Chapter 39: Chapter 39
Death and ruin.
Perhaps those two concepts were the only words that could describe what Shirou was feeling while staring down below at the ensuing battle, a clashing of black and white. A war in which neither side was willing to back down.
When did it all come to this?
Shirou's countenance darkened as he maneuvered in the air.
Obstinate, traditional, unbending, Head-Captain Yamamoto wouldn't tolerate any kind of compromise let alone accept an offer to negotiate. Then again, perhaps everything was just wishful thinking.
Although Aizen called the Hollows Arrancar now, to Shirou, they were still the same Hollows he had protected on a barren hill of sand. As such, how could he not understand them?
Shirou didn't voice it, but it wasn't difficult for him to see the hidden animosity the Hollows had. Regardless if they were fighting the Shinigami on Shirou's instruction or not, many fought because they wanted to.
They fought both for his beliefs and his personal goals.
Therefore, he would do the same for them as the embodiment of their past injustices. He as the Lord of Hollows, the King of Hueco Mundo, would rid them of their past grievances.
"Trace, On."
Swords spontaneously formed in the air, sleek and refined, the sharpened edges gleaming with traces of magical energy.
With a swing of Shirou's hands, they dropped down over Yamamoto like torrential rain.
Yamamoto's expression fell in response to the attack. Already he was dealing with the consequence of Ryujin Jakka pestering him to reconsider his actions, and now he had to do so while dodging.
Yamamoto clicked his tongue, unwilling to admit that he was being pressured and instead adamantly rebuking his Zanpakuto as he was forced to block.
Enough of this! Yamamoto forcibly suppressed Ryujin Jakka despite Ryujin Jakka's protests.
His convictions were correct, his methods absolute.
He was not making a mistake, he was sure of it. Yamamoto dismissed Ryujin Jakka's final attempt at persuasion and finally found the clarity of silence in his mind.
Composing himself, Yamamoto gripped onto the hilt of his sword with both of his hands, making sure to keep Shirou within his line of sight.
Shirou was dangerous, and on top of everything else, Yamamoto already knew that he was outmatched.
The kind of power Shirou had displayed back then, it was enough for Yamamoto to inwardly despair. However, one observation at least managed to relieve him.
"You are significantly weaker," Yamamoto said gruffly, panting for breath.
Shirou stilled at Yamamoto's statement, but only momentarily. After all, Yamamoto was only half-correct. It was true that Shirou could be perceived as weaker, yet that was only because of a single reason.
Heuco Mundo.
The world Shirou had created for the hollows was naturally tied to him. Therefore, there was a certain level of up-keep constantly siphoned from his reserve to maintain Hueco Mundo's stability.
Inside Hueco Mundo he was a God, but outside was different. He was fallible.
Yet so what?
"I am the Bone of my Sword."
He was far from incapable.
The reality tore around him, ripples forming as magical and spiritual energy converged to create weapons of myth and folklore. The fluctuations of energy originating from the armaments that formed in the air resembled Zanpakuto, yet weren't. They were different.
Three swords.
They whose origin were not born of man, but of Legend.
Embodying the principle of one who did not fight for the sake of one's self, but for the sake of others. A concept known as duty or responsibility?
Perhaps valor?
Maybe something else?
The answer was one that the swords within Shirou's soul already knew. An acknowledgment from one Knight to another. The ideal of the King of Knights and what she stood for in her rule.
Chivalry and the steel that stood by it.
The sword of the Sun.
The Unfading Light of the Lake.
And the Sword of Promised Victory.
One to the left hand, the other to the right, and the last strapped loosely at the waist within a resplendent blue-sheath.
A resonance of Sword and Soul.
'Shirou, I am with you, WE are with you.'
It was almost as if Shirou could feel them standing beside him, the spirits of the swords in his soul; a voice he had not heard in centuries speaking softly to his ears.
His hands grasped tightly to the swords in his grip, feeling their sentiments.
'The enemy thinks us weaker, how laughable.'
Another voice, suave and confident.
'There is a price to pay for ignorance.'
Voice after voice spoke out, leading to only a single phrase.
'We are one.'
Something changed in the air, invisible ripples expanding outwards and effecting all.
Yamamoto's eyes widened. He could feel it. Ryujin Jakka, it was trembling in agitation. All around, the other Shinigami in the area felt similar reactions. It was almost as if a Soukyoku had suddenly manifested, a gathering of thousands of Zanapkuto forming a single entity.
No Shinigami could understand what was happening, but Yamamoto didn't have the time to afford contemplation.
Shirou was armed with three swords each of which emitted a distinct aura that caused Yamamoto to become apprehensive and it was only growing more unbearable.
"Enough!" Yamamoto had no choice but to threaten.
Yamamoto began releasing his spiritual energy in accordance to the danger he was feeling as the heat in the area increased exponentially.
Yamamoto's power would have had no effect on Shirou at any other time, but the current situation was different.
