Chapter 13: The Start of a Catalyst
His name was Ichigo Kurosaki. A human.
He was a boy with spiked orange hair, and a rugged face that always seemed as if he was glaring. Many viewed him in Karakura Town as a sort of delinquent due to colour of his hair, and his quick temper.
Currently, such things hardly mattered.
For he was in the black and white garb of a Soul Reaper, or Shinigami.
Ishida Uryuu was by Ichigo's back, and the both of them were in the midst of battle surrounded by numerous hollows.
The entire situation was caused due the hollow bait Ishida had used as a means to start a competition with Ichigo.
"I don't see an end to them!" Ichigo yelled, cleaving a hollow in half with his oversized sword.
It was a flat and standard blade with a square hilt used to prevent attacks to the hands. From a different perspective though, it was identical to the unreleased form of a Shinigami's Zanpakuto.
"This is quite strange," Ishida muttered. The bait he used should not have been able to draw this absurd number of hollows into one location. In fact, the bait did not possess enough spiritual energy to even tempt this many.
Most weaker hollows unable to fend for themselves with just their power alone in Hueco Mundo, turned to the human world as a means to increase their strength. By consuming the spiritual power of the more spiritually aware humans, they could harness that strength and use it as their own. In this regard, hollows were mainly attracted to the human world based on the quantity of spiritual power they could detect.
This was why Ishida was growing confused as not only were the numbers of hollows increasing, but so too was their strength. Guilt began to take root within him. The number of hollows was just too much to be handled without letting a quantity of them escape into Karakura Town.
From there, it couldn't be helped that innocents would get involved, and maybe some of them could remotely stumble upon the new training partner he had made.
Ishida's efforts increased, the quality of his arrows thinning as he chose to focus on quantity. However, because of this, the general power of his attacks was reduced.
Ichigo on the other hand, made up for this.
The hollows that Ishida managed to injure, Ichigo would deal the finishing blow.
The thought alone that a Shinigami was fighting along side a Quincy, sobered Ishida's mind. This kind of situation had been exactly what his grandfather had been striving for.
Ishida's grandfather was the one who taught him the art of the Quincy unlike his father who seemed to have had abandoned it. Because of this, Ishida held a great deal of respect and devotion to his grandfather, taking to heart the lessons he was taught and improving himself with them. In this regard, there was no way he didn't know his grandfather's biggest dream.
A day where Quincy and Shingami would put aside their differences and work together to approach an equilibrium of sorts, and obtain an understanding of one another. It was that very dream though that lead Ishida's grandfather to his death.
Holding out by himself against a group of hollows, Ishida's grandfather waited desperately for a group of Shinigami to come to come to his aid, only for them to come far too late.
Since then, the animosity Ishida held against the Shinigami had morphed into bitter resentment knowing that he was then the last Quincy. That was until that woman ad showed up.
"They aren't stopping," Ichigo clicked his tongue as he landed with back facing Ishida. "Got any ideas?"
Ishida pushed up his glasses and monitored the area around him, his eyes focusing on the largest gargantia forming in the air. A bad premonition soon took root within him seeing the hollows at the edge of his vision fleeing back into Hueco Mundo.
Hollows were sentient beings, and only a stronger being could force them to run away so openly.
Ishida's lack of an answer drew Ichigo's attention.
However, it was then that Ishida spoke, a tremble in his voice. "In the sky, what is that?"
Indeed, within the cracks formed from the gargantia, a massive hand appeared to grip at the very fabric of the world; a lone eye peering in before a second hand emerged and began prying the gargantia open wider.
Kon, the mod soul currently in possession of Ichigo's body seemed to stagger at that moment. Yet no one's reaction was as telling as Rukia Kuchiki, the Shinigami tasked with defending Karakura Town.
Rukia's eyes were wide open, her mouth trying to form words, but failing again and again as her complexion paled considerably.
"T-The hollow bait couldn't have caused this," Ishida tried to deny.
Ichigo scowled. "There's no use trying to deny anything now. This entire competition between us to kill the most hollows was decided by you," he said.
As if agitated by the larger hollow's arrival, the other weaker hollows began to attack in sheer number.
Both Ishida and Ichigo prepared their weapons, but a spray of spirit bullets rendered the incoming hollows into nothing.
A little girl stood in front of them with a box like device on her shoulder that rapidly fired shot after shot of spiritual energy, reducing even more of the hollow's numbers down. Not too far off was a little kid wielding a bat which he used to strike down hollows, and near him was a man who killed them bare-handed.
"Hat-and-clogs?" Ichigo said, lowering his sword.
Ishida only raised his guard up after seeing the new arrivals.
Kisuke smiled from beneath the green and white patterned fan he kept in his right hand.
"Now now Kurasaki, this isn't the time to be flapping your lips, rather you should concentrate on fighting him while we deal with the rest of them," Kisuke spoke, pointing at the hollow in the sky that had managed to pry open the gargantia large enough for it's head to pass through.
Looking up at the giant hollow, it was Rukia who began to explain what it was.
"M-Menos Grande," she eventually whispered with her body trembling. "It's a gigantic hollow said to be born when hundreds of hollows come and pile together, combining into this monstrosity."
Rukia's expression changed. "This is impossible," she said. "This is the Royal Special Affairs Department's jurisdiction."
Kisuke only smiled.
It didn't take long before the Menos stepped one foot out of the gargantia.
Clicking his tongue, Ichigo charged as Ishida yelled for Ichigo to reconsider, and come up with a plan.
Watching from the side, Kisuke didn't give anything away as Yoruichi silently sat herself near his foot. From the expression on her face, Kisuke could tell that she wasn't exactly in the greatest mood, not after coming back empty handed.
Face calm, Kisuke bent over and picked up Yorichi, letting her rest within the crux of his arm while he began gently fanning himself.
"Kisuke, you can't be serious!" Rukia yelled, rushing forward to help Ichigo.
However, Kisuke immediately retrained her using a Kido of some sort.
"It will be fine," Kisuke said. "Just leave everything to Kurosaki."
Unable to do anything under Kisuke's suppression, Rukia could only watch how Ichigo and Ishida would deal with the current situation.
Her heart began to hammer rapidly as the world was dyed red during the Menos's process of creating a cero.
"We have to stop it!" Rukia urged. "It will destroy everything."
"Just calm down, Kuchiki. Everything is under control," Kisuke spoke.
Naturally, after saying such words, Kisuke still prepared to intercept should something go wrong. However, not only did Ichigo not perish under the doom blast of the Menos, but he had been able to counter attack and repel it as well.
The only trouble came when Ichigo could not properly release his energy and the build up was beginning to swell his body. Kisuke shared a look with Tessai, his attendant, but ultimately would have to do nothing as Ishida was the one to save Ichigo. The stored up energy within Ichigo's body was released by Ishida syphoning off the excess power and releasing it into the sky.
Yoruichi tapped gently against Kisuke's chest, and smiling faintly, Kisuke then took his group and left.
Collapsing on his knees, Ishida took a breather as both Kon and Rukia approached.
"Thanks," was all Ichigo said, laying flat on the ground.
An odd silence permeated through the air as a great shock shook the area.
Rukia's eyes widened as a gargantia formed beside. Based from the power the rip in space was exuding, she had no doubts that a powerful hollow must have been crossing through.
"Ichigo!" Rukia said, jumping back and raising her arms to guard.
"O Damn it all," Ichigo grunted as he used his willpower alone to force himself onto his feet.
Ishida did much the same, raising his formed bow up with his hands despite the blood dripping down from them.
"-You idiot!" A voice came from the gargantia before Lilynette dropped down on her ass in front of Ichigo and the others. "What are you looking at?" Lilynette griped.
Staring at the clothes Ichigo wore, Lilynette couldn't help but become apprehensive.
Similarly, looking at Lilynette, Rukia could feel a shiver run down across her back. If Menos was the lowest level of a hollow's evolution, then Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde were far more terrifying. This being the case, what separated a Adjuchas from a Vasto Lorde was the similarity to that of humans and Shinigami.
In that regard, what did that make Lilynette who appeared all too similar to a human?
The answer caused a cold sweat to immediately spread through her body. She had to warn the others before they did something stupid.
