Author's note: This chapter will be the beginning of Ichigo's fight against Yhwach, although we will first see what the Shinigamis are up to. Uryu will also have a brief scene in this chapter as well. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 48: Son of Darkness
Inside the towering palace of Silbern, Wahrwelt, the Royal Realm, Soul Society
The soldiers of the 13 Court Guard Squads had entered the enormous palace called Silbern and sought to find a way to Yhwach's throne room. After running up a stairway, the Shinigamis had arrive at a hall which almost seemed like some kind of labyrinth. They couldn't even see an exit.
However, the situation got only more complicated once the Shinigamis were confronted by the Sternritter: Gerard Valkyrie, the one who had presumably died when Kenpachi had slashed him with his Bankai. The member of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel had reverted back to his normal size. He was more than pleased to see how the Shinigamis had found their way to him. As a matter of fact, he decided to unleash his "Godly" powers.
Gerard activated his Quincy: Vollständig and displayed this new form called Aschetonig for everyone to see. The Shinigamis were not only stunned by his new form, but also the level of Spiritual Pressure that could be felt from him. It was not like the previous time they fought him outside the palace. The Quincy then proceeded to reveal something to his enemies. He told them about the fact he was more than just a Sternritter. He was also the Soul King's Heart. At the same time, Gerard dared the Shinigamis to come at him.
"What in the hell is this annoying dude rambling about?" Kenpachi asked out loud while brandishing his Zanpakutou: Nozarashi. "The Soul King's Heart, you say? More like the Soul King's Ass!" the aggressive captain insulted Gerard, trying to play words with him.
Despite getting annoyed, Gerard didn't seem pay much heed to this insult. He was surprisingly acting calmer than before. When he was in his "Godly" size, Gerard would often let his aggressiveness get the best of him. But now that he had activated his Quincy: Vollständig, things seemed very different about him. The Shinigamis could see that based upon his power.
"His Spiritual Pressure…..it has only increased since the last time we fought him" Rukia told her friends, taking note of the Quincy's power.
"No kidding! And not only that, he's beginning to sound like a smartass. God, I hate those types!" Hiyori spoke, the young girl still holding a low opinion of Gerard.
"Now this is a rather odd surprise" the voice came from Mayuri Kurotsuchi as he observed Gerard's new form. "But honestly, is this man really what he claims to be? Is he indeed the Soul King's Heart? I find that notion rather preposterous" the scientist said as he observed the enemy.
Shinji only shrugged his shoulders in hearing this. "Well, didn't you, Zaraki and the others encounter the Soul King's Left Hand before regrouping with us?" he quizzed him.
"Yes, but that is because each of these beings are easy to identify. Furthermore, there absolutely exists no evidence of a certain Soul King's Heart ever roaming the Soul Society. All that I know of are the Left Hand Susuhame, and the Right Hand Mimihagi" Mayuri pointed out to his fellow captain. "However, I think I see where that Quincy gets his regeneration abilities from. He is without question no ordinary Quincy" he continued with the analysis.
"Whatever that bastard is, he sure isn't the same cocky guy as he used to be when we fought him outside" Renji spoke up while resting Zabimaru on his right shoulder. "Something's odd about him, I just know it" he added warily.
"Then we best not take him lightly" Byakuya spoke up. "Seeing as he survived Zaraki's cut, it means he has only emerged more powerful than ever. I suppose that his speed has also increased as well" the black-haired man added, feeling how more powerful the Quincy had grown.
Mayuri was still pondering over whether to take Gerard's words seriously or not. However, the Captain of Squad 12 began recalling what he had learned during his youth, especially from his late teacher Bansui Amatsuki.
"Could you be right, Bansui-sensei? Were there other body parts of the Soul King being removed? Honestly, this is getting too much for my head" Mayuri added, still remembering what he had learned.
Gerard, who grew tired of waiting for the Shinigamis to come at him, decided to make them take things seriously. As such, he used Hirenkiyaku to vanish in the blink of an eye.
"I grow tired of you underestimating me. So allow me to demonstrate my powers!" Gerard spoke up, as he vanished. The Shinigamis were too slow to react. Gerard first appeared before the Kudo-twins and used his powers to actually send them flying towards each direction in the hall. Matsuri and Fujimaru were each too slow to even come up with a defense, let alone avoid Gerard's push.
"What the hell!?" Shinji blurted out as he saw what the Quincy was doing to his subordinates.
"MATSURI! FUJIMARU!" Momo cried as she watched her comrades being sent flying to different directions.
Marechiyo had already activated his Shikai and he angrily slammed Gegetsuburi right on Gerard's face, which was covered by this Norse-like Reishi Helmet. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY! EAT THIS, SUCKER!" he yelled as he did that. To the round man's utter shock, the attack didn't so much as scratch Gerard. "AH FUCK ME IN THE ASS!" Marechiyo cursed over this.
Gerard only grinned. "Was that supposed to harm me? How laughable. To me, your spiked ball was nothing but a nuisance" he badmouthed the Lieutenant of Squad 2's weapon but the Quincy didn't stop there. "And I kindly advise you to let go of that arrogant attitude of yours. There is no way you could ever hope to defeat a Godly knight such as myself" Gerard continued with trying to ruin the Shinigami's spirit with words.
Marechiyo couldn't stand having his weapon, as well as his characteristics, being insulted. "You smug-headed bastard…" he first muttered lowly. In his anger, he swung Gegetsuburi once again. "NOBODY TALKS TO ME LIKE THAT! I'LL SHUT YOU UP FOR GOOD!" he yelled as he aimed for Gerard's exposed torso.
But while Gerard was standing there, he had taken notice of Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hiyori charging towards him. Seeing this gave Gerard a perfect idea. Before the spiked ball could even hit the Quincy's torso, he grabbed it with his left hand, not even injuring himself. Marechiyo became pale when seeing this, yet Gerard smirked and looked at the attacking Shinigamis.
"You're dead meat, monster!" Ikkaku yelled as he decided to use an ability with his Shikai. "Split Apart, Hozukimaru!" he then exclaimed as his weapon was separated into different sections.
"Let's get him while Omaeda is keeping him occupied!" Yumichika told his friends as he held onto his Zanpakutou. "Bloom, Fuji Kujaku!" activated his Shikai.
"Time for payback, arrogant jackass!" Hiyori yelled, the little Vizard having just activated her Hollowfication.
Gerard chuckled. "Here! You mongrels can have this instead!" the Sternritter exclaimed as he suddenly threw the spiked ball like it was some kind of a paddleball. As such, the three Shinigamis were taken by it. Marechiyo was too stupid to even realize what had just happened, yet he screamed once he saw his comrades being hit.
"GAAAAAHHH! I'M SO SORRY!" the fat man apologized in desperation while running towards the three in order to help them up. However, he was stunned when he could feel his left hip getting slashed by Gerard's Spirit Weapon. It was quite a slash and the Lieutenant of Squad 2 were forced down to his left knee. "AAAHHHH! MY FUCKING HIP!" he yelled as he watched the Quincy taking pleasure in injuring him. Marechiyo desperately tried to hold onto the bleeding.
"Hah! You shouldn't have taken your eyes off me! That only left yourself wide open, not to mention the fact how round that body of yours is!" Gerard mocked the chubby man before almost starting to laugh.
But the Sternritter was interrupted by someone shooting fireballs at him. However, these didn't even hurt him. Gerard looked over his shoulder to see Momo standing not far behind him, having just activated her Shikai: Tobiume. The Sternritter laughed.
