บท 15: Chapter 15: Training For War
*This fanfic belongs to Melkor's Mercy, I don't own anything*
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Silbern, Wandenreich XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yuzu tossed and turned in her bed as she thought about recent events. She had barely gotten any sleep all night. Though considering her situation and the revelation of Ichigo being alive…who could blame her? The Kurosaki girl sat up in her bed finally giving up on getting any more rest as she looked around the room. She was still in the uniform that Candice provided for her. She didn't even get the chance to find something to change into the night before, due to her weariness.
Yuzu thought deeply about her father, Karin, and Ichigo. The idea of them meeting as enemies in some kind of strange supernatural war seemed tragic to her. Her mind couldn't erase the image of Ichigo as a hollow from Bambietta's recording. He was so different now…was Ichigo really the same Onii-chan that she cherished in the past?
She didn't know much about hollows still, but Yuzu knew enough to understand that they were dangerous and powerful creatures. To be the King of them could only mean that Ichigo had to become strong and ruthless. The idea of seeing Ichigo in this manner was hard for her to accept, but Yuzu pushed it aside as she thought about the most important fact. Ichigo was alive…in some manner, and she wanted to see him again.
Her thoughts were cut short when she heard the sound of her door opening. She expected it to be Candice like Bazz B had stated the night before, but much to her horror it wasn't. As the door slowly creaked open, Yuzu saw Giselle enter.
She immediately felt her heart skip a beat as the Zombie Quincy closed the door behind her smiling wickedly. The dark haired woman spoke warmly, "It's almost morning Yuzu-chan…did you have trouble sleeping?"
"Yes, I didn't sleep very well…" Yuzu replied somewhat skittishly as she tried to determine the best possible escape route. She cautiously got out of her bed and moved to a more open area with as much subtlety as possible.
Giselle slowly made her way closer, "Ah, that really is a shame. I hate it when I can't sleep."
"Uh, really? You have trouble sleeping?" Yuzu asked hoping it would slow Giselle's creeping advance.
The Sternritter nodded, "Yeah, I don't like to sleep by myself. Being alone can be kind of scary in a place like this."
"Scary?" Yuzu continued questioning, "What could possibly scare you? You don't look like the kind of person to be afraid of…things."
Giselle finally stopped in her tracks as she cocked her head at Yuzu, "Haha! What are you saying silly? Are you implying I'm incapable of such things?"
"I-I don't know…" Yuzu replied slowly. She wasn't sure how to respond to Giselle's question.
"What makes you think you're any different than I am other than the fact that you have no idea where you are and why you're here?" Giselle asked with a distant tone.
Yuzu kept her eyes pinned on Giselle ready for any sudden movement. She didn't reply much to the woman's disappointment.
The dark haired Sternritter shook her head as her voice got more serious, "People like me have more fears than blissfully ignorant people like you…"
Her shift in tone frightened Yuzu slightly as Giselle now had an almost emotionless look in her eyes.
"What do you want from me? Why are you here? I'm sorry." Yuzu said with a clearly disturbed tone of voice.
Giselle shrugged and shifted back to a peppy tone, "Oh don't go assuming I'm terrible…you and I could be friends. I think you got the wrong impression about who you should really associate with here. Bambi-chan is normally not that mean. I think she's just worried about Ichigo-sama. We're not really as bad as Bazz B says."
"Bazz B told me to stay away from you and Bambietta…and Candice. There's definitely a reason to listen to him," Yuzu replied.
"Well maybe I can see why he wouldn't want Bambi-chan or Candy-chan near you. They're a bit vulgar and sadistic…but I'm a saint!" Giselle said cheerily as she made a ring with her fingers to emphasize a halo and held it over her head.
The gesture seemed to indicate that Giselle did not take the comment very seriously.
"So, you're Sternritter power is Zombies?" Yuzu changed the subject hoping to keep Giselle distracted.
Giselle's eyes widened slightly, "Who told you? Bazzy-kun or Lil-chan? Yep…that's my Schrift. Z for the Zombie. So, don't die…or I might make you one. Then you'd have to do everything I say."
Yuzu gave her a horrified look in response, "D-die? Is something going to kill me here?"
The Quincy took a step closer towards Yuzu and grabbed a handful of her hair. She leaned in closely towards the girl and whispered in her ear, "Yeah that's right…you'll die if you do anything stupid around here. You're naïve and assume the obvious threat is the real one. I'm not the one you should be afraid of…Yhwach is the one you should really fear. He's always watching. He'll be calling you soon…after he wakes up. Keep your guard up when he summons you, and don't take everything at face value, Yuzu-chan. Nothing is what it seems here."
"Stop it," Yuzu trembled somewhat alarmed by what Giselle was trying to say.
The Sternritter paused for a moment before continuing, "You think I don't have fears? You're dead wrong. You wanna know what I'm most afraid of Yuzu-chan?"
"No I don't…please let go of me," the girl said softly as she tried to push Giselle back. Unfortunately it was ineffective.
"Not yet…you're not listening to me. Stop looking away…" Giselle whispered somewhat annoyed as she turned Yuzu's face towards her forcing the girl to look her in the eye. "I'm trying to tell you something. Don't-" Giselle whispered.
"Let go of me!" Yuzu interrupted as she pushed Giselle back. Upon doing so, she accidentally launched a strong blast of Reishi at the Sternritter. It wasn't damaging, but it did manage to knock Giselle into a wall. The dark haired woman stood up slowly and turned to face Yuzu. The Kurosaki teen half expected Giselle to be super angry and creepy, but much to her surprise, she wasn't.
Giselle was cheerful again as she laughed at Yuzu's action, "Hey now, Yuzu-chan, don't be so rough with me. You're gonna get brutish if you spend too much time around Bazzy-kun and Candy-chan."
'What's wrong with her? Does she have a split personality or something? Some of those things she said…what did they mean?' Yuzu thought curiously.
"So…how did your training with Bazzy-kun go?" Giselle asked curiously. The Sternritter already knew the answer, but she wanted to alleviate some of the tension.
Yuzu looked away nervously, "Well, Bazz B taught me a lot of useful things. He seems like a scary guy, but he's really nice."
"He's a bleeding heart and an open book," Giselle muttered under her breath before laughing, "Cool! So how would you like me to train you too?"
"Umm…" Yuzu immediately tensed up fearfully at the idea. The very thought of it sent a shiver down her spine that Giselle of all people would even suggest it. Especially after the position she was just in, Yuzu was not in favor of the offer. She immediately looked down avoiding Giselle's gaze.
"Now now…don't be shy! I can teach you lots of neat stuff that Bazzy-kun and Candy-chan can't!" Giselle said convincingly.
Before Yuzu could respond, her door came flying open as the furious lime haired Candice came strutting in. The woman gave Giselle a serious glare, "Gigi, what the fuck are you doing in her room?! I thought I told you to back off!"
"Haha, Candy-chan, I wasn't going to do anything to her. I actually wanted to help you train Yuzu-chan," the Zombie Quincy said hopefully.
Candice rose a brow as she crossed her arms, "Come again? You want to do what?! What's the sudden interest?"
"Well, she really likes Bazzy-kun, so I thought we could work out our differences if I helped her train as well," Giselle explained in a very well-rehearsed way.
"Ugh…I guess you can watch and give her pointers, but only if I'm around. Don't go bothering Yuzu when she's by herself…it looks suspicious," Candice said sharply.
Giselle gave Candice a comical salute, "Of course, Candy-chan!"
Candice rolled her eyes at Giselle before looking at Yuzu curiously, 'What's with that look on her face? What the hell did Giselle say to her?'
"C'mon, Yuzu…let's go continue your training. I'm sure Bazz B was ineffective and overbearing. Don't worry…I'll make sure to teach you the correct way," Candice stated.
"Actually…Bazz B was very helpful," Yuzu replied.
Candice gave her a deadly stare, "Was he now? Well let's hope you see the difference between his training and my training by the end of the day."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Silbern, Wandenreich Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yuzu's morning training with Candice had been surprisingly informative. Unlike Bazz B, Candice was much more technical in her teachings and made sure to break down the details of every ability that she learned. Most of their time had been spent working on Blut Vene however.