Unfortunately, Rukia was too late as Ichigo pointed his sword at Lilynette and cautiously took a step forward.
Apprehensive as Lilynette already was, as soon as she saw Ichigo take that first step forward, immediately, a pink cero formed in front of her mouth without any prior warning.
Ichigo, Rukia, Kon, and Ishida froze, realizing the magnitude of what had just happened. The menos that they had just faced required a massive build up of energy, and a period of time to form its cero, yet Lilynette managed to do it in an instant.
Rukia swallowed, her earlier deductions coming to the forefront of her mind.
"Don't make any sudden moves," Ishida was the one to whisper.
He had noticed something peculiar about Lilynette ever since she had come out from the gargantia. She was only being cautious. He could tell from her expression, and her clenched fists.
Listening to Ishida's words, no one in the group moved, causing Lilynette to frown.
Lilynette knew that she wasn't the strongest hollow, perhaps only able to take on other hollows at Adjuchas level on a good day. Thus, she had always been cautious without Starrk near her to act as a buffer.
Seeing that the group of individuals in front of her were not going to make a move on her, she gradually began to dissipate her cero, remembering at least one point in the conversation Shirou had with that Shinigami named Aizen. This point in particular was what had happened to Brans, and why it was Shirou was insistent on visiting the Human World.
To find Silent.
Until then, it would be a very bad idea to draw attention to herself, not knowing if this Kisuke Urahara would come out and attack her.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity for those present, the cero in front of Lilynette disappeared, a genuinely curious expression on her face. "You aren't going to attack me?" She asked sceptically, scrunching up her nose.
The clothes Ichigo wore was a Shinigami's garb, so Lilynette had been preparing herself for a confrontation.
"Not at the moment, no," Ishida said, calming his nerves down as he realized that he may just be dealing with a child. Her actions only solidified this point.
Seeing the situation unfold in such a matter, Rukia felt as if she had avoided a sword by a hair's breadth. Ironically, she didn't know that if she had teamed up along with Ichigo and Ishida, they may had had a chance at defeating Lilynette since she wasn't the strongest of hollows. It was only her appearance alone, and the description of a Vasto Lorde that prevented a physical confrontation.
"Good," Lilynette beamed, her hands coming to rest on her hips, before a lost expression flittered across her face.
To start with, she didn't even know where to begin looking for Silent, let alone how to navigate around Karakura Town.
"Still though, there's a question that we must ask," Rukia said after calming herself. "Why did you come to the human world?"
"I'm looking for a friend," Lilynette responded without much thought. "She's like me, looks really human too."
The expression on Rukia's face faltered before becoming complex. If what Lilynette said was true, then there could potentially be another Vasto Lorde class hollow within Karakura Town.
If one Vasto Lorde was enough to fend off a whole division of Shinigami, then what would it mean if there were two?
Ichigo laughed. "Is that all? Then you should have just said so. We'll help find this friend of yours if you promise to leave straight after."
Lilynette crossed her arms. "Of course. It's not like the human world is that interesting anyway," she said, yet her eyes were wandering everywhere in excitement, contradicting her words.
Scratching his head, Kon stepped forward after a moment before asking the most logical question. "Do you have an idea where to look?" He asked.
Karakura Town was a large place, and it would be difficult to search the entire town with just their group alone.
Lilynette shook her head before smiling.
"No idea," she said bluntly.
Arriving back home, Ichigo made sure no one was around before motioning both Rukia, Kon, and Lilynette into his room. By now, Ichigo was back into his body, and Kon was stuffed back into the lion plushie that Ichigo had obtained before hand.
As Lilynette did not know where to search, and was not in a hurry to locate her friend, Ichigo, Rukia, and Ishida had decided that it would be best to rest up before proceeding. In which case, the only matter left to be decided was where Lilynette would be staying. As it would turn out, Rukia had decided that it would be best if she watched over her. In this regard, it was natural that Lilynette had inadvertently ended up staying within Ichigo's house.
Sitting cross legged on Ichigo's bed, she teetered on her tail bone, curiously staring at the moving body of Kon, and not saying anything else.
"You both, stay here for the time being," Ichigo directed.
The hollows attracted by Ishida's hollow bait had all been defeated moments prior, and those that remained chose to retreat back into Hueco Mundo. A few of them even staggered upon recognizing Lilynette and fleeing on sight.
This only cemented the impression of Lilynette's strength.
Lilynette simply nodded as her gaze travelled around the room. The scenery she was used to involved only shades of black and white. In the human world, things were far different.
Rukia grunted at Ichigo's words, but felt they were necessary as they couldn't leave Lilynette on her own.
Without another word back, Ichigo left his room and entered his living room which unsurprisingly was empty. It was still the middle of the day and Yuzu and Karin were probably still off at school while his dad seemed to be busier and busier as of late.
Sitting down to catch his breath, he was alerted to the sound of his front door opening and then being closed gently.
The living room of the Kurosaki household was directly adjacent to its front entrance which gave Ichigo a good view of who had just walked in.
"Karin?" Ichigo called.
Karin was Ichigo's younger sister, and twin to Yuzu. She had black hair parted down the center of her head which exposed her face. However, what caused Ichigo to become concerned was her expression. It was utterly blank.
Dismissing the fact that she had returned home early from school, Ichigo didn't bother with such things. Instead, he focused on the state of her clothes. Parts of them were in tatters, and other parts smeared with dirt.
"What happened?" Ichigo instantly demanded, a glare forming over his face.
"Ichigo," Karin whispered, before wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face to his chest.
It was so unlike the Karin Ichigo knew that he just stood there unable to do anything. The Karin he knew was stubborn, and was completely self reliant. To see her in such a state ignited a fire within Ichigo's chest.
"What happened?" Ichigo demanded again.
"How long have you've known about this?" Karin's grip around Ichigo tightened.
"Known about what?" Ichigo asked.
"Don't lie to me!" Karin pulled back from Ichigo, her eyes glistening. "I've seen them, those things." And if you knew about them that you must have had known about her.
It was a conclusion Karin had come up to after thinking about just how many things Ichigo was purposely keeping her away from.
Ichigo's fists clenched. After hearing Karin's words, he knew with certainty that Karin had encountered one of the hollows drawn in from Ishida's hollow bait. He began to hesitate on a way to answer her. Unlike him, she didn't have a way to combat the hollows, and as such would be put at risk.
Seeing the hesitation on Ichigo's face, Karin's expression darkened.
"Fine then, don't tell me," she said before walking towards her room, pausing as she passed the portrait Isshin kept of Masaki on the wall. Her hands balled into fists. "I'll find out on my own."
Standing by himself near the entrance, he scowled.
He nearly yelled when he heard a giggle come from directly behind him.
Lilynette had her hands covering her mouth as she tried to muffle her laughs. Rukia on the other hand stared at Ichigo with a brow raised.
"I don't see any harm in you telling her," Rukia said after a moment. "In fact, it just might be safer than having her discover things on her own."
Ichigo grunted. "It's still too much of a risk," he said.
"Why don't you just tell her?" Lilynette asked. She and Starrk never kept anything away from each other.
"It's not that simple," Ichigo argued.
"Nothing ever is," Rukia said.
Falling silent, Ichigo said nothing else as he realized something at that moment, remembering what he had asked of the two.
"Why are you both here?" He questioned.
Elsewhere,
"Well, this is quite unfortunate," Aizen scratched his head with a rarely heard of frustration in his voice. "That hollow friend of your seemed to have tampered with something."
Tinkering away at the device he had brought, he was subject to the gazes of many hollows. Shirou's was most telling as even now he desired to go rescue his friends.
"How long will this take?" Shirou asked.
Aizen calculated the repairs he would be doing, and concluded that it should take at least two human days at the least, and a week at the maximum.
Shirou creased his brow. "That's too long," he ended up saying.
"I could try to shorten the time frame, but when I had first programed the device, I had set it to send a hollow of great power through. The one that had just passed through, was not up to that standard, and as such the device is experiencing a malfunction," Aizen explained.
"Then the device doesn't matter," Shirou said.
"You're going then?" Aizen asked.
Shirou only nodded. Not only would he have to retrieve Silent, but he would have to get Lilynette as well. God forbid what would happen if Starrk found out.
"If the King is going, then so too will we," the hollows around all voiced their opinion.