"You call that an attack? It didn't even so much as tickle me. I almost feel guilty for laughing at your attempt, little girl" Gerard told the Lieutenant of Squad 5.
Despite hearing this, Momo remained firm. "I'm not afraid of you, Quincy! You hurt my friends! I won't stand for such outrage!" she snapped, feeling surprisingly brave in face of this powerful enemy. Using her Shikai ability, Momo prepared another round of fireball for her enemy. "This time, I won't hold anything back with my fireball! You'll feel its full heat!" she said in a determined manner.
Gerard turned around and even motioned for Momo to launch the fireball at him. "Go ahead then, child. Take your best shot! I dare you!" he encouraged her to fire it at its fullest.
Momo couldn't stand hearing the cockiness coming from Gerard, so she let her short fuse explode and did as he requested. "SHUT UP!" she yelled and proceeded to launch the fireball. It was bigger than the last one she had fired on him.
Even so, Gerard didn't do anything to move, since he was waiting for something to happen.
While Gerard was observing the fireball coming right at him, Lisa Yadomaru was charging towards the Sternritter from behind with her Zanpakutou: Haguro Tonbo. She was planning on impaling Gerard from behind. However, she didn't know that Momo had actually lost her cool and fired this fireball. All went according to Gerard's plan.
In the minute before it could hit him, Gerard swiftly vanished from his spot, thus making Momo gasp in disbelief. And because of Lisa being too focused on impaling Gerard, she was too slow to react and make an escape. Therefore, she was caught in the fireball, much to Momo's utter shock.
"OH NO! YADOMARU!" Momo was filled with guilt, yet she also took notice of Gerard diving towards her from above, eventually getting hit by his shield. With his Reishi Wings, Gerard flew quite fast, so Momo didn't have time to use Shunpo in order to avoid the attack. The young girl was sent rolling onto the floor, as the hit she took was quite hard for her.
Gerard landed on his feet, grinning sadistically while seeing the lieutenant on the floor. "Foolish brat! You think that I would waste time on the likes of you!? You're barely even a warm-up!" he said and while laughing.
However, the Quincy used his shield against an incoming beam of ice straight towards him. This was due to Rukia using Tsugi no mai, Hakuren, a technique of her Zanpakutou. Once it was done, Gerard could see that his shield had indeed been frozen.
"Hmmm, clever move. I better watch myself while fighting you, Rukia Kuchiki" Gerard complimented his enemy. When he banged the shield on the floor, the ice broke. "Still, you need to improve your skills if you hope to freeze my shield completely" he added with a taunt directed towards the young woman.
Rukia glanced at him coldly in return. "For your information, I don't accept feedback from enemies! Get that through your helmet!" she said as she was joined by Renji, Byakuya, Shinji and the rest of the gang of Shinigamis. "Next time, I shall fire my ability below absolute zero! Then we'll see who laughs last!" she added to her determination.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura" Byakuya activated his Shikai and the many blades of cherry blossom began coming to his side. "We will not hold back on you. Because this time, there will be no mercy" the Captain of Squad 6 told him sternly.
But as the group of Shinigamis felt ready to confront him, they were surprised when they could see something happen with the tip of Gerard's Spirit Weapon. It was as if he was loading something.
The Sternritter was feeling confident in himself. "Throw all the insults and taunts you want. They won't help you with besting me! Now then, allow me to show you what Hoffnung can do while in my Aschetonig!" he declared as energies of Reishi began gathering above the tip. It became clear to the Shinigamis that he was indeed planning an attack on them. "NOW, FEEL THE WRATH OF HOFFNUNG'S ENERGY BLAST! TODESSTOß!" he exclaimed and proceeded to fire this blast straight from the tip of the blade itself.
The group of Shinigamis were all stunned at how fast it was and they were too slow to make an escape. Therefore, the beam hit their location. It was quite a blast and that area became bombed as a result. Smoke erupted amidst the explosion and it damaged some of the interiors in the hall. Even so, none of that mattered to Gerard, as he was enjoying himself with the intruders.
"Hah! How's that for a taste of justice? I bet you all may want to start reconsider underestimating me, now would you?" Gerard told them, yet his eyes snapped once he could see something. "What in the name of…how is this even possible!?" he demanded as he could see that the group of Shinigamis was currently protected by a Kido-spell. It was the Ryūbi no Jōmon, used by none other than Hachigen Ushoda.
This gigantic shield had been made just in time before the blast hit them. It had given the Shinigamis an opportunity to save themselves from being blasted into oblivion. However, Hachi had put a lot of effort into performing this Kido-spell quickly. Therefore, he was slowly feeling his energy being drained till it was empty.
"Sheesh, that was a close call. Way to go, Hachi. Once again, you saved your asses" Shinji complimented his fellow Vizard.
Hachi stopped panting and looked at Shinji and the other Shinigamis he was with. "Then try not to waste breath with compliments. Try figuring out a way to beat this Quincy instead!" he told him while trying to compose himself.
"He's right. It's about time we got serious here" Renji agreed with this sentiment. He then looked at the barrier, where he knew Gerard was somewhere behind it. "That arrogant twit! He singlehandedly toyed with Momo and the others like it was nothing. I for one won't fall for the same trap" the Lieutenant of Squad 6 assured those around him.
"A wise suggestion, but how exactly are you planning on fighting him, Abarai?" Mayuri questioned him sternly. "Outspoken words and harsh language aren't strategy" he pointed out to Renji.
Renji only scowled in hearing Mayrui berate him like this. "Man, you really know how to make people hate you, Kurotsuchi" he told the captain, although Mayuri didn't seem interested in listening to him anymore.
"Let us not waste more breath on this foolishness. Ushoda is right. It is best that we figure out a way to defeat this Quincy before he takes advantage of….." as Byakuya was trying to get the Shinigamis into coming up with a plan, he and the others were stunned once they could hear the giant barrier crack into half. And thus, it was broken. The Shinigamis quickly turned around to face the enemy.
Through the dusts that appeared, Gerard's laughter could be heard loud and clear. "Don't tell me that you honestly thought this trick was immune to my Hoffnung!" Gerard said as he suddenly showed himself for the entire group, the dusts vanishing due to him using his Reishi Wings. "Measly worms! My blade can cut through anything that is of deceit and trickery! Do not forget that I'm a knight of truth and justice!" the Sternritter reminded his enemies of who he was.
Kenpachi was growing agitated over Gerard's overconfidence. "Justice this, justice that, blah, blah, blah! Can't you shut up for a goddamn second!? You're annoying as hell!" Kenpachi said as he readied his blade. "Anyway, how about we go another round of fighting? This time, I won't let anything interrupt us!" the Captain of Squad 11 challenged the Sternritter to a duel once again.
Gerard only frowned deeply while seeing this. "Why should I? At this rate, its more preferable if I simply take each of you out all at the same time. His Majesty doesn't like uninvited guests" he told Kenpachi while the other Shinigamis listened as well. "But let me tell you something, Shinigamis. I don't think you realized it, but so far…...I haven't even used the Miracle against any of you while in my Aschetonig!" he then revealed to them smugly.
The Shinigamis were stunned, but they weren't surprised as well. It was true. Gerard hadn't been using his Schrift. He had simply relied on his own personal strength and tactics while in his Quincy: Vollständig.