Candice shook her head, "Hmm…no that's not it. You're focusing too much on the reishi and not your blood itself."
"I don't understand…I did it like you said," Yuzu replied.
"Let me explain, Candy-chan, I'm better at blut than you are," Giselle cut into the conversation. She had been watching from the sidelines most of the morning.
Candice rose a brow uncertainly, "What makes you think you can teach her blut better than I can?"
Giselle gave Candice a comical look and giggled, "You're not really asking me that are you?"
"Fine…let's see how good your explanation is," Candice shot back.
"Your training's gonna have to continue later…Yhwach has called for an assembly," Bambietta's voice came out of nowhere.
Everyone looked over surprised to see the dark haired Sternritter standing nearby. She had a bored, careless expression on her face as she waved the others over, "Hurry up…Haschwalth sent me to get everyone who wasn't there yet."
"Ugh…another assembly already?" Candice protested.
"It must be about Ichigo-sama and the hollows," Giselle said hopefully.
Yuzu visibly tensed at the mention, but did her best to push her concern aside for the time being. Reluctantly, she followed Candice and Bambietta back towards the palace. Giselle trailed behind them, and Yuzu couldn't help but glance back every couple of seconds to make sure she was keeping her distance.
As they made their way towards the main chamber, Yuzu started to reflect on some of the things Giselle said to her, 'The obvious threat isn't the real one? I wonder what she meant by that? I must be in more danger than I thought. What was Giselle trying to tell me? Who shouldn't I trust? She said she was afraid of Yhwach too? I wonder why?'
Candice fell behind Yuzu during her inner contemplation and grabbed Giselle's arm, preventing her from going forward. Yuzu absentmindedly continued following Bambietta as the two Sternritters fell back.
Once Yuzu and Bambietta were out of range, Candice gave Giselle a deadly glare, "What's with you, Giselle? You're acting weirder than usual."
"Oh Candy-chan, please don't be mad. I just want to help," Giselle said innocently.
Candice narrowed her gaze before grabbing Giselle by the coat and holding her threateningly. The lime haired Sternritter glared intently, "For your sake, you better hope that's all it is. That girl is an asset to us. Yhwach personally sent me to get her…I didn't know why until just recently. Even Haschwalth didn't know who she was. Since she's really the Hollow King's sister, then her presence is invaluable. She's probably going to be instrumental in conquering Hueco Mundo once they make her a Sternritter. I take her training very seriously. So if you intend to help, then you better straighten your act up."
"Oh! That'd be great! Then she really could be one of us," Giselle replied cheerily.
"You've been acting strange ever since you got back from Hueco Mundo…mind yourself, Gigi. I'd hate if anything bad happened to you," Candice warned before turning to leave.
Meanwhile, further away, Yuzu just now realized that she was alone with Bambietta. She cautiously looked back and confirmed that neither Candice nor Giselle were there.
She fearfully tried to remain quiet about the situation, but Bambietta quickly noticed as well. The dark haired woman glanced behind Yuzu and sighed, "Damn it…where did those two go?"
"I don't know…" Yuzu answered somewhat nervously. She wasn't entirely sure if Bambietta was asking her or thinking aloud. Yuzu felt entirely uncomfortable being alone with this mentally unstable woman.
The Sternritter simply shrugged, "Whatever…they'll show up. So how has your training been going, Yuzu-chan?"
The Kurosaki teen was slightly alarmed by Bambietta addressing her directly now. Though thankfully she didn't detect any malicious undertones in the woman's voice.
Yuzu calmly answered, "It went well with Bazz B. He is a good teacher. I've only been doing Blut training with Candice today."
"Oh really? What did Bazz B teach you?" Bambietta asked casually. Her current mood seemed much more relaxed than the other day much to Yuzu's surprise. It was quite the change of pace, but she wasn't about to complain.
"I learned more about Reishi manipulation, did target practice, and I learned a little bit about Blut," Yuzu replied.
Bambietta chuckled, "If you really want to get good at Blut, then Gigi is the one you want to talk to. She's not the most powerful Quincy around, but she's versatile and an expert on stuff like that. You'd be better suited learning from her than people like Candice or Bazz B. They're more single-minded powerhouses than anything."
Yuzu said nothing in response as the two continued walking. A few moments of silence passed before Bambietta spoke again, "I think Yhwach wants to make you a Sternritter. How do you feel about that?"
She wasn't entirely sure how to react to Bambietta's question and looked away uncertainly, "I don't know…Sternritters are all so powerful with their Schrifts. Does he intend on giving me one? How does that work exactly?"
The dark haired woman seemed slightly surprised that Yuzu knew what a Schrift was. Bambietta nodded her head, "I think he'll definitely give you one…though there's no telling what it'll be. Every letter is covered at the moment…but some have multiples like Y.
"Umm…about Ichigo…" Yuzu couldn't quite think of how to talk to Bambietta about the topic.
Luckily the Quincy seemed less hostile than the other day. Bambietta looked at her, "What about him?"
"What does Yhwach-sama think of him?" She finally managed to ask. It seemed strange asking Bambietta this question, but Yuzu was genuinely curious.
"That's what we're about to find out…" Bambietta stated as she made her way into the main chamber.
As Yuzu followed her into the massive assembly room, every pair of eyes turned towards the new arrivals. Yhwach quickly addressed them, "Ah Yuzu Kurosaki, it is good to see you again."
"The others are on their way, you majesty," Bambietta quickly announced before Yhwach had the chance to say anything about it.
He simply nodded as he motioned for Bambietta to take her place in line. Yuzu stood there uncertainly as Yhwach extended his arm, "Come to me…I would like your input on something important."
Yuzu gulped fearfully as she made her way to Yhwach throne like stage. As she approached, Giselle and Candice entered the chamber and took their positions in line. Everyone was too focused on Yuzu and paid their arrival no mind. Upon reaching the stage, Yuzu spotted Uryu standing there confidently in his new uniformed white attire. He quickly eyed her uniform somewhat surprised, "Kurosaki…is that what they have you wearing around here?"
The girl looked away embarrassed, "Umm…Candice gave it to me to wear."
Ignoring their conversation, Yhwach held his arm up causing a massive screen to appear in front of everyone which displayed a picture of Ichigo. All of the lesser ranked Quincies looked on uncertainly, but many of the Sternritters immediately recognized the picture Bambietta took of him.
Yhwach turned around and looked at it for a moment before addressing Yuzu, "You are the sister of this hollow? This…Ichigo Kurosaki?"
"Y-yes…" Yuzu answered skittishly. She had no way of knowing how Yhwach was going to react to this news. Much to her surprise, the man simply nodded approvingly.
"As I foresaw…you are indeed related to the hollow king. This is good. With your aid, we can convince the hollow king to help us wipe out the Soul Society. It would seem he has already attacked them once," Yhwach said.
Yuzu immediately paled at the statement, "Y-you knew already?"
"Of course I did, young Yuzu. I sent Candice to retrieve you and young Uryu here because both of you possess unique Quincy attributes. You are immune to Auswahlen for one…but also you are related to Ichigo the king of Hueco Mundo. Your help in securing his aid would be most welcome," Yhwach said with a stern face.
The Kurosaki teen wasn't entirely sure how to react to his statement. She briefly looked away and noticed Uryu with a surprised look on his face. He pushed up his glasses and spoke up for the first time, "Ichigo Kurosaki is the hollow king? That's impossible."
"He's White…the same hollow that attacked you in the park," Yhwach clarified. Uryu wasn't sure what was more alarming to him…the fact that Yhwach knew about that or the fact that Ichigo, his former classmate, was actually that powerful, infamous hollow White.
"That's impossible…how could Ichigo have become a hollow like that then? And that picture of him…aren't hollows supposed to always have masks?" Uryu questioned.
Haschwalth quickly explained for Uryu, "That is what's called an Arrancar. They're hollows with Shinigami powers and human features. They're not very common, and most natural ones originate from powerful Adjuchas or Vasto Lordes."
"What does that mean if he's related to her though? Wouldn't he be part Quincy as well?" Uryu realized completely shocked as he looked over at Yuzu.