"The enemy of the King is the enemy of all of us."
"Why should the King have to move for such a small matter."
The voices continued to echo out within the lands of the Vasto of White.
Aizen's however, quickly put a stop to it.
"If you go, your arrival will only bring more danger," Aizen said. "If my estimate of that hollow's strength that went through is correct, then she should be around an Adjuchas level. This means the only one that could cause her any harm would be-"
"Kisuke Urahara," Nel concluded remembering Aizen's earlier words.
Aizen nodded. "Indeed, other than him, the Shinigami dispatched into the area are only as strong as the lesser hollows who have yet to even partake inn the road of evolution. If you go openly to the Human World, not only would the Soul Society get an estimate of your power, but they will send a task force in correlation to your strength," he said.
Some of the hollows in the crowd snorted. "Then let them come," they said. "Do you think our numbers are small? Do you think my fellow hollows here are weak?"
The eyes of the other hollows lit up as blood lust filled their beings.
Aizen didn't pay them much attention and instead kept his gaze on Shirou.
"Then how many lives do you wish to be lost?" Aizen asked.
The question silenced the voices of the other hollows. Living alongside their King, they knew of their King's disposition. If just the life of one follower was enough to get him to act, how could he bear sacrificing anymore lives.
"I alone will be enough," Shirou spoke resolutely after a moment.
"If you do so, will you be able to find both of them fast enough before the Soul Society floods the area with Shinigami?" Aizen asked. "Know that when they do so, they have a higher chance of finding your companions first before even you."
Shirou furrowed his brows.
"Two days," was all Aizen said. Two days and he'd be able to fix the device.
However, in that time span, they had no idea about what would happen in the Human World. Such things were only known by Aizen who was specifically buying time for a reason. Shirou was not effected by the power of his sword, making him the most difficult of opponents. Yet, he thought further, why make him an enemy?
Gratitude and debts were powerful tools, but first he would have to set up a suitable situation now that he had to rework his plans. Using Kido, he secretly sent a message to one of his subordinates. It was time to accelerate the capture of the Hogyoku.
Thinking quickly, he came up with a suitable set up.
"Aaroniero, Ulquiorra," he called under the gaze of the hollows around him.
From beneath the sand, a large hollow emerged with another hollow with a cracked mask riding on its back.
Aizen smiled as he introduced them. "The large one is Aaroniero. The one on his back is Ulquiorra," he said.
Ulquiorra was a sleek and entirely pale hollow. His most discerning feature though was the cracked mask over his face.
Aaroniero on the other hand was an octopus like hollow with a half man protruding from the top of its body wielding a trident. As far as a hollow's evolution went, it was close to becoming a Gillian.
"Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra nodded his head.
Aaroniero did much the same, for the majority of his power was garnered through Aizen's help.
"And what purpose do you have by bringing them here?" Nel asked.
Aizen smiled without answering her question, and instead met eyes with Shirou.
"This is my solution if you're willing to hear me out?"
Shirou nodded.
"As you can tell, Aaroniero is not yet a higher-class hollow in evolution, therefore it wouldn't draw any alarms if he was to go search for your friends in the human world," Aizen said.
"Then why should we trust him?" One of the hollows in the crowd asked. If it was a fellow hollow in the Vasto of White's domain, then there was no need for questioning, but Aaroniero did not come from the Vasto of White's domain.
"Ulquiorra," Aizen called.
"Understood," Ulquiorra said, raising a hand to one of his eyes and gauging it out.
"Ulquiorra has a special power," Aizen explained. "His eyes can record anything they see, and once crushed," Aizen motioned towards Ulquiorra who crushed the eye ball.
"A scene of what Ulquiorra had witnessed is manifested."
Indeed, after the eye in Ulquiorra's hand was crushed, a small hazy screen was projected for all hollows to see.
Verifying the truth in Aizen's words, Shirou eventually decided to do as Aizen suggested and wait for the device to get fixed while sending out Aaroniero in the mean time.
In the past day, not only did Ichigo notice that Rukia had been acting strangely, but he also noticed that Karin had disappeared when he wasn't paying attention.
He scowled, still thinking about whether or not to inform Karin of the situation, yet he continued to put it off.
Over the course of the days, Ichigo, Rukia, Chad, Ishida, and Lilynette had been out searching for Lilynette's friend, but had turned out with no results. What instead happened was, like a child's attention span, Lilynette was caught up in the various things she had seen within the town.
At times, it was hard to believe that she was still out looking for her friend, but in the end, it was Lilynette who insisted in continuing to search.
Night had fallen unknowingly, and the group had then dispersed.
Laying on his bed in the middle of the night, Lilynette was taking a short nap, her breaths coming out slowly.
Quite honestly, whenever he looked from any angle, even if she was a hollow, she didn't appear to be any different from the younger brats of the neighborhood. Even her actions were similarly childish, her eyes lighting up after the first time she saw a television though the windows of a shop.
Sighing, his mind then wandered back onto the topic of his sister, Karin. She had arrived home moments earlier, and she had gone directly into her room after sparring Yuzu a small glance. His father though had yet to return, but it was normal since he worked as a doctor.
Staring up at the ceiling, he remined still, yet his mind still wandering.
It was an hour later that he heard a creaking noise originate from his closet.
If one were to aske what he kept in his closet at the moment, it would not be anything close to normal. After all, he couldn't exactly say that a Death God was using it as a temporary shelter. It was simply too ridiculous.
Still, if a creak was coming from his closet, it could only have had been caused by a single individual.
Without moving his body, he turned his eyes in the direction of his opening closet.
Rukia quietly slipped out, a resigned look over her face that immediately caused concern to emerge from within him.
When she fully exited the room, it was only then that he pushed himself off from his bed and grabbed Kon who made a startled noise in which he instantly muffled. Walking towards his window, he saw Rukia quietly making her way down the street.
Clicking his tongue, he got dressed and immediately followed after, closing the door to his room as he left; not noticing that Lilynette's pair of eyes had opened, and not hearing the sound of another door in the house opening as Kon demanded to know what was happening.
Rukia didn't get far before he eventually caught up.
The resigned expression on her face had only increased the further she walked.
The moon hung high over head, not a single other person in sight.
It was the utter silence though that unnerved him. It was simply too quiet. Enough so to get the hairs to stand at the back of his neck.
Near the end of the street was where Rukia had decided to stop, the one-piece dress she wore fluttering without any indication of wind. Standing alone, she appeared fragile at that moment, a stark contrast to the head strong woman he was used to.
Something was going to happen tonight, and he knew it. He moved closer and decided to wait and see what Rukia was up to.
Unknown to him, he wasn't the only one observing the ongoing seen, many pairs of eyes were, and even one pair that inexplicably began to water.
After staring at Rukia for what seemed like an eternity, he could no longer take it anymore. This wasn't the Rukia he knew. This wasn't an expression that should ever appear on her face again.
His name was Ichigo,
The one who protects.
He had failed one person before, and never again would he let himself fail another. Not when the scars of the first had yet to heal if ever.
"Rukia," he called out, startling her.
Trembling, Rukia tuned around, her lips pursed together.
"L-Leave while you can!" She yelled, her expression schooling and morphing into one of anger.
His steps slowing, it only took a moment for him to decide on a course of action.
There could only be one.
To protect.
"Ichigo, you-"
Before Rukia could even finish her words, a Senkaimon appeared behind her.
From it, three figures walked out along with a cold voice.
"Rukia Kuchiki. By orders of the central forty-six, you are hereby under arrest."
Chapter 14: The Vasto of White, Part 1
"Why do you wait if you know you wish to act? You need only raise this spear and none will block your path."
Gae Bolg's words echoed within his mind as he sat with an elbow propped to his knee.
"Hmph, the words of a brute lacking etiquette,"
Kyoka's voice then rebutted. She appeared to be more talkative today as she was near Aizen Sosuke.
Truth be told for this particular matter, he was more inclined to do what Gae Bolg had suggested. However, Aizen did raise some fairly good points earlier on. If he went himself to the human world at the moment, there was no doubt that his presence would indeed be like stirring up a hornet's nest. In which case, countless numbers of Shinigami may appear to combat him, but more likely would be the deployment of Captain class Shinigami with each possessing their own Bankai as Aizen had put it.