"What is it you are implying here?" Hachi questioned the Sternritter warily. But the kind-hearted Vizard was in for a shock once he realized that someone was right behind him. And that "someone" was indeed Gerard. "WHAT!? BUT HOW…" Hachi was too slow to react, as he got himself pierced by Gerard's blade.
"Hmph, you were too slow to figure it out, buffoon. You only have yourself to blame for being negligent" Gerard scolded his opponent he was just stabbing. He eventually pulled out his Spirit Weapon and watched as Hachi struggled in holding himself together. A musing smirk crept across Gerard's lips. "I see, you only rely on this "Kido" instead of carrying a weapon. A foolish choice in coming here, I must say" he went on critizing the man he had just stabbed.
"HACHI!" Shinji yelled as he could see the tall man trying to hold onto his injury.
Gerard was still observing Hachi struggling, until he could hear someone charging at him from behind. The Quincy grinned, as Love was preparing to attack him with both his Hollowfication and his Zanpakutou: Tengumaru.
"Another one makes a daring attempt to attack me? How quaint" Gerard remarked and proceeded to ready himself for this incoming attack. "Very well then, show me what you got!" he taunted the Vizard.
Love was still going at him in his fullest. But underneath his Hollow-mask lied a cunning smile. This only meant he had something planned. "Heh! You may but be all strong, but you sure as hell are filled with openings!" the laid-back man said before he surprised the Quincy by vanishing with the help of Shunpo.
Gerard's eyes widened. "WHAT!? WHERE DID YOU…" the blonde-haired man quickly looked behind him and could see Hachi still standing there, but not as weak as he was before.
"Roppō Fūjin!" Hachi exclaimed and he performed another Kido-spell.
Before Gerard knew it, he found himself trapped in 3-dimensional, horizontal and vertical cross-shaped green barrier forms. But as Hachi was trying to hold him inside, Isane and Hanataro were healing his critical injury. The Vizard was sweating intensively as he struggled to shut the Quincy inside.
"I have you now!" he said while panting between his words.
Gerard felt himself getting angry once he knew what predicament he had gotten himself into. Love had never intended on actually attacking him. He was only trying to distract Gerard from Hachi. That only made it possible for Hachi to perform this spell on him. Thinking about all this only invigorated Gerard, as he felt somewhat humiliated.
"The nerve! To think these pests managed to catch me! A foolish mistake on my part" Gerard quietly lamented to himself as he watched his captors surround him.
Kenpachi only grinned by seeing Gerard being held inside the barrier. "Finally, he's inside a cage! That outta shut him up for good" he expressed his delight in seeing the Quincy being trapped.
"It is too early to celebrate" Byakuya calmly spoke up his mind. He then looked to Hachi. "How strong is this barrier?" he questioned the Vizard.
Mayuri had to glance at his fellow captain in slight disbelief in hearing this. "You must be joking. Why would you even ask about this Kido-spell's efficiency? From my standpoint, I seriously doubt that this will be enough to contain him. Surely, you understand that as well" the scientist pointed out.
Byakuya didn't pay heed to him, yet Renji was getting annoyed of Mayrui's constant badmouthing. "Is that so? Then how about you contribute to this battle, Urahara 2.0. Help us with finding a way to take down this oaf" the Lieutenant of Squad 6 berated the captain.
"Shut your trap, Abarai! As for your request, I am actually trying to be helpful here, yet you and the others insist on…." Mayuri's verbal assault on Renji took an end once he and the other Shinigamis could hear something crack. To everyone's shock (except for Mayuri's), Hachi's barrier was slowly disintegrating.
"NO! THE BARRIER!" Hachi exclaimed out of frustration.
"IT'S CRACKING!" Rukia blurted out, yet she could see that Gerard was doing nothing, not even swinging his Spirit Weapon. "But how in the world is he able to break it without so much as moving a muscle!?" she wondered, still taking notice of Gerard standing still inside the slightly weakened barrier.
As soon as the barrier was gone, the Shinigamis could feel the enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure coming from Gerard. It was unbelievable, considering that the Quincy had freed himself by only relying on his power. Furthermore, some of the hall's interior were also affected by Gerard unleashing this power burst of his. The blonde-haired man simply laughed at his enemies.
"Imbeciles! Did you honestly think that some mere spell would be powerful enough to imprison the likes of me? A fatal mistake on your part!" Gerard exclaimed as he stood his guard against the intruders. "No matter. It's time I humbled you intruders by giving you the most gracious welcome, as well as a ticket to your demises!" he went on taunting his opponents.
In an open area at the upper reaches of Silbern
Having just experienced a difficult encounter with his former friend Uryu Ishida, Ichigo and his friends proceeded upwards to the palace's heights. With tough luck, they would reach Yhwach's throne room in no time. But they needed to be hasty, as they could feel other sources of Spiritual Pressure throughout the palace. They were not just that of Quincies, but Shinigamis as well. Even so, there was no time to waste. The day was almost there, which only meant that Yhwach would soon awaken from his sleep.
Having run up some stairways, the group found themselves running in an open area, almost like a courtyard. The area was covered with tall statues who carried spears, as well as pillars and fountains. At the end of the way, lied an open doorway. Two statues also stood by this doorway, likely for decoration. But unlike the others, these statues closely resembled real-life griffins from fables.
Looking upwards, the group could see the top of the palace, including its roof. This only confirmed the fact that they were almost at the top of Silbern, where the throne room was likely to be located.
Eyeing both sides, Ichigo and his friends made sure not to walk into any traps as they had done earlier. Given the fact that they were almost at the top, resistance was to be expected, either from hiding or out in the open. Nevertheless, they treaded with caution.
"Be on your guard for any Quincies lurking around here. If we can't sense their Spiritual Pressures, it is likely due to them disguising it" Ichigo informed his friends while clutching onto his weapons.
"I sense nothing so far" Tessai said as he tried to search around the statues and the pillars for any spies.
"Me neither" Nelliel spoke up. "Personally, I don't think there are any assassins in this area" the female Arrancar told her friends what she thought was the situation.
"For real?" Jinta quizzed both Tessai and Nelliel. "Well, we are like, almost at the top of the palace. Doesn't it strike it to you as weird in how little security there is around here?" the red-haired teen went on pressing them for answers.
"Ya know, the kid's got a point" Ganju spoke up as he looked up to the statues. "And there's something different about this place. All these tall statues…..we didn't see anyone at the place where Uryu confronted us" he noted as he observed the statues.
Each of these statues looked the same, wearing covers on their heads while carrying spears. But they were many, whereas the doorway had only two griffin statues standing by each side. In a way, this scene resembled that of a leader's welcome, when soldiers and other fighters in service would stand in lines while receiving the leader. But could the same thing be said for a place with statues? The group of friends were curious to know the answer.
"At any rate. I feel that we're almost at the top" Chad said as he gazed out to view the scenery. "But where did the others go? Aren't the enemy aware of their palace being invaded?" the tall man asked as he began observing the view.
"I can ask the same thing" Orihime remarked before turning her attention to Ichigo. "So what's next, Ichigo? Do we proceed as planned?" she asked him.
The orange-haired man weakly nodded his head as a yes before slowly taking stepds towards the opened doorway. "Yeah. We all know what's at stake here. There's no turning back" the Substitute Shinigami spoke, yet he looked over his shoulder to face his friends. "And before we go, let me be clear with you guys on one thing. I appreciate how all of you have contributed greatly to this trip. But I'm afraid that I must ask each and everyone of you to stay out of my fight against Yhwach" he suddenly revealed to his friends.