"Yes…I have heard many of you gossip about this fact. An arrancar with Quincy blood could prove quite powerful if added to our army. Though he could prove quite the threat if we fail to assert control over Hueco Mundo," Yhwach explained.
"Forgive my interruption your majesty, but should we be worried about the hollows? I mean sure they have a quincy blooded arrancar king, but what kind of fighting force do they honestly have? Arrancars aren't very common, and I highly doubt adjuchas would prove much of a match against Sternritters," a middle aged moustache Quincy asked.
Bambietta immediately sent the man a glare, "Don't dismiss them so easily, Robert…hollows are like moths drawn to a flame. With a hollow as strong as White leading Hueco Mundo, they're far more likely to be organized and cooperative."
"How strong is this hollow, really? I mean he made quick work of your Vollstandig, but is that really anything to be impressed over?" a man with a facial scar and dark hair interjected.
Bambietta glared at him, "I'd like to see you fight him, Cang Du! He probably would have gone all out if his other little hollow friends weren't there."
"And yet you still talk about fighting him again…" Liltotto muttered under her breath.
"Can that hollow use Quincy abilities?" a long dark haired quincy with a spiked mask asked. He had a slender, tall physique and very creepy eyes.
"As Nodt brings up a good point…what kind of things can we expect out of a Quincy blooded arrancar?" Bazz B asked, "I mean we already know he's immune to Giselle's blood…what else can he do?"
"I can feel his Quincy powers…though they are quite repressed. If he manages to awaken them, there would be nothing preventing him from using most Quincy abilities," Yhwach answered.
"Your majesty, would you please allow me to be the one to fight him whenever we invade Hueco Mundo?" Gremmy spoke up enthusiastically.
The Quincy leader shook his head, "No…you would die if you were to fight Ichigo. I would prefer things didn't come to open war with the hollows. Though they are quite deplorable creatures, Arrancars are very useful as I've said before. Dealing with Ichigo is a first priority however."
"I still don't see what the big deal with this Hollow King is anyways…I doubt he could even stand up to the elite Sternritters, let alone Haschwalth or your majesty himself," a darker skinned Quincy with an X shaped eye mark and a sniper rifle stated.
"Lille's right…I don't believe this hollow is as strong as everyone claims it is. Bambietta is hardly a challenge," Kirge added.
"Care to repeat that?!" Bambietta growled.
Yhwach shook his head as he waved his hand causing the screen to display something similar to a video feed. Yuzu had a hard time telling if it was magic or technology.
The Sternritters and lesser Quincies behind them watched the strange display with intense curiosity. It displayed something they assumed was a hollow ability. It was a colossal red and black shaped cross beam that tore through the Seireitei. The outer view of the attack gave every Quincy there an idea of just how massive it actually was.
The video skipped ahead as they saw a massive red cero streak across the sky setting the horizon ablaze. It paused over a picture of Ichigo in his released form with both swords outstretched. Yhwach looked at it seriously, "Ichigo is juggernaut that none of you are a match for…the power he displays here is miniscule compared to what he can actually do."
"So what the are we going to do then? When are we invading Hueco Mundo?" Kirge asked.
Yhwach turned back towards the crowd with a knowing grin, "I was just about to suggest something. Currently, we know that Hueco Mundo is united and powerful under Ichigo's rule, but we do not fully understand the scale of his army. BG9, Kirge, and Nanana…I would like for you three to conduct espionage and gather information on what the hollows are planning."
"Affirmative," BG9 replied robotically. Kirge and Nanana said nothing, but each of them moved over towards BG9, who was already taking his leave.
"After they return we will prepare for our dealings with Hueco Mundo. In the meantime, you may all continue your duties as normal. Dismissed." Yhwach waved.
As everyone dispersed to do their own thing, Yuzu felt Yhwach place a hand on her shoulder. She felt a terrible shiver run down her spine as the Quincy leader looked at her seriously, "You and Uryu will receive your Schrifts tomorrow. I hope we can count on you for the future."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Ichigo and Aizen XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Aizen brushed some sand off of his new, white attire as he gave Ichigo an uncertain look, "Your cero seems to draw upon different powers…the colors are quite interesting."
"Really? Interesting how? Is there some meaning behind the colors?" Ichigo asked as lowered his arm which was still sizzling from a gran rey cero from moments prior.
"Yes…that gran rey cero uses your pure hollow power which is why it is white and red. Though you are capable of black and red ceros as well…do you know what they are?" Aizen asked.
Ichigo thought for a moment, "You know…I'm not really sure. I know the red and black ones are stronger sometimes."
"Try to fire one…a black cero. It's quite a rare ability that only powerful arrancars possess. Black ceros are actually called Cero Oscuras. Normally it would require one to be in their resurreccion to use since it draws upon Shinigami power. Though you might be able to do it in your base form," Aizen stated factually.
"Hmm…Cero Oscuras? So the black spiritual energy is Shinigami power?" Ichigo confirmed.
Aizen nodded, "Precisely…the black color in a Cero Oscuras is when you use Shinigami Power with your Cero. Typically only Espada level arrancars have the ability to produce an attack of such complexity. It differs from the gran rey cero which relies on blood and full hollow powers."
"If only powerful arrancars can create black ceros, then why was I able to do them this entire time even before becoming an arrancar?" Ichigo couldn't help but wonder.
"You possess a strong source of Shinigami power…almost as much as your hollow power. They are both deeply intertwined, making them two sides of the same thing. Try to fire a Cero Oscuras from your left hand and a gran rey cero from the right. Angle them to where they intersect," Aizen instructed.
Ichigo did as requested as he drew some blood on his right hand and held up both. "Try to fire both at the same time and get a feel for how each type of power flows. Once you understand the line between your Shinigami and hollow powers, you will be able to draw upon both at the same time."
It took a few moments, but finally black and red spiritual energy charged over Ichigo's left hand while a jagged white and red cero formed on the right. Channeling the two different ceros at the same time felt strange to Ichigo, but he quickly began to realize what Aizen was talking about. 'I've felt this before…in my fight against Barragan. My hollow and Shinigami powers are two sides of the same spectrum…and I can use it all? Hmm…strange that I never noticed it before.'
Firing both beams simultaneously, Ichigo watched with amazement as they intersected and combined into a red white and black cero. It doubled in size and streaked across the sky with cataclysmic force. A tremendous explosion erupted in the distance causing Ichigo to stare on amazed by the ability.
"That would be a Gran Rey Cero Oscuras. I imagine in your released state it would be an instant kill to anyone short of upper captain level foes," Aizen noted approvingly.
Unbeknownst to both Ichigo and Aizen, Soifon landed nearby and was doing her absolute best to spy on them from maximum range. Pulling out a strange device given to her by Urahara, she placed it over her ears, and could now hear things from much further away.
She squinted hard for a moment before pulling out the spyglass, that Urahara gave her. The Stealth Force Captain looked at the instrument halfway amused, 'I feel like a pirate ninja using one of these things…A pirate ninja Shinigami.'
Looking through the scope, she locked her gaze on the two targets of utmost importance to her mission. From what she could tell, they were both having a conversation about something.
'I need to get closer…there's too much wind interference for this stupid hearing device to pick up what they're saying…' She thought annoyed. Cautiously and slowly, she crept along as she got within closer range.
Several large rock formations stuck out of the ground nearby. She chose the smallest one which had a concaved vantage point obscured in shadows. Crawling carefully, she pulled out the spyglass again and got a close look at Ichigo and Aizen's faces, through it.
'Hmm…I didn't really get a good look at White's face last time. Those other hollows talked about him like he's some kind of divine guy. I don't see what the big deal is. I mean what's so attractive about that guy to them anyways? Is it hollow pheromones or something? Maybe they're attracted to his power? It sure as hell can't be his looks…' Soifon thought as she angled the spyglass to get a perfect view of Ichigo's face.