Shirou's lips thinned. The spiritual pressure Yamamoto was releasing was visibly affecting the weaker Hollows and Shinigami fighting below. Worse, Yamamoto was focusing the output of his Spiritual energy over the Hollows. Some were already on their knees panting for breath. If Yamamoto continued increasing his energy, then only death would await those fighting below.
"Do you think you are the only one who can release such spiritual pressure?" Shirou asked coldly before beginning to draw on his own.
The release of Shirou's spiritual energy served to counter Yamamoto's, creating an effect similar to crashing waves as the two's aura's collided. One was of fire, and the other a tranquil grey.
Yamamoto didn't respond to Shirou's question. He wasn't a fool nor did he release his power out of desperation or at a whim. It was a calculated move with only a single implied message.
-Neither of them could fight at full power given their location. Otherwise, their subordinates would all die from the pressure.
To begin with, all Yamamoto needed to do was stall.
The current battle wasn't going to be a battle of spiritual energy, but one of skill.
Realizing the meaning of Yamamoto's silence, Shirou's expression remained unchanged.
"Are you underestimating me?" He asked.
In a battle of skill, Shirou's sheer versatility was unmatched. Assuming Yamamoto grew accustomed to Shirou's fighting style, he could simply switch weapons and tempo in a heart beat.
Yamamoto shook his head gravely as he readied his blade. Although Yamamoto had always been confident in his Zanjutsu and Hakudo, he was still feeling apprehensive.
"It's precisely because of my weariness of you that I was forced to take this kind of measure," Yamamoto said gruffly. To be truthful, he didn't want to resort to releasing his spiritual pressure over those weaker than him as it endangered his subordinates, but he had no other choice.
Before the war even started, Yamamoto had already read numerous reports about the Vasto of White's protectiveness when it comes to those that served him. Using such an underhanded method left Yamamoto in a momentary bout of self-ridicule but he knew his priorities.
Yamamoto put strength into his arms, his veins popping beneath his skin. Knowing Shirou's sheer versatility, Yamamoto was hardly confident. To that end, he'd already resolved himself and contacted a certain Shinigami for aid.
"Besides, who said I was fighting you alone?" Yamamoto questioned.
Shirou's eyes flickered as a shadow entered the peripherals of his vision.
It was a man not wearing the traditional black garments of the Shinigami but instead wearing a simple dark coat and a green-and-white-patterned bucket-hat.
"Well, I would say that it's a pleasure to meet you," the man inclined his head in greeting. "But that would be a lie," the man smiled. "And I don't like liars and those that associate with them."
Shirou's expression remained passive, taking note of the way the man arrived. A hole had formed in the dimension of the fake Karakura Town around him.
"Who are you?" Shirou asked.
The only method Shirou knew of to directly enter a sealed off dimension was through the power to distort reality; a strength Shirou didn't believe anyone other than him possessed.
Therefore, there had to be some other method.
"Who am I?" The man spoke nonchalantly before his expression sharpened into one of seriousness. "I'm sure Aizen must have told you by now."
The man was fiddling with some kind of device in his hands.
"I'm Kisuke Urahara. The creator of this dimension and the man whose come up with a method to end you."
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'They were worms, all of them.'
Black vapours were spreading out uncontrollably, wisp like clouds resembling the cold touch of death.
'Nothing more than ants to be stepped on beneath the soles of his feet. At least, he had thought so once before.'
Barragan moved unhindered, the army of Arrancar behind him eliminating all the Shinigami fortunate enough to survive the initial assault. They attacked in unison, displaying a professional prowess Barragan had not once seen before. Or perhaps because he didn't choose to?
He had never aligned his views with the perspective of weaklings, but now it felt like he understood.
Even ants had their merits.
Just because something was weak did not mean that the potential did not exist. It was once the same for him. He the ruler of Hueco Mundo made to see that his stagnation at the top of the World did not mean the end of his growth.
With defeat came motivation. And with motivation came new strength and viewpoints.
"Retreat, none of you are needed any longer," Barragan's tone was hard, barring no room for misinterpretation.
He stopped in the air, turning back to stare at the army of Arrancar that had faithfully charged with him. It was different, leading in the front.
From where he stood, he could see it clearly. A scene far different from the one he had always witnessed sitting upon his throne of bones as his legions marched forward.
A picture of what it meant to truly be a King leading from the front.
With every step, his soldiers would follow.
With every command, his men didn't hesitate to follow through.
It was a kind of devotion and loyalty Barragan was experiencing for the first time.
What he saw in the eyes of the Arrancar that followed him was not fear or anxiety, but respect as he had enshrouded them all in his power and had led them to decimate the ranks of the Shinigami.
Even now when Barragan had ordered them to retreat, rather than immediately obey, many were hesitant and had conflicted expressions.
They didn't want to fight with Barragan, nor fight for their own personal gain.