Ichigo's friends were astounded to hear what the young man just told them. They wanted to know why he was requesting this from them.
"You don't want us to interfere in the fight?" Chad quietly asked Ichigo.
"In other words, you want to battle Yhwach alone" Orihime stammered in disbelief.
"But why, Ichigo? How can you come up with such a ludicrous strategy!? Yhwach is unlike anyone you have ever encountered before!" Tessai pointed out to him.
"I know that. But this isn't about me wanting to figure out his weakness or anything" Ichigo firmly told him, an aura of seriousness brewing inside of him. "Yhwach is more than just an enemy. He's taken something very precious away from me and my family. I don't intend for that to slip by" he went on explaining the reason for his hatred towards Yhwach.
Ganju crossed his arms while huffing at him. "There you go again. Always willing to act like the hero and take all the credits to yourself! I swear, don't you ever get tired of that!?" he complained.
"Yeah! I knew you were always a hothead and stuff, but I never realized how much of a douche you've grown over the years!" Jinta joined in on the verbal assault.
Ichigo felt more agitated and angry in seeing this. "You don't get it! This has nothing to do with me wanting an opponent to myself, let alone defend the Soul Society!" he yelled before he took a deep breath to compose himself. Somehow, Ichigo regretted what he just did. "I'm sorry….I didn't mean to get mad at you guys. The truth of the matter is…...I don't wanna lose any of you. You're all my friends. Therefore, I won't let Yhwach away more lives of those I care about" the orange-haired man spoke up, the formerly stern expression on his face now softening.
His friends were stunned to see this kind of Ichigo. Why was he suddenly acting this way, considering that he had just gotten into a fight with Uryu? Perhaps this was the reason he was behaving this way.
"Ichigo….." Nelliel spoke up, still mumbling with words. "Are you having second thoughts about confronting Uryu?" the Arrancar asked him, wanting to know what the young man was thinking about.
Ichigo's expression remained unchanged, despite the fact that he faced the ground with resentment.
"We all feel the same way towards Uryu. And truth be told, his actions are very difficult to forgive. I don't even know whether I can" Orihime told everyone before facing Ichigo. Surprisingly, she was facing him with rather determined eyes. "Now about your request, Ichigo. I appreciate your concern for us. We all do. But can you look at each and every one of us in the eyes and promise you will defeat Yhwach?" the orange-haired woman questioned him.
Ichigo was rather surprised to hear someone like Orihime ask him about this. He was too slow to realize it, but Orihime had grown. No longer was she the naïve woman and classmate back in Karakura Town. A part of Ichigo understood why, because he knew how Orihime lost her older brother Sora.
After much consideration, Ichigo formed a slight smile at his friends. This surprised them all, given that his eyes seemed more friendly and relaxed than usual. The Substitute Shinigami faced each of his friends, as if he wanted to give them some parting words.
"Orihime, thank you for believing in me. I promise I won't let you down. Chad, thank you for being able to befriend you. I'm proud to be your friend. Nelliel, thank you for all the good times you have given me. They are unforgettable. Tessai, thank you for advices. Give Yoruichi and Urahara my regards. Ganju, thank you for showing me creative ideas. I guess you really are my cousin. Ururu, thank you for becoming a dependable friend. Keep it up. And Jinta, thank you for all the wisecracking quotes. I think you're worthy of dating Yuzu" Ichigo began thanking each of his friends, commending their abilities in friendship.
Each of them was stunned to hear those words coming out of Ichigo's mouth, considering how rarely he expressed gratitude in a manner such as this. But Ichigo was not yet finished with his words.
"And to each of you. Thank you for everything" the orange-haired man said before he did the unthinkable. He vanished into thin air with the help of his Shunpo. His friends were stunned, as they were too slow to even react to this sudden action.
"Wha…where did he go?" Orihime gasped as she couldn't see Ichigo anywhere in the area they were in.
"Hard to say, but I think he just took off without even telling us where he was going" Ururu said, the teenage girl also looking for Ichigo.
Both Ganju and Jinta angrily gritted their teeth. "That sniveling dandelion! How could he tell us these words and just vanish without saying anything! He's got some balls doing that on use who've risked our lives coming to this damn place!" Ganju spat, feeling sour over this.
"Yeah…what a jackass!" Jinta blurted out in agreement.
But the teenager soon realized something. Had Ichigo really said it? Did he in fact say that Jinta was welcome to ask Yuzu out? The impulsive boy's expression softened.
"Ichigo…...how…...where you aware of my feelings towards Yuzu? I don't understand…" his mind was conflicted, trying his best find the answer.
"That boy…..." Tessai reflected on what Ichigo had told them. "Is he really serious about it? Does he intend on killing Yhwach?" the tall Shinigami had to admit that he was unsure about Ichigo's motivation.
"As difficult it is for us to accept that Ichigo has left us behind, I could hear the honesty in his words" Nelliel remarked while facing the floor with a somewhat sad smile. The Dechado was blushing, yet she didn't realize it herself. "Perhaps he really does care about us after all. He wanted us to not get in his way, because he didn't wanna lose us. Boy, Ichigo sure is amazing sometimes" the sea green-haired woman admitted.
Both Orihime and Chad took a few steps forward, observing the opened doorway in which Ichigo had likely entered. Each of them realized that Ichigo was shielding something from them, but what? Still, they too understood how frank he had been with them just now.
"I know that you don't want us to interfere, Ichigo. But as your friend, I can't let you carry all the burden by yourself" Chad said lowly as he began taking steps towards the doorway. "Therefore, I'll head over there and help you! No matter how many times you refuse!" the tall man proceeded to run as fast as he could.
Orihime was surprised by seeing her friend on the move. But as she was about to do that as well, she paused once she could notice something moving towards Chad from the left. The young woman quickly opened her mouth to warn him.
"CHAD! WATCH OUT!" she cried.
Chad was confused at first, yet he could see a giant spear headed towards him. It caught him completely by surprise and without even thinking, Chad activated his Brazo Derecha de Gigante and formed a shield. This protected him from whoever the attacker was. The Fullbringer was stunned to realize that his attacker was one of the statues in the area.
"What the hell is this!?" Chad asked while trying to push against the giant tip of the spear.
"ORIHIME! TO YOUR RIGHT!" Nelliel yelled as she could see something headed straight for the orange-haired woman.
Fortunately, Orihime was quick-witted and activated her Santen Kesshun before the incoming spear could pierce her body. A wall of shield was erected to her right. She was also stunned to see another statue come to life.
"My God…..the statues….." Ganju spoke up as he and the others realized that more of the statues began moving, eventually blocking their only passageway. "The statues…...are coming to life! They're literally coming to life!" he exclaimed out in disbelief.
Chad and Orihime regrouped with the others as the giant statues began surrounding them all, their long spears pointed at them. But not only were they the problem. Looking up, the group of friends were stunned to see that the griffin statues were now flying in the air circling around them. In a way, they felt themselves at an impasse.
"There's also flying statues!? Crap!" Jinta cursed beneath his breath.
But Ururu aimed her missile launcher upwards and fired a few rockets. She intended to fire on the griffin statues. In the meantime, Ganju used some of his Shiba-fireworks to do the same thing. Unfortunately, the griffins quickly evaded their attacks.
"Damn it! Those beasts avoided my fireworks!" Ganju spat while getting slightly distressed.