A Shinigami's main weapon was a Zanpakuto. In its released state was a Shikai, allowing a Shinigami to exhibit the unique properties of their sword, but not to its fullest extent. For such a thing to be possible, a Shinigami would have to release their Bankai, the second release of their blade. In this state, not only would a Shinigami's spiritual energy skyrocket, but their Zanpakuto's abilities would further increase with a wider arsenal depending on the Shinigami.
This was all explained by Aizen previously, and he had greatly stressed the degree of strength a Shinigami would obtain in their Bankai. For this matter, he had reasoned that should any Captain level Shinigami run into Silent in the Human World, there was no way she would be able to escape. Thus, Aizen had only sent a weaker hollow, Aaroniero to locate Silent and Lilynette and bring them back. With this approach, the chances of attracting Captain Class Shinigami into the Human World should have been drastically decreased.
Still, Aaroniero had been sent a while ago, and with no word of what was happening in the Human World, he was already near the end of his patience.
He got up from his sitting position and moved towards where Aizen was working on his device while being watched by a staggering group of Adjuchas class hollows.
As he approached, he saw a couple of new faces in the crowd.
Harribel and her group had returned from the training they were doing near the outer reaches of the vast land he presumably controlled. Presently, they were staring curiously at Aizen's presence with Apacci and Mila Rose already glaring.
It was reasonable though. It was the exact same reason why Aizen was surrounded by numerous hollows. Not one of them trusted the actions of Shinigami, and Aizen was no exception. Perhaps if he had aided them in some way it would be different, but right now Aizen was simply intruding in their territory through their eyes.
To him however, Aizen was putting in an effort to help him, deepening his impression of the man.
"Of course," Kyoka's voice echoed with a hint of praise. "You can expect nothing less from my master."
He gave a wry smile, seeing the difference in Kyoka's demeanor as she continued giving out incessant praise.
Right now, though, that wasn't important.
As if noticing his gaze, Harribel met his eyes and soon made her way over, her actions drawing the eyes of everyone present to him. After all, when a Vasto Lorde moved, all hollows had to show respect for their strength. Even more so based on the reputation garnered from the various feats they had accomplished.
Take Starrk for example. Although many belittled him for his lazy behaviour in passing, not a single hollow failed to show respect to him after recalling his strength. Harribel too was similar, yet she was far more appreciated by the other hollows than Starrk. Unlike Starrk who remained idle for the majority of the day, Harribel was different as she strove to further improve herself and those around her. This was evident to hollows even before Harribel had arrived as she was protecting her own group then.
As such, she had taken to training with the other hollows, teaching them the extent of their capabilities so they could better draw a bottom line when fighting others. The ability to know when to attack and retreat was vital after all.
In the views of the other hollows, Harribel was like a Quasi-master who would provide pointers from time to time.
This disparity between the two was evident again as only she was present at the moment, and Starrk wasn't. However, what the other hollows didn't know was that Starrk was actually in the process of helping Brans recover and not just lying on his ass somewhere. Still, that was irrelevant at the moment.
"What is going on here?" Harribel asked curiously, her gaze remaining calm as she waited for an answer.
He could tell from her expression that she didn't particularly mind being in the presence of a Shinigami, but she didn't particularly like it either. In this regard, she was far better than the three that followed her which continued to glare.
Because of this, he took his attention away from Aizen to explain the situation to Harribel, inadvertently informing the newer hollows that had arrived as well.
"The brat was sent of all things?" Mila Rose spoke incredulously. "I could probably beat her with just a finger."
Apacci crossed her arms. "In that case I'd defeat her with only a flick," she spoke.
Sung-Sun remained quiet on the matter and instead turned her attention on Aizen, her expression showing her lack of trust. "And you would heed the words of a Shinigami?" She questioned.
"He has not shown any hostilities, so I will not be the one to start them," he replied evenly. Unlike other hollows, he did not hold prejudice towards Shinigami, nor belittlement towards humans. "Besides…" he's in the process of helping, was what he wanted to say, but it was contradictory as he was probably about to do something foolish that would render Aizen's efforts null.
Feeling a tad awkward, he coughed into his hands and moved the conversation away from that topic. Instead, he nodded towards Harribel and the rest before standing in front of Aizen.
"How much longer is this going to take?" He asked, unable to hide his impatience.
Aizen furrowed his brows.
"Such things can not be rushed to insure ideal results," Aizen reasoned before pointing at a piece of the device, a gauge. "The required preparation is only around half, and forcing anymore spiritual energy in would only cause further damage. At the least, it's still going to take a bit more time."
He couldn't help frowning. Already he felt a great sense of urgency as he couldn't help but question his earlier action of putting off his own arrival. Initially, he had been able to be practical about his decision, and this was through the accumulation of maturity over the years and Aizen's deductions. However, as more and more time began to pass, he just felt a sense of 'wrongness' welling from within him as if this was not what he should have done.
This wasn't the sort of person he was.
It was this line of thought that allowed him to feel as if he had come to understand something he had lost in his life in Hueco Mundo.
"Then I will be going now regardless," he said drawing an alarmed expression from Aizen's face.
Very quickly, Aizen placed his work down and turned to face him.
"Doing so now will definitely not be in your best interest," Aizen said calmly. "In fact, I've just received word from the Soul Society ab-"
"I appreciate your concerns Aizen," he spoke evenly, cutting off whatever it was Aizen was about to say. He then outstretched one of his arms and forcibly tore a hole between dimensions at that moment. "I really do, but there are times when one must act without regard to consequences."
If one always thought first before acting, then why act at all if the opportunity had already been missed? It was the same concept of fighting first and asking questions later in the same way a father would naturally defend their child without knowing that their child may have had done wrong.
Aizen fell quiet, his face going blank.
"And besides, regardless of what others think, even now, I don't believe I'm a person who considers every aspect before coming to a decision. Rather, like the girl you saw unknowingly sent to the human world,"
He stepped forward towards his self-made Gargantia under the gaze of everyone present, a distant memory surfacing from the depths of his mind.
Turning his head to Aizen, he opened his mouth to speak.
"I was always an Idiot," was all that he said before disappearing.
The expression left on Aizen's face was one that was hard to describe, but if one could place a word on it, it would be 'Perturbed.'
"There is a reason why so many of us follow him," Harribel took the lead and moved towards the opened Gargantia while speaking to Aizen. "Perhaps you yourself will one day understand why."
With that said, Harribel too disappeared through the Gargantia accompanied by her followers. Even Nel who first considered her options subconsciously moved forward. Following her, came many other of the stronger hollows of Adjuchas class.
The once hollow-filled area was now reduced to a few that remained along with Aizen and Ulquiorra who had been within the crowd.
Turning towards Aizen, Ulquiorra conveyed his intentions before he too stepped forth within the Gargantia, leaving Aizen alone.
Pressing a hand to his forehead, Aizen let out a small laugh before his eyes flashed with something indiscernible. In a quick motion, he then disappeared, returning to the Soul Society.
Ichigo did not understand the current situation, let alone why Rukia's face had paled considerably to the point that even her body was trembling. As far as he was concerned though, he didn't need to. It was just that seeing the look in her eyes as she saw the approaching people was more than enough.
His face was set in a glare as almost immediately it became apparent that it was a wise decision to leave his home after ejecting his spirit from his body. Garbed in the attire of a Shinigami, his hands tightened around the hilt of his sword as the 'feel' of the people approaching him was far more than any hollow he had ever faced.
They were three in total. One of them had red hair tied into a pony tail that resembled a pineapple. From his forehead, he could see long lines of tribal tattoos that even spread down towards his body. Looking at him, he quickly realized that their gazes locked upon arrival, causing the man to instantly glare with a murderous intent.
"Renji," Rukia said before staring conflictedly at the next person. "Brother, Byakuya."
The man was tall and draped in a white haiori that was placed over top his black Shinigami garb with a long scarf around his neck. His features were as soft and refined as Rukia's, yet his contained a sense of masculinity that was undoubtedly irresistible to most women. His face was slightly rectangular with a narrow chin and high-cheek bones that accentuated his sharp dark eyes which were set firmly on Rukia. His black hair shifted as he moved, the majority of it held up by three white coloured hair ornaments shaped like combs.