She stared at him for a long moment, 'What's with that long orange hair? He could give Ukitake and Kuchiki a run for their money in the glamorous hair department. How the hell does he fight with it? I guess there's one benefit to having a hollow mask. Although…I suppose he sort of does look kind of pretty when he doesn't have that mask on. Not really something I'd expect to see out of an alpha hollow like him. He doesn't look anywhere near as intimidating in that base form. His skin is kind of radiant…maybe it's just the moonlight, but it looks pale like he's glowing. Hmm…now that I think about it, he's not half bad looking in this dim moonlight. If it weren't for those creepy eyes or the fact that he was a hollow, then I could sort of see the appeal. Wait…What am I even thinking?! Why should I care how he looks? It won't matter when he's dead. Speaking of dead, there's that traitorous bastard Aizen right there. Look at him standing there all proud of himself. Who knew what a difference not wearing those glasses would make. Aizen looks better without them, but he also looks like an arrogant prick. I wonder what they're talking about?'
Ichigo looked over at Aizen somewhat surprised, "I can't believe I'm saying this…but thanks. I never really thought about these abilities before. They've always felt so natural, that I guess I figured I didn't need to."
"No need to thank me, Ichigo…I'm sure you would have discovered it for yourself eventually," Aizen nodded.
Ichigo looked over at Aizen before staring at the moon deeply, "You're strange, Sousuke…you know so much about everything. Yet…I don't know anything about you other than the fact that you're a Shinigami Captain. I know you won't tell me everything…but who are you exactly?"
'They're on a first name basis? That's weird…has anyone ever called Aizen by his given name before?' Soifon thought somewhat disbelievingly.
"Who am I? Who are you? Who are they? Questions that everyone wants to know…in the end, we are what others perceive us to be. What do you perceive me to be, Ichigo?" the man asked curiously.
The orange haired arrancar shrugged, "I don't know…it's hard to say. I feel as if you know more about me than I do. That bothers me…you're a man of a thousand faces and a thousand secrets."
"And what are you, Ichigo?" Aizen questioned.
"A Hollow…a Shinigami…a Quincy? I don't even know what I am…but you do, don't you? What does it mean to be transcendent?" Ichigo asked distantly.
'A Quincy?! Transcendent?! Wait a minute…didn't Captain Shiba mention his wife lost powers too?! I assumed she was a Shinigami as well. She was a Quincy?! Is that what the Captain Commander meant when he said that Captain Shiba had former ties to the Quincies?! Does that mean…what the hell is that hollow then?!' Soifon could barely contain her shock.
Aizen looked at him seriously for a moment and sighed, "Transcendence is breaking the barrier between Hollow, Shinigami, and Quincy. It is like becoming a three dimensional being in a two dimensional world. It is essentially godhood."
"Is that what you're after? I've been wondering something…what are your plans after we kill the Soul King? What will become of our allegiance then? How will this end if we're both transcendent?" the arrancar wondered.
"I would prefer that you and I stay on good terms for the remainder of our lives. When that day finally comes…you will understand everything," Aizen replied vaguely.
Ichigo wasn't surprised by the man's response and simply sighed as he stared back at the moon again. Aizen looked up at it as well.
Soifon's eyes widened in shock as she tried to contemplate what she just heard, 'Did they just say they were going to kill the Soul King?! Are you kidding me?! Have they gone mad? There's no way in hell they could even get to the Royal Palace, let alone defeat the Soul King! Is that what Aizen's plan was all along?! To build a hollow army to overthrow the Soul Society and become transcendent?! He wants to become a god?'
Her inner rant was cut short as she noticed Ichigo and Aizen both staring at the moon. 'What are they doing? Why are they staring at the moon?'
"Do you know why the moon is soothing to hollows?" Aizen asked causing Ichigo to look at him curiously.
"No…why is that? I've always liked the moon…it's comforting," Ichigo stated.
"The moon is a reflection of light…a reflection of one's own heart and soul. It symbolizes eternity but also the passing of time. It represents longing and an unfulfilled desire welling up from within. To a hollow…the moon is your unreachable desires. Forever shining above you, and forever out of reach." Aizen said almost poetically.
Ichigo couldn't help but find the description somewhat impressive as he gave Aizen an approving nod, "Yeah…that makes sense. It's like chasing a light down a never-ending dark tunnel. I wonder if I'll ever reach the end…I wonder if I'll ever become whole."
"The end isn't what's important…the tunnel never ends unless one understands what lies beyond it. One day, you will understand. One day you will reach the moon and it will be full just like you." Aizen said deeply.
"Even if I do…I don't want to leave everyone else behind," Ichigo said somewhat sadly, "I can't do that…"
Aizen gave Ichigo a curious look, "I see…do you mind answering a question of mine, Ichigo?"
"Go ahead and ask," Ichigo replied.
The man paused for a moment before asking, "What would you do if you lost all of your power? How would you go on living if at all?"
Ichigo's eyes widened as he gave Aizen a shocked expression, "What are you saying? Is it possible I'm going to?"
"No, nothing like that…I would just like to know, what would you do if your powers were stripped from you? How would you go on living as a fragment of what you once were?" Aizen asked.
The hollow king shook his head deep in thought, "I would try to regain my powers. I'll never accept being powerless, so long as the Soul Society remains a threat, and there are others I have to protect. So long as I want to see the end of the tunnel, to reach the moon, and to be whole…I could never accept anything less. I could never accept being powerless."
"Hmm…" Aizen looked down as he contemplated Ichigo's response, "then you understand…true power is not one's physical strength or spiritual energy…it is the will that drives us to do what we must. Your will is strong, Ichigo…and it is your will that influences the other hollows. They look upon you like the moon in the sky. They fight for you because you're their light. If you fail…they will succumb to darkness, and they will all fail as well. Remember that you carry your desires as well as theirs."
"I won't fail…I can't fail," Ichigo replied with an intense confidence.
Soifon watched the scene with an utterly bizarre reaction, 'What the hell are they talking about over there?! Aizen and White are having a philosophical discussion? I never thought I'd see the day when a hollow and a Shinigami Captain discuss things like this. What's this about a light now?'
"I want to know more about the Soul Society, if you don't mind my asking. How big is it? What were all of those outer areas? Kaname briefly described them as districts," Ichigo finally changed the subject much to Soifon's relief.
Aizen looked at Ichigo for a moment before nodding his head, "The Soul Society is divided into 80 Rukongai Districts. The lower numbers are safer and closer to the Seireitei, which lies directly in the center. The higher numbers are dangerous, outskirts where lawlessness and poverty run rampant. I believe Kaname was born in one of those slums."
"What about you? Where were you born?" Ichigo asked curiously.
The Shinigami gave Ichigo a blank look, "I was born in the Soul Society a long time ago. The where is not really important. I became a Shinigami because I wanted to put my powers to better use. Though I've only been a captain for about a century."
"Hmm, who was your captain? Was it one of the ones there? Or did he die?" the hollow king seemed more interested in Aizen's past than the captain was expecting.
Aizen chuckled lightly, "Well…let's just say, my former captain was not all that impressive. He didn't die…but I eventually took his place after he was labeled a traitor to the Soul Society."
"I'm guessing you set him up then…" Ichigo automatically assumed.
The brown haired man didn't seem surprised by Ichigo's conclusion, "Yes and no…I used him and several other captains as test subjects for a hollowfication experiment about a century ago. They were all failures, that I assumed were going to die, but a man named Kisuke Urahara found a way to reverse their hollowfication which eventually turned them into what is known as Visoreds."
"Visoreds? What the hell are they?" Ichigo rose a brow.
"They're Shinigami with hollow powers…sort of like arrancars, but less powerful. I wouldn't be surprised if they make an appearance at some point now that I am revealed to be an enemy of the Gotei 13," Aizen concluded.
Ichigo seemed interested in the topic, "Shinigami with hollow powers…is that why you know so much about hollows then? You've been experimenting?"
"I wanted to create an arrancar army…and now I have. Does that make enough sense to you, Ichigo?" Aizen elaborated.
The hollow king nodded, "I get it…so how many of these Visoreds are there anyway? Also…is this Kisuke Urahara guy going to be a problem?"
"There are about seven Visoreds if I remember correctly. None of them are really anything to be concerned with. Urahara, on the other hand, is a man that you should be extremely cautious around. He is very intelligent and extremely dangerous if you underestimate him. I imagine he'll probably have some kind of plan to stop us. He will be one of the Shinigami war potentials that we will need to be wary of," Aizen deduced.