"Maybe we shouldn't focus on them! Perhaps these statues are what we should concentrate on instead" Ururu remarked as she and Ganju could see Chad, Nelliel and the others already starting to deal with the tall statues trying to surround them.
Chad used his strength and Fullbring to land a hole in one of the statues. Given that he had trained since the last time he fought, Chad was now capable of standing his ground against these gigantic constructs. The tall man watched to see the other statues preparing to attack him.
"Which one of you wants to go next?" Chad said, as a means of taunting them, although he was uncertain about whether these statues even understood him.
Nelliel used her Zanpakutou and incredible skills to deal with the enemies. So far, everything was good. She also felt somewhat confident in herself as she avoided and traded blows with the statues.
"I won't even need my Resurrección with taking these things down. They're easy!" she told her comrades before using Sonido to avoid getting swapped by another statue.
Tessai used his extraordinary talents in Kido when dealing with the attackers. As a matter of fact, three of them were headed towards him. Despite this, the tall man was not backing down from this fight. Tessai aimed his right palm at the statues.
"HADO 33: SOKATSUI!" he exclaimed as a torrent of blue energy was fired towards the statues. With an advanced spell such as this, Tessai was certain to have destroyed these constructs.
Jinta and Ururu were surprised to see how despite not carrying a Zanpakutou, Tessai was more than capable enough to handle enemies on his own. Truth be told, this was the first time they had seen him in combat. But they were not alone. Orihime and Chad were equally surprised.
"I never imagined that Tessai was that talented in Kido" Chad remarked lowly before taking notice of more statues coming towards them. "Damn! These things sure are persistent! Obviusly they intend on blocking us from pursuing Ichigo" the tall man said.
"That's true. But you forget something, Chad" Orihime told her friend, causing Chad to raise eyebrows. Once again, the young woman looked very determined. "Ichigo is currently facing off against Yhwach and he didn't wish for us to interfere. But we got bigger problems to face with these statues. You see what I mean?" she questioned him.
While confused at first, Chad soon understood what the orange-haired woman was trying to say. "Yeah. If we are to ever become dependable to Ichigo, then we need to prove him that we're worthy. How can we ever fight beside him if we can't even defeat these statues?" Chad remarked as the rest of the group soon gathered at their side.
"Then let's prove Ichigo wrong. We'll show him that we'll not lose!" Orihime encouraged everyone.
Nelliel smiled. "Right! I'm ready" she said while brandishing her Zanpakutou.
Tessai mused to himself and his smile could be seen underneath his moustache. "Then let us make our stand here! No walking constructs will block our path!" he said.
"Hell yeah! I'm game!" Ganju expressed so much enthusiasm while cracking his knuckles.
Jinta readied his kanabo while daring his enemies to come at them. "Come on, you giant pieces of crap! I'm gonna send you all to the junkyard!" the teenage boy exclaimed.
Ururu aimed her missile launcher at any target, the teenage girl having possessing some fire within her. "Don't take all the opponents to yourself, Jinta. I also want some of the glory" she told him, only for Jinta to shrug it off as if he didn't care.
The group of friends were prepared, as the statues would now resume their assault on them. They would prove to Ichigo how they could also be of great help to him. Hopefully, they would reach the throne room in time to help Ichigo not succumb to his anger. But was that even possible? Only time would tell.
Outside giant doors, Silbern
Having used all his speed to run away from his friends, Ichigo now stood outside the doors, which was without a doubt, lead to the throne room. He had to walk up a stairway in order to reach them. The Substitute Shinigami had to admit he was surprised over the lack of security in these corridors, given how Yhwach was behind these doors. But that was not on the young man's mind right now.
A part of him felt guilty over leaving his friends in the courtyard. Admittedly, it seemed selfish. But deep down, Ichigo felt as if he had to do this. He didn't want to lose any more friends or loved ones to Yhwach. After coming so far, Ichigo would not let that happen again. Yhwach would pay for what he had done to his family.
"Forgive me, everyone. But I must do this….for my family!" Ichigo lowly said and proceeded upwards the giant doors.
Ichigo was prepared for any battle, even for assassins in the throne room. But to his surprise and relief, he sensed no assassins. He could only feel one powerful Spiritual Pressure from the other side.
"Even now, I can feel his power behind these doors. I know he's there! And I'm sure as hell certain about him knowing of my arrival" Ichigo thought as he pushed the doors to each side so that it opened.
Entering the throne room, the orange-haired man could see Yhwach sitting on his throne all by himself. There was no one else in here but him. Ichigo couldn't see anyone standing on the nearby balcony or even behind the throne itself. At this rate, it was just the two of them in the throne room, which only suited the atmosphere well.
As Ichigo took some steps forward, Yhwach could be seen smiling. The Quincy Emperor opened his eyes, thus revealing something that slightly shocked Ichigo. It was the eyes of the Soul King, which were oval eyes with black sclera and unusual pupils. Still, Ichigo stood his guard, finally standing face to face with his hated enemy.
"Welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki. What took you so long? I assume you enjoyed observing my empire's new seat of power. It is called Wahrwelt, the true world, and the first step towards the remaking of the worlds" Yhwach broke the silence by speaking, his eyes never leaving sight of Ichigo. "I am so glad you could carve out some time for us. I have been patiently waiting for your arrival...my son born in the darkness" he then told Ichigo with a cunning smile curving underneath his moustache.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed, continuing taking steps towards the seated Quincy. "You've been waiting for me, you say?" he asked him lowly, his eyes glaring daggers at Yhwach. "Then you won't need to any longer. Because I'm the one who's gonna kill your ass" he spoke up with his usual foul language.
Despite hearing those words, Yhwach was far from intimidated. He remained seated on his throne with his deep frown.
"Normally, I would have encouraged you to draw your blades, as well as pointed out how you have left yourself full of openings" Yhwach told him before surprisingly smiling at his enemy. "But it appears as though that would be far from the truth. In fact, there is so much Spiritual Pressure overflowing from your body that is has begun to take visible form. You have grown stronger. Or rather…...you have obtained your true, original power" he went on expressing his delight in seeing how strong Ichigo had become.
Yhwach was not lying. He could feel the enormous Spiritual Pressure coming out of Ichigo. It was different from the last time he fought him. Ichigo proceeded to take small steps towards the emperor, the young man still not taking his eyes off Yhwach. This feeling only delighted Yhwach, and he felt more obliged to converse with the Substitute Shinigami.
"Now, how will you greet me? Will you say hello from the right? Or the left? I am anxious to see what you are capable of" the Quincy admitted towards his opponent, still not moving an inch from his throne.
Ichigo stopped in his tracks, starting to get irritated about his opponent's words. "What the hell are you babbling about? You can see it, can't you? Exactly how, when and where I'm going to try to attack you?" he pointed out to him. "And more importantly, these eyes of yours…..while they're different than the ones you have showed me before….they seem awfully linked to your abilities" he went on explaining.
Yhwach shrugged off Ichigo's words. "I am not using The Almighty. As a matter of fact, these eyes have nothing to do with it. They are a different story" he sternly told Ichigo. "Besides, why would I need to use it? For such a long-awaited meeting between father and son, it would be a miss not to savor every juicy moment" he added to his words, telling Ichigo why using his ability would be unnecessary.
Ichigo scowled in what he was hearing him say. It irritated the hell out of him whenever that man referred to them as father and son. "You're not my father. Get it through your thick skull" he told Yhwach.