Byakuya did not respond to Rukia calling out to him. Instead, his eyes flashed towards the third companion who was busy muttering to himself.
The third companion was an odd man who seemed slightly off no matter how one looked at him. He wore the same white haiori over his shoulders, but he kept an ornament around his head that resembled a white boat from the side. Other than that, his entire face was painted black aside from his nose and lower cheeks. Of the three, this man seemed wholly indifferent to the situation making him seem less harmless than Renji whose glare was screaming murder.
However, from the expression of fear on Rukia's face, this man was not to be trifled with.
Nervously, his hands clenched tightly around the hilt of his sword, his knuckles going white as an ominous feeling swelled from within him. He swallowed as Renji seemed to have had enough of waiting, instantly seeming to come to his conclusions.
"So that's it," Renji spoke heatedly as he approached drawing his blade. "You're the human who got his power from Rukia!"
It wasn't a question.
It was a statement, looking at the sword he held in his own hands and the events that had happened that night.
Renji was immediately angered and drew his sword and attacked him, making Rukia's eyes widen.
He didn't have time to notice any of that though. Instead, Renji was already pressuring him to defend. His sword was barely able to move if at all due to the speed of Renji's slashes. In fact, if it wasn't so abnormally large that it could barely pass off for a shield, then he was sure that he would have gotten injured by now.
"Come on! Is this all the power you have? Is that sword just for show!" Renji yelled while swinging each time.
He clicked his tongue and roared out in response. Strength moved to his arms, and when next Renji attacked, he lashed out with the force of his blade, yet Renji was no longer there.
What was going on?
His eyes darted back and forth.
Fighting an enemy was one thing, losing sight of them was another.
It was then that he noticed it.
A shadow.
His pupils constricted before he immediately attempted to turn his body.
Yet, it was not enough.
He could hear a gasp come out from Rukia's mouth, but almost at the same time, a searing pain blossomed across the back of his shoulder, forcing him to his knees. Stabbing his sword down into the ground, he ended up using it as a crutch. His breathing was a tad laboured, but if anything, Renji did not pierce through his chest, but rather only cut into his skin.
A hand went up to his shoulder, instantly dying itself red in blood.
"Ichigo!" Rukia called while running forward. Yet someone grabbed her arm.
"I don't suggest moving," Ishida spoke as he pushed up his glasses.
Renji glanced up at Ishida. "Who're you?"
"Just a classmate," Ishida spoke before letting go of Rukia's hand. "To think that I would stumble upon you Shinigami while suddenly getting the urge to visit the 'Sunflower' knitting shop this late in the evening. It wasn't as if I could sense the fluctuations in spiritual pressure and used my knitting hobby as an excuse to chance into y-"
The bag of appliances Ishida held in his other hand was cut in half.
"I asked you a question," Renji spoke.
Ishida ignored Renji and instead shifted his sight towards Ichigo.
"You like you're on your last breaths Kurosaki," Ishida spoke.
He grunted before forcing himself onto his feet. "And your just late," he responded as Renji refocused on him.
"Do you really think you would actually be able to compare to a real Shinigami?" Renji asked mockingly. "It was evident from the last exchange."
"Do not be so quick to judge, Renji," a calm voice echoed out.
"C-Captain?" Renji stuttered.
He and Ishida turned their attention towards Byakuya who had opened his mouth to speak.
"The Secret Remote Squad has reports of this boy severely injuring a Menos Grande," Byakuya explained.
"Him?" Renji laughed before his features sharpened into a glare. "What a joke. The Secret Remote Squad must really be slipping these days. What a load of shit! Look at this kid, how could he possibly drive back a Menos Grande? Even more so with an over grown Zanpakuto like that?"
Byakuya kept silent after Renji's out burst, but the other Shinigami did not.
"Hmm," the third Shinigami hummed, causing a chill to go down Renji's back. "Although I could care less about what you do with the boy, do remember whose presence your standing in when you slander the technology of the Research department."
"M-My apologies captain Kurotsuchi," Renji stammered.
"Who is he?" Ishida ended up whispering to Rukia's ear, curious about the reaction Renji had towards his fellow Soul Reaper.
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of Squad Twelve, but better known as the overseer of the Research and Development division of the Soul Society," Rukia answered. "He has quite a reputation involving him and his experiments that most Shinigami fear staying in close contact with him."
"As if I care for your apologies," Mayuri said while keeping his attention on a chart he brought with him. "Just hurry up and finish what you came here to do. There are other matters for me to take care of."
"Understood," Renji said hurriedly before brandishing his sword. "Roar: Zabimaru!"
Renji brushed a hand across his sword, and the plain katana transformed into a black segmented spiked blade.
"W-What happened to his sword?" He called out in surprise.
"You don't even know the name of your own blade? As expected from someone like you who can't even control his own spiritual energy," Renji said as he leaned his sword against his shoulder. "Regardless, it's time for you to die so that Rukia can get her power back, and then be sentenced to death within the Soul Society."
What he didn't know, and what Rukia refused to tell him, was that she broke a law by giving him her powers. In the Soul Society, everything is held through tradition with iron set rules that can not be broken through severe punishments. It just so happened that a Soul Reaper giving their power to a human was of the highest treason punishable by death.
He narrowed his eyes as Renji's words entered his ears. It was all the more reason why he could not allow Rukia to be taken away.
Ishida pulled up to his side, signalling with his eyes his intentions.
He nodded back in gratitude.
Having waited long enough, Renji leapt into the air and attacked. "Howl, Zabimaru!"
Renji swung his blade down, the segmented pieces splitting and extending its reach. In fact, it was even able to bend around his blade.
"Kurosaki!" Ishida reacted fast enough to shove Ichigo out of the way from taking another blow to his opposite shoulder.
Renji grunted as his eyes moved to Ishida. "Not bad, but a human who can just see us will be useless in this battle."
A blue glow encompassed the area, drawing the gazes of everyone present, even Mayuri took his eyes away from the items he had on hand.
"A Quincy," Mayuri muttered before becoming indifferent. "It's unfortunate that I've concluded my research with them."
Hearing Mayuri's comment, Ishida's expression instantly grew cold, yet he did not have time to question. His hands drew the motions of drawing, an arrow of Reishi forming along his bow as he observed Renji's movements.
This his time to prove the strength of Quincy. Not through competition, but through battle. Ichigo had taught him that not all Shinigami were the same, but the one's in front of him now were truly acting in the fashion he hated. Especially the indifference on Byakuya's face resembling the ones of the Shinigami that failed to aid his grandfather. Even more so when he heard Rukia call out to him to put a stop to Renji's actions, yet he did nothing.
"A Quincy, a failed Soul Reaper, it doesn't matter," Renji spoke swinging his blade in an arc. "Under the attack of true Soul Reapers, your nothing."
A cold sweat began to appear over Ichigo's face as he realized all to soon that Renji did not withdraw his blade after the first swing, but rather the second came instantly cutting across his body.
He coughed out blood, a feeling of powerlessness taking over him as his sword dropped to the ground.
"Then let me take over,"
His heart beat sped up, pain no longer coming from his wounds, but in his state, he still remained motionless.
"That's enough Renji!" Rukia yelled, jumping onto Renji and preventing him from swinging his sword again.
Ishida attempted to help, but almost instantly a feeling of foreboding took over him as he realized the danger of taking his eyes off Byakuya who had begun to move forward.
In the middle of everything, Ichigo once again gripped the handle of his sword, this time casuing Byakuya to pause in his steps.
"His spiritual pressure is rising," Byakuya observed.
He was not the only one to notice the startling increase in spiritual energy Ichigo was emitting. Both Renji and Rukia had too, both freezing in their actions.
"What the hell!" Renji swore, pushing Rukia off of him. "How is this possible?"
"Is that really Kurosaki?" Ishida couldn't help but shudder and recall the experience with Ichigo's energy against the Menos Grande.
Ichigo felt power coursing through his veins. Nothing seemed to matter anymore to him. His injuries were nothing, the current situation was nothing, all that was left was a single goal to protect.
He didn't know what happened to him, nor did he dwell too much on the matter. Instead he attacked in a burst of speed that left Renji unable to react.
