ichigo nodded. "My earliest memories are of watching videos of Supergirl fighting. Afterward, they tested my ability to imitate her. When I failed to meet their expectations, I was sent to a room with green kryptonite as punishment. The cycle repeated: wake up, eat, watch Supergirl, test my capabilities. I was nothing but a weapon for them. Eventually, I was strong enough to meet their expectations. The first time I was allowed to leave Cadmus's laboratory was to Metropolis. Cadmus ordered me to lure Supergirl into a trap, and we fought. During the battle, a building collapsed on us. Supergirl escaped while Cadmus rescued me. During that time, I discovered a new feeling… jealousy of her freedom to live her life and have friends. This jealousy drove me further as I recovered in Cadmus. I pushed myself to be stronger, faster, and better than her. Cadmus eventually ordered me and a group of Ultimen to attack the Watchtower. I enjoyed fighting her and showing how much stronger I had become. In the end, I was knocked unconscious by Supergirl and her allies. I remained unconscious until His Holiness woke me. After the battle, Cadmus abandoned me. They didn't bother to heal or wake me. His Holiness healed me and saved me. He arranged for me to get therapy to understand myself, my emotions, and to realize that my future is now mine to shape. So, I decided to dedicate my future to His Holiness."
"His Holiness has heard your words, Galatea," Zealot said as she looked at Ichigo.
"Zatanna Zatara, Rachel Roth, Tatsu Yamashiro, Adora, and Galatea," Ichigo began, looking at them. "I can see there are no lies in your words nor your intentions."
"Once you join us, your mind, body, and soul shall be dedicated to His Holiness. His Holiness's words are the only ones that matter. Do you still wish to eternally serve His Holiness?"
"YES!" they shouted.
"Then stand up and offer your mind, body, and soul to His Holiness." Two robed maids carefully carried a table with a white tablecloth draped over it. They placed the table in front of Zealot. The two robed maids bowed to Ichigo before stepping back. Two other robed maids placed five goblets and five knives on the table, in front of Zatanna, Rachel, Tatsu, She-Ra, and Galatea. Tatsu silently stood up, grabbed the knife with her right hand, and slit her left wrist, allowing the blood to drip into the goblet. Everyone else quickly followed suit. They stopped when the goblets were halfway filled, placed the knives down, and ignored their bleeding wrists as they performed the next part. They took their respective goblets and silently approached Ichigo's throne. They placed the goblets on the first step, got on their knees, and bowed to the throne.
"I, Zatanna Zatara," Zatanna began.
"I, Rachel Roth," Rachel said.
"I, Tatsu Yamashiro," Tatsu began.
"I, Adora," She-Ra began.
"I, Galatea," Galatea began.
"Offer His Holiness a goblet filled with our blood as we prostrate in front of your throne." They said in unison. "We swear our mind, body, and soul to His Holiness to do as He sees fit, for we trust in His Holiness's benevolence." Ichigo's divine energy reacted to their words, causing the goblets to glow white. The blood in the goblets erupted in white flames. Ichigo accepted their offering.
"Zatanna Zatara, Rachel Roth, Tatsu Yamashiro, Adora, and Galatea," Ichigo began, "I have heard your oath and hereby accept it. Now drink what I offer you." Ichigo ordered. The goblets were now filled with a sparkling clear liquid. The five of them nodded, took their goblets, and drank. Their eyes widened as they felt a rush of energy. Old wounds, scars, improperly healed injuries, and internal damages were instantly healed.
"Y-your Holiness, what was that?" Zatanna asked.
"That was a diluted drop of my energy," Ichigo explained as he stood up from his throne. Ichigo mentally read his legend to discover the procedure of the baptism ritual that Zealot had added.
"Hope none of them are pregnant after this," Ichigo thought.
Time Skip: Five Hours Later
Ichigo silently left his throne room, letting out a tired sigh. "I need to have a word with Zealot after this," Ichigo thought. He returned to his room and took a quick shower. Afterward, Ichigo found the room where his shinobi students were. He knocked on the door.
"Come in, Sensei," Hinata replied. Ichigo opened the door to find them all there. He closed the door behind him.
"Hello, everyone," Ichigo said. "I apologize for making all of you wait."
"No need to worry, Sensei," Guren replied.
"While you were busy, Akasha-sama came over and explained the options we have here," Yugito said.
"Oh, have you made your choice yet?" Ichigo asked. They all shook their heads.
"We all wanted to hear your advice," Tenten said.
"Honestly, I don't have a lot to offer, considering I've never experienced being an Adventurer," Ichigo admitted. "But from what I've heard, being an Adventurer is similar to being a Genin Team, where you take missions to earn money and eventually rank up."