"Ah yes, Isshin Shiba, the former Shinigami captain. But he was merely a surrogate father to you, as well as to your younger sisters. You should have already heard by now about the true source of your power" Yhwach reminded the young man.
Ichigo felt his blood boil by hearing Yhwach mentioning his sisters. It made it only tempting to slice off his throat. "Yeah…...and what of it!?" he lowly, yet threateningly asked the emperor. However, Ichigo could no longer contain his anger. It had to be released. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY YOU'RE MY PARENT! YOU'RE THE MAN WHO KILLED MY PARENT! AND MY SISTERS' PARENT!" he angrily yelled at Yhwach.
The Quincy remained calm, even smirking at Ichigo in the process. "Is this about your mother again? You are still the ever petulant, little school girl, Ichigo! Just like Yuzu and Karin!" he taunted the young man while mentioning the Kurosaki-twins.
The Substitute Shinigami could no longer stand and let himself be ridiculed like that. He was also furious about Yhwach mentioning his younger sisters. In his anger, he grabbed one of his Zanpakutous and charged towards Yhwach, who was still not moving from his throne.
"I DON'T WANNA HEAR THEIR NAMES FROM YOUR FILFTHY MOUTH!" the orange-haired man yelled and proceeded to unleash a wave of energy towards his opponent. "GETSUGA TENSHOUUUU!" he exclaimed as he launched the attack.
But even as this powerful attack was headed towards him, Yhwach remained seated. However, he did in fact try and block the attack by using dark Spiritual Pressure. It began moving around like tentacles. Ichigo, stunned to see how he easily repelled the attack, backed off once he could see Yhwach's power headed towards him.
But Yhwach's power still pursued Ichigo, and the Substitute Shinigami was forced to draw out his two blades in order to fend off the Spiritual Pressure. In fact, Ichigo succeeded and pushed through Yhwach's denfenses until he reached the seated man. Yhwach only glanced at him unfazed as Ichigo struggled with cutting his way through.
"YOU CAN'T KEEP ME AWAY FOREVER! MY BLADES WILL REACH YOUR THROAT!" Ichigo yelled as he was nearing his hated enemy.
Yhwach remained unmoved at Ichigo's threats. "You are in over your head to be skulking over something so insignificant. Your mother's life was taken because there was no other way. She and other Quincies. Their very existence was nothing more than to provide me with substance….so I could give birth to you. There is absolutely nothing at all to lament" the emperor told him, yet his frown soon changed into a delighted smile. "FOR THERE IS NO GREATER POSSIBLE HONOR AND JOY IN THE WORLD THAN TO DIE FOR MY SAKE!" he exclaimed over what he was saying.
But for Ichigo, this was the tip of the iceberg. He was focused on nothing but the death of Yhwach. Now that he was near him, the time to strike was now. "DIE, YOU BASTARD!" he yelled and was about to attack, only for Yhwach to send him flying with the help of his enormous Spiritual Pressure.
However, something else happened. Yhwach finally rose up from his throne.
"Sadly, our conversation must now come to an end. Even so, it was fun while it lasted" Yhwach said as he now began unleashing his newly acquired powers he had gotten from absorbing the Soul King.
A black cloak soon descended over the emperor, thus demonstrating his terrifying abilities. In addition, he also showed Ichigo the eyes he had gained on each of his hand. There was the eye on his left palm while another one could be seen on his right hand.
"Now, bear witness to me in all my wondrous glory, Ichigo Kurosaki! Face the wrath of the one, true Soul King!" he challenged his opponent while addressing himself as the Soul King.
Ichigo had been sent crashing into the wall, yet he quickly got back on his feet. "What the hell just happened? This black cloak of his, he never showed it to me the last time I fought him. And those eyes…what did he do to the Soul King?" the young man wondered in his head.
But he had no time to ponder over such speculations. He began charging towards Yhwach once again, despite seeing the black tentacles coming towards him.
"I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!" Ichigo yelled in order to boost his own morale.
"Charging in so recklessly? Quite unusual of you, Ichigo. Did your hatred cloud your mind and make you forget about planning your moves carefully? Don't be so impatient. You will be devoured by me in time. But let us not rush things and enjoy ourselves a bit more" Yhwach berated Ichigo, who was struggling with withstanding Yhwach's power.
Some of it had even managed to land a cut on Ichigo's right cheek. Despite this, Ichigo pressed on. Yhwach felt slightly amused by how stubborn the young man was. But it also annoyed him at the same time.
"You have no idea how much time it took and how many sets of circumstances I had to line up just right to have you created. So cease your impetuousness and stop making light of your so-called "important" life!" the Quincy continued to verbally assault Ichigo.
"Shut the fuck up! You don't own me! I'm nobody's property! And I don't owe you shit!" Ichigo retorted while proceeding to withstand Yhwach's obstacles. "The only thing that I owe you, as a one-way ticket to Hell!" he added to his angry outburst.
Yhwach frowned upon hearing this. "And what makes you say that? Everything, even your body and powers, were never yours alone to begin with" the emperor told him. "They will be returned to their rightful owner. So spew out every last bit of your power and then die, punk!" he continued to try damaging Ichigo's spirit before sending the young man flying once again.
Despite this, Ichigo still had enough strength to get back on his feet. The young man was now growing more agitated. Yhwach was simply toying with him. This time, he would have to get real. So he charged towards Yhwach once again. "THE ONLY ONE WHO'S GONNA DIE HERE…..IS YOU!" Ichigo yelled, refusing to back down from this fight.
"I simply cannot understand this recklessness. Why are you in such a rush to die?" Yhwach wondered while seeing his opponent struggle against his power. However, Ichigo was now cutting himself through repeatedly. "Is it because you fear showing me your true power? Is it the fear of having it stolen by me once you unveil it? Are you sure you are okay with ending up like this, Ichigo? If you fail here, both the Human World and the Soul Society will meet their end by my very own hands! Now tell me, do those facts sit well with you?" the emperor continued while asking his opponent about his loyalties and goals.
Ichigo was having enough of this. As he was pushed back, he got up. But this time, he was acting slightly calmer than usual. "How many times must I tell you…" Ichigo spoke lowly before fixing his eyes upon his sworn enemy. "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE SOUL SOCIETY! THIS ISN'T ABOUT THEM! IT'S ABOUT MY FAMILY! YOU TOOK SOMETHING WE LOVED AWAY FROM US! MASAKI KUROSAKI WILL BE AVENGED!" the young man yelled as he charged towards his opponent once again.
Yhwach wasn't sure whether he was to feel sorry for Ichigo or laugh at him. Either way, the Substitute Shinigami was growing to be very contemptable for him to bear.
"Spineless brat. I expected you to answer me as the voice of the powerless, the weak and those who wouldn't be able to breath without you. But it would seem to me that I overestimated you" Yhwach remarked before sending another round of shockwave towards Ichigo. He stood and watched as his opponent still struggled in dealing with his obstacles. "Therefore, I dare you to land a blow upon me! Stand tall! Fight! And breath your last, Ichigo Kurosaki!" the emperor dared him as Ichigo was pushed back once again.
The young man quickly got back on his feet, yet he was in for a shock once a large amount of black beam was headed towards him. Ichigo realized that he could not land a blow on Yhwach in this state. He would need to act now. But first, he would need to protect himself from that beam. As such, Ichigo put his Zanpakutous aside for a moment.
"Hmm? What is he doing?" Yhwach wondered as he got a look at Ichigo.
