Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 20: Shooting Stars
In the icy cityscape, Sereitei, Soul Society
The rain was falling down upon the transformed landscape of the Sereitei and Orihime had used her Santen Kesshun to form a cover where everyone could sit under. But things had been silent ever since the group witnessed Uryu standing at the side Yhwach and Haschwalth. Seeing that had only given them all questions and questions that remained unanswered. Still, the one who seemed mostly broken by Uryu's true loyalties, was Ichigo.
The orange-haired man, wearing his new Shinigami-outfit sat on a rubble and faced the ground with nothing but resentment. Ichigo had incredible difficulties in coming to terms with this. Why, of all the people he knew, would Uryu join the Wandenreich? He had so many questions, but he never got them answered.
"Hey, Ichigo. About your friend, Uryu. Did he ever tell you about his mother?" the young boy thought about the conversation he had with his father back in the Kurosaki Clinic, where he learned about the truth of his mother, Masaki Kurosaki.
His talk with Isshin had revealed to him that Masaki was in fact a Quincy. He also learned about the true reason she died during that rainy day. But there was more, as Masaki was not the only one to have died that day. That also included Uryu's mother: Kanae Katagiri.
"His mother was Kanae Katagiri, a Gemischt Quincy. 9 years ago, on June 17th, she lost consciousness and died 3 months later" the explanation Isshin told him continued to remind Ichigo about how both his and Uryu's mothers died. "It was something called Auswahlen. 9 years ago, Yhwach made a "selection" of Quincies. I've heard that Quincy folklore also tells about a sealed king. According to those folklore, the sealed king of the Quincies would regain his heartbeat after 900 years, regain his intellect after 90 years and regain his power after 9 years. To reclaim his lost strenght, Yhwach stole the power from all the Gemischt Quincies, whom he considered to be impure and made it his own. Because of that night, Kanae, who was already frail, died months later. And Masaki lost her powers in the fight and died" the explanation continued to haunt Ichigo's mind, as he was trying to get a picture of why despite all this, would Uryu still be working for Yhwach.
"Why are you doing this, Uryu? Why the fuck are you on Yhwach's side!? That bastard murdered our mothers!" Ichigo asked inside his head, his feelings conflicted. Young man faced his right hand and gripped it tightly. "His blood may flow in my veins! But I'm still gonna make him pay for what he did to mother!" Ichigo added, as he was determined to fight Yhwach.
Orihime, Tessai and the others knew that it was too difficult for them to start a conversation with Ichigo, especially when he was feeling this bitter. But things were out for a surprising twist, as Chad suddenly approached Ichigo, lifted him up in the air and threw him to a nearby ruined tower, much to everyone's outrage. No one expected the tall man to be doing this kind of thing to his friends, especially Ichigo.
"WHAT THE HELL, CHAD!?" Ichigo asked in outrage after being thrown.
"What are you even doing, Ichigo? You think you're the only one who's at loss for words here!?" Chad asked him loudly, forcing Ichigo to snap in surprise. "We're also shocked that Uryu was there! But worrying about that won't change anything!" Chad went on explaining.
"Well said!" Tessai surprisingly joined in and faced Ichigo with his serious gaze. "We are talking about Uryu Ishida here. If he has chosen to stay on their side, he must have deeply considered about it" the tall Shinigami remarked while adjusting his glasses. Ichigo was listening to what they both were saying.
"But even if that's true, it won't change what we have to do!" Chad pointed out to everyone as they listened. "We're still gonna stop whatever chaos the Wandenreich is up to! They threaten the Human World as well!" the tall man added to his explanation.
After thinking about what both Chad and Tessai had said, Ichigo eventually faced the ground in realization, knowing that both men spoke the truth. "You're both right" he noted and eventually got off the ruined tower. He walked up to his friends. "I can't allow the Wandenreich to do as they please. The Soul Society is not the only one's at stake here. The Human World, Hueco Mundo, they will also suffer should that bastard Yhwach makes his to the Soul King's Palace!" Ichigo said while thinking about what he had learned about the Soul King. "Now about Uryu. He's too stubborn, and we'll never be able to persuade him!" the orange-haired man remarked.
"Exactly!" Chad said in agreement.
"That's why I wanna go after him and ask him the reason! And if that doesn't satisfy me, I'll kick his ass and take him back!" Ichigo made a declaration and began his move.
Both Chad and Tessai smiled when seeing how determined he sounded. "And what if his reasoning makes sense?" Tessai suddenly asked Ichigo, who was still on the move.
"Simple! I'll kick his ass and take him back all the same!" Ichigo responded.
But there was something else drifting inside Ichigo's head, as he thought about his four-eyed friend, something he did not wish to share with the others. The orange-haired man gritted his teeth in anger while thinking about this.
"Uryu, I don't care what your agenda is. But whatever you do, stay the hell out of the fight between me and Yhwach! He and I have some unfinished business!" Ichigo thought, really hoping that Uryu would not interfere between them.
"That sounds reasonable" Chad noted when he heard what Ichigo had said in response to Tessai's question.
"Indeed, it does!" Orihime said, smiling by seeing how Ichigo's spirits had been lifted.
But Jinta was dumbfounded. "What the hell did I just witness?" the red-haired teen wondered while seeing how quickly Ichigo was one person here and one person there. However, he grinned. "Meh, not that it really matters. He's still the same carrot top. I like that" Jinta said.
"Whoa, looks like I was a bit too late to the party" a familiar voice could be heard and it was Urahara, standing on the rubbles with an umbrella. He gazed upon the area before fixing his cunning smile on Ichigo and the rest. "Anyways, I'm glad to see you all again. Especially you, Ichigo" he said to him.