"I need names here…and tell me what these war potentials can do," Ichigo half demanded.
"The Shinigami only really have six foes that you should be concerned with. Captain Commander Genryusai Yamamoto, Fourth Division Captain Yachiru Unohana, Former Tenth Division Captain Isshin Shiba, Former Twelfth Division Captain Kisuke Urahara, Eleventh Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and Twelfth Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Yamamoto is the most powerful and will likely try to fight you himself. Unohana is the second oldest and one of the strongest captains. She is a very dangerous warrior with a variety of different abilities. Isshin Shiba, your father, has the same Getsuga abilities as you do, and his bankai is very powerful. Urahara is a crafty opponent. His true threat lies in his intelligent planning. Kenpachi Zaraki, you've already fought before. As you might have noticed, he gets stronger the longer he fights someone. While he isn't as dangerous as those other three, he would prove a dangerous foe for most of the Espada. Taking him out early would be ideal. The last war potential, Mayuri Kurotsuchi is a lot like Urahara, in that he is more of a strategist. He typically comes up with all of their research experiments and will easily exploit weaknesses if you let him. He's also been working on a Garganta so that the Soul Society could come here directly," Aizen explained thoroughly.
Ichigo thought for moment, "What about the rest of the captains? The white haired one and the pink Kimono one looked like they were strong."
Aizen gave Ichigo a serious stare, "Your Espada would be better suited for dealing with those two."
"Are none of the other captains a threat?" Ichigo wondered.
"No…they are all fodder and trash. They are no match for the upper espada, let alone you or me," Aizen replied.
'Fodder?! Trash?! Is that what Aizen thinks of me?! That fucking traitorous bastard!' Soifon fumed mentally.
"Can you list them all for me anyway?" Ichigo requested.
Aizen sighed, "Very well…I'll name off the lesser captains. The Second Division, Captain is a woman named Soifon. Her powers are very unimpressive and I doubt she could even scratch you. Her predecessor was much more impressive in my opinion."
'Lesser Captains?! Fuck you Aizen! I'm not weak! How could he just bad mouth me so effortlessly like that?! Why does everyone think I'm a pushover?!' Soifon gritted her teeth furiously.
"The Sixth Division Captain is Byakuya Kuchiki. While he is more impressive than others, he barely held his own against Ulquiorra in Vasto Lorde form. He is intelligent though…I would let one of the middle ranked Espada deal with him. The Seventh Division Captain is Sajin Komamura…he is a beastly looking creature. He tried to attack you during our escape. As you probably remember, he wasn't much of an opponent. The Eighth Division Captain is the one with the pink Kimono, Shunsui Kyouraku. He is strong, but like I said…one of your upper espada can handle him. Same goes for Jushiro Ukitake, the Thirteenth Division Captain with the long white hair. Their abilities can prove annoying…but they are nowhere near as dangerous as the six war potentials that I listed." Aizen continued.
'Aizen doubts Kyouraku and Ukitake, but he thinks Zaraki is stronger than them? What kind of weird logic is that? And how is Kurotsuchi considered an ace and not me? Also…did he forget to mention Captain Hitsugaya?' Soifon thought.
"Hmm…what about that short kid with the spiky white hair? He was a captain right?" Ichigo asked as he remembered fighting Toshiro during his encounter with Kenpachi Zaraki.
A very faint grin etched Aizen's face at the mention of the final captain, "Ah him? That would be the captain of the tenth division, Toshiro Hitsugaya…he is fodder. He would likely prove just as useless in a fight against either one of us as Captains Soifon or Komamura. I wouldn't even bother concerning yourself with them."
'Damn you Aizen! I hate you! I can't wait for the Soul Society to kick your arrogant ass and stomp that smugness right out of you! You guys won't be laughing when I report your plans to the Soul Society! We'll see how useless I am then!' Soifon thought furiously as she clenched her fists tightly.
"There's something else that's been bothering me…how did my sister become a Shinigami? She was a normal human living in Karakura Town. You say my father brought her there? Tell me the whole story," Ichigo directed a serious question towards Aizen.
The man shook his head in disappointment, "I believe it had something to do with Kisuke Urahara as I mentioned before. He and your father encouraged her to pursue that path. I saw him bring the girl to the Shinigami Academy. Beyond that, I don't really know the specifics of the situation."
"Pfft…I can't believe she got involved in all of this. My father is one thing, but my little sister…I can't fight her. I won't fight her." Ichigo thought angrily.
'He still cares about his sister? Hmm…that's strange. We might be able to use the girl to prevent him from using any super dangerous area attacks. Though…it'd be kind of heartless to do that. It should only be a last resort,' Soifon thought.
"She'll only continue to grow in power. How long will it be before she's strong enough to kill your followers? Will you be able to ignore her then?" Aizen asked.
Ichigo grimaced in annoyance, "She better just go home…"
"If it comes down to it, I can persuade her to leave with Kyoka Suigetsu," Aizen said reassuringly.
"Hopefully it won't…" Ichigo trailed off deep in thought.
He immediately shifted his gaze to a strange rocky formation nearby, "I sense something over there…"
Aizen turned his attention towards the rock as well, "Yes…it's very faint, but I do as well. Someone's in the shadows."
'Oh fuck! They can sense me?! Damn you Urahara and your useless cloak!' Soifon thought fearfully as she brought the spyglass down tensing up. She immediately put it away and physically prepped herself to sprint away the moment Ichigo or Aizen made a move.
Before either he or Aizen could say another word, they noticed a sneaky silver haired Shinigami come from behind the rock formation. It was none other than Gin Ichimaru. The silver haired foxy man waved at them with a cheery grin, "Hey, I was wondering where you two ran off."
'How long has he been there?! He's practically right next to me!' Soifon thought concerned as she very slowly distanced herself and got lower into the shadows.
Ichigo looked at Gin suspiciously, "So it was you, hiding in the shadows over there? You don't have to sneak around…it makes you look suspicious."
"Ahaha, well sorry about that. You and Aizen-sama were having an interesting conversation and I didn't want to interrupt." Gin said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
'Hmm…so it was him over there?' Ichigo thought as Gin moved closer. His spiritual pressure was noticeably higher than its normal state much to Ichigo and Aizen's curiosity.
"Ah, Gin…is there something you needed?" Aizen asked.
"I just wanted to see how you two were getting along. How goes the training?" Gin deflected expertly.
"Quite well actually. I was helping Ichigo to understand his cero. We were actually about to spar, if you'd care to watch, Gin," Aizen suggested.
'They were? The hell? I didn't hear anything about them sparring,' Soifon thought incredulously.
Ichigo simply chuckled at the comment, "I wouldn't mind a quick skirmish with you."
The silver haired man beamed at the suggestion, "It'd be an honor to watch you train Aizen-sama. It's been ages since I've seen you do it."
"Keeping track of the days are you?" Aizen said with a slight grin.
Ichigo looked between Gin and Aizen somewhat confused, 'Why is there this strange tension between these two? For close friends, they sure seem kind of fake in their exchanges.'
"Now Ichigo, you command overwhelming power, but you will sometimes be faced with enemies that are very well trained in what is called Kido. I want to demonstrate some of it to you. There are three primary types known as Hado, Bakudo, and Kaido. The first uses offensive based spells, The second one is more battle supportive and suppressive, and the last one is healing based. Many high level Shinigami are experienced in some manner or another with Kido," Aizen stated.
Gin's eyes opened fully as he watched the scene with curiosity, 'Is Aizen really about to try what I think he is?'
"These Kido spells are ranked from 1 to 99. The higher the number, the more deadly the spell…though a powerful kido user can turn even low level spells into a deadly attack. Yamamoto, Unohana, and Urahara are all experts in Kido. That is something to be aware of," Aizen continued.
'Aizen's not taking any chances with them is he? I wonder what he has planned for Ichigo? Is that hollow under Kyoka Suigetsu's influence? Neither one of them have said a word about what happened ever since they had that talk down in the Menos Forest. For them to be this agreeable…could Aizen have managed to get Ichigo under his control? No…he couldn't have. Aizen was bleeding when he got back. I wonder what happened? Whatever it was…it certainly affected these two in some way. It's strange how they talk to one another. It's almost as if Aizen trusts him…why?' Gin contemplated.