Fixing a defiant smirk on his lips, Ichigo spread his arms a futher away, each hand aimed at the floor below. Out of them, something emerged. It was something Yhwach knew all too well.
"Impossible! Has he been able to master..." the emperor couldn't believe his eyes.
"BLUT VENE ANHABEN!" Ichigo cried and his Blut began expanding out of his body and onto the floor, creating a forcefield.
This forcefield managed to prevent the beam of darkness from attacking Ichigo and it was reduced to nothing but smithereens. Seeing this infuriated Yhwach, and the Quincy ceased his attack.
"Damn it! So you are able to use your Blut perfectly now!?" Yhwach snapped, yet he soon found himself calmed down. He recalled back to something he knew. "But then again, I should not really be surprised. Masaki Kurosaki's Blut Vene was noted to be expectionally powerful, even by an Echt Quincy's standard. How sloppy of me to underestimate her son's inheritance of it" he thought, realizing his mistake.
As the forcefield soon ended, Ichigo took a glance at his hated foe. "Surprised, Yhwach? Didn't expect me to show you this, did you?" he tried to get under his skin.
But that didn't neccesarily affect Yhwach. "Spare me your bravado. It cannot hide your fear" he responded, thus starting to move his hands. Yhwach had to grin. "In fact, how about I just prove it to you here and now?" he suggested, pointing his left handpalm at Ichigo, the eye opening simultaneously.
Ichigo was caught off guard when a giant Quincy Cross took form underneath him. But around him, several towering columns of Reishi appeared. In time, these columns started connecting with each other, creating some sort of cage. Ichigo felt caught in a trap.
"Bastard! What have you done!?" Ichigo demanded, only to hear a chuckle coming out of Yhwach's lips.
"This is one of the many techniques I like to use when punishing insolent fools. And you happen to fit the criteria" Yhwach explained, moving his right hand up in the air. "Look around you, Ichigo! Because this is your divine judgement!" he added.
This made Ichigo look up, and he could see a large Reishi-like cross being made. It's bottom looked like a spear. Yhwach was intending on impaling him with it.
"Now, face your judgement! KIRCHENLIED: SÜHNE KREUZ!" Yhwach exclaimed while moving his right hand down.
The cross of Reishi suddenly decended down towards Ichigo. This left the Substitute Shinigami in distress, as he knew he needed to do something. So he pulled out his weapons.
Yhwach took note of his actions. "You really think you stand a chance of averting this!? You are deluded, Ichigo Kurosaki!" he berated his opponent.
Ichigo began holding his Zanpakutous together, aiming them upwards at the incoming cross. He was determined to face his enemy. The tip of his blades began changing into white. Yhwach could see a slight smirk forming on Ichigo's lips.
"You thought that this was everything I had? Well, you're seriously mistaking! Because so far….." Ichigo spoke up lowly as the beam neared him. "I'VE BEEN HOLDING BACK THIS ENTIRE TIME! BANKAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIII!" the moment Ichigo said that word, a large burst of Spiritual Pressure erupted in the throne room.
This burst was so powerful that it even sent shockwaves everywhere. Yhwach's Kirchenlied was disintegrated as a result of this. Some of the shockwaves even movedtowards Yhwach. He was surprised by this and used his newfound power to cover himself for the powerful winds that were headed towards him.
"What is the meaning of this!? How can he obtain so much power!?" the emperor wondered while covering himself for the blowing.
But the shockwave soon ended and it enabled Yhwach to get a clear view of what had just transpired with his opponent. As the dust settled, he saw Ichigo, although in a different appearance than before. Surprised as he was, Yhwach couldn't help but to let out a chuckle.
"Now I understand. So that was your endgame? To wait for the perfect moment to show me your true power" the emperor spoke up while observing Ichigo's new form.
Ichigo was wearing a black dress shirt with an upturned collar and cuffs, black pants, low-heeled boots and a long, amorphous white overcoat with a burgundy highlight that flares out into ragged ends. Truth be told, the outfit looked similar to the one worn by his manifested Quincy power. But that was not all. Ichigo's hair had gradually changed into more slick-like and his skin had turned pale. Furthermore, he had two white, forward-pointing horns protruding from the sides of his head, as well as black tattoos stretching across his eyes, thus making giving his eyes the appearance of eyes while being under Hollowfication.
Even Ichigo's Zanpakutou had changed in wake of the transformation. It looked almost like a Khyber knife, since the smaller black blade comprised the inner part of the sword and had the handle fixed to it, while the base of the sword was slanted and the blade continued with a section jutting out from the underside as a guard, with a chain attached to it that looped over the top and attached right before the point of the blade. But along the blade itself, it seemd as if Ichigo's Blut ran with it.
This was in fact the true form of Ichigo's Bankai.
"Tensa Zangetsu" Ichigo said lowly, his serious and cold eyes never leaving sight of his opponent.
So far, Yhwach had remained still, although he called his new power to his side. "Your resemblance to a Hollow is striking. Is this the Hollow-form you take when you meld together with your power? Is this your true Bankai?" the emperor asked while observing Ichigo's new form.
"It is" Ichigo replied before tugging on his white coat with his left hand. Some of his Blut was running across his neck "The Quincy powers I inherited from my mother, Old-Man Zangetsu" he said before moving his hand to hold onto one of his horns. "And the Shinigami powers I inherited from my father, the Hollow within me. While they were constantly at odds with each other, those two have finally found balance. And as Zangetsu, I reforged these two swords into a single entity" Ichigo went on explaining what he had done in learning about his Zanpakutou.
The young man took a look at his left handpalm, feeling the amount of power that dwelled within him. However, he also used his Blut Vene to move around in his hand, watching as it disappeared when Ichigo commanded it to.
"If they remain under control while the balance between them is maintained, then it stands to reason that they should come forth if the balance is destroyed. Up until now, whenever I unleashed massive amounts of Shinigami and Hollow power, this thing has always come out of me" Ichigo remarked before facing Yhwach once again, this time forming a smug grin at his hated enemy. "To be honest, since this power has been melded together with mine, it would be a whole lot more convenient if I could draw it out at will. But I'm still far from mastering it fully, which is why I used your power to give me that nudge. How's that?" he revealed to Yhwach, also trying to taunt him.
Hearing this made Yhwach chuckle deeply to himself, and he even grinned with satisfaction. "I see. So that is why you kept running towards me like some idiot earlier? You really are one, cunning bastard, Ichigo" he replied, still feeling a bit annoyed over the fact that Ichigo had used him.
Ichigo's mouth formed into a frown once again, his eyes narrowing with nothing but killing intent.
"Save your false praises! No way will I ever let scum like you compliment me!" the young man said before taking steps towards his hated enemy. As he did that, an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure could be felt and it even affected the entire throne room. Holes began appearing in the ceiling. "I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN MY TRUE OBJECTIVES FOR BEING HERE! AND THAT IS TO MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MY FAMILY! I WILL TURN THIS PALACE INTO YOUR TOMB, YHWACH!" Ichigo yelled as he readied himself for combat, even managing to destroy part of the ceiling.
Seeing how powerful Ichigo had become only delighted Yhwach. Never had he felt so amazed to be near Ichigo. "Such magnificent power! I am honored to feel it!" he exclaimed, yet realized that the Substitute Shinigami was challenging him, Yhwach only felt obliged to accept it. Therefore, he drew out his Reishi Broadsword. "Very well! Since you are taking things seriously, I suppose the time has come for me to draw my sword as well! Challenge accepted!" the long-haired man told his opponent.