What they wanted to do, was fight for Barragan; the fallen King who maintained his rivalry with the Vasto of White despite countless defeats while fostering the remnants of a beaten army in the ruins of Las Noches in hopes of an eventual uprising.
"Lord Barragan, we can still-" The Arrancars made to argue but Barragan silenced them all.
"Enough." Barragan flicked his hand. There was a certain pride in Barragan's actions that was hard to hide, more so now that he possessed a face to display expression. "If you wish to be of use, live to fight another day."
Yes, it was that motto exactly. Day by day, defeat by defeat, always struggling to eventually improve beyond one's own capabilities.
What Barragan needed now wasn't fodder ready to die, but elites that would later join him in future battle.
"Go."
Barragan left no room for arguments.
He glared, stone-faced at all those that chose to linger, forcing them all away through sheer force of will. The last to leave were the three Arrancar excluding Ggio Vega that had been in Barragan's service the longest.
Charlotte Cuuhlhourne.
Avirama Redder.
And Findorr Calius.
"We wish you victory in battle my King." They all bowed their heads. Even if it was acknowledged that the Vasto of White was the undisputed ruler of Hueco Mundo, Barragan would always be their King.
"Naturally," Barragan responded. "A God would not fall from the ploys of mortals. Now go lest you three remember the price to pay for insubordination."
The three Arrancar nodded their heads before departing, choosing to aid Ggio Vega on the attack of the Southern Tower.
Watching them leave, Barragan stood alone in an area of black decay. The purplish haze he was subconsciously releasing acting as feelers that sucked away all vitality.
Rocks die.
Energy dies.
Life dies.
Any and all things will age and crumble with time.
'With a step, I bring death. With a breath I bring ruin.'
Barragan narrowed his eyes towards the reason why he dispersed his army. They would only get in the way. "Now then, I suppose you fools think you can stop me?" He spoke.
Jushiro Ukitake.
Shunsui Kyouraku.
Toshiro Hitsugaya.
Three Captain-Class Shinigami were forced to move to intercept Barragan's war path. They stood directly in front, warning all other lower-class Shinigami nearby to evacuate, yet it wasn't going to be so easy.
With a thought, trails of purple smoke flew out spontaneously, putting the lower-class Shinigami at risk.
"Don't let it touch you!" Toshiro yelled out in warning, hurriedly pulling back as the miasma drew closer.
It was horrifying to watch the skin of an individual peel off layer by layer until nothing was left even of the bones. Toshiro had had enough of the sight; the scene of entire units of Shinigami aged to ashes a memory that would haunt Toshiro for centuries.
Unfortunately, many of the lower-class Shinigami didn't possess the means to out run the miasma.
"Fucking Monster."
It was the consensus amongst all Shinigami in Barragan's path.
Barragan had not participated in the battle of the Seireitei, making it impossible for any countermeasures to have had been made against him.
Yamamoto had grouped up the Seireitei's Shinigami into large legions to effectively attack all at once and mix in with the Arrancar army. Thereby, effectively nullifying the Vasto of White's capability to carpet-bomb the field with whatever weapons he could form from the air due to the close proximity between enemy and ally. Of course, such a precaution was only in the case that Yamamoto failed to engage the Vasto of White in combat. In which case, grouping was still the Shinigami's best method to support each other.
Against Barragan however, grouping up was a death sentence.
Before the Shinigami could even commence an attack, Barragan had already taken the initiative.
"What an utter waste of time," Barragan sneered. "Come at me, all of you."
Barragan swung out his arm, revealing a double-sided axe embedded with a red jewel that resembled an eye. It was the weapon that stored the true essence of what made Barragan who he was as the ruler of Las Noches.
He was done playing.
The amount of attention he'd drawn to himself was already enough to mark him as a high-profile target for the Shinigami. It was his turn to take a page of out the Vasto of White's book and fulfill the obligations set upon him.
Shirou had placed his trust in Barragan to lead.
A rival acknowledging a rival.
The Tower before him was the target, all Shinigami in his way, nothing more than obstacles to be cut down.
Resurreccion, the power to release that which was sealed away. The return of an Arrancar's origins.
The aspect of what made a Hollow a Hollow.
Spiritual energy the likes of which Toshiro and the other Captain had never seen before exploded out with Barragan at its center. Malefic, tainted, vile, it was a cruel and merciless red that denoted the strength of a Hollow that was once at the pinnacle of all Great Hollows.
A Vasto Lorde.
"Shikai, Bankai, whatever you Shinigami call it. They all pale in comparison to my might." Barragan's voice was rasped, decisive. "I will show you the power of a Fallen God-King,"
He never did like his human form.
For he was a Hollow through and through.
And he had his pride.
"Rot," black mist spewed forth form his mouth, his entire body enveloped in a red light. Arrogante."