Blood splattered across the ground, the forehead protector Renji wore shattering into pieces, letting blood drip across his face.
"Damn it!" Renji swore as he attacked continuously with his blade once more.
Yet he dodged Renji's blade as if it were nothing more than a child swinging a stick. By the third swing, Zabimaru returned to it's bladed form, and he instantly lunged in to attack.
"What's wrong?" He asked. "You've gotten a lot slower."
It wasn't that Renji had gotten slower, but due to the increasing spiritual energy, he was unknowingly getting faster. A twitch formed over Renji's brow, but he could do nothing as attacks continuously landed on him. If not for the pressure Byakuya was placing on Ishida, then Renji was sure that his situation would have had become hopeless by now.
Ichigo knew that this was going to be his only opportunity. With his power increasing as it was, and his senses heightened, there was no way he was going to lose to Renji. Inevitably, he soon cornered Renji and placed him in a situation where he was unable to evade his next swing.
One down.
This thought echoed across his mind as he swung, yet near the end of his swing, he suddenly realized that his sword had gotten a lot lighter. He blinked, looking at his severed sword. What, what happened?
"Ichigo!" Ishida yelled bleeding from the ground. "D-Don't underestimate him," he forced out before falling silent.
Beside Ishida stood Byakuya who didn't seem as if he had even drawn his sword. Yet in Byakuya's hand was…
How's that even possible?!
Byakuya should have had been too far away to act, yet he had somehow defeated Ishida as if he was nothing while still having the time to sever his blade by the shaft.
Byakuya placed a hand on his blade.
He immediately readied his own even if all that remained was the hilt and a small portion, and in that moment Byakuya just disappeared.
His senses screamed danger, but he was too slow to even react as blood then splattered across his face.
He froze at that moment. Ignoring the gaping wound on his chest in favour of staring at the woman who had blocked Byakuya's second blow.
Lilynette was grumbling to herself as she watched the proceedings from a distance. Having never been sleeping for too long in the first place, she had obviously noticed Ichigo's departure and had followed. From her current vantage point, she could make out a few others who were similarly watching, one of which was the black-haired girl she had previously seen in Ichigo's house. Karin if she could recall the name Ichigo had called her.
The girl was trembling, her features pale as she watched Ichigo fight that other red-haired Shinigami. Luckily though, Karin knew better than to run into the middle of such a fight.
As she was a resident of Hueco Mundo, she knew full well that it was better to not interfere between conflicts, or at least that was what Starrk had told her in passing. Either way, she felt a tad conflicted at the moment as she didn't dislike Ichigo. In fact, Ichigo had even showed her around town in her search for Silent, and had allowed her to experience this human treat called ice cream. As a hollow, she didn't really need to eat, but that didn't mean she couldn't.
As for the others, she couldn't care less. They weren't her friends, nor were they any hollows she had ever seen within Shirou's territory. Thus, she didn't feel a need to help. And besides, something about the Shinigami in make up creeped her out, and the other calm and collected one just screamed danger.
Normally she wouldn't care of such things, but Starrk wasn't here. To her, Starrk was the strongest, and so long as he was nearby, she feared no one. However, now that he wasn't here, she had actually grown a tad timid as she realized that they were truly separated for the first time.
Anyways, what did the current situation have to do with her? All she wanted to do was find Silent so that they could return to Hueco Mundo. Embarrassingly, another reason she needed to find her was that she didn't know how to create a Gargantia back to Hueco Mundo herself. It was something only Starrk would have had known between the two.
Turning back to Ichigo's battle, she couldn't help but be surprised by the increasing spiritual energy. It really wasn't normal. If before she could have had dealt with him with a couple ceros, now she wasn't quite sure. She knew she was somewhat weak when compared to the other Adjuchas-class hollows in Shirou's territory, but she still had some strength. She nodded her head. She was definitely still stronger.
Yet, her sense of foreboding still warned her against facing the level-headed Shinigami and the one with make up. Yet that decision was taken out of her hands.
The level-headed Shinigami had moved, severing Ichigo's blade and coming in for his own attack. That wasn't what caused her to act though.
It was Silent who stood blocking the second attack with her arm bleeding and a segment of her clothes cut open to reveal her hollow hole.
The level-headed Shinigami pulled back and assessed the situation with a hint of surprise.
For a moment, no one moved.
Not the girl from Ichigo's house.
Not any of the Soul Reapers.
And not even herself.
All that was able to be observed were the shifting of expressions found on everyone's faces and the minute movements of their bodies.
The black-haired girl for example had a look of terror flicker across her face as her body set forward into motion. Still though, it would take her a while before arriving at the battlefield as she had been watching from a distance away.
Aside from everyone else's blank expressions, perhaps the only two with different reactions were the Shinigami with make up, and Ichigo himself.
The Shinigami with make up's demeanor instantly changed upon spotting Silent's hollow hole, and something seemed to come alive within his eyes. He moved to draw his blade.
Meanwhile Ichigo just seemed lost, unable to understand that he had been wounded and should be pressing a hand to staunch the bleeding.
Idiot.
With a single thought, she moved and displayed her brash personality despite her apprehension.
"You don't know who you're dealing with!" She called, landing beside Silent who grimaced from her injuries.
Luckily, Silent was tough for a hollow, her skin unable to be pierced so easily. Yet despite that, the level-headed Shinigami had still drawn blood, proving her earlier sentiments about this Shinigami.
She turned her head to stare at Ichigo. "You look like a mess," she spoke before asking. "Who are these guys?"
Ichigo didn't answer, causing her to frown, but he didn't have to as someone else did it for him.
"My name is Mayuri Kurutsuchi," the Shinigami with make up introduced. "And those two are Byakuya Kuchiki, and Renji Abarai. You are?"
She shivered. She didn't like the way Mayuri was looking at her and Silent, and thus didn't give a response other than to charge a cero. Admittedly, it was the only attack she had that could do any damage.
Almost as soon as she charged up her Cero, Mayuri's eyes lit up even further. It was then that Silent charged up her own Cero. At this point, anyone was able to see the grin that appeared over Mayuri's face.
"Interesting, too interesting," Mayuri acted nonchalant despite having two attacks aimed at him. "What are you? I can't wait to find out," he spoke before the blade in his hand transformed into a trident-like golden coloured sword.
"You BASTARD!" Ichigo suddenly became enraged as he realized who Mayuri was pointing his sword at.
She was too on Silent's behalf, but not to Ichigo's extent. In fact, the look in his eyes frightened her to a certain degree as his spiritual pressure once again began to sky rocket. Even with the broken sword he had on hand, his surge in energy put everyone on high alert.
"What the hell's wrong with this guy," Renji cursed staring at Ichigo's sudden rise in power again. "His strength is even on par with a Lieutenant's and he hasn't even released his Shikai."
"Stand down, Renji," Byakuya spoke moving forward once again.
Renji nodded, and pulled back to stand behind Byakuya as they both turned their attention to Lilynette and Silent who were standing off against Mayuri.
What Lilynette didn't understand though was why Silent had even acted on Ichigo's behalf. In fact, looking at her face, she appeared to be in a daze of sorts.
Both her and Ichigo were.
"Oi snap out of it!" She called, kicking Ichigo in the shin and yelling directly into Silent's ear.
As if coming back to his senses, Ichigo yelped in pain from the sudden blow and glowered at Lilynette before remembering the person in front of him. He then turned to Silent and muttered. "This can't be real, can it?"
Ichigo's hands were trembling based on how hard he gripped his sword. "M-Mom?" He called out hoarsely. From the sound of his voice, it was easy for her to hear the fragility and longing laced within.
Silent shuddered after hearing Ichigo speak, yet she didn't turn around as she was wholly focused on Mayuri. Suddenly, the Cero in her hand faltered for a moment, as blood trickled down her arm.
Blood that dripped slowly from Byakuya's blade.
Ichigo's eyes turned murderous. He didn't care if he had a sword at the moment, let alone half of one. He swore that he would not be letting Byakuya's attack go unanswered. And yet, he staggered on his feet, realising the extent of his own injuries. It was hard for him to breath, a stab wound just above his left lung and near his stomach. He collapsed on his knees, his sword barely able to be used as a support.
Lilynette didn't know what to feel as she stared at Ichigo's state, yet she did decide on one thing.