"Akasha-sama told us that Yasaka-sama offered to accept us in Taiyō no Kage," Chino said. Ichigo nodded.
"Taiyō no Kage is the equivalent of Anbu or Root," Ichigo added.
"I think I just want to relax some more," Hinata admitted.
"There is nothing wrong with that," Ichigo said. "It's good to take a break, especially considering how chaotic the war was. But do not take too long of a break, or your skills will deteriorate."
"Yes, Sensei," they replied.
"Ichigo, are you done talking with your students?" Akasha asked.
"I am," Ichigo replied.
"Good, we need to talk with you in your office," Akasha said as she cut the peerage connection. Ichigo shunpō'ed to his office. He saw Akasha sitting there, but she wasn't alone. Yasaka, Artoria, Gilgamesh, Tier, Scáthach, Jeanne, Jeanne Alter, Akua, and Hana were also there, waiting for him.
"What's the problem?" Ichigo asked.
"We wanted to let you know that we are announcing the name of our respective girl to the public," Akasha said.
"Considering how highly profiled we are to the world," Artoria added.
"And you want me to be there for all of that?" Ichigo asked.
"Ideally, yes," Yasaka admitted.
"How many more times are you going to leave?" Tier asked.
"Two more times," Ichigo replied.
"How long will you be gone?" Nel asked.
"I'm not sure," Ichigo admitted. "I was in the previous universe for a few years, but only nine months passed here."
"With those factors in mind, we decided in the press release not to mention your name," Gilgamesh said.
"For obvious reasons, we are going to delay the announcement as much as we can so people will not be aware that all of them were born at the same time," Hana said.
"Though I will have the easiest time since I'm supposed to be pregnant for a few more months (3)," Yasaka admitted.
"I'm sorry that all of you have to lie about who the father is and when our daughter was born," Ichigo admitted. "Also, I'm sorry for being a neglectful partner." He knew how neglectful he had been for Elizabeth and Kunou. Now he had a bunch more girls, and with his third universe taking over nine months, he had no idea when he would be back.
"It's not your fault," Akasha replied. Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Ichigo, you still have your Trainer, right?" Jeanne asked.
"I do," Ichigo replied.
"That has a time dilation option on it, right?" Jeanne asked.
"It does," Ichigo replied.
"Then before you go, you should spend a month-long date with everyone in the Trainer," Jeanne suggested.
"That's a good idea," Gilgamesh admitted. All the other women nodded in agreement.
"But we need to decide the order," Jeanne Alter said.
"We will go from highest rank to lowest. Those with the same rank will be randomly selected," Ichigo interjected before they broke into a fight. "To make it fair, Akasha will begin her date in two days, so this gives everyone some time to plan their month out," Ichigo said. Suddenly, everyone left, leaving Ichigo alone in his office. Ichigo chuckled at seeing his lovers act like that. It didn't take long before everyone was aware of what was going on. The rest of his peerage complained that they should be included. Ichigo added them to the list of dates. A few people not in the peerage also expressed interest. Ichigo sighed as he added them to the list of dates. All his dates would begin with a spar against him. Everyone wanted to see how strong they were against him, especially since they could go all out without the risk of permanent death.
"Time to get the next one started," Ichigo thought. He changed his height to 210 cm (6 feet 10.68 inches). He wore an unbuttoned black trench coat over a silver shirt, black pants, a black belt with a silver buckle, and black combat boots.
He summoned the next black stick from his mindscape and broke it. Ichigo suddenly teleported away.
Scene Change: Unknown Location
Three strange men sat around a round wooden table.
The first tall, muscular man with indigo skin, messy black hair, and two pairs of arms. He has a pair of golden eyes. He wore only a pair of baggy golden trousers equipped with a blue sash, showing off his muscular upper body and the blue tattoos on his wrists fingers.
The second man is also muscular with dark-skinned, white hair that slicked style, a white beard with a golden placated goatee, and two pairs of arms. He only wore golden brown golden trousers with a jeweled belt around his waist. His upper body is covered in golden shoulder pads, golden bangles, and golden jewelry.
The third man is also a tall, muscular man. Unlike the other two, he only has one pair of arms. He has a mulatto complexion and messy platinum white hair on his face covering his eyes. Like the other two men, he wore long white trousers with a long orange mini tied in the middle, showing off his upper body. His torso and forearms are covered in a fleshed-out red pattern. He has a cigarette in his mouth.
"Do you think they would come?" The first man asked.
"Shiva, I believe they will come." The second man replied. The second man turned to the third man. "And Indra, must you smoke now?" The third man took a deep breath from his cigarette and crushed the cigarette. He blew the smoke in front of him.