Toshiro and the other Captains shielded themselves from the shockwaves of wind, their arms bent in front of their faces. Fortunately for the weaker Shinigami, every single one had heeded Shunsui and Jushiro's orders to retreat. Therefore, the only Shinigami left in the area to face off against Barragan were Toshiro, Jushiro, and Shunsui.
When the spiritual energy stabilized, what appeared before Toshiro and the others was a skeleton donned in a regal purple robe. A broken crown was placed over top Barragan's head and the same fur coating he had always worn in Hueco Mundo was out in display.
"Much better," Barragan muttered in satisfaction, opening and clenching his fists.
The purple miasma surrounding Barragan was far denser than before to the point that both Jushiro and Toshiro were hesitant to approach anywhere near.
Barragan could care less for Jushiro and Toshiro's caution, he raised a single finger. The action was so nonchalant that it could be taken as blatant disregard for his opponents, but its effects were impossible to ignore.
"The breath of death, Respira."
The black miasma shot out exponentially at a speed that not even Soifon may have been able to outrun. The area around instantly hollowed, as if a black hole had suddenly formed and absorbed everything, leaving nothing behind.
A single touch would rot everything.
Fortunately, Toshiro, Jushiro, and Shunsui were prepared due to their caution.
From the moment Barragan called out his attack, to the moment Toshiro and the others reacted, they had already retreated to a safe distance.
Seeing the devastation Barragan's attack caused, a chill went down Toshiro's back. Had Barragan released such an attack from the beginning when the army of Shinigami were still in close proximity, then it wasn't hard to imagine the results.
Toshiro's confidence fell. He didn't say anything, but in the midst of retreating he had performed a test. He had shot out a torrent of Hyorinmaru's ice to block Barragan's purple haze to no effect.
It was a slap in the face eluding to a harsh reality.
There was nothing Toshiro felt that he could do against Barragan.
Even with all of his intelligence, there was no answer to be found. Let alone defeat Barragan, it was already impossible to draw close to him.
Toshiro gritted his teeth in frustration. It was then that Jushiro spoke out.
"Let me give this a try," Jushiro said, making to step into the path of the lingering Respira in the air.
Jushiro's Zanpakuto was known as Sōgyo no Kotowari, a pair of swords that allowed Jushiro to absorb an enemy's energy attack and rebound it back to the enemy.
Whatever attack Barragan used, Jushiro was gambling on the fact that the miasma must have been made of an energy he could redirect and utilize.
Still, Jushiro couldn't help but feel hesitant. He had seen it first hand, the way the Zanpakuto of the lower-class Shinigami aged to dust. If his gamble failed, then what would happen to Sōgyo no Kotowari?
It wasn't something Jushiro wanted to think about, nor was it something he would have to dwell on for too long either. Shunsui would make sure of that.
"I don't think that's a good idea Jushiro, leave this one to me and go help the others." Shunsui tipped his straw hat down. "Rather than fighting here, you and Captain Hitsugaya are needed elsewhere."
As Shunsui spoke, he gestured to Harribel leading Sung-Sun, Apacci, and Mila Rose on the opposite side of the battlefield towards the pale faces of the lieutenants guarding the western tower. "The lieutenants stationed at the West Tower won't be able to hold that type of firepower back," he stated.
"H-Hinamori, Rangiku!" Toshiro said in concern, recalling the placement of his friend and lieutenant.
The situation didn't look good.
With the sheer chaos Barragan had caused, neither Toshiro or Jushiro had had the time to take their proper positions. Soifon had already gone to intercept Ggio Vega in the Southern tower while Sajin Komamura had gone to aid the eastern tower. Kenpachi wasn't even up for consideration in strategic placement as the man simply led the eleventh division on a massacre on the battle field.
Both Toshiro and Jushiro were meant to be elsewhere. They couldn't afford to remain where they were unless they could instantly defeat Barragan. However, the matchup was impossible for both Toshiro and Jushiro who needed to get in close to do any actual damage.
"Enough thinking," Shunsui chastised. "Get going the both of you, before this hard-ass does something to stop you."
"R-Right," Toshiro said. Wings of ice formed on his back before he immediately took off. It wasn't difficult to see just how important he saw Hinamori and Rangiku as.
Jushiro didn't leave right away. He stared hard at Shunsui. As the two had been friends for years, Jushiro knew Shunsui's habits and strengths well.
"Are you certain about this?" Jushiro asked.
Shunsui smirked. "Far more certain than the odds of you losing your swords. You already know the uniqueness of my Zanpakuto. Let me handle this."
Jushiro's lips thinned, but he didn't argue either before leaving.
Noticing how his three opponents had suddenly dropped down to one, rage began to bubble up within Brragan's chest.
"Just you alone?" Barragan said in ridicule. "You overestimate yourself."
"That may very well be the case," Shunsui freely admitted. "But I'll have you know, I can be a sore loser sometimes."
Barragan remained silent.
There was no need to converse with a fool, but for one reason or another, Barragan sensed something odd from Shunsui.