He wasn't bad.
In fact, at times she found the energy he emitted was similar to a hollow's, and even still, it was rich and powerful.
"Starrk," she whispered nervously clenching her hands as a feeling of sudden dread filled her being. Mayuri had begun to move. "Where are you?"
A short distance away, Byakuya motioned to Renji; telling him to secure Rukia as his attention moved to a cat roaming quietly atop a high fence wall. He then shook his head, as horrid memories began to assail his mind regarding a certain master of Flash Step. There was definitely more at play here, and he knew better than to let his guard down.
Wordlessly, Renji moved to Rukia's side. "You will follow," he ordered, yet he couldn't hide the reluctance in his voice.
Evidently, Rukia had noticed, as her gaze drooped down solemnly. At least Ichigo was currently safe, but she knew that if she stayed, it would only be doing more harm than good. "Renji, I-"
"Don't go," Ishida spoke as he grabbed Rukia's leg. Still though, it appeared that this action alone was all that he was capable off as his eyes then shut closed.
Renji clicked his tongue, and then promptly grabbed Rukia's arm. Before he could move however, a deafening explosion sounded from behind him.
Both Silent and Lilynette had fired off their Ceros.
Mayuri coughed from the subsequent smoke that encompassed him, but the man was fine aside from a few minor injuries and a missing arm.
"Oh dear," Mayuri spoke with a grimace before extracting a syringe and needle from his clothing. He then injected it to his missing arm. "But I suppose it doesn't matter for now," he finished as a new arm rapidly formed. "See? Good as new."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the head of the Research and Development department of the Soul Society. It was said that nothing was impossible for the man should he so desire it. He need only achieve it through his own research, ethical or not. This was the mind set of a scientist. All in the pursuit of further discovery. It was not odd for him to carry such concoctions as the one he had used to grow a new arm. In fact, no one in the Soul Society knew just what kind of materials Mayuri kept on his person.
"What a freak," Lilynette sneered. Sure, she had seen similar actions from hollows and their regeneration, but to see it on a Shinigami's red flesh, it was a first.
It was then that Silent tapped gently on Lilynette's shoulder.
Instantly, Lilynette knew her intentions. She turned towards Ichigo before picking him up and retreating.
Unable to react to the sudden turn of events, Ichigo could only watch helplessly as Silent was left to deal with Mayuri on her own.
"Ichigo!" Karin then appeared in view, adding on to the situation, but she supposed this was a good thing.
Lilynette threw Ichigo towards Karin as almost immediately she felt some sort of appendage wrap around her ankle.
"You don't believe I would let something as interesting as you go now do you?" Mayuri spoke as the ear piece of his head ornament opened to reveal a kama and chain. Said chain was now wrapped around Lilynette's ankle with parts of it strong enough to even dig into Lilynette's skin and draw blood.
A blue light once again enveloped the area, a similar scene from the last occurring again.
Silent stood with a fiery blue bow of spiritual energy in hand, much like Ishida's. However, hers was far more potent and exuded a certain strength. Clearly, she was far stronger than Ishida who had been taken down by Byakuya in an instant.
"A hollow with no mask able to use the powers of a Quincy?" The expression on Mayuri's face could only be described as euphoric, as if he had found a long-lost treasure. Forget the one with the partially broken mask, this one was far more interesting. Still, it would indeed be a miss hap on his part if he allowed the one with the partially broken mask to go. He could already picture how outstanding the research material would be.
As such, he was done playing.
The chain and kama he had used were barbed and coated with the same poison as the one found on his blade. This poison would paralyze the body at the specific location and prevent function for hollows and Soul Reaper alike. Long enough exposure would also mean death.
The effects were evident as Lilynette was no longer able to move her leg. With a tug, he had forced her back onto the ground to stand by Silent's side.
Silent had not been able to shoot in fear of hitting Lilynette. She knew her shots were powerful, but she knew her aim was not the best, and as such would prefer it if she was up close and personal. She positioned herself in front of Lilynette as Mayuri's kama and chain returned back to him.
With a thought, there was an arrow.
With a breath, there was an action.
A Quincy's strength lied in their ability to draw the natural spiritual energy within the environment and even within themselves.
Concentration was crucial for such an endeavor.
The arrow Silent had on her bow began to grow larger and larger to the point that Byakuya had no choice but to put on a stern expression.
Byakuya was a Soul Reaper, a Shinigami. It was his duty to prevent disaster to befall the Human World through the acts of the supernatural. Just from the size alone of Silent's attack, he resolved himself to action.
Beads of sweat were beginning to form over Silent's forehead, her hair being blown back from the force of the arrow she was generating. Even the skin of her hands was beginning to flake and peel, yet still she persisted. The reason it was taking her so long to fire was that she was locating a remote region of Karakura Town where she was sure she would not injure any human. Yet before she could even fire, a cold feeling burst from within her chest.
She swallowed before looking down at the blade protruding from her stomach. Under the pressure of Mayuri, she had been unable to react in time to the sudden attack.
Byakuya Kuchiki of the Kuchiki Clan. Not only was he strong, but his speed, his Shunpo or Flash Step was unmatched within the current Soul Society aside from one or two individuals. Even when he had first attacked Ichigo, Silent was only able to perceive the second blow as the first had been too fast for her to even react.
"Power is nothing if one cannot unleash it," Byakuya said coolly before a pink glow suddenly enveloped him.
"Take that ya bastard!" Lilynette growled from her position propped up against the ground. With one of her legs paralyzed, her mobility had been greatly reduced to the point of just crawling. Currently, she had just blasted Byakuya with a Cero.
Blinking, Byakuya had a dishevelled appearance, but he did not appear critically injured.
Lilynette's strength was low even in regards to an Adjuchas class hollow, what more against a captain Class Shinigami? In fact, perhaps her strength was only useful when combating seated officers or lower in Shinigami rankings.
Byakuya only shook his head before promptly knocking out both Silent and Lilynette with his speed. If anything, the only thing that troubled him at the moment was the intense stare of the black cat in the distance. Yet he would never admit such a thing.
"I did not need the help," Mayuri spoke as he approached Byakuya.
"Nor did you care about what happens to the area around you and the people in it," Byakuya replied.
Mayuri didn't respond and was instead in the process of examining Silent as he held her up by the hair. In the very same process, unexpectedly, a rock hit his head. An unnoticeable twitch formed over his brow.
"Fuck off you bully!" Karin had run forward while leaving Ichigo clambering uselessly behind her, fury in her reddened eyes. "Let her go!"
"What is with this town?" Renji grumbled. "How many humans have enough spiritual energy to see us?" Finishing his words, Renji then moved in Karin's direction yet Rukia immediately stopped him.
How could she not? Karin was Ichigo's sister and she herself was well acquainted with the brash girl.
"Karin don't!" Ichigo warned as he forced himself back onto his feet, his eyes going blood shot. "Get behind me!" He urged. "I-I'll save her," he grit his teeth saying.
No matter what Ichigo said though, it appeared highly unlikely that he would be able to accomplish such a task. His level of strength was near Ishida's level, and Ishida had been taken out in an instant by Byakuya.
Ignoring Ichigo's words, Karin picked up another stone to throw, unknowingly coating it in a thin blue light. "I said LET HER GO!" she screamed, throwing the stone.
Steam hissed, as the smell of burnt flesh permeated through the air. The speed in which the stone Karin threw was fast enough to continue spinning in Mayuri's outstretched hand.
"Do you know what happens to unwanted pests?" Mayuri's voice was undoubtedly annoyed. "I string them up with my fingers before prepping them on a lab table where I take my time to procure anything useful from their bodies. Now unless you have something useful worth my time, I sugg-"
Another stone bounced off Mayuri's head. The sound of it rolling across the cement of the street evident for all to hear.
There was a short silence as both Renji, Rukia, and Byakuya were astounded by Karin's actions in provoking Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
Placing Silent on the ground, Mayuri released a heavy spiritual pressure down on the area. Ichigo, already injured as he was, collapsed flat on his body. Karin who had never been put through such a thing was in a similar situation to the point that she could even feel her organs getting crushed.
"My patience has never been long, girl," Mayuri moved forward towards Karin, his intentions clear.
Yet at that moment, a hand clasped firmly around Mayuri's ankles.