"Happy now Vishnu?" Indra replied. Before Vishnu could reply, a portal appeared in front of them. Three men stepped out of the portal. Shiva snapped his fingers as four chairs appeared. If Ichigo was there, he would have recognized them. The three men sat down, and suddenly a fourth person appeared, taking the last chair.
"Zeus, Jupiter, Odin, and Susanoo." Vishnu greeted them.
"Vishnu, what is it that you want?" Zeus questioned.
"Zeus, relax." Shiva casually said. "We are safe here."
"Indeed. Vidhi and I can tell that 'he' has left our universe again." Vishnu said.
"Our Goddess of Fate are still punished for their acts," Jupiter said.
"I forgot," Vishnu replied.
"So, what is the plan?" Susanoo questioned.
"It's rather simple…" Shiva said as he shared his plan with them.
"That's oddly simple of a plan," Odin admitted.
"From what I've seen from him… if we do that… he will follow." Susanoo said. "Only a few of my subordinates will follow…" Susanoo looked at Zeus and Jupiter. "The same with your respective subordinates?"
"Indeed… Most of our Gods are hesitant to go against 'him' either from a sense of fear or a sense of gratitude." Zeus admitted.
"That's fine then. I have countless Gods and Goddesses under my command that would gladly fight." Indra replied.
"I have a few old friends who retreated there to prevent themselves from fading. If we offer them a place for them to reestablish themselves… no doubt they would join us." Shiva said.
"Then at the same time, I will mobilize our demigod forces," Indra said. He looked at Odin, Jupiter, and Zeus. "No doubt you will do the same with your demigod forces."
"We will do what we can," Zeus said. Jupiter and Odin nodded their heads.
"In that case… let's make a contract," Indra said as he snapped his finger. A piece of paper appeared. The contents of the piece of paper glowed as words began to appear on it. Each of the gods debated with each other regarding the wording of the contract after some time the contract was signed in golden blood by each of the gods there. The contract glowed as seven copies of the contract appeared in front of each god. They took their respective copies. Jupiter and Zeus merged back into one being. Zeus, Odin, and Susanoo stood up and left, leaving Indra and Vishnu quickly left, leaving Shiva alone.
"You can come out now," Shiva said. The light behind him flickered, and two people revealed themselves. One of them was a tall-skinned young man. He has back-length silvery blue hair that becomes darker at the tips, it is styled somewhat messily. He has light blue eyes with a hint of lavender. He wore a pair of glasses. He wore a set of dark blue robes that were purposely left open to reveal his muscular body and black trousers.
The other was a beautiful Asian woman with long black hair. She wore a completely elegant kimono composed of gold, orange, red, and white.
"Hello Brahma and Amaterasu." Shiva said. "What are you two doing here?"
"Shiva… Stop with the jokes. You knew we were here, and you purposely made it harder for them to notice us." Brahma replied. Shiva sighed.
"Yeah… cause I'm simply stacking the deck on both sides." He said.
"I'm sorry Shiva but why?" Amaterasu asked. "Doesn't the Hindu pantheon benefit the most if 'his' forces crumble?"
"Amaterasu, what are my Authorities?" Shiva asked.
"Destruction and Change." She replied. Shiva nodded his head.
"The Hindu pantheon had elected to remain in the general area ever since its founding." Shiva began. "This decision to remain stagnant despite the possibility of change, whether good or bad goes against my Authority."
"You hoped that my replacement would bring change when I step away from the Trimurti," Brahma said.
"Correct," Shiva said. "He was able to make some changes early on, but he lost his followers, causing the flow of belief to return to us."
"You wish for this war to push the changes that you want," Amaterasu said.
"Correct," Shiva said.
"But why tell us?" Amaterasu asked. Shiva chuckled.
"Destruction makes room for Change." He said as he disappeared, leaving Amaterasu and Brahma alone.
"Are you going to tell him?" He asked. Amaterasu sighed.
"I… I don't know." She said as she disappeared. Brahma sighed.
"Shiva… Vishnu… Indra… I hope all of you know what you are doing."
Well, good old-fashioned surprise cameos of other series and forshadowing. Didn't expect that… didn't yah. See everyone next month.
Author's note:
1) Kudō Fujimaru and Kudō Matsuri are both Shinigami from Bleach: The 3rd Phantom video game. Both are supposed to be from the Fifth Division but I moved them to Third Division.
(2) Charle Morningstar is from Hazbin Hotel.
(3) In chapter 24, it was mentioned that Yasaka's pregnancy took longer than a regular human.