A confidence that should not been present given his circumstances, let alone the words that came from Shunsui's mouth.
"Well, Fallen God-King." Shunsui smiled as he approached. "How about we play a game?"
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Elsewhere, the tension was running high in the direction of the Eastern Tower.
It was an oppressive kind of silence, the kind where words were hard to come by. Ichigo, being at the center of it all felt it the worst. His nerves were high-strung and the weight of the stares over his shoulders was stifling.
It was unbearable.
Friend.
Ally.
Companion.
That was what he once was to them. But now, in the eyes of the Arrancar, all he received were glares.
Ichigo's hands balled into fists in self-ridicule. It was one thing to be wrongfully judged, but it was another thing entirely to prove one's innocence. There was simply nothing he could say in the current situation as the Arrancar's reactions were justified. In a position where he was trusted by all, the sword in his hands effectively severed all relations.
Ichigo swallowed.
"Ichigo?" Karin called out in a daze.
Nothing was making sense to her. Her mom's sudden reappearance, Ichigo's apparent lucidity, nothing fell in line with her previous thoughts and assumptions. If the Hollows were as evil as the Shinigami explained them to be, then why did Ichigo appear to be so guilt stricken over his actions? Better yet, why was it that her mom was looking at her in reproach?
Karin pursed her lips, but she knew it wasn't the time to act recklessly. She, Ichigo, and Silent were surrounded entirely by Arrancar, all of which neither Ichigo or Silent seemed inclined to attack.
Ichigo didn't respond to Karin's question. Instead, he merely raised his sword up in resignation. There was simply no explanation to give.
The glares directed on Ichigo turned murderous in the instant he readied his sword.
"Y-You ungrateful traitor!"
"FILTH!"
"What did Lady Nel possibly see in you?!"
Ichigo took all insults with a neutral face, flinching only when Nel was mentioned and turning his head away in shame. The action only infuriated the Arrancars further. If Ichigo had at least attempted to defend himself then there could have been a chance that he had been forced into action. However, by remaining quiet, it was a clear admission.
The Arrancars bristled, many drawing their swords.
As animosity and anger reached their peak, a woman stepped forward.
She who stood in front of both Ichigo and Karin, shielding them from danger regardless of what they had done or whose side they were on.
Silent, the Hollow without a voice.
A mother even by instinct.
"Silent, why are you defending them!?" An Arrancar shouted in befuddlement.
Silent merely shook her head, her expression unflinching, her body immovable.
Staring at Silent's back, it wasn't just Ichigo whose breath shook, but Karin's too. It was a familiar view. One that neither Ichigo or Karin had seen in years, not since they were little and still clinging to their mother's legs for protection.
"M-Mom," Karin muttered out before biting on her lips and readying her sword.
If anyone dared attack Silent, then Karin didn't care what would happen to her. She'd murder them all!
Noticing Karin's stance, it wasn't difficult for Ichigo to understand the thoughts going through her mind. At any other time, perhaps he would have been the same, but how could he fight knowing that the enemy Karin would risk it all to defeat were individuals he and Silent saw as friends?
Ichigo hesitated, but the patience of the Arrancar had long since run out. They'd already decided to just subdue Silent and directly attack Ichigo and Karin.
Glancing at each other, the Arrancar took action in an instant.
Four dashed in to apprehend Silent while the rest moved into to attack.
Karin's eyes dilated in fury, but before she could even swing her sword, an authoritative voice froze all.
"Wait," Nel spoke softly. "Don't attack."
It was the first time Nel had spoken since Ichigo had lashed out. Unlike all the Arrancar that were up in arms over Ichigo's betrayal, she alone had taken the time to assess the injuries of the Arrancar Ichigo stabbed.
Currently, the injured Arrancar was unconscious. Blood dyed the white garments the Arrancar wore in a deep red, and it was clear that unless medical attention was received, then the wound would prove fatal. It was knowing this fact that Nel's expression was frosty.
There had to have been a reason.
There had to have been.
Nel was still trying to convince herself as she stared right at Ichigo.
"Why?"
The question was laced with all the turbulent emotions Nel was suppressing: Grief, anger, confusion. If Ichigo didn't know her so well, then he would never have had noticed the subtle changes in her facial features.
She wanted to believe in him. In the individual she thought she knew. It was the kind of trust that only a Hollow such as Nel seemed to possess.
It made it difficult for Ichigo to form any excuses or remain quiet out of guilt. What Nel wanted was the truth, and he would give it to her.
Ichigo pulled both Karin and Silent in close, the sudden action catching both off-guard. Karin released a small yelp as a result while Silent widened her eyes.
Ichigo ignored their reactions.
He stared directly at Nel. "They are family," he said strongly. "I couldn't stand aside and watch them get killed."
The revelation stunned Nel. It was rare for a Hollow to possess any kind of memory about their lives in the world of the living but it wasn't impossible. She herself could recall vague snippets of her past life, yet perhaps Ichigo was an exception.