Silent glared defiantly from the ground, her wounds still bleeding profusely.
Irritated as he was already, Mayuri stomped down on Silent.
Thump.
Thump.
Thwack.
It was the sound one would hear when pounding on a piece of meat.
Silent's face and body had long ago become beaten, bruised, and bloody, but still she did not let go of Mayuri. Staring off at Ichigo and Karin with a fierce light in her eyes.
She Knew them.
They meant something to her.
They were dear. And she would not let them be harmed in any way.
She did not know this feeling that overcame her, driving her to endure, yet it was an instinct of sorts that only woman could intuitively describe.
A Mother's love.
Seeing the scene in front of her, Karin was in tears and was cursing her inability to even withstand the mysterious force over her. As the retched sound continued to filter into her ears, she couldn't help but despair at that moment. "Ichigo,please, do something," she pleaded before passing out.
"AAAHHHHGG!" Ichigo screamed, pushing himself up despite the spiritual pressure pressing down on him. "I'll Kill you!" And yet, other than standing, he couldn't even move. Eventually being forced back onto the ground exhausted and out cold.
"Ichigo," Rukia muttered before clenching her fists. She did not know who this woman was to Ichigo, nor did she hear any of the interaction he had had with Lilynette, but she knew what she had to do. She noticed Renji's grip on her arm grow slack, and in that moment, she pulled free and immediately took Mayuri by surprise.
As Mayuri was solely directing his spiritual pressure upon Ichigo and Karin, she was unimpeded as she kicked him across the face and sent him flying.
One could imagine how enraged Mayuri had become, immediately attacking with lethal force.
"Rukia!" Renji called in concern.
Byakuya however noticed a shadow move in the distance, his eyes narrowing.
The air suddenly became moist as a film of moving water blocked Mayuri's attack and obscured the sight of Rukia, Lilynette, and Silent.
"We meet again, Kuchiki," a familiar voice echoed out in the night as a figure spoke from within the waters.
Every pair of eyes widened in disbelief, but none more so than Rukia.
Under the protection of a flowing dome of spirit-made water, a man stood protectively in front of Rukia, holding both Masaki and Lilynette under his arms.
"I just wish the situation could have had been better," the man spoke within the silence.
Aaroniero was internally cursing his current situation. If not for Aizen ordering him through a message to protect Lilynette and Silent, he would have damn well never have had acted and let the fools earn what they had sowed. However, not only did Aizen order him to protect, he had also informed him of the Vasto of White's impending arrival.
In Hueco Mundo, none other than the more reclusive hollows did not know of the strength the Vasto of White possessed. Stronger than even the God King Baraggan of Las Noches. And his power was truly absolute.
He did not know the Vasto of White's temperament, but he did not wish to test it either. If the Vasto of White himself would personally move to insure the lives of the two he was currently protecting, then he wouldn't want to be caught in a situation where it appeared that he had done nothing to defend the two. At least this way he did not risk obtaining the Vasto Lorde's ire, and at the same time he could perhaps gain favour instead?
Besides, he had an ability different from most hollows that made him confident that he wouldn't be killed right away even if he was captured. And by then, Lord Aizen would have probably found a way to rescue him. After all, it was because of Lord Aizen that he got to where he was now. Therefore, why then would Aizen waste his own investment? Thus, it was highly unlikely that Aizen would abandon him.
His ability was one based on his ability to continue evolving by absorbing the strengths and powers of others, both Shinigami and Hollow alike. Not only did he absorb their strength, he also assimilated their memories and personalities. In which case, this allowed him to handle the current situation by altering his appearance.
"Lieutenant Kaien Shiba, presumably dead in battle," Byakuya spoke with a hint of surprise lacing his voice. "What is the meaning of this?"
Yes indeed. Kaien Shiba was the form he was currently taking. Aside from some minor discomfort in taking the form, it wasn't impossible to maintain.
"Rukia, I want you to take these two and get out of here," he spoke.
"K-Kaien?" Rukia asked still in a daze.
He clicked his tongue. How useless.
"You're protecting the hollow?" Byakuya questioned.
He remained silent as he pondered the situation. He knew that he stood no chance against either Byakuya or Mayuri in a confrontation. Then what was he to do? Rukia was currently useless as now that he thought about it, even if she took Lilynette and Silent, she would not abandon the orange-haired kid.
This situation was just too difficult, he inwardly complained.
"This is," Renji muttered. "You must be an imposter!"
Renji's outburst caused a flicker of doubt to enter Rukia's and the other Shinigami's eyes. Still, he paid it no mind as he was sure that any suspicion would be shed when he revealed his Zanpakuto.
"I'll be taking this. It would be a pity if I did not research it." The voice was directly next to his ear, causing him to immediately react. He slashed out with his sword, but it was too late.
Mayuri was once again on the other side holding Silent in one arm. Luckily, because of his quick reaction, he had prevented Mayuri from taking Lilynette.
"If you take her, you will regret it," he spoke with a grimace.
"Hardly," Mayuri spoke before eyeing Lilynette.
"Then you've forced my hand," he spoke before brandishing his blade in front of him. "Rage through the Seas and the Heavens: Nejibana,"
As soon as his Zanpakuto displayed itself, not one Shinigami present doubted his identity, and this was exactly what he wanted.
"I-It really is you," Rukia stuttered.
Mayuri raised a brow. "And why would a Shinigami like you care for a hollow?"
"You don't know what it's like in Hueco Mundo," was his response, eliciting a gasp from Rukia as she should know how 'Kaien Shiba' ended up there.
Mayuri shrugged. "Hmm, well, don't care," he said. "Besides, I believe you know what it means to be cut by my sword."
One of his arms slackened before falling to his side. Indeed, it was a paralysis like effect that he knew from Kaien's memories.
The order of events may have seemed long, but they all happened in mere moments from the point that he had been protecting the two, till the point Mayuri had swiped Silent away from his hands. This result left him at a loss, and as such, he sent a mental message to Aizen using another of his abilities.
He truly was conflicted at the moment though, unwilling to place himself in danger for another. But in the end, he chose to follow through with his actions.
He opened a Gargantia under the astonished eyes of the Shinigami around him. It was the only way. With how Mayuri continued to eye Lilynette, he knew that Mayuri would quickly make his move, and by then he would be unable to do a thing. Thus, he acted first. Even more so when he realized Byakuya too was going to act.
Without much thought, he then tossed Lilynette along with Ulquiorra's eye into the Gargantia as almost immediately Byakuya apprehended him with a blade directly to his neck. At least with this, he could vouch for his efforts. Now all that remained was staying alive long enough to be rescued. And for that, he would play all his cards.
"Kaien Shiba of the Shiba Noble Clan requests to be judged under the rule of the central forty-six," he spoke in protocol.
"I don't give a damn about your request!" Mayuri spoke incensed as he brandished his word. "You let a subject get away!"
Yet before Mayuri could act, Byakuya was already standing on guard, his sword raised protectively by duty.
"Mayuri," Byakuya spoke. "Have you forgotten our purpose here?"
"Your purpose," Mayuri insisted. "I only came to research the strange fluctuations in spiritual energy. Presumably I'd found it along with another promising specimen. And this fool, has cost me one of them."
Seeing his words have no effect on Byakuya, Mayuri grimaced before he opened a Senkaimon and proceeded towards it with Silent held under his arm. There was nothing else left for him here.
Mayuri was gone with Silent in a mere moment.
Byakuya sheathed his blade before speaking.
"Rukia," Byakuya spoke. "It is time for us to go," he said.
Hesitating, Rukia looked on with a pained expression at Ichigo who lay unmoving on the ground. How could she possibly leave him in this state? Yet she knew that it was better than him being dead. It was a mercy shown by her brother to even allow him to live from this point, so she couldn't complain. Karin though…
As she next opened her mouth to bring up the matter, something inexplicable occurred.
Another Gargantia formed with an immense spiritual energy pouring out from within.
The expression that appeared on Byakuya's face was one Rukia was familiar with. It was the one that spoke of extreme danger.
"Renji, take Rukia and the Shiba, now," Byakuya spoke.
While both Renji and Rukia heeded Byakuya's words, Aaroniero couldn't help but smile internally.
He knew exactly what was coming.