"Urahara…." Ichigo said in surprise, as Tessai, Jinta and Ururu approached their leader and reunited with him. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he was joined by Orihime and Chad.
The blonde-haired ex-Shinigami fixed his cunning glance upon Ichigo. "What I'm doing here? That's a good question" he remarked in a humorous manner before fixing a more serious glance. "Anyways, shall I get each of you a ticket to the Royal Realm? It might take some time though" Urahara suddenly asked, making sure that Ichigo wanted this.
"Please do" Ichigo immediately responded. "I cannot waste more time here" he said before facing the ground. "Yhwach is more cunning than I thought. Can't believed I allowed myself to be fooled again" he admitted to those around him.
"True. But there's no need to despair just yet. He still has to contend with the Royal Guard. They will make sure that no one gets passage to the Soul King's Palace so easily" Urahara encouraged him. "Now then, shall we head to the Department of Research and Development? It is there where the "tickets" lie" he then told him, making Ichigo nod his head in return.
The group of friends then followed Urahara, realizing that he was probably the only one who knew how to get back to the Royal Realm.
On the other hand, the wind that had appeared throughout the Sereitei had sent the Shinigamis to various locations and Renji and Rukia found themselves covered by boulders. But with the help of Hihiou, Renji managed to pull those things away.
"You okay, Rukia?" Renji asked while moving away the boulder.
"Yes" Rukia replied.
"That shockwave was huge. We all got separated. Hell, I don't sense Captain Kuchiki's Spiritual Pressure or anyone else nearby anymore" the red-haired lieutenant said and began eyeing Rukia. "And by the way, did you notice that particular Spiritual Pressure?" he asked her.
Rukia nodded her head. "Yes…it looks like it wasn't just my impression" she replied before thinking about the one whose Spirtual Pressure belonged to. "Why…Uryu?" she asked lowly, wanting to know why he was with the Wandenreich all of a sudden.
As the two lieutenants got out of the boulders, a voice interrupted them. "What's this? You two used to be friends with Uryu Ishida? Ah, I see!" it came from the Sternritter: Bazz-B, who floated in the air. "You guys are angry that your friend changed sides, aren'tcha? Well, we're angry at him too. If you want him dead, I'll be more than happy to kill him for ya!" he exclaimed, sounding quite frank.
"What did you just say?" Rukia asked while gazing up at him.
But Bazz-B was in for a surprise, as Renji attacked him using Hihiou, but the Sternritter avoided it and faced Renji, who only glanced at him dispassionately.
"Quit bullshitting us, chicken head! As you say, we're angry at Uryu for siding with the enemy without saying anything. But we don't need your help iwith beating him up" Renji explained, while Rukia only glanced at his behavior.
"Tell me something, are you angry now?" Rukia quizzed her fellow lieutenant.
But something was happening with Bazz-B. "Chicken head?" he said lowly while scratching his chin. "Are you fucking referring to…MY STYLISH MOHAWK!?" the Quincy angrily asked out loud, the veins inside his head showing themselves.
Renji found amusement in this. "Yeah. Getting pissed, chicken? You get up early to lay eggs, isn't that nice?" he kept insulting Bazz-B, who was still fuming with anger.
"So, you're that kind of guy, huh!? I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Bazz-B declared and pointed his hand towards Renji. "You have such cool eyebrows, so I thought you had some taste in fashion! But I guess I was wrong!" he explained, much to Renji's shock and realization, who couldn't believe what he heard.
"You…you think my eyebrows are cool!?" he asked in disbelief, not expecting his eyebrows to be complimented by the enemy.
Rukia only sighed in annoyance. "I hope you're happy" she said.
Renji could see the anger on Bazz-B, so he tried to ease his anger.
"Wait! You have a great personality and…" Renji was interrupted by Bazz-B once again.
"TOO LATE FOR THAT, ASSWIPE!" he yelled back and suddenly readied a new kind of attack. "BURNER FINGER 4!" he yelled while firing a blade composed of fire.
It caused a loud explosion and shook the entire cityscape. But once the smoke cleared, Bazz-B was stunned to see that Rukia had managed to user her Zanpakutou to form a pillar of ice. She and Rukia were hiding behind it, but the pillar melted quickly. However, the two lieutenants had taken some damage from Bazz-B's attack, as it was indeed destructive.
"Dayum! You've really fucked dis place up!" a familiar voice came to Bazz-B, as the Sternritter: NaNaNa Najakhoop, stood there with his hands in his pockets. "Ain't wise to blow off de entire hood to pieces, Bazz-B. Just sayin'" NaNaNa added with an advice to his fellow Sternritter.
But the punkish Sternritter scoffed and did not acknowledge his presence. "Piss off, NaNaNa! I've got no time to be lectured by you!" he told him.
When Renji got a look of who Bazz-B was talking to, his jaw almost dropped on the boulders. "Oh no! Not you again!" he angrily exclaimed at the sight of NaNaNa. "Have you been stalking me!?" he added, much to Rukia's confusion.
"What are you talking about?" she wondered, not getting why Renji resented NaNaNa that much.
NaNaNa poked one of his ears while listening to this. "Bruh. You sayin' dat I'm stalking you and shit? Hell naw! I just happened to be here after dat shockwave and when I woke up, I saw dis big-ass explosion and here I am" the Sternritter explained the whole story.