Family?
Hollows didn't have families, but perhaps the closest thing Nel had to one was her relationship between Ichigo, Pesche, Dondochakka, and her colleagues in the lands of the Vasto of White.
In which case, she could relate to why Ichigo had attacked so ruthlessly.
Hearing Ichigo's reason, Nel's expression softened before her lips thinned. No matter what reason Ichigo gave, Nel understood that it wouldn't change what had already happened. She solemnly stared at the dying Arrancar in her hands, feeling for the first time that she didn't know what to do.
However, Nel was a decisive woman.
"Come here Ichigo, Silent," Nel called out, her expression unreadable.
Ichigo and Silent glanced at each other, but neither could feel any kind of bloodlust coming from Nel. Tentatively, the two began moving forward, only hesitating when they realized Karin was left standing alone.
Ichigo eyed the Arrancar nearby, but despite their unwillingness over the present matter, none made a move against Karin whose mouth was slowly curving downward. Something didn't feel quite right, yet Karin understood that it wasn't the time to voice her doubts.
Arriving next to Nel, Ichigo watched as Nel nodded at him and Silent, a wry smile coming over her face before she gestured for an Arrancar to take the injured man off of her hands.
Nel sighed thereafter, closing her mouth as her brows furrowed.
Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around both Ichigo and Silent in all encompassing hug.
"Even when we're out of training, you really do know how to cause others to worry don't you?" Nel whispered into Ichigo's ear in complaint. Ichigo felt too ashamed to reply to Nel's statement and simply coughed into a hand.
Nel then shifted her attention towards Silent in helplessness. "And you, why are all the problems always related to you?"
Silent simply tilted her head.
Feeling the two in her arms, Nel was strongly reminded of her friends, Pesche and Dondochakka. She'd always been the one to protect them, and in turn, they had always been the ones to stay by her side.
In the easy times and in the hard times. That was what it meant to form bonds.
Family huh?
Hollows didn't have families, but the people Nel cared for could be considered her family, she the elder sister who watched out for the sake of the rest. That was why her current choice was difficult to make.
"He's going to die you know?" Nel spoke without power, referring to the Arrancar she had passed off to be looked after. It wasn't possible to heal him even with her own capabilities as the wound was too severe. Kind of like how administering bandages for an internal injury. It was hopeless.
Ichigo stiffened at Nel's statement, at the emptiness of her tone.
This was his fault to begin with. There had to be a way to help somehow. Ichigo creased his forehead as he pondered, the action displacing a few strands of his orange hair.
Orange.
Orange.
Orihime!
It was if thunder had resounded within Ichigo's mind. Recalling Orihime's abilities, he realized that it was fully within her jurisdictions to heal the injured Arrancar.
"We can save him," Ichigo said decisively, the confusion in his eyes regarding the war fading as he set a goal for himself. "One of my friends, Orihime, a girl with orange hair like mine has the means to heal injuries back to normal."
Ichigo made to struggle out of Nel's grip, but for one reason or another, she wasn't letting go. In fact, her hold on him was getting stronger, her finger empowered by her spiritual energy.
Ichigo glanced up at Nel in bewilderment. "What are you doing?" He asked. "I'm certain that if I can talk to Orihime she'll help out."
Nel shook her head wearily. "It's not that easy," she said. "Look, even that girl over there understands it."
Nel gestured towards Karin, causing Ichigo to glance back at his younger sister in time to see her biting on her lips. She was hesitating, her eyes darting back and forth as she refused to meet Ichigo's hopeful gaze.
A pit steadily began forming at Ichigo's stomach. He wanted to call out to Karin to demand for an answer, but Nel forcibly shifted his attention back on her.
"Listen Ichigo, how can you possibly think that any of us Arrancar can just freely enter the Shinigami's ranks as we see fit?" Nel released a breath. "It's not possible. The only way is if we fight our way in."
Her words said, Nel's expression frosted over as she turned her attention directly on Karin; her aura as a former Vasto Lorde on full display.
"Will you try to stop us?" She spoke sharply, threateningly.
Placed under pressure, Karin was unable to answer. If she didn't have friends and acquaintances amongst the Shinigami, then maybe she could have just stepped aside, but she knew that she couldn't.
Karin's silence was her answer.
Light flickered within Nel's eyes, but it was at this point that Ichigo understood the implications of Nel's words.
"Wait, hold on!" He immediately attempted to struggle out of Nel's grip, but her arms were like vices.
"I'm sorry," Nel apologized as she began channeling her spiritual energy, pink light surrounding her.
Caught up in the midst of Nel's hold, Nel quickly struck both Ichigo and Silent at the back of their heads, forcibly knocking them unconscious. Falling limp in her embrace, Nel nodded towards the nearest Arrancar before passing them over.