"I've never seen a Shinigami do anything like that before…I thought your powers were all based around your Zanpakutos?" Ichigo thought aloud.
Aizen gave Ichigo a knowing stare, "That is why it is good that we're training. By eliminating all possible solutions for your opponents' victory, our success is one hundred percent guaranteed."
"Alright so…how does Kido work?" Ichigo asked.
"Typically a Shinigami has to do an incantation to perform one of these spells, but a skilled user can skip that process at the cost of a weaker effect. While the drawbacks are noticeable, it gives one a perfect opportunity for a surprise attack if they use a chantless Kido. Most veterans usually prefer a medium between these two extremes and will typically just name the spell," the brown haired man's explanation seemed to fascinate Ichigo, and brought a slight hint of concern to Gin.
Though he was outwardly passive, Gin mentally cringed at the idea of Aizen teaching Ichigo the intricacies of Kido. The silver haired man couldn't help but wonder what Sousuke Aizen had planned, 'Does he intend on teaching Kido to a hollow? That would be unprecedented…'
Still hidden behind Gin, several paces away, Soifon felt a sharp shiver run down her spine, 'Aizen's teaching White about Kido…that's really bad news for us. Looks like Ichimaru is standing in front of my hiding spot now. Did he not sense me over here? Well…I caught a lucky break. They might have noticed me if he didn't show up when he did. Or...maybe they didn't sense me at all. Maybe it was just him they sensed? Hell none of this makes sense.'
Aizen smiled as he spoke a spell, "Hado number 88: Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho."
Gin and Soifon both watched with shock as Aizen fired a literal beam of lightning out of his hand towards Ichigo. The arrancar's eyes widened at its sheer magnitude, 'What the hell is that?!'
Ichigo countered it as he held his bloody hand up, "Gran Rey Cero!"
Before the powerful beam of lightning could strike him, Ichigo countered it with his deadly cero. Both beams locked into a tremendous surge of explosive energy. It exerted an indescribable amount of force as Soifon and Gin found it much harder to move.
As the countering beams pushed against each other, they grew larger and larger by the second. Soifon's eyes widened shocked at the sight, 'They call this training? This looks like a death match…'
'Captain Aizen certainly didn't pull any punches…that's the same Hado that moustache guy used on us over a century ago. I wasn't aware Aizen knew how to do it,' Gin thought incredulously.
Ichigo's Cero and Aizen's Kido were deadlocked for almost half a minute before the cero managed to push it back. Soifon stared in disbelief, 'How long has this been going on?! It looks like White's pushing it back. His cero can counter a forbidden high level Hado of that size with just sheer power? I don't know whether to be impressed or horrified…'
"Bakudo number 81: Danku," Aizen stated causing a powerful barrier to come up and block the cero before it could hit him. After the attack subsided, Ichigo stared with curiosity, "What was that? A barrier?"
"A Bakudo is a more versatile spell that is best suited for weakening an opponent or countering them. It can be used for good defensive spells as well," Aizen explained.
"That looks useful…" Ichigo noted.
"Try to use a Getsuga against me Ichigo…I want to show you something," Aizen said coolly.
Ichigo drew his blade and swung it at Aizen in its sealed form releasing a controlled burst of black and red spiritual power in an arced wave of energy.
Before it could make contact, Aizen drew his sword and deflected the Getsuga with just one swing. Ichigo laughed at the display, "I wasn't expecting something so simple…"
"I wasn't expecting a weak Getsuga either…I thought you wanted to spar," Aizen said almost grinning.
Gin frowned slightly at the sight, 'What is Aizen doing? He seems to be in a good mood for some reason…'
The brown haired man held his blade up in a fighting stance. Ichigo cocked his head somewhat confused before Aizen flew towards him a split second later. He swiftly brought his sword up to block Aizen's causing a loud clang to ensue.
Both warriors pressed swords against one another before flaking their blades off to the side. The moment after doing so, a considerable chunk of sand and earth came blasting out of the ground as it crumbled into the distance. Gin stared at the display somewhat impressed, 'Even in their base states, a simple parry caused that much residual force?'
Ichigo seemed surprised by Aizen's strength, "I don't remember you being this strong, before…"
"That's your number one weakness, Ichigo…" Aizen replied calmly. Ichigo immediately swung his blade in for swift slash, which met Kyoka Suigetsu. Both blades flaked off again causing an adjacent eruption of earth to go flying once again.
Slowly, they continued to parry and swing their Zanpakutos as the pace of the battle began to increase. Ichigo couldn't help but find Aizen's form flawless. As their blades crossed repeatedly in destructive waves of pressure, the nearby area was quickly devastated.
Soifon felt worried that her hiding spot wasn't going to last at the rate they were going. She stared at the sword fight amazed, 'They're moving so fast, I can barely see them!'
To Ichigo and Aizen, their exchange felt slow, but Gin and Soifon seemed to think otherwise as they both witnessed the blinking blur of Aizen and Ichigo appearing across the battlefield repeatedly parrying the other's attacks. Sparks seemed to fill the air as the blurs got faster and faster.
They both stopped briefly as they gripped their swords with two hands. Gin couldn't help but find the scene strange, 'I've never seen Aizen use Kendo…Ichigo seems to be copying him. This ought to be interesting.'
Aizen looked at Ichigo curiously, "You're trained in Kendo are you?"
"I had some experience when I was a human…" Ichigo replied.
Aizen smiled at his remark, "Show me."
Both warriors charged in and swung their blades with full force causing a sonic boom. The pressure behind the clash was so great that it actually sent both combatants flying back from each other. Gin covered his ears as they repeated the move and before long, the following clashes began to pick up again in another torrent of attacks.
Gin could only compare this training match to a mortar barrage due to the booming noise and ridiculous amount of damage it was doing to the surrounding landscape.
Soifon could barely believe the sheer magnitude of this sparring match, 'I had no idea Captain Aizen was this powerful…he's holding his own against White better than I expected he would. Has he been downplaying his power this entire time?'
Aizen swung overhead, narrowly missing Ichigo. The orange haired arrancar reflexively spun to the side as Aizen's blade came swinging up right away. He dove down and rolled into a strong slice, but the Shinigami managed to block it as he angled his blade down.
Ichigo quickly cleaved in an opposite rotation hoping to catch Aizen off guard. Swinging his leg over Ichigo's twisting sword, Aizen spun over it into a swift parry. Briefly leaping back, Ichigo ran in for a powerful charge. Aizen did the same and once again, their blades collided in another standoff. This time, both warriors pressed hard against one another.
Neither one really seemed to have the upper hand at first as they pushed back and forth. Ichigo looked at Aizen impressed as they continued to push, "You're pretty good at fighting, Sousuke. Definitely faster than I remember…but you're not stronger than I am."
Ichigo slowly began to push Aizen back now, much to Gin's shock. The silver haired man kept his reaction hidden, but he couldn't help but find it remarkable that Ichigo could not only match Aizen's strength but surpass it.
Aizen smiled as Ichigo began to get the upper hand, "Perhaps not…but I see an opening. Hainawa," Before he had time to react, Ichigo noticed Aizen form a strange energy rope.
Ichigo soon felt the strange rope of energy wrap around one of his arms. Aizen tugged at it forcing Ichigo to weaken his grip. The arrancar immediately pulled against it, causing the rope to strain. However during his brief moment of doing so, Aizen delivered a powerful slash across his chest. After his attack made contact, Aizen leapt back and took in Ichigo's reaction.
He looked at Aizen somewhat surprised, "Nice move…but you're going to have to do better than that."
"That was simply a scratch so that I could use Kaido. Allow me to show you how it works," Aizen stated as he stepped forward and held his hand up. A green glow covered it as he held it up to Ichigo's wound.
The hollow's wounds were already healing due to his natural regeneration, but the Kaido sped the process along. He looked at the green glow around Aizen's hand as the Shinigami pulled it back. A small chuckle escaped Ichigo's lips as he looked at Aizen, "Is it possible for me to learn Kido?"