But he moment he drew out his weapon, Yhwach was caught by surprise in seeing Ichigo appearing right before him. He was fast, and the emperor was too slow to react. Ichigo grabbed hold of Yhwach's Reishi Broadsword and proceeded to swing his blade upwards before landing at it towards Yhwach. The slash was powerful, yet the Quincy Emperor tried blocking it while holding the blade. Even so, Yhwach could feel that half of his black cloak was gone thanks to Ichigo's attack.
"Surely, you jest. With that meager strength, your blade could never hope to slash me!" Yhwach said and tried to stab Ichigo with his weapon, only for the young man to avoid it by jumping backwards. As he did that, Yhwach could take notice of Ichigo preparing something, almost like an attack. The Quincy mused to himself. "Getsuga Tenshou, is it? Hah! Different approach, same predictable result!" he taunted his opponent.
Ichigo however paid no attention to Yhwach's taunts and proceeded to land on his feet. He even smirked as he decided to show Yhwach what he was truly preparing. "It isn't just Getsuga Tenshou, you stupid, old bastard. It's something much more" he thought to himself while demonstrating his attack for Yhwach to see.
The emperor was stunned in what he was seeing. "What!? What kind of attack is this!? It's not just a Getsuga Tenshou! Is he combining it with …a Cero!?" he wondered in outrage, yet it was too late for him. Ichigo was finished in loading his attack.
Ichigo grinned in seeing Yhwach's reaction. "Sorry to keep you waiting! CRECIENTE LUNA CERO!" Ichigo exclaimed and fired the crimson cero right towards Yhwach.
But instead of a beam, the Cero was shaped like a crescent moon, similar to Getsuga Tenshou. It headed straight towards the stunned emperor, who tried his best to block the attack. But when it wasn't enough, Yhwach had to take control over it. Even so, the attack still pierced his opponent. The attack managed to awe the emperor, and he did take some wounds. His cloack was not powerful enough to protect him from the Cero.
"Ugh! You actually combined the Getsuga Tenshou with a Gran Rey Cero. For you, a mutt born from a combination of all different things, it is a power that suits you well!" Yhwach commended his opponent, before proceeding to use his might to throw the attack back at Ichigo. However, Ichigo easily dodged the attack like it was nothing. "However, as I clearly stated…...YOU ARE SIMPLY OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE, ICHIGO!" he proclaimed as Ichigo dashed towards him.
The orange-haired man responded by moving his blade once again. "QUIT FUCKING DEGRADING ME!" he snapped as his blade clashed with Yhwach's, the two trying to overpower the other.
"Why should I? Even now, I can read you like an open book!" Yhwach hit back while proceeding to push Ichigo away.
But Ichigo surprisingly managed to gain the upper hand, since he parried Yhwach, giving him the chance to kick the emperor in his stomach. Yhwach was sent flying, yet he quickly got back on his feet.
"I know your thoughts. "He is underestimating me, which means he will not be using his true ability, which also means he does not know the extent of my fused Hollow strength. I have to act now while he is underestimating my abilities". Your logic seemed good-intentioned, but now…" Yhwach explained before regaining his black cloak once again. So many eyes could be seen all across him. "...that window has just been slammed shut! Yours is indeed a truly magnificent power, Ichigo! So formidable…THAT I NO LONGER HAVE ANY ROOM FOR MISTAKES!" the emperor declared, signaling his intend to take this fight seriously.
Ichigo was slightly angered. Had Yhwach also been holding back the entire time? He simply refuted such thoughts. "So you're also starting to realize how dead-serious I am!?" he asked out loud before readying his blade once again. "Good! Then that means we can quit screwing around and take this fight to a new level! AND I'M NOT LEAVING THIS PLACE UNTIL YOU'RE SkULLFUCKED! the Substitute Shinigami exclaimed and proceeded to charge towards his opponent in fast speed.
However, Yhwach was responding by doing the same thing. "BRAVE WORDS, PUNK! BUT IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN HARSH LANGUAGE TO KILL ME!" Yhwach exclaimed while readying his blade. "WHEN I AM FINISHED WITH YOU, I WILL SPIT ON YOUR CORPSE AND HANG IT LIKE A FLAG FOR MY EVERYONE TO SEE!" he added to his hateful words.
Ichigo was not intimidated and used his Shunpo to move faster. Yhwach did the same by using his Hirenkiyaku. "NOT AFTER I BUST THE HELL OUTTA YOU!" the orange-haired man yelled as he and Yhwach finally clashed, this causing an explosion to appear on the top of Silbern.
Not far from that location, inside a secret passageway
Uryu Ishida was using a secret passageway that existed in Silbern to head towards the upper reaches. Having narrowly escaped being slashed by Jugram Haschwalth, the four-eyed man knew what was at stake here. But when he could feel the entire palace shake due, he stopped.
Uryu looked up to the direction he knew the throne room was located at. He seemed very distressed.
"No….it can't be….." Uryu said lowly as his eyes started to become filled with anger. "Damn it, Ichigo! What are you doing!?" the young man yelled and proceeded to run up the stairway that lied before him.
Why was the Crown Prince of the Wandenreich suddenly interested in saving Ichigo all of a sudden? The reason for that was simple.
Uryu knew very well about the "plans" Yhwach had for Ichigo, including what would happen to him once he was dead. It was too late to reach out to Renji, Rukia, Orihime and the others. Everyone saw him as an enemy. The only exception was his loyalists of course, but they had gradually begun turning themselves over to Yhwach and Haschwalth, with the notable exception being his own Schutzstaffel and the group of researchers.
"I can't let you fight, Yhwach! As strong as you may be, you have no hope of winning!" Uryu said while using Hirenkiyaku to move faster. "But losing the fight isn't the only thing worrying! You have no idea about what Yhwach intends on doing with you once you're defeated! When he does that, you will never be able to see your family ever again!" the four-eyed man added to his worries.
To be continued…
Author's note: That was a great chapter! We are almost starting to near 50 chapters. While we did see the Shinigamis fight Gerard, I'm afraid we won't see much of his fight against the Shinigamis. However, he and the other Quincies won't be sacrificed by Yhwach. I have something else planned for them. The next one will be mostly focused on Ichigo and Yhwach. And I assure you, Ichigo will demonstrate some abilities he has learned in this new form of his. I thought Ichigo's new Bankai form in the canon story was a bit lame, so I decided to add some improvements by making his form a cross between his Hollow form and his Quincy powers. I have decided not to add Orihime into the fight. She and the others may appear later. The reason is that I wanted to show how Ichigo really cared about his friends that he didn't want them to interfere in his fight. Finding out the truth about his mother's death has really affected him. And of course, Uryu will also have a part of to play. But will he become a hero? Or will he continue to be a villain? Stay tuned for the next awesome chapter of Thousand Year Blood Prophecies.
Todesstoß - German for "Death Blast": This is the name of the energy blast that Gerard is able to use with Hoffnung.
Kirchenlied: Sühne Kreuze - German for "Chuch Hymn: Atonement Cross: A move that Yhwach is capable of performing. It is an offensive technique, sometimes used by him to punish insolent subordinates.
Creciente Luna Cero - Spanish for "Crescent Moon Zero": By combining a Getsuga Tenshou and a Gran Rey Cero, Ichigo is able to fire this Cero. It is a combination of his Shinigami- and Hollow-powers.