Nel regarded Ichigo and Silent as people close to her, and because of that, she would protect them from pain, and hardship.
Ichigo and Silent. They didn't have to fight if it would only bring them grief. Therefore, Nel would shoulder it all.
At the instant, Nel rendered Ichigo and Silent unconscious, Karin's breath hitched.
"Y-You-"
Nel cut Karin off by raising her hand. Ichigo regarded Karin as family. Nel wouldn't needlessly harm her more than necessary.
"Go," Nel said. "These two will be safe so focus on the fights that matter."
Karin hesitated, her complexion paling. She didn't completely believe Nel's words, but from what she had seen of Nel's character, Nel could at least be somewhat trusted. Moreover, the Hollows didn't seem as Evil as the Shinigami made them out to be. The fury that she had felt from the Arrancar over one of their own getting injured was genuine too.
Karin's observations led her to a single conclusion. Did they really have to be enemies?
As much as Karin wanted to pursue the matter, she knew that she was no longer welcome. If she stayed surrounded by the Arrancar any longer, then even Nel's commands wouldn't be able to save her. Still, she put one last sentence in.
"You know we're going to be enemies, right?" Karin furrowed her brows.
Nel simply nodded in acknowledgment.
Glancing at Ichigo and Silent to make sure that they were safe, Karin began channelling her spiritual energy before travelling back to where she had come from.
Watching Karin leave, Nel closed her eyes and began to think.
She had two objectives.
Destroy the Eastern Tower, and locate the woman known as Orihime for the sake of a single Arrancar. It was incredulous now that Nel thought about it.
The notion of going to such length to save the life of a single individual in a war with thousands of casualties.
Then again, it was something that their Lord of Hollows would have done.
One minute passed, then two.
Nel opened her eyes, her reservations and indecisions left buried within her.
'Sorry, Ichigo.'
All that remained was her duty.
She was Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, and the situation was War.
Hueco Mundo vs the Siereitei.
"Charge!"
She gave out the order without hesitation.
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Ichigo felt like he was in a dream, one that was more like a nightmare.
Across from him stood a mirror-image of himself, pale white and mouth curved into an unassuming sneer.
'How long are you going to sleep King?'
His pale reflection continued to open and close its mouth, but it didn't matter because Ichigo couldn't hear anything.
'We had a deal King. You put your faith in me, and together we can unleash our full potential. Our primal instincts.'
There was a nagging sense of urgency in his mind that prevented him from thinking about anything else. He vigorously attempted to move his body but it felt like he was traversing through a thick pool of sludge, neither able to swim nor find a suitable purchase.
His aimless wandering caused the reflection of himself he could see off the edge of his vision to frown further.
'We are of one soul and body. I the weapon, and you the vessel. We share our emotions and our views. If you sleep any longer, then the situation outside will become irreversible.'
Ichigo gasped. All of a sudden, the world around him began to shift, revealing a landscape of horizontal skyscrapers. The sun above was blocked by dark clouds, light rain beginning to pour over the world.
The scene was dreary, sad, depressing.
In the midst of it all, stood a man dressed fully in black, soaked to the bones.
'The old man doesn't like the rain. Hurry King.'
Ichigo couldn't take his eyes off of the man, a power stirring from within him. A connection he had with his soul.
Hollow and Shinigami, the two powers seemingly coming into a natural blend, creating a blur.
"C'mon King, I'm not the one who's supposed to be the voice of reason."
His reflection continued to persist until finally there was a reaction.
The man in black had had enough.
"I do not like the rain," the man spoke somberly, turning to address him. "It hides the sun, the light of this world behind the gloom of a bitter cold."
It was if a hand had suddenly grasped fully around Ichigo's body. Thereafter, waves of blue spiritual energy erased any exhaustion and disorientation from Ichigo's mind, lifting him to a state of alertness.
'Around damn time,'
Ichigo heard the voice of his reflection, but he could hardly answer back. The man in black was being forcful, pushing Ichigo's conscious back into a state of awareness with only a single message.
'Stop the rain. To that end, I will lend you my power.'
The white refelction of Ichigo nodded its head to the old man's words.
"We are with you."
The sword and instinct of your soul.
Zangetsu.
By the time Ichigo realized what was going on, his body in the dimension of the Fake Karakura town abruptly sat up, startingly the Arrancar watching over him.
"T-That's not possible, Lady Nel knocked you out," the Arrancar muttered before trying to restrain Ichigo.
Unfortunately, there was a vast difference in strength that only a person of Nel's capabilities would be able to restrain.
Lips twitching, Ichigo drop kicked the Arrancar over the head and put her out of commission.
Head throbbing, Ichigo only had a moment to register the fact that Silent was unconscious beside him, Nel and the other Arrancar nowhere to be seen.
W-What was going on?
Ichigo placed a hand to his head as he recalled his most recent memories before his eyes widened.
Fuck.