Bazz-B was finding NaNaNa to be tiresome and faced both Renji and Rukia. "Please kill him for me. Seriously, he won't be missed" the Sternritter with the Mohawk basically said while pointing his thumb at the scrawny Quincy.
"Now there's something we can agree on" Renji noted with a smirk before brandishing his Zanpakutou. "But even so, I don't give a rat's ass about what you Sternritters think of each other. You bastards murdered hundreds of us in the previous invasion, including those of Squad 6. And as it's lieutenant, I don't intend on letting those members' deaths go unpunished! I'll make you pay for them!" he declared.
NaNaNa glanced at him with little enthusiasm, which was obvious judging by his frown. "You still on to dat, dawg?" he asked before readying his fighting stance. "Fine by me! Let's see if dat homie beside you is more of a challenge. I hope he has a cooler Zanpakutou" he said to them both.
Rukia snapped in outrage at hearing what the Quincy just said, while Renji only dropped a sweat. The Lieutenant of Squad 13 felt very insulted by that statement and she pointed her Zanpakutou at him. "Why did you call me a homie? I'm a woman!" she angrily exclaimed.
Hearing this caused NaNaNa to gawk at her. "Woah…you're a woman?" he asked. Eventually, NaNaNa fell onto the ground, laughing his ass off, much to Bazz-B's utter confusion. Renji and Rukia were also surprised by seeing this. Why was he laughing? "You a woman!? Shit! I mean, you ain't got jugs, gurl!" he exclaimed while continuing laughing.
"Seriously! You never realized back there that she was a girl?" Bazz-B wondered. "I knew that the moment I laid my eyes upon her, let alone heard her voice" he added, still not getting what his fellow Sternritter's deal was.
Renji was about to calm down Rukia, but stopped as he could see how she was fuming with anger over hearing NaNaNa's rude remarks about her appearance and body type. It only encouraged Renji not to touch her.
"I AM A WOMAN! CAN'T YOU SEE MY BOOBS!?" she angrily yelled at him, much to Renji's utter disbelief.
"Rukia…...chill out" he said lowly, but realized that she was not listening.
NaNaNa got up, trying to catch his breath. "Naw, gurl. Dat ain't jugs! And you ain't no woman" he simply told her while fixing his black and white grin. "A REAL woman's gotta have it all! Jugs dat bounce, a phat booty, lips dat sucks the rod and hips dat don't lie! Dat's what a REAL woman is, not some stoopid-ass tramp like you!" he then explained his own definition of what a woman looked like.
Renji was flatly dumbfounded. "What the hell did he just say!? Can't believe I'm saying this, but this guy's even worse than Kon" he thought while hearing all this talk. "If that guy was near either Orihime or Rangiku then who knows what he would've done to them" he added to his thoughts about the women who were known to have voluptuous bodies.
"So unless you have any of those…...you're nothin' but a ugly-ass….." NaNaNa was interrupted by an angry voice of Rukia.
"DANCE! SODE NO SHIRAYUKI!" she angrily activated her Shikai and began dancing with her Zanpakutou. "SOME NO MAI, TSUKISHIRO!" the young woman exclaimed and the area around her began freezing, with NaNaNa being caught while Bazz-B managed to escape.
"So, that chick's an ice user too, huh?" the man with the Mohawk remarked after seeing the pillar of ice. A cocky grin formed on his face. "Hell yeah! I'm gonna enjoy this!" he exclaimed and prepared one of his attacks. "BURNING FINGER 2!" he exclaimed while swinging a ring of fire at the ice.
In the Royal Realm, high above the Sereitei, Soul Society
The Vestibule Road was destroyed by an immense burst of Spiritual Pressure that had appeared with the arrival of Yhwach and his trusted associates in the Wandenreich. Even now, panic amongst the upper citizens spread across the five floating cities. However, the only ones who did not show fear in their eyes, were the proud members of Squad 0, also known as the Royal Guard. They along with the military forces would rush to the frontline and prevent the invaders from reaching the Soul King's Palace, which was without a doubt their destination.
"So here we are" Yhwach uttered out words as he, Haschwalth and Uryu were making their way towards the floating pillar-like building in the air. "The Soul King's Palace, lying right before our eyes" he remarked while proceeding moving.
Haschwalth, seeing how empty his liege behaved, decided to speak to see if Yhwach was alright.
"I understand your feelings, Your Majesty" Haschwalth suddenly spoke up, forcing Yhwach to stop.
"What do you mean by that, Haschwalth?" the emperor asked his second-in-command. "Looking at a rotten gravestone does not make me feel the slightest emotion. The only closest emotion I can come up with...is shame" he went on explaining.
The blonde-haired man bowed his head in shame. "Right. I beg your pardon" he apologized.
"Now, let the attack commence. Summon the Soldats" Yhwach ordered and Haschwalth responded without hesitation.
A shadow began enveloping from Haschwalth's hand and it formed into a five-pointed star. Out from it, a band of the Wandenreich's foot-soldiers known as the Soldats emerged and landed beside their leaders. Without delay, they ran towards the stairway that lead them to the Soul King's Palace.
But something had begun attacking the Soldats and fended them off with ease and it was in the form of an ore. Someone appear and it was without a doubt, one of the members of the Royal Guard.
"Not so fast! Do you chumps even know where you are!?" Tenjiro Kirinji asked while flashing his unique hairstyle for them to see while having a toothpick in his mouth. "You're in the Royal Realm. And one of it's important rules are this: no passage to uninvited visitors" he told them in a serious manner before readying his fighting stance.
So far, Yhwach and his associates had not given any reaction to him. It only encouraged Kirinji to introduce himself.