'Oh hell no…please tell me that this is not really happening,' Soifon thought horrified.
Gin seemed deep in thought, 'This is bad news for the Soul Society…'
"Possibly…I would be interested to see if you were capable," Aizen said coolly.
Before Ichigo could reply, a crashing thud caught his attention. He looked up curiously as he spotted Wonderweiss. The purple eyed blonde waved at him in a friendly fashion. Moments later, Luppi appeared right behind him. Wonderweiss looked between Ichigo and Aizen for a brief moment before speaking, "White…Szayel asked me to come get you. He said he found something out about that Quincy Blood on your coat."
"Really? Hmm…I should probably go see him then. We need to find out what this Wandenreich is capable of. I guess we'll have to pick this up another time, Sousuke…" Ichigo waved before heading off with Wonderweiss and Luppi.
After they were gone, Aizen looked over at Gin somewhat amused, "Is something bothering you, Gin?"
"No, Aizen-sama…I just found your little skirmish with White kind of impressive. You seemed to be enjoying yourself," Gin noted.
Aizen simply began to walk away, "Perhaps…Ichigo is my greatest achievement. I enjoy watching him grow. He has surpassed my expectations. I'm kind of glad he became a hollow now. Things are going much smoother because of it."
"I don't know you to be on a first name basis with anyone…I'm surprised you let him address you so casually," Gin said carefully.
The brown haired Shinigami gave Gin a careless shrug, "Ichigo is worthy enough to address me by name. So I don't mind."
'Why does the idea of them being friends make me nervous? It's going to be a lot harder to find my moment of opportunity now…' Gin thought to himself as Aizen headed back to Las Noches. The silver haired Shinigami shook the doubt from his thoughts as he watched Aizen depart. The brown haired man didn't seem to waste any time as he simply flashed away leaving Gin at the torn up battleground.
The silver haired man sighed as he glanced down, deep in thought. He couldn't help but wonder what the nature of Ichigo and Aizen's true allegiance was. Deep down, he had a feeling that Aizen was on to him, and was using Ichigo as a shield. Whatever the case, Gin knew that things were going to become much more dangerous for everyone as a result of Ichigo and Aizen's mutual cooperation with one another.
After he was convinced that Aizen was far out of range, he turned around and looked at the rocky formation behind him.
Soifon, who was still hiding at this particular rock formation held her breath as she pressed herself against the ground and remained as motionless as possible. She had one eye open barely trained on Gin who wasn't very far away.
Her one open eye cautiously looked up and immediately widened when she noticed Gin staring directly at her in the shadows. The silver haired captain's blue eyes had a strange look in them much to Soifon's surprise. Time all but seemed to stop as the Stealth Force Leader felt her heart skip several beats, 'He sees me! Did he know I was here this entire time?! I need to get out of here!'
"What a pretty rock formation," Gin chuckled to himself as he looked away pretending like he didn't see Soifon. The woman stared at him incredulously, 'What the?! Did he not see me? He must have…he was looking directly at me!'
She wasn't sure whether or not Gin was just trying to get her to lower her guard. Reluctantly, she remained where she was and waited for him to leave. Much to her fear, he didn't. Gin briefly chuckled to himself before speaking again, "Although…such a rare looking formation is an oddity out in the middle of the desert. It's quite the miracle that it didn't end up getting destroyed in the battle just now. It must have been because I was standing here…"
'He knows I'm here…Damn Ichimaru is messing with me!' Soifon thought worried.
Deciding she was out of options, Soifon leapt from her hiding spot and immediately got into a defensive stance glaring at Gin hatefully. The silver haired man faked surprise when he saw her, "Oh goodness! Captain Soifon!? Are my eyes deceiving me? You were here this entire time?!"
"Shut up, Ichimaru! You damn traitor!" Soifon growled.
"Not just a traitor…but a damn traitor. That must be quite a bit worse," he said casually.
She looked at him cautiously as she tried to figure out what to do, "How long did you know I was here?"
"I actually followed you out here…strange that I couldn't sense your Reiatsu, but you didn't move fast enough to avoid me spotting you as you left Las Noches," Gin replied.
The woman's face went pale, "Y-you…followed me out here?! You're lying! If you knew I was here, you would have said something to them!"
"Hmm…I'm surprised you actually had the courage to come here by yourself after the attack on the Soul Society. Those cloaks aren't really known for being one hundred percent effective…especially against powerful individuals like White and Captain Aizen. I'm honestly surprised it took them that long to notice you. I think the cloaks are emotion-based to some degree. You should have kept your cool," Gin chuckled.
"Why are you guys working with Aizen!? Huh?! Why did you betray us for an allegiance with hollows?!" And why didn't you tell them I was here if you knew?!" She demanded angrily.
Gin looked at her somewhat amused, "Now that is an interesting bunch of questions. Betrayal is such a terrible thing isn't it?"
"You tell me…you're the one who did it!" she growled.
"How's everybody been since we left?" Gin asked enthusiastically.
Soifon couldn't help but find his tone, infuriating. She gave him the meanest look she could muster, "Why would you care?! Everyone's still pissed…your Lieutenant Izuru, and Matsumoto are both devastated. I hope you're happy with what you've done…I hope you enjoy living in this dark desert with a bunch of megalomaniacs and monsters!"
"It's not all bad out here…and they're more lunatics than anything. The moon is quite the icon around here." Gin said lightheartedly.
"They're talking about killing the Soul King…are you seriously in support of something so preposterous?!" Soifon demanded angrily.
Gin sighed, "Well, not exactly…but it's what Captain Aizen wants. Believe me when I say…if he wants something, he'll find a way to get it. He finally has his arrancar army."
"Shut up! So are we going to do this or what?!" Soifon asked as she reached for her Zanpakuto.
Gin looked at her seriously as he slowly put his hand on his hilt, "Are you sure you want to do that?"
"I'm sure as hell not about to be captured without a fight!" she countered.
"The only reason they didn't sense you is because I was here to cover you…in case that wasn't obvious," Gin stated bluntly, causing Soifon to stare at him disbelievingly.
She shook her head, "Then…you were trying to cover me?! Why?!"
"You should go…I won't be able to hide your presence next time. It's quite miraculous neither one of them spotted you before I showed up. I wouldn't waste this chance to leave," Gin said slightly more serious now.
Soifon gawked at him shocked, "A-are you not loyal to them?"
Gin stared at her seriously, "We never saw each other…I can pretend I didn't see you and you can keep this a pretty little secret can't ya? I'd appreciate it if you left this detail out of your report…"
'Is he not really loyal to Aizen?! Ichimaru is a double agent?!' Soifon thought disbelievingly.
She wasn't sure whether or not this was a set up to get her to lower her guard. Soifon backed away as she kept her eyes glued on the silver haired man. This continued until she was far enough away, before she began to take off.
As she took off, Gin stood there frowning slightly, 'I hope she keeps her mouth shut…I only have one chance and I don't need the Soul Society ruining it. Though I only have the ability to take out one of them. I wonder who is more dangerous…Aizen, or Ichigo? Damn it…Aizen's always one step ahead.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Outside of Szayel's Laboratory XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As Ichigo followed Wonderweiss and Luppi through the hallways of Las Noches towards Szayel's new laboratory, he couldn't help but notice the annoyed look on Luppi's face.
The dark haired arrancar let out an over exaggerated sigh quickly announcing his displeasure. Ichigo cocked his head curiously, "What's wrong, Luppi?"
"Hmph, well besides the fact that I didn't make it into the Espada and I'm this guy's lackey now…nothing much," Luppi stated with a touch of displeasure.
Wonderweiss looked back at him with a reassuring smile, "You're not my lackey. I just wanted a fraccion close enough to my power level I could train with."
Luppi's aggravated face seemed to ease up slightly as he rose a brow at Wonderweiss, "You trying to win me over with flattery? It's not going to work. I'll do what you say, but I'm not your pal."
"You should feel honored that an Espada chose you to be in their Fraccion, Luppi. It means he recognized your worth." Ichigo persuaded.
The effeminate arrancar looked at Ichigo somewhat understandingly, "I suppose you have a point there."