His head snapped in the direction of the East Tower, his complexion draining from his face as he saw the carnage ensuing.
Nel was like a War Goddess. With her strength alone, she was combating against another Captain-Class Shinigami, Sajin Komamura while being flanked by Karin, Chad, and Ishida.
Rather than lose the advantage, Nel had already released her centaur form and was ruthlessly piercing through her opposition. On the tip of her lance, up to three bodies were run through like shish-kabobs, the unseated-class Shinigami unable to stop her for even a second.
The other Arrancar Nel led were in fierce battle against the remaining Shinigami, many in their original forms in Hueco Mundo. One of the more prominent Arrancar fought an entire unit of elite Shinigami by himself.
One of Barragan's followers known as Nnoitra Gilga. The half-crescent blades he wielded on four of his arms decimated all in his path in showers of blood and gore.
Scene after scene of violence fell into Ichigo's sight, and he lost it completely when he noticed all the injuries.
Surrounded as Nel was, there's was no way that she could have avoided sustaining any injuries. There was a glaring hole in one of her shoulders, and blood from open lacerations covered her entire body. Karin and the rest were fairly better, with only minor bleeding and bruises, but Ichigo wasn't a fool.
He knew Nel, the type of character she possessed. Nel knew that Karin was his family, she would hold back subconsciously on his behalf. The result?
More and more injuries.
N-Nel you-!
Ichigo clenched his fists and shot forward, the raging of his emotions causing gale-like fluctuation in the air as his spiritual energy grew out of control.
"Enough!" Ichigo yelled, his throat hoarse. "I said THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Ichigo's sudden appearance caused the expression on Nel's face to flicker, more so with Karin, Chad, and Ishida who began to hesitate.
However, they didn't listen.
No one believed that the current conflict could be so easily settled anymore. Nel herself had become the object of hatred for many Shinigami due to the amount of people she had killed to keep the Arrancar under her safe.
To suddenly stop on Ichigo's words alone? Utterly impossible.
Pressing the attack, Sajin engaged Nel and began forcing her into a corner with the aid of the other Shinigami, calling for Karin and the others to support him.
Nel coughed out blood from a hard blow to her stomach.
Left forgotten, Ichigo felt helpless, all his abilities seemingly amounting to nothing.
What was it that he had thought that he could even do?
What was it that he had even wanted to do?
He had never wished to fight in a war to begin with. What he wanted was to keep his precious people safe under all circumstances.
He stared at Nel, at all the Arrancar behind her, and then to Karin and his friends.
He suddenly understood amidst the violence, betrayals, and hardships.
Friend or foe, he didn't give a fucking shit.
He would protect who he damn well wanted to protect!
Spiritual energy began to subconsciously shroud around Ichigo like a thin veil that steadily grew more and more opaque.
He needed power. A power so overwhelming that it couldn't possibly be ignored.
Resonate with the spirit!
Harmonize with the soul!
Two distinct energies began to well up from within his inner world. Hollow and Shinigami, a perfect blend between the two that none other than Ichigo could ever possess. He exhaled, the spiritual energy around him growing rampant in a vortex of blue tinged with red.
He swung out his arm, Zangetsu, the butcher-knife-like sword, instantly drawn into his hand.
An initial release, a Shikai.
It wasn't enough. He needed more, to surpass the previous threshold and burst apart the flood gates.
The aura around him began to sky-rocket, the nearest Shinigami and Arrancar unable to tear their gazes away, a wailing echoing through the air.
'That right, King, that's how it's done!' Call it. Call it! Unleash the limiters.
Zangetsu began to glow in a dim light, the thickness of the sword shrinking to become sleeker.
Ichigo was engulfed by his energy; reality distorting from the sheer pressure of his presence, a word hanging off of the edge of his lips released in a single breath.
"Bankai."
Nel stopped, Karin stopped, everyone stopped.
It was a power that none could ignore.
A figure emerged from the depths, thick swaths of spiritual energy billowing in the wind.
Skin the colour of Ivory.
Tribal marks the colour of crimson.
And a savage visage like none other, the presence of a mask, undistinguishable.
A Monster. A Beast. A Devil.
'What could be seen in their eyes?'
The air trembled in agitation, as if fearful of the being within it.
Of the Demon glaring from the abyss of a seemingly limitless power.
An overbearing howl echoing amidst the battlefield.
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Thanks for Reading and thanks to my newest patrons: Nero A, Dragon Blade, Uber, and Julian C!
P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious
Author's note: Sorry for the late update! My area suddenly got a huge downpour of snow today and it made bussing take far longer than it should have taken. Worse, the power cut out for around an hour and a half, and I only got back home from school by 8pm. Afterwards, I took the time to have dinner and then did some editing for the chapter before finally posting. Again, I'm sorry it took so long.
You know, you'd think that it shouldn't be snowing in February, but it's snowing hard outside. My spring jackets can't take it.
Next update: Fate Stay Cooking
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