"I'm First Officer of Squad 0: Tenjiro Kirinji, Divine General of the East" he introduced himself and faced his opponent. "And by my duty as a member of the Royal Guard, I suggest that you turn around and leave before I make you. Your band of Reishi-loving heretics shall not defile this sacred place!" Kirinji continued with his boasting.
Yhwach was finding him to be amusing. "And you suppose that someone like you can stop me!?" he demanded, while taunting Kirinji at the same time.
Kirinji only spun his Zanpakutou before ceasing it. "I wouldn't have come here if I didn't think so!" he basically replied and before everyone knew it, water began attacking the Soldats that were stationed around Yhwach.
But it was not just regular water, it was hot water! It began boiling the Soldats intensively and they exploded one, by one.
"So, what do you think? Is my water hot enough for you?" he began asking the invaders while the water spun around him. "This hot water is my own special creation! It can squeeze blood and Spiritual Pressure out of any people! If it's too hot, then just deal with it! Because I'm not gonna make it cooler anytime soon!" he said while Yhwach and his associates were trapped in the water.
Yhwach studied Kirinji for a moment. "Tenjiro Kirinji. I never expected your devilish demeanor to wear off in all these ages. You were after all...the Captain of Squad 4 during the Court Guard's First Generation" the emperor recalled back to the times when Kirinji was known to be a different kind of man. "It is ironic how you came to be known as a healer. Back then, the infamous Hot Spring Demon used his waters to boil friends and foes alive till they begged for the sweet release of death. I must know whether it still rings true to this day" Yhwach noted as he studied his enemy.
Kirinji jumped in the air and he activated his own Shikai by only removing the tip of his ore. It eventually revealed the blade and it shined brightly. "Flash from Illuminating Heavens...Kinpika!" the man activated his Shikai and it shined brightly.
But as Kirinji was aiming his attack at Yhwach, the emperor formed a smirk underneath his moustache. "Heh, you are as predictable as you were back then, Kirinji" he commented at what he was seeing.
Outside the Rukon District, Soul Society
While conflict raged behind the walls of the Sereitei, the surrounding districts barley paid attention to what was happening. But many of the Souls living in the area could feel the atmosphere taking place, and it made them feel unsafe. But what many had noted was the fact that none of the gatekeepers stood at their posts.
In the forests of the Soul Society, things seemed much more peaceful than it did in the Sereitei. The local wildlife, which usually consisted of deer, boars and other types of animals, did what they did in this serene landscape. But it was also at this place where a Garganta suddenly appeared, scaring the animals away. But instead of Hollows, four Dechados and members of Sombre exited, walking into this place surrounded by woods. They were Pieddot Picasso, Lyoness Mahlangu, Arlettine Bracquemond and Uvaanog Chelute. These four Dechados had been tasked with doing some spying in these parts of the Soul Society. And of course, they would be staying in the forests, as they did not want to attract attention from normal Souls.
"We have arrived in the Soul Society" Pieddot noted while looking up to the skies, which he could see along with the treetops. "I can smell smoke and fire in the air. It probably comes from the Sereitei" the Arrancar in burlap mask added to his explanation.
Lyoness was suddenly sniffing the grass and he licked his lips with satisfaction. "I bet the boars and deer here tastes good" he remarked, wanting to go on a hunt.
"This is no time for eating, Lyoness" the stern voice came from Uvaanog, who crossed his arms at what his comrade was doing. "Remember your duty as a Dechado. You cannot prioritize your own needs" the Arrancar with the moose-skull added.
Arlettine was amused. "Wise words, Uvaanog" the purple-haired woman noted and faced Lyoness with a smirk. "Better control the beast within you, my feral friend" she advised him.
The man with the reddish-brown mane only growled like a lion when hearing this. "Careful what you wish for, birdbrain" he sneered and faced Uvaanog with a similar expression. "And who the hell are you to judge me on how to behave? You are nothing but a passive fool without any…" before Lyoness could continue, he was interrupted by the voice of Pieddot.
"Silence! Remember, we must not attract unwanted attention from anybody" the imperial researcher reminded them and they all zipped their mouths as Pieddot reached for something in the chest he had brought with him. "Ah, here we have it. This will help us get a better view of this situation" the Dechado said, as he held a telescope made out of bones.
"Should we move to another location?" Arlettine asked while looking around. "This place does not look like an ideal place to set up camp" she added to her suggestion.
Pieddot nodded at her. "Of course, we shall. But do not forget, it is important that we all stay out of the open fields. A terrifying battle is currently taking place in the Sereitei, and His Highness has strictly told us to not go near it. We will let the Shinigamis deal with the Quincies" he explained to them carefully.
The three Dechados knew better than to argue againt Pieddot's intelligence, so they trusted his wisdom. But as they began walking in the forests, they stopped as they could feel that someone was watching them. It turned out to be true, as there was somebody standing by a tree, right now.
"Well, this is a rare sight. Arrancars in the Soul Society" the cunning female voice came from Kukaku Shiba, who casually stood there smoking her pipe.
She was dressed in her white robe, fixing her eyes on the four "visitors". But Kukaku was not alone, as the young woman was having someone standing beside her. It was a young black-skinned boy, who looked awfully similar to Yoruichi, only that he was smaller and had his black hair tied into a ponytail.
"But then again, I don't suppose you're here to fight Quincies, right?" Kukaku then asked them with humor in her voice.
The Dechados looked at her dispassionatley and were on the verge on moving against her, although they did not show some restraint.
"Mind your tongue, woman" Uvaanog told her sternly.
"Who are you and how did you find out about our location? Are you a spy from the 13 Court Guard Squads?" Arlettine demanded an answer.
Kukaku only shrugged her shoulders. "Easy there, Dechado. I'm not with the Sereitei, and never have been. My loyalties and allegiances are my own" the black-haired woman insisted to them while puffing out some smoke from her pipe. "However, being a dweller in this peaceful part of the Soul Society makes me wonder why four Dechados from the Imperio de Hierro would be skulking around these woods. Surley you guys have a motive, right?" she then added cunningly.
The four Arrancars snapped by hearing this. "How in the world does a mere Soul like you know about our titles and our empire!?" Arlettine wondered in disbelief.
All of a sudden, Pieddot chuckles in amusement in hearing Kukaku's words. The man with the burlap mask turned around to get a glimpse of the two people who were standing behind them. He took a few steps forward.
"You are quite knowledgeable for being a mere resident of the Rukon District. And judging from the symbol on your outfit, I assume you hail from the Shiba clan, do you not?" Pieddot asked her. "I noticed that one of the Soul Society's "observes" who were with Kisuke Urahara was wearing similar symbols on his pants" he added to his explanation.
Kukaku whistled in amazement. "Wow, you caught me there. It is as you say. I am from the Shiba clan. You may call me Kukaku Shiba" the woman introduced herself and was then reminded about something. "Speaking of which, how did you know about the symbol…..of course…Ganju" she thought about her younger brother who had been to El Dorado, in part due to her.
"I am Paragon Pieddot Picasso, imperial researcher to His Highness" the Dechado said in return before noticing the young boy's presence, who widened in surprise at being glanced like this. "That boy…..he reminds me of Yoruichi Shihoin" he then remarked.
Suddenly, the young boy gasped by hearing that name being mentioned. "What? You have seen my big sister!? Tell me where she is, Arrancar scum!" he demanded from Pieddot while glaring at him. He even went far as to stand in his fighting stance. "I swear, if you have so much as touched my big sister, I'm gonna…OUCH!" he suddenly had his head banged by Kukaku.
"For crying out loud, kid! Didn't Yoruichi ever tell you to pick your fights wisely?" Kukaku asked him in an annoying manner. But she then noticed the Dechados staring. "Oh, yeah. This little boy here is the current head of the Shihoin clan: Yushiro Shihoin. Can come across as an idiot, but his skills are impressive" she went on introducing the boy to the Arrancars.
For some reason, Lyoness felt himself getting interested in tasting these two strangers, and his mouth began to water inside. "You two look interesting, based upon what I am hearing from you" he remarked while taking note of Kukaku's voluptuous body. "Especially you, woman. I bet you taste fresh" he then told her while licking his lips.
Kukaku raised an eyebrow, while Yushiro felt himself slightly uncomfortable by hearing what Lyoness just said. Nevertheless, the black-haired woman stared at him with courage. "Listen, you overgrown kitten. Talk like that to me again, and I'm gonna make sure that you will get an ass-whooping from me personally" she sternly told him.
Both Arlettine and Uvaanog chuckled by hearing what she just said, and Lyoness felt anger boil inside of him. His eyes were focused on Kukaku alone. Yet surprisingly, he couldn't help but to grin.
"You're quite the feisty one, aren't you? Oh, this only makes me want to taste you more…AAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHHHHHH!" Lyoness was suddenly electrified by a poke from Pieddot's claw. This made the Arrancar fall on his stomach.
Pieddot sighed in annoyance by seeing the Dechado on the ground. "He still has some maturing to do" he noted in his thoughts before facing the two other Dechados. "Uvaanog, please carry Lyoness for a while. He will wake up soon. Arlettine, you may carry the chest while I take the telescope" the researcher told them and they obliged without hesitation.
The Arrancar in the burlap mask then nodded at Kukaku and Yushiro, trying to make sure that he and his comrades were no danger to the pair.
"I have good news for you. By the order of His Highness, we are to do some scouting in these woods. That being said, I assure you that we have no intention of harming any Souls while we are here. That I swear as a member of the Dechados. But if you wish to follow us, you're more than welcome to. Until we meet again, denizens of the Soul Society" Pieddot told them before departing with his fellow Dechados.
As they watched the four Arrancars wander further into the deep forests, Kukaku turned around to walk away. "Come Yushiro. We can rest easy since these guys are not gonna harm us" the woman told him, yet Yushiro was not convinced.
"But how do you suppose that they will keep their word?" the young boy asked her with curiosity.
Kukaku smiled smugly at him in return. "These Arrancars are neither interested in the affairs of the Shinigamis nor the Quincies. They already have a nation to protect" she told him, then facing forward. "While I'm definitely an enemy of the Wandenreich, I don't consider myself that much of a supporter of the 13 Court Guard Squads either, even though I had a brother who held it in high regard" she admitted to the young boy while thinking about her brother Kaien Shiba.
Yushiro only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, before facing forward, indicating that he had other things on his mind right now. "Well, I guess that could be said the same about me, even though I am the current head of one of the Four Great Noble Families. But being that was something I never expected to become" the young boy admitted to Kukaku.
"Maybe we're not so different after all" the woman noted in amusement. "Now let's head back to the Shiba mansion. We'll continue where we left off" Kukaku told him and they headed for that direction.
Inside the basement of the Department of Research and Development, Sereitei
The moment Ichigo and his friends entered the basement of the Squad 12 Barracks, they were surprised to see a tall cannon, which was similar to the one standing outside the Shiba mansion. Right now, Ichigo and his friends were standing outside, eyeing it up and down. They were indeed impressed by its size.
"You built a cannon identical to Kukaku's in the basement of the Squad 12 Barracks?" Ichigo asked Urahra, who was working on some data.
The laid-back Shinigami was more than happy to respond to his question. "This was actually built by Captain Kurotsuchi, who predicted that something would happen due to Squad 0's visit of the Sereitei and the Court Guard's visit of the Royal Realm. When I joined in, it was almost finished" the blonde-haired man revealed to the trio of friends.
Hearing this caused Ichigo to form a smirk in return. "Heh, well that's amazing. I thought he was just a crazy lunatic" he remarked.
"Nah, Kurotsuchi is a genius. But I still surpass him, though" Urahara pointed out before looking at the cannon. "That said, this cannon is not a complete copy. The Shiba clan's cannon is built with their secret technology. And that is not so easy to replicate. In fact, this cannon breaks with only one shot" he went on explaining.
Ichigo and his friend were dumbfounded by what they heard and the orange-haired man only lowered his head in anger and grumbled. "One shot…really?" he asked with open disappointment. He then watched the cannon with narrowed eyes.
"You three can just enter the cannon now, but don't move too much while you're inside. I will be careful to not make a mistake once" Urahara told them while working on his computer. But he could notice how Ichigo was still behind him waiting for something. As Orihime and Chad had entered the cannon, Ichigo faced Urahara with a somewhat neutral glance on his face. "Oh, something the matter, Ichigo?" Urahara asked while turning around.
Sighing deeply, Ichigo spoke up. "Listen, my dad told me the whole story. About how he met my mother...as well as you" he spoke up lowly, his voice filled with emotion. Urahara widened in surprise, yet did not open his mouth to speak. He simply let Ichigo do the talking. "I know that my mother was not just a Quincy, but that she also was on the verge of dying because of a Hollow inside her. So before I go, I just wanna say thank you…...for what you did back then" the orange-haired man said, graciously bowing his head before Urahara.
While surprised at seeing this, Urahara soon formed a smile with his own mouth. "Oh no, Ichigo. I couldn't have done it without your dad. He was willing to sacrifice his position as a captain and a Shinigami, all for the sake of saving Masaki. That is something I admire him for" he insisted in return before putting a hand on his shoulder, as Ichigo had raised up his head. "But hey, I appreciate your gratitude. I can only imagine that learning about all this must've been hard for you" he replied, forcing Ichigo to form a slight smile in return.
Suddenly, the sound of the lab door opened and in came Vice-President Akon. "Hey, Kisuke. Your important guest has arrived. She says that they've finished the job" the researcher told him.
"Splendid! I'll be there in a minute!" Urahara said before facing Ichigo. "You go inside the cannon and take your seat, Ichigo. I just need to take care of something first" he told the orange-haired man while following Akon through the door.
Hearing this made Ichigo walk towards the cannon, looking up while entering it. "Well, this piece of shit better not fail" he remarked in his thoughts angrily, as he knew that it maybe was not likely that they would make it to the Royal Realm. Once the Substitute Shinigami took his seat, he was surprised by seeing both Ururu and Jinta sitting there along with Chad and Orihime. "What the.…...you're coming with us?" he asked them in a surprised manner.
Jinta was leaning against the wall while resting his hands behind his neck, while Ururu simply waved at him in a friendly manner.
"Of course, we are! I'm not gonna stay here and watch the boss tap on his computers all day and night!" the red-haired teen said in return, his kanabo at his side. He then fixed a mischievous grin while thinking about something. "If I'm gonna get closer to Yuzu, then I better get closer to her family. I'll start with carrot top. Their dad's just a dumbass while Karin's annoying" he thought about a plan for getting to know Yuzu's family better.
"Hey, Ichigo" the orange-haired man looked at Chad, who smiled while holding a tint of his new clothes. "I like your new look. What do you think about my new outfit?" he said while commenting Ichigo's new look.
Ichigo smiled slightly. "Thanks, Chad. I could say the same about your outfit" he said while returning the favor.
"What about mine?" Ururu suddenly spoke up and revealed her ballerina-like dress.
The young man nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Yours is…...creative, Ururu" he told her before looking at Jinta's. "Least it looks cooler than Jinta's" he then said.
Hearing this only made Jinta grumble with anger and he looked at another direction, pretending he was not listening to what was being said about his clothes.
"Butthole…" he thought, unable to say that word to Ichigo personally.
"What about my new outfit?" Ichigo snapped when hearing Orihime ask him nicely. He turned to look at the young woman. Orihime smiled as her face met Ichigo's, as she still had a crush on him, although Ichigo had never noticed it himself. "Well? Isn't it pretty?" she asked while giggling slightly.
Ichigo did in fact survey Orihime's new outfit. Even though Yoruichi and Rangiku had attempted to tease him with their feminine charms in the past, Orihime had never done such. Therefore, Ichigo never felt sexually aroused whenever she was near him. This was someone he had known since they were kids. There was no way he could ever feel such sexual attraction towards Orihime, despite admittedly finding her beautiful.
"What I think, you ask?" Ichigo asked lowly, not sure about how to respond. But something hit in his head. "Well, to be honest, I do think you're showing a bit too much" he replied.
Instead of feeling embarrassed, Orihime immediately fixed an offended look on her face. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" she asked him while crossing her arms.
"Nothing…" Ichigo quickly replied. "It's just that your outfit is showing much of your breasts and hips, almost as if you're a stripper or a prostitute" he said, much to the outrage of Orihime.
Chad and the two teenagers watched this with uneasiness, as Orihime suddenly stood up on her feet and faced Ichigo with an offended glance. In fact, the orange-haired woman swatted her hand at Ichigo's left cheek, leaving an imprint of her handmark on it.
"OUCH! HEY, WHAT THE HELL'S YOUR PROBLEM, ORIHIME!?" Ichigo demanded while rubbing his sore cheek.
"You ask what my problem is!? How dare you!? You just said that this outfit makes me look like a stripper or a prostitute! Do I really look like any of those to you!?" the young woman surprisingly berated Ichigo, who was stunned while hearing this. Orihime eventually sat down. "You could've at least said "it looks good on you" or something like that! But then again, it was Urahara who made it, so maybe I was just deceived!" she said, sounding angry.
Orihime then took her seat and didn't bother to look at Ichigo.
Chad and the teenagers were completley stunned to see what Orihime had just done, and could see that Ichigo was responding by simply giving her the cold shoulder in return. In fact, Chad began regretting ever taking up the subject, wondering if that would've prevented this from happening. But then again, Ichigo had said some very inappropriate words that Orihime had interpreted as offensive and disgusting. Normally, she would've never done something as outrageous as to slap someone's cheek. But she had grown and matured, and was no longer the naïve lady she used to be.
"Tch, I don't get what her business is!" Ichigo noted in his thoughts while taking a brief glance at Orihime, who seemed to be facing the wall beside her. This made Ichigo think about how this really happened. He sighed deeply. "I was confused, and I didn't know what to say. But I'll admit, saying such words to someone so sweet as Orihime is inexcusable. Come on, we've been friends since childhood and have been through so many things together" he added to his thoughts, and decided to take a decision.
Chad and the two teenagers watched as Ichigo slowly moved towards Orihime's seat. It was apparent that the young woman was sad on the inside, considering that Ichigo had hurt her feelings when he said the clothes made her look like a prostitute or a stripper. Taking a deep breath, Ichigo gently put a hand on Orihime's right shoulder and she immediately faced him with surprise.
"Orihime…...I'm sorry for saying those words about your outfit. It was completley disrespectful of me. I sincerely regret it" Ichigo spoke from the bottom of his heart as Orihime listened closely. "I'm sorry. And just to be clear, that outfit really looks good on you, that it does" the orange-haired man apologized while complimenting her outfit.
Having known Ichigo for so many years, Orihime knew that he spoke the bottom of his heart. In fact, the orange-haired woman embraced him in a tight hug and Ichigo gladly returned it. Chad and the others watched with smiles as the two friends hugged to get over this unpredictable episode.
Once they were finished, Orihime fixed a somewhat shameful look on her face. "I'm so sorry for slapping you, Ichigo. I lost control and I got so angry when you said those words. I shouldn't have slapped you" she admitted before getting an idea and smiled. "Here! Let me make it up to you by using Santen Ke…." Orihime stopped when Ichigo simply put his hands on hers and shook his head.
"It's okay, Orihime. It was nothing compared to what I have felt before" Ichigo told her. "Besides, I pretty much deserved it" he sarcastically remarked, causing him, Orihime and the others to laugh.
"Oh, I'm almost crying!" everyone in the cannon saw Urahara standing in the hole, covering his mouth with his hand fan.
Everyone in the cannon stared at him, not saying a word. The silence lasted only four seconds, when Ichigo finally spoke up. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked the blonde-haired man.
Urahara removed his hand fan and smiled sadly. "I become so touched whenever two friends get back on friendly terms with one another! It makes my heart melt with…..." Urahara suddenly got a foot into his face by Ichigo, and this sent him flying, eventually crashing into the wall.
All the others watched as Ichigo returned to his seat and crossed his arms in dispassion of what Urahara had just done. "You're really starting to get annoying" he said towards Urahara.
"Tch, tell me about it" Jinta joined in, starting to actually like Ichigo for once.
But as Urahara got up, he saw that Yoruichi had entered the basement and was heading towards Ichigo and the rest in the cannon. Ichigo also saw her and was surprised by her appearance. "Yoruichi…you're here?" he asked.
The purple-haired woman smiled smugly in return. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Ichigo?" she said while shrugging off her cloak. "I hope that you're still as battle-tested as ever" she added.
"Pfft…showoff" Ichigo noted in his head while glancing at her.
"I'm so glad you're here, Yoruichi!" Urahara exclaimed while smiling at her. "Now did you get the examples like I asked you to?" he asked and Yoruichi suddenly moved her cloak to reveal many small bottles that hung around the cloak on the inside. "Nice, just what I needed" Urahara responded smugly while picking up the small bottles.
"What are those?" Ichigo asked while noticing the small bottles.
"I asked Yoruichi to investigate the distortions created by the Quincies between the Human World and the Soul Society. I first believed that they created that distortion to confuse the Soul Society and separate their battle power" Urahara explained to Ichigo and his friends. "But when Yoruichi did her investigation, she found out that a great amount of energy was created in the instant the distortion was created or vanished. In other words, a quantity of moving energy large enough to connect two worlds" he revealed while Ichigo and the others listened closely. "And after that, at the request of Captain Hirako, Yoruichi joined Hiyori Sarugaki and the Vizards in collecting the energy in case it was necessary. But enough of that. Shall we start?" Urahara turned around to face those in the cannons.
The team was ready and Yoruichi took her place inside the cannon. They were ready to blast off into the sky. However, before Urahara could continue, somebody had already entered the basement. Ichigo and his friends were also surprised to see who it was.
Yoruichi smirked by seeing this. "So, you finally made up your mind, huh?" she remarked as standing before the cannon in a new outfit, was Tessai. But the tall man wasn't wearing any ordinary outfit. This was his outfit during his time as Captain of the Kido Corps. He held his staff in his right hand.
Urahara turned around and smiled at what he was seeing. "I'm happy to see you wearing that outfit once again, my friend. It sure brings back old memories" the blonde-haired shop owner told him.
Tessai just nodded his head in return. "Thank you, boss. Now it is time for me to go" he said and walked up into the cannon, much to the surprise of the others, except for Yoruichi. "I have been stuck in the shop for far too long. It is time that I return to the frontlines and fulfil my duty as the former Captain of the Kido Corps. Therefore, I shall accompany you to the Royal Realm" the tall man told everyone.
Jinta snapped in outrage over seeing this. "Are you kidding me!?" he asked inside his head. "Why the hell must he come along with us!?" the red-haired teen added to his thoughts.
But Tessai fixed his stern glance at Jinta, who snapped in fear. "Is there something you wish to say to me, Jinta?" he asked him strictly, causing the teenager to simply shook his head as a no. Tessai smirked. "I thought so" he remarked before sitting down.
"Hey! Are you folks leaving without even invite me to the party!?" a loud voice came from behind the lab doors and in came, to everyone's surprise, Ganju Shiba, riding on his trusty boar: Bonnie. The long-haired man faced everyone with his usual grin. "Don't tell me that you're planning on leaving good ol' Ganju behind!" he exclaimed while jumping off Bonnie.
Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise when seeing Ganju standing there. "Ganju…...how…I mean..." the orange-haired man was stunned at seeing him.
But Ganju only glared back at him. "Hey! What's that look supposed to mean!? Aren't ya happy that I've decided to show up!?" Ganju asked while throwing his arms in the air.
"It's not that…I just….." Ichigo was suddenly interrupted by Ganju pointing his finger at him.
"Oh, I get it! You're saying that I'm not gonna be useful to you, is that it!?" he angrily asked and suddenly reached for something underneath his clothes. He then showed Ichigo and the group a map for him to see. "Well suck on this, dandelion-head! 'Cause I got a map on the road to the Royal Realm, including the 72 barriers that you need to pass through. How's that for not being useful!?" he asked out loud.
Ichigo was getting tired of hearing this bicker and decided to get serious for once. "Listen, Ganju. I don't doubt that you will be of good use to us" Ichigo spoke up, thus silencing Ganju. "But are you willing to follow us into the battle? This will be a fight that none of us may be able to walk away from alive, just so you know" he wanted to make sure if Ganju was serious about this.
Surprisingly, the long-haired man fixed a serious expression and stopped acting so brash. "You think I don't know that?" Ganju asked lowly before clenching his fists tightly. "I AM AWARE OF IT ALL, BUT I WON'T BE RUNNING AWAY THIS TIME! I'VE BEEN THROUGH MANY TRIALS BEFORE AND THIS MAY BE THE HARDEST I'LL EVER FACE, SO I'LL BE DAMNED IF I PUSS OUT AFTER ALL THAT!" he exclaimed out loud. He then calmed himself and fixed a smug smile. "But then again, I'm not doing this just to satisfy my own ego. You still need someone who can watch over your stubborn ass and I happen to be the right man for the job" Ganju added, fixing a slight smile while facing Ichigo.
Even though the orange-haired man was stunned and surprised when hearing Ganju's words. He soon formed a slight smile on his face. "You know. Those were just the words I wanted to hear from you" he admitted to Ganju and then made a gesture with his thumb. "Now get your ass in here. We'll be blasting off soon" he told Ganju who did as he said.
Urahara smiled when seeing this and made preparations for the cannon to fire. "Alright! Now that you're all inside, I will make the preparations. Now before I do the countdown, let me just say this to all of you" Urahara told them and faced them with his cunning smile. "Whatever you do up there, don't die on us. If you do, we will all chase you in the afterlife!" Urahara jokingly said before launching the countdown, as well as opening the roof above them.
Ichigo faced up towards the skies, knowing well who he would face. He gritted his teeth slightly. "I'll be there…Yhwach! I'll be there and make you pay for what you did to my mother….and my family!" he thought as he faced upwards.
"5…4…3…..2…1…LAUNCH OFF!" Urahara said and the entire cannon began launching itself in the air, almost like a rocket or a spaceship.
Everyone inside was surprised by how they were flying like this, instead of relying on the Reishukaku. This only explained why it could only be shot only once.
To be continued…..
Author's note: That was chapter 20. Now about Ichigo's personality. Instead of saying that he intends to stop Yhwach for the sake of the Soul Society, he has a grudge against him for the death of his mother. He also angrily resents Uryu for choosing to side with Yhwach. Also, I made some changes for certain scenes, including the one about Orihime's outfit. I didn't want it to be as comedic and wanted to let Ichigo get introduced to her new independent personality. I also added Tessai, Jinta and Ururu to Ichigo's group, because I wouldn't let them be sidelined to do nothing. I added NaNaNa to Bazz-B's confrontation with Rukia and Renji, because he's funny. In the next chapter, I may want tell us about how the Human World is doing, and actually let some of the Arrancars we have been introduced to get a new perspective of Humanity, among them Augustus Zod Allowin. But I will explain how the battle in the Royal Realm is folding, and may tell you something about those happening in Sereitei as well.