Before their conversation could continue, an over-excited pink haired man met them at the entrance to his laboratory. Szayel was standing there with a beaming grin on his face, "Glorious, exalted High King White! I have amazing news that might just earn me a bit of your affection!"
Ichigo chuckled at his enthusiasm, "Alright…what did you find, Szayel?"
"Come in! Come in! I want you to look inside my laboratory first! I wasted no time in getting it set up properly!" Szayel said as he waved the three hollows in with an inviting arm motion.
As they passed inside, Ichigo looked around somewhat impressed by all the various different mechanical devices set up. He didn't get much of a chance to look around as Szayel grabbed his forearm and practically pulled him to a specific section in the laboratory.
Upon reaching their destination, Szayel let go and ran over to work several panels causing a large tank to rise out of the ground. Inside of it, was a strange concoction of dark liquid. Ichigo looked at it somewhat confused before meeting Szayel's gaze.
He immediately began to explain what they were looking at, "As you can see, your Excellency, this is a vaccine I created using the blood sample you gave to me. Sadly there isn't as much…your pants would have provided 120 percent increased results, but I digress. I discovered what this blood can do. After testing it on some…subjects…I discovered that is has the ability to latch onto living beings just by touching them. It has some strange type of reishi manipulation properties, which could very easily give one control over anything it affects. Now I am almost positive of what kind of effect this would have if its source owner was around. It would give that person the ability to contaminate another's blood and control them through it. But that's not all! This blood has amazing healing properties and can even reanimate and replenish dead tissue. Due to its composition, I imagine high exposure to this blood would darken the skin of stronger spiritual beings because-"
"I think he gets the idea…so what's this vaccine for?" Luppi interrupted causing Szayel to give him an intolerable huff.
The pink haired man crossed his arms as he took a step back, "Well…I forget we're in the presence of lesser minded hollows. I will cut to the chase then. The Quincy who shed this blood has a necromantic nature. This vaccine can counter the Sternritter's ability to control living targets."
"Yeah I think her name was Giselle or something like that," Ichigo remembered the very creepy Quincy.
Szayel's eyes widened slightly, "Yes…Giselle you say? I looked over her DNA samples from the blood and-"
"Nobody cares…" Luppi protested in annoyance, "how is this relevant?"
The pink haired man sighed, "I suppose it isn't…anyways, this vaccine I created has the ability to counteract the effect on our living…but I am not entirely sure if it'll work for a dead arrancar. Their immune system and spiritual power ceases to function after vital organs shut down and…ahem, excuse my ranting. I don't mean to bore you with all of this. Essentially, the vaccine is ready for our army.."
"It's okay, Szayel…good work. I actually have another project for you if you're not too busy," Ichigo replied.
Szayel immediately bowed his head, "I'm never too busy to help you, White…"
"Alright then, I need you to develop some kind of way to counter Quincies with hollow blood. Apparently, we're poisonous to them…see what you can do with that. Maybe create a biological weapon?" Ichigo suggested.
The pink haired scientist immediately burst into an unrestrained grin, "I love the way you think, White! Truly, you and I are two of a kind. Your genius suggestion is perfect! I will get started immediately!"
"Sounds good…also, make sure you get some time in to train too. Everyone needs to be ready to fight," the hollow king stated.
Szayel gave Ichigo a curt nod, "Of course…I'll make sure I refine my abilities."
"Find a training partner too if you can. Preferably someone you won't…damage too badly," Wonderweiss added with a faint concern.
Luppi shook his head as Szayel began to run around the room gathering various supplies for his new project, "What a nut job…"
"Hey, at least he's on our side…" Ichigo replied.
"My brother's crazy…there's no beating around the boulder there," a newly arrived arrancar stated. Ichigo quickly recognized it as Yylfordt. Szayel turned his gaze towards the doorway and spotted the blonde hollow, "Ah look who decided to come visit me in my new lab!"
"Yeah I didn't come hang out with you, Szayel…Grimmjow was looking for you White," the blonde explained to Ichigo as he ignored his pink haired brother.
The hollow scientist gawked at him irritably, "Well fine…just ignore me then."
"Shouldn't you be getting to work? I'm pretty sure White just gave you an order," Yylfordt countered.
The pink haired man narrowed his gaze and gave a cocky grin, "Ah yes…of course. You must not know what it's like having others depend on you."
Before an argument could break out, Ichigo quickly interrupted, "Take me to Grimmjow…I'll go see what he wants."
"Of course, High King," Yylfordt nodded. As he led Ichigo, Wonderweiss, and Luppi out of the lab, he briefly glanced back and gave Szayel a rude gesture.
As they exited, Luppi looked at Yylfordt curiously, "For brothers, you two sure do act like you hate each other."
"It's complicated…he's always been an annoying, condescending prick." Yylfordt sighed.
"You got that right…I don't like that wackjob," Luppi nodded in agreement.
Yylfordt narrowed his gaze disapprovingly, "Hey…don't call him that. It's only okay if I do it. He is still my brother after all."
Luppi cocked his head uncertainly, "So wait…it's okay for you to call him crazy, but I can't? And who cares if he's your brother?"
"If you don't know what it's like to have a sibling, then it's hard to explain. No matter what they do to piss you off, you can't help but not hate them. Szayel is a bit eccentric yes…but I think he's pretty loyal, all things considered," Yylfordt explained.
Luppi shook his head, "Yeah…if you say so. Do you know what he's talking about, King White?"
Ichigo lowered his head as he thought about his underling's comment, 'No matter what they do to piss you off, you can't help but not hate them. Karin…I'll free you from their clutches even if you don't want me to.'
"I do," Ichigo nodded, "siblings look after one another no matter what. You don't care if they're right or wrong…you just care."
"Huh…do you have any siblings?" Luppi asked Ichigo curiously.
The Hollow King briefly glanced at him before sighing, "Yeah…I did. It's not something I really feel like talking about."
"I believe Grimmjow is down that hallway," Yylfordt changed the subject.
As they made their way back down a large hallway, Ichigo soon noticed Grimmjow leaning against the wall with a bored look on his face.
Upon spotting the new arrivals, the blue haired Espada grinned, "Yo, White…glad you came. I had a favor I wanted to ask you."
"Sure thing, what is it?" Ichigo replied.
Grimmjow paused for a moment before answering, "Do you mind teaching my Fraccion how to fight as a team? I'm good at refining their fighting abilities, but they don't really seem to understand battle synergy. I saw your three using some interesting combos and thought you might be able to straighten them out?"
"Yeah sure, I can help them out," Ichigo nodded.
"Cool, they're a ways out in the desert right now. Let's go whip those lazy wimps into shape," Grimmjow grinned.
"Do you mind if we come too?" Wonderweiss asked Grimmjow. The sexta glanced at Wonderweiss curiously, "Uhh…I guess so. Why?"
"Maybe you should make them fight my Fraccion," Wonderweiss pointed at Luppi.
The dark haired arrancar's eyes widened, "What? I don't want to fight them…"
"Sounds like a plan…" Grimmjow laughed causing Luppi's face to widen with disbelief.
He glared at Grimmjow unhappily, "Doesn't he have like five or six fracciones?"
"This might prove beneficial to both parties," Ichigo spoke as he and the others followed Grimmjow.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A good distance away from Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Deeper in the desert, Soifon finally stopped to catch her breath. She had been running since Gin found her and was now contemplating her next course of action. 'I need to retreat…if Aizen and White can sense me even faintly, then this mission is too dangerous.'
Examining the device on her wrist she realized it was probably a good idea to open the Garganta and leave immediately. Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance as three loud sounds caught her attention. Looking up anxiously, she paled in horror.
Three individuals surrounded her. They were adorned in white buttoned uniforms and were clearly not hollows. One had a strange helmet that almost reminded her of a medieval knight. Another had an unusual visor and terrible teeth. The final one had a sophisticated, condescending look about him.
"Rogue target confirmed…Shinigami, captain class," the strange helmeted one said in a robotic way.
"Well what do we have here, hmm? A Shinigami Captain all alone in Hueco Mundo?" the condescending one said.
"Kirge, orders?" BG9 asked.
The man waved his arm aggressively, "Don't let her